davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-27

gathering In the western sky and the roll
ing Of the thunder mingled with the boom
ing of the cannon as the British in three
columns advanced to the assault. The fort
was attacked on both sides. but the main
assault was at the weakened northwest
angle. 1t was calamity made. A shower
Of bullets from the deadly rifles Of tho
garrison threw the British into confusion,
but their officers quickly rallied them. Lieu
tenant Colonel Short leaped into the ditch
at the head of the storming party and
shouted to his axmen: "Cut away the pick
cts, my brave boys. and show the damned
Yankees no quarter"
His Masked Gun Works.
This was the moment for which Croghan
had reserved his six-pounder. The masked
port few open and the gun poured a vol
ley Of slugs and grape shot along the ditch,
filling It with dead and wounded. The
British fought with stubborn courage and
the second storming party came on un-
dauntedly, but another discharge from the
six-pounder and a volley Of rife bullets
ended the contest.
Lieutenant Colonel Short with two
subalterns and twenty-five privates, lay
dead In the ditch, but there were others
still alive whose groans could be heard In
the fort. Croghan could do nothing for
them, as thousands Of savage foes sur
rounded the fort and he could not take the
risk of exposing any Of his garrison. But as
soon as 1t grew dark buckets of water were
let down into the ditch and a trench was
dug under the stockade by which the
wounded could be reached without opening
the gates OF the fort. In the pile OF bodies
twenty-six were found still living and they
we're drawn into the fort and cared for. The
whole loss of the British in killed, wounded
and missing was ninety-seven. The loss
of the garrison was one man killed and
seven slightly wounded. The blow to the
British was so severe that they abandoned
the expedition. General Proctor was dis
gusted with his Indian allies, who had left
the British to make the assault alone. TIL
same night he re-embarked his troops al
Maiden Canada. One hundred and sixty men
commanded by a youth, had repealed the
3 invasion Of Ohio, defeated an army befor,
l which the army Of which his own command
s was a detachment had retreated.
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-27

retreat as impossible, and thought It likely
that his reply would be intercepted, so
he gave 1t a tone of defiance. He wrote:
81 have just received yours Of yester-
day, 10 o'clock p. M, ordering me to de-
stroy this place and make good my re-
treat, which was received too late to be
carried into execution. We have. deter
mined to maintain this place, and, by
heavens, we can"
But the message got through and General
Harrison would not brook what looked like
INSTRUMENTATION. He Immediately ordered
Colonel Wells Of Croghan's own regiment
to supersede Croghan in command. Colonel
Wells had an escort of dragons, and on
the road the party had a brush with the
Indians, killing seventeen of them. Major
Croghan promptly reported to headquarters
at Seneca and made such satisfactory ex-
plantations that he was restored TO COM
mand with discretionary authority TO hold
the fort or abandon 1t, as he saw fit.
Gritty Little Band.
Saturday, August 1, 1918, the British
landed at the mouth of the river and began
the attack the afternoon OF the same day.
Tecumseh with about 1900 Indians occu-
pied the woods in the rear, to cut off retreat
and intercept endorsements General
Porter sent a flag of truce to the fort, de-
manding immediate surrender. Major Crog-
han sent Second Lieutenant Shepp to meet
the party. The British officers, after receiv-
ing a formal refusal to surrender, pleaded
with him not to persist in a hopeless de-
Tense.
Look at our immense body OF Indians, -
said Captain Dixon of the royal engineers,
who commanded the Indian allies of the
Brit sh. at is a great pity that SO fine a
young man as you. and your commander is
represented to be, should fall into the hands
of savages. Sir, for Gods sake, surrender
and prevent the dreadful massacre that WI
be caused by your resistance"
Lieutenant Shepp coolly replied: "Whel
the fort shall be taken, there will be nom
to massacre"
As Lieutenant Shepp turned back to thu
fort an Indian attempted to snatch hi
sword. Captain Dixon at once interfered
Major Croghan, who was standing on thu
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-27

ramparts, saw the occurrence and II heated
his blood.
CrOghan's Plain speech.
Prof. James d. Butler of Madison, Wis,
had 1t from his grandfather, Israel Harris.
who was with Ethan Allen, that what that
doughty fighter did say was not "in the
name OF the great Jehovah and the Con-
tinental Congress- when summoning the
British commander to surrender, as his
story has it, but Come out of here you
id old rat" Both history and tradition
agree In Croghan's case that his language,
when he saw the indignity offered to his
lieutenant, was couched In the plain, inn
pulsive terms Of common speech, and not
in the dignined eloquence preferred by his
tory. He shouted: 'Shepp, come in, and
we will blow them all to hell" And he
soon showed that he meant It.
The attack began at once, the British
opening FIRE from their gunboats and from
a FIVE and a half-inch howitzer, which
they had landed. In order to create the
impression that the garrison had several
heavy guns, the solitary cannon was shifted
from one block house to another and 6red
at intervals. When it became dark the
garrison ceased replying to the British can.
nonade and Major Croghan ordered his six
FOUNDER to be trained so that It would
rake the ditch In the direction Of the north
west angle, the most assailable part OF
the stockade, The gun was masked and
loaded with a double charge Of slugs and
grape shot.
Flour and sand for Defense.
During the night the British dragged
three ~six-pounders to ground higher thar
the fort, about $50 yards away, and as the
dawn of Sunday lighted the scene they
began a furious ~cannonade. All day they
hammered at the defence, while the gar.
rison made little reply, reservlng theil
powder for the assault which they knew
was coming. The British concentrated
their fire on the northwest angle and Crog
han was kept busy Strengthening his pc
sition here. Bags of sand, and even sack
of flour from the garrison's stores of pro
visions, were piled against the pickets.
At 5 o'clock in the afternoon came tn
crisis of the attack for which Croghan ha
been waiting and planning. A storm wa
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-27
More Light on the Custer Tragedy

ter's command is about one-half, say ESQ
men. The Indians were in great strength
and were estimated at from 1900 to $500
warriors.
my command is intact and in fine or
der, and l wish you would telegraph the
commanding officer at Fort Shaw and Camp
Baker that we are all we'll, to allay the
anxiety of friends. 1 wish 1 knew where
Mrs. Gibbon was that you might telegraph
her, but l do not. At a venture you might
telegraph Mr.. Henry Moale, Is Commerce
street, BaItimore: Tell Fannie myself
and command are all we'll. ]. c. Date 1t
Camp on Little Big Horn, June %.
when the fight commenced Colonel Reno,
with three companies, charged, had quite
a heavy fight, was overpowered and driven
back, and took to the bluffs, where he met
four other companies, and they had heavy
fighting all the rest Of that day and all
of the 26th, and knew nothing Of the fate
of Custer and his five companies until we
arrived and informed them Of 1t.
"3 D. m.-We nave buried all the dead,
and l hope to have filters for the wounded
finished in time to go a few miles down
the river today, camp near the site of the
Indian camp, and destroy the property de
serted by them.
when you read this send 1t to General
A. ]. Smith, Helena, who will Please to
give It to Colonel Broadwater. at reduesi
of Carroll, who is with us here. Ynnr'
truly, J. @.
Major Benham, Fort Ellis"
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-27

the mouth Of this stream move down to the
mouth of the Big Horn.
General Clusters command met with ter
rible disaster here on the 25th. Custer,
with five companies, were, so far as we
can ascertain, completely annihilated, no
living man Of them having yet been found,
and probably non with them escaped, ex-
cept two of our Crow scouts, who were
lent Custer by me and brought us the
first news.
Mitch Bowyer was killed, and the bodies
of General Custer, Colonel G. (his brother)
and another brother (citizen), Captains
Keogh and Yates and Lieutenant Cook,
Adjutant Calhoun, Porter, Riley, Sturgis
(son Of the genera'), Crittenden Second
infantry, son of the generaD, Hodgson, Nc
Intcsh, Harrington, Acting Assistant Sur
geons De Wolf and Lord, have all been
identified positively, except Lord, Porter
and Sturg.s.
o the 26th we made a long march
till dark, came in sight of some few scat
tered Indians, and the next day (yester-
day) reached Colonel Reno's command,
fortified on a hill. They were in a des-
perate strait until 6 o'clock the night be-
fore, (26th,) with very little water and
fifty wounded men, and the Indians de-
camped in very great haste at our APP
proach, leaving In immense quantity of
plumber behind, which we shall destroy to-
day.
1.-THE delight of the poor fellows when
they discovered us to be friends was ex-
IRENE. Roughly stated, the loss of Gus
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-27
How a College Boy Turned Back British Invaders

E.GHEN the war of 1912 began san
IM guine people believed that the
~ Canadian provinces would be glad
ISC(EUaI to be liberated from British rule
- and with the approach OF a VIC
torious army of invasion would seize the OPP
portunity of freeing themselves. But 1t was
the other way. Instead of submitting to in
vasion Canada became the invader. Tn In
dian tribes defeated at Tippecanoe, saw
their opportunity for revenge, and under
the lead Of Tecumseh gathered to the Brit
ish standard. The army uner General Hull,
which was to invade upper Canada, was
driven back almost at the outset and in
stead of the tidings of victory which the
nation had expected, there arrived the
dreadful news that Hull and his whole army
had surrendered at Detroit. Attempts TO
regain the lost ground resulted in a series
Of disasters filled with the horrors Of In
dian massacres.
How CrOghan Got His Chance
1t was then that George Croghan, II years
old at the time, got his chance. He had
hurried home two years before from Will
liam and Mary college in Virginia, where
he was taking a post graduate course in
law, to take part in the defense Of his
western home against the Indians. Crog-
han was the son Of Major William Croghan
of the revolutionary army and his mother
was a sister Of General George Rogers
Clarke, one of the famous founders Of civ
in the northwest.
Young Croghan had been appointed vol
unteer aide to Colonel John F. Boyd in
the battle of Tippecanoe on November Z,
1911, and in 1912, when war with England
began, he was appointed captain of infantry.
1t was merely as a precaution against re-
mote possibilities that, in the summer Of
1912, Fort Stephenson had been built on the
lower Sandusky river. A frontier fort II
those days was a simple affair, consisting
mainly Oh a stockade and a blockhouse. A
blockhouse was constructed on the north.
west corner and another in the middle o
the north side of the fort. The space en-.
closed by the stockade was about 100 yard.
in one direction and about fifty In the other
And this shanty CT a fort was soon to be
come a rock of defense which rolled bacl
a wave of invasion that was filling tn,
western country with alarm.
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-27
gymnastics Exercises
CONTINUED from Fifth Page.)

CONTINUED from Fifth Page.)
back-a-way were nicely executed. The
tumbling included both forward and back
ward rotation work, diving from a height,
jumping in and out of barrels, walking up
and down a flight of twelve steps on the
hands and combination somersault throw
ing. The work in Swedish gymnastics,
contortions, and on the trapeze and flying
rings was equally fine and the whole
performance was enthusiastically received
on both nights.
The results Of the years work were not
altogether what had been wished for,
largely on account of the inconvenience
the instructors were put to from not hav-
ing a room devoted entirely to gymnastic
work; still the general effect was to make
the boys more interested in school work
and many boys were led to make a start
who had never been reached before.
While the accomplishment Of Elgin Is
perhaps away ahead of what a Town of its
SIZE should ordinarily undertake, still the
instructors and townspeople feel that there
is a place at least for light gymnastics or
calisthenics in every public school. n It
is hoped that the board may see At to
provide a %gymnastic room when the plans
for the new school building are made.
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-27

LneuIlclJy OF WHICH Is Regarded as
~ beyond question, and Of which the
following is a copy, was found a
49, day or two ago by Colonel d. w.
Benham, u. s. A. (retired), among his
effects at Tifin, o., reports the New York
Times. 1t is of great historic value, as 1t
is the first message from the battlefield
to the outside world conveying an account
Of the massacre of General Custer and his
command at Little Big Horn, Montana,
June rs, 1876.
The message was penclled on sheets torn
from a notebook by General o Gibbon,
who relieved General Reno, and was writ
ten in the trenches in Reno's position on
a hill Immediately after Gibbons arrival
and repulse of the besieging Indians. A
courier escaped with a message to Major
Benham, who was in command at Fort
Ellis, and the latter gave the news of
Clusters fate to the nearest telegraph
office.
The message has never before been pub
lished, because, as alleged at the time 1t
was written, Reno was accused OF DESERT
ing Custer in the hour of need. The story
that Gibbon gives is probably inspired by
Reno, but the interior evidence of the
letter throws a hitherto unpublished light
on the event.
The message is legible and is as follows:
camp ON LITTLE BIG HORN, June
2S. 1876.-Dear Major: We will start down
the river today for the steamboat with the
wounded of Clusters command, and from
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-27

YOUNG LADY. q, nice looking. consider
able means and good income, would marry
soon. White. IA Morgan st., Chicago.
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-27

TIMEWORN document, the u
thenticity Of which is regarded as
beyond question, and of which the
following is a copy, was found a
dav or two aRo nv Colonel d. w.
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1902-11-13
MINNIE CHAT.

Mrs. Ida Belmer Camp Of Cairo
Mich, has the largest private collec-
ton of cacti in this country. She has
been able to produce many new varie.
ties.
Mrs. w. K. Vanderbilt, Jr, has
named her new Lakeville long Is,
land home Deepdale from the fact
that it is located in deep little valley
beside a lake.
The first woman to become a bach
elor of divinity in the Congregational
church is Miss Florence A. Fensham
dean of the American College For Girls
at Constantinople.
Mrs. Elizabeth LIE Savage, who was
present at the funeral services Of King
George ". of England and later at the
coronation of Queen Victoria, has just
died at her home in Brooklyn, aged
ninety four years.
A magnificent dress is being embroid-
cred for Lady Curzon, to be worn at
the Delhi durbar on Jan. /. 1t is being
worked on rich Indian silk in mag
niffcent design of peacocks' feathers,
Rnd the whole dress is to be entirely
Of Indian workmanship.
Miss Josie Wanous owns and oper-
ates personally one Of the most sue
cessful drugstores of Minneapolis. She
overcame the prejudice which exists
against woman druggist by her strict
business methods and careful attention
to all the details Of her work.
Mrs. Laura b. Alderman started the
first apple farm of North Dakota. She
made a marked success of what all her
masculine neighbors predicted would
be failure, and the Alderman apples
find a ready and profitable market,
while the farm is known throughout
the country.
Miss Maggie j. Walz Of Calumet,
Mich, is the only Finnish newspaper
woman and newspaper publisher in
America. She came to America in 1881
and located at Hancock. After paying
for the trip from Finland she had only
So left, ana it was necessary for her
for time to accept position as q
domestic servant.
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1902-11-13
Peter Hanson and Charles Hanson, OF
Zion City, Narrowly Escape
Asphyxiation.
FOR MANY HOURS.
The Two Men We're Found Lying Across
Bed at the Central Hotel-Both
Were Near to Death.
(From Fridays Daily

Because they had never seen a gas
light before Peter Hanson and his son
Charles Hanson, Of Zion City, were
dragged from a room in the Central
Hotel at one O'Clock this morning.
They we're both unconscious and only
by the hardest efforts of DR.. Pugh and
large number of boarders in the
hotel were the lives of the men saved.
It was the old story. The two men
had never seen gas light and when
they went to bed the old man blew out
the gas and in a moment the little room
was SO filled with the fumes Of the gas
that both the men became unconscious.
They were found lying across the bed
and it was evident that the asphyxia-
ton was accidental.
The two men had intended to return
to Zion City on late train but falling
to reach the station in time they were
left behind and being old friends of
Mr.. Rhode they went to the hotel and
asked for room for the night Mr..
Rhode placed them in room mum Der
twelve and returned to the office Of the
hotel, and continued his work during
the night and wheE he walked through
theshalls of the hotel about one O'Clock
he detected IN odor of escaping gas.
He went to every room in the hotel
and finally discovered that the odor
came from the room occupied by the
two Zion City men. Without waiting
for any further pre1iminaries he Sc
cured cleaver from the kitchen and
broke open the door of the room. AS
the door was broken great volume Of
the gas escaped from the little room
and filled the corridors.
With the assistance of the boarders
in the hotel the two men were dragged
from the room. Both of them appeared
to be dead. DR.. Pugh was shurried1y
summoned to the hotel and at FIRST it
was thought impossible to revive the
men. In a short time large .crowd
had gathered about the hall and for
three hours the doctor and the boarders
worked with the two men. The boy
was the first to be resuscitated but he
was SO weak that he was1 unable to
give an account of the saccident for
some time. Finally after the two men
we're revived the son told the story of
the accident.
After the two had gone to bed they
lay in bed for long time with the
light burning, but as it shone right
into their faces the father finally de-
cided to get up and extinguish it. He
knew nothingsof the workings of the
gas jet and soshesblew out the gas.
The boy stated that once before he
became completely unconscious and he
made an effort to shout for help but he
could not make himself heard. The
doctor stated that if the two men had
remained in the gas filled room for an
other five minutes it would have been
impossible to have saved the mems
lives.
The promptness of Mr.. Rhode in go
ing to the rescue laseems to have been
the only thing that saved the men.
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1902-11-13
TO EXTEND THE SYSTEM.
New Independent Telephone Company to
Get Share of Toll Business.

The new Independent Telephone
company has presented an ordinance
to the city council of Kenosha asking
for franchise in that city. The or
dinance provides that the council
grant to Charles A. Sterling, of La
Crosse, Wis. the right to erect and
maintain in the city of Kenosha, for a
period of fifty years, a telephone sys-
tenn, to use all streets, etc.
One of the representatives Of the
company was in Racine last evening
and in conversation with "a Journal
representative said: ''For long time
the people of Kenosha have felt that
it would be good move to have oppo-
sition to the Wisconsin company. If
franchise is granted all wires are to
be placed underground and a first class
system inaugurated.
ut means great deal to Racine,
too. Not three months safter the sys-
tenn is in operation there will be a toll
line from Kenosha to Racine, to con-
meet with the Citizens company
pAOuO0 AuAOOAAuS OVOA 49OOOs uCu
connections will be made with the
Bristol company lines, which will give
connections with the southern part of
Wisconsin reaching to Elkhorn,
GAINESVILLE, Be1oit and many other
cities. In due time the toll will be ex-
tended to Chicago to connect with the
independent companies of that city,
also with many other cities in the
State of Wisconsin. 1t is up to Keno
sha and the belief prevails that fran
chise will be obtained.'
The Wisconsin people, although they
have lost many phones in Racine, the
Citizens nearly double them locally,
have a tremendous toll business. Even
if they did not have a single local
phone here the toll business, would paw
largely. Recently an increase in rates
was made, but as they have a nonop-
oily on toll systematic public swallowed
the increase and simply said nothing.
There is bound to be the bitterest kind
of telephone war in the near future.
Racine Journal.
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1902-11-13
AN INDIANA JOURNA LIST.
Martin Zorger, of Greensbury Died at the
Pennoyer sanitarium This Morning

Martin Zorger, of Greensbury Died at the
Pennoyer sanitarium This Morning
(From Saturdays Daily
Martin zorger, aged sixty.6ve years,
for many years one of the leading
Democratic newspaper men and pol
iticians in southeastern Indiana, died
at The Pennoyer Sanitarium this morn
ing after long illness from brain
fever. The remains were taken to
Greensburg this afternoon for inter-
ment.
The death of Martin zorger will
cause intense sorrow in all parts Of the
State of Indiana, where the deceased
was universally known and respected.
AS one of the pioneers in Democratic
circles in Indiana the deceased was
widely known. He was native of the
Hoosier State, having been born at
Greensburg on Nov. 8, 1887. While
catur Press" which in a short time
became known as one of the most
powerful Democratic organs in the
middle west.
With the rise of larger cities the
''Press" was pushed from its proud
position among the papers of the sec
ton, but as long as Mr.. Zorger was
connected with it it welded a power
full influence for the party. The de-
ceased was pungent editorial writer
and during his connection with the
Greensburg paper it was widely quoted
by papers in all parts of the country.
Mr.. Zorger was never an office
holder but he was always powerful in
the work of his party in the State.
Among his personal friends and as
sociates he numbered manyl men who
became famous in National life. He
was prominently associated in private
and political life with the'late Thomas
A. Hendricks, formerly Vice-Presi-
dens of the United States, Daniel Vor-
hees, 'the tall Sycamore of 'the Wa
bash," Thomas Holman, ssthe Watch
Dog of the United States!. Treasury"
for thirty years, Isaac Pusey Gray,
Gil Shanklin, and host of sother men
who have made Indiana famous, and
the old zorger home at Greensburg
was known far and.wide as meeting
place for these men.
Several years ago falling health
forced Mr.. zorger to retirel from poll
tics and from his favorite occupation
and since then he 1has .lived0in COM
parative retirement in Indianapolis.
Some four weeks ago, accompanied by
his wife he came to Kenosha to the
Sanitarium but his health had,:grown
steadily more feeble and he Hpassed
away at an early hour this smorning.
Mrs. zorger and w. w. zorger, the
only son of the deceased, .were with
him at the time of his death.