Page:Bird-lore Vol 04.djvu/26

 Coues at His First Army Post ‘ 5

no exultation over his victory beyond a bright smile and a clap on one shoulder, with the friendly question, “Am I not right?” or “Is that not so?” Although Coues gained a prominent position in various branches of natural science, and in literature as well, he was, above all, an orni- thologist. From his earliest youth he loved birds, and delighted to talk about them and argue the various questions that a discussion of them gave rise to His mind was always dwelling upon them, and he never lost an opportunity to speak of his favorite subject I remember once when, arriving in Washington during his student days and seeking him at his residence, I was directed to a certain hall where a dancing class to which he belonged usually met and, on sending up my name, he came bounding down the stairs two steps at a time with a cheery "Hello, D, G.! Glad to see you!” and almost immediately took up a certain subject on birds that we had had a discussion about in our correspondence a short time before. It was the absorbing passion, always foremost in his thoughts. Personally attractive in his mature years, Coues was no less so in his youth, and although our mutual interest in the one common absorbing pursuit of our lives may have brought us more closely together, yet even those who were without the special love of nature‘s works to afford a breadth of sympathy with him, and who knew him in his youth. could not fail to recognize the traits I, on another occasion, have attributed to him in his boyhood, of being Hfrank, simple, honest and confiding, with a

boy's generous impulses and the glorious enthusiasm of the ornithologist manifest in speech and action.”

Coues at His First Army Post

BY CAPT. C. A, CURTIS. U. S, A, (Retired)

On the 12th day of June, 1864., I reported for duty as acting quarter- master of a mixed column of infantry and cavalry, which had been ordered to rendezvous at the town of Los Pinos, New lVchico, in preparation for a march to Prescott, Arizona.

This command was composed of one company of regular infantry, a troop each of California and New Mexican cavalry, and was intended to

act as an escort to a supply train going to provision a new fort near the Arizona town above mentioned.

This march was to be for fully ﬁve hundred miles through a hostile Indian region, where the Navaho and Apache ranged, and we were cautioned from departmental headquarters to hold ourselves in constant readiness to repel attack.

To be more explicit and show what a prize our train would have proved to a successful Indian foray, I will mention that the supply train