The record-union., 1898-01-27

of the accommodating party. Down
yelled the Sergeant and instantly his
men were fiat on their faces. The
rugged bluffs protected the soldiers
from the flying bullets. Their position.
however, was anything but comfortable
or safe After the third volIey, not a
sound could be heard, and Berwald
rightly surmised that the Indians were
closing in on them. He peered eau
tiously through a crevice, which sep
arated the protecting boulders form
| ing the soldiers breastworks. Two In
dams were scanning every nook dodg-
ing at the same time behind rocks and
trees. Berwald pushed his gun through
the aperture, puff of smoke accom-
panied the rife crack, the Indian
sprang madly in the air, and then
rolled over dead. The others made an
attempt to drag the body of their brave
from its exposed position but Berwald's
bullets interfered with their efforts, and
when they saw small party of soldiers
who had been out reconnoitering com
| ing toward them they disappeared
| Berwald and his party then joined
the other soldiers.
The whitening fire of the cavalry soon
made them cautious, and they retreat
ed beyond bullet range. Then the
troops worked hard at the entrench-
ments, and before midnight the breast
works were more solid than horses
| bodies.
The wounded We're constantly calling
for water, but whenever the soldiers
went to the spring, which lay outside
| the barricade, they We're shot down by
| the Indians. Sergeant Berwald was
the first to bring kettle of water from
the fatal spot, but in returning on his
| hands and knees a bullet from an In
! dian gun tore through the f1eshy part
of his thigh, infiicting a painful though
! not dangerous wound The Indians
tried many a ruse to get the soldiers
| from the little fort, but were unsuccess-
! full.
| Day after day, until the 9th, the In
! dams harassed the soldiers. On that
morning the firing suddenly stopped
! About noon Terry and Gibbons, with
his light artillery, arrived upon the
scene The besieged soldiers went wild
with joy when they saw their deliver
! ers. They rushed to the new arrivals
| and With tears streaming down their
! cheeks embraced them again and again.
| There was not an Indian in the neigh
| borhood. The troops started immedi-
/ ately in search of Custer. His body
I was found on the bluff a few short
miles away, surrounded by the horribly
mutilated remains of his officers, pri-
| Yates and relatives.
| Whnn Berwald, with uncovered head
| advanced with his men to lift the re-
mains so that they could be prepared
I for burial, Terry, with the deepest emo
| tion, said to his officers: Their lies the
/ flower of our army" After pushing the
| Indians for a short time, the surviv-
ors of the Seventh Cavalry returned
to Rosebud Landing. Three hundred
and fifteen privates and non-comnis-
stoned officers, seventeen commissioned
| officers, several scouts. and a number
of relatives persisted with Custer. Mrs
/ sturgis. whose son. an officer in Com
pany L, died with his General, pre-
scented a flag to the three surviving
members of the troop upon their return
to Fort Lincoln. Berwald received in
silence the cherished emblem from the
heartbroken mother.
/ In 1878 Berwald went into the field
against the Nez Perces when he re-
enlisted in Company H, Seventh In
| fantry. He also took part in the Ute
campaign in 1879 and 1880. He re-
enlisted IN the Third Cavalry when his
| term expired in 1883. After serving
/ this enlistment he was so disabled as
| to be unfit for further duty in the line
The hospital corps, however, was open
| to good men with records like Ber-
walds. and he enlisted in that branch
Of the service at Fort Mcintosh, Tex
~ .xrI r.
| West Point. For the past eight years
| Sergeant Berwald has been intimately
acquainted with the cadets, and every
| officer who has graduated during that
! time Knows and respects the veteran
| Of Clusters campaign and the Indian
| wars.-New York Times