Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-05-29
rnE sourH's COAL AND IRON AREA.
HOW PRIVATE BELL WON HIS MEDAL
4 Terilous Ride Through n Country
swarming with Hostile Indians.
lChicago TrIbune.l

we're, who took a lannon's ride IN days gone
By lie went skurrying past MlddleseX
villages and farms ard faced the deadly
daugcr- of barking dogs and crOwlag
cocks. Longfellow has sung hun in
rhyme that school-children are given TO
rc'ite.
Perhaps il was brave and noteworthy
thing. But out in the WHISPERED West
men rate hcrOism by IA different standard.
Some day or other western poet snail
sing the song OF Jim Bel, for he Is hero
p lun, grizZlcd hero. There was western,
mat -r-Of-fact sort of tinge 70 MS daring
act but If one goes deep enough one shall
fnl q touch OF the old knightly hcroism OF
other days.
Iu one Of the ante-rooms Of General
Nfla-'s offices IN the Pullman building sits
% grim, youug-Old man with griZzlod close
cut Lair. brown, luXuriant mustache, like
.ln Stcele's. and hard-bTaced military
rullders. Messenger james Bell. II YOU
please. A little chap in q blue sailor suit
3 ,f.r and cap complcte--is perched on his
E..r, said youth OF seven beng the son
and heir of General Miles ana wearing
y1rthily the patriotic name OF Sherman
Niles.
There the little chap sat securely yes.cr-
lay aud tugged at the old soldiers nous
tlohgs. while ITlJU' reporter put ques-
iols AMI got answers.
d" The other DAY. SAID Jim Bel, the
peppers stated that a medal and certificates
II merit had been granted mo by President
Harrison. This is q mistake. Every mark
u honor have ever received was granted
bv President Hayes. lie signed my GER
tifcat.s Of merit; be bestowed the medal
upon me.
- You want to hear the story Of nv
rider" continued the old scout. Then he
told the story Of biz epic rld', bearing dis;
patches from General Terry 10 General
Crook. This was IN $40. Custer had Just
been -laiu; it was absolutely necessary 70
got the two generals 10 touch. Terry was
on the Big Horn: Crook was at the head
waters Of Great Goose creek. In the tan
gied interland the Indians swarmed.
Bands of red devils lurking mere ana there
curlcd about General Icrry'5 camp.
scouts had been sent Out. ono after an
other drifted back TO camp; they had met
Indians: they had lost their horses IN
swimming the Yellowstone river.
June oh Colonel Gibbons OF the Seventh
infantry, United States Army. now, by
the way, he IL retired IS brgadler-General
and lives in New lOrk-pOstcd call Tor
volunteers TO run the desperate race from
the Big Horn to the camp on the treat
Goose There was a momentary holding
lack. Then three men stepped forward
and answered the call.
James Bell, private
BENJAMIN +. Stewart, private.
- Evans, private.
Evans Is still in the service and has won
his stripes he is stationed somewhere III
the West.
They expected to have Indian ponies,
but this proved an lmpOsslOllity, 80 at
o'clock III the afternoon they. set Oh
mounted on cavalry horses. Each was IN
full uniform; each of the three farrled an
a lsstn NO
CAPTAIN Hamilton, of the Second cavalry,
who is now in the recruiting service IN
New York. commanded an escort that led
the adventurous three 70 the lines.
BY this time il had gone dark. so the
three chaps turned their horses heads up
nil and iourneyed Oh like Dumas's Three
Guardsmen.
1t was the meanest country ever white
man put foot on" explained Jim Bell, " a
mountainous, quilted, hill country, with
scrubby bushes and sinking boys. Wehad
a watch-horse ahead all the time to try the
ground, and far ahead Of him we sent one
Of the gang 10 keep a weather eve out Tor
Indians. The red dogs were crlnglng III
the bushes to right and left, and lurking IN
the gulches ana broken ground. There
was no chance for tight. 1t was simply a
case Of dodge and hedge all night"
So this night wore away-a scout ahead
piercing from the high PEAKS, the otner
two following with the blunderlng, laded
cavalry horses. The night drlfted by and
the next day there was nothing oil lmpor-
lance. No fire was lighted In those days
and IN those places the rising OF nre-smOke
might have meant the raising OF a scalp:
SO the second night darkened down, The
three thought Of camping for the night at
The Rosebud. Ii was after midnight the
horses were "staked O1t"; the three men
fell asleep under the equine feet. OF
sudden there was stampede and the
horses were out IN the brush mad with
terror
Here the infantile General Sherman
Niles broke In, as he tugged at the old
soldiers mustaches
Put didn't you sleep?"
Not Just thon,n jim Bell laughed; I'VE
chased the horses"
Indians suggested young General
Sherman Miles.
NO, bear-a bear had stampeded our
horses, and after We caught them we
decided that sleep was luxury. 30 we
rode on again." :.
Little Master Miles was grieyously dis
appointed that II was not Indians, but
finally agreed to accept bear. Then the
square-shOuldered scout went on:
Three nights and two days, and the
last night was the worst OF oil. We sight
ed q blue column of smoke spindling up
into the air. This was shortly after mid
night, when we caught the dawn-glimmer
from the hills.
"Indiansl
Friends or (oesl
1--WE Law therh, with the horses thrown
and blindfolnej. and crouchedin the grass.
The hours welt by, but il seemed that
every hour waf q generation long. Should
we succeed III our mission and put the Two
armies III connection or die at the red and
tortured INDIAN stake?
"Ihe hours crept on until the dawn
frightened and broadened. Five o'cloekl
Then of a sudden we heard the bugles
blowing-the falling-tn, the roll-call--and.
thank God, the word from Terry to Crook
was delivered !"
Now that was good bit OF work. Jim
Bell gave General Terry his first authentic
news of the Custer massacre; Jim Bell put
Terry in touch with Crook jim Bell end
ed the Sioux war.
q n -. Z. Nuatl