The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-11-05
THE POET SCOUT i
" Or Capt. JacE, the Soldier and Indian
Fighter. 9{s.a s.
BY T. M. NEwsoN.

@ BY T. M. NEwsoN.
After my return from the. Black Hills in the
autumn of 1877, delivered lecture in the
Opera House, Saint Paul, wherein alluded
to Capt. Jack in the following manner:
1--WE had just now come througha scene OF
great danger. All along the route were new
made graves of emigrants who had been killed
by the savage foe, while every hour brought u
news of additional victims. We were in the
first Concord stage coach which had dared to
enter the Hills, and during our
ride through the Red Canyon, we're
momentarily in fear of one of
those fierce Indian attacks, which, at this par
ticular time was famous. Every eye in the
coach was on the strain, every heart was
nerved, every rifle ready. just at this juno
ture, as we emerged from the canyon into
Pleasant Valley, horseman was seen in the
distance galloping towards us, and, from his
dress, it,was conjectured he was an Indian,
who, according to Indian tactics, was in adj
vance of the main body of savages, who were
dashing down upon us to our inevitable
death. A halt; hurried council; keen glance
through a field glass, convinced JUS that the
man, and. as he came gallantly up towards u.s.
it proved to be Captain Jack, the noted
scout. He had just returned from
Crooks command, and was dressed in his
scouting or fantastic uniform. He was man
about Is years of age, high cheek bones, rather
possessed beautiful voice. He had been en-
ployed as guide in the civil war, and since
then had been engaged in scouting on the
plains and in the mountains. He rode up, to
our coach, and for the first time made his
acquaintance. He was quite gentlemanly;
quest of the passengers, agreed to
He pushed ahead singing, and
presented quite a picturesque appear
ance as he reigned his pony up on top of
high hill, and scanned the horizon for Indians.
ence, for he was not only we'll versed iu Indi-
an strategles, but was an excellent shot, and
one of the most daring of men,"
We met again, and I learned something of
his history. His early life had been embittered
by the acts of an Incorporate father, which
~ brought most estimable mother to the
grave. When in the army he was
wounded, and his life was despaired Of. While
in the hospital he procured comrade
to dot down his first poems-for at this time
he could neither read nor write, but simply
he began his career as the Poet Scout. Amid
the long hours of his confinement in the hos
pisital, the kind Sisters of Charity aided him
to obtain the rudiments of an education so
that when he had recovered, he could crudely
convey his poetical illusions to paper. give
one verse of his first poem:
Its a plucky regiment,
I'll try to sing a song,
hope you'll pay attention
For won't detain you long.
They always did their duty,
And you bet they did it we'll.
Which took place near Fort Hiu.''
0horus-In the old Virginia lowlands,
Lowlands, lowlands,
In the old Virginia lowlands low.
After the war, Jack conceived the idea of 60.
mended both by Gov. Hartranft, of Pennsylva-
MA, and Gen. Sherman, as "a gentleman of in
telhgence and character, who had served gal
lantly and faithfully during the late war;" He
was among the first to enter the Hills, and
among the first to bring gold bearing quartz
Custer to report the movements of
hostile bands of Indians, and consti-
tuted chief of scouts of the Black
Hills rangers. During the Indian campaign of
1876, Capt. Jack was second in command of
Gen. Crooks scouts and superseded Buffalo
same year. In the saddle but few men have
enacted such feats as the Poet Scout" He
rode nearly four hundred miles through
country teeming with savages, and at another
time three hundred and fifty miles in less than
four days, beating five fresh relays of couriers
ahead. He was the bearer of dispatches for the
New York Herald, containing an account of
the battle of Slim Buttes, and for which he
roic act he received $500, and upwards Ct
5000 more to pay for horses he had
killed while on the route. We met him in the
quite proud of it, as well he ight be.
Perhaps one of the most remarkable charac-
teristics of the Poet Scouts ife is his total
abstinence, for this is a very rare quality to be
found among men of this kind on the frontier.
It is accounted for OH the ground of his
given his dying mother, that he would never
drink, and he has faithfully kept that prom
Use.
These incidents and reflection upon the life
of scout have been evoked by beautifully
printed and beautifully bound book, entitled
which lies before me, embellished with an ex-
eellent engraving of the author, and many fine
illustrations printed by d. Keller & Co., San
Francisco, Cal. The book gives an interesting
history of the life of the author, about as we
have stated it, accompanied with sketches and
mountain, the mining camp, and the prairie.
The songs are Oh various TOPICS on matters of
facts which have passed under the authors OBJ
servation. Some of them closely resemble
those by Bret Harte, specimen of which is
entitled ''Rattliu' Joe's Prayer" we give:
"Jist pile on some more O. them pine knots,
An squat yoursels down on this skin,
An, Scotty, let up on your growlin'-
The boys are all tired o. yer chin.
Allegheny, jist pass round the bottle
An give the lads all a square drink,
An as soon az yer settled I'll tell we
A yarn as IL please ye, I think"
'Im Sad Tonight" flows smoothly and has
an excellent vein of poetic beauty. I quote
one verse:
''Other skies have clouded DER me,
Other moons have shown less bright,
But, fair star of hope before me,
Thou hast been my beacon ight.'
Two verses from "only a Miner
Killed. will convey to the reader
the fine sentiment of the whole.
"Only miner killed
Oh! is that all?
One of the timbers caved
Great was the fall,
Crushing another one
Shaped like his God.
Only miner lad ..
Under the sod.