Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1894-1895, 1895-05-03
MILES AN HOUR.
The Wonderful Hundred-NIile Ride
Made by Frank GrOuard, the Scout.

Made by Frank GrOuard, the Scout.
Frank Grouard. chief of scouts. Unit
ed States army, is at present residing
at st. Joseph, says the Western Stock
holder. When 10 years of age he was
captured by Sitting Bulls band of hos
tile Indians and kept Il prisoner with
the SavaScS for five years and nine
months, during which time he was fore
ed TO enter into all the customs and
undergo the horrible self -tortures Of
the aborigines. Being born on one Of
the islands of the South Pacific ocean,
he Inherited the bronze complexion so
peculiar TO people of tropical climates.
Sitting Bull, contrary To the opposition
of the head counSelOrS of the Sioux Ma
ton, adopted him as his brother, gave
him the name of Standing Bear, and
protected him against the plots Of tho
Sioux to murder him. In 1879, just at
the breaking out Of what is known to
frontier history as the sioux War"
Grouard made his escape from the In
dams and found his way into the Red
Cloud agency, then situated about one
mile from where Fort Robinson, Neb.,
is now located. General George Crook,
the most successful campaiSner against
the Indians, took Grouard into the
Government service. and afterward, in
speaking Of him, said: Il would sooner
lose third of my command than Frank
Grouard." 1t was during this service
with Crook, rs chief OF scouts, that
Grouard made the phenomenal ride re-
ferred TO at the head of this article
101 miles in four hours and ten mill
utcS.
During the early part of the 1915
campaign the newspaper correspond
ent had repeatedly beaten out" or
''ScOOpcd" the Government on news
and it caused a great deal of disSatis-
faction and annoyance at army head
quarters. General Crook determined to
put an end to the slow work of his
couriers, and after the battle of Slim
ButteS gave GrOuard the official dis
patches with instructions to get them
to the nearest telegraph station ahead
Of any newspaper reports regardless Of
expense. The command WAS cncamp-
cd on Willow Greek, some distance
from Whitewood City. when the cOu-
rierS started ont, GrOuard carrying the
official dispatches and another scout the
war correspondents specials (the la
acting as courier unknown TO GrOuard,
who supposed he was on his way TO
NhitcwOOd to assist the quartermaSter
in securing supplies for the half-fam-
iShcd soldiers). On the morning after
| dis arrival at Whitewood, GrOuard
started early for Deadwood, and, on
Hiding up to the livery barn, was as
toniShed to find the Government mule
the other scout had been riding hitched
there. Upon inquiry, he discovered that
the scout whom he supposed to be at
Whitewood with the quartermaster,
| had hired the best horse in the barn at
| DeadwOod, and hit the trail for Custer
City, 10l miles distant 1t was then
1880 in the forenoon. Grouard jump
Ell upon the flecteSt horse he could Sc
cure and started to overhaul the news
| paper courier. At the end of the first
twenty-five miles the first horse fell
dead. Securing another, he started off
again, and in making the remaining
distance. changed animals six times,
Milling three of the horses. lie overlook
the other scout some distance from Gus
ter City, reaching the latter place at
2:40 p. m. four hours and ten minutes
from the time of starting. Grouard had
| TO be lifted from the saddle, and was
unable to get out of bed for three days
| thereafter. The nearest telegraph sta
| ton was Fort Laramie, and he secured
courierS to take on the official dis
patches at once and beat out the man
who had tried to outride him. The
trip cost the Government something
over $500, but the news of the battle Of
Slim Buttes was known all over the
United States before the newspaper
specials made their appearance, and
the War Department officials were per-
fectly satisfied.