The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-09-15
Men of National Army Will Be
Accorded Same Recognition
as Regulars.
MEDALS OF HONOR PRICED
Changes May Be Made In Present Law
How Some Enlisted Men in the
United States Army Won
Medals for Valor.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.

| nave DCCll SC4CNlCu 1Ol oClNlN III III
new National army should know tina
the same recognition for individual
acts of personal gallantry in the felt
will be accorded them under the Law
that is now given to officers and mel
of the regular service.
| There ure enlisted men in the serv
ice today who have Won medals OF
| honor for conspicuous personal gal
| lantry in the field, and 1t can be said
| that the possession of one of these
metal tributes to courage is priced
| above all things else that the govern
ment car beStow.
BY the time that the new American
army troops in any numbers strike
the Germans in France, it Is probable
that congress will have made some
changes in the laws governing the Civ
ing of certificates of merit and medals
of honor for high acts Of courage on
the field of battle.
There is Il law governing in the mat
ter today, but it is said that army Of
ficers believe IT to be hedged in with
so many requirements that some men
who deserve certificates of merit are
prevented from getting their earned
rewards. The changes which prob
ably are to be made will in, no way
aid the undeServing to secure prizes
which are intended to go only to those
whose conduct Is of the highest in
face of great danger. Young men who
are about to enter the training camps
should know that in this matter Of
recognition for courage, they will be
on the same footing with commits
stoned officers. Gallantry in man. not
gallantry in rank, is the thing recog-
nized.
How Medals Have Been Won.
1t Is possible that men selected for
service in the new National army. and
perhaps others, may be Interested to
learn how few of the many enlisted
men in the United States army have
earned their medals for valOr."
When Clusters expedition struck in
to the Sioux country in 1876, the COM
officer ordered Major Reno |
with his squadron of the Seventh to |
make the d..tour to the right. Custer |
then rode into the valley. where with |
his command he met his death. Reno |
striking to the right met huge force
Of the Sioux and in a bitter battle
which followed he lost many men.
While this engagement was at it's
height, pack mule carrying a con-
siderable part of the carbine ammuni-
ion of the troopers broke away and
,allOped toward the Indians. An en-
listed man named Hanley knew what
he loss of ammunition meant and he
eft his troop and circling round to
he right he managed to capture the
mule at a point directly in front of the
indian line.
Hanley threw himself on the ami
nails back and flashing 1t into run,
made straight back for his command.
lie was under the close and direct fire
f the Indians. Hundreds of rifles
arked at him, but he escaped I'M
cathed by seeming miracle. The
was saved and congress,
ecognizing the enlisted mans devo-
on and gallantry, voted to give him
ne coveted medal of honor for his H
ign service.
The bushwhacking war i'm the Phil \
'plnes produced of heroes a hundred, \
ut the world usually was given only
lie names of the commanding officers
the fights which made individual |!
eroism possible. Who. on reading
ese lines, can remember ever before
wing seen or heard the name Louis
edeOn? II
Escape Was Marvellous.
Not so long ago SC" company of
e Nineteenth infantry went into &C.
On near Mount Anna, Cebu, Philip
ne Islands. The captain of the COM
my was MORALLY wounded and the
rtunes of the fight left him on the
I'D defended only by Private Louis y
edeon. A force of the enemy adj L
need to give the captain his death r
roke, but the private soldier faithful b
his duty and to his officer faced the E
coming band, as army record hath it,
ingle handed and alone" Although
posed to concentrated fire, Gedeon
his marvellous Workmanship, aided
lterially by his GOODNESS in the pres s
ce Of what seemed certain death,
pit the enemy back.
Private Gedeon might have escaped.
, could have slipped into ravine
d have Joined the main body of or
'ops. In fact, it is said that the ar
icken officer, knowing that his own be
'und was fatal, ordered Gedeon TO ne
I'VE him, but the private soldiers tn
swer was to kneel by his officers te
e and to offer his body as a pro- tr,
ton.
iedeon's escape that day was as ba
rvelous as anything ever set down de
the pages of fiction. He held his CT,
n and help came before the pr- vi,
e's wounded charge died. The Off
whom the private had saved from RAJ
knives and the bullets of the en-
Y breathed his last, surrounded by ga
men of his command.
congress recognized the bravery of Ne
)rge Nj. Shelton, who was q private wa
l Company, Twenty-third infantry. full