The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-07-30
THE RIDE OF JIM BELL.
a PeR,Lous JOURNEY BROUGHT THE
SIOUX WAR TO AN END.

Three Mon who Undertook 60 Garry.
MeSsage from General Terry to Gem
eraI Crook Endure Lonely Trip
Through a Hostile Country.
There was certain man named Paul
Revere, who took famous ride in days
gone by. He went skurrying past Mid
dlesex villages and farms, and faced the
deadly dangers of barking dogs and
Growing cocks. Longfellow has sung
him in rhyme that school children are
given to recite. Perhaps it was brave
and noteworthy thing. But out in the
west men rate heroism by different
standard
Some day or other u western poet shall
sing the song of Jim Bell, for he is a
hero, fine, grizzled hero There was a
western matter of fact sort of tinge to
his daring act, but if one goes deep
enough one shall find a touch of the old
knightly heroism of other days.
In one of the anterooms of General
Miles offices in the Pullman building
sits grim, youngold man with grizzled.
close cut hair, brown, luxuriant mus
tache. and hard braced military shoul-
ders Messenger james Bell, if you
please. A little chap in blue sailor
suit, REFER and cap complete, Is perched
on his knee, said youth of seven being
tho son and heir of General Miles. and
wearing worthily the patriotic name of
Sherman Miles
There the little chap sat securely and
tugged at the old soldiers mustaches
while reporter put questions and got
answers
"You want to hear the story of my
rider continued the old scout Then be
told the story of his epic ride, bearing
/ dispatches from General Terry to kfen,
eral Crook This was in 1876. Custer
had Just been slain; it was absolutely
/ necessary to get the two generals in
touch Terry was on the Big Horn:
| Crook was at the headwaters of the
Great Goose creek In the tangled in
| terland the Indians swarmed Bands OF
reds were lurking here and there curled
about General Terry's camp. Scouts
had been sent out One after another
drifted back to camp; they had met In
dams; they had lost their horses in
swimming the Yellowstone.
June 9 Colonel Gibbons, of the Sew
enth infantry, posted call for volun-
teers to run the desperate race from the
Big Horn to the camp on the Great
Goose. There was a momentary hold
ing back. Then three men stepped for
ward and answered the call
James Bell, private
Benjamin F. Stewart. private
/ - Evans, private.
/ Evans is still in the service and has
won his stripes He is stationed in the
| west
They expected to have Indian ponies
but this proved an impossibihty So a
o'clock in the afternoon they set of
mounted on cavalry horses. Each wa,
in full uniform: each of the three carried
an infantry rife; no other arms Were
worn. Captain Hamilton, of the Sec
ond cavalry, who is now in the recruit
ing service in New York, commanded
an escort that led the adventurous thre
to the lines. By this time it had gon,
dark. SO the three chaps turned thei
} horses heads up hill and journeyed OF
like Dumas three guardsmen.
'It was the meanest country eve
white man put foot on, explained jim
Bell: "a mountainous, quilted, hill coun
try. with scrubby bushes and sinking
bogs. We had watch horse ahead al
: the time to try the ground, and far aheaI
of him we sent one of the gang to keel
weather eye out for Indians. The re-
dogs were cringing in the bushes to righ
and left, and lurking in the gulches an
the broken ground. There was no chanc
} for fight. 1t was simply a case o
dodge and hedge all night.
So this night wore away. scou
! ahead piercing from the high peaks, tn
other two following with the blunder
ing, jaded cavalry horses. The nigh
drifted by, and the next day there wa
: nothing of importance. No fire wa
lighted In those days and in thos
places the raising of fire smoke nigh
have meant the raising of scalp.
So the second night darkened down
The three thought of camping for tn
8 night at the Rosebud. 1t was after mid
4 night; the horses were ''staked out;" tn
T three men fell asleep under the equin
feet. OF a sudden there was stampede
and the horses were ont in the brush
mad with terror.
Here the infantile General Sherma
}, Miles broke in, as he tugged at the ol
soldiers mustaches:
2 But didn't you sleepT
Not Just them Jim Bell laugheS
. I'VE chased. the horses
!; Indians" suggested Young Geners
Miles
e mo. bear-a bear had stampeded OF
Q horses. and after we caught them we d.
s cided that sleep was a luxury So "
8 rode on again.
Little Master Miles was grievousl
: disappointed that it was not Indians, bl
!. finally agreed to accept bear Then tt
: square shouldered scout went on:
0 "Three nights and two days, and th
q last night was the worst of all. w
d sighted a blue column of smoke spindlin
up into the air. This was shortly aft.
midnight, when we caught the daw
glimmer from the hills
a .tIndians?