The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-07-20
RECORD OF THE NINTH.
fChicago Tlmes-IIerald.l


IL the Ninth regiment OF United
states infantry, which has been order
ed TO China, is called upon to confront
a contingent of "slicing' Boxers in
battle array the rank and file of the
OUTFIT viii not count it strange that
Ahey are facing a foe whose aspect pre-
sents something new in the line OF en-
emies. The Ninth United States foot
has been changing its foes with marked
regularity for something over one nun
dred years. and the men won't count II
arniss that few Cinnamon represent
the last variation. Colonel. Liscum's
OUTFIT, now on the road to China, was
formed for the purpose of fighting the
French at time late in the eighteenth
century, when the United States came
near having a row with their friends of
the revolutionary period. The first real
hghtiag that the organization saw,
however, was with the tried soldiers of
Britain in the battle of Niagara and
Lundy's Lane. Then for some years it
fought various kinds of North Amer
lean Indians. leaving the field against
the sayages to enter on a campaign in
Mexico. After this there was more In
dian lighting, to be followed by brush
with white railroad rioters and Strik-
ers; then more Indian fighting and
hard battle with the Spanish at San
tiago, and then in order came a years
campaign against the Filipinos-and
now the Chinese.
g, @ O.
The first colonel of the famous Ninth
was Josiah Carville Hall. an aristocrat-
ic old Marylander. 1t was the disap-
pointment of Colonel Josiahs life that
ne couldn't lead his regiment into ac-
tive service. That honor first fell to
colonel Simon Learned of Massachu-
setts, VINO commanded the regiment in
the not lighting with the British troops
around Niagara Falls. In the course of
tlne Colonel Learned was succeeded by
colonel Trueman B. Ransom, "a fire
eater and a gentleman, by the Lord
Harry. as touching him went the par
aphrdse of a more celebrated descrip-
ton. Colonel Ransom was killed while
leading his men in that charge, which
Tor gallantry has but few peers-the at
lacking and storming of the citadel at
Chapultapec. The Ninth lost many
gallant soul on that day, and as a re-
suit of its fighting Major General Pill
low, afterward of confederate fame
named siXten officers and eleven enlist
ed men tor conspicuous bravery, a list
that in length is without parallel where
single regiment and a single engage
ment are concerned The old organiZa-
ton saw other severe fighting at San
Antonio, Churubusco and Molino del
Rey. After the capture of the City of
Mexico there was but little rest for this
battle-tried command. 1t was literally
jumped TO northern California and to
Oregon, where it entered upon Indian
campaigning of trying kind.
Captain E. B. Robertson of the pres
ent Ninth infantry has written a record
hll Ocrit. - Iii. n,
ertson IS too modest by half. Some of
the gallant deeds of the command are
barely mentioned. In the year 1856
small contingent of the regiment $50
men all told, were surrounded by 1000
Indians near Fort Walia Walla. The
soldiers fought all day long. At night
it was found that their ammunition
| barring three rounds per man, was ex-
hausted. The regulars cut their way
through the savages and began q re-
treat that is one of the most famous in
army history. The little band, with its
slender supply of powder and ball, held
Oft the surging savages and retreated
In perfect order a distance of seventy
five miles in less than twenty-four
hours. and during the retreat lost neith-
er man nor horse. In 1858 the outfit
fought and subdued the Spokane In
/ dams. Eight years later it was pitted
against the Indians in Oregon and the
northern part of California. At one
time contingent was sent to Alaska
and it was said of the regiment that
between the years 1865 and 1869 it kad
| garriSoned every post from Sitka, Alas
ka, to MOjave, Arizona
| The Ninth fought under Crook during
! the Big Horn and Yellowstone expedi-
| tions. 1t was in the hottest of the
/ fghting at Slim Buttes. Tongue River
/ and the Rosebud. In September of the
year in which Custer met his fate the
| Ninth regiment was cut off for a long
4 time from its supply base, and the off
| GERS and men lived for weeks on mule
meat, with an occasional bit of horse
| flesh as a delicacy.
9 @ 9
! The regiment, now going to China, is
! credited with having given the final
blow which broke the back of the Sioux
| uprising Sitting Bull had barely put
the white feather in his hair before
the fighting Ninth was ordered to Chi
] cdgO TO help quell the riots of 1877. They
aided in restoring order in fiis city and
performed guard duty for some time
| being then ordered back to the western
4 prairles. There was no rest for the in
| defatigable Ninth. 1t had no sooner
reached the buffalo country again than
| a part of it was ordered into the saddle
as mounted infantry and sent in pur-
suit of the Cheyennes, who, like a red
l'Whlrlwind, were raiding and devastat-
| ing the. country along the line of a war
path which led from the Indian Terri
tory to the Red Cloud agency in Dako-
ia. 1t was in the heat of the summer
and for thirty-siX consecutive hours
the pursuing troopers were without one
! drop OF water. The men at the very
! nrSt symptom of suffering on the par1
of the horses, gave to the animals thai
! which nature eraved for themselves.
Since that Cheyenne uprising the
| Ninth has fought the Utes, the Chey.
ennes once more, and finally the Apach-
es. The command will meet no more
savage foe in China than they fought
years ago on the sun-baked Arizona
| deserts.
EDWARD B. CLARK.