Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-05-15
TN THE GERMAN ARMY
LIEUTENANT CLARKE TO SERVE WITH
The WESTPHALlAN HUSSARs.
pis Record on the PIains--Though n stu
dent of Books He Has shown His Cour-
age and Capacity In the Field.
New York Heraid.l

Every offlcer OF our army VIM No. "-'
knowledge of the man will learn OF the
good fortune of Lieutenant Powhatan II.
Clarke. of the Tenth United States cayal
nv, in being detailed to serve with the
Westphalian Hussar regiment, No. H. OF
the German army. with feelings of pleasure
and pride.
Such an opportunity comes to very rev
of our regular officers. More's the pity
George b. Mcclellan had somewhat SIM;
lar opportunity In the Crimean war, anu
Captain Francis Green IN the lurko-hus-
sian war; but, II am not greatly ms.
taken, the list is no longer. unless the WISH
of General Sheridan and his staf TO the
German Emperor during the Franco-Prus-
sian war be counted.
Our Government is the only one In the
world that makes httlo or no attempt 10
study by immediate observation the means
and methods of war as they exist IN the
great European armies. Indeed, we nave
not even good military maps of any foreign
country, while 10 is a notorious tact that
the best military map of the United States
in existence to-day IS the one IN the pos,
session of the German headquarters.
staG. In all probability even Lieutenant
Clarke would have failed of his hearts De
sire to be for a time. at least, dashlng
hussar had the authorities ut the war De-
partment been asked tor anything more
than O mere consent after Leutenant
Clarkes relatives and friends mad o9-
tanned the unusual opportunity, lnueeu,
thew have repeatedly refused this same
officer, as they have many another, even
reasonably extended leave of absence Tor
the purpose Of studying tho European
armies.
TEE LUCKY LIEUTENANT.
The War Department made no choice OF
officers in the detail, but il Is TO be con-
graduated nevertheless, and SO IS the
army. that so fire colder is in measure
TO represent them in crack regiment OF
the German cavalry.
during our civil war. and was appointed
from that State to the Military Academy,
becoming q cadet July /, 1850. de gradu,
atad in 1884, the last man in his class anu
with barely a demerit TO spare-a record
that would augur well for distinguished
career if we are to Judge the future oy inc
past He stood at the loot or MS Siass,
not because of lack of mental ability
hut from pure unadulterated recklessness;
He studied lust as little as he could lana
as he was naturally one of the brlghtest
men in his class this was little indeedl ana
had hand in every piece or mlschleI tnaU
was going. A., ,dool
But on the other hand he was the ideal
of his class and of the whole corps Oh
cadets in fact. He was born cavalry nl ii!
and went into the Tenth cavalry on MS
graduation as q matter of course. here
the soldie1ly qualities of the man began TO
connt and il was not long before be was
tbc favorite of the enlisted men end OH
GERS of the regiment. He was assigned 70
Troop X. commanded by Captain Lebo,
who has the reputation. OF being one Oh the
finest cavalry officers IN the service, anu
fine latter soon recognized the mettIe Oh
his young lieutenant.
FROM sICK-BED TO THE SADDLE.
Troop X was ordered out in the Gero-
nimo campaign al O time when Leutenant
Clarke had been for months on hoSpltal
bunk, and expected to be for months 70
come The bugle call of Boots and sad
dies y was altogether too much for hlm,
though, and while the hospital attendant
uas ont OF the ward he crawled out OF bed,
nulIed on his clothes. and TO the Joy OF the
man and dismav of the post-surgeOn, rode
ont of the garrison with the troop.
He promptly distinguished himself. In
| the first fight of Troop h with the nostues
| the men were deployed rs skirmlshers ana
we're ordered TO lie down in order 20 pro-
tect Themselves. CAPTAIN Lebo, however,
walked nonchalantly up and down the line
calmly smoking pipe. What was his sur
nriss in making his second turn on the
rather dangerous promenade 70 discover
vounp Clarke doing precisely the same
thing at his end of the line; -,
In language more forcible than polite
the veteran ordered the youngster to
lie down. o.
ster~ declined. urging his right to stand
up as long as his captain did, and spec
tator. if any had been present, would have
observed the amusing spectacle OF two
sane white men-one gray-hAlred veteran
of the civil war. the other Laughing,
black-eyed. curly-haired boy for the hrst
time under fre-arguing. while the Apache
bullets knocked tho dust up ali around
them, as to the right of one officer TO or
der another TO protect himself while the
former remained exposed.
Clarke won the argument and got bull
let through his hat to show his envlous
comrades when he returned to the post.
A RESCUE UNDER FIRE.
In another engagement with the same
| Indians the troop was hard pressed ana
driven back a considerable distance to the
shelter Of some friendly rocks, where they
| threw up hasty intrenchments. One OF
the enlisted men, Corporal Scott, was
wounded before the rocks were reached
and Law in full view under the fire OF the
| opposing skirmishers.
Without an instant's hesitation Clarke
Jumped out ran to the man. picked him
| I'M. and carried him to place OF safety I'M
der the hottest fire Geronimo's warriors
could pour in. In any other army the act
would have won his promotion; Clarke
Got nothing but the admiration of his bro
| fher officers and the alteration of the men
He has distinguished himself time and
again since then, capturing or killing all OF
a band of renegade Apaches from Ban Gar
los only few months ago.
cLARKR's PERSONAL APPEARANCE.
In person he is slim, wiry six-footeri
with a laughing, impudent face, adorned
bv small black moustache. His eyes are
biack and his hair black and curly He IS