The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-08-08

was hung up in the house of repre-
sentatives. He told me that after
lunch he would personally look into
the case. Although he had many
matters of greater Importance on his
mind, when the time came the old
gentleman took me by the arm and
walked that long distance from the
senate to the house. That body was
in session, and I remained out in the
corridor while he went inside. He
saw members of the committee on
military affairs, and then left the
case in charge of "a representative
from Massachusetts, who is to look
after it.,
"Now, if I had been politician,
might not have been surprised at a
senator doing so much for me. But
1 am not politician, and 1 have not
voted in Massachusetts for many
years. The senator knew me as a
citizen of Massachusetts who had
served in the civil war and after
wards in the regular army. He
knew that I had been unjustly
'termined to help me get justice. He
had the bill passed by the senate
two months ago, and now it must be
passed by the house. 1 am sure that
it will be all right, because the SEN
'ator has taken a personal interest
in it. My Uncle Tom and he were
classmates at Harvard hence he
70, hoc IN.
aside from his duties of statesman
ship long enough to give me help
ing hand. Out of many years ex-
perience I can say that there are
few senators who would do so much
for one who can do nothing in re-
turn, except express heartfelt
thanks
Lieut.. Francis S. Davidson, who thus
tells of the kindness of the venerable
statesman from Massachusetts,. was
a cadet at West Point from July l.,
1862, to January 81, 1865, when he was
commissioned a second lieutenant in
the Fifth Massachusetts cavalry, and
served with that regiment until Oc-
tober 81, 1865, when he was honora-
L.
On March z, 1867, he was commissioned
second lieutenant of the Ninth United
States cavalry and promoted to first
lieutenant, July 81, 1867. He served
with his regiment on the Texas from
tier against hostile Indians until July,
1875, when he was ordered with his
company on scout and to make a
temporary camp at water hole called
Gel Louz ranch"
Lieut.. Davidson is not the first good
soldier who has suffered from envies
and jealousies; and it was in 1875 that
his prosecutions began. The writer
had personally known him for almost
80 years, and hence is familiar with
his story. When he left Fort Brown,
Tex, to go on that scout, the officer
who inspected his company preferred
charges against him as to the condi-
ton of his company and wagons. Of
these charges he was acquitted. But
that did not end the matter. 1t is
well known to those familiar, with
the old army that when conspira tors
begin to seek court-martials they
usually Succeeu III SOluS T..
Charges were later preferred against
Davidson for ''breach of arrest and
gaming in the presence of enlisted
men," He had not been placed in
close arrest during thetrial before the
court which acquitted him, but was
simply ordered to remain with his
company under arrest. He did not
leave the ranch of Ell Louz, nor did
he leave his company. The assertion
as to gaming was that he had thrown
a 800 bill on a table that Mexican
had in front of one of the huts at
that ranch, where some of the soldiers
played monte. The judge advocate
general, in May, 1878, reported:
"The new evidence submitted may be
deemed to cast doubt upon the guilt of
the accused. In view of this doubt this
bureau is now inclined to the opinion that
the sentence of the accused was probably
too severe He has suffered under this
sentence two and half years, and his
reappointment to the army would not be
prejudicial to the interests of military JUS
tee.