Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-04-14

There are instances Of bravery
which seem like brilliant and momen.
tary inspirations, and are martial
and very dramatic Then there is
another sort of thing-tht, doggcd
courage, the rock bottom grit, amount.
ing In some cases to loroism. shown
by the men of the regular army in
the Indian fighting which broke out
viciously ut the close OF the war. As,
for example, In this case where half
dozen men of General Miles com
mand We're placed by what seemed
mt first sight an ordinary order, In
extreme peril of their lives That
they survived TO receive Medals of
Honor, is due to their rnQuenchable
courage, of which the plains cavalry
and scouts had constant need in those
years.
During the s,lmer of 1874. there oc
Cured In the Southwest u general up.
rising OF the cheyenne Arapaho. and
Comanche tribes. Their trails led
everywhere, from the Colorado noun
tains across desert plain and ravinc
to the tnrbid, monotonously rolling
rivers of the Panhandle of Texas and
Indian Territory. The scattered
ranches were practically helpless:
the dust of the swift ward parties In.
variably signiflcd 10 the army scouts
that there had been ruthless killing
robbery, and burning not far away
In pursuit OF one Of these bands was
General Miles, then Colonel of reg.
iment. The chase had been unusual.
ly long and severe; the September
sun was insuffcrablc: for DAYS In sue.
Cession there was not cloud in the
sky; and the hot wind raised clouds
of burning dust. whirling It through
the air from morning till night
Beginning Thcir Hazardous Trip.
From camp near Stakcd Plains
back to tho station in Indian Terri
tory was precautions Journey of sew.
eral days; however, il was necessary
to send dispatches, and four men and
two citizen scouts were selected to
go. They were Sergeant Woodall
Privntes Smith. Roth, Roth. and Har.
rington of the Sixth Cavalry, and
Scouts Dixon and Chapman. To,
ward evening when the sun was set
ting with ruddy glow, the party
mounted and started on the way,
leaving behind them among officers
and men feeling Of deep. though I'M
expressed, apprehension. Nothing
smaller than troop off cavalry had
fair chance out alone in that coun.
try. However, the men rode away
quietly and confidently; tney slept in
the open that night; and the mex,
day, from dawn TIL shutdown, seeing
nothing Of the Indians, the tireless
stop OF their we'll seasoned horses
rang on the hard dry turf. They
We're now in II slightly rolling gcoun.
try, crossed Ivy occasional ravines.
The next morning, after riding for
about two hours, they saw what each
man had been silently looking for. Il
party of Indians. The savages were
some distance Off but 1t was plainly
to- be seen that there was n great
many of them, moving rapidly on
their IlAet ponies. Undoubtedly,
their sharpened sense had perceived
the soldiers, marked against the sky.
even before the trooperss discovered
them. Between them lay a ravine:
tn soldiers struck off for this shel,
ter without u moments delay. while
time Indians roadc hard toward 4
from the other side. lust then Chan
man sighted with dismay anothe,
party circling across the praric Ia
join the first.
The .ravne, which was neither