The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-10-04
The HERoIsM OF HALL.

the savage and partly civilized races are
much better hands at surprises. ambus-
cades and the like than are their other
| wise superior foes. In the case Of the
ambush The Indians Of the American
plains and mountains viii lie in wait for
hours without so much as trembling an
eylid OF moving a muscle. There have
Teen instances where the Indians have
| been gathered in vast numbers and yet
| their presence has been unknown until
they weer almost trodden upon by those
| TOR whom they were preparing the trap.
Colonel W. P. Hall OF the adjutant gen
| erals department of the United States
! army won recognition in orders for con-
spicuous gallantTy once as the sequel Of
the ambushing by some Ute Indians OF
! Lieutenant Weir and A companion named
| Paul Hume Colonel Halls conduct on
! that occasion is said 20 have been one Of
the most gallant exhibitions of personal
| courage that the army has known The
| affair occurred twenty-five years ago this
/ month, and followed closely on the heel
! Of the gallant defense which for three
/ days a small number of United States
/ numbers of Utes. 1t was in this fight
/ near the White River that a part Of the
1 Fifth cavalry and some others were sur
| rounded and were saved only by the no
ing through the circHng horde of sayages
/ Of volunteer who brought aid from
/ Fort d. A Russell The surgeon Of the
( command, wounded almost unto death.
! crawled among the wounded and dying
and administered to their wants. Some Of
/ the officers were shot many times. Lieut.
enant Paddock receiving no less than I'VE
wounds.
This Ute trouble gave promise of so
much active service OF the actual Crap
ping kind that officers from other com
mands were anxious 10 get TO the front.
off
son of the professor of drawing at the
United States military academy Weir
was on a visit to the camp of the Fifth
cavalry. which was in the field after Ute
Jack and his red following. The visit
cost him his life. Paul Hume was civ
ilian agent of an eastern rifle company
and had managed to reach a point AZ the
front. He struck up an acquaintance
with Lieutenant Weir. and the two men
agreed to go on deer hunt together to
point some distance from the samp. They
weer warned againstthe dangers but out
they went.
Colonel W. P. Hall who was then lieu
tenant went out with a accommodating
party OF three men shortly after Weir and
Humes had left the camp. Hall and his
little command circled round through the
mountains for several hours and in the
middle Of the afternoon the recOnnOiterers
heard a succession of shots from the di-
rection of the place where the command
ing officer knew Weir and the rife agent
had gone to get some venison- They
struck out for the spot. The firing was
sharp and rapid. Suddenly on rounding
a turn Hall and his men saw at little
distance across an open place broken
with rocks at its farther extremity band
of thirty-five or forty Indians. From the
side view that the soldiers had the num-
Der of the ssfrages was easily discernible
E--n - h1 rods
were directed against a place slightly ele-
waited above the plain, in front of which
there was a loose but partly effective bull
wark Of rocks Even while Hall and his
men were looking at this there came from
the little fertilization two shots IN quick
succession. They were directed at the
stronghold of the Indians, who OCCASION
ally exposed their heads as if TO draw the
fire Hall realized the situation in an in
slant Weir and Hume had been sur
prised and had taken to the rocky ledge
TO make stand against their two scores
red foes The Utes were afraid to cross
the open to dislodge the whites, because
though success was certain IT meant the
death of a number Of braves as the price
of the lives of the soldier and the civilian
Behind Hall and his men the way was
open, and the officer believed that If in
some way Weir and Hume could reach
him the combined forces. six men all told
might succeed in falling back TO camp
and in holding the savages in check all
the way. In order that Weir and Hume
should join Hall they must make their
way with but little shelter along the face
of the cliff, but once with him there might
be safety, How 70 get them there was
the question Hall and his three men
sent four shots into the ranks Of the ties
and this raking fire was the first ntima-
tion that the reds had that anyone was
their front. The UteS changed their pO-
sition in the twinkling of an eye and
brought the rocks between themselves
and both points of the enemies fire.
Weir and Hume heard the shots and
knew that help, though It were but feeble
was al hand They saw the lowering
smoke from the soldiers Springields. and
knew where the help lay. They saw that
the only way TO reach their friends was
one that was exposed TO the fire OF forty
rifles and one that 10 take meant almost
certain death.
Lieutenant Hall also knew that the re-
treat of Weir and Hume would be bullet
spattered all the way. He told his three
men to keep under cover and then he rose
and stood in full view OF the band of
savages. He stood there undinchngly,
and his action. which seemed tantamount
To suicide. had tn edeslred effect. Forty
savage rifles cracked and every one was
aimed at the devoted figure in blue He
stood unscathed after the leaden missiles
had fattened themselves against the
rocks or had gone beyond hurting sky
ward. Han was drawing the savage fire
20 give Weir and Hume a chance TO reach
them. The two men We're quick 70 take
advantage of the cavalry mans herOism
They darted from their hiding place. and
had covered thirty yards before the In
dams recovered and had fired shot. Then
the two hunted ones dropped behind a
rock Han rose again and stood q sill
houetted target for the Utes fire. They
crashed another yclley at him. and vet
through il he stood firm. Quick rs tho
leaping flame OF the rifles Weir and Hume
dashed out from their second hiding place
and the willy tie chieftain had babe part
Of his men hold their fire when the 9TH
ers had enptied the voley at the cavalry
man standing exposed or The rock The
opened on Weir and Hume while they
were making their second dash for hter-
ty Roth fen dead. even while the fear
less Han stood nthe little eminence be-
yond with a life ready 70 sacrifice that
theirs might be saved.
Relief came in tine &c save He'll and his
little following. Han IS today in de-
partment that does not do much fCat'ug.
An old Fifth cavalry man said the other
Gag that Hall had won his right 10 take
things easy and there IS 10 soldier 10 put
nay 70 the saving.