Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-02-17

"He is a small man, poof! small like my
SON." exclain cd one of the committee OF
Porto Ricans selected to pay Its respects
to the new commanding officer or the
island, after the ceremony; but his one
eye, Madre de Dlos it is like Mauser
bullet when 1t strikes you"
The speaker had just left the palace AT
San Juan, Porto Rico, with his compatri-
OTIS, where Mai Gen Guy V. Henry, the
new military and civil governor OF the
island had welcomed the committee with
q mixture of old-time courtesy and mill
tary brusQucness. The members or the
committee still held in recollection the
scene in gorgeous reception chamber: the
staff of American officers uniformed ike
veterans fresh from the field. the sun
light cleaning through the stained glass
windows, the martial trappings OF the
attendant guard and that central figure
which represented to them the majesty
and might OF the wonderful republic to
the north which had freed them from the
yoke of the Spanish opprcssors.
That figure was a slight. spare man.
attired In rather faded uniform and
with a tan, brown face disfgured with
marks and scars. The members of the
committee had looked with respectful
curiosity at those marks and scars and
they vaguely felt that they betokened the
veteran, but they did not know that each
mark meant the imprint of years of serv-
ice and each scar the insignia of wound
received In honorable battle.
Several months ago. while In Ponce.
Porto Rico, I saw Gen. Henry. Fighting
Guy w." his men loved to call him. stand
up in the quaint old plaza of the city
and address, through an interpreter. a
number of natives on the subject of good
government and on the value of becoming
citizens of the great republic. says a
writer in the Omaha Bee. 1 saw him hold
a Sunday school service in the same
plaza, and. as he stood upon the same
steps of the kiosk in the center, with
Bible in his crippled hand. and told In
simple words the story of Christ. I no
ticcd a number of American soldiers,
roughly uniformed. and some of them in
drink. stop and listen with wondering In
terest As the crowd dispersed after the
affair was over I heard che cid bearded
sergeant. who also bore marks of long
service in the army turn to a comradc
and with a slap of his brawny hand, ex-
claim:
IT fought under that man out in the
Black Hills in "a. He's scrapper. every
inch of Him. and he's the best officer that
ever drew a saber, bar none. And he
knows when a good word is better than
a bullet, too. He amt much to look at.
but you can bet every scar he's got has
a story"
And the sergeant was right The stor-
les of those scars are written, not only
in the hearts of every man. officer or
private. that served with Guy V. Henry
in the Indian campaigns of the I0's. This
is the story of the crippled hand that
held the Bible that day in Ponce:
In the fall { 1874, when the Cheyenne
Indians were setting the frontier ablaze
in the northern part of Dakota, Col
Henry, then in command of several troops
of cavalry, came upon a village of the
enemy nestled among the hills There
was a brief but decisive fight. ana the
Indians fled toward the Canadian boun-
Diary. Immediate pursuit was ordered
Notwithstanding the fact that the wealth
err indications gave sign of blizzard
which meant, in those wild, exposed
regions. certain peril to life.
Day and night. with scarcely halt
for food the pursuit was kept up The
Indians were mounted on fleet ponies and
they were not only acquainted with the
country. but also Injured to the rigOrS of
4 1.-THE latitude. At first they did not an
ticipate being chased. but when they dis
covered that the troops were actually in
pursuit they set out with all possible
speed toward the boundary, almost 100
miles distant.
sleet and hailstorm sprang up. the wind
sweeping across the plains with the fury
of a hurricane. 1t finally became so vio-
lent that the trail was lost and the troops
rode blindly through the blizzard. Pres
emily one of the subordinate officers ven
tured to ask if it would not be we'll to
camp in the shelter Of a rise of ground
until the inclement weather had abated
Col. Henry shook his head. NO" he
replied firmly. 1--WE will keep on until we
capture the Indians or run them to the
boundary line. Drawing his rough fur
cap down. he urged his horse steadily
onward at the head of the struggling
troops. That day passed and another
morning dawned, but still the pursuit con-
tnued in the face cf the biting. piercing
gale which swept down from the north
with undated fury. Before tDon of that
day several of the hor2es gave out. drop
ping before the icy blast like 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 fire was started
and coffee made. When orders were given
to resume the march the surgeon accom-
panying the expedition went to Col. Hen
ry 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 I'M
der the gauntlet. he cried: at is stiff.
Your hand is frozen, sir"
Mount men," ordered Col. Henry,
calmly. And as the cavalcade prepared to
obey the command it was found neces-
sary to assist him to his saddle On
through the snow and sleet. on until the
wlntry sun rising over the eastern hills.
proclaiming the coming of the, day rode
the little party of soldiers. There were
many stragylers, many who lurched in
their saddles, many who rested benumbed
and almost unconscious upon the necks
Of their mounts. but none failed to follow
that stern figure riding in advance. When
day finally broke a number of black
specks were seen moving over the crest
Of a ridge a mile in advance.
"They are the Cheyennes," exclaimed
Col. Henry, land that ridge marks the
boundary line between Canada and the
United States. We can go no further"
The memory of the retreat back to shell
ter will be as a blank page to most of the
party. Several days later the troops
stumbled painfully into the welcome gates
of the fort, bearing with them twenty-one
of their number frozen almost within the
grasp Of DEATH Col. Henry kept COM
mand 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