News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-10-02
A WISCONSIN BOY.
LIEUTENANT RAY. TIE C0NMANDEh
OF THE RAY POLAR EXPEDlTIoN'
A Brave Young Officer who has Made
Reccrd-A Few Notable Events In army
Life.

tlOn al the meoGluS VI tHO L1Att =,
alton for the Advancement OF Science
recently held at Montreal, was Lit. L. H.
Ray, of the 9th Q. S. Infantry, and spe'
cially detailed with the .. S. Signal Bu
reau. 1t. Ray received the same
marked attention at the convention re
Gently held in Vienna also all the hon
ors Of the British Museum. The main
reason for this vas the fact that the
Ray Expedition to Point Barrow, under
the auspices of the Signal Bureau, was
in every way a complete success.
Lit. Ray is a Wisconsin boy, and l
propose to talk a little about him, know
ing that such q talk will not be devoid
of interest.
When I first knew Ray he was boy
in Captain Jack LangwOrthys X. Co., Of
the I'd Wisconsin Infantry. At Is years
of age, with an ordinary common school
education, he left his home in defence OF
the old flag. 1 never saw a youngsteI
whose natural characteristics were more
marked and who took in the stua'
ton more readily than did Ray. While
a non-commissioned officer. he took to
the study of tactics with an earnestness
that was characteristic, and infantry,
artillery and cavalry details came as
natural to him as did his daily food.
He assembled to the rank Of lieutenant
and captain rapidly, and made most
Efficient officer.
When the war ended, Gen. Hancock
gave Ray captaincy in his Veteran
Corps. When this was mustered out,
Ray made application for a position in
4ln Y.an111ay 7SancE
creditabie- examination, was made a
second lieutenant. Chance threw him
into the 8th Infantry, in which "promo,
ton is mighty Slow" as they say at
West Point.
A BRAVE ACT.
The 8th regiment was stationed at
David's Island, in Long Island Sound.
One day a party of citizens was caught
in the drifting ice in sight of the
Island. 1t was believed they would
perish. Ray thought differently. He
took a boat, called for volunteers,
and with four men pushed off to
the rescue. The ice was piled up
heavily and it was dark before Lit. Ray
and his gallant little party reached the
boat and took the occupants into his.
Nothing could be done until day
light. The weather was cold and
boisterous. The whole party was in dan
ger of freezing TO death. All the long
night Ray was forced to look after his
party, at times cutting them severely to
keep them from falling into that lethargy
which meant death by freezing. The
men begged to be allowed to sleep and
threatened, but the young lieutenant
knew his business and never abated a lot
of his earnestness. Ray never speaks Of
these things himself, but one of the men
told me that ere daylight dawned the
lieutenant was almost worn out, and that
only his iron constitution and his I'M
firing energy saved them. At daylight
he urged his party to new energies and
they finally reached the shore. In gen.
eral orders this was termed a most gal
liant act on the part of Lieutenant Ray.
TO THE RESCUE.
When SANKEY'S execution was made
over the route of the Northern Pacific
Ray was acting quartermas ter
on the commanding officers staff
Everything was going on smoothly until
the Yellowstone region was reached,
and it was found the heavy rains had
swollen the Big Horn so that it could not
be forded. The troops had no pontoons.
and the necessity for an advance was
great. The engineers were called in,
but they could only advise waiting until
the waters fell.
The young quartermaster came to the
front, and the older officers were q little
inclined to be sarcastic as he said, ooh.
that is easy enough p He took his wagon
boxes, bound his 'pauiins over them
SO as to make them water tight, and in
a short time had feet of boats ready
for the infantry. They were taken over,
advanced, and took positions. and then
the boats--Hssce,- made unto RATS, and
artillery, horses aud wagons mad a
over on them. It was not
much of a thing to do after it was done.
but Ray did it when nobo iy else thought
Of it, and it is only just that he should
be mentioned in general orders.
LIEUTENANT RAYS COURAGE,
I must tell you little story illustra-
i've of Rays courage. During the In.
lian campaign in Arizona, when again.
ne was acting quartermaster, he had :,
rain of several hundred WAGONS and.
his charge. As the train drew near the
Apache Agency, Rays wagon master
came to him and said: 81 have learned
hat Dushon is at the Agency
md is waiting for me. I cannot
90 on" Dushon was a half-breed
lesperado, whose name was
error in that part. He had killed a
core of men and was known as q most
langt rous fellow. The wagon master
lad testified against Cushion in muir
Ter trial, but the desperate broke from
he guard house and escaped. He
wore to kill the wagon master and was
hen waiting for him. No wonder the
rain man felt a little delicacy about ad-
ancing.
Ray could not spare his train master.
lie took an ambulance and a soldier who
new DuShon and both lying in the
'ottom OF the wagon it was driven to the
rounds. The Indians were gathered |
bout the buildings, and as they drove
long, the guide discovered DushOn |
tore. Ray was driven to the store, went |
4, took Sharp's rife from the wall, saw
was ready for work. AS he stepped |
uickly outside he shouted, "Dushon,
p with your hands If you move, you
re dead man p The desperate did
love, sprang to his feet, and as bullet
'hlstled past his ears, leaped over an
and ran down hill to the
ige of a stream. He had nearly crossed
lis when a bullet from RAYS rifle
rought him down. All this time there
ere probably a thousand rifles in the
ands OF the surprised Indians, every
ne of which could have sent bullet
trough Ray. Why they did not
loot is wonder to those on the
aservation to this day. It was no doubt
he very fact of Rays reckless bravery
lat saved his life. Some of the old
llefs who had been under Ray then
terfered, matters were explained to
lem, and Cushion was then taken
to custody. He was.executed shortly
terward.
THE POINT BARROW EXPEDITION.
When the interpretations were fitted
1t for the Polar regions, Lit Ray was
lected to take charge of that for
Oint Barrow and Greedy that for the
lst. Ray was at his station for two
'ars, ana made most compete.suc-
IS Of his work. His discipline was
CHI that he did not have a man sick
ring the trip. and he left more rations
ched at the Point than he took out
tn him. He took daily large num-
r of observations, and his report in
is particular, will be found most in
'esting by savants. He brought
e finest displays of Polar objects of in
est, living or dead, that the Smith
man Institute had ever seen, and
, display is Row marked feature of
1t institution. His report, when Y
blished, will give us full ideas of life S