The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-09-03
SERGEANT BATEs's WINS.
The Gvent Perambalator's Freak With a
Fragment Of n Dead Indian.

A st. Louis sergeant of police, who for
merly served In the Fourth United states Cav
airy, gives the following account OF that ecceh
triC individual. Sergt. Bates. who has carried the
Jag SO much about the country. lie says
Bates belonged to Company Y OF my regi-
ment, aud always looked as much like corpse
az "a live man could. lie was full of odd whms,
and was accounted one Of the best poker players
on the frontier The Fourth Regiment saw con
siderable service against the Indians before the
war of the rebellion. lhe boys were more or
less inclined to cards soldiers always are, and
every payday found Bates an impassivc pattri
pant IN the livliest game he could find lie had
both nerve and skill. and was seldom loser.
ohe OF MS peculiarities was that he did not
squander his winnings "a soldiers usually do,
but on the contrary, II rarely happened that the
eight or nino hundred dollars to either Bethel
or bridgeport Conn.
"On one occasion while Company was in
active service on the plains, Bates was laid up
80 as to be unable to ride. lie was sent to a post
to recuperate and happened to arrive just "A the
garrison were paid on lie was in hospital only
a few days. but when he rejoined the regiment
he was some $1,000 better on than when he left
II. The garrison said they didn't want to see
any more sick soldiers from the Fourth regiment
sent to hospital.
"ln 1868 the troops attacked a Comanche camp
at the Wichita mountains and killed over nun
dred warriors. Some months after the fight "A
detachment OF the Fourth Cavalry visited the
battle ground and found many of the bodies on
the field undisturbed, but decomposcd and
shrvelled In the sun till the bones of the skcle-
tons were held together only 10y the dried cords
and lgaments at the joints. In some cases the
articulation was strong and arms could be
picked up with the hands and all the finger
bones complete. The company camped
near by, and about the time the messes
had prepared their meal y hideous appa-
riton stalked through the camp. lIates
had found one OF the skeletons that be-
longed to some snewy warrior, and that
would hold together entire. Thinking to have
a Joke on the boys he fastened the skeleton up-
right on his own horse. a rather sedate animal
Then he took the horse TO the water. and turned
him loose at point where, when 1t left the
water for the grass. II would naturally pass
through the camp. A Bates had planned II 50
II fell out. The horse with It's ghostly rider
marched unconcernedy 10y amid the ieers Of the
soldiers, who appreciated the thing fully. The
skeleton sat rather high ON the horse. like a
clothespin on thick line. The bald pate glis-
tened In the sun, the hollow eye stared vAcantly,
the face grained, the arms were stuck ahimbO,
and the whole appearance of the airy hurseman
was imposing. The joke cost Bates little guard
house service.
II was always understood by his comrades
that Bates accumulated a very comfortable for
tune before he left the army after the battle Of
Chickamauga. II Is believed that he has plenty
OF PROPERTY"