The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1900-02-15
THE "GRAY FOX"
General Charles Kings Remfnis-
canoes of Major General Crook.


General Charles Kings Rentals
canoes of Major General Crook.
Young officers fresh from West Point
looked at him in wonderment. Instead
of somewhat unapproachable digni-
tary, in precise uniform and epaulets
and embroidered sash and belt, they
were welcomed bya cordial handclasp
from tall, bushy bearded man, with
twinkling gray blue eyes, in an old
SLOUGH felt hat, flannel shirt, rough
canvas shooting coat and trousers and
common soldiers boots.
Generally his beard was tied up with
string or red tape, the only use he had
for that usual military Indispensable.
He sat at campfire or in the simply
furnished parlor of his army home lis
tening to the chat about him, rarely
speaking and assiduously playing soil
taire with a pack of cards produced
from an inner pocket. He could play a
capital hand at whist, but fought shy
Of q game with careless or forgetful
players. He heard everything that was
said and saw everything going on
about him, but seldom gave sign.
From the so called pleasures Of So
ciety, dinners, dances and receptions
he shrank in dismay. He ate only the
simplest food. He never smoked. He
hated wine He wouldn't touch spir-
its. He marveled that any man should.
''It spoils his shooting" said he. And
our general was capital shot. He
could foot it through an old fashioned
quadrille or Virginia reel, but nothing
else, and would always get away on
social occasions into the first obscure
corner he could find, and then out
would come the old pack of cards.
He rarely read anything but natures
books, although he had a mathematical
gift and not only stood well in sci
entific studies at the Point, as did
Grant, but he helped along his I'M
mathematical roommate, Sheridan.
Writing was something Crook abhor-
red. He could hardly decipher one Of
his own pages, and his letters and dis
patches, like those of old Trough and
Ready" General Zachary Taylor, were
generally penned by some brilliant
staff officer.
Children he loved and treated with
shy tenderness that was sweet to
see, but he had none of his own. His
wife was Maryland girl who won his
heart during the war days while her
brother and other enterprising ''rebs"
made way with his body, capturing
him by daring night raid into Cum
berland.
Like Grant, he was simplicity itself
in speech, rarely lifting up his voice,
and only once did l ever hear him
speak an impatient word or one that
family resembled an expletive, but
that was in the thick of the Sioux cam
paign of 1876 and when he had much
to try him.
We had to eat our horses that year
to keep alive. We had no tents, and
hardly change Of underwear could
be found in the whole column. We
were wet, bedraggled and dirty when
we reached the Yellowstone, but the
general was as badly off as the hum
blest trooper and minded it less. There
we met the spruce command of Cen
eral Terry, and Terry himself, in hand
some uniform, the picture of the gen.
tleman and soldier, came over to our
bivouac to call on Crook. / was dry
ing my buckskins at fire as he APP
preached and stepped forward to sa-
lutte him.
"Where shall find General Crook p
said he.
For a moment l could not answer.
Then an old trooper grinned and nod
ded toward the river, and there, squat
ted on a rock, well out in the stream,
stripped to the waist and scrubbing
away at his shirt, was our general,
and Terry was too much of a gentle
man even to look amused at the sight
The Indians called him the "Gray
Fox" The soldiers had their pet
names, but we, his officers, who follow
ed him all over the west from the
Mexican border to the upper Yellow
stone, spoke of him always as 'the
general" our general That meant, Of
course, Crook, the simplest soldier
ever knew. In all the years it was my
fortune to serve under him in Arizona,
Wyoming, Dakota, Montana or at his
headquarters in Omaha or Chicago, ]
never saw him in the uniform of his
rank until he lay dead in his coffin, his
guard of honor grouped about him.
Youths Companion.