The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-25
A STORY IN A RELIEF BILL
Congress Asked tO~Aid nc " idGw
of a Famous War Scent.
The BrnNcr, OF John Phillips ON the
Northern Frontier-Thc -RcsV%.c sf
the Harrison of Fort Phil -hcnrny-
!. Forced Ride OF Over Two Hun
drcd MiIcs-Thc indians Thnnr;rd.

The bill Tor the relief of Hattie Phillips.
| which has been before Congress for many
years. now awaits only the President 5
signature to become law This will be the
| final recognition OF an act of bravery which
stands almost alone in the history of 4u-
dian warfare.
Just at the close of the war Of secession,
Fort Phil Kearny.- Wyoming. was on the
far Northwestern frontier. in the region
of the hostile and treacherous Sioux 1t
was not liable to direct attack by the In
dians. and so Tor u. long time the latter
contented themselves with molesting the
wood trains, which went out for timber
about four miles up the Bczeman trail.
Every time a wood train went out, under
the escort Of 4 party of soldier a wood
man or soldier would be killed. On on
occasion the Indians drew a large party
into dn ambush and slaughtered them af
ter desperate fight. While the battle
was going on 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 bhIntly
asked Colonel Darlington. the command
ant, how many men had been sent out.
ne NDhtn OF tIlt garrison, lnfiutlIG lHt
wife of Lieutenant Grummond one of the
ambushed officers. crowded around. and
when Phillips. after hearing the coioneTs
answer said. We'll they are all killed"
the women tainted and Darlington vas so
angry that he ordered Phillips confined in
the guardhouse Tor his lack of considera-
tion. The next day he released Phillips
and began to send out parties of two or
three to try aud 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. Al this
juncture Darlington offered Phillips a large
sum Of money to take the messages, but lie
refused being angered at CarringtOn's
treatment of him. No one would deny that
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 5000 hostile Sioux, and with only
twenty rounds of ammunition. was in de-
spair Something moved Phillips at this
time TO attempt sro -repair the evil of his
words en- the day OF the massacre. He
app cached Mrs Grummond. apOlogized for
his thoughtlessness. and said that he be
lieved he could ride through to Fort Lara
mie with dispatches if he could have Car
ringtons thoroughbred Kentucky charger
but that he would not ask Darlington
for it.
Mrs Grummond arranged matters, and
at II o'clock at night on the 2lst of De
cember, 1866 Phillips stole cut from the
fort On CarringtOLs 5 charger. with half
pack of pats in a bag attached to the pom
mel of his saddle ana a handful OF crack
ers N his own pocket The snow was from
three to five feet deep. the thermometer
nearly 90 degrees below zero and the
chglces of success seemingly very small.
Before daylight Phillips had stolen through
the first line of Indians. and at daybreall
he hid himself and horse in rayipe TO
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 lines. and they tracked his
horses foot prints in the snow. Just al
dusk they discovered his hiding place, and
he was forced to run. He had travsrsei
but fifteen miles aud had TO make his way
over q fiat prairie forty miles without a
tree or rock. His Kentucky thoroughbred
saved the day. he Outrode the Indians. and
that night made seventy miles. Again day
came and he found a gulch to hide in. He
could have no fire for fear of disclosing his
and had but a few OF his /
crackers left. These he munched, and !
kicking d hole in the snow, he pulled some !
dried grass for mis- horse. because the stock /
CT oats was exhausted. Again the Indians /
tracked him and about O'Clock in the |
evening came into sight. There was moth /
ing left to do but make another run. and I
again Phillips on his thoroughbred dis |
tanced his pursuers, and before daylight /
had passed the second line OF Indians: but
now, from signal fires on the hills. he knew
that large party had been sent after him /
he reached the wooded cCun- |
try. aud by a detour got away from the !
snow belt TO where he could no longer I e I
tracked.
On the afternoon of the fourth day he !
had covered lS5 miles. two days of il with |
out food. Then he reached a small tele- |
graph station-forty miles from Fort Lara
mie When he arrived at the station he /
fell in a faint, for, hardy frontiersman as
he was. the strain had been too much. and |
il was more than an hour before he re !
yiyed sufficiently to send the briefest kind /
Of message to the general in command al /
Fort Laramie. His official dispatches ,
from Colonel Darlington he could not put |
on the wire; So after he and his horse /
had eaten he remOunted made dash for |
the remaining forty miles. reaching the /
fort after midnight on the morning OF the |
fifth day. Before he arrived there the /
Sioux had burned the station from which /
he had telcgraphed Again he collapsed. !
but relief force was sent to Darlington /
and tie little garrison was saved.
The Indians were wild with rage at be- !
ing thus thwarted, and for years held a
special grudge against Phillips. never neg |
lecting an opportunity to burn his ranch !
and drive of his cattle For his
extraordinary service the Government new
er paid him cent. He merely asked 10
be remunerated for what he had lost by
the Indians and succeeded in getting his
case adjudicated in the Court OF Claims:
but then It was learned that he was not q
;itizeh and the claim would not be paid.
Broken in health and fortune by his
ride and his fights with the Indians. Phil
lips died. leaving his wife and child in
jtraightened circumstances. For thirty
years Army officers and others familiar
with the case have been knocking at the
lOors of Congress, for relief Uncle Sam.
hat worst of all debtors. has at length
neted out justice. and with the Presi-
lent's signature Mrs. Phillips win BE paid
3 600.
A BRIDGE AT BOSTON.