The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-13
HE PAID THE PENALTY.
He was Only Youngster, Though,
and Had Never Seen an "Injun."
Prom the Chicago Times.


From the Chicago Times.
He had come out to us a second lieuten-
ant-a young and beardless graduate
from West Portland the ragged old
troopers who had been fighting Indians
for three years smiled in 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 it
when they came out to the plains.
The youngster," as the men called
him, had been with us fortnight when
the colonel ordered him out on a scout
We were to go down the valley four miles.
turn to the west, ana ride down the bank
of Walnut creek three miles and then
come back over the hills. One sergeant,
one orpOral-twenty-iv troopers in all.
AT that time the chances were against
sighting an Indian, but the 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 and
bushes and offered cover to an enemy.
1.-The youlgster" gave no orders, how
ever, 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 off against the hillside. ! think
the officer was about to hurl some indig-
nant protest at US when we got a vOlley
from the bushes. Every man in that troop
realized on the instant that we had only
ten or dozen redskins to 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 a good show to exterminate
the band. THE youngstern was ratified
by the suddenness of the attack, and be-
cause two or three horses went down he
lost his head and ordered US to push for
ward at a gallOp, leaving two men, who
had been dismounted but were unhurt
to be deliberately shot down as they
sought for cover. We had dashed forward
about half a mile when every trooper sud
denly pulled up and wheeled about. No
one gave the order, but all acted in con
cert. We were too late to save our com
rades, but the sight of their mutilated
bodies brought shouts for revenge as we
charged the thicbet. We got feeble
volley, and another horse went down, but
in ten minutes we had wiped out the last
sl1ulking warrior. Nine of them had put
the twenty-five of US 10 fight.
THE youngster" was brought back to
us by the sound of the firing. His face
wore look of establishment and dismay
as he saw the dead. When he was in
formed that we had made a cOwardly re-
treat before such a small force and when
a trooper held up the scalp locks of our
dead comrades and growled out that they
had been abandoned to their fate when
cool head would have saved them. the
face of the young man was white as death
and he made no reply. A trooper was
sent to the fort for an ambulance to carry
in the dead, and, after beating up the
bushes again, we sat down to await his
return. The lieutenant dismount3d and
sat by himself. For long time he sat
with his face in his handle 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 to him and
asked:
Sergeant, did you realize that we
were being fired on by 80 small force"
I'll judged them to number from nine to
twelve sir" was the reply.
'And had you been in charge what &C
ton would you have taken"
-Four rights, wheel, and give 'em a vol
ley, and then charge. That would have
been my way if they had numbered 100,
for dash would have driven them from
cover and let us i'm
''And the order gave was to push for
ward, which was the same as retreat"
30 we UNDERSTOOD SIT. %
'And you returned and attacked with |
out ordersFn
Without orders, sir"
THAT will do. sergeant. The ambu-
lance will be here soon, and you VIII 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 if surveying the country, and no
one happened to he looking at him when
he put his revolver TO his head and sent
bullet into his brains He was dead before |
we reached him. Poor yOupgster2' a /
court-martial would have dismissed him
from the service Even had no charges |
been preferred, he could not have held |
his head up among men-fghting men.
''Say," exclaimed the sergeant. as we
stood looking at the body 'he made a |
mistake, but paid for it with his life, and /
nm man shall speak i'll Of him. He was
youngster and had never seen an Injun, !
and that's all that allied him.
lis Bnkins a man who remember his oblt |