The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-10-31


among the hills. There was brief hut
decisive fight, and the Indians fled to-
ward the Canadian boundary. Immediate
pursuit was ordered, Notwithstanding the
fact that the weather indications gave
sign of blizzard, which meant, In those
wild, exposed regions certain peril to
life. Forty-eight hours after the start,
fierce sleet and hail storm sprang up,
the wind sweeping across the plains with
the fury of hurricane. 1t finally be-
came so violent that the trail was lost,
and the troops rode blindly through the
blizzard. Presently one of the subordi-
nate officers ventured to ask If it would
not be well to camp I'm the shelter of n
rise of ground until the inclement wealth
er had abated.
Colonel Henry shook his head mo"
he replied, firmly 1--WE will keep on until
we capture the Indians or run them to
the boundary line" Drawing down his
rough fur cap, he urged his horse stead
lily onward at the head of the struggling
troops. That day passed, and another
morning dawned. but still the pursuit
continued in the face of the biting, pierre
ing gale which swept down from the
north with unabated fury. Before noon
of that day several of the horses gave
out, dropping before the icy blast Ike
stricken deer. At dark a number of
packs were abandoned TO provide mounts
for those who had lost their animals.
Finally, a brief rest was called, and,
after many failures. a fire was started
ana coffee made. When orders were
given to resume the march the surgeon
accompanying the expedition went to
Colonel Henry and reported that five
of the TROOPERS were suffering with
badly frozen feet
Help me off with this glove" replied
the intrepid cavalry leader, extending his
left hand. The surgeon wonderingly
obeyed and, as he touched the flesh un-
der the gauntlet, he cried: 1T is stiff.
Your hand is frozen. SIR
Mount, men," ordered Colonel Henry
calmly. And as the cavalcade prepared
| to obey the command it wGs found nee
essary to assist him to his saddle. On
| through the snow and sleet, on until the
vntry sun rising over the eastern hills
| proclaimed the coming of day, rode the
| little party Of soldiers. There were
many stragglers, many who lurched IN
| their saddles, many who rested be-
| numbed and almost unconscious upon the
| necks of their mounts, but none failed
| to follow that stern figure riding in ad-
| vance. When day finally broke a num-
| Der of black specks were seen moving
over the crest of ride a mile in ad-
vance.
"They are the Cheyennes," exclaimed
| Colonel Henry. "and that ridge marks
| the boundary line between Canada and
! the United States. We can go no fur
| thcr."
The memory of the retreat back to
| shelter will be as blank page to most
! of the party. Several days later the
troops stumbled painfully into the well
| come gates of the fort, bearing with them
| twentV-One of their number frozen al
most within the grasp of death Colonel
Henry kept command until he saw his
men in safety again, then he took to his
bed and lowered between life and death
| for many weary weeks, finally arising
with his left hand crippled and his con-
stitution so broken that he reported as
| unfit for further duty. But he was In
harness again after brief rest.
Scars that showed bullet holes that
had been made in each cheek also involve
| a story of adventure To the men who
were with General Henry in '7S these
scars recalled the famous expedition
against the Sioux in the Big Horn and
| Yellowstone country, when the troopers
| gave the hostiles lesson they did not
| soon forget. In that expedition Colonel
Henry was in charge of the Second Bat
TALON Of the Third Cavalry which
formed part of General Crooks COM
mand. One June morning, while the
troops were camping for breakfast in a
little ravine, the out piCkets rushed back
| with the startling announcement that
the Sioux were coming in force. There
was barely time to sound "boots and sad
dies" when the heights about the valley
| swarmed with the savages. Within
| twenty minutes a regular pitched battle
was in progress, the Indians, of whom
! therd were several thousand, coming
down from the ridge in series of dcs-
perate charges.
During the height of the combat one
portion of the American line, under Cap
tain Nroom, was pushed out beyond it's
support, and was being punished severe
ly, the hostile getting between it and
the main body Colonel Henry, seeing
the peril threatening his brother officer,
sent his command pell-mell to the res
cue. Just as they swept upon the In
dians, with uplifted sabers, flying bull
let struck Colonel Henry in the face,
tearing through both cheeks, breaking
the bridge Of the nose and completely
severing the left optic nerve
| The force of the wild rush carried him
on, but he was seen to sway in the sad
die. A trooper near him called out
hoarsely, Are you struck. sir?" Grip
ping the pommel tightly with one hand,
Colonel Henry tried to wave his sword.
| ION, on" he gasped "Charge--"
Down under the galloping hoofs of the
combatants he lurched, and in an in
stant he was lost to sight In the swirl
ing dust.
The loss of their leader, caused tenn
porary panic among the soldiers, but
they soon rallied, and, after driving off
the Indians, they searched for their Sol-
onel He was found at last, covered
with blood, but as they tenderly pick ID
him IN they saw that life still remained
i'm the bruised body. He was placed
upon a blanket i'm the shade, and every
thing possible done to aid him. It was
then that one of the other officers con-
doled with him, saying, Colonel, this Is
too bad It Is too bad" And II was
then that the gallant Henry, suffering
untold agony and barely able to articu'
late, whispered simply:
TITS nothing, Jack. It's what we are
here for"
1t was long before he recovered, but
when he finally returned to active service
, he carried with him the indelible proof;
= of galanlry and daring in actual bat
tie. The same quiet heroism carried hin
through weeks of weary battling with
the tOrtuiing pangs OF a Porto Ricar
fever, struggle which sapped his
strength and wrung his soul-after which
he calmly and quietly replied to his ply
, sicians' oiders to leave at once, "No
Here / stay, where l have been sent"
LIFE INSURANCE.