Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-12
NOW EAGAN WON PROMOTION.
The Modocs Gave Him the Chance land NC.
Kinley Gave Him the. Reward.

(FrOm. the washington EVeIuHS o'"iI
.About rs years ago." said a we'll
known army officer, 1.-The Modoc lndian
war. in the lava beds Of southern Ore
gon and northern California, was ~
progress. In it occurred some as severe
lighting, under adverse circumstances,
as ever came to the lot of the uhited
States army. Among the troops en-
gagged 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 eventfui PERIOD
on the Pacific slope. 1t was not the
fault of the officers ofe~the regiment,
yet they felt very sensitive on the SUD
ject.
Among the officers Of that regiment
was young lieutenant, whose name l
shall mention later on. On the evening
preceding the heaviest fight that oc-
Cured during the campaign remarks
were made rejecting upon the courage
of what they designated as the Call
fornia contingent, meaning thereby
| the 9th Infantry. These remarks came
to the ears of the young lieutenant,
and in the presence of large number
of his fenSw officers resented the asper-
| sions in the most vigorous terms,
branding the man as modern Ananlas,
and alsl. announcing%that Immediately
after ~ fight which was slated for
| the following day he would personally
| make good all that he then said.
Furthermore. as the matter of per-
sonal courage had been put In question,
he announced that in the fight OF the
following morning he should wear his
full uniform, and he challenged the
author of the disparaging remarks to
do the same That night the command
ing general sent for this lieutenant and
informed him that in the charge that
was to be made on the following MORN
ing 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 Cali
fornia lieutenant, true TO his word, APP
peared in command Of the left of the
line in full uniform, and as il was well
known that such an exposure was TO
court almost certain death, not another
officer did so appear. Notwithstanding
| the lieutenants emphatic challenge. In
the gray dawn ot 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 savages behind
piles of rocks. some five and some fully
| 40 feet in height, the California lieu
| tenant. in full uniform. at the head OF
his company on the left of the line. The
right was crushed and fell back. but
| the left encouraged by its command
er's splendid example held its ground.
LAS may be imagined. the officer in
| full uniform received the attention of
every Modoc warrior who caughtssight
| of him. and they finally brought him
| down with rifle ball through his
| thigh, cutting the tendons to his legs.
| Calling two soldiers, instead of permit
| ting them to carry him off, as they
| wished to do, he placed a hand on the
| shoulder of each. and, thus supported.
| he fought on. until by sheer loss of
| blood his whole strength gave way and
the soldiers 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 department he was
soon after called. To his own yalor
| and this friendship the United States
owes it that he is now Brig. Gen.
| Charles P. Eagan, commissary general
| of subsistence.
THE Modocs touched the button in
| the lava beds of Oregon, and President
| Mckinley 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 Gen. Crook. and yet we
| fancy if Gen. Eagan We're now to
! choose between them al! he would take
the latter
| The name of Mother Goose's husband