Show SALT LAKE SKETCHES Recalls Indian Battles F. F J. J McCarthy Prefers to Remember Humorous Humorous Hu- Hu Side of Pioneer Life 1 IlLs His regIment was only a few miles away when Custer made macJe his last stand He fought the Sioux from the lower Missouri to the upper Yellowstone He saw Chief Chiet AmerIcan Horse die md and was among the DO 90 who captured that great Indian chieftain arid and of his trIb tribesmen men but F. F J. J McCarthy 89 89 of 1022 Lincoln street would rather talk of the thc humorous humoro side ot of army life as seen from the quartermaster quarter quarter- master corps than discuss Indian campaigns cam cam- Mr McCarthy was born December 24 24 1844 in County Kerry Ireland At Atthe Atthe the age of 4 his father brought him to Toronto C Canada where he grew up to l learn arn the butchers butcher's trade W Wan Wan- ln lured him to Buffalo N. N Y in 1865 where he worked for 12 a month payment being made in so so- called shin plasters paper money moncy which followed the c civil cil il war In November 1867 he enlisted in inthe inthe the United States army being stationed sta sta- at Washington D. D C. C until President Grant ordered troops sent to California We were the first passengers on the first Union Pacific train running west from Omaha Mr McCarthy re- re called The railroad was built west as far as Corinne Utah where we camped while waiting for wagon transportation from General Connor to take our bag baggage age the 20 miles to the end of the road being constructed east cast It was not until the campaign or of 1873 that he saw active Indian ser ser- vice We fought the Sioux all over the Big Horn countr country and up the Yellowstone Yellow Yellow- stone he said Most of the men in my re regiment were greenhorns who couldn't use a gun I remember one afternoon we were in skirmish mish line along the Yellowstone Two Indians appeared in a narrow defile across the stream whereupon the entire regiment regiment regi- regi ment opened ire fire We nearly blasted the stream dry but the two Indians rode off unscratched The campaign of 1876 was one long record of hardship Supplies never quite caught up with troops Many a aday aday day they went without food His most memorable experience occurred oc oc- that year With a band of 90 picked cavalrymen he helped capture I w V fr J f 5 i t e w J r I r. r J. J McCarthy 1 Chief Chic American Horse and tribesmen tribes tribes' menThe men tiThe The Indians were trapped in a box canyon into which we fired at random ran dome dom They surrendered Chief Amen Ameri can Horse mortally wounded stood like a statue before General Crooke our commander and asked that mercy be guaranteed his people He then collapsed dying almost immediately A squaw and the chief chic were the only casualties Mr McCarthy was stationed at one onetime onetime time or another in nearly every western west west- em ern army post most ot of which have havelon lon long since been abandoned He retired from rpm active duty with the rank of ordnance sergeant at the age of 58 August 2 1902 alter after having haying hay hay- ing served 35 years in the army Although I fought the Sioux he said I admired and liked them They were a brave clean upstanding pee peo- pie They were fighting for their own land a land we white men stole from them |