The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-28
sFLP CAME NONE TOO SOON.
o,v.1RYMAN TELLS OF A DIES
'r In are FIGHT WITH APACHEs.

ron, the Cincinnati Enquirer
"a a musician play a solo upon
a, one of the theaters the other
ing" remarked the old cavalryman'
|os., brought back to my mind one OF
dramatic and thrilling episodes
4 ,tf.-tine. Most every one has heard
,,aert oornist give an imitation OF
4 huele call. and then initiate the
4 md Of an answering call seeming TO
80 from afar. 1t was this performance
II -. rafneshed my memory and brought
-.,,,r+arv tears TO my eyes, as 1 re-
a1ad tragedy that happened way Out
Tho old Santa Fe trail in New Mexico
in 1870.
awe were stationed in that country al
49, dime. at one of the old forts, long
4 ,,ce abandoned by the government hve
IONS of cavalry and four companies of
+. ..sar,rv During the winter months we
Nod little or nothing to do, but as soon
i .s snring came the cavalry was sent out
n ~ the scout. We usually split up the
Command. each troop taking six or seven
6avs' rations. and only in the event of an
ia
emergency did the cavalry concentrate.
we had in our troop young fellow OF
the name of Bob Dolan. His father and
mother had both been killed by the Apa-
otes IN the Santa Fe trail dozen years
rrsviouslv and he had been brought up
nv. tbe soldiers at the fort. He acted as
.ba ma ior's striker or servant until he
mas IS years old aud then took on in
tho cavalry as trumpeter. All of the men
svore by Bob's bugle. He would play
medley of calls, from reveille to taps
and then produce an echo seeming to
come from distance.
OF on the Scout.
cone morning. about April l, I saw Bob
q ccming from the majors house with his
frurnpet slung over his shoulder by cord.
As he saw me he put his instrument to
q his lips and blew a few bars of Boots
& and saddles
That means we'll have to get out on
4 the scout I yelled.
early next morning our troop was in
n saddle and trotted off south. We had or
ders to take a straight course from the
fort for three days.
IAN went well until noon of the third
dsv A Crow scout rode in and reported
n a coud of smoke to the west. At our cap
ta.n's command we rode in the direction
4 dicated by the scout At o'clock we
could plainly see a pillar of smoke in the
distance caused by burning haystacks or
buildings
Bents ranch, we all muttered. AN
4 the PEACHES are at 1t again..
AT in the evening we came up to the
place formerly occupied by ranch build
ngs and a desolate scene was present
n ed The ruins of the building were smol-
dtring, throwing out dense volumes of
4 smoke, while the bodies of horses, mules,
yes, of men and women, lay about on the
ground where they had been struck down
a by the savages. The two Crow scouts
4 with our troop sat with immobile faces
II siaring at the ruin their own race had
4 wrought, and Capt. Kelly suddenly beck
oned to one who wheeled his pony to the
offlcerS side. A moment later the Crow
sped off across the pairie, gone TO summon
Troops and c to take up the trail and
aFense the death of Bent's people.
Redskins Out in Force.
Little Hatchet, our remaining Crow
scout, gave it as his opinion that there
81 We're heap big five troop Injun, meaning
mat the Apaches that had looted Bents
We're at least 500 strong Most of them
We knew were armed with rifles and were
ACCEPTS IN their use. We must wait for
4 az least two more troops to concentrate
win US. capt. Brandt with troop A. was
n OIL to the west, and still farther in that
uiIectlon was Capt. Jones with troop c.
10 the east were troops + and G, but we
could spare no messenger to send to them,
as our captain had determined to hold to
our remaining Crow scout like grim death
3 in case of an emergency"
mat night there was little sleep for
us We went into camp on a knoll about
mile distant from the smoldering ranch
bindings. The horses were not hobbled
ana turned loose with a guard, as is usu-
ally the custom, but were fastened with
Hrlats' In punches of ten, each under
charge OF a trooper, who were cautioned
TO stay near camp
About O'Clock in the morning the
crack OF a caroline aroused the camp and
informed us there was trouble among the
HolstS' We found that two of the troop
ers had incautiously dropped off into a
"oze had been knitted, the horses hobbies
cut and the animals taken off by the saw
'ses' Mccarthy, one of the troopers in
'NaIse OF a squad of horses, had seen
ue ANNALS move off slowly, as if feed
Hs' ana mad paid no attention TO them
uHlu ne was startled 10 behold six or sev-
mas and lash them into a gallon. He
naa nred his carbine at them, but had
missed.
Besieged by Red Devils.
Morning broke and not a sign of the
SaVases could be seen. Toward 6 o'clock
'ne Crow scout pointed toward the south
significantly and said:
mum come! He there! An there toor
ne ADDED as he pointed to the west.
a tnln column of smoke could be dis
Cefhed altering through the clear atmos-
pnere ifom the top of a knoll half mile
~ our right. An Indian sign.
Durng the day they assaulted our
huoll three times, riding up. waving blan-
AeS and trying to stampede our stock.
D"l' nnding this futile, they shot the ami
We tis' Wen knowing we could not get away
'u1out our mounts. Strange to say they
.,ue no attack during the next night but
rWa III. us continually the next day,
we mad rolled the bodies of our dead
toIseS into position as breastworks and
..II. nad breathing spell.
we called the roll and found we had
eisnteen troopers, all of whom were
sa,,an tlat day on the knoll, had twenty
I'm wounded besides our cantain and
Of one o'le days rations and about a Din,
water left The next morning thev