The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1900-02-16
How the Soldier Boy Died.

At the time Of Jay Smiths death in
Manila Frank McLain wrote the moth
or Of the deceased boy of his death, and
the circumstances surrounding it,
The letter tells of the boys character
and of his great decsire 70 perform his
duties although practically incapacitat-
ed therefrom by sickness. AT the pres
ent time the letter is we'll worthy of
publication and we reprodu uce it from
THE CAPITAL of Jan. Is, 1899,
as tollows:
DEAR MADAM The sorrowful news
OF your son jays deatn has xlreauy
reached you, as The captain said he
woulu telegraph you. 1t came to us
like tnunoerbolt. he had never
Deen like tne Jay Of Mitchell since he
was on the boat, Dut he would not ac-
Knowledge II TO any Of us. He was on
sick report and marked for quarters
quite u while after we landed, but he
would not remain there and got the
surgeon TO mark him duty long before
he snould have been. A week before
the day of his death the company had
to go on out ooSt duty about bwo and q
half miles from camp. He was not able
and should not have gone but he was
determined he would and as q result he
had to come back in cart. The next
night the surgeon consigned him to the
divisional hospital. and his partner,
Carl w. Mcconnell, helped him down
stairs to the hospital ambulance. He
had high fever and WAS very weak
then, but he Was 30 nervy and self
reliant that he Was not going to let US
help him at first. When l helped him
into the ambulance we promised to
come and sse him often. [ went and
hunted him up Two days after in the
hospital. | could see that he WAS terri.
lively and said he WAS getting better
that 1 thought he was. So when our
acting Q. M. Sergeant Howe came from
there yesterday about noon and said he
was dying we were all taken by sur
| prise. l knew that only one of us could
see him at time SO Carl Mcconnell
| Immediately went over, but by the
time he reached there Jay was uncon.
scious and he never revived from this
state. A bout 5 or a little after bis
breathing began to became slower and
slower until il stopped altogether.
This description rec ived from the
captain because Carl was so broken ul
he could give no intelligent account O
it. The funeral took place this morn
ing. We boys of Mitchell hunted the
town all over last night and again thi,
morning aud got lots Of flowers wits
which we decorated the ootfin anc
grave, and also made q largo wreatt
which the boys are going to have ,aker
in picture and we will send it to you
He was buried with all military non
ors. Tom Briggs, F. l. Sayles, P. A
Nancy, Carl W. Mcdonnell, Ro,
Perry and myself we're pail bearers
The procession was headed by th'
regimental band, next came the chap
lain in his carriage, then the handsome
hearse, drawn by handsome pair o
black horses and containing the re
mains in black casket, wrapped in tn
Stars and Stripes, the grand old fal
for which he gave his life. Then cam
the firing squad and corporal il
charge and then the company. W.
carried the cssket into the grave yar'
and stood ~ attention while the CAP
tain spoke few words suitable to tn
solemn occasion and the band playe
God to Thee" and the hring equa
| utou AuIC SolIOyo ONCt eAO grave
Then most beautiful Of all came cles
sweet and eofIly the beautiful bug
call OF taps! the last taps. We sadl
turned away and marched back t
camp. Everyone's eyes were moist, fo
we all loved him. We will miss hi
smiling face in line and his officers wi
as we'll.
! He was bunch of solid nerve, 8
much SO that think if he had not bee
, so determined and full of grit that b
would have been alive now. He woul
go on out post duty and this hastene
his death 1t WAS caused directly +
paralysis caused by malaria.