Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1891-01-22
REMINGTON ON LIEUTENANT CASEY.
The Artist Who Was Prisoner Of the Hos.
tiles Tells Of the Officers Bravery.
GChieago News ]

[Chieago News
Frederic Remington, Harper's wa
artist, who was captured by hostil
Indians near Pine Ridge agency OIL
Sunday last, arrived in Chicago at :
o'clock yesterday afternoon on hi
way to New York. He was driver
direct to the University club, where b,
remained until 8 o'clock, when h,
resumed his journey eastward
Mr.. Remington looks none the wors,
Tor his recent experience with the hos
tiles, who carried off everything h,
possessed but his sketch book. III,
was with Lieut.. Casey and his band O
Cheyenne scouts up to the time off hi.
departure from the Bad Lands. Mr.
Remington said the news of Lieut.
Casey's death had pained him deeply
| THE army had suffered an irrepar
able loss by the death of this brav,
and gallant officer" he said. "His
ability and skill were recognized by
the Chief officers OF the army, anG
whenever there was a dangerous and
difficult task. to perform the man Sc
lected to do the work was Lieut.. Casey
"He was afraid OF nothing in the
| shape OF an enemy, though he was as
gentle and kind as a woman in his
dealings with his men, whose conf
dence he had completely won.
"They would follow him anywhere
and he knew it and was proud of it.
These Cheyenne scouts areconstituted
| part OF the regular service of the
United States, being armed and uni.
formed like ourcavalry soldiers. They
even carry guidon or pennant of a
peculiar pattern.
"It was Lieut.. Cssey's idea that the
solution OF the Indian problem very
largely lay in making soldiers out oi
the Indians, a business for which they
are well suited. About three days ago
| was standing in Gen. Brooks's tent
talking to the general, when Lieut.
Casey entered. The general addressed
a question to him regarding the best
way to bring the campaign to a speedy
end. Lieut.. Casey in reply made a
proposition which fairly staggered me
by it's splendid audacity, but which
from my experience | knew he would
carry through or die
He said he would undertake to
enter the camp OF the hostiles with his
sixty Cheyenne scouts and capture
Short Bull and Two Strike, the leaders
in the rebellion, and bring them out
dead or alive. Gen. Brooke seemed
inclined to treat the offer as Joke, re-
marking to the Lieutenant that his
sixty men could not hope to succeed
against l 800 bucks fully armed and
desperate. He asked the lieutenant
what good such a move would do.
'"This nettled Casey and his face
flushed as he replied: We could at
least get bullet through our guidon,
meaning that the scouts would receive
a baptism of fire. The general said
nothing for a moment and then replied,
quite seriously this time: And get a
bullet through your head"
Lieut.. Webster of the 22d regiment,
who is i'll charge of theinfantry recruit
ing station on Madison street, is an
eld-time comrade of Lieut.. Casey.
They were room-matss at West Point
for nearly two years. Said Lieutenant
Webster last evening, spea king of his
murdered frisnd: "You cannot praise
him too highly. All his brother officers
looked upon him as the ablest young
officer i'll the service. He was par,
ticular favorite with Gen. Miles, whom
he accompanied on the Yellowstone
expedition. He was the most faithful
and loyal man in whatever he under
took to do that l have ever met. He
had an extremely high sense of duty
"When Gen. Miles was in command
of the department OF the Missouri he
wrote to Lieut.. Casey offering him a
position as aidds-camp on his staff.
Col. Swaine of the 22d had just pro-
NOTED him to be regimental adjutant,
a position of honor, but carrying with
it burden OF responsibility which
most men would have been glad to
relinquish for the pleasant duties of a
staff officer. He declined the generals s
offer because he felt bound to remain
with his regiment. Gen. Miles then
sent him a telegram, in which he said:
Il have made the offer on account OF
your splendid services under me dur
ing the campaign of 1867
''Lieut. Casey was born at San Diego,
CAL, in 1852. His father was Mai.
Gen. Casey, a distinguished army
officer, whose work on tactics carried
the northern army through the war.
Lieut.. Casey was placed in command
OF the scouts after the Custer massacre,
a position for which he always showed
singular aptitude. He was at the
battle of Wolf Mountain, and led the
attack on Lame Deer's camp. He
carried dispatches through hundreds
OF miles OF hostile country in this
campaign. In the Ute war OF 1S79-SC
he behaved with his accustomed gal.
lantry. As special mark of favor he
was appointed instructor in tactics al
West Point for four years.
"He was much interested n the
training OF Indians as irregular troops
Last winter he went to Washington
and urged his views in this respect
upon the military authorities. He
was so far successful that an order
was issued appointing him to thee
mand of the North Cheyenne scouts
He was with these scouts the day b,
was killed.
mo one regrets his death more thar
| do. For years we were companions
and | learned to love him as a brother
Did you read what Secretary Proctor
said of him? That is the opinion o