Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-14
DEATH BEFORE DIsHONOR.
Suicide of . Young West Point O0cel
by His Mistake.

Suicide of . Young West Point O0cer
by His Mistake.
He had come out to US a second neuten-
ant-a young and beardless graduate from
West Point-and the ragged old 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 a bad failure of 1t when they came
out to the plains, said q veteran to an Al
bany Argus reporter
The youngster. as the men called him, had
been with us a fortnight when the colonel
ordered him out on a scout. We were to
go down the valley four miles, turn to the
west and ride down the bank of Walnut
creek three miles and then come back over
the nils. One sergeant one corporal--twen-
ty-hve 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 BUSH
es and offered cover to an enemy. The
youngster gave no orders however and an
peared 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. 1 think the officer was about to
huri some indignant protest at u.s. when we
got Volley from the bushes Every man in
that troop realized on the Instant that we
mad only ten or a dozen redskins to deal
with-every man but the officer. Had we
wheeled into line, fired a voIley and charged
We should have driven them from cover and
had good show to exterminate the band
The youngster was ratified by the sudden
ness of the attack, and because two or three
horses went down he lost his head ana
ordered us to push forward at a gallon.
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 suddenly pulled up and
wheeled about. No one gave the order but
all acted In concert. We were too late to
save our comrades, but the sight of their
mutilated bodies brought shouts of revenge
as We charged the thicket. We got a feeble
volley, and another horse went down, but in
ten minutes we had wiped out the last war
rior. Nine of them had put the twenty-five
of US to flight.
The youngster was brought back to us by
the sound of the firing. His face wore a
look of establishment and dismay as he saw
the DEAD. When he was Informed that we
mad made cowardly retreat before such
small force, and when a trooper held I'D the
scalp lock of our dead comrades and grovlei
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 troop n
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 re-
turn. The lieutenant dismounted and sat
by himself. For long time he sat with his
race In his hands, gazing at the earth, and
there wasn't one of us who didn't feel sorry
i'm pIy md hxyh o Had e.
over to him and asked:
Sergeant. did you realize that we were
being fired on by so small force?'
I judged them to number nine to twelve.
SIR was the reply.
And had you been in command what ac-
ton would you have taken?"
"Fours right, wheel, and a voIley ana
charge That would have been my way II
they had numbered a hundred, for a cash
would have driven them from cover and let
us i'm
And the order 1 gave was to push for
ward, which was the same as retreat?'
SO we understood, sir"
orders?'
Without orders. sir"
THAT will do, sergeant The ambulance
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 IL surveying the country. and 10
one happened to be looking at him when
he put his revolver to his head and sent n
bullet into his brains He was dead before
we reached him. Poor youngs.eC! court
martial would have dismissed him from the
service. Even had no charges been pre-
ferred 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 mis-
take. but paid for it with his life, and 10
man shall speak Ill of him. He was
youngster, and had never seen an injun,
and that's all that allied him."