Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-05-26
Col. GrlOSOy.
AFOrmer Lancaster Boy
Leads A Eegi-
ff1ent.
FROM SOUTH DAKOTA TO CUBA,
The Cow Boy Regiment Makes Favorable
Impression as it Passes Through Chicago
on it's way South.

Many of our readers will remem-
Der Melvin Grigsby. He attended the
Lancaster schools under Prof. Page.
Later he studied law with Bushnell &
Clark and boarded with the family of
Judge McGonigal. He was a mem
Der of Co. G, I'd Wis. Cav, and is the
author OF the popular war book. The
Smoked Yank."
Fortune has smiled upon a great
many Lancaster boys who have gone
out in the world to do battle with
life, and Melvin Grigsby is one OF
them. He recently raised company
IN South Dakota and they are now on
their way to the front. On Sunday
they were Chicago and a reporter
writes as follows of them:
Two hundred hardy, sunburned
westerners, members of the third reg
iment of volunteer cavalry, arrived
in the city Saturday from Souix Falls,
S. d. and went into camp for davis
rest at the stockyards.
The troopers are in command of
Col. Grigsby, Encouragement of 5.
Dakota, and are on their way to Cuba
to assist Gen. Gomez in routing the
Spaniards from the island. Every
man in the regiment is an expert
horseman and a crack rifle shot, well
used to the hardships of ranch life
and exposure to the elements of the
plains.
The regiment left Souix Falls early
Friday morning and Chicago was the
first stopping place since the start
was made. 1t was soon after o'clock
when the train bearing the cowboy
soldiers and their war equipment
reached the western limits of the city
on the Northwestern road, and the run
was made to the stockyards without a
stop Col. Grgsby, tall and muscu-
lar and wearing the garb of the west
ern prairie stood on the platform of the
first coach as the train rolled through
the city, and he and his band Of sturdy
warriors were greeted with cheers by
hundreds all along the line.
The train was composed of five
coaches for the men, eight stock cars
and two baggage cars; as it slowed up
at Kinzie street and California avenue
to round the ..Yn leading from the
main line to the stockyards branch,
the crowd waiting at that point seized
the opportunity to grasp the many
hands offered by the soldiers as they
leaned far out the car windows. The
lusty cheers of the troopers could be
heard for blocks and no more enthusi-
astic fighters have yet passed through
the city to the front.
None of the men have as yet been
provided with the regular army uni
forms and they came attired in fan
mel shirts, jean trousers and high top
boots. Each wore the regulation
cowboy sombrero and the heavy cav
airy spurs and at their belts hung re-
volvers of the larges caliber.
When the coaches rolled into the
stock yards crowds were in waiting
to applaud the soldiers and as they
went to work unloading the horses
from the cars to the feeding pens they
were cheered to the echo. They SEEM
ed to thoroughly enjoy the reception
and Immediately engaged in CONVEX
sation with their many admirers.
After breakfast was served in the cars
the men made tour of the yards and
the majority passed greater part'of
the day in resting The horses were
loaded into the cars during the after
noon, to be in readiness for the start
south early in the evening.
The roster Of the regiment contains
the names OF some of the most famous
men on the western range. and it is
said that the members are better
equipped than any Of the volunteer
cavalry regiments known as rough
riders.
Col. Grigsby, the commander, is a