Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1908-07-19
Heap Little Man.


 He was ragged and dirty and wicked 4 tougher than any hummer the war pro 5 Luced. We all tried to make him be; ter. but failed He was taken in hand by General Custer, but with no better luck
 Joe was allowed to hang out with Us and make the long journey to For. Leayenwo.th in our company. Some of the officers tried to bounce him. but we of the rank and file helped him to get through. He wasn't old enough to enlist therp was no show for him as a bugler and when We finally started across the plains he was ordered to re main behind We bade him goodby. but three days afterWard he overlook us, having q mule of his own. He Was also armed With serviceable revolver. The officers shut their eyes 10 his pres cnce for three or four days, and then he was ordered back with some news paper men and others. He then did a thing to show that he was utterly with out fear. Instead of going back in com panv he went ahead all alone For two { days he kept ahead of the command and then rode back to report q force of Indians gathered to dispute our prog Aess. He brought in an Indian arrow in his saddle and another in his mules x trump as proofs that he had been 10 tlss front. His information was acted on, Eant! it was through it that We gave the Sioux a good tanning.
 8 Joe's display of pluck made hiia solid, so to say He was permitted to .4shang about camp. and the company ssstaiIor fixed him up a uniform. There after he was one of Us ill Il Way, and he paid for his rations ten times oYe;' by serving the officers When kindly spoken to there was nothing he 3wouldnt do to ohli2e. When ordered { to do anvthin" lie was as stubborn ss a mule More than q dozen times he ' went on scouts all alone. and twice he brought in the ponies and weapons of Indians he killed. II was for this tha, the Kaw Indian scouts Wc had With IF named him Heap Little Man. There wasn't trooper in the brigade thal a Wouldn't have contributed MoHcy to eend the boy back east into good hands. fJ5ut he wouldn't hear of it. He could Neither read nor write, bnt he knew the ,yalue of silver and paper money ai5 6Aid that was enough for him.
 ##Tha boy had good voice for singing md had remembered the airs and words of a score of songs, but when out ot camp and on the march he never sans but one song. and that only the chorus of John Browns Body" He'd sing that over and over until some of lhe 6cers came along and hade him hush. The rest of Us might turn out for boots and saddles at midnight, cursins the Wea ther and the order, but Joe would s ttlrn out singing that chorus. We'd % Into q fght cheering, hat he never S# checrcd. Instead yout. hear his Shrill yogce piping
 fs "G'ory. glory, haIleluiah!
 #D7s Glory 2l,aN, 4,4j,-tli4ll.
 34M@ Giory glory hailz lEiah,
 As We Go marching oil.
 MNe tried to keep him out of the
 bs but it was no use He would Apbey orders or break away from M guards, and when he mixed in he NN.n straight to the front He had
 fe to be proud of. hut no one ever Mz Rd him brac. He fought because N1 Rtih2 waS a part of lis programme. S3<& eA complimcntcd on his bravery he 10 th2nks in reply
 0}{ hen We started on that winter hlta campaign Joe was with us. started out in q snow storm. with hand playing ''lhc Girl Left Be Me a9d Heap Little Man sing 1he old chorus Military history l tell NeH thaf the camps of the \ hs along the Wichita were located 'e midnight and that CUStcr'S
 pland had to wait hours for break
 Ihe SHOW was two feet deep 'he night froezingly cold but trooper had to dismount and hH his horse. No movin"-no
 pS, Joe stood next to me and l
 ot think he shivered once. over
 pVer again in q whisper he sang V "9 "!i'l HOW ana then let up 10 ' nat he hoped there were at least
 indians in the camp and that We
 nave good fight of it. don't
 there was man or officer there
 Pilsht that took things as coolly at kid He was the first one 'ed as the whispered order came
 and the hand had scarcely np Garry Owen' as we
 fd than he followed it with his
 We made a complete surprise,
 Indians rallied after bit and U stif defense When it was ailo We were ordered into line
 call Joe was missed His name
 Ut on the roll, but We looked
 lh vain. Then he and others
 ought Tor. The fight had ragged :. m ooWn the stream for two miles. oVV's round doe within half mile of lie headquarters flag had been 113S' "hG where the fight had been 00o.Oo test He was lying in tEe snow .on a9 plS dead mulo moi f,r ,u.,,-