The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-04-14
CHARACTER
DEVELOPED
IN FRONTIER
Stirring Events of the 6order
DAYS Recalled.
MESSENGER OF lNMAN
Tells How Custer Operated in
the Slakad Plains.

GutArie. o. T. Apru sa-okiaaoma has
many men who have seen ard partiei-
pated in numerous stirriur events. bat
none have had more experiences or seen
more service than F. +. saith o. iris
city. For eighteen years smith was ia
the service OF the government. mostly
as a messenger in the army ana the last
years OF lis service in the anbaiance
corps. smith is IS years o. age ard Is
known ali over the west IS a 'pspoose
lie states that this name was giveu hin
by Major Inman. whose messenger ho
was for some tine. The name has STAYED
right with him and his associates can
him by that title when speaking % him.
Smith has seen service ard hard seryice.
too. For three years be WAS with gene
eral Custer Ia his lndiaa round ups DO
saw the battle of ths Washita and has
many Interesting thines Co tcn az that
event. His opinion OK Custer S. that t1e
general was q terrible Indian nghter. p.
said. General Custer always wanted
% catch those Indians and that was aIi
that ne seemed To- think OF AT Gfst
when we sot into skirmishes he da net
want The squaws killed and he found sut
that they could shoot as wen as the
bucks. This made him change his ulni
and 40 the battle of the Washlta sguaVa
we're killed az wen as bucks"
smith had some experiences On the
the times that mu.e mcat was considered
a luxury aud as Mr. smith stated be- eve
were mighty glad o. rct anything 90 eat.
mule or no mule. Male meat is not bsd
when you have nothiaE elise o. caL"
Smith has been around ana worked in
diaoreat positions IN fifteen forts during
his eighteen years OF service. lie has
fund Of information that wouid static
the old timer and nothing delights him
more than 20 talk with some ono who
knew the men OF the early days. ls
ISIS he was az Fort san al the time thar
Phil sheridan an1 Custer were There. fIs
liked sheridan het preferred Custer a.
sheridan because he knew him and had
been OUT with him on many sglrmlsh
when provisions were low and the danf
ers many. one ~ his experiences on she
staked plains was beine without water.
Concerning Il ne said. eve we're on
those staked plains ard 81 was hard Cd
get water. one morning we ding a vel
IN che Sand and aaddied our horses ana
started on We bad some water alonE.
but We were very dry. The pack uulea
and horses suffered considerable. hut We
pushed ahead. After we bad travelled
some ffty miles we decided 90 cerap cad
then we uuloaded the pack ana turned
the pack ugies loose. Some ~ the aoid-
iers started 20 az a well ia thc sand %
reach water and Just before che water
was found. th9sa pack mules al 20 fhera.
started back o. where we had stoDped in
the morning and tho soidiers bad 60 ride
back end yet them before sc could move
on The mules bad their tongue ONT
ard nearly dead it seemed blt hey made
that city miles ail risht
'.The l9th Kansas aas vlth custer a
part ~ The ume and those fellows could
neht an rehf TOO. here seen Custer
when one ~ the horses teIoaeinF 90 some
~ bis men would gel weary. order ere
~ the Kansas boya 90 Fee n.e man hsVs
his isrse. We usually had tAe amtu-
lance f1ii. but the Kansas boys wcre gsf-
fectiy willing 81 Jet Castera men have
their horses
"Custsrs men always Hked him ard
they would ds almost anythiaE IN fhe
world for him- 30 ncVer hal any
trouble only he wasted hia men 81 be
the soldier aG ~ tbs tine and on ai oc-
oarfons
'.rhe boys had g coed time whe1 thev
were down GROUND Fora alL Theirs eere
plenty O. Indians though. mat r. eua
~ the faest counties that J know ~
Some ~ ihs rev aefiIera ufi GET apien1'1
farms and Z wouid llke ta GEE TIE cid
Fort sm locality ltfera 81 Pa aii settled
up"
Smith HIS some warn frienae among
the lnaians ard be- r. Enowa a. them a.
epapooee. Is 90 not anna1al rer the
former army messenger 81 mrff aof1e eiE
Indian he Rad known in she early dage
lie hss q splendid memory and ~ 81 ever
kaew aryons be- can en1sily tcg az ase1t
fhs person
Those DAYS ere ~ over s-d 7 ana
rather cory - iE cav srrs- st,rriag
t'naes ans ere boys ~ ftia tine ulfss s.
shcla let ~ would scare alu4 ef ftefa
O. dsafh Or ike o. they ha8 =nrlgn-
tered the afmcaitiea ffsf sefns q Cas-
ter.s slsn. tlt rhs fsursa alfh tbs aerge
we're TIE oess ahe csras cut go rE1t
--~r-u rr-rrI perm t-rsre.