manner of encamping, with details from Carleton

Quoting most of a long passage from Scenes and Adventures in the Army on the routines of breaking and making camp, Hamilton Gardner recommends the account to "military students" who "will be interested in Cooke's description of a typical day's routine of this period"  (Colorado Magazine 30, October 1953, p267)."  Gardner cites only the 1857 book version, not realizing that the same material had appeared previously in the final installment (August 1853) of "Scenes Beyond the Western Border."  More importantly, much of Cooke's description has been creatively adapted from J. H. Carleton's chronicle of a different march, A Dragoon Campaign to the Pawnee Villages in 1844.  First published in the New York Spirit of the Times, Carleton's 1844 narrative has been edited by Louis Pelzer in The Prairie Logbooks.  In Chapter II (Pelzer, 10-17), Carleton gives elaborate descriptions of the dragoons' "Manner of encamping" and "Manner of starting in the morning."  Below, a few examples for comparison...

Carleton:

"The bugles are sounding the "Reveille" at the first appearance of light in the heavens, and the men turn out and after arming themselves completely, fall into line by companies for roll call and inspection."

Cooke:

     August 4th.—We marched at half-past 6 o'clock.  That means that two hours earlier a trumpet had called us all from sleep to sudden labours; first, arms in hand,—there is an inspection,

Carleton:

'stable call' again sounds, when the animals are led out of the square to fresh spots of grass.

Cooke:

—then a "stable call," which the poor horses know well, although they have perhaps forgotten what a stable is, or have despaired ever to see one again; possibly they retain a vague memory of the grain, which, on a time, was served to them at that signal. Now they whinny a morning greeting to their masters, and seem grateful for a little rubbing of their stiffened limbs, and removal to fresh grass.

 Carleton:

The ceremony of guard mounting is then gone through with, when the new guard is marched on and the old one relieved.

 Cooke:

Then, at the signal for the new guard to saddle, baggage is prepared and packed in the wagons; the ceremonies of guard mounting over, the assembled trumpeters sound " boots and saddles," when, in a quarter of an hour—all bridle, saddle and arm, and the last preparations are completed... 

 Carleton:

So this beautiful spot of ground, which but one hour ago was so still, so retired; almost shrinking away from view among those old trees, with it modest loveliness, is now covered with a little city, with its streets, its smokes, its noise and bustle.

Cooke:

 After eight or ten hours, happily finding water and grass, at the climax of fatigue, with the energy of necessity, we commence the settlement of a canvass village in the wilderness.