Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-05-17
COL. MARTIN SCOTT.
"Hal, a Uacotah," Gfces an Interesting
Aketoh of q Notable Uffloer.

"HaI. a Dacotah," Gfces an Interesting
Sketoh Of a Notable Ofioer.
The last issue Of the Turf, Field and
Farm has the following interesting
sketch OF "Hal, a Dacotah," which is tn,
nom do plume adopted by Gen. slbley, o.
this city:
The perusal Of your paper, and of 9th
er periodicals which claim to represen,
the sportsmen Of the country, ha:
led me to ponder upon the great changes
that have taken place in that kind o.
journalism since the palmy days of the ole
Sparitef the times and of Portcr's Spirit
That these changes are not to my taste
nor, as believe, to the taste of the grea
body Of sportsmen, am frank to avow
/ refer to the prominence given to the
horse, his pedigree and performances, tc
the almost utter exclusion of those con-
tributions relating to legitimate felG
sports, which gave such celebrity to your
old-time predecessors; not that the ex-
ploits of the racers and trotters of that
day were not duly and properly chron.
icled and enthusiastically commented upon
and the pedigrees of the winners set
forth at length, for these necessary and
popular details were never omitted
They were, however, subordinated, as O
general thing, to those adventures and
incidents occurring in the pursuit OF
fur, fin and feather, which
graphically related. were Of
absorbing and thrilling interest to host
Of readers. The result was revival of
field sports, productive of emulation
among sportsmen, old and young, which
found vent not only IN the chase, but in
the published recital of the experiences
of many Nimrod and follower of Izaak
| Walton, who were at the same time &C
complished writers.
Noao, many pages are devoted to the
equines, while a comparatively meager
space is allotted to other topics. "Tou-
jours perdrix" becomes in time monot-
onous. Please take these kindly intend
ed hints to heart, and my word for it, the
TWTJ, Field AID Farm prl11,us inter pares,
will not only crafty many Of its friends,
but will draw out correspondents, who
will do much to rescue field sports from
the temporary oblivion into which they
have been allowed to fall in these degen-
crate days.
My friend, the Field editor, applied to
me some weeks since for further details
of the career of my old hunting compan-
ion, Captain, or rather Colonel Martin
Scott, of the army, who met his fate on
the bloody field of Molino del Rey, in
Mexico. So much has been already pub
lished concerning him, and his reputation
as the best shot with rifle, shot gun and
pistol, not only in the army, but probably
in the world, SO widely spread and recog-
nized, that there is not much of his his
tory not already familiar to the sporting
community.
Captain Scott was essentially q self-made
man. Born of poor parentage, he was de-
MED the advantages Of good education,
misfortune which he keenly realized
and deplored. Nevertheless, his strong
will, aided by natural gifts and physical
and mental courage, enabled him to over
come all obstacles. He enlisted in 1912,
at the outbreak of the war with Great
Britain, in the famous "9reen Mountain
Boys" Vermont regiment, and served
with credit until the year 1914, when he
received q commission of second lieuten-
ant in regular infantry regiment, and
was promoted in the month of March to
the next higher grade. After CALAMITY
performing his duties until the close of
the war, his regiment was mustered out
Of the service, buty young Scett's reputation
secured for him in 1918 the appointment of
second lieutenant in the "Rif1es," regu-
lar organization, from which he was
transferred to the Filth infantry, in which
he remained until his death. It is, how
ever, as sportsman that his career is
particularly interesting to the fraternity
composing the mass of your readers. He
was past the meridian of life when I,
mere youngster, first made his acouaint-
ance at Fort Smelling, to the command of
which military post he had been assigned.
Our tastes were in some respects so SINH
lar that we soon became quite intimate.
Notwithstanding the disparity Of age be-
of temperance in his habits. His
drink was exclusively water. He
never INDUCED in spirituous or vinous
liquors, beer, tea nor coffee. His physique
was SO vigorous and perfect that his ner-
vous system was under entire control
Consequently his aim with every descrip.
ton of small arms was accurate and
steady beyond conception. Twas witness
to some of his feats which amazed me,
although "Hal, Dacotah" was account
ed an expert with shotgun and rifle.
With the commonest fnt.lock rifle, or an
old fashioned pocket-pistol with the lock
on top, defying any ordinary aim, he
would place the sballs in the centre of
the bulls-eye with unerring precision and
certainty. In all matters relating to
firearms Scott was quite opinlenated,
uot to say obstinate, and impatient of
contradiction. For instance, long after
the percussion had superseded the flint
lock in the public estimation, he main
tanned with vehemence the superiority Of
the latter, nor would he yield to the con-
current judgment of other sportsmen,
until convinced of his error by the results
of his own trials and experience
The duel with Keith, into which Scott
was forced by circumstances, was the
crucial test Of the captains GOODNESS and
courage. He went TO the field with but
two friends, while his opponent, noted
duellist and deadly shot, was attended by q
score or more, who heartily wished him to
perforate the Yankee who persisted in re-
naming in the regiment to which he
was commissioned from civil life, despite
the annoyances to which he had been
subjected, with the design of driving
him out of the service. When Keith
was disposed of by pistol shot through
his lungs, Scott publicly expressed his
readiness to meet any or all of his perse-
cutors seriatim in deadly combat. Suffice
it to state that thereafter he was not mo-
tol, ha I
manly bearing had the effect to convert
many Of his bitterest enemies into warm
| and steadfast friends.
Capt. Scott was for many years charged
| with being penurious to degree, until
it was ascertained that what he could
save from his monthly pay was devoted
to the support of near relatives, who were
entirely dependent on him. He was q
strictly moral man, but to judge from an
incident he related to the writer he was
4 l. - a.