The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-04-01
PRIV ATE HOGAN,
COWARD
~ q. 81. n = sDfS
Copyright, 1903, By 7. 9. Mcclure.


nut IN +he mountain road to protect
49, a,t;1an ,.horors who vvere emitting
49,, s,a .,a III IA - ~, saIg
III, 49,. :, .oa,, "a fa1i.
4oWn VII nis OesA = : - -
en- asleep. lnere was uansel llo'n
marauding indians, but ne nad posted
no pitkets.
Private Hogan was new recruit
who had never seen hosllis WARM ,ss
and he should nave peen lrneu now
TO act In case OF an atIacK W. nours
had passed quietly away When teh
Sioux warriors jumped the patty.
They attacked suddeniy anu VII
whoops ana yeiis' ana tue sergeant
guard was thrown into q panic ana ran
away. All raiiled aIter snoft hisn.
all but Logan. ne was lnorousniy
frightened and continued ms night ZOE
q mile. Then MS lrlsn courage return
ed and forced his legs 20 take ms uous
back, and he arrived JUST IN ulne y
help his comrades out Of Dad nA.
citizen and a soldier had 'peeh kiiieu
and second soldier Wounueu, anu
Sergeant DAVIDSON quaReu az ne
thought OF the report ne must make "
MS colonel. Inere was one way " q,
cuse his careiessness, ana ne selAeu
upon It.
IN Que course q tiihe rlYa'e Aaosah
was court martiaied IoF co"a1uis's
He had run away from the enemy anu
left his comrades 10 nght ~ OUT. rus
they nad run also, neaueu ~ sne sei-
geant, and 1t was also true tnaI hogan
returned at q critical stage ana Iought
well, but the sergeant pied = On y
him at the trial ana mace OUT q pau
case against MIN. ne must save ms
neck by putting the rope around an
others, ana the sentence was that FL
vate Hogan. De dismissed irom Tue
army Tor cowaroice.
Two weeks ialer ne was eScorteu "
the gate OF the fort one AFTERNOON anu
told to 60 As ne left me gaze tne uls-
graced man turned toward won creek
and walked away without once looking
back. he nau maze poor uehsnse,
but ne knew tnat ne was no coward
and that ne nad been saerinceu "
save the sergeant 10 De thus ulsnlss-
ed from the army meant that ne must
get out OK the country. as Drandeu
coward even the squaWs OF the naii
breeds would be licensed 70 spit upon
him.
There was Dut one mousse AZ tne Cross
Ang OF Won creek, that OF tue WluoW
Thompson. She had iiveu tnere Win
her daughter Mary, now glri OF twen-
", for three or four years past Iur-
nishing meals 70 the teamsters ana pc
Ing the only postmaster TOT many mics
around Several soldiers at the Iort
were sweet on Mary, put sergeant
Dawson was supposed 70 nave tne can
over all OF them, His term OF service
would be out in less than year, ana
IA his own mind ne arranged 70 marry
Mary ana settle down on tne ranch. II
had been long since the sioux raioed
up Smoky valley put there was no
telling when they might come again.
and beacon had been prepared py
the soldiers FOR the women 70 lignt IN
case they needed heip night OF gay.
When Hogan reached the postomce
ne sat down on the uoorsteps ana let
MS chin faii INTO MS nanus ana dlu
some thinking, ny ana by the giri
came out ana FOUND MIN there. ene
had heard OF his trial ana sentence
and she pltied MN
"A suppose you uespise me tne same
as the restr' he said as he knew or
her presence, but without looking up
You have been drummed outy she
qneried IN turn
Aye, drummed out aud disgraced
forever I'm more OF an object OF CON
tempt than squaw man. Why don't
you order me to go on9''
See here Hogan I'm sorry Tor YOU
she said as she laid a hand on his arm.
You might have lost your head FOR a
time, but that wasn't eowardice.D
THANK you for that, missy" he said
as be looked up, with tears In his eyes.
"Youll have to go, but don't be hui
inflated Some Of the men have hint
ed to me that you might nave made a
stronger defense at the trial"
Yes, could have said more" he
unused as he nodded his head, but a
scapegoat was wanted, and was new
70 the company and had no chums.
Miss Mary, I'm a mind to- But let
1t go. I'm Citizen Hogan, the coward,
and will be till I'm 500 miles away and