The sun., 1900-12-14
WILL LIKELY RECEIVE
MEDAL Of HONOR
FROM CONGRESS
Congressman HOffecker at Work
on Case of John Guthrie,
of This City.
HE DID PERILOUS DUTY
He Volunteered to go to the Relief of
Soldiers Ambushed by In
dians. Found His En-
tire Company
Massacred.

1t is expected that Congress Will at ltS
present session award medal of honor
to John Guthrie of this city, sole sur
vivor of the Phil Kearney or Fetterman
Massacre. The matter is in the hands
of Congressman w. o. Hoffecker and the
securing of the medal may be one of the
first acts of the new Congressman.
The grounds upon which Mr.. Guthrie
is entitled to a medal had been present
ed to the late Congressman Hoffecker,
father Of the present Congressman but
he died before he had an opportunity to
bring the matter formally before Con
gress.
The present Congressman has interest
ed himself in the matter and in recent
letter from Washington to Mr.. Guthrie,
says that at his first opportunity he will
confer with Senator Warren of Wyom
ing on the subject.
Senator Warren is greatly interested
in the matter as Fort Phil Kearney now
known as Fetterman, is located in his
State.
The Phil Kearney massacre occurred
December %, 1866. John Guthrie was
at that time a member of Company @,
End u. S. Calvary and was stationed at
the fort. On December q he and
four others were sent to Fort Reno with
mail and did not return till the 23rd or
oath. When he did return he learned
that his company with two companies of
Infantry under Colonel Fetterman had
been sent out to the assistance of a
wood train winch had been attacked by
Indians, and had not returned.
1t was correctly supposed that Col.
Fetterman and ..ls command had been
ambushed and a call for volunteers was
made to go out and find him and carry
ammunition to him.
1t was then that Mr.. Guthrie and four
others bravely volunteered. They start
ed out with a government wagon drawn
by four mules.
When they had gone distance of
about four miles they found the dead
bodies OF Col. Fetterman and his COM
mand. All had been massocred and
their bodies horribly mutilated.
While they We're removing the bodies
for burial they found Chief Red Cloud
watching them from behind the ridge
1t was he who had lead Col. Fetterman
into ambush.
Mr.. Guthrie's companions on his peri
lous journey are all dead. He was prom
ised medal of honor at the time by
Major Van Horst, commander of Fort
Phil Kearney, but never received it.
Congress at the last session appro-
priated $500 for a monument to mark the
place where the massacre occurred.
Mr.. Guthrie expected that the dedica-
tion of the monument would take place
on December 22nd, the anniversary of
the massacre, but has been unable to as
certain whether any date has been set.
He recently wrote to Hon. De Forest
Richards, Governor of the State of Wy
oming in regard to the matter and re-
ceived the following reply from the ex-
ecutive manson~at Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Dear Sir: Replying to your recent
letter to governor will state that he
has been ill and away from home for
the past month and is therefore unable
to accede to your request. As soon as he
returns and is able to take the matter
up l will lay it before him.
Yours Truly,
w. @. Bond,
Private Secretary