Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-08-04
The Dignity CT O'ROurke
vonvright - ~ Q III S,tcliffe l


When the civil war cane TO an end at
last, lieutenants and captains who de-
sired to take up arms as Il profession
We're willing to take positions as SER
geants in the standing army That was
how Captain O'Rourke, late of the Sew
enty-irSt volunteers, came to be order
" sergeant of Company Il, Eleventh
United States infantry.
AS q captain Of volunteers O'Rourke
was noted for two things in particular
he was a fighter, and he was a man
of dignity. Within a week of his join
ing his regiment he was nicknamed
Dignity" and the appellation stuck to
him to the day of his death. The nine
other orderly sergeants in the Eleventh
were a bit familiar with their lieuten-
ants and captain, and now and then
they condescended to take a drink or
sit in game of poker with the pri-
Yates, but Sergeant O'Rourke never let
himself down. He was always the
same to every one and it came to be
whispered about that if he should ever
smile or crack joke the United States
would at once proceed to dissolve in
thin air
One day at Fort Reno word was re
ceived that the Indians had again tax
en- to the warpath and that there was
likelihood Of a wandering band trying
to cut off a train OF wagons coming uD
with Quarte"Enaster supplies. There
was one point of danger. Once safely
passed that and TIE long string Of wag-
ons would be safe, Sergeant O'Rourke
was sitting in his quarters studying the
book Of tactics when the c0IoneTs or
derby gave him message. Three min
utes later he stood before his command
ing officer, and he had twice the dignity
Of the man who looked up at him and
said:
Sergeant, | have got word that
Crazy Horse has broken loose again"
Eyes, sir" replied the subordinate, as
he gave the military salute with the
greatest precision
''Some of his men may attack the
wagon train coming up. If they do it
will be at Stony brook. Do you think
you could take ten men and hold the
crossing against perhaps forty or fifty
Indians until the wagons have passed."
''Not doubt of it, sir"
There was doubt of it in the colo
nels mind, very big doubt, but just
then he had a larger sick list than
usual and a number of his officers
were away on leave. The outbreak
was SO sudden that he was in a box.
He ought to send thirty men under
command of a lieutenant to the point
specified, but he had figured it over
and over, and the best he could do was
to send ten under command Of the
orderly sergeant
yes, sir; very well, SIR replied
O'Rourke as he received his orders,
and half an hour later his squad was
marching down the rocky road.
1t was eight miles to the crossing
of Stony brook. The men had left the
fort at 1 o'clock in the afternoon OF a
summers day. They saw no signs"
en- route. If the Indians had broken
loose again they were not skulking in
the vicinity of the fort. The men
stepped out on the rough military road
with marching stride, and in a little
over two hours they had reached the
crossing. All was as peaceful as If
a hostile Indian had never lived. Ser
geant O'Rourke saw smiles Of derision
on the faces of some of the men and
suddenly called out:
Attention, squad! Right face! Left
face! Front! Listen. Some of you
men think the colonel was mistaken,
but you'll know better within ten min
utes. How many Indians there are in
hiding among the powders over there
can't say, but this is no time for smil-
ing. When | give the word make a
rush for the rocks at your right. We
are too late to save the train"
The ten men whirled to the right and
covered forty feet of ground and got
the shelter of the rocks. Sergeant
O'Rourke followed them at leiSurely
step, although the seventy Indians in
ambush within pistol shot gave him a
v0lley. He ought to have been riddled
like sieve, but he was untouched
There were no orders to give. The ten
had no show. They were safe in front,
but the Indians would work past their
TANKS and take them in the rear with
i
retreat was to lose their cover and
court instant death
What are we going to do. sargef'
asked one of the squad after sending a
bullet into the head of an Indian who
exposed himself in his anxiety to Sc
cure a good aim
Private Johnson" said O'Rourke as
he drew himself Up stifly. i would
thank you to give my title in full
sergeant What we ere going to do,
sir, Is to die, sir We have already
lost three men,"
Two minutes later one of the eight
survivors came rushing up to say:
THE devils are working along on our
right flank, and this place will soon be
too hot to hold u.s.
Private Delaney, salute your supe-
riOr officer when you speak to him.
Your report is received. sir. About