The Coolidge examiner., 1932-06-24

Miss Grace Aileen Harrington as postmaster at
the United States Military academy. Cadets at
vhe academy know Miss Harrington as the dimin-
utive lady whose kindly face there is al
ways a smile as she passes out their mail to
thtm. But to others, familiar with West Point
history, she is the symbol of one of the most
tragic episodes in the greater tragedy of the
Custer battle. For she is the daughter of Lieut.
Henry Moore Harrington, a subaltern in Capt.
Tom Clusters c troop of the Seventh cavalry,
who died on the Little Big Horn.
native of New York Harrington was grad
uated from West Point in 1868. His first duty
was in North Carolina, but desiring more active
service he transferred to the Seventh cav
airy in 1872 and joined that regiment in time to
participate in several minor Indian fights He
was leave in 1876 when the Seventh cavalry
was ordered to join General Terrys army, which
was TO be sent into the field against the hostile
Sioux and Cheyennes. Upon hearing of this,
Harrington Immediately teegraphed that he was
giving up his leave and rejoining his troop. So
he was one of those who rode away from Fort
Abraham Lincoln in North Dakota and took the
trail which led to the Little Big Horn, to death
and to utter mystery as to his end.
For Lieutenant Harrington was one Of the
three officers (the others being Lieutenants
James f. Porter of troop and James r. Sturgis
Of troop whose bodies were never found, at
least, not identified after the battle. OF them q
noted authority on Indian history f. A. Brinin-
stool. in his book. a Trooper With Custer"
writes; Nothing was ever learned Of their fate
and while il has always been supposed that they
were killed. but possibly not identified, yet, II is
not beyond reason that all or one Of them may
have escaped, badly wounded to die in some
out-oftheway place. Some writers have insisted
that they were doubtless captured alive and tor
tura m bof MI In tba Ind villa
which flushed with its bloody victory over
Custer. The Sioux, however, always have main
tanned that they took no prisoners IN the occa-
sion of the Little Big Horn fight"
Not only is the ignorance of her fathers fate
one of the tragic incidents in the life Of the
woman who is postmaster at West Point, where
so many of Clusters officers were cadets,
but there is another tragic memory which she
has carried through life-a memory of her moth
er, who suddenly disappeared several years after
the Custer battle. "Amnesia II would be called
nowadays" Miss Harrington says, "but at that
time it was ascribed to grief and the uncertain
ty of what had happened to my father. Several
| times we heard from Indians that lady dressed
| in black had been seen on the battlefield. Other
reports came from Indian Territory. We investi-
| gated all these rumors and finally after two
years we found her in Texas where severe at
tack of pneumonia had served to bring back her
memory that she knew who she was But
she was never able to give any account Of her
wanderngs while she was gone why she was
there"
Tragedy also stalked through the life of
Miss Harrngton's great-aunt Miss Blanche Be
rard, who was postmaster at West Point for al
most so years Appointed by President Polk In
1847, she served in that post until 1897. AS
young girl she was engaged TO an officer. zone
afternoon this officer brought his horse to the
post office to show my greataunt," Miss Har-
rington tells the story: while exercising him
and demonstrating his good points, the officer
was thrown and killed. This aunt never married.
remaining true to the memory of her first and
only love- One big thrill did come to her in her
later life While on leave of absence from the
post Office, which she spent in Europe, Miss Be
| rard had the honor of being presented to Queen
Victoria"
The war record of the Harrington family dates
back to the birth of the United States, for
among the family papers in Miss Harrington's
possession is the honorable discharge of her
great-great- grandfather, Niles, who was a SOL
der in the Continental army. This historic doc
ument is signed by George Washington. In the
Civil war members of her family participated
in many engagements as volunteers.
Over Miss Harrington's desk in the postoffice
hang two pictures. There in the busy turmoil
or mali dlStrlDutlon Tor the LOU cadets at the
academy and an equal number of regular Off
GERS and soldiers is a constant reminder of de-
votfon TO duty, the cornerstone of Miss Har-
ringtons life and that of her distinguished an
cestors. One of them is picture of her father
as cadet and the other a picture of him as an
officer in the regimentals of the Seventh cav
airy the uniform worn when he disappeared
forever The picture of him in cadet uniform
is enclosed in a frame made of beads and these
beads were obtained by her mother from In
dans in Dakota-perhaps from members of the
same tribe whose warriors rode over the troop
ers of Custer and his captains and his lieuten-
ants in a red wave of savage triumph that fear
full day on the Little Big Horn ffty-six years
ago! v