East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1918-05-18
REVELATIONS FROM THE
DAYS BEFORE GREATNESS
WAS THRUST UPON THEM
tclytle Hali.)



Poastmaster Tweedy is a right
peaceful-looking man. but so years
ago Thomas jefferson Tweedy was a
fighter and could now tell some thrill
ing tales of Indian border warfare. il
he weren't so modest. He was with
General yellow Hair" (Custer) when
the latter. led the Nineteenth Kansas
cavalry in March of 1859 through a
Kansas desert where rations were SO
scarce the men killed and ate theil
pack mules, in order to force a ban0
of between 1900 and 1900 Cheyenne7
to give up two white women whom
they held captive. One Of these was
II year old girl named Miss White.
whose brother, Charles, formerly lived
In the Pilot Rock country.
| The command lived nearly a month
on five days rations but accomplish
ed its object, that of rescuing the cap
tives without ransom, and bringing
back thRee Indians, Dull Knife, Fat
Bear, and Big Head to be held as
thumb screws on the treacherous
Cheyennes. 1t had marched 22 miles
for every day out, the weather always
freezing, without tents. cooking uten-
sile, beds or salt-its sole subsistence
two thirds of that time, mules that had
starved to death.
The Nineteenth Kansas regiment
was organized on October IL, 1859 and
passed into history on the 18th day
of April. 1869. Though no bloody
battles were fought, its two campaigns
conquered the five wild Indian tribes
of the southern plains. The cheyen-
nes. Arapahoes, Kiowas, Comanches,
and the plains Apaches were forever
pledges to peace Lieutenant- general
Sheridan, in discussing that winters
work privately four years later. said
that for difficulties surrounding il,
and hardships and suffering involved,
there was no parallel In the history
OF our army.
At the time Mr.. Tweedy went thru
the hard campaigns Of the Nineteenth
Kansas, he was only 1si years old, COM
ing from Illinois TO Kansas to enlist. /
His official job was being orderly to |
the first lieutenant He was born on |
a farm at Staunton. Illinois and his
people, for they prided themselves that
but one or two members of the family
were ever anything but staunch
democrats
After the border war Mr.. Tweedy /
went back to Illinois, where he stay
ed until 1876 when he came to Cali
fornia. In the spring of 1880. he
came to Umatllla;county and has made
his home here ever since. He settled
first near Pilot Rock and one Of the
most important things he did while In
that neighborhood was to get married.
Miss Laura ]. Levens consented to
become Mrs Tweedy in 1891. Mr.. and
Mrs Tweedy have had five children,
but one Of whom, Mrs. Della G. Bon
ney is still living. One daughter, Mrs
George Kennedy, was killed by a train
in this city just a year ago this month.
Mr. and Mrs. Tweedy came to PEN
dleton in 1896. and Mr.. Tweedy form
ed a partnership with Walter NJ. Pierce
now democratic candidate for COVER
nor, and they farmed on the Umatilla
Following that venture,
he was in the meat market business In
the city with Ross Carney and Luther
Ramsdale for four or five years. He
became postmaster four years ago this
July, succeeding James Brown.
This story is about Postmaster
rweedy, but he has an aunt who's
going to be put in right at the finish
rs an example to the young ladies OF
.oday, for stories ought to end with a
moral anyway. She Is 81 years old
and has never worn a corset nor a
aides hat in her life. She was 40 E
years old before she ever rode on
rain. Her name is Mrs. Caroline
Best and she lives at Santa Ana, Cali
ornia.