Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1898-07-23

made him being the sum o: 5000 which
was paid him for various scouting
services.
In the years Immediately following
| his heroic ride John Phillips was em-
ployed in various capacities and en-
gagged in business in connection with
the government posts, and he was con-
tinually hunted and larassed by the
Sioux, who always looked upon HIM as
the man who had wrested from their
grasp the garrison at Fort Phil,
Kearny. Al one time he was lassoed by,
the Indians in an attempt 10 capture
him for the purpose of torture. Az
other times his cattle were shot down.
undoubtedly through pure wantonnessl
on the part of these Indian marauders.
In 1872 John Phillips was engaged in
hauling wood for the government at
Fort Fetterman. when band of In
dians, supposed to be Sioux and
| Cheyennes, drove off and killed a con-
siderable amount of stock belonging to
him. Red Cloud acknowledged the
depreciation, but insisted that the In
dians did not belong to his baa&. Upon
the overwhelming testimony of army
officers, Indian agents, special eX-
aminers and others, the court of claims
allowed and entered judgment for the
sum of $2,210.
1t subsequently transpired that at
the time of this depreciation John Phil
lips was not fully naturalized citizen,
and the claim was not paid. The court
could not take into account the gallant
and meritorious services of this brave
man, but could make its decision only
upon the finding of fact. Subsequently
Phillips became a fully naturalized
citizen; but, broken in health by the
exposure and strain of his long and
perilous ride, he died in the prime of
life, leaving a widow and child in strait
ened circumstances.
Col. Darlington filed with the senate
committee on claims the following
affidavit, which is now part Of the
official record in the case:
Henry b. Darlington. United States
army, being duly sworn. makes oath and
says: That on the 2lst day of December,
1856 as colonel OF the Eighteenth United
States Infantry, and commanding off,
Ger of the Rocky Mountain district.
department OF the Platte, he found his
whole district to be in a state of
bitter war with the Indians occupying
that country. and was constantly engaged
in such warfare; that 1t became necessary
to employ citizen scouts and messengers
who were familiar with the country and
with Indian methods.
That on the 2lst day OF December 1866.
aforesaid, an action :ook place within six
miles OF Fort Philip Kearny. which post
was his headquarters. in which. surprised
by Red Cloud and his band OF overwhelr-
ing numbers. three officers and rs men
were killed and mutllated in less than
an hour; that several thousand Indians
surrounded the post rendering communi-
cation with Fort Laramie, the nearest post
having troops at disposal impracticable:
that the garrison was small that
troops could be sent back for assistance:
that only by the utmost care. all troops
being on guard constantly, supported by
five pieces of artillery, was the post itself
preserved intact; that ammunition had
been reduced to less than 20 rounds per
man, and neither officers nor men believed
1t possible to venture through the sur
rounding Indian forces for help with any
hope of success.
At this juncture John Phillips used to
frontier life, the wiles of the Indians, and
convinced of the utter destruction that
awaited the command unless relief were
promptly obtained, volunteered his sery-
ices as dispatch bearer to Fort Laramie.
225 miles distant. through a hostile com
try, absolutely without inhabitants or the
possibility of sta or supplies en- route.
Confidential dispatches were intrusted to
his care with Instructions how to meet
emergencies, and during the night after
the battle he started out on his dangerous
mission. Previous mail parties and party
| of expert border scouts which left later
were scalped and their bodies and the mails
were found where they were massacred.
Phillips. by riding nights and keeping
under cover by day, safely reached a tele-
graph station 40 miles from Fort Laramie