Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-30
WITH GENERAL MILES.
Sketches About the Camp at the Pine
Ridge Agency.
THE GENERALS QUARTERS.
Some Of the Humorous ~ Well - the Serious
Happenings OF the Campaign-The Way
Artist Remington Was Discouraged A
Troopers Marrow Escape.
IA Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Stan Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
PINE RIDGE, s. D., January "a.
II any one imagines that tho headquarters of
the division Of the Missouri is located in a
gorgeously furnished and Brussels-carpeted
mansion fitted with what the real estate men in
their advertisements call ''all mod. imps.,"
then he or she is mistaken. Very properly the
residence Of the Indian agent ia the central
point Of this little settlement and quite natur-
ally it was occupied by Gen. Miles when he
came here and assumed command. The house
is OF frame and seems to be we'll built and COM
Portable. In front Of it is . parade ground
large enough to drill company. On and in
the center Of it there is planted large flag
staff A sentry PAGES up and down fcot-worn
path parallel with the front of the building,
which faces south, and alongside of the door an
orderly rests when business does not call him
away.
m THE OFFICE.
The door opening into the room on the right
hand side Of the hallway is but rarely shut
from I'm. until nearly midnight great
deal Of business is transact ted in that apartment,
which is generally in a more or less disordered
condition. damned IN against the windows
are two plain pine tables, the larger one covered
with books and papers. Here and there an
nkstand dots the pine surface and ink splashes
are frequent. A stranger would imagine every
thing to be pretty thoroughly mixed up. but
the clerks don't think 30. and they can find any
scrap of paper needed without delay. At this
table, or in its vicinage, labors Mr.. George
Mlzen, division stenographer and private Sec
rotary to Gen. Miles and his staff. Alongside
Mr.. Mizens place at the table, perched on an
up-ended dry goods box. is the typewriter, with
which all the official work is done. Color Scr
geant Charles 7. Ward Of the first infantry and
Sergeant Charles c. Ames of the cavalry do
their respective allotments Of clerical work at
this same table and wish many times a day that
they were back at their respective posts.
The smaller table is sacred to the engineer
officer and his craftsman. Lieut.. s. A. Cloman
OF the first infantry is acting engineer officer of
the division and is doing his work well. The
craftsman is Private James Hade, who ought
to be at least a sergeant major. Laboring
under numerous disadvantages he has executed
some remarkably clever maps
In the rear Of the room is another table, COW
cred with piles of papers. shelf above the
table threatens to break down beneath the bur-
den of ink and mucilage bottles. stove that
at times cmits more smoke than heat a folding
ladder, one spare chair and half a dozen small
wooden boxes Oh the gunnysack covered floor
almost complete the furnishings of the depart
ment. The finishing touch il a letter-coppying
press, mounted on a rickety box. This has to
be handled very carefully or it will follow any
one who attempts to operate it all over the sur
rounding region.
GEN. NILES TRANSPORTATION
Three strips Of heavy and once white canvass
hang portiere fashion from the upper frame
work of the double doorway on the east side Of
the Office. Beyond these Gen. Miles NAV most
frequently be found. The facial appearance of
the general has undergone q transformation
since he was last seen i'll the east. His heavy
iron gray mustache is now nothing but
memory and unless the barber fails in his daily
task there is no more hair on the generals face
than there Is superfiuous fat on Pine Ridge
agency steer. Whether the general is any bet
ter looking than he was before the mustache.
vanished is a question not yet settled. Unpre-
JUDGED people who have studied the revolu.
tionary period of early American history think
he looks something like George Washington.
shall not attempt to decide whether that com
parison is or is not odious.
At the eastern end Of the generals private
Office is q bay window, in which is a pine table,
This is the place where visitors are received
and disposed Of. Here the generals and the
colonies and the majors and captains and lieu
tenants and scouts and Indians and half breeds
and correspondents meet on common ground.
ask the questions they brought with them and
take away answers more or less satisfactory or
disappointing. There are two narrow iron bed
steads in this same plain and almost uninviting
room. One of them-the one covered with a
gray BLANKETS sacred to the uses Of Capt.
Maus aide-de-camp after the hour of midnight,
when the last loiterer has gone away. The
other bed has a brown blanket on it and before
Col. Corbin was called away to Chicago by Mrs.
Corbin's illness it was known as Col. Corbins
bed. Between the beds is a table, which is al
ways Uttered up with kilograms, letters news
paper clippings, gloves, hats and caps. a pistol
or two and double handful Of cartridges.
A couple of diminutive trunks occupy little
floor space. while depending from numerous
nails driven into the wall without design are
articles Of clothing temporarily put aside.
The only luxury is bath room, which adjoins
the private Office.
PRAIRIE BoUDoIR.
Gen. Miles bed room is on the left-hand side
of the entrance hall Esthetically it seems to
be somewhat in advance OF any other apart
ment in the house. but it is simplicity itself.
The prevailing tint seems to be pale blue,
literally applied to all the woodwork by a man
who had full consciousness Of the fact that this
was rich and benefcent government; a gov
eminent that believed in plenty of paint even
If it was somewhat dubious in the matter of
Indian treaties and beef cattle. wooden
washstand is Of the same cerulean hue. The
bedstead Is Of that narrow iron variety which
makes turning over i'll bed a somewhat risky
feat Gray blankets cover the bed. while the
place OF a rug is filed by heavy horse blanket
Two carblnes are within easy reach near a
communicating door; huge blue clothes closet
glares at you from the corner farthest from the
door and looks down upon barber chair and
foot-rest upholstered in crimson plush and
brass tacks. On the wall near the window o
riding whip and pair Of spurs hang, when
they are not in use, alongside an Omaha fire
insurance calendar for the current year.
The division mess is a far from ornate affair
SO far as culinary matters are concerned. All
the food is Of the simplest possible description,
cooked in the plainest manner. The three
meals daily are served in long room in the
rear Of the house.
HE HAD A NApRow rcc.pv
OF the narrow escapes some Of the wounded
had many columns might be written, but there
was ono case which stands out. so prominently
that it is worthy of special mention Singu-
larry enough it has escaped the attention given
other cases in the newspapers. The luckily
unucky man is Harry L. Duncan of troop A,
seventh cavalry. He was ut the battle OF
Wounded Knee and was on post at the time
when ''Sit Straight" the medicine man. threw
up the dust, which was the signal to Commence
firing: He dropped to the ground as soon rs
the dust went up, for he knew that meant
trouble, and as soon as the Indians fired their
first volley Harry commenced to pump lead
with carbine and pistol. He had fired the six
shots in his revolver and five with his carbine
when he saw an Indian sighting right on him
The trooper had q cartridge half way into the
chamber and was hurrying up in an attempt to
nre hrst when he was hit by Winchester ball
1t entered OH the right side Of his face, Just in
front OF the ear and below the eye. and came
out In the same position ON the left side, leav-
ing behind it clear hole. Some Of Duncan's
comrades said he got up after being hit and
started toward the center Of the hght but