The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-17
DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR.
Suicide OF a Young West Point Officer BY
His Mistake.

Ills mfathhts
He had come out 10 US a second lieuten-
anita young and beardless graduate from
West Portland the ragged DID troopers
who had been fighting Indians for three
years smiled with contempt. Pity was
mingled with contempt. however. 1t was
unjust to the boy to put him up against
the savage Apaches for his first trial.
Even some Of the veteran officers Of the
war had made bad failure OF il when
trey came out 20 the plains, said
veteran to an Albany Argus reporter.
The youngster. as the men called him,
had been with us a fortnight when the
colonel ordered him our on scout. We
We're TO 90 down the valley four miles,
turn 50 the west AMI ride down the oank
Of Walnut creek three miles and then
come back over the hills. one sergeant.
one corporal-twenty-hve troopers in all.
At that time the chances were against
sighting an Indian, but TIE movement
would tell their spies that we were
alert and watchful
In due time we reached the creek and
turned in. 1t was lined with trees ana
bushes and offered cover 10 an enemy.
The yOungster gave no orders, however.
and appeared greatly surprised when he
looked back and observed the attitude of
the men. They held their carbines ready
for what might come and obliqued of
against tie hillside I think the officer
was about 10 huri some indignant protest
at us, when we got volley from the
bushes. Every man I'm that troop realized
on the instant that we had only ten or
a dozen redskins 10 deal with-every
man but the officer. Had we wheeled
into line. fired a volley and charged, we
should have driven them from cover and
had good show 80 eXterminate the
band. The youngster was ratified by the
suddenness Of the attack. and because
two or three horses went down he lost
his head and ordered us TO push forward
at a gallOp. leaving two men. who had
been dismounted. but were unhurt, 70 be
deliberately shot down as they sought
for cover. We had dashed forward about
half a mile. when every trooper suddenly
pulled up and wheeled about. NO one
gave the order. but all acted in concert.
We were too late to save our comrades
hut the sight Of their mutilated bodies
brought shouts Of revenge as we charged
the tbicket We got a feeble vOlley and
another horse went down, but I'm ten
minutes we had wiped out the last war
rior. Nine Of them had put the twenty
five OF us 10 flight
The youngster was brought back to us
hv the sound Of the firing. His race
wore n look Of establishment and dismay
as he saw the dead. When he was IN
formed that we had made coWardly
retreat before such small force. and
when n trooper held up the scalp-lock or
our dead comrades and growled OUT that
tbev had abandoned 10 their fate when
cool head would have saved them the
face OF the young man was white rs
death. and he made no reply. A trooper
was sent 30 the fort for an ambulance
IN carry In the dead. and after beating
ND the bushes again. we sat down 10
await his return. The lieutenant dis
mounted and sat by himself For long
time he sat with his face I'm his hands,
gazing AT the earth and there wasn't
one Of us who didn't feel sorry for him.
BY and by he called the sergeant over 10
him and asked:
Sergeant, did you realize that we were
being fred on by so small forcef'
IT iudeod them 20 number nine 70
twelve. sir" was the reply.
and had you been i'm command what
action would you have takenY
"Four right. wheel. and volley and
charge. That would have been my way
If they had numbered a hundred. for a
dash would have driven them from cover
and let us in
And the order 7 gave was 70 push
forward. which was the same as retreat?'
$50 we understood. sir"
and you returned and attacked with
out orders2"
without orders, sir
THAT viii do, sergeant The amhu-
lance should be here soon. You see
about The bodies. Try and tell plain,
straight story about the fight when you
report to the captain"
with that he got up and moved up the
hill as n surveying the country, and no
one happened 10 be looking at him when
ne put his revolver 20 his head and sent
bullet into his brains. He was dead
before we reached him Poor youngster'
court martial would have dismissed
him from the service. Even had no
charges been preferred, he could not have
held up his head among men fighting
men.
Say" exclaimed the sergeant, as we
stood looking al the body, "he made a
mistake. but paid for IL with his life.
and no man shall speak i'll Of him. He
was n youngster, and had never seen an
Iniun. and that's all that allied him"