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Preferred Citation:

J. G. Happersith Army Letter, Fort Garland, Co., 1871, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Scope and Contents

One letter to Dr. E.D. Hurth.  Happersith addresses the recipient with "my boy".  In it, he describes the travels to get to Fort Garland in the Colorado Territories; the long train ride referring to the train itself as an "Iron Horse", the plentiful wildlife, lack of trees along the prairies, and the change in scenery as they made their way to the Rocky Mountains.  Happersith also describes nuisances met along the way such as bed bugs and sweltering heat.  He also describes the Native Americans of the area, calling them the "Noble Red Men" and tells of their power, and abuse of it, in the area.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Indians of North America--History--19th century
• United States--Description and travel