e second constable whom I captured in much the same manner as the
first, but nearer Weatherford. The old wagoner pleaded hard, saying that
he had never been in such a scrape. It would "kill him to have to go to
prison", etc.--but, knowing that Mackenzie was anxious and determined to
break up these wholesale desertions that were then taking place in the
regiment--many of them with the secret connivance and assistance of
citizens, although it was never discovered that any of them were
_constables_--and would endorse the most extreme measures I might make
to accomplish it, I promptly placed him under bonds--and left him in
W---- in charge of the Civil Authorities.

The Discovery--The Deserter "Squeals"

The streams were all frozen up-- The weather was still icy cold-- So far
I had been unable to get any trace, or sure clue of the missing carbines
which the men had carried with them when deserting, and sold. The
deserters refused to divulge their whereabouts except to hint that they
were somewhere between Crawford's Ranch and Fort R---- At last I
determined to use heroic methods-- At that date such methods were
recognized as _legitimate_, if not _legal_ in bringing recalcitrants to
their senses, instead of resorting to the slow and laborious, as well as
questionable methods of Court Martial. These methods were legacies of
the Civil War, and in the field, away from the complicated machinery of
Post Administration--and on such duty--and under such _wide open
instructions_ as Mackenzie had given us, I considered it absolutely
necessary to employ-- I resolved to select the weakest minded man in the
group of deserters, and, in the presence of them, the two corporals and
the entire detachment, "_tie him up by the thumbs_", until he
"squealed"-- Such punishment was of almost daily occurrence at the great
Draft Rendezvous-- This was done with the desired result--and I located
the missing arms, the property of the United States which I was out
after, without further trouble. This man was Crafts-- Placing the
deserters in Mrs. Crawford's corn bins, the ground still being covered
with snow and ice and the weather bitter cold--I determined to send in a
mounted courier or runner to Mackenzie. Writing a hasty message--a
personal note on a piece of soiled brown paper--a brief announcement of
the capture was made, but reciting no details--also the condition of
both the men and horses--"all nearly exhausted from cold and loss of
sleep--t