, 1890-03-20
They Secuted With Jeffer-
son Davis.
THE B0NNEY TWINS WAR RECORD
The Brothers Celebrated the
Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of
Their Birth on Feb. 25.


day by keeping open house at thC
well-known Bonney's inn, at Hook
sett. They wero assisted in the cere
monies by large delegation ol
Amoskeag veterans, who went ur
from this city. The brothers are ma.
tivcs of Winthrop, Me, aud In that
vicinity passed the first seventeen
years of their lives. Then they dc
cided to strike out and see the city
for themselves, and, proceeding tC
Boston, both enlisted In the First
regiment United states Dragons.
The company, when recruited,
marched directly to Jefferson Bar
racks, Mo-, which was then an out
post ON the extreme frontier.
The two brothers passed the win
ter of '33 and '3l at that point, and
were then ordered with their troops
to Fort Gibson, Ark. They were
welcomed by u body of fully 500
Indian warriors In the full glory of
their native costumes. AT their
head rode man over six feet in
height, dressed all in buckskin, and
when Horace Bonney inquired who
this white warrior was with all
| these red mer he was Informed that
1t was the redoubtable CAPITA in Sam
Houston.
Shortly afterwards they were
Joined by Lieutenant Jefferson
Davis, who had just got his shoulder
Il t,sf. fpn.t. NN.at Ipntft nnH xNNn.n
personal appearance forcshadowcd
little of the historic career there was
before him. The two brothers fire.
qucntly secuted over the plains in
the young officers company, and
often had cause to admire his bravery
and discretion. The first important
| campaign that the dragons entered
upon was that against the Co
manches, who had just made II raid
on planters In that section, carrying
oil blacks and whites alike. The
Comanchcs were driven oif with
loss, their prisoners regained and
under escort of cavalry returned to
to their homes.
In scouting and foraging the Bon
neys passed the rest of their time
during theii stay at Fort Gibson.
Game was about then in all It's
primitive abundance, Horace Bon
ney stating that he had seen 1000
acres ofbufiiilo In herd at IA time,
and that the soldiers were never
without the tendercst of fried meat,
as only young buffalo were Killed,
and the jucicst Of steaks were select
en- from them.
In the fall of 1896, their three
years having expired, the brothers
received an honorable discharge.
They Were far from being free &C. 20
where they pleased, as their head
quarters was ~ greatly removed
from the center of civilization that
its only communication with the
outside world was once or twice "a
year, when the government steamer
brought supplies TO I he fort. Moth
ing daunied they bought ponies,
and Oh their backs rode 800 miles to
Bonneville, Mo, where they dis
posed of their mustangs and took
the river steamer for New Orleans.
On reaching the Crescent city
the saw the proclamations posted
and signed with Houston's name
inviting all able-bodied men who
could bring rifle TO enlist In the
Texan war, and promising them for
their services unlimited quantities
of land of the new III Dorado. They
were at once struck with the propO-
sition, and behulding n company of
armed men just disembarking from
a river vessel, who had enlisted in
the Texan army, "for the war"
they mt once Joined them. The trip
-. L.,
stormy, and on one occasion tho.
captain freely predicted that the
bark would go 10 the bottom. But
IL didn't.
Again IL privatecr, flying the
Mexican flag, Ovcrhauled them and
fired shot across their bows.
Death of the most ignomlnious
character was expected, rs the shi p
was loaded down with arms and
supplies for the Texas rebels, but
what was the astonis shment and do
light of the men when n few mo-
ments after the officers of the vessel
had gone aboard their captor to see
the latter run up n flag of the new
Texan republic.
IT appeared that the vessel had
left its harbor In Mexican control, 1
nut tlitt IL llHu ittn cilluftu ny
Texans, and that for the purpose of
safety they had kept the Mexican
banner aloft until they had run.
their prize into Galveston harbor. |
ON landing they had found the bat
tie of Alamo liad been fought. The |
next June they Were granted nm un-
limited furlougb, but were not dis
charged.
They heard about this time that
there was chance for fighting In |
Florida, where United States troops !
were putting down the Seminole re-
bellion, and so they enlisted In that
war for six months campaign. |
They got their discharge from Hous-
ton In 1888, and that from the gov.
ernment at about the same time,
but they had not had fighting
enough yet, so they went back to
New York and enlisted In the
dagoons for five years more.
They Were first put on recruiting
service, and then Horace was sent
to Fort Lenvenworth and Hannibal
to Fort Gibson, the first time In
their lives they had been separated
for any length of time.
When In 1915 their enlistment ex-
pired, the two brothers concluded
that they had enough of army life
and they returned TO New York and
opened u hotel at saltwater. Later
they went into the book canvassing
business, In which they made
money, but, but tiring of tramping
about, Horace bought the American
house In this city, where the Wind
sor now stands, and kept 1t for three