Saturday, June 10.
I was disappointed in Fort Kearney, as I so often am in things I have
formed an idea about. There are very comfortable quarters for the
soldiers; they have set out trees, and made it quite a pretty place,
away out here in the wilderness, but there is no stockade, or place of
defense, with mounted cannon, as I had expected.
Sim and I rode horseback through the fort while the wagons kept the
road half a mile north of the fort. Only a few of us came by the way
of the fort. A soldier gave us a drink of water from a well by the
wayside. He seemed a perfect gentleman, but had such a sad expression.
We were told that these soldiers were in the Confederate service,
were taken prisoners, confined at Rock Island, and enlisted in the
Government service to come out here and fight Indians. They are from
Georgia and Alabama.
Two families have joined our train and come into corral on the opposite
side, just behind the Walkers: Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy--a newly-married
couple--and Mr. and Mrs. Bower, with a daughter fourteen and a son
five. We only came one and a half miles west of the fort near Kearney
City. I do not understand why we have made such a short drive, for the
boys say the feed is not good, it has been eaten off so close.
* * * * *
Sunday, June 11.
We were obliged to leave camp and travel to-day, the first Sunday we
have hitched up since we started. It was a case of necessity, as there
was not feed for our large herds of cattle and horses. We made only a
short drive, just to get good feed for the stock.
We are camping near a station that must seem like a military post,
there are so many soldiers. Several soldiers came to our camp this
afternoon; they confirmed what we heard yesterday. They are Confederate
soldiers, they were prisoners, and their homes are in far-away Georgia
and Alabama, and they are desperately homesick. It is a distressing
sickness. I have been so homesick that I could not eat or sleep, and
a cure was not effected until I was at home again. Then how nice it
did seem to be home, and how good everything tasted. I do hope this
cruel, homicidal war will soon be over, and these fine-looking Southern
gentlemen will be permitted to go to their homes and loved ones, who,
no doubt, are waiting and longing for their return. My heart aches for
them.