The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-06-30
SCOUTS OF THE PLAINS.
lows MET THEIR DEATH.
vf~ilant, Cool, 'sNervy" Men VINO
Fought savages--Their honey
v,ides--Perils That Beset Them.

w;tbal feet of foot or well mounted,
Wi'.o oro number of unmarked
srayes along the Arkansas River ana
eho tributaries Of the Canadian an"
Emoxv H;ii-praves where never !o'-
;rr hands have strewn flowers, resting
,laces over which no prayer has ever
Soer sa;d. or memorial slab or stone
sance died "with their boots ON.
Manv of these graves are tenanted ny
sconts killed by hostile Indians whiie
.t;nn as couriers, spies or dispatch
bearers. .;.t The
Tn 1s67-6S we were Mt war with the
rhevennes. and during the wlntet
General Alfred Sully made the cam.
naion an offensive one by moving witp
b;s command into the medicine couh,
ahA rAessiAfsc crsfAs sRAsh 81 Pi fa Shflf iaf
ter for promotion to be lieutenant
general, vice Sherman, vice Grant.
were supplemented by active Indinn
service prior to March 4, 1869, but
Phil Sheridan never remained long in
any one place, and several good SOL
diers acting as dispatch bearers. were
sacrificed owing to their unfamiliarity
with the topography of the country in
which General Sully was operating.
eral Sheridan authorized the employ
meht by the United States of twelve
cltlzen scouts Mt compensation of
S!oo month, and one chief of scouts
who was paid $3.50 month. These
men were sworn into service ut Fort
lodge. In addition to the pay men
TONED, each scout wax furnished with
n good horse, with all tn. arms, am
munltlon, etc. he wanted, with rntious
same as issued to enlisted men. free
@aGShh1Sai aGhigi .SStte4PaagpGe~ with fuel. aud
limits of any Government post. Each
scout was told that if he chose ho
could, in confidence, give to the post
ndjutant his true name, and that tho
officer would mako it his duty, i'm case
the scout was killed in the discharge
OF his duty, to communicate the fact
to the postoificc address Of any person
or persons whom he might wish to be
notified.
Without exception tho thirteen men
were American born. All had histor.
les. Every scout had one address or
more to communicate, coupled with
some message to give. None of these
men were of the Texas ranger or cow
~.
Only two wore their hair long One
was discharged for cowardico in falsely
reporting tho location of u large BODY
of hostiles on Coon Creek, between
Fort Larped and Fort Dodge, investi.
gution having proved the presence only
of long line of high weeds, which.
seen at n distance against the horizon,
were mistaken for men, and 40 report.
Inv
too timid to make thorough recon.
nolssancc. This mans name was Will
liam Seymour, enlisted under the name
OF Apache Bill. He was afterwards
Killed in an affray ut Junction City,
Kan. Another scout named Webster,
was discharged for shooting his horse
In the neck while carelessly and un.
necessarily discharging his firearms
within the limits of II military post.
Two of the scouts, Fanshnw md
Davis, were killed by the Chcycnncs
while IN the act of Watering their
horses at Mulberry Creek, one of the
small tributaries of the Arkansas,
on the south side of the river. Their
remalns were Inferred in the Fort |
dodge cemetery
Another of the scouts wns n mnn |
named Ransome, aims Ledford. He
was an apparently frank, chccry,
handsome fellow, of splendid physical
proportions, and q magnificent shot.
He owned black horse, doclc to him,
but u fiend incarnate to others. The
man was n great fnvorite with army
officers, whom he often bantcrcd for
friendly shooting matches and was
rarely beaten i'll contests of skill in !
that line. He took more chances and |
more often volunteered for dangerous
service than any other scout WAS never
derelict, bat was killed in 1872 nj
Wichita, Kan, 10y Lieutenant Har-
gous, an officer of the Fifth Infantry,
who was on duty with II possee aiding
Deputy United States Sheriff named
Bridges to arrest him on charge of
horse stealing. When arrested by
Lieutenant Hargous, Ledford fired
first at the army officer. who dropped
rs if killed. Lieutenant Hargous was
not hit, however. Ledford Was mad.
dened by liquor and strobe over the
PROSTATE body of the officer, firing at
Jack Bridges as he advanced, and |
wounding him in the arm. The scout
then made n rush Mt soldier who had
accompanied as n member of the posse,
when his further shooting was pre-.
vented by u bullet through the heart
Like Hickok, the original wild |
bill, Ledford respected the army |
blue, and the affray i'll which he was /,
killed was the only occasion that he !
was ever known to shoot at any person |
In the permanent military establish
ment.
The winter before his death L"dford, |
then in Government service, accom-.
panied detachment of the Third In.
fantry, acting as escort for Major Rod.
ney Smith, paymaster United States
Army, TO Camp Supply, Indian Terri.
tory, and return. The route for about
200 miles was over n broken and nm
nppearedf sa dfSffrsd Sf Estance Eta snqG nv
different from an elevation, snow.
covered. There were no trees or
I,tr1 1hAas Oh A L.