Willmar tribune., 1908-04-29
AS Soldiers Die.
Copyright. 1901


Colonel Pelham, at Fort Clymer. had
been transferred from Fort Reno.
where there were no Indians. and as
a matter Of fact had never come in
contact with hostile red man. Scouts
sent out returned with the news that
the Indians had already murdered iso-
lated pioneers, but they were almost
charged with lying. Sergeant Lyons
and his six men, who were the guard
for the woodcutters on the mountain
side, two miles away. came in with the
wagons. and the sergeant reported be-
ing fired on and of seeing war party
numbering at least 200 reds. The colo
mel heard him out and then sneeringly
said:
1T seems that have been sent here
to command lot of old women and
towards, and ought to be sensible of
the distinguished honor. Sergeant
Lyons. you will at once return with
the guard or I'll prefer charges of cow
ardice."
Every well, sir,' replied the sergeant
as he gave the salute. "Wood guard,
fall in. Right face. Forward, march,
The seven marched back to the noun
tain alone. Scouts and settlers crowd
ed up to the colonel and told him
plainly that he was sending the men to
death, but he commanded silence. The
citizens employed as woodcutters re-
fused to go out again, and they were
| stormed at and insulted. The under
| officers stood grouped together and
! spoke among themselves, but they
dared not address the colonel. He had
repulsed them over and over. Not an
hour before be had said that, in so far
as the Indians were concerned, he was
ready to make ten mile circle of the
fort all alone.
Sergeant Lyons was just serving out
his fourteenth year. twelve of which
| had been passed in the Indian country.
He had studied and fought the red
! man and knew him for what he was
He could show four wounds, and he
had been made corporal and then SER
geant for bravery on the field, and yet
the colonel had charged him with be-
ing a coward. He marched at the head
of his men at high noon, with gritting
teeth and dark face, and realized that
it was his last march. BY and by, with
a grim smile on his face, he gave the
word to halt, and then, pointing back
to the fort, he said:
"Men, take your last look at the old
place. It's a rough old home, but
we've been comfortable here. Before
the sun sets this day the reds will be
shaking our scalps from this spot at
our comrades looking over the stock
ade. We are going out on orders. and
they are to be obeyed and not ques-
toned. What is soldier for but to
die? Private Smith. have you got a
mother nving?"
"Aye, have that"
"You should have written her good
by letter yesterday. Private Williams,
you are widower with a little daugh-
ter living with relatives in the east?"
'That's true, sergeant"
"She'll be told some day how you
were wiped out. The rest of you are
single men. Thank God that is the case
with me. Odds is the difference wheth-
er we die today or year hence"
"But there may not be any Indians y
suggested Private Naylor as he looked
from the mountain to the fort and
back
"Private Naylor is bit nervous, and
don't blame him." said the sergeant.
with laugh. mo Indians! Why, my
boy, I'll bet that there are fifty pairs of
eyes watching US now from the thick
cts and powders. Their owners are
wondering why we are returning.
They can't make it out why the seven
Of us should be marching back to
death. They'll be thinking there is
some trick in it. Don't get any false
notions into your head. comrade. It's
q dead man you are. It's dead we all
are. If we started on the back track
now it would be too late. Seven of us,
and it will be complete wipe out"
The sergeant paused to look around
him, as If taking a last view of earth,
and the others were silent. Then, aft
er couple Of minutes, the officer went
on:
"And now it's how we are going to
die. There's only one way for SOL
der to pass in his checks. It's for the
honor Of the flag and his regiment.
They'll see the fight from the fort,
but no help will come to us. AS soon
as we take cover Wen have hundreds
OF the reds about Us. Down there
they'll be cursing the colonel and weep
ing for US, but up there On the hillside
We'll be singing our songs as we hold
on to the last. Up there on that bare
spot where you see the four powders
is the spot we are to strike for. At
tention! Left face! Sing! Marchv'
The sergeant struck up a song and
stepped of, and the seven headed for
the powders. Their voices were faint
ly heard at the fort, and their CON-
rades wondered. Their voices reached
the hiding and waiting Indians on the
mountain side, and they grunted their
amazement.
Ten minutes later there were 300 In.
dams firing upon them. They saw it
all from the fort for the next hour.
One by one the wood guard was pick
ed of, but whenever there was q lull
in the firing the voices of the survivors
could be heard raised in song. There
could be no help for them. The In
dians we,e too many and the garrison