Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1912-04-17
ON TRAGEDYs EDGE
Narrowing Experience Of Colonel
De courcy, lust Dead.
INCIDENT OF INDIAN WARS
President Taft's Map by Which He
Sseps Track Of the Daily Prog
ress Of the Present Rebel
lion In Mexico.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.


BY GEORGE CLINTON.
shington.-Lieutenant Colonel
Ferdinand e. De Courcy. a United
States army ofacer who has been on
the retired list for twenty-one years.
has just died. Colonel De Courcy was
one OF the last survivors OF the Irish
soldiers who came to this country
Just prior to the Civil war and who
rose to high rank in the Union army.
Among other Irishmeu who distin-
guished themselves in the war be-
tween the states as northern soldiers
were General Coppinger. a son-in-law
OF James G. Blaine, and Col R. E. A.
Crofton. who for q long time COM
manded the Fifteenth infantry.
Colonel De Courcy in 1868 had one
Of the most narrowing experiences
which any commanding ofncer OF an
army garrison ever was called upon
to endure. At that time he was cap
tain and was in command of two or
three companies of infantry stationed
at post In the northwest. One after
noon $500 Sioux and Crow Indians
attacked the post. completely sur
rounding 1t and making assault after
assault for half a day. 1t was only
by the hardest kind OF fighting that
the Indians finally we're repulsed.
There were in the garrison defend
ed by the troops the wives OF several
officers and enlisted men. When 1t
wac fbnuohF ,rohahia chat the Indians
would succeed in capturing the post
because of their overwhelming num-
bers, the women of the garrison by
common consent went into the maya
zine. which was filled with powder.
An agreement was made that II the
Indians succeeded In capturing the
post the magazine was to be fred and
the women killed to prevent their
falling into the hands of the savages.
Old army officers In Washington say
that there we're two or three other
instances like this In the history OF
frontier warfare.
Taft's Mexican War Map.
President Taft has a map of Mexico
dotted over with red, yellow and
green headed tacks. This is the pres
ident's war map and It stands In his
Office close to his desk. Every time
a telegram Of moment comes from
Mexico the president changes the po-
sition of the tacks. Some Of the
tacks have little remnants attached
to them which show the camps OF the
federal and insurgent troops in Mex
leo. II is by means of this map and
the constant changing of the marks OF
Identification that the president keeps
in touch with the Mexican situation up
to the last instant.
Since conditions have become so
critical in Mexico, the acting secretary
of state. Huntington Wilson. who is .
sponsible for the map. has placed one
man at the map who gives his entire
time to keeping II corrected UP to the
minute. Many times day the tele-
graph keys at the state department.
just across the street. click of doz-
en- code words. which an operator
slowly unsnarls to form a message.
the daily report perhaps. of the con
sui at Durango. Mexico. announcing
the advance of the federal forces
towards Velardena, where one hun
bred Americans we're penned up
awaiting relief In little while the
man In CT arge of the map crosses
over from the state department to
the White House. enters the cabinet
room. and advances one OF the green
headed tacks on the map.
Kept Well Informed.
At the war department, the depart
ment of Justice, and the war college.
other code messages are clicking of
re keys. secret agent reports to
the department OF justice a border
raid or threatened gathering of troops
south OF Juarez. To the war depart.
nent Colonel Steever reports the
sending Of American cavalry to some
troublous border point. Likewise, the
war college Is told of each bridge
burned and each railway track de-
stroyed. From chihuahua In the north
to Chiapas In the south the consular
Offices of Washington are scattered,
there being also many officials and Of
dcers on duty on the border. Every
move OF federals and rebels Is re-
ported. The Americans are counted:
even the money which each could Sc
cure to fee the country is learned.
All of this information is transferred
to the map In the cabinet room Each
colored tack tells story-the loca-
ton OF federal and rebel forces. con
dtuons OF unrest or anarchy, or the
opinions OF the consuls as to the
safety of American lives or interests.
Roosevelt and the Larks.
In the National Museum, stu.
ated on the beautiful Mai which
lies between the congested part Of