Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-05-01

time newspaper man, turned as UNI
responsive and impenetrable q face on
reporters as any army officer / ever
Knew. But on enc occasion he helped
me TO the creates: piece of news
ever handled and enabled me to make
a clear 500 by one days work. This
was In 1876, when | was reporter on
Chicago evening newspaper. l was
In th' habit Of calling at Drums Office
every day for army news. If / was
~ Y enough to meet General Sheridan
Cor ! roo Grant or Colonel Corbln, l
came away with all the news that was
access ibe If / came face 10 face with
Drum ] got just what he thought It
was proper to give me, which was new
or very much
In the latter part of June, 1876,
there came to the Office early in the
day a bulletin from Cheyenne, saying
There is a rumor here that General
Custer and his entire command have
been slaughtered by the Indians
There was great excitement in the Office,
and went at once with the dispatch
TO army headquarters | handed 1t to
General Drum. who for once dropped
his mask. He was as excited as | was.
He became at once oblivious so far as
] was concerned He went into an
Inner room and General Sheridan and
Colonies Corbin and Forsyth came out
Drum pulled down some large mill
tary maps that We're on rollers and the
four officers forgot all about me and
proceeded to fix the location on the
maps of the scene of the massacre, and
to theorize as to Clusters plan of at
tack and his preliminary movements
IAN were familiar with the terri
tory. particularly General Sheridan,
who took the lead in the discussion.
He described wildly the scene of the
battle and showed how Custer prob
ably made the attack and how he was
caught in a trap, The others expressed
their opinions and each one gave some
Information as to the strength Of Gus
ter's command, the probable strength
of the hostile Indians, and the char
acter of the country. ! stood and list
ened, asking no questions, saying not
one word, but when / left the room |
| had more information as to the battle
Of the Little Big Horn than any other
newspaper man in this country. II
fact, had all that the General com
handing the department and his Adm
tant General and aids could give.
Il went at once to the office. wrote
w al account for my own newspaper
communicated with the papers in New
York. st. Louis and other cities and
sent long specials to several Of them
Sheridan's hypothesis as to the battle
was correct. and my dispatch read like
an account written on inside informa.
ton. General Drum was probably al
toss to understand how arv reporter
came to be SO thoroughly posted. He
forgot that for once his own tongue
was looscned. ana that under the ex-
element Of the hour Cc gave the full
est possible information TO newspaper
man"
Newspaper men Of the Civil War
period" said the Major. were deposi-
tories, as 1t were. Of secrets, govern
ment and personal. In all the inves-
tigation leading 10 the exposure of the
Knights of the Golden Circle. Sons of
Liberty and other organizations Of the
kind newspaper men were active. but
for the most part reticcnt In that day
there was a little schoolhouse a few
miles from Newcastle. Ind. In which
the knights Of rhe Golden Circle held
their secret meetings. As n rule the
meetings were held between II and
o'clock at night, and there was never a
Julius Benbow. Of Newcastle, a stanch
Republican and bitter opponent Of the
copperheads and knights. suspected that
meeting was 20 be held OF the school
house mentioned.
"Benbow rode out to the schoolhouse.
tied his horse at safe distance. crawl
ed under the schoolhouse floor. recog
nized the voices Of those present. heard
their plans, which contemplated the
taking of certain train on the Belle
fontaine reed for indianapolis the Kill
ing of Governor Morton and other Off
cials. the capture OF the arsenal, and
the release Of the rebel prisoners held
In camp there. Benbow went at once
70 persons who notified the authorities
at indianapolis aud United States
troops were drawn up under the shed
at the station ready for the knights
when they came in.
''Another detachment Of troops guard
Ing a section Of artillery moved out
mile or 50 from the city. A cannon was
placed In the middle Of the track and
the train al the order Of the commander
Of the troops came to standstill. Ev.
cry suspected person was taken out and
put under arrest, and all except one
we're taken to Indianapolis. Through
the influence Of p. r. Martindale. Mr.
BenbOw's brothar-in-law and a law
partner OF Governor Morton, one Of the
i