The 1868 winter campaign of the 5th cavalry

The 1868 Winter Campaign of the 5th Cavalry

© Peter Faris, 2008

In a rock shelter in Soldier Canyon, near the confluence with Freezeout Canyon in Baca County, Colorado, is found this inscription.

J. O’HareCo. I, 5th Cav.

5th Cavalry, 1840s – 1860s

U. S. Cavalry Troopers, 1867

Old Fort Lyons

On December 2, 1868, the 5th Cavalry left Fort Lyons, Colorado, and rode south as the Northern prong of General Sheridan’ s winter campaign against the southern Plains tribes.

Major Eugene A. Carr, commanding the 5th Cavalry.

The chief scout for the 5th Cavalry in this campaign was William F. (Buffalo Bill) Cody.

Another of the scouts assisting on this campaign was William Butler “Wild Bill” Hickock who scouted for Capt. William Penrose’s column.

Southern PlainsWar of 1868-9

Gen. Phil Sheridan

The eventual destination of the 5th Cavalry was Camp Supply, in what is

now Woodward County, OK.

Fort Supply, OK, cemetery. July 2006.

December 5, 1868 – a blizzard struck the 5th Cavalry in Soldier and Freezeout Canyons, Baca County, Colo.

Illustration from Buffalo Bill’s autobiography.

Cavalry Troops on the march during a blizzard on the plains.

In a rock shelter in Soldier Canyon, near the confluence with Freezeout Canyon, is found this inscription - J. O’Hare Co. I, 5th Cav.

A member of the expedition, he apparently carved this while they were waiting out the blizzard, not knowing if they would live or die there.

In February, 2010, Pamela Rasfeld sent to me the image of the military enlistment register above, which shows that “John O'Hare appears about a dozen lines down.  He enlisted in Detroit and if you scan across you'll see that he served in CO. I, 5th Cavalry.”

J. O’HareCo. I, 5th Cav.