The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-03-12

GENERAL CROOKS CHARACTERS
TICs-MuRs OF AN INDIAN THAN
AN INDIAS.
At The date of which am now writing
General Crook was an ideal soldier in
every seuSe. He stood about six feet in
his stockings, was straight as an arrow,
broad shOuldcred, 1.-the, sinewy as q cat,
and able to bear any amount of any kind
of fatigue. It mlttered not under what
guise vicissitude and privation came,
they never seemed 10 affect him. Hun
ger and thirst, rain or sunshine, snow
and cold, the climbing up or down of
rugged, slippery mountains. or the
monotOnous march, day after day, along
deserts bristling with spines of the cac-
tus, Spanish bayonet, mescal, and palO
verde-his placid equaninity was never
disturbed in the slightest degree. He
was at that period of his life fond of
taking his rifle and wandering off on his
trusty mule alone in the mountains. At
sunset he would picket his animal to n
mesquit bush near grass, make little
fire, cook some OF the game he had
killed, erect a small ''wind-break1 of
brush and fiat stones such rs the Indians
make, cut an armful of twigs for bed.
wrap himself up in his blanket, and sleep
till the first peep of dawn.
lyon ask me to tell you about In
dams, said an old Apache chief WHOM
was boring about some chronological
matler-"gO to the Nautn the Chief
Crooks name, aIhreviltC he'll Il
you. He more of an Indian than [
am"
But Crook did not go on ''tizwin'
Sprces like the Apaches; he never
touched stimulants in any form unless it
might be something prescribed by
physician; he never drank coffee. and
rarely tasted tea. Milk was his fagorito
beverage when he could get it, and pure
water when he could not.
His personal appearance was impress
sive, but without the slightest suggestion
of the pOmpous and Overdressed military
man; he was plain as an old stick, and
looked more like an honest country
squire than the commander of a warlike
expedition. lie had blue-gray eyes,
quick and penetrating in glance, a finely
chiselcd Roman nose, a firm and vet
kindly mouth, u well-arched head,
a good brow, and general ex-
preston of indOmitlble resolution hon
est purpose, sagacijy, and good inton-
tiomS. lie had an aversion to wearing
uniform and to the glitter and filigree of
the military profession. He was essen
italy a man of action and spoke but lit
tie, and to the point, but was fond of lis
teniug to the conversation of o hers. He
was at all times accessible to tie hum
blest soldier or the poorest "prospectOr,
without ever losing a certain dignity
which repealed familiarity but had no
semhlnuce of haughtinCss. He never
used profanity and INDUCED in no equi-
vocal language.
Probably no officer Of equal rank in
our army issued fewer orders or letters
of instructions. Example is always the
best general order" he said to me once
when we were seated side by side on
fallen log in the lower Powder Valley,
Montana, in most eXaSperating drizzle
Of rain in the summer of 1916. 1t GER
tainly was true of campaigning in Ari-
IONA, and no officer or sold err hesitatcd
to endure any hardship when he saw the
commanding general at the head of the
column, eating the same rations as him
self, and not carrying enough extra cloth
ing to wad shotgun. There is one
character in American history whom
Crook, saving his better education and
broader experience, very strongly rcsem-
bled-ana that is Daniel BOonc.-Cdp-
tdiR BOUrke, IN March Century,