The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-12
LIKE D'ARTAGNAN OF OLD
MAJ. G. A. ARMIES LOVES NOTHING
BETTER THAN A FIGHT.
Millionaire soldier of Fortune Who
Longs for stirring Adventure, and
May Go to south Africa.
washington Letter in St. Louis Post-Dis-

1 To he q A1IdSudu oAiSc iuOfc instead OF
| a mere millionaire. Major George A. Armes
| is about to command an expedition to the
| Transvaal
Desperate achievement in battle nour-
| ished his youth and early manhood Off
| cial persecution almost comparable to that
| of Dreyfus tempered his moral fiber as fire
| tempers steel. The resultant combination
of qualities enabled him to amass wealth
| as successfully as he had received and given
wounds. But adventure claims him at the
| last He is scanned and grizzled. He limps
| He is at an age when a million dollars
| might we'll lul man into inactivity. Still,
| the spirit of this modern d'Artagnan leaps
| within him at the distant clash of arms
Major Armes denies that he will visit the
| Transvaal as a sort Of nineteenth century
| freebooter, saying that a United States
| army officer who engaged in anything but
| a strictly commercial venture in South At
| RIGA 1T this time would be court-martialed.
do you sympathize with the British i'm
| perial policy?' he was asked
| The major smiled grimly. Two genera
| tons back" said he. my ancestors dis
scented from it forcibly. am still an Amer
ican."
| 1t was gathered that the expedition is
| backed by New York and Western capital
lists, and that the members of the party will
| sail thoroughly equipped for protecting
| themselves and for mining. The trading
| company which ajor Armes will represent
| will provide that not the slightest violation
| Of the neutrality laws shall take place. The
| expedition will probably land on Portu-
| guese territory.
| George A. Armes was born in 1874, at An
| andale, Tairfax county, Virginia. At school
he was known as a leader and a fighter
| When Virginia seeded in 1860. Armes, who
was only sixteen announced his intention
| of throwing his fortunes with the Union
| and set out for Washington. One afternoon,
as he was standing in front of the Kirk
wood House, Secretary Seward passed by
Armes asked to be appointed messenger
| in the State Department.
Young man, you are a stranger to me-"
said Seward. Go back to Virginia and get
some sort of an Endorsement; if you see
| anything going on let me know
Armes returned to Fairfax Courthouse
| and Governor Thomas gave him a letter Of
recommendation. Captain Jackson added his
| Endorsement, signing his name James w.
Jackson, and then in cold letters added,
| 'secessionist."
ROPE AROUND HIS NECK.
Returning to Washington Armes was ar
| rested on his way to Stewards house and
taken to old Wizards Hall, where Cassius
NJ. Clay asked him his business. Armes
declined to state it. He was searched, and
when letter of recommendation was found
on his person with the names of two promi-
nent secessionists signed to it rope was
put around his neck.
Now, will you state your errand here.
young man?' asked Clay.
shall tell my business to Secretary Seward
alone said Armes.
He was turned over to Ward II. Lamon,
marshal of the District, and taken before
Seward, who read his letters and showed
them afterw&rd TO President Lincoln, VINO
laughed heartily over Jackson's signature.
Seward learned from Armes that a raid
was intended that night by secessionists on
marched at dusk TO the chain bridge, the
| long bridge ana the whdrveS. ArmeS re-
| ceived his appointment.
As seward messenger the boy was soon
| known to all the leading men of the day.
When the Union troops moved on Alexan-
| dria he was granted three days absence
from the department to accompany them.
His knowledge of the country made him ex-
tremely valuable to the expedition. AT
FOur-mile run Colonel Wilcox placed par
ty of a hundred men under mis- guidance,
their orders being TO capture Captain Ball
and his volunteer cavalry, of which Armes
had been a member.
wilcox sent along an additional hundred
men from the First Michigan under Captain
Butterworth. Under Armes's guidance they
not only succeeded in taking prisoner Cap
tain Ball, but burned a bridge and captured
a supply train which was just preparing to
pull out for Richmond.
Within q few days Armes induced Lieu
tenant c.. II. rompkins (snce Gen. Tomp-
kIns) to make raid on Fairfax Courthouse
under his guidance. While leading a squad
Of soldiers through tie Town at 3 o'clock i'm
the mol ming he was shot from his saddle
by a bullet which pierced his right breast.
he.ya hn hnh frnvy hiC n
he led a part of $50 federal soldiers twen-
ty miles within the Confederate lines and
brought them safely out, after capturing
provisions and horses.
AS a scout young Armes accompanied Nc
DowelPs army in the march on Richmond,
which ended in the battle of Bull Run. In
the fight he was wounded in the knee. On
his recovery he requested to be allowed to
accompany the army of the Potomac in
6e %as Shot gh tae
groin. He went to Iowa to regain his shat
tered health.
His restless disposition would not allow
him to remain idle. In the spring Of 1862
he enlisted in the Sixteenth Virginia Regi-
ment of Volunteers, commanded by Colonel
Close, who recommended him for a COM
mission as second lieutenant. When he re-
ported at Washington for examination he
was singled out at a public reception by
President Lincoln for especial congratula-
ton.
Secretary of War Stanton, in 1863 had
some important MESSAGES mess to transmit a,n it,, to
Va. He intrusted the task to Lieutenant
Armes and ordered him to report to Gen.
Grant for duty. Armes delivered the mes
sages to Grant and informed him that he
desired active duty. Grant turned to Gen.
Rawlings, his chief of staff. and said:
Turn him over to Hancock. He will give
him his belly full of fighting, If that's what
he's after.
WITH HANCOCK.
Lieutenant Armes reported to Hancock,
who assigned him to his mess. Several
times during the campaign Hancock COM
plimented young Armes for signal gal
lantry.
During the course of one fearful engage
ment Lieutenant Armes was detailed to car
ry a dispatch from Hancock TO Burnside.
He took the straight course which led him
in front of the lines and into view of both
rolled under him on the ground. He extri-
Gated himself, and seized loose horse rode
to Burnside in safety and assisted in plac-
| ing the divisions the line. For this he
| was promoted TO a captaincy in the Second
New York Artillery.
Soon after he had reported to his regi-
ment which was in General Miles,s COM
| mand, the fight al Hatcners run took place
On one side of the run. which was a deep
| stream thirty feet in width. the Confeder-
| ate forces lay shielded behind breastworks
| General Miles ordered a regiment to ad-
| vance on the Confederate works. The men
got no further than midstream when they
were shot down and drowned by the score
Another regiment was ordered forward to
essay I'm the task. They. in turn, were driv-
| L. ytth IF ell