Evening star., 1898-05-21
IN FULL DRESS UNIFORM

ABOUT twenty-five years ago." said q
weii-known army officer. the Modoc In
dian war, in the lava beds of southern
oregon and northern California was in
progress In 1t occurred some as severe
fighting, under adverse circumstances. as
ever came to the lot of the United States
army. Among the troops engaged in that
war was the 9th United States Infantry
1t Is well known that this regiment was
never permitted to take any part in the
civil war. but was kept, during that whole
eventful period, on the Pacific slope. 1t
was not the fault of the officers of the regi-
ment, yet they felt very sensitive on the
subject.
Among the officers of that regiment was
young lieutenant. whose name 1 shall
mention later. On the evening preceding
the heaviest fight that occurred during the
campaign remarks were made rejecting
upon the courage of what they designated
as the California contingent meaning
thereby the 9th Infantry. These remarks
came to the ears of the young lieutenant,
VINO Immediately sought their author, and
In the presence of large number of his
Fellow officers, resented the aspersions in
the most vigorous terms: branding the man
as a modern Ananias, and also announcing
that Immediately after the fight which was
slated for the following day he would per-
sonaliy make good all that he then said.
furthermore, as the matter or personal
courage had been put in question. he an
nounced that in the fight of the following
morning he should wear his full uniform,
and he challenged the author of the dis
paraging remarks to do the same That
night the commanding general sent for this
lieutenant and informed him that in the
charge that was to be made on the follow
ing morning he was going to give him the
next position to the post of honor, that is.
the left of the line. Any soldier will know
that when troops are in line of battle the
left is equally exposed with the right. 1t
happened, therefore, that on the morning
OF the battle the California lieutenant, true
to his word, appeared in command of the
left of the line in full uniform, and as it
was well known that such an exposure
was to court almost certain death, not
another officer did appear, notwith-
standing the liertenants emphatic chal-
leage. In the gray dawn of the following
hour the troops lined up in front of those
terrible obstacles known as the lava beds.
The command Forward! was given. and
over they went, first one and then another,
In the face of a whitening fire from the Saw
ages behind piles of rocks, some five and
some fully forty feet in height the Califor-
ria lieutenant, in full uniform. at the head
or his company on the left of the line. The
right was crushed and fell back, but the
left, encouraged by its commanders
splendid example, held its ground.
AS may be imagined, the officer in full
uniform received the attention of every
Mcdoc warrior who caught sight of MIN,
and they finally brought him down with a
rifle ball through his thigh, cutting the
tendons to his leg. Calling two soldiers, in
ste ad of permitting them to carry him Off
as Trey wished to do, he placed Il hand on
the shoulder of eGch and, thus supported,
he fought on until by sheer loss of blood
his whole strength gave way and the SOL
diers laid him down till the fight was all
over His gallant conduct on this occasion
won for him the undying friendship of the
late Major General Crook, to whose depart
ment he was soon after called. To his own
valor and this friendship the United States
owes it that he is now Brigadier General
Charles p. Eagan, commissary general OF
subsistence.
The Modocs touched the button in the
lava beds of Oregon. and President McKin-
ley has done the rest. The same conduct
in the British army would have won the
Victoria Cross; in the French army it would
have brought the Cross of the Legion of
Honor. In the United States army it won
only the friendship OF General Crook, and
Yet we fancy if General Eagan were now to
choose between them all he would take the
latter