The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-12

back for achievements Lieutenant Armes
was sent to his aid in command of a sec
ond one hundred men, He caught up TO the
advance party on the North Platte river
about forty miles out from Fort Sedgwick.
The officer in command turned back, but
Armes insubordinately pushed on with his
men.
INDIANS SURPRISED.
Provisions grew scarce and the country
was filed with hostile Indians. The expe-
dition reduced by two-thrds when it
came upon the Indian camp. But Armes
and his men swooped down, stampeding
the stock through the camp. The Indians,
completely taken by surprise, mostly took
to fight. Their tents were burned and the
soldiers recovered every head of stock.
The whole West was wild with the news
Of the exploit, and an order was issued
complimenting Armes and describing his
adventure perhaps the greatest cav
airy feat ever heretofore recorded"
The noise OF ArmeSS exploit had not died
away before he was again in the field in
the dead of a Dakota winter. In January,
1867, word was brought to Fort Sedgwick
leaguered by the red men and in fair
way to be frozen, starved or massacered
If help did not reach them.
ArmeS and his squad of forty men were
caught by a blizzard about forty miles out
from the fort. He beat off the. Indians;
rescued the wood choppers and returned
his men were so badly frozen as to be in
capacitated. Armes himself was frozen to
his horse.
News of this and any other dashing acts
reached Grant at Washington. and the old
warrior. who had sent the STRIPPING to Han
cock to give him his bellyful of fight,
ing" determined that such gallantry should
not go unrewarded. He ordered that ArmeS
be given a commission as captain and,
that he might take precedence over some
hundreds of officers. General Grant ordered
it dated back from May, 1867, to July, 1866
Armes was assigned TO the Tenth Cav
airy, then stationed at Fort Hays, out on
but twenty-five years of age, and was the
youngest captain of cavalry ever in the reg
ular service It fell TO- his lot to experience b,e
crashed through his hip.
Lift me to my horse and strap me TO
the captain continued to command his lit
tie force, needless of bullets and arrows.
Within few days Of this fight Armes
from General Hancock. who was then IN
command of the Department of the Mis-
souri,. At the same time he was recon.
mended for the rank of brevet heutenans
colonel This recommendation was approved
by General Sherman, then in command OF
the military division of Missouri; and was
passed on favorabIy by General Grant
Armes's health had been shattered, and 1t
was not until the fall Of 1868 that he again
saw active service, when he took the neld
under General Penrose. This, time the In
dams of southern Colorado and New Mexico
had gone on the warpath. Ten months OF
Indian fighting in the country where Gen
eraI Miles gained so much renown at later
date rounded out the exciting pages OF his
martial career.
In 1869 Armes caused the arrest of two
majors of his command. whom ne cnargeo
with selling army mules for their own
profit The prisoners had influential friends,
and Armes was made to suffer for his hrm-
ness.
Since that time he has been at bitter war
fare with the authorities in Washington.
There have been charges and counter
| charges, arrests and indications With a
soldiers truculent disposition Armes has
not sought to conciliate his enemies.
He distinguished himself shortly after
| the Inaugural ton of President Harrison by
breaking the nose of Governor Beaver, OF
PENNSYLVANIA who had first made him a
member of his staff as marshal of the pa
rade, and then. to oblige the soldiers enc
mics, had changed his mind about 1t.
} On another occasion he was arrested by
the order of General Schofeld, who was
afterward reprimanded for his action by
| the Supreme Court Of the District Of Co.
lumbfa.
Meanwhile. the sword of dArtagnan was
| sheathed, and Armes devoted himself To
real-estate affairs in Washington, with SO
much success that his fortune is now esti-
mated at 81 100000. But wealth weighs light
| ly with the old warrior, compared to adven-
| ture. which he is now to seek in South
l Africa.