Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1901-02-28
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!: Col. BrOdie's Two Wounds !:
Famous nough sidsrs story. Il Two Thrilling =
Gpisode< IN His Eventual Career
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HTr WAS a strange coincidence. >

said Col. Brode. the second in
command Of the famous rough riders,
the other day. as he with few OF that
scattered band OF famous lighters we're
waiting for train to Williams. Its
astrange coincidence that | was wound
ed when I was n lieutenant, just fresh
from West Point. on the gath day OF
June, By Apaches out here. and II was
the cath day OF June. over ~ years
later. | was wounded at Los Guaymas
In Cuba. and nearly in the same place.
"I was nothing but kid then. and
was stationed at Fort Grant. shor'
time afterward was sent to For'
Apache during the outbreak In II
built up the place. and was helping tt
keep the red cusses in shape there will
few men. rode into the country Or
horseback, over 100 miles. and you'C
have to ride $50 more miles to get e
the nearest point on the railroad tt
the north.
Eve had been eooped up at For
Apnehe for over four months without
any mail. the men were getting rest
less-guess It was enough to make
them restless. too, for we expected The
whole herd OF Apaches down on vi
at any time. You never could tel
what old Geronimo would do One day
the captain gave me detail OF Is mel
and told me to go 10 Fort Grant fol
mail and few supplies. II was ovel
100 miles and through the Indinr
country all the way. hills and desert
where a jnckrhbbit would have trouble
to keep on a trail About half way out
eight OF my troopers deserted. There
was no use in my trying to get then
back again. for you couldn't find them
in the first place TO get them back
again, and couldn't have took EN-
back with me II had found them, be
cause I didn't have enough men to
do IL.
Eve had been dodging hostile bands
OF Indians for some time before we
had a brush with them. Coming NJ
through long draw we jumped up a
band OF about 10 or 30 and the music
commenced There was no way OF get
ting In any fancy moves on them,-we
were In the bottom OF long draw, or
canyon. just about wide enough for
an ordinary road II was either go
ahead, retreat or climb n side OF the
canyon. There wasn't much TO hesi-
tate over; we would have had long
retreat down that draw and been potted
II we attempted to climb the sides OF
the canyon. Ny sergeant was an old
timer, az were n number Of my little
band. They knew as well as did that
the only thing that would save us
was a quick dash right into them
something that the Indian can't stand
little bit unless they outnumber you
ten TO one. We gave them n yol.ey Ia
stir them up, and let them know we
were coming. and had the satisfaction
Of seeing three or four OF them drop,
then. yelling like a lot OF hyenas, we
started down the draw on dead run,
headed straight into them. Each
trooper swung out his Pix-shooter
rendy for snapshot at the fret In
dian he could reach. The old sergeant
was close at my heels. with every fel-
low hugging down elose to the saddle,
/ turned half around In my saddle jus'
before we struck them. and as ! did 50
n bullet broke through my saddle horn
and another cut through my vest and
ripped me across the stomach about n
half.inch deep.
"The 'Paohes couldn't stand the rush
We run them up the canyon about a
mile before they could find any side
breaks TO got out OF aud scatter We
lost three troopers in the night. After
II was over we went back TO where they
were. rolled them In their blankets and
buried them among The rocks as best
we could. There wasn't much ceremony
or tears for the poor fellows-we hadn't
time for H.; we all expected the same
thing all the time; besides there was
splendid possibility OF the whole
bunch OF US going the same way before
we got through, without anyone left
TO roll us in blanket. II the poor In
dian gathered In n band OF blue-coats,
he also gathered up their hair and left
u flock Of buzzards TO do the rest
after burying the troopers we
struck trail up the canyon side and
cnmped In n clearing where we could
command view OF the country sur
rounding, and doctored up our wounds
as best we could; mine was painful
but only flesh wound. think | was
sorer over my ruined new coat and vest
than from the wound.
"The band OF Indians circled around
our camp again that afternoon, and
we exchanged long shots with them,
without doing any damage TO either
side, As soon as night came we struck
out for Fort Grant as fast as we could
make 1t through the night, and eluded
them, An Indian won't fight at night
anyway, unless you force him TO.
Eve reached the fort late the next
day. The closer we came 20 Il the less
danger there was, for troops from the
fortkept the country round pretty well
cleaned up and quiet,
1--WE stayed at the fort for several
days, until our wounds healed, before
making return trip, The colonel In
command Of the fort insisted on my
staying there for time, as there were
over 200 hostile Indians on the warpath
scattered all over that country. lie
told me that II was foolish to make the
attempt, and never expected to see me
alive again, but was Young, and had
told the captain I'd be back AS soon
as I could make the trip with the mail
and supplies and wouldn't stay.
II didn't know Il at the time, but
learned aiterward. that the Indians !
had the running Hght with coming over
belonged TO a sub-chief and o relative
OF old Geronimo, but ! found il out
coming back We hadn't been OUT two
days when they sighted MS; luckily
IL happened just about sundown. They