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Bed & Breakfast Inns and Ranches of Wyoming |
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| Portugee Phillip's Desperate Ride |
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Click here for events leading up to Portugee Phillips' ride Portugee Phillip's desperate ride covered 230 miles -- three days and two nights of nonstop travel through a raging blizzard. He arrived at Fort Laramie on December 24, stumbling into the middle of the officer's Christmas Eve party at Old Bedlam, where he delivered his message and collapsed. Outside, his horse -- the last of several he had run into the ground -- collapsed as well. Phillips' bravery earned him frostbitten hands, knees, and feet, and a $300 reward. A rescue contingent from Fort Laramie reached Fort Phil Kearny before the Lakota attacked, if indeed they had intended to. Carrington moved on to a different command, Red Cloud renewed his harassment campaign in the spring, and life at Fort Phil Kearny returned to normal. By this time, however, there was virtually no travel on the Bozeman Trail -- the miners had decided it was just too dangerous. |