The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1885-01-16

= HANk9Atls anu may &c " AtAAtAFEA ~
the readers OF the RANoE. most Of
whom have more or less familiar ac-
euaintance with him. Such a story be-
gins with hrs enlistment at the age Of
sixteen In the ssth Pennsylvania volu-
teer infantry and his marching away
% war. Though but lad. his aptitude
Tor such service soon asserted itself
and in a short time he became known
as the best shot IN the regiment. and
Col Harvey Plesents placed him In his
squad Of sharpsho0ters and made him
one Of his most trusted scouts Twice
he was wounded. first At Spottsylyania
and again at Petersboro. but his in
juries did not long unfit him for duty
and he remained with the army until
the last pud Of smoke had rolled away
After the war the spirit Of adven.
ture which he had imbibed from his
service. sent him west. lie bore let
ters from General Hartranft. after gov.
ernOr of Pennsylvania. from General
John A. Curtin. his brigade command.
er from the other officers Of his regi-
ments and attached himself 10 Prof.
Jenny's exploring expedition then just
starting on its tour through the north
ern territories. With this party he
gained the thorough knowledge of
western Nebraska. Dakota, Mortana,
Wyoming aud Idaho which afterward
made ms services SO valuable both to
the government and to pioneer citizens
and when the gold seekers conceived
the project of entering the Black Hills
they found an eaicients and willing
leader in Captain Crawford. Nearly
everybody In the country remembers
the strenuous opposition made my the
general government to this invasion Of
an Indian reservation; of the hard
ships endured from the rigors OF north
ern climate hundreds of miles from a
base of supplies, where the blood-thirsty
Sioux was hardly more TO be feared
than the cOnliscating government
troops, and they admire the pluck and
perseverance of those who carried the
scheme of settling the Black Hills to a
successful issue.
In December 1875. the company ci
which Capt Jack was member was
captured by Capt. Blacks troops who
escorted them to the guard house at Ft
Laramie. Jack escaped the FIRST night
and IN six days was back again in the
hills. There was then but six white
men in that country and their lives
were in contInurl peril. At the found.
ing of Custer City, Deadwo0d, Crook,
Gayville and Spearfish. our hero was
one of the leading spirits, and legion
are the tales to be told by those who
survived the peril, of narrow escapes
from all manner OF dangers which en-
compassed these determined men. AT
Speariish the fighting of the red saw
ages began with the first stroke Of an
AK and continued intermitntaly until
the Indians were removed by the wal
department.
Earlyin February $40 Jack went to
Omaha and organized a party with
which he was soon back in the land of
promise. lie had engaged as cor
respondent of the Omaha Bee and for
the six months following was the only
newspaper correspondent in that in
teresting country. His letters which
were both entertaining and instructive
were largely copied by the press in all
sections of the country and il was from
them that the first reliable information
was obtained OF that remarkably rich
land. In April be organized the Black
Hills rangers which Col. Ned WynkOop,
present timber inspector of New
Mexico, took active command of and
Jack was made chief OF scouts with
ten men of his own selection. For
several months he secuted the country
protecting emigrants who were being
massacred in Pleasant Valley, Red
Canyon and Buffalo Gap and many a
pioneer owes the lives of himself and
family TO the courage and vigilence OF
this little band, two of whom gave up
their lives in theservice.
In the following summer Jack picked
him a fine display of gold specimens
and went to Chicago to interest capital
IN Deadwood. General Sherman hear
ing of his arrival sent for him in order
to use his knowledge of the Hills in
the preparation of his maps The
generals previous information on the
subject had been very insufficient
and Captain .Crawford's intimate
knowledge of peaks and gulches prov
cd of great value. He looked the maps
over and made many corrections which
future surveys have not altered. The
general was much surprised at his col
lection of ores and he remarked: "Jack,
you have brought the first evidence of
gold bearing quartz fiom the Black
Hills that has ever been seen In .Chica'
CO." These created much interest not
to say excitement IN mining circles and