Show Forgo forgotten rotten IFo Iten HEROES 0 E S by ELMO SCOTT WATSON I 1 disaster at phil kearney EVE at old fort laramie amle on the oregon trall trail in wyoming in bedlam the building where nil all the social functions of the post were held hek a great ball was going on and unmindful of the bitter weather outside the little garrison was forgetting for awhile the perils and hardships of life on the frontier across the snowy snow parade ground a horse plodded wearily wavered and dropped to the ground dead its rider reeled from his big saddle as it felt fell and stumbled toward the door of the building A moment later the music stopped with a crash as his gi gigantic gantle figure wrapped from head bead to toot foot in buffalo overcoat leggings les Sings and cap staggered into the little litile ballroom disaster at phil kearney Kea ruey he gasped captain fetterman Fet tennan and 81 men massacred the indians are all around the post colonel carrington roast must have help then he be tell fell unconscious from over expos espos ure and exhaustion immediately after the destruction of Fetter mans command by red clouds sioux colonel carrington called for volunteers to go to fort laramie Lar amle for help outside a frightful blizzard was raging and the thermometer stood at 25 degrees below zero to go meant a ride of WO miles through that bitter weather and through a country swarming with hostile indians indiana blood mad from their recent success none of the soldiers would offer to make the trip then a frontiersman named john phillips nicknamed because of his big nationality stepped forward and said he be would go if given the swiftest horse in the command this was done and at midnight of december 22 with only a few crackers for himself and a small amount of teed feed tor for his horse phillips slipped out a side gate in the stockade and rode away into the storm although the soldiers bad predicted that the messenger would be caught before be had gone a hundred yards he be managed to avoid the indians and set out for fort laramie Lar amle after 48 hours of cold hunger bunger and fatigue he be reached that post as previously related on new years tears day a cry of thanksgiving went up op from the be league red garrison at fort phil kearney hearney as a line of soldiers appeared over the hills bills saved I 1 saved 1 phillips got through to laralle Laram lel I 1 its it what were here for I 1 0 and gent gentleman lewan such Is the tradition in the amerlean american army and none done better exemplified it than guy gay V henry who has also and justly been called the typical knightly american soldier A west pointer and the son of another he stas nas born into the service in which he be was to have such a distinguished career he saw tour four years of the hardest fighting in the civil war was thrice mentioned in dispatches and brevet ted five times tor for gallantry in action at the desperate fighting at old cold harbor be won the ardys highest hii hest distinction th medal of 0 honor lie he was a brilliant indian fighter front from IW to and during the spanish american war he dished wonders as military ruler ol of porto rico and there he died because he be would not ask to be relieved of his big command although he knew that by staying he was wag doomed here I 1 t was sent seni and here I 1 will stay until my duty Is done be said yet tor for all of his services he Is but little known re as compared to other officers chose more spectacular careers brought the them 10 to public notice thin as a shoestring and as brave as a bun the soldiers who served on der him and almost worshipped wor shipped him be in physique he mure more than made lip kp for or tn tit will power during the winter of was ordered from fort robinson with a troop of soldiers to expel miners fro the black hilts hills the march which Is a classic in old army traditions took them over BOU miles of the roughest country to ID america and was made in estther eit ther ranging from SO 20 to 40 degrees below zero only the indomitable perseverance of the commander kept the nien from lying down and being frozen to death his plight was wag the worst of oil all they bad to cut the bridle reins from bis big frozen hands bands when hen he returned to the fort and slit his gloves cloves into strips each strip brought with it a piece of flesh and to the day of his death he be could 00 dot t close the fingers on his bis left band in the battle of the rosebud doring the sioux war of ism 1876 henry wag shot through the face and tell fell to the ground A desperate hand band to hand band conflict raged over bis big body but he was rescued and carried to the rear fix I 1 roe me up so that I 1 can go back were the words mumbled through bleeding lips to the surgeon but there was no DO going hack back for him there he lay through the long hot day while the battle raged almost unattended tor for not a trian man could be r spared pared from the tiring bring line to a fellow officer who once came and bent over him corn com henry murmured it its all right jack its what were here bere for and a few moments later to a war correspondent who came to see him henry recommended that heroin he join the army arniel I 1 western |