Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1875-1878, 1876-08-23

their death. Three hundred braver men never died
in war; there never was sterner test Of personal
courage.
see in the list Of the killed the name of Charley
Reynolds Lonesome Charley" Reynolds he was
one of those remarkable characters sometimes met
with In the rude life of the frontier-more rsmarka-
able in respects than any It has ever been my
fortune to meet in somewhat varied experience and
somewhat wide association with people Of his class;
for under his rough exterior there was soul as
fined nd gentle as ever reigned In woman's breast,
and, as is unusual In such cases. amount Of vul-
ga association or want Of kindred sympathy could
When Custer was at the base Of Harney's PeAklin
1874, and our camp was ablaze with excitement over
the gold discoveries, Custer sent for Bloody Knife
carry dispatches to Port Laramie, 200 mics below
us. Bloody Knife shook his head solemnlv, and said
in reply: rro,. A.. nr.v. ,nt th.v A.. v,., yn.r
will carry bag Of letters to Fort Lincoln, but cam
not ask them to 60 through the Sioux country to
LARAMIE" Fsstte
Fort Lincoln was 200 miles farther than Laramie,
although the route to the latter place was beset with
tenfold more dangers. 1t led directly through the
Sioux hunting ground, and just at this PARTICULAR
time Of the year the young men were all OUT in hunt
ing parties, so that the plains were full Of them.
Bloody Knife's braves were Rees-a tribe for which
the Sioux has hereditary enmity, and ne was too
wise to ask one Of them to undertake so suicidal a
project. But mails must be sent somehow, and Gus
ter was pondering what to do. Charley Reynolds
was sitting by the ground, with his legs crossed,
cleaning revolver, seemingly inattentive TO the
conversl ltion. Custer had been thinking but NOM
ent when Reynolds looked up and said:
s'rll carry the mails to Laramie, General"
Custer was familiar with courage in every form,
but such proposition surprised even him.
1 wouldn't ask you to 60 he sna
''when will the mails be ready?"
~ was intending to send something to morrow
nght," replied Custer. ....
o''IN 20 Tomorrow night"
And packing up his piece of buckskin and bottle
of oil, Reynolds strobe qnietly away.
'There goes man." said Custer. s'who isa con-
slant succession of surprises to me. am getting SO
that feel humiliation in his presence. Scarcely
a day passes, and have known him three years,
that does not develop some new and strong trait in
his character. 1woud as soon have ASKED my protn-
er Tom to carry mail to Laramie as Reynolds"
The next day saw Reynolds lead an old, ill-shap-
ed, bony, dun-colored horse to the farrier's was
somewhat curious to know if he was going to ride
that animal to Laramie and asked him. -
"Yes," said he, in his quiet way. 1.-THE general
let me pick my own mount and pve got one that
SUITS"
II suppose could have picked out better-look-
but this is the sort for :R And
than man, If he is bony Look in MS eye
The farrier took the horses shoes of and pared
his hoofs neatly. Reynolds then went to the saddler
and had set of leather shoes made to fit the horses
feet 50 as to buckle around q" the fetlocks'
s'What are those for ?" asked.
"a little dodge of mine to fool the Indians. They
make no trail"
Then he packed three or four days rations in a.
ons re The
eating hearty dinner he lay down under wagon
! for nap.
started off in the direction Reynolds was to take,
and saddling his horse and strapping on canvas
bag of settlers, he accompanied US. We rode till
about 10 O'Clock, and went into camp in cluster
of trees near brook. fire was lighted, a pot of
coffee made and after drinking cupful Reynolds
mounted into his saddle and rode silently off into the
dark. oo
miles of 1.-THE constant haunt of hostile Indians,
and not foot of the ground had Reynolds ever seen
BEFORE He had never been at Laramie; he only
knew the general direction in which it lay and his
only guide board was the stars. After four nights
of riding and three days of sleeping he reached his
destination unharmed. saw him afterward at Fort
Lincoln on our return. He told me he got through
nicely mailed the letters had intrusted to his
care.
I had been told that under this gentle demeanor
lay romance as remarkable as any Cooper ever
wrote, and day asked him to tell me the story
Of his life He blushed little, laughed quietly,
and replied he didn't think it worth while
''But they tell me you have had remarkable
experience" suggested.
:'Not so very remarkable, "he answered. 81 guess
you can find enough to fill your paper without pub
fishing anything about me-"
And that is all the romance got from his lips.
But from the lips of others learned that ne had
one however, knew his true name. He was called
"Lonesome" because of an:absent, pens!ve way he
had--a habit Of seclusiveness. He came to Lincoln
from Montana three years before, with his part
ner.' where the two had been hunting and trapping
together for several years. The story of his life that
''partner !" told was this:
Reynolds was the son of a wealthy and aristocrat-
ic family in Tennessee, but was educated m the
north, and when the war broke cut ne found himself
IN q nainful dilemma. He had imbibed enough of
nc the n ideas to make him strongly hostile to the
seeess' on movement, while his family. consisting OF
q father mother and sister, were violent sympathl-
zers with the south. His father entered the con1ed-
ate army as an officer early in the war. The son
could no. 90 with him and fight against his prime pes
no could stay at home and brook the taunts and
pleadngs Of his mother, and sister, nor could he
join the federal army and hight against ms 1aner 80
the Pacific slope. His home was at the centre or
hostilities, and all communication was cut of. At
the close of the he went b.ck to Tennessee, and
what was once his home was desoation. The neigh
bors told him his father had been killed in one of
the early battles his mother had died. and his sister
had married rebel officer whose name was not re-
membered,. and all traces of her had been lost.
The old plantation had been confscated, and there
was not single tie left to bind him to the past. He
spent some months in search Of his sister, without
result and finally, homelessness and disposition
which shrank from fellowship with men drove him
back to his old life. From 1865 to- 1872 he was IN
the mines in Colorado and Montana, and hunting
and trapping along the streams Of the great north
west, being employed by the governme 1t to do
work for which ordinary men were too cowardly or
incompetent:
He was short, stosky man, with little stopping
of the shoulders, and a way of carrying his head
bent forward, with his face toward the ground. He
had shrinking blue eye, very handsome month,
and forehead which one could trace blue veins,
He was full bearded but neither the growth of hair
nor the marks of exposure had effaced the lines ot
beauty from his face. His manner " 3 unobtrusiVe
and gentle, his voice was as soft and tender as
IT,. kInkH 0nd