Journal of James Worden Pope, 1868-1869.

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Journal of James Worden Pope, 1868-1869.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/704992411

Indian War journal kept by James Worden Pope, who with a wagon train of supplies accompanied Major Eugene A. Carr's 5th Cavalry expedition to locate and bring provisions to Captain William H. Penrose's cavalry. The 5th Cavalry departed from Fort Lyon, Colorado, in November 1868 and spent the next month in Indian Territory in search of Penrose. Pope's journal provides a detailed account of the 5th Cavalry's movements and their initially futile attempts to locate Penrose. He recounts the many difficulties of the expedition, from cold weather and inadequate provisions to drunkenness among some of its men. Pope also writes of encountering dead horses that had belonged to Penrose's cavalry and of the starving conditions of Penrose's men (when the 5th Cavalry finally caught up to Penrose on December 19, Pope writes that their men had just received their last rations, although they did have a supply of buffalo meat). He writes of encounters with Mexican buffalo hunters and Buffalo Soldiers, although not Indians (Pope's party discovered only "deserted Indian wigwams"). He also gives detailed descriptions of terrain, mainly around Purgatory River, Cimarron River, and Two Buttes Creek, as well as writing of the large numbers of buffalo and of buffalo hunts. The last entries of the journal, made in January 1869, recount camp life after the 5th Cavalry had joined Penrose's party, including the story of a man killed by Indians. Most of Pope's entries recount facts and do not have much personal reflection, although in an entry from New Year's Eve 1868 he writes of staying up until midnight, when the old year "gave up the ghost; burying with him many pleasant associations and hopes and fear. How little did I expect at this time last year to be out in this desolate region with only a tent for shelter...an episode in the life of [a] soldier." Some mentions are made of Carr, Penrose, Wild Bill Hickok, and General Philip Sheridan. The last page has a light sketch of unidentified terrain and what appears to be a list of Pope's provisions.

1 bound volume, 53 pages.

Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens

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SNAC Resource ID: 8032957

Related Entities

There are 6 Entities related to this resource.

Sheridan, Philip Henry, 1831-1888

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6fv9b1g (person)

Sheridan claimed he was born in Albany in the State of New York, the third child of six of John and Mary Meenagh Sheridan, Irish Catholic immigrants from the parish of Killinkere in County Cavan, Ireland. He grew up in Somerset, Ohio. Fully grown, he reached only 165 cm (5 feet 5 inches) tall, a stature that led to the nickname, "Little Phil." Abraham Lincoln described his appearance in a famous anecdote: "A brown, chunky little chap, with a long body, short legs, not enough neck to hang him, an...

Pope, J. W. (James Worden), 1846-1919.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6808mzb (person)

James Worden Pope was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on June 6, 1846. He graduated from West Point in 1868 and was commissioned as Second Lieutenant of the 5th U.S. Infantry that June. In this capacity he served on numerous Indian campaigns, including Eugene A. Carr's 1868-1869 expedition, with General Nelson A. Miles in 1874-1875, with operations following the Custer Massacre from 1876-1877, and during the Bannock War in 1878. He was in command of the U.S. Military Prison from 1887-1895 and over...

Hickok, Wild Bill, 1837-1876

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6pv6kbf (person)

United States. Army. Cavalry, 10th

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6dv5hf3 (corporateBody)

United States. Army

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The United States Army is the largest branch of the United States Armed Forces and performs land-based military operations. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States and is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution, Article 2, Section 2, Clause 1 and United States Code, Title 10, Subtitle B, Chapter 301, Section 3001. As the largest and senior branch of the U.S. military, the modern U.S. Army has its roots in the Continental Army, which wa...

Carr, Eugene Asa, 1830-1910

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6w67nz1 (person)

Carr was born in Hamburg, New York. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1850, 19th in a class of 44 cadets. He was appointed a brevet second lieutenant in the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen, and served in the Indian Wars until 1861, seeing his first bit of combat on October 3, 1854 against Apaches near the Sierra Diablo Mountains. By 1861 he had been promoted to captain (June 11, 1858) in the old 1st U.S. Cavalry (later designated the 4th U.S.) and comm...