Omaha daily bee., 1918-07-21
NEBRASkAN
OF 10 ASKS TO
FIGHT HUNS
Leander Heron of St. Paul
Marked 100 Per Cent
Perfect by Civil Ser
vice Commission.

50 years ago, he belongs in the front
line trenches.
The civil service commission in
Washington has investigated Mr..
Herron's record and has marked him
100 per cent in experience and, prob
ably, the old warrior will be given
noncombatant work in the army.
He served through the Civil war
in Company c, 83d Pennsylvania, and
was awarded a medal by congress
for valor in fighting the Indians dur
ing the early Indian wars of the west.
Half a century ago. when the
great plains were the battle-ground
for the redskins and white people. Mr..
Heron, then corporal of Company
A, Third United States infantry, rode
through a band of dog soldier" In
dians and rescued a wagon train
which was under attack. Dog
soldiers" is the terms given to the
lawless Indians who were drummed
out of their own tribes for down.
right meanness.
Scene. of Big Fights.
The famous Santa Fe trail was the
stage for the most bitter Indian fights
in history. They were at their worst
in 1868, when 5000 Indians banded
together with the avowed purpose
of running the whites out of the
country.
After all stage lines had been put
out of business by the Indians, a
pony express service was established
in western Kansas. The men rode
through the death zone" at night and
every man knew that capture by the
Indians meant death, either by bullet
or at the stake.
Heron was one of the pony ex-
press riders, carrying the government
mail and army orders. On the night
of September Q. 1868. he was ordered
to take one man and carry dispatches
from Fort Dodge, Kan, to Fort
Larned, Is miles east.
He choose Paddy Boyle for his
assistant.
Start at Dark.
The two men stole out of Dodge
shortly after dark and travelled east
ward for three hours, then, far in the
distance, they heard gunshot and
knew that trouble was brewing. They
rode on and soon they could see the
flashes of guns and, as they neared
the place, they saw that wagon train
was being attacked by Indians.
I'VE took a pistol in each hand and
made for the wagon" said Mr.. Her
ron in telling the story. IF the
Indians saw US in the dim light they
thought we we're of their party. We
guided our horses with our knees.
Yelling and whooping just as loud
as any Indians, Paddy and / went
right through them, firing right and
left. We got through their lines and
into the wagons before the Indians
realized what was up. And there
were dead Indians because of our
dash.
There were only four soldiers in
the, train. They had been fighting
the red men for an hour. The bucks
made desperate attack after we
were in the wagon but we repulsed
it.
The horses for the wagons had
all been killed and there was no way
for us to get away. So, after talking
it over, it was determined that Paddy
should attempt to break through and
reach the fort for help, while should
stay and help fight back the Indians.
Paddy shook hands all around, got
on his horse and rode off.
Paddy Disappears.
"A few minutes later there were
several shots and bloodthirsty yells.
Then there was quiet. We knew Pad
dy was killed and it was up to US to
fight to the last.
after several hours of fighting our
ammunition got low. We decided
that every man, as he reached his
last bullet, should shoot himself, so
that the Indians could not torture
him. The Indians charged repeat
edly, but we made every bullet count.
Once they got within few feet of
our wagon but we drove them back.
"We were in bad shape. One of
our men had been wounded seven
times by arrows and bullets. An
other had been hit on the head with
tomahawk during hand-to-hand
encounter. The third man had been
twice wounded and the fourth had
bullet through his arm. was unin-
jured.
1T was only by the most desperate
efforts that we were able to keep the
whooping devils back.
Finally We had but II rounds of
ammunition left and the Indians were
preparing for another Hun-like drive.
We knew j. meant the last and we
stood in silence ready to take toll of
II Indian lives before we turned the
last bullets on ourselves.
Rush Did Not Come.
"But the rush did not come.
From what we could see the In
dians had divided their forces into
two parties. Streaks of gray in the
east told of approaching daylight.
We could see that one party of In
dians were dressed in white and we
wondered what it meant. We pre-
pared to face both charges.
"Only one division charged and be-
fore we could fire we heard a cali in
English, Don't firer
A man threw his carbine up in the
air and yelled. 1t was Paddy Boyle.
He had gone through the lines and
reached the fort.
THE Indians broke up and fed and
the white soldiers rode up to US.
What kind of uniform do you
call it? I asked Paddy.
We'll, the boys were asleep when
reached the post, he answered,
They didn't take time to dress. They
haven't got any on but their Under
Clothes
1T was a fact. The men didn't wait
to dress and the FIVE rescued men
thanked God for the fact"
Cholera is Reported to
Rn Ran;nn in Pueeion citv