Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1890-05-01

young men, metal tag stamped with
number was issued to each Indian Of
lighting age. Many of the Indians re-
ceived the order with sullen dissatis-
faction, BECAUSE If carried out, itcheck-
mated their rovings. Seated on their
heels in increasing concentric circles in
front of the General, the crouching atti-
tude and the steady glare Of their brill
liant bead-like eyes made them resem-
BILE snakes coiled ready to strike, and it
was plain that when opportunity offered
they would resist by the most deadly
means this effort to scotch them.
The Iiext day the cavalry officer de-
tailed rode out four miles from the post,
accompanied by one orderly, to meet the
young savages and make the first count.
The officer selected was one who had
seen considerable service and fighting,
but he subsequently confessed that he
would have been glad to exchange the
duty assigned him for detail to lead
forlorn hope over breastwork.
However, he had been told by the
General that it was undesirable to send
a force on the duty, as some of the war
.riors might become alarmed, and in
their ignorance make trouble, and that
the object was to give the Indians fair
chance. SO out he rode, with his heart
in his throat, feeling pretty confident
that unless he kept his head some
young "buck" would stab him in the
back, and thus distinguishing himself,
take his departure for the war-path.
The place selected was at the foot of a
hill on which was situated the largest
Indian village of the reservation Ar
riving at the point, the officer was met
by the whole band rushing down the
hillside with yells and shouts and as
he approached nearer he had the horror
of perceiving that they were nearly all
drunk. They had been celebrating the
disagreeable order of the day before by
'tiswin" spree.
The Lieutenant received the charge
by dismounting and standing, with a
nonchalance which was far from natu-
raj, at the foot of large cottonwood
tree, the orderly, mounted, holding the
horses few yards in rear. Ii was soon
apparent that several of the chiefs had
remained sober, and were doing their
utmost to prevent trouble, and by their
exertions the rabble was halted about
twenty yards from the tree and seated
with some attempt at the usual half
circle formation. The counting officer
then approached, with book and pencil
in hand, and though appreciating tho
danger of assassination, he reSolutely
passed along the front of each circle and
checked off the numbers on the tags.
Many of the rascals, with impudent
drunken leers, shook the tags in his
face, and one fellow refused to show his.
Passing the mutineer for the time be-
ing the lieutenant concluded the check.
ing process. He was now confronted by a
formidable problem: either he must
capture the drunken young savage or
submit to the indignity of seeing tho
orders intrusted to him for execution
treated with contempt, of which the
Indians were sure to take advantage,
taking it for confession of weakness.
In this perplexity he called up the
orderly with the horses, and then
the chiefs standing near, and made
signs to him to bring up the young man
and force him to show his tag. The
young fellow lounged up when
bidden by the chief, but stood
immovable, staring at the represent
ative of the Government with drunken
insolence. Giving the orderly, who was
still mounted, few words of direction
the Lieutenant mounted his own horse
as if to ride off, and at signal the
orderly, fine old soldier, suddenly
drew his revolver and covered the young
savage, at the same time making an i'm
perious sign to him to jump up behint
the officer. The old chief took in the
situation instantly, and seizing the fel
low under the arms, almost threw him
up on the Group of the horse behind the
Lieutenant and so, covered by thu
steady pistol of the orderly, they rode
off. The Indians were quick to appreci
ate the defeat of the braggart, and thu
little procession of prisoner and captor'
was followed by yells, screams and jeer
ing laughter. The prisoner was safel,
landed in the post gaard-house, sub
stantial witness of the nerve and cour
age of resolute officer over the savage
fury of the Apache. Such captures
were not always made so successfully
A few months later two soldiers ap
preached to arrest a young fellow whit
was seated on the ground wrapped in
blanket. Quick as thought the lndial
threw off the blanket, and by a left anC
right stroke with knife killed one sol
dier and severely wounded the other.
No further trouble occurred at tn
daily verification of the Indians. Tn
young men who preferred war to stead,
rations quietly slipped away and wer
seen no more, and correct estimate o
the number of the hostiles was the re
suit of the counting process.
Wesley Merritt, U. S. A., in Harper
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