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|Rare Gallantry and Daring of an Antrepid Frontiereman. He Reccupd the Far West from Indian Deperdesivns, But the Govern ment Never Neconnived His Great Service, (Special Washington Latter) This is a story of fact, and it is a ranger and a stronger story than you have ever read in fiction. This is a narration of the deed of a patriot, a brave man, who offered l ife and vicarious amcrifice for other, and who never received reward or mark of adequate appreciation. The senate of the United States re cently passed a bill “for the relief of Hattie A. Phillips,” and the title of the bill carries with it no significance. The pill makes an appropriation of $5,783 “for oxen, mules and horses taken from John Phillips.” That sounds dull and prosaic enough to fend off all likelihood of anything out of the ordinary. But it shows that this ungrateful republic, after 32 years, fails to grant recognition of heroism, and simply pays what it is compelled to pay for losses actually sustained by a hero. And yet the senate committee on claims, in its report on the bill, makes ample acknowledgment of govern mental obligation. To all the annals of heroin in the face of unusual dangers and disfication on the American frontier, or in the world, there are few that can exceed in gallantry, in heroism, to devotion, in self-sacrifice and patriotism the ride made by John Phillips from Fort Phil Kearney, in December, 1866, to Fort Laramie, carrying dispatches which give the first intelligence to the outside world of the terrible massacre near the former post, and which saved the lives of the people garrisoned there—men, women and children—by starting reen forcements to their relief. On the 21st day of December, 1866, Fort Phil Kearny, commanded by Col. Henry B. Carrington, under the shadow of the Big Horn mountains, over 200 miles from the nearest telegraph line, was the extreme outpost in that part of the northwest. The savage Sioux, under Red Cloud, had been hovering in the vicinity of the post for some time, and had been last seen in large numbers on Tongue river, northeast of the fort. On the 21st of December the Indians made an attack upon the wood train a few miles north of the fort. A de tachment of troops under the com mand of Brevet Lieut. Col. Fetterman, including two other officers and 78 men and a number of civilians, made a dash from the fort for the purpose of pro tecting the wood train. When some four miles from the fort they were sur rounded by the Indians in overwhelm ing numbers, and every man of the de tachment was killed. ‘The heroism of their struggle for life can never be, ‘told, but the terrible slaughter which has since been confessed by the Indians for their braves, and the fact that the troops were only killed after their am munition was exhausted, speaks elo quently of the horrible and bloody na ture of the encounter. The triumphant and bloodthirsty Sioux, commanded by Red Cloud and outnumbering the gar rison by twenty to one, had then sur rounded and entirely invested the fort. An attack was hourly expected. It was understood that if the Indians were suc cessful in taking the fort it meant death for the garrison and a worse fate for the women and children, who begged piteously to be placed in the powder house and blown up in the case of a successful attack by the In dians. At this juncture, when brave men felt that the only possible hope for the gar rison was in taking news of their, the Meaguermemt” to the nearest Ontelde Post, and not a soldier could be found who would brave the attempt to break through the savages and, ride to the nearest outpost, a distance of 225 a miles. John Phillips, a scout and hunt er, volunteered to take dispatches to Fort Laramie. Placing a few biscuits in his pockets, tying on his saddlen small quantity of feed for his horse, he left the post at midnight on the night succeeding the massacre and reached Fort Laramie with the dispatches five days later, country across which he rode was absolutely uninhabited by white mard the ground was covered with snow from three to five feet in depth; he had no food for himself or his horse other than the meager amount he took with him,and it was necessary for him to travel entirely by night for fear of hostile Indians. The weather was exceedingly cold, the thermometer reaching 20 degrees below zero. When he delivered the dispatches at 1 Fort Laramie, hardy frontiersman that he was, he fell in a dead faint. Imme diately on receipt of the dispatches troops were forwarded from Fort Laramie, and the garrison at Fort Phil Kearny was relieved.For this most re markable act of heroism John Phillips has never in any way been paid by the general government, the only payment made him being the sum of $300 which was paid him for various scouting services. Tn the years, immediately following his heroic ride John Phillips was em ployed in various capacities and en gaged in business in connection with the government posts, and he was con tinually hinted and harassed by th e Sioux, who always looked upon him the men who had wrested from their gap the garrison at Fort Phil Kearny. At one time he was lavsoed by the Thoiard fe an attempt to capture him for the purpose of tarure. At o town, pure Wantonnhas fa seta nobe” Meroe empae ie a no en; ty piealleg wood, atetattatieo at Fort Fetterman, when a band of In dians, spposed to be Sioux and Cheyennes, Orage off and killed a con siderable amount of sock belonging to him. Red Cloud acknowledged the depredation, but insisted that the In dians did not belong to his band. Upon the overwhelming testimony of army, officers, Indian agents, special ex aminers and others, the court of claims allowed and entered judgment for the sum of $2,210. it subsequently transpired that: at ‘the time of this depredation John Phil lips was not a fully naturalized citizen,’ and the claim was not paid. The court could not take into account the gallant and meritorious services of this brave man, but could make Its decision only upon the finding of fact.” Subsequently Phillips became a fully naturalized citizen; but, broken health by the exposure and strain of his long and perilous ride, he died in the prime of life, leaving a widow and child in strait ened circumstances. Col. Carrington filed with the senate committee on claims the following affidavit, which is now a part of the official record on the case: Henry B. Carrington, United States army, being duly aworn, makes oath and says: That on the 21st day of December, 1866, as coloniel of the Eighteenth United S tates infantry, and as commanding offi cer of the Rocky Mountain district, department of the Platte, he found his whole district to be in a a state of bitter war with the Indians occupying that country, and was constantly engaged in audh warfare; that it became necessary to employ citizen scouts and messengers who were familiar with the country and with Indian methods. That on the 2st day of Decembe aforesaid, an action took place within mix miles of Fort Philip Kearny, which post was his headquarters, in which, surprised by Red Cloud and his band of overwhelm ing numbers, three officers and 78 men were killed and mutilated in less than an hour; that several thousand Indians surrounded the post, rendering communi cation with Fort Laramie, the nearest post having troops at disposal, impracticable; that the garrison was so small that no troops could be sent back for assistance; that only by the utmost care, all troops being on guard constantly, supported by five pieces of artillery, was the post itself preserved intact; that ammunition had been reduced to less than 2 rounds per man, and neither officers nor men believed it possible to venture through the sur rounding Indian forces for help with any hope of success. At this juncture John Phillips, used to frontier life, the wilea of the Indians, and convinced of the utter destruction that awaited the command unless relief were promptly obtained, volunteered his serv ices as dispatch bearer to Fort Laramie, 225 miles distant, through a hostile coun try, absolutely without inhabitants or the possiblity of aid or supplies en route. Confidential dispatches were intrusted to his care, with Instructions how to meet emergencies, and during the night after the battle he started out on his dangerous mission. Previous mail parties and a party of expert border scouts which left later were scalped and their bodies,and the malla were found where they were massacred. Phillips, by riding nights and keeping under cover by day, safely reached a tele graph station 4 miles from Fort Laramie just before the Indians attacked and burned it, sent his dispatches, pushed on to Fort Laramie and found that his dis patches had been received and troops were preparing to go to the relief of the endan gered garrison. His herolam was without promise of any special reward, but was executed with rare Skill, patriotism and succes His mission practically rescued the whole country from Indian outrages and brought that section immediate relief. It is impossible to state more strongly the value of his services, which were never adequately required; and afflant knows of no soldier of the army whose services more absolutely demand recognition for the sake of his family than do those of the brave, modest, faithful Joan Phillips, since de ceased, leaving his widow in a beathtura condition, ‘The heroism of Phillips had a tender and noble aspect. That is the testimony of a brave sol dier concerning the heroism of a brave man. And now, after 22 years, the congress has ‘concluded to re imburse his widow for actual losses austiined; but not one penny is given in recompense for his splendid services in saving so many human lives. SMITH D, FRY. ‘Thoughtiens Wirt. “A most thoughtless girl, said her mother, in accents of despair. “What has she done?” asked her father, “She sat on the bench this morning 80 close to the water that the spray from a breaker unexpectedly reached her, explained her mother, “And took the curl all out of her hair, I suppose,” suggested her father, “Worse than that,” answered the mother. “It ruined her bathing suit,” —Chicago Post. ‘There Are Others, Askins—What do you suppose makes Newhale look so sad and dejected so soon after his marriage? Grimshaw—They and the bride was a very sweet girl; perhaps she has for mented by this time—Puck. 5 In These Times. Johnny—Pa, why is the pen mightier than the sword? Fond Father—Because, my gon, it en ables thy Spanish to claim an occasional: ‘Tia strange,” quoth, tha tramp, as by trudged through the rain, Heavinx o hefty #teh. “That I can thuse two confounded wat And still be so awfully ary. N.Y. Journal, Unusual. Firt Summer Girl—I became en gaged to him the first time we met. Second Summer Girl—Something terrible must have happened to cause, justes delay—N. Y. Evening Journal, Ned one Her Share, He—Have you ever tried to make people happy? She—T'ye bean divorced four times. “Yonkers Statesman wiki,” Me BRAVE JOHN PHILLIPS, SURROUNDED THE FORT,
Newspaper Details
The Worthington Advance
Worthington, Minnesota, US
Thu, Jul 21, 1898
Page 6
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 05 Feb 2026
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