The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-07-29

Hoping these few lines will reach
you in due time and find you enjoy
ing the same blessings l will close.
Give my love to ali AMI a Benja
Minis mess to the dear old Editor.
May you be blessed with prospect
IT,, good health long life and
reap of rich kin, is the desire OF
your old friend.
BERRY BAKER.
Near the Squires, July %.
A Scouts Oath.
The Custer massacre was horri
ole. Not soul was left to tell the
tale of hatchery of five companies
Of the seventh U. S. cavalry. The
savage redmen had gained another
victory over the starry banner and
added five hundred scalps to The
trophies of Sioux warfare, but
among the scalps was one they
we're to pay dearly for. 1t was not
that of military map, but it was
the property of Bob jackson
young scout who accompanied the
command, and the bosom friend of
A. j. Thomas who was ten years, OF
at the time of Clusters fall, chief OF
the scouting fraternity. He was
doing duty in other parts of the
country on the beautiful July morn
ing that his dearest friend fell a vic
tim to tue savage Indian buck, to
be afterwards minced to fragments
10y the Iiendish squaws of the red
devils who delight in mutllating the
inanimate forms of white men.
Thomas hearing of the trap Custer
had fallen into made inquiry con-
corning the matter and found it to
be trne in all its disgusting and
most horrible details. He was a
strong and powerful man but t his
blow almost killed him. But the
worst was Tot yet known to the
chief of scouts for the reports of the
massacre had not fully confirmed
the fact that his friend had fallen
in the tragic battle of the Little
Big Horns. But as weeks length
ened TO months and no news of his
friend was received at any of the
military posts, hope died in his
breast and he knew his young and
courageous companion would never
be seen in the mortal tenement
again. HeJtried hard to shake of
the feeling which had taken pos.
session of his body and mind when
his friends death was no longer
thing of uncertainty, for he had
been found some three hundred
yards from where half of the 7th
had been buried. They
we're inferred where they lay.
Though two months SORROWS had |
aged him ten years he was recov-
cred from the first shock of the
loss he had received by the death !
of his friend and was ready to take |
chances more desperate than he ev.
er had before to avenge his COM
panion's death.
He was standing in the midst of |
some half dozen men who wore
bnokskin leggins and they were all |
the fate of Custer, when
A. j. Thomas the chief of scouts
was heard TO remark, "boys Z will
swear to you now that the Indian |
who killed Bob Jackson shall die
by no other hand than mine and
that the red varmints liver shall be
cut from him and eaten" He did
not say who vas to eat the Indians
liver but the sobriquet of "Liver
eating Thomas" chung to him
among the boys of his acquaintance
till his death which occurred not
long after the morning he made
oath.
Times were warm for the militia
ry, and scouts had their hands full
yet the chief was always out on the
hunt alone. He would allow no
one to accompany him. Even the
military commander could not pre-
vail on him to alter his course.
They would say Thomas you are
foolish for not kerping near the
command" He would answer:
The object of the troops is to fol-
low the Indians and not catch them;
mine is to follow and kill every one
/ see from a papoose to a great
grandfather, and to judge from the
trophies he brought into camp he
was making his words terribly true,
for it was no unusual thing to see
him return with a score of fresh In
dian scalps reeking at his belts and
be off again before anyone could
find out where he had been or where
he was to go,
The officer In command was the
only person he would talk to on the
subject. The winter was drawing
close and driving the troops to their
respective posts. Not many were
to be found in the field towards the
middle of November and Thomas
had not been seen for nearly thirty
days. Some thought he had return
ed to military post. Others~specu-
lated concerning the safety of his
top knot, but neither was right for
he still retained his scalp and was
not dreaming of garrisons nor
posts. He knew the soldiers would
return to quarters as soon as it was
consistent with honor to do SO.
These old Indian war horses do not
care to expose their precious per-
sons to Indictment bTeezes of North
Dakota, even when the prize is hon
or to the bird of freedom. They
prefer the comforts OF a concrete
house and the fascination of a game
of "draw," to running all over the
world after red skins.
But Thomas cared little for COM
fort, he Was acquainted with hard
ship and able to undergo most any
kind of usage, so it was not till long
after the troops were Withdrawn
from action did the scout think OF
returning to headquarters, and per-
haps the condition of his WORKOUT
horse suggested the advisability OF
the step then.
The month of March was we'll in
the teens when Thomas rode in to
the headquarters of the 9TH u. s.