The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-24
SIXTY-FIVE YEARS a
Il REGULAR ARMY MAN
Major Away and Enlisted 1838Met Grant in Mex
Latter When President Appointed Eckern, J to
West Point-How Fought Mexican Indians and Confed


pHe was a printer but from boy
hood had desired to become an Amer
lean soldier. That explains why he
ran away and enlisted in the Third
United Z States infantry on Dec. 20,
1898. He is now SO years old and
hence has been in the army sixty-fve
years. ( So spoke a friend of the vet
eran NJ ajor Theodore J. Eckerson' re-
tired. - -.
After serving five years, he re-er-
listed i'm the same regiment, and then
enlisted in the First United States
artillery, with which he served until
1853, when, by good fortune, he was
promoted to military storekeeper. He
served as a private thru the Seminole
and Mexican wars. For a time he
was a clerk at brigade headquarters
In Mexico and had opportunities to
meet many Of the officers. Among
them was Lieutenant U. s. Grant OF
the Fourth infantry. From the Mexi-
can war to his death, General Grant
was a. stanch friend Of Soldier Eek
erson.
at the battle Of Cerro Gordo. Pri-
waite Eckerson was one of the six: In
Guiding Captain Smith of the Third
Infantry, to volunteer TO scale the walls
and enter the Mexican fort. For this
service he was given a certificate by
the secretary Of war. That was De-
fore medals were issued. -
Met Grant and Sheridan.
Sergeant Eckerson met Captain
Grant at Vancouver barracks IN the
early f1fties, soon after the captain
was assigned to that station. Other
officers at the barracks In those Gays
we're Second Lieutenant Philip H:
Sheridan, Captain Rufus ingalls, and
Captain McFeeley, all Of whom after
wards won high rank. Thru the eff
forts of Captain Grant. those officers
became interested in Sergeant Ecker
son and joined In a successful re-
quest that he be appointed military
storekeeper. That placed him In
charge of the arsenal at Vancouver.
In one of the Indian wars Military
Storekeeper Eckerson was a greater
man than the brigadier general COM
handing the department. The com
handing officer was at San Francisco,
nearly 800 miles away. In 1893 the
governors of Oregon and washington
called upon the military storekeeper
for arms, and ammunition. me In
dams had been @comm1tung huIu tt,os
denredations, had killed many settlers
burned houses and stolen stock. A
General uprising Of settlers resulted.
The settlers were anxious 10 PUNISH
the savages, but they were W1tnou1tt
arms and ammunition. Hence the caii
of4the governors for guns, powder ana
lead.@} Eckerson submitted the request
to2General John E. Wool, COMMANDER
of&the army on the Pacific coast Cen
eral Wool promptly returned an an
swer that the request must hoI oe
@''' Why He Disobeyed.
nv this time the Indians were re.
do,,hling their efforts and scores OF
innocent women and children were be-
ing slaughtered. The governors re-
newed their demand for arms: me
sterekeeper had therefore" always
obeyed orders. Should ne otsop 10y
now? = He was close enough to the
scene of action to witness the smoke
of the. burning homes Larry one
morning he asked himself. what
are those guns for, and why IS tnis
ammunition here? Il will issue Al
they ask for. If it costs my comm1ss =
sion.". The guns were issued, ,5,00o OF
them, with the necessary, ammuni-
ton. Good use was made of them:
The savages we're severely punished
bv the settlers. Captain Eckerson
promptly reported his action to the
secretary of war, at that time Jefferson
Davis. Mr.. Davis approved his &C
ton and directed him to accept the
receipts Of the governors of Oregon
and Washington for the arms ana am
rnhlnition and to drop them IN his next
report. The receipts Of the two gov-
ernors are now In the possession , OF Inc
Oregon Historical society and hlghly
+ In Tight Place.
while a. sergeant, Eckerson was d.
rected to take six men across the GO"
lurnbia river from Vancouver In
yawl, and arrest an Indian chief, who
had murdered some wood-cutters., a
short distance up the Columbia The
camp was safely reached and an ef-
fort made to arrest the chief, but he
stoutly resisted. A halfbreed told the
Indians that they had better submit;
ifIthey did not, large force would be
sent over and very likely kill them,
When, they were in the middle Of the
stream, on the way back, the water
fairly boiling, the Indian sat upright
placed a hand on either side Of the
yawl, and began to rock it. It was IN
danger of overturning~" That was his
aim. Eckerson struck the chief a
stunning blow on the head, thus saw
ing the lives Of the party.
The Indian was delivered and placed
under a heavy guard, but was not tried
He attempted to escape. The guard
planted bullet in his brain and he
was "a good Indian"
] a Story of Sheridan.
A halfbreed rode into Vancouver
barracks and reported that the sol
diers at the Cascades had been sur
prised by a band of Indians and taker
refuge in the blockhouse. Second
Lieutenant Philip H. Sheridan, Later
lieutenant general, volunteered to gt
to the rescue. Taking twenty o.
thirty men he loaded a supply Of am
munition and provisions on the
schooner Mary. Two old howitzer!
We're taken.
hSheridan, after sailing as close tt
the blockhouse as possible, double
anS7ETTFDt w III P Put th ::