Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1899-03-11

seemed to bear charmed life, in conf
mand of the regular brigade; but his turn
came at last, for he was severely wounded
in the battle of Chapel House, near
Petersburg, Va. october 1, 1864. His
wound was so severe that he was not sub
sequently returned to duty and he was
honorably discharged from the volunteer
service January "a, 1865, bearing with
him the brevets of Colonel and Brigadier
General for gallant and meritorious
service" at Spottsylvania and Chapel
House, Va.
On the organization of the Twenty
second Regiment of Infantry of the reg
ular army from battalion of the Thir-
tenth, Otis was appointed Lieutenant
Colonel of the new regiment, his conf
mission dating July 2S. 1866. Or March
2, 1867, he received the brevet of Colonel
in the regular army for gallant services
at Spottsylvania. On the death of Col
George Sykes, of the Twentieth Infantry,
at Fort Brown, Tex, Ods was appointed
Colonel, and assumed command of the
Twentieth at Fort Brown March 81, 1880.
From 1867 to 1881 he served against the
Indians.
AT the time of the Custer massacre, in
October, 1876, Otis, who was the Lieuten-
ant Colonel of the Twenty -second, on
duty at the lake posts on our northern
frontier. was ordered to the front in COM
mand of six companies os the regiment.
While passing down the Yellowstone his
command was attacked by the Indians
near the mouth of the Powder river. The
troops were landed and the enemy
driven into the hills, their camp being
burned. On August 1876, Col. Otis
joined Gen. Terry and marched with him
up the Rosebud to reinforce the columns
of Gen. Crook, finally. taking post at
Glendive, Mon. A wagon train sent from
that post, under an escort of four COM
panies of infantry October 10, 1876, was
attacked by a heavy force of Indians and
compelled to return to Glendive. Here
Col. Otis reorganized it, and with the
addition of another company to the es-
cort in command to the Tongue river.
Fifteen miles from the post force of
l 900 Indians attacked the little column
of POO or 300 men, and running fight
ensued, lasting from O'Clock in the
morning until7 in the evening The In
dams tried every artifce of which they
were masters to break up the column in
numbered with its wagon trains, includ-
ing setting fire to the grass, but with no
effect
The next morning the Sioux could be
seen gathered in large numbers on the
left flank Of the column, and runner
was observed leaving communication
upon hill to the front, whence it was
brought by scout. This letter was as
follows:
Yellowstone want to know what
you are doing travelling ON this road
You scare all the buffalo away. / want
to hunt in the place. / want you to
turn back from here. If you don't I'll
fight you again. | want YOU to leave
what you have here and turn back from
here am your friend.
SITTING BULL.
mean all the rations you have got and
some powder. Wish you would write as
soon as you can.
Col. Otis wrote to the effect that he
had no intention of turning back, and il
the Indians wanted another fight he was
there to accommodate them. The In
dams gathered as for fight, but thought
better of It, and sent in party under a
flag of truce, who, after some talk. de-
cided that they had enough of Otis and
preferred to surrender, which they did.
When, in 1881, it was decided to es-
tablish school of infantry and cavalry
at Fort Leavenworth, Kan, Col. Otis
was chosen to organize it, and he re-
NAMED in command of the school and
the post of Fort Leavenworth until 1885.
The General is justly proud of the work
he did in establishing upon secure foun-
dation this postgraduate school for army
officers.
When relieved from the command of
the Leavenworth school COL Otis re-
turned to the command of his regiment,
the Twentieth Infantry, at Fort Assini-
boine, Montana. He also had command
of the post, one of the largest in the
army, including several companies of
cavalry. On October /, 1890, he was de-
tailed for duty as superintendent of the
recruiting service, and November %,
1868, was promoted to the rank OF Brig
adler General, passing over the heads of
officers of longer service. On December
following Gen. Otis was ordered to
duty in command of the Department of
the Columbia, with headquarters at
Vancouver, Wash. In taking leave of
his regiment he called attention to the
fact that during the fourteen years of his
command he had never found occasion to
charge one of its officers with dereliction
of duty, fact which testifes to the
character Of the Colonel as well as to that
of the men he commanded.
When, in 1896. the Secretary of War
required the assistance Of an army officer
for the important work of revising the
army regulations, the statute law of the
army, Gems Otis was ordered to Wash
ington, and he spent some months at the
War Department engaged upon that