The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-01-18
THE JONAH TROOP.
K, sof the Seventh Cavalry, and
the Luck 1t Has.
OLD COMANCHE, THE WAR HORSE
The Only Survivor Of the Custer Massacre
Meets His Death at Wounded Knee
The Brave Nebraska Militia.

CAMP AT ADAToN, Neb., Jan. u. 1891
From Our Special Correspondent in the
Field. II have just secured short history
Of troop K, Seventh ca valry, the organiza-
ton which formed an timer guard around
the Indian council at Wounded Knee battle
on 10Th ultimo. If you have not as yet had it
by wire from Pine Ridge agency, it will
prove interesting reading. Troop K, of
the Seventh cavalry is known as the Jonah
or Fatal troop of the regiment. In all of
the Indian fights in which the Seventh has
been engaged, * troop has borne the brunt
of the engagements. In the great fight of
She Seventh cavalry against the Indians,
the battle of the Washita, K troops loss
was greater than of any other company.
Eight privates were shot down in that ia
nous charge. In the Custer massacre, X
troop was almost annihilated, fully one
half of the company dying with Custer.
The year following began the Nez Perces
or st. Joseph war. This in many respects,
was the most peculiar Indian war in all his
tory of frontier troubles.
General o. o. Howard, with several reg
iments at his back chased Chief Joseph in
a zig-Zag course from Oregon to Dakota.
Unable to corner his willy foe, General
Howard so wired headquarters. General
Miles and the Seventh cavalry were then
sent against Chief Joseph. The morning
of September 80, 1877, General Miles with
troops A and K of the Seventh, was in
advance of the main body under General
Sturgis. AS the little troop rode up knoll
in the prairie, the advance scouts reported
the camp of Chief Joseph in front. Gen
eral Miles ordered charge, the cavalry
being supported by the Fifth infantry. AS
they rode into the fight Captain Owen
Hale, commander of troop K, turned to
his companions and remarked: "Boys,
this is too pretty morning to die, and it
goes hard to be killed so early in the day,
but ] am sure to go under" Thirty min
. utes later, Captain Hale and Lieutenant
Blddle of the same troop fell at the head of
their men. Eighteen or twenty privates
ofNK troop went down in that charge The
command of troop K then fell to Captain
E. G.SMathey. Fortunately for him, there
have been no Indian wars from 1887 to the
present in which the Seventh was engaged
October of last year (lS90) Captain Mathey
was assigned to duty at 10 South Clark
street, Chicago, and Captain George D..
Wallace placed in command of the company.
His death with several of his men bears
out the fatality that seem to cling to
troop K.
Referring to Captain Wallace's brave
fight for life, it is known that he killed five
Indians before he fell beneath the war
club. Five redskins lay near him, whilst
five of the chambers Of Captain Wallace
revolver were empty. L saw G troop, of
the Seventh, on yesterday. This troop met
with complete annihilation in the Cusetr
massacre 1t is Tom Curtis old troop. The
only survivor of the Custer fight was
killed at Wounded Knee. The horse this
soldier then rode, | think his name was
khron, farrier of L troop In 1876, is now
at Fort Riley. "Comanche," as the horse
is named, remains as the only living crea-
ture who was in that terrible fight. The
circums lance of khorn's wonderful es-
cape from the Jaws Of death at that time
was "Comanche'' bolding With his rider
and running amuck through the Indian
camp, the Indians not daring to fire or stop
him, desiring TO (as they successfully did
lure Custer IN a trap. Poor Khron, res
cued by faithful horse in 1885, to die in
1880. j. q. WARREN.