The Dickinson press., 1883-05-26
LIEUT.. COL. GUIDO 1LGEs.
"A Sketch Of the Unpleasant Causes OF
His Resign atton and of His Bril-.
liant Military Career.

"A Sketch of the Unpleasant Causes O
His Resign atton and of His Bril-
liant Military Career.
Washington special: The resignation o
Col. Guido Ilges, Eighteenth infantry, ha.
been received at the department. As hi
unconditional resignation was called for by
the secretary OF war, it will no doubt be &C
cepted by the president at once. 1nforna.
ton received at the war department corrob.
crates the statement already made in the
Pioneer Press regarding the reason for Col.
1lges' peremptory resignation. 1t is to the
effect that he Hypothetical at least eight paw
accounts for periods for which he has since
drawn his pay in person, amounting
to over $500. Besides this he borrowed con.
siderable amounts Of money while here last
year, which he gave notes for, and has
made no efforts to repay, although re-
dered his resignation, to take effect Jan. |
next, and asked that leave be granted him
until that date. Secretary Lincoln how.
yer. telegraphed Col. Ilges to the effect thai
II he rendered his resignation to take effect
at once, it would be accepted, otherwise be
would be tried by court martial for conduct
unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, in
duplicating his pay accounts as above
stated.
Col. Ilges is a native of Prussia, an e1-oi.
ficer of the Prussian army and coming into
this country, was appointed a captain in the
Fourteenth Infantry, May IA, 1861, accept
ing his commission The next month. Dur
ing the rebellion he served with great gal
lantry, commanding the Fourteenth during
NEST of 1854, and was breveted major for
gallantry at the battle of the Wilderness,
Lieutenant colonel for the battle of
spottsylvania, in 1864. Since the war he
was almost continuously on the frontier,
and in 1880, when he exchanged from the
Brotherton, he distinguished himself by
rounding up and bringing in Sitting Bull
and his band ofSioux warriors. Once be-
tore Col. llges has been in a similar trouble.
In 1879, while captain of the Fourteenth in.
fantry, lie duplicated his accounts, was
tried by general court martial, and sem
tenc d to be cashiered, but Gen. Grant, who
was then president, mitigated the sentence
IN consideration of his brilliant war history,
and as he was then the senior captain of in
ia this action enabled him
to major of the Seventh infantry, from
which he exchanged to the Fifth, as stated.
While he was commanding in Missouri in
l879'8O Lieut.. Gen. Sheridan had such con
fdence in his ability and judgment as a
soldier, as we'll as an executive officer, that
he advised Gen. Terry not to send anybody
who will outrank Ilges. Gen. Terry did
not, and l)ges rounded up Sitting Bull and
his band of r%enegades. Col. Ilges is one Of
the finest looking officers in the army. He
is over six feet in height. broad shoulders,
ana IN uhlform and mounted is the very
beau ideal of a soldier. The cause of his
downfall is more than likely his inability to
believe that two pair will not beat three OF
q kind. Fort Assininboine, where Col.
Ilges was stationed, is the largest and most
northerly military post inthe country, COM
prising eight troops of cavalry and four Of
infantry.