The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-10-04
A MILITARY TRAGEDY.*
Casualty Out of the Usual Run in Indian
Campaigning.

vet living many members of the old 18th
u. S. that remember Serg't-Maj. W. w. Bell,
who won his non-commission staff chevrons
| at the battle of JonesbOro, but few of the
survivors of the gallant old regiment know
of the circumstances of his death in Laramie
Plains two years after the war.
Bell, like number of other non-commis-
stoned officers of the Regular Army, was
given a commission after the reorganization
| of the Regulars when the war was over and
the army had been sent to the plains to re-
| leve the volunteers that were then on duty
in the Indian country along the Platte and
| Smoky Hill Rivers. Bell was commissioned
Second Lieutenant, and it was only short
while until lie had a First Lieutenants bar
added to his shoulder-straps. be was gal
LIANT, high-spirited young officer and was
Justly proud OF, as he merited, his rapid pro-
motion.
In the Spring of 1867 the 18th Inf was
compelled to abandon the Powder River and
Big Horn country because of it's decimated
numbers that had been so sadly sacrificed
by the Phil Kearny massacre and long
siege of privations from the hardest kind of
service among the Sioux and Northern
| Cheyennes in that section. The station of
| the regiment was changed to the lower
Platte country to guard the then building
| Union Pacific Railway up the Platte. The
general rendezvous of the regiment was
| fixed for Fort D. A. Russell, near the town
of Cheyenne.
Lieut.. Bell was attached to that portion
| of the regiment that made the march across
! the country down the eastern slope of the
Black Hills. Its objective point was Fort
| Saunders. The march was a long and tedl-
Gus one, and was excessively hard on the
command. One day just before the COM
mand reached Laramie City, Bell was in
command of the rear-guard that was with
| the regimental transportation. The long
/ train of wagons was dragging along slowly,
| and the rear-guard having been relieved
from the severe strain of marching in COLI
umn as precautiOn against attacks by the
| Indians, had acattered pretty generally
among the wagons, and were stealing an
occasional ride. Bell was somewhat of
martinez, and on this special day ordered
! the men to keep out of the wagons and
march at route step in rear of them.
| Among the members of the rear-guard
was one Private Billy Brown, a member of
| Co. H. Brown was an old English soldier,
having deserted from the English army in
Canada and enlisted in the 18th. He was
fine soldier but was morose and reticent
fellow, and above all very quick tempered.
He happened to be one of the men who had
| made frequent use OF the wagons, and had
once or twice been specially ordered by
Lieut.. Bell to keep out of them and keep
his place with the marching command in
the rear. Browns feet hurt him not a lit
tie, and he pleaded as al excuse that his feet
were sore, and he had to ride to get along at
all.
After awhile Brown stole forward to the
wagons and laid his gun in one of the feed
boxes at the of the wagon, and was per-
mitting the wagon to pull him along. Lieut..
Bel happened back just at this juncture,
and noticing Brown without his arms and
again with the wagons, in violation of his
express orders, few into passion, and with
an oath ordered Brown to his place in the
rear.
Brown glared at the officer savagely, and
replied that he did not allow any man on
earth to damn him, and at the same moment
drew his gun from the feed trough and
sprang a cartridge into the chamber.
"Do you mean to threaten me?n said
! Bell, and at the same moment urged his
| horse toward Brown and drew his saber,
with the evident intention of striking the
now thoroughly-angered soldier.
Keep back, sir" said Brown; and aim
ing his gun directly at the officer continued ::
If you make an attempt to strike me I'll
kill you"
Bell, frenzied at Browns obstinacy and
threat, undertook to ride and strike him
down, and raised his saber with the full
determination of cleaying his head with his
sword.
Brown glared at the officer but second
and fired. The shot was true one, and a
| pallOr spread over the officers face. His
arm became rigid for a moment, then re-
Taxed, and as the horse, startled by the re-
| port of the gun, started 10 run, Lieut.. Bell
| fell headlong from the saddle corpse.
Witnesses Of the murder that were with
the wagons rushed to the officers relief, but
when they reached him he was past all
earthly assistance. Brown stood in his
tracks without tremor of fear or remorse,
and his only observation was:
4 told him if he raised his sword to
strike me I'd kill him, and did it, had
to kill him or he would have killed me-"
Brown was promptly disarmed and put
under guard, and cOuriers were hurried for
ward to the adVance-guard and back to the
| rear-guard to announce the tragedy. The
adyance-guard was about quarter of mile
ahead Of the train, which had now been
stopped. In an incredibly short space of
time detail of 90 men had hurried back
from the advance, and the officer in COM
mand asked where Brown was. The muir
derer stepped out in front of his guards and
remarked, Here j am, sir. / killed him.
l don't deny it, sir. / have no mercy to
ask. If l had not killed him he would have
Drained me with his sword, sir"
The officer in command of the detach-
ment that had come back from the advance
whispered few words TO the Sergeant in
charge and the detachment formed in COL
umn Of fours. Brown was ordered TO take
his place near the center of the column,
| which opened to receive him, and the detach-
ment with their prisoner marched out
about 100 yards from the train. Brown
was ordered to take position Oh a slight
knoll about so feet In advance of the
column.
He walked out to the point erect and de-
fiant and then turned and facing the detach-
ment that had now come to q front in line
folded his arms. There was not the slightest
trace Of fear or terror in his face. His lips
were firmly set, and he took off his fatigue
cap and throwing it at his feet, said: Boys
/ am ready when your are" He folded his
arms again. Then there was a clear ringing
report Of 90 rifles. Brown fell forward on
his face dead. Fifteen riie-bullets had
entered his body. A grave was hastily
dug, and the dead body of the murderer was
buried in it.
The firing detachment returned to the
wagons, the body Of Lieut.. Bell was placed