Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-04-13

Eagan was one of the first 10 be shot
during the fight that FOLLOWED, and, hap
pen!ng 20 be near him, | was able TO
reach his side IN time to prevent him
from falling from his horse. l man.
aged to get him on my horse, In front
OF me. and made dash for camp.
which we reached safely. After recov-
erlng from hts wound Captain Eagan
laughingly called me Calamity Jane,
the heroine OF the plains and the name
has stuck 10 me through life
Mrs. Burk was born in Princeton,
Mo. IN 1882. Her father, ]. Canary,
was lured TO Montana In 1865 by the
hope OF striking II rich" In the new
gold fields. During the five months
trip overland Martha became an expert
rife shot and daring rider. Shortly
after the family reached Montana the
mother died. and the father being dis
appointed, decided 10 return TO Mis-.
souri,. Al Salt Lake City lie too died,
leaving four younger children TO the
care OF Martha, then but II years old.
Employment was found for her At Fort
and shoot until her reputation became
widespread.
Her association with the soldiers
filed her with longing to go on the
warpath against the Indians, ana when
General Custer was ordered IN 1870 to
make campaign against the Apaches
in Arizona she decided TO put a desper.
ate plan into execution. She put on the
suit Of cowboy, clipped little of the
end OF her hair. rode to Fort Russell,
Wyo., and boldly asked TO be engaged
as a scout. She was accepted and,
though her sex was soon discovered,
General Custer let her of with sco!d-
ing. She pleaded 10 be retained, and,
as she had proved her ability, she was
retained In the service and continued
10 wear mans clothing.
II was n thrilling campaign, in which
she performed a number of daring mis-
s!ons and had several narrow escapes
Only once did she despair OF her life
She had been trapped by two Indians
but her Workmanship enabled her tc
kill one of them and escape. From III,
Apache campaign she went back Il
Wyoming 10 join the expedition under
Custer, Miles and Crook. She fought IL
the campaign against the NcZ Perce'
In 1873, and was In various minor en-
gagcments in Montana and WyOmlnl
during the following year. She accom-
panied General Crook as scout IL
1879 In the expedition 10 the Blacl
Hills TO protect the miners and settlers
from the threatening Sioux.
Tie Inflated year 1876 found the fe
male soldier with Custer, Miles ant
Terry IN the Big Horn country In north
cru Wyoming, where the Indians were
creating trouble. Ii was IN this cam
pa,Gn that Calamity Jane" pcrformc,
a pcr.lous feat Of carrying dispatches
through a hostile country. The season
was cold and wet and she had 10 fOrl
tie Platte River near Fort Fettcrman
The exposure brought on pneumonia
She was granted an indefinite furlOugh
which may have served her life, for
few months later occurred the custe
massacre,
Her next employment was as Cnlte'
States man carrier on the dangerou
route between Dcadwood and Custer
II was during this period that william
H.ckok cWild BiIl'j was assass!nate
by Jack Mccall, a notorious desperate
Calamity Jane" Joined the posse 1
pursuit Of the murderer, and when h
was cornercd In a butcher shop sh
brought him 10 bay with cleaver. He
love for army life took her back int
the service, and she was assigned I
the Seventh Cavalry. She helped I
build Fort Mead, 5. d., and in 1875 Wa