Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1895-05-11
TWENTY-FIVE MILES AN HOUR,
The Wonderful Hundred.Miic Ride
Made BY Frank GrOuard, the Scout.

TWENTY-FIVE MILES AN HOUR.
The Wonderful Hundreti.Nfiic Ride
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 a prisoner with
the savages for five years and nine
months, during which time he was fore.
cd 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,
lie inherited the bronze complexion so
peculiar to people Of tropical climates.
Sitting Bull, contrary to the opposition
Of the head counselors Of the Sioux M.
ton, adopted him rs his brother, gave
him the name Of Standing Bear, and
protected him against the plots of the
Sioux to murder him. In 1875, Just at
the breaking out of what Is known to
frontier history rs the "Sioux War;"
Grouard made his cscapc from the In.
dams and found his way into the Red
Cloud agency, then situated about one
mile from where Fort Robinson, Neb.,
Il now located. General George Crook,
the most successful campaigncr against
the Indians, took Grouard into tho
Government service. and aftcrward, in
speaking Of him, said: II would sooner
lose third Of my command than Frank
Grouard." 1t was during this service
with Crook, as chief Of sc outs, that
Grouard made the phenomenal ride re.
ferred to Mt the head Of this article
101 miles In four hours and ten min.
utcs.
During the early part Of the 1870
campaign the newspaper correspond.
ont had repeatedly "beaten out" or
'scooped" the Government on news,
and It caused great deal Of dlssatis.
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
Buttcs gave Grouurd the official dis.
patches with instructions to get them
to tho nearest telegraph station ahead
OF any newspaper reports regardless Of
expense. The command was cncamp.
ed on Willow Greek, some distance
from Whitewood City. when tho cou.
rlcrs started out, Grouard carrying tho
official dispatches and another scout the
war correspondents specials (thc latter
acting as courier unknown to Grouard,
who supposed he was on his why to
Whitewood to assist the quartermastcr
In securing supplies for the half.fam.
ishcd sOldicrs). On the morning after
his arrival at whitewood, Grounrd
started carly for Deadwood, and. on
riding up to the livery barn. was as.
tonishcd to find the Government mule
the other scout had been riding hitched
there. Upon inquiry. hc discovered that
the scout whom he supposed to be ut
WhitewOOd with the quartcrmnster,
had hired tho best horse In tho barn Mt
Dcadwood, and hit tho trail for Custer
City, 101 miles distant. It was then
1890 In the forenoon. Grouard jump.
cd upon tho fieetcst horse lie could SO.
cure and started to overhaul the news.
paper courier. At the end of tho first
twenty-five miles the first horse fell
dead. Securing another. he started OF
again, and In making the remaining
distance. changed animals six times,
killing three Of the horses. lie overlook
the other scout some distance from Gus.
ter City. reaching the latter place at
$40 y. M. four hours and ten minutes
from tho time Of starting. Grouard had
to be lifted from the saddle. and was
unable to get out of bed for three days
thereafter. Tho nearest telegraph sta.
ton was Fort Laramie, and he secured
couricrs to take on tho official dis.
patches mt once and beat out the man
who had tried to outride him. Tho
trip cost the Government something
over $500, but the news Of tho battle Of
Slim Buttes was known all over tho
United States before the newspaper
specials" made their appearance. and
the War Department officials were per.
fcctly satisfied.