Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-04-18
ON TRAGEDYs edge
Narrowing Experience Of Colonel
De Courcy, lust Dead.
INCIDENT OF INDIAN WARS
President Tafts Map by Which He
Keeps Track Of the Daily Prog
ress Of the Present Rebel
lion In Mexico.
ay GEORGE

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington.-Lieutenant Colonel
Ferdinand e. De Courcy, a United
States army officer who has been on
the retired list for t~wenty-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 Irishmen who distin-
guished themselves In the war be
tween the states as northern soldiers
were General Coppinger. a soninlaw
Of James G.. Blaine, and Col. r. =. A.
Crofton, who for a long time COM
manded the Fifteenth infantry.
Colonel De Courcy in 1868 had one
Of the most narrowing experiences
which any commanding officer OF an
army garrison ever was called upon
to endure. At that time he was a cap
tain and was In command OF two OF
three companies OF infantry stationed
at a post in the northwest One after
moor $500 Sioux and Grow Indians
attacked the post, completely sur
rounding it and making assault after
assault for half a day. 1t was only
by the hardest kind Of fighting tnat
the Indians finally were repulsed.
There were in the garrison defend
ed by the troops the wives Of several
officers and enlisted men When II
was thought probable that the indiana
would succeed in capturing the post
because of their overwhelming mum
bers, the women of the garrison by
common consent went into the maya
zine, which was filed 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 theii
falling into the hands Of the savages
Old army officers In Washington say
that there were two or three othel
instances like this in the history o.
frontier warfare.
Taft's Mexican War Map.
President Taft has a map Of Mexico
dotted over with red, yellow ant
green headed tacks. This is the prea
ident's wal map and it stands In hi!
Office close to his desk. Every TIM
a telegram Of moment comes from
Mexico the president changes the pc
sition of the tacks. Some Of thu
tacks have little remnants attached
to them which show the camps Of thu
federal and insurgent troops in Mex
leo. 1t is by means of this map ant
the constant changing Of the marks o
identification that the president keep
in touch with the Mexican situation u
to the last instant.
Since conditions have become s
critical in Mexico. the acting secretar
Of state, Huntington Wilson, who is r.
sponsible for the map. has placed on
man at the map who gives his entir
time to keeping it corrected up to tn
minute. Many times a day the tell
graph keys at the state department
just across the street, click Off a do
en- code words, which an operate
slowly unsnarls to form a message
the daily report. perhaps. Of the col
sui at Durango. Mexico, a%nnouncin
the advance OF the federal force
towards Velardena, where one hui
bred Americans were penned u
awaiting relief. In a little while th
man in charge of the map crosse
over from the state department
the White House, enters the cabin'
room, and advances one of the gree
headed tacks on the map.
Kept Well Informed.
At the war department, the depaI
ment Of justice, and the war colleg
other code messages are clicking c
the keys. A secret agent reports
the department Of justice a bord,
raid or threatened gathering Of trool
south of Juarez. To the war depal
ment Colonel Steever reports tt
sending Of American cavalry to son
%troublous border point. Likewise, Il
war college is told Of each bridi
burned and each railway track d
stroyed. From Chihuahua in the nor
to Chiapas In the south the consul
Offices Of Washington are scattere
there being also many officials and
ficers on duty on the border. Eve
move Of federals and rebels is ]
ported. The Americans are counte
even the money which each could I
cure to flee the country is learne
All of this information is transferr
to the map in the cabinet room. Ea
colored tack tells a %story-the lot
tion Of federal and rebel forces. &C
ditions OF unrest or anarchy, or t
opinions Of the consuls as to t
safety Of American lives or interes
Roosevelt and the Larks.
In the National Museum, si
ated on the beautiful Mall viii