The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1894-05-24
THE sERcEANT'S MEDALS.
The First Was Gained in Desperate
Struggle with Indians.

| SfFud0lH WIKI tnUtSnS'
Fnolish soldiers regard the Victoria
cross as the highest prize that can be
won. and the Frenchman looks eager
Nv forward to the time when he can
| min upon his breast the cross OF the
LEGION of Honor. Individual acts OF
rallantry in the American army are
not often greeted with a flourish OF
trumpets or special decorations, but
there is at least one substantial and
much-coveted reward. 1T is known
as the medal of honor. This little
bronze star is difficult to obtain, and
is only granted in rare cases. Con-
rress must vote upon the question
lust as if it were an especial act
Numbers of veterans in the army have
gained such a medal, but they are
far more limited in numbers than the
similar lists of other countries would
show. The rarity with which thli
medal is awarded makes it all the
more highly priced by the recipients,
and Sergeant Wilson, of Troop B,
United States Cavalry, now stationed
at Preside, the military post of San
Francisco, doubtless feels correspond
ing pride in the fact that he is the
only man who has ever won two OF
these medals. The sergeant is stlll
further distinguished by having per-
formed deeds of bravery emitting
him to two other decorations. The
medals of honor were both gained by
him in the space of two years, and
were conferred for deeds of daring in
Indian campaigns.
Wilson was sergeant of Troop |,
Fourth Cavalry, in the year 49,
when it was ordered to Fort Concho,
Texas. One morning he was ordered
to report to the officer in command
for an especial service.
sThere is a band of Comanches
up the river, and it has just carried
off a lot of cattle" said the officer to
him. Take corporal and ten men
and see if you can head them off. -
1t was only a few moments after
that "boots and saddles was sound
ed, and the little party was in full
chase on the track of the redskins.
All the morning and all the after
noon the men kept up their rapid
pace, stopping half an hour at dusk
to refresh their horses. Then into
the saddles again, and they pressed
forward through the star-lit night
hot on the trail All the night long
the chase was pressed, until faint
GLOW in the horizon announced the
break of day. They had reached the
mountains, and now the trail led up
the steep declivities toward the canon
of the Colorado river. Sleep was not
thought of then and fatigue was for
gotten, for now the scent was hot.
At noon they reached the river and
called halt for breakfast. Hardly
was the camp fire lit when the man
whom they had sent some distance
ahead as a lookout was observed to
be running toward them at full speed.
At this alarm the soldiers dashed
water over the fire and flung their
brides over the horses heads.
"They are Just ahead of us. up the
rlverl" gasped the breathless scout.
Bounding into their saddles, the
troopers clapped spurs to their horses
and pressed forward at full gallop.
Wilson was in the lead, and, as his
animal took small stream at jump,
he was greeted by struggling volley
of rife shots. Needless of all OBJ
stacles, the cavalrymen charged at
full gallop through the Indian camp
to small eminence in their reH".
They sheltered themselves behind
rocks, realizing that they had their
quarry at bay. The Indians, who
outnumbered them, had rallied, and,
after the savage fashion, fought des-
perately to escape 1t was a bitter
contest, and only the cool, deter.
mined fire which Wilson and his men
kept up, won the vistory. At last,
after a fight of several hours, when
some of the Indians were killed and
wounded, signal of surrender was
made. Saddles and wigwams of the
captured were burned, and Sergeant
Wilson escorted his prisoners back to
Fort Concho without the loss of a
man or q horse in his detachment,
and with the record of 100 miles in
fifty-four hours. And this is why
Congress awarded him medal No. l.
i San Francisco Examiner.