Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-08-25
LAST OF b TROOP.


stunted pines, to the south tongue of
sandy desert, to the west succession of
barren ridges on which neither wolf nor
buzzard can find drop of water nor n
morscl of food. Right there, 100 miles
from the nearest pioneer hamlet, they
built Fort Brown and Earrisoncd it with
men who thought of suicide day by day
as they looked upon the drcarincss. There
were skeleton company of infantry and
skeleton company Of cavalry-the last Of
i troop. There was u time in the history
of these horscmcn when b numbered Il full
hundred mon and when its officers were
the proudcst men in the regiment, but
there are fatalities in army life as well as
elsewhere.
One day over i'm Green valley rs j troop
rode gavly along 500 Indian warriors rose
up in the dry gullics and cmpticd 80 sad
dies ut the first vollcv. There was u court
of inquiry, and the captain resigned
Again ten troopers were sent out to CON
vuy wagon train, and the Indians slaugh-
tered the whole number. IN the next three
months five troopers deserted and three
committed suicide Ono afternoon tho
first lieutenant of the troop rodo out for n
hunt, hut had not gone II mile when he
was thrown from his horse and killed.
Once moro, two troopers were sent OUT 10
catch horse which had broken loose and
was cavorting around half n mile from the
post. They were on foot, and as they ran
they were bitten by rattlcsnakcs on which
they trod, and both were dead before sun
set. The army said that Is troop was un'
der hoodoo, and the remnant OF the COM
pany felt themselves almost outlawed. Tho
day they rode into Fort Brown they num-
bcrcd 81 men, and they were under tho
temporary command of second licuten-
ant. Captains and first lieutcnants as.
signed to B troop always fought OIL the
day of joining, ard some had pull enough
at Washington to have the assignment
countcrmandcd. There is superstition in
the army as well as ont OF 1t.
Hero is our graveyard" whispered tho
men of the troop as they caught sight OF
Fort Brown and its lonesome environ
mcnt after their long ride TO reach it.
They looked at the foothills to the north,
at the plain TO the east, at the desert to
the south and the ridges to the west, and
man turned to man and repeated;
"llcrc is our graveyard, the last OF tho
troop!
If you know an unlucky man, you pity
him, but You also avoid him. The IN
fantry ut Fort Brown could not avoid the
unlucky troopers, hut they pltlcd thcln
and displayed no fratcrnal fccling. IL was
SO from the colonel down TO the last pri-
waite. We smile in dcrision at the idea of IA
hoodoo and yet we do not likc to rub ell
bows with people who are pursued WIN
i'll luck. The freshly graduated cauc'
knew nothing about the hoodoo when he
was assigned TO Is troop. with boy
ambition and Impotence he had hurried
from West Point and home into the wllds
of the far west to take active service. There
was no superstition about him. lie heard
of the fatalities, ho saw the dlspirlted
look of the remnant OF the once gallant
troop, he was made TO rcallzo that he was
under ban, as 1t were, but he was not
dishcartcncd.
Army records Will tell you what hap
pcncd ut Fort Brown within week aitel
1} troop rode through the gates. The in
fantry had been there for three months
but not an Indian had been seen y cor
poral and three men We're sent to the foot
hills after fuel, when they fell into an am
buscadc and were cut oil. The four troop
ers were mounted, and yet all were killed
whilc the tcamstcr made safe escape OF
foot. This was the hoodoo again. Tha
there might BIO no cavil about it n troopcI
hung himself in the barracks that night
Thus five moro men wore wiped on th'
rolls within week, and the troop reduced
TO 32.
Tho colonel at Fort Brown had received
tho young officer half in welcome, half II
pity. He knew the history of b troop, an'
no realized that any connection with
must cast shadow on the career of al
officer. Had he been in command of tn
department he would have recommended
that the troop be consolidated and its lSm
lost on tho rolls. The loss of tho five me-
gavo tho colonel anxious thought NO on
could be held TO blanc. 1t was simply on
of tho fatalities which had so PERSISTENT
pursued the troop. One day he got new
which determined him on "a certain stcI
and he sent for the young lieutenant an
said:
"A scout is in with the information tina
band of hostilcs is headed for Brown
valley, IhhU Is "hcro uho plonucrs WI
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