having been away from them.

FORT LYON, COLORADO TERRITORY,
April, 1872.

SOME of the most dreadful things have occurred since I wrote you last,
and this letter will make you unhappy, I know. To begin with, orders
have actually come from Department Headquarters at Leavenworth for two
companies of infantry here--General Phillips' and Captain
Giddings'--to go to Camp Supply! So that is settled, and we will
probably leave this post in about ten days, and during that time we
are expected to sell, give away, smash up, or burn about everything we
possess, for we have already been told that very few things can be
taken with us. I do not see how we can possibly do with less than we
have had since we came here.

Eliza announced at once that she could not be induced to go where
there are so many Indians--said she had seen enough of them while in
New Mexico. I am more than sorry to lose her, but at the same time I
cannot help admiring her common sense. I would not go either if I
could avoid it.

You will remember that not long ago I said that Lieutenant Baldwin was
urging me to ride Tom, his splendid thoroughbred, as soon as he could
be quieted down a little so I could control him. Well, I was to have
ridden him to-day for the first time! Yesterday morning Lieutenant
Baldwin had him out for a long, hard run, but even after that the
horse was nervous when he came in, and danced sideways along the
officers' drive in his usual graceful way. Just as they got opposite
the chaplain's house, two big St. Bernard dogs bounded over the fence