Oushata Massacre
Page 13
Brady. Sometimes used to refer to a photograph, after Matthew Brady, the photographer.
Buffalo Gal. A prostitute.
Buffalo Soldiers. Black troopers with the 10th Cavalry, named by the Indians. The black soldiers accepted the name proudly and made the buffalo their symbol.
Charioteers. Cavalry term for wagon-riding infantrymen.
Coffee Cooler. Loafer, one who shirks his duty.
Colors. The Stars and Stripes, or the regimental flag.
Dog Robber. Officer’s orderly.
E.M. Enlisted man, anyone who is not an officer.
Fiddlers’ Green. Old Army legend, which says that upon the death of any man who has ever heard the bugle or trumpet’s wake-up call, he will go to neither heaven nor hell, but to a grassy glen under the shade trees, where he will drink whiskey and beer with all the other departed soldiers until reveille of Judgment Day.
French Leave. Going absent without proper authority. Also called “going over the hill.”
Garryowen. The marching song of the 7 th Cavalry, still used by them today.
Goosewine. Any type of brewed concoction used in place of coffee . . . such as grain or bark tea.
Heavies. Slang term for anyone who was unable to ride, or ride well. Used by drill sergeants when addressing recruits.
Hooker. Another term for prostitute, named for the girls who followed General Hooker’s army during the Civil War.
Hotchkiss Gun. A breech-loading rapid-fire artillery piece which fires an explosive shell.
I.C. Brand. Inspected and condemned (stamped on horses unfit for further duty). This was sometimes used as a way to tease old troopers.
In Garrison. To remain on the post.
In Grade. When a non-commissioned officer transfers from one company to another with the same rank.
Jenny Lind Steak. Mule meat. In particular, a choice cut from upper lip of a mule.
Lister Bag. A canvas bag used to hold drinking water. The evaporation of the water through the bag cools it.
Mule Skinner, Mule Packer. Soldiers who work with the supply mules.
Noncom, NCO. Non-commissioned officer. Corporals and sergeants are non-commissioned officers.
Officer. A man who holds a commissioned rank by authority of the War Department, as granted by the United States Congress.
On Scout. In the field.
Pup Tent. Canvas field shelter. Each soldier carried half a tent in his pack. When two got together, they erected a small two-man tent.
Quadrangle. The large square area, generally a parade ground, around which the buildings of a fort are built. In the middle of the quadrangle is the flag and the signal cannon.
Remuda. A small supply of horses confined by a hastily built stable, usually no more than a rope and hobble.
Shavetail. A second lieutenant, so called because Army mules which were newly purchased had their tails shaved. The inference was that second lieutenants had no more sense than an untrained Army mule.
Sibley Stove. A small, portable stove used for heating and cooking. It made a very efficient use of a small amount of wood.
Slum Burner. A cook.
Sutler’s Store. Post provisioner under contract to the Army. Store served as a saloon and informal hall for celebrations as well. After 1869, the official name was the Trader’s Store.
The Creature. Alcoholic beverage.
Top-Knot. Top of man’s head or scalp.
Trader’s Store. After 1869, this was the more correct name for the sutler’s stores, though old habits died hard, and many old soldiers referred to them as sutler’s stores for many years afterward.
Uncle Sam’s Watch and Chain. The ball and chain used to restrain a prisoner.
Walking Draft. A man with a price on his head.
Wind Jammer. A bugler.
A Look at Cavanaugh’s Island: Book 2 in the Arrow and Saber series
Fort Wallace, Colorado Territory: 1873
After reports of brutal Cheyenne attacks on small ranches, young Captain Marcus Cavanaugh and his men saddle up to intercept the renegade band. While they’re gone, a grief-stricken settler takes matters into his own hands and ambushes an Indian camp, killing several braves.
Angered by the cowardly slaughter of his people, Chief Silver Bear vows revenge by enlisting the neighboring Sioux and Arapaho nations to declare war on the white man. When regular patrols can’t stop the raiding parties, Captain Cavanaugh volunteers to take his company of Quick Riders to wipe out the hostiles and head off a full-scale uprising. But in a predawn attack, the three nations surround Cavanaugh’s troops camped on a small island in the Arikaree River. Pinned down by enemy crossfire and low on supplies, they fight to hold their ground in the bloody battle for... CAVANAUGH’S ISLAND.
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Robert Vaughan
About the Author
Robert Vaughan sold his first book when he was 19. That was 57 years and nearly 500 books ago. He wrote the novelization for the miniseries Andersonville. Vaughan wrote, produced, and appeared in the History Channel documentary Vietnam Homecoming. His books have hit the NYT bestseller list seven times. He has won the Spur Award, the PORGIE Award (Best Paperback Original), the Western Fictioneers Lifetime Achievement Award, received the Readwest President’s Award for Excellence in Western Fiction, is a member of the American Writers Hall of Fame and is a Pulitzer Prize nominee. Vaughn is also a retired army officer, helicopter pilot with three tours in Vietnam. And received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart, The Bronze Star with three oak leaf clusters, the Air Medal for valor with 35 oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.
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