The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-07-21

olnerStlme3 his cattle were shot down,
undo ' btedly through pure swantonness
on the part Of these Indian marauders.
IN 1872 John Phillips wa engaged in
hauling wood for the. government at
Fort Fetterman. when a band OF In
dams, supposed to be Sioux and
Cheyennes, drove off and killed a con-
siderable amount Of stock belonging to
him. Red Cloud acknowledge the
depreciation, but insisted that the In
dams did not belong to his band. Upon
the oyerWhel lining testimony of army
officers, Indian agents, special ex-
a AZ dtl and Others, the court Of claims
a allowed and entered Judgment for the
sum Of $2.210.
It subsequently, transpired that. at
the time Of this depreciation John Phil
lips was not q fully naturalized citizen,
and the claim was not paid. The court
could not take into account the gallant
and meritorious services Of this brave
man, but could make its decision only
upon the finding offact. Subsequently
Phillips became 4 fully naturalized
citizen; but, broken in health by the
exposure and strain of his long and
perilous ride, he died in the prime Of
lie, leaving widow and child in strait
ened circumstances.
Col. Darlington filed with the senate
committee on claims the following
affidavit, which is now part of the
official record in the case: T.
Henry B. Darlington. United States
army, being duly sworn; makes oath and
says: That on the 21st day Of December.
1900, as colonel Of the Eighteenth United
states infantry, and as commanding off,
Ger of the Rocky Mountain district.
department of the Platte. he found his
whole district to- be in state Of
bitter war with the Indians occupying
that country, and tvas constantly engaged
In such warfare; that it became necessary
to employ citizen scouts and messengers
who We're familiar with the country and
with Indian methods
That on the Nst day of December 1856.
aforesaid, an action :ook place within six
miles Of Fort Philip Kearny, which post
was his headquarters, in which, surprised
by Red Cloud and his band Of overwhelm-
ing numbers, three officers and 70 men
were killed and mutilated in less than
an hour; that several thousand Indians
surrounded the post. rendering commune
cation with Fort Laramie, the nearest post
having troops at disposal. 1mpracticable;
that the garrison was so small that no
troops could be sent back for assistance:
that only by the utmost care, all troops
being on guard constantly, supported by
five pieces of artillery, was the post itself
preserved intact; that ammunition had
been reduced to less than 20 rounds per
man, and neither officers nor men believed
1T, possible to venture through the sur
rounding Indian forces for help with any
hope of success.
At this juncture John Phillips, used to
frontier life, the wiles Of the Indians, and
convinced of the utter destruction that
awaited the command unless relief were
promptly obtained, volunteered his serv-
ices as dispatch bearer to Fort Laramie,
225 miles distant, through hostile conn
try, absolutely without inhabitants or the
possibility of aid or supplies en- route.
Confidential dispatches were intrusted to
his care, with instructions how to meet
emergencies. and during the night after
the battle he started out on his dangerous
mission. Previous mail parties and party
of expert border scouts which left later
were scalped and their bodies and the mails
were found where they were massacred.
Phillips, by riding nights and keeping
under cover by day, safely reached tele-
graph station 40 miles from Fort Laramie