Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-11-23
THE BATTLE-FIELDS.
OLD SOLDIERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES.

OLD SOLDIERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES
The Blue and the Gray Review Incl
dents of the Late War, and in a
Graphic nnd Interesting Manner
Tell of Camp, March and Battle.
"Thcre were a great many extraor-
binary scenes at Stone River" said the
Major, "but the n that stands out
like n picture in memory has for its
central figure q Confederate artillery
a Our regiment was charging IL
Confederate battery. We were not
o than 100 yards from the guns,
when all but mi were whirled away.
AS we were climbing a stone fence, and
getting ready for n rush, there came
sweeping up from the Confederate rear
a full team of artillery horses, the pos
tilion having them under perfect con
troll.
He swept in a circle to where the
n gun of the battery had been left,
two or three men crept out from the
low b~reastworks near, in two minutes
the horses We're hitched to the gun car
riage, and the driver turned them to-
ward us, and came down upon us at q
sweeping gallop. Then he made a mag
nificent turn to the left, veered around
toward the Confederate rear, and went
at a gallop away from us. AS he turn
ed lie raised his hat, and waved it us
us in defiance. The queer thing about
1t vas that not a a in our own COM
pany fred at him. l asked an old deer
hunter, one of the best shots in the COM
pany, who stood at my side: Why don't
you shoot?' Looking up in a dazed sort
Of way, he said: 'He-he was too dog
goned brave. I couldn't pull a trigger
on q man like him.
TELLING this story six years ago to
Col. James II. Birch, then living at
Plattsburg, Mo-, he said, quietly: 4 a
do better than that. I was in the Mex
lean war, you know. On the 18th day Of
June, 1913, our company was camped
In the valley of the Arkansas River,
near the mouth Of Coon Greek, and
close to where the town of Kinsley is
now located. At daybreak on that
morning II guards were driven in by
q band of Comanche and Apache In
dams. The Indians We're about 800
strong, and were armed With bows, ar
rows and lanccs, while we had the only
breech-loading carbines that We're used
In the Mexican war.
"'Our company of cavalry was on de-
tached service, and our horses had been
we'll cared for. They were also under
good discipline. When the Indians
tried to drive a herd of buffalo through
our camp with the purpose Of stamped
ing our horses they failed. Then they
made q furious charge, intending to run
us downafterourfirst volley, and before
we could reload, but they had never be-
fore met with such an experience as
awaited them. Our first volley was
followed quickly by another and an
other, and the Indians retreated in q
panic.
"'They rallied for a consultation on a
little hill about n half-mile away. The"
they formed in solid phalanx about six
deep, representing q front of over 100
yards. and they swept down upon us,
shaking their shields and lances, and
yelling as only Comanches can yell.
They rode the half-mile in an incredibly
short space of time. and our first and
second volleys seemed to have no effect
upon them. A third volley, delivered
almost in the eyes of the front rank,
brought them to Il halt, and they swept
away again, leaving their dead behind.
".Among the dead was a chief, who
had fallen from a magniflcently capar-
isoned horse. While our men stood
with eyes fixed OH the havoc they had
made, a single Indian left the retreat
ing column, and rode like the wind
straight toward us. AS he neared the
dead chief the rider stopped his horse,
turned q somersault over the horses
head, and, reaching the ground, ran
hastily with lariat in hand to the body
Of the chief, put the lariat around the
body under the arms. then remounted
is horse, and started for the column Of
%retreating Indians, drawing the dead
chief after him.
""The rider was a boy not more than
IL or 10 years old, and the plain infer
ence was that he had at the risk Of his
life come back to carry off the body of
his father. The whole scene was played
within less than fifty yards of a score
Of men who had a few minutes before
fired the shot that killed the old chief,
and yet not a single shot was fired at
the boy. Whether it was amazement at
his audacity or admiration of his cour-
age or sympathy for him in his effort
to save the body Of his father from the
enemy, not a man pressed q trigger. I
saw a good many brave things done in
the Civil War, but 1 saw no act Of an
individual that had as many elements
Of heroism in it as that Of this Co
manche boy!
"Telling this story" continued the