The morning call., 1891-06-15
JIM BELLS RIDE.
A PeriIOUs Journey That Brought TIA
Sioux War to End.

n PerilOus Journey Ihat Brought the
Sioux War to an End.
Some day or other Western poet shall
sing the song of Jim Bell, for he is a hero, a
fine, grizzed hero. There was 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 knghtly heroiSm of other
days.
In one of the anterOOms of General Miles
Offices in the Pullman Building sits grim,
yOung-Old man with grizzled, clOse-cut hair,
a brown, luxuriant mustache, like Sam
Steee's, and hard braced military Shout
ders. Messenger James Bell, if you please.
A little chap in a blue sailor sut-reefer
and cap completes pcrched on his knee,
said youth of being the son and heir of
General Miles, ana wearing worthlly the
patriotic name OF Sherman Miles.
There the little chap sat securely Yester-
day, and tugZed at the old soldiers musta-
cheS, while Tribune reporter put questions
and got answers.
"You want to hear the story of my ride?"
continued the old scout. Then lie told the
story of his epic ride, bearing dispatches
from General Terry 10 General 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 headNgaters of the
N.
the Indians swarmed. Bands of red devils
were lurking here and there curled about
General TerryS camp. Scouts had been
sent ont. One after another drifted back 10
camp; they had met Indians; they had lost
their horses in swimming the Yellowstone.
June On Colonel Gibbons of the Seventh
Infantry posted a call for volunteers TO run
the desperate race from the Big Horn to the
camp on the Great Goose. There was
mOmentary holding back, 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 in the West.
They expected to have Indian ponies, but
this proved an impOssiblity; so at O'Clock
in the afternoon they set off mounted on
cavalry horses. Each was in full uniform !;
each of the three carried an infantry rifle.
no other arms werH worn. Captain Hamil-
ton of the Second Cavalry, VINO is now ia
the recruiting service in New York, COM
maBded an escort that led the adventurous
three to the lines. By this time it had gone
dark, so the three chaps turned their horses
heads up the hill and journeyed on like
Dumas three guardsmen.
''It was the meanest country ever white
man put foot on" explained Jim Bell: "a
mountainous, quilted, hill country. with
scrubby bushes and sinking Dogs. We had
watch-horse ahead all the tim to try the
ground. and far ahead of him we sent one of
the gang to keep weather eye out for
Indians. The red dogs were erin ging in the
bushes to right and left, and lurking in the
gulches and the broken ground. There
was no chance for a fight 1t was simply a
case of dodge and hedge all night"
So this night wore away-a scout ahead
piercing from the nigh peaks, the other two
following with the laundering, faded cavalry
horses. The night drifted by aud the next
day there WAS nothing OF Importance. No
fire was lighted. In those DAYS and in thoee
places the raising of fire smoke might have
meant the raising of scalp.
so the second night darkened down. The
three thought Of camping for the night at
the Rosebud. 1t was after midnight: the
horses were "staked OUT; the three men
fell asleep under the equine feet OF a sud-
den there was stampede. and the horses
were out in the brush. mad with terror.
Indians" suggested young General
Miles.
mo, bear-a bear had stampeded mr.
horses, and after we caught them we de-
cided that sleep was a luxury. SO we rode
on again.
Three nights and two days, and the last
night was tho worst of all. We sighted a
blue column of smoke spndling up into the
air. This was shortly after midnight. when
we caught the dawn glimmer from the hills.
Indians?
"Friends or foes?
"We lay there, with the horses thrown
and blndfolded, and crouched in the grass.
The hours went by, but it seemed that
every hour was generation long. Should
we succeed in our mission and put the two
armies IN connection, or die at the red and
tortured stake?
''Ihe hours crept on until the dawn
frightened and broadened. Five o'clock
Then OF sudden we heard the bugles
blowing-the failing in--the roll call~and
thank God, the word from Terry to Crook
was deliveredp'
Now that was good piece of work Jim
Bell gave General Terry his first authent ic
news of the Custer massacre; Jim Bell nut
Terry in touch with Crook; Jim Bell ended
the war.