New-York tribune., 1909-11-21
CAREER OF WESTON
MUCH EXCITEMENT
IN GENERALS LIFE.
Fought Through T5co Wdrs
and against Indians
Once SaUod Custer.
rFr,m he rrisune Purssu D


Washington. Nev s.-Najor General John
Francis Weston. L. :. A.. Who reached the
retiring age on November y. may truly he
doscrlbe5 ss having had q picturesque
career. Hts record o. remarkable ous IN
many respects. heglnning al the outbreak
- the civil War. when. . isd Of but six
f@en, he enlisted m Kentucky cavalry
regiment ss a private. He sorgee through
fhs Civ1l War frcrr which ne returned IN
isss ss q maior. while less fhan twenty
yesrs - sgs. and IN that time had when
Only eighteen. conmaaded his regiment for
three months during Thomass campaign
against Hood. He WAS wounded once and
had many exciting experiences and narrow
srapes.
30 vss appointed 70 the regular army ss
lieutenant q the famous 5th Cavalry. and
IN fhe recomnendation Of General sheri-
dan n 1875 vas appointed captain IN the
ellslstencc department. Of which CORPS he
became rho chief in 1907 he won the un-
usual distinction. after = career of nze
rrars - cumnissary general ~ becoming
general oflcer. being appointed major
general in October. 1915. He Is one ~f the
officers of tLe oid army who saw service
su Through the Civil War. who engaged IN
many lard fought battles with the Indians
and Eho served in cuba during the war
WITH spain. and later commanded the
troops in the PHILIPPINES. closing his career
with the command Il the Department n
california. he is now seriously m in the
army general hospital 81 tho Preside Of
Ssl Francisco.
General Weston is a hearty. whole souled
nan whose friendship is EiYen without re-
gard to Tho position or influence of those
Do knows. lie il as cordial d the poor
secretary ~ War or the chairman of The
ssusto Military COMMITTEES. and this i'm
rar.laI favor has Won for him admiration
sad I.Ve in and out Of Ire army
narration of General Weston's expert
rucs. a- a soldier would nh a book His
performances ~ duty I'm the civil War were
numerous and varied. Ou one occasion De
nas .r command 81 a battalion ordered 10
6est-7r steamboats, loaded With supplies FOR
rns clew1. He was stopped by au uuford-
able riVer but WitA -fyc of his men he
swan TIE river. clad like Muivsney and his
fellows az The Taking cf LEngtungpen."
rartEred lNC Ica-ly canoes and fcrried his
men a-rUss. encountered and defeated a
force ~ tHe enemy and cn reaching the
position rf thc steamboats, found them
anchored l- midstrea0l. Tie luTcd a cap
IAN ashore and with tho boat thus OBJ
l-asd reached the steamers and command
o. a9s received their surrender. That was
ir the Nashville camnaiEn and the supplies
rr captured were intended for The com
usand - the Confederate leader Forrest
IN TINE TO SAVE CUSTER.
Later r numerous nghts with Indians.
Rts-cH-' DaredeHn Jack" as he was then
caued-sav~d custer from = massacre
s.ch zs thai iu whicE the intrepid cavalry
lrsdar vas destined % meet hls uuumeiy
erd T5 was in the spring ~ 1873. when
Custer was Undertaking u guard the sur
rrr1-s .r tho NcrthcrE Pacific Railroad,
rcFt of tlC Missouri River. Custer was
surrounded bv Indians and his men were
nclnE 7lck g or by the hiGden hostiies-
Tss f-rlatIou vas serious one. when Gus
fer observed distant cloud OF dust. and
soor made or "a struggling troop Of cav
rrrmrr. a. whose head gzlloped = sturdy
lFurr usrlnE d sabre wildly over his heac.
The spectacle was one that Remington
nocld have reveiled la II was OF ihe sp-
proved trpe of pictorial rescue on the
nIsns. and custer. turning 70 an aid. said.
-IU ret 19 ro 3 that is Weston and his
troop u tlc lead lie was right and Gus
ts- VHs saved for the disaster which came
ts Uin al 200 soon.
When custer was about 10 start on The
i..-Ea'nr Ir Mllcl euG~4 III Li4t t-d111tIr
of thar officer ana his companions Al the
ls--ie 1e Litue Big Horn River. iu Mon
lsua. d -s15. De- recalled Neston's e former
SERVICE ami asked ham 10 Join the COM
usrd. Weston was Otherwise employed
and vss -uable % 20. II De had, Weston's
career probably would have ended with
that nj Custer Weston replied: IL the
Indians vuut 70 20 after me now they
o. Hsve r1 shoot me behind government
liam
On another occasion, when Lieutenant,
Weston and ffteen men we're closely beset
b. satanic. Tor whose resclute and desper-
sls Wsrfsre Weston always entertained The
highest respect Weston and his men
sought refuge iu an old corral. built of
adobe and took positions Or the roofs
o. tLs aalses. where the- were able 10 hold
ne Indians ia check until the arrival %
teo troors ~ hiz regiment
Weston las haa many narrow escapes
tom t.ese Indian auhuscades, and DE
ramr Ic E.oe well the Indians and the
early settlers - tlat time and country.
All gt L-erl rrfnernbered him. aud nothing
please lIU more. when he became COM
mlssa-r general. iu 1909, than 20 have
cong a.a.auors from people who had
served url Adm or met him in the early
ts
--a1.rr Characteristic q Weston as
tlorn 3n Il occs sion when be received .
ie.sgrau fr0m one - these cd friends
and turning t1 an assistant, he ssid: This
i7rcrsF ne. Here a dispatcA from Blank
4ol remember Aimc Whs, lie used 20 hold