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A SIOUX CITY PIONEER WRITES ABOUT CAVALRY AND INDIANS

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Black Americana Start Price:75.00 USD Estimated At:150.00 - 200.00 USD
A SIOUX CITY PIONEER WRITES ABOUT CAVALRY AND INDIANS
An interesting war-date A.L.S. of J. C. C. Hoskins, a Dartmouth engineer, who headed west to Leavenworth and Sioux City 1857. In 1863, he served as Commissioner for Elections for the state of Iowa.His job was to ride all over the west getting poll books from various cavalry regiments. The letter is 3pp. 4to., Sioux City, Oct. 26, 1883, and penned to Iowa Secretary of State James Wright, in part: "...I cannot close this communication without saying something of the difficulties under which I have labored in small detachments all the way up to Fort Pierce 350 miles from this place, and most of them on the march for this place through a country which is mostly a wilderness infested by every squad of Indians more hostile and dangerous than ever since Sully's great battle. There is no safety in moving outside of camp anywhere except as protected by an escort which could not always be procured and transportation could not be furnished by the military for all they had and more too was needed to withdraw our troops and their stores from Indian country to the various points where they go into winter quarters. I am bound to say the officers furnished me with all the facilities in their power, but these were very inefficient...". Old gluestain at top right corner, clear of text, otherwise very good.