El Buscaderos-Cowboy Action Shooting-Feature

Two partners in a lonely cow camp that heard bellowing noises in the night
"Bull" one suggested
"Sounds like an old steer to me," said the other
Nothing more was said and they went to sleep. Next morning one was packing his horse and the other asked, "Leaving?"
"Yea, too much argument."
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The long drives north could be exciting but more often they were monotonous, uncomfortable and frustrating. Hard work and loss of sleep were the norm rather than the exception. Source: Driving Cattle from Texas to Iowa, 1866 George C. Duffield’s Diary

April 27th Finished branding. Started for Salt Creek with 835 beeves. Landed safe. 30th All well in my herd. Traveled through Pansgath and to Bennett Creek. 18 miles
May 1st Traveled 10 miles to Corryell. Big stamped lost 200 head of cattle.
2nd Spent the day hunting and found but 25 head it’s been raining for three days these are dark days for me.

3rd Day spent hunting, found 23 head hard rain and wind lots of trouble.
4th Continued to hunt found 40 head day pleasant sun shone once more Heard that the other herd has stampeded and lost over 200.
5th Cloudy damp morning rode 16 miles & back to see the other boys found them in trouble with cattle all scattered over the country.
6th Started once more on My journey left Cow Horse River & got to Leon crossed & camped in prairie 5 miles north of River dark & gloomy night hard rain Stampeded & lost 200 head (Milt’s herd)
7th Hunt cattle is the order of the day found most of our cattle & drove 12 miles & camped on a large creek in Bosque Co
8th All 3 herds are up ready to travel off together for the first time traveled 6 miles rain pouring down in torrents & here we are on the banks of a creek with 10 or 12 feet of water & raising crossed at 4 o’clock & crossed into Bosque Bottom found it 20 feet deep Ran my horse into a ditch& got my knee badly sprained 15 miles
9th Still dark and gloomy River up everything looks blue to me no crossing today cattle behaved well
10th Crossed Bosque at Maridian & traveled to Brasos River & find it very high 14 miles Pleasant day
12th Lay around camp visited river & went bathing
13th Big thunder storm last night Stamped lost 100 beeves hunted all day found 50 Everything discouraging
14th Concluded to cross Brasos swam our cattle & horses & built raft & rafted our provisions & blankets &cc over Swam river with rope& then hauled wagon over lost most of our kitchen furniture such as camp kittles coffee pots cups plates canteens &cc &cc.
15th Back at River bringing up wagon hunting oxen and other lost property. Rain poured down for an hour. It does nothing but rain got all our traps together that was not lost & thought we were ready dark rainy night cattle all left us & in the morning not one beef to be seen.
16th Hunt beeves is the word—all hands discouraged & are determined to go 200 beeves out & nothing to eat.
17th No breakfast pack and off is the order all hands gave the Brasos one good harty damn & started for Buchanan traveled 10 miles & camped found 50 beeves (nothing to eat)
18th Every thing gloomy, best four hands left us
19th Traveled 6 miles to Mr. B’s ranch & camped to wait for some of the other party to come up bought some flour & meat two pleasant days killed beef.
22nd This day has been spent in crossing the West Trinity & a hard & long day to be remembered by me we swam our cattle & horses I swam it 5 times upset our wagon in river & lost many of our cooking utensils again drove 3 miles and camped.
24th Glad to see morning come counted and found we had lost none for the first time feel very bad traveled 14 miles crossed Denton creek.
28th Cold morning wind blowing & all hands shivering are within 12 miles of Red River moved up 6 miles.
30th Worked in river all day & 50 beeves on this side of river yet am still in Texas.
June 1st Stampede last night among 6 droves & a general mix up & loss of beeves Hunt cattle again Men all tired & want to leave am in Indian country am annoyed by them believe they scare the cattle to get pay to collect them Spent day in separating beeves & hunting two men & bunch beeves lost Many men in trouble Horses all give out & men refuse to anything.
2nd Hard rain & wind storm Beeves ran and had to be on horseback all night awful
night wet all night clear bright morning Men still lost quit beeves & go to Hunting men is the word 4pm found our men with Indian guide & 195 beeves 14 miles from camp almost starved not having had a bite to eat for 60 hours go to camp about 12 M tired
4th Concluded to start the herd & leave men to hunt with others who have lost beeves crossed Blue River & camped 13 miles further on our way Indians very troublesome.
5th Oh what a night Thunder lightening & rain we followed our beeves all night as they wandered around traveled 18 miles over the worst road I ever saw hauled beeves out of the mud with oxen half of the day.
7th last night dark & gloomy but no rain We are now in the Chickasaw Mountains in the Indian territory crossed Limestone creek & camped in the mountains.
9th traveled 12 miles crossed large creek & camped in Prairie Two men came up with us and agreed to go with us got to sleep all night.
11th Crossed both south & north Canadian Rivers traveled 21 miles through very muddy brushy road & camped on large Prairie.
12th Hard rain & wind Big stampede & here we are among the Indians with 150 head gone hunted all day and the rain pouring down with poor success Dark days are these to me Nothing but bread and coffee hands all growling & swearing everything wet & cold beeves gone rode all day & gathered all but 35 Mixed with 8 other herds Last night 5000 beeves stampeded at this place & a general mix up was the result.
14th Last night there was a terrible storm Rain poured in torrents all night & up to noon today our beeves left us in the night but for once on the whole trip we found them all together near camp at day break all the other droves as far as I can hear are scattered to the four winds our other herd was all gone. We now 25 miles from Ark River & it is very high we are water bound by two creeks & but beef and flour to eat am not homesick but heartsick.
18th Nice day went to Ft Gibson got some coffee & beef River very high but falling Gloomy prospect out of money and provisions got back to camp & found the Indians are making trouble stampeding cattle here We expect it cooked dinner under a tree on the AK River bank with two ladies.
19th Good day 15 Indians come to herd & tried to take some beeves Would not let them Had a big muss One drew his knife & I my revolver Made them leave but fear they have gone for others they are Seminoles.
22nd Off for the River early to try and cross worked all day hard got 200 head across Indians killed one steer & we took it from them.
28th another bright morning after a cold night traveled about 10 miles through beautiful Prairie country & stopped for the night on a creek where we caught a nice mess of fish.
29th Sunday Excitement in camp thought our horses & oxen were stolen but found them after many troubles we got down the mountain & across the creek weather very hot traveled 8 miles lost my coat & went back after it Osages visited our camp are great beggars
30th Drove six miles & crossed Verdigris had to give the Indians beefe for the right of way Indians saucy went bathing 5 miles in afternoon & camp.
31st Find ourselves out two horses hunted for them most of day Two of the boys came to a camp of Indians returning from a hunt They were very saucy & when asked about the horse threatened to shoot was glad to get away without the horse
Aug 3rd All right but two men one down with boils & one with argue Traveled about 10 miles over rocky peaks & 2 creeks with fine grass.
8th Come to Big Walnut cattle stampeded & ran by 2 farms & the people were very angry but we made it all right was visited by many men was threatened with the law but think we are all right now (plenty of vegetables)
12th This morning we continued our journey & our buyer still with us he says he will pay for them today we have stopped on Spring Creek for dinner I was sick last night had a chill & the cholic this morning feel badly yet Everything parched under the scorching sun. We have taken an Indian into our party this morning Trade played out & man gone back Camped on White Water.