The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-25
A STORY IN A RELIEF BILL
Congress Asked tO-Aid The Widow
Of 4 Famous War ScOut.
The Drawer, at John Phillips "n the
Northern Frontjer-Tbc RE sC1sc of
the Gnrri-"n of Fort phil hcarnE-
: Forced Ride of over Two Hun
drcd NiIcs-Th" indians Ih0Hrird.

The bill Tor the relief Of Hattie Phillips.
which has been before Congress for many
years. now awaits only the Presidents
signature 10 become Law. This will be the
final recognition cf an act OF bravery which
stands almost alone in the history uf 4u
dian warfare.
just al the close Of the war of secession,
Fort Phil Kearny. Wyoming. was on the
far Northwestern frontier, in the region
OF the hostile and Jreacherous Sioux. II
MAS not liable 10 direct attack by the In
dIans. and So Tor "a. long 'ime the latter
contented themselves with molesitng the
wood trains, which went out for timber
about four miles up the Bczemdn trail.
Every time a wood train went out, under
the escort of q party OF soldiers a wood
man or a soldier would be killed. On one
occasion the indians drew a large party
into an ambush and slaughtered them at
ter a desperate fight While the battle
was going OF John Phillips. a Portuguese
scout and one of the best in the North
west crept through a gully and hurried
to the fort When admitted he hHntly
asked Colonel Darlington the command
ant, how many men had been sent out.
The women OF the garrison, including the
wife of Lieutenant Grummond, one Of the
ambushed officers crowded around and
when Phillips. after hearing the colonel's
answer said Well. they are all killed"
the women tainted. and Darlington vas so
angry that he ordered Phillips confined in
the guardhouse Tor his lack Of eonsidera-
tion. The next day he released Phillips
and began 70 send ont parties Of two or
three to try and get word Of the disaster
TO Fort Laramie. 235 miles away and pro-
cure assistance from there.
Every attempt was fruitless; the parties
were either forced back or their riderleSs
horses appeared the next morning. AZ this
juncture Darlington offered Phillips a large
sum Of money to take the messages. but he
refused being angered at Carriugton's
treatment Of him. No one would deny tina.
the only hope of the garrison was in Phil
lips hands. He was a man OF wonderful
strength and endurance He knew the In
dians and their ways. and he was familiar
with every foot of the ground. Caring
ton with his handful of soldiers. surround
Cd by 5.0G0 hostile Sioux, and with only
twenty rounds Of ammunition, was in de-
spair Something moved Phillips at this
time to sttemr sJO -repGir the evil OF his
words en- the day OF the massacre He
approached Mrs Grummond, apologized for
his thoughtlessness. and said that he be
ieved he could ride through 10 Fort Lara
ME with dispatches il he could have Car
rington's thoroughbred Kentucky charger
but that he would not ask Darlington
for it,
Mrs. Grummond arranged matters. and
al II o'clock at night on the 2lst Of De
cember, 1866 Phillips stole cut from the
fort On Carringtons charger. with a half
Of in haE ha7 IN Il hs
mel Of his saddle ana handful Of crack
ers in his own pocket The snow was from
three to five feet deep. the thermometer
nearly 20 degrees below zero. and the
chances Of success seemingly very small /
Before daylight Phillips had stolen through /
the first line Of Indians, and at daybreall /
he bid himself and horse in a raviue 10
wait for night. He dared not ride in the !
daytime as the country was so full Of In |
dians
He was not yet to escape, however The /
Indians learned that some one had broken /
through their liues. ard they tracked his I
horses foot prints in the SNOW. Just a. .
dusk they discovered his hiding place and .
he was forced to run. He had tray-r-eI I
but fifteen miles. and had TO make his way
over fiat prairie forty miles without +.
tree or rock. His Kentucky thoroughbred /.
saved the day. he oUtrode the Indians ana /
hat night made seventy miles. Again day /
came and De found a eulch to hide in. lie
could have no fire for fear of disclosing his .
whereabouts. and had but few OF his .
crackers left These he munched, and /
kicking Cd hole in the snow. he pulled some
dried grass for mis- horse. because the stock .
Of oats vas exhausted. Again the Indians .
tracked him and about o'clock in the .
evening came into sight. There was moth .
ing left 90 do but make another run. snd .
again Phillips on his thoroughbred dis
tanCej his pursuers, and before daylight
had passed the second lire Of Indians but
now. from signal fires on the hills he knew
that a large party had been sent after him .
Fortunately, he reached the wooded cCuu- /
try. ana by a det0ur got away from the
snow belt To- where be could 10 longer e .
tracked.
On The afternoon of the fourth day be /
had covered ~ miles. Two days Of d. with /
ont food. Then be reached a small telc-
graph stdlionf0Tty miles from Fort Lara
mie. When he arrived at the station he
fell IN q faint for hardy frOutiersman as
he was The strain had been too much. and .
il was more than an hour before he re-
yiyed sufficiently 90 send the briafest kind
of I'd message TO the general iu command at
Fort Laramie. His official dispatches
from Colonel Darlington he could not put
on the wire, so after he and his horse
had eaten. he rtmOunted. made dash for
the remaining forty miles. reaching the .
fort after midnight on the morning Of the
fifth day Before ne arrived there the
Sioux had burned the station from which
hc bad TED graphed Again Pc collapsed
but q relief force was sent 10 Darlington
and the little garrison was saved.
The Indians were wild with rage at be-
ing thus thwarled. and FOR years held
-44#IsI a.ruIa.. AGAINST plflf5r.s r5..-.r rf.r..