CHAPTER VI.
HARD TIMES.
As it was getting very late in the fall, we were compelled to winter at Fort Bridger; and a long, tedious winter it was.

There were a great many troops there, and about four hundred of Russell, Majors & Waddell's employees.

These men were all organized into militia companies, which were officered by the wagon-masters.

Some lived in tents, others in cabins.

It was known that our supplies would run short during the winter, and so all the men at the post were put on three-quarter rations to begin with; before long they were reduced to one-half rations, and finally to one-quarter rations.