Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1906-10-27


detachment was with had orders not
to fire on the Indians except as a last
resort. Big Foot found this out, and
as result was very brave in his at
tempts to annoy us. He brought his
painted tribe in one night with their
tom-toms and held a war dance right
in our camp. But, under the orders.
the commanding officer let them alone,
and he rode away, daring the soldiers
to come out and get him.
HE got too gay one day and his
bluff was called. One troop of cavalry
was out scouting by itself, and Big
Foot and his entire tribe met it. Big
Foot detailed two braves to seize the
horse of each cavalryman and turn it
back to camp. They went back in
view of their orders not to fire until
necessary.
When Capt. Hennissee saw them
he was red-hot- Go back he said,
and stay there The lieutenant in
command ordered his men to draw
| their pistols. Then they rode back
Big Foot saw they meant business and
quit his bluffing'
The Indian campaign in the north
west, in which Sergeant Kelly did
not get better taste of active service
losing his job, the only time in his
military career The war department
decided to abolish two companies of
each infantry regiment and recruit
two Indian companies instead. Kelly's
company, /, was abolished and red
skin outfit recruited in it's place. A
brave named Hairy Coat became first
sergeant instead of Thomas Kelly.
But Kelly was not long out The
officers of the Third would not lose
him, and he soon reappeared on the
roster as first sergeant of E company,
| In this company and in this capacity
| he had experience enough to fill fat
| a book.
+ After a humdrum barracks life of
| ten years or more, Kel1y's company
and regiment were ordered to Cuba
with Skaters command. 1t was in
the battle of Ell Caney. July L, 1898,
| and in the campaign against Santiago,
| July L to IL, 1898; it was in Gen.
| Bates flying column" in the battle
| of San Juan Hill. Second Lieutenant
Paul Giddings was in command of the
company there and First Sergeant
Kelly was next in command. The
company had most of it's experiences
! in the trenches.
Sergeant Kelly tells a story of how
| coffee pot served as flag of truce
while his company was encamped
within 800 yards of the Spanish lines.
1--WE had strict orders not to stick
our heads above the trenches" he
says, except when firing. 1 did not
know it, but 1 guess now the pan
iards had the same orders. We had
had heavy rain, the water in the
fro To iSfS hod
been in it for "a hours. There was no
sleep for u.s., and, apparently, no cat
ing. We had hard tack, bacon and
green coffee. You see what a meal
that makes without fire. We could
mt build a fire anywhere, except on
top of the trenches. The orders were
positive not to even put our heads up.
But one morning one of the menI
won't tell his name-said he was go
ing on top of the trenches to make
fire. 1 warned him not to go, but / e
said he'd just as soon be shot as starye
to death. So he climbed on top, took
a few sticks and put a coffee pot on
top of them, and what do you suppose
happened?
"As soon as the smoke went up, up
pops a Spanish soldiers head, and i'll
stead of firing, he picks up a few
sticks and sticks coffee pot on them
and touches a match under it, too
He didn't see our man and none of
us saw him. Both sides had coffee,
If any officer on either side saw it, he
didn't interfere, and 1 didn't think It
was my place to do it.
1T was no fun in those trenches
Sergeant Kelly remarked reminiscent
ly, although trench is not a dan
gerous place. You only expose your
head while you aim and fire; no mat
ter how many bullets whistle over
you, you are not in danger.
Most of our boys who were affect
fered from malaria. More of our COM
pany would have died there If it hadn't
been for Lieutenant Giddings who
sent every night for a five gallon jug
of wine out of his own money and
gave a sup of it to every weak soldier
in the command"
Returning from Cuba, the Third in
fantry was sent to Fort Smelling, Mimi.
Lieut.. Giddings went home on leave,
and Capt Wilkinson rejoined the COM
pany of which Kelly was first SER
geant. The company was looking for
little rest after its arduous foreign
service, but it fell into the hottest
work it ever had.
October 5, 1898, 1t was ordered to
Leach Lake, Mimi, to protect white