Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1899-02-17
JOHN PHILLIPS, HERO
HOW Ha SAVED A BELEAeuhEp
FRONTIER GARRISON

In 1ses ths asux, U~Ssr Their oFsatWsr
ChisL RsS cissa. wsuIa nave ass-
sacrsS ths Bravs DsEssssrs y JshH rhii-
lips naa Vet sont RsIhsE
A bill couched in the dry, formal
words Of q legislative proposition was
recently introduced in Congress f0 the
purpose Of giving = pension to the wild
sw Of JohH Phillips. That may at in
tsrest ysu. But back OF that bill fThe
story of as brave, courageous heed
as ever made glorp ppLos bA--rsSaA, -
American manhood
1t was John Phillips who rode from
| Fort Phil Kearny to Fort Laramie in
December, 1866, and saved the latter
/ garrison from massacre.
On the twenty-first day OF December,
1866, Fort Phil Kearny. commanded by
Col. II. B. Darlington, located under
the shadow OF the Big Horn Mountain
and over 200 miles from the nearest tel
egraph line, was the extreme outpost
| in that part OF the Northwest The
savage Sioux under Red Cloud had
| been lowering in the vicinity Of the
| post for some time and had been seen
in large numbers on Tongue River,
! northwest OF the fort
The Indians made attacks on the
| wood train few miles north OF the
| fort A detachment of troops under
/ command of Brevet-Lieut. Col. Fetter-
man, including two other officers and
several men and a number of civilians,
made dash from the fort for the pur-
| pose of protecting the wood train.
! When some four miles from the tort
they were surrounded by the Indians
in overwhelming numbers and every
man of the detachment was killed
Years afterward the Indians said that
the troops were only killed after their
ammunition was exhausted n
The triumphant and S3bcSA s,,nt
Sioux were commanded by Red/ClsuT'
and cutRunbered the gariSOh by -
to /. They surrounded the fort saA -
stack Was hourly expected.
1t Wes well underStOed BY the Barri-
sen that II the Indians we're GucessEral
n taklnG the fsrt it meant death fos
each aaa every sHs. Realizing the.tsr-
FlblS fate that awaited them the We
nsA and children begged Ditsously 70
be placed in the powder house and
blown up In case ~ successful attach
frSa the IndiaAs.
At this haAeture, when brave nsH felt
that the emily possible hope for ths
garrison was in sending news 81 their
belsaguerRsnt to the nearest outside
post, and net a soldier could be found
who would brave the attempt to bresh
through the ERvages and ride to the
nearest outpost, a distance OF 12S miles.
John Phillips, q hardy seoul and huht-
er, volunteered to take dispatches 90
Fort Laramie. Placing Q few biscuits
in his pocket, tying On his saddle a
small Suantity OF feed fer his nouAt,
he suietly left the post at midnight on
the night succeeding the nassacre, and
by hard riding, and escaping many per
lis on the way he succeeded in reaching {
Fort laramie Ave days later. The
country Gcross which he r0ds ~A<%s-
Sslutsly uninhabited by white nsa,
and ths sround was covered with snow
kon three to ave feet in depth.
His OuiferinEs will never be told.
The weather was exceedingly cold. the
thermometer reaching 20 degrees be-
low zero. When Phillips delivered his
dispatches at Fort Laramie, hardy,
brave frontiersman as he was, he fell
in dead faint. Immediately upon re-
ceipt of these dispatches troops were
forwarded from Fort Laramie, and the
garrison at Fort Phil Kearny was re-
lieved. For this remarkable act Of gal
lantry and endurance, which will for
ever place John Phillipss name in the
gallery Of heroic men, he was never in
any way paid by the general Govern
Aent.
In the years Immediately following
this heroic ride, John Phillips was Sn-
ployed in various capacities at Govern
ment posts. The Sioux had sworn that
they would be revenged upon him. He
was continually hunted and harassed
by them because he had rescued from
their grasp the garrison at Fort Phil
Kearny. He was now broken in health
by the exposure and strain OF his long
and perilous ride. One night, feeling
that his end was near, he calletNto biI
bedside his wife anuy cnTT6--7fd dKtf!
the hand of each, he pulled them near.
, or to him. They heard him family
| whisper; Il did the best could" ant
. he was dead.