Col. Brodie's Two Wounds

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 370, 11 June 1903, Page 8

Col. Brodie's Two Wounds

• • • famous r.onsrh Rider'* Story if Two Thrilling • • EpiiO<le* u» Hi* Eventful Career. • • • ••••••••••

*TT WAS a strange coincidence," £ said Col. Brodie, the second in eommand of the famous rough riders, the other day, as he with a few of that ■cattered band of famous fighters were ■waiting for a train to Williams. "It's a strange coincidence that I was wounded -when I -was a lieutenant, just fresh from West Point, on- the 24th day of June, by Apaches out here, and it was th« 24th day of June, over 20 years later, I was wounded at Los Guaymas, In Cuba, and nearly in the same place." "I was nothing but a kid then, and was etatioaed at Fort Grant. A short •fane afterward I was sent to Fort Apache during the outbreak in '73, built up the place, and was helping to keep the red cusses in shape there with a jfivt men. I rode into the country on Wwleback, over 700 miles, and you'd h«vre to ride 750 more miles to get tc the nearest point on the railroad tc the north. "We had been cooped up at Fort Apache for over four months without any mail; the men were getting restless —guess it was enough to make them restless, too, for we expected the whole herd of Apaches down on ue at any time. You never could tell what old Geronimo would do. One day the captain gave me a detail of 15 men and told me 4o go to Fort Grant for mail and a few supplies. It was over 100 miles and through the Indian country all the way, hills and desert where a jackrabbit would have trouble to keep on a trail. About halfway out. eight of my troopers deserted. There ■was no use in my trying to get them back again, for you couldn't find them in the first place to get them back again, and I couldn't have took 'em back with me if I had found them, because I didn't have enough men to doit.

"We had been dodging hostile bands erf Indians for some time before \re had a brush with them. Coming uf. through a long draw we jumped up a band of about 15 or 20 and the music commenced. There was no way of getting in any fancy moves on them,-*—w« were in the bottom of a !or.Er draw, 01 canyon, just about wide enough foi an ordinary road. It was either gc ahead, retreat or climb a side of the aanyon. There wasn't much to hesitate over; we would have had a long retreat down that draw and been pottec if we attempted to climb the sides oi the canyon. My sergeant was an oldtimer, as were a number of my little band. They knew as well as I did that the only thing that would save us was a quick dash right into them — lomething that the Indian can't stand a little bit unless they outnumber you ten to one. "We gave them a volley tc stir them up, and let them know we were coming, and had the satisfaction of seeing three or four of them drop, then, yelling like a lot of hyenas, we started down the draw on a dead run headed straight into them. Each trooper swung out his six-shooter ready for a snap-shot at the first Indian he coulcl reach. The old sergeant was close at my heels, with every fellow hugging down close to the saddle. I turned half around in my saddle just before we struck them, and as I did sr a bullet broke through my saddle horn and another cut through my vest and ripped me across the stomach about a half-inch deep.

"The 'Paches couldn't stand the rush. We run them up the canyon about a mile before they could find any side breaks to get out of and scatter. We lost three troopers in the fight. After it was over we went back to where they were, rolled them in their blankets and buried them among the rocks as best we could. There wasn't much ceremony or tears for the poor fellows —we hadn't time for it; we all expected the same thing all the time; besides there was a splendid possibility of the whole bunch of us going the same way before we got through, without anyone left to roll us in a blanket. If the 'poor' Indian gathered in a band of blue-coats, he also gathered up their hair, and left a fiock of buzzards to do the rest.

"After burying the troopers we struck a trail up the canyon side and camped in a clearing where we could command a view of the country surrounding, and doctored up our wounds as best we could; mine was painful, but only a flesh wound. I think I was sorer over my ruined new coat and vest than from the wound. "The band of Indians circled around our camp again that afternoon, and we exchanged long shots with them, without doing any damage to either side. As soon as night came we struck out for Fort Grant as fast as we could make it through the night, and eluded them. An Indian won't fight at night, anyway, unless you force him to.

"We reached the fort late the next day. The closer we came to it the less danger there was, for troops from the fort kept the country 'round pretty well cleaned up and quiet. "We stayed at the fort for several days, until our wounds healed, before making a return trip. The colonel in command of the fort insisted on my staying there for a time, as there were rv;-r f- 0 hostile Indians on the warpath i'.-j ■• r-d all over that country. He told nte that it was foolish to make the attempt, and never expected to see me alive atrain, but I was young, and had totd the captain I'd be back as soon as I could make the trip with the mail and supplies, and wouldn't stay. "I didn't know it at the time, but learned afterward, that the Indians I had the running fight with coming over belonged to a sub-chief and a relative of old Gcrrniimo, but I found it out coming hr.cU We hadn't been out two days when they sighted us; luckily, it happened just about sundown. They

1 .;!; a few shots at us. th« u wtni . ; • n.p just over a hi!! from "!,rrf ■•• .vote camped. We coif.d bt ar tlss mlding powwows and singing wbi; making preparations to dangle our scalps in their belts the next day. "I remember I sat locking into thi campfire that night, wishing I was bacl. home and wondering what in thunder to do, when the old sergeant came ovei to me and asked: "Lieutenant, you don't think we car lick thet hull outfit, do you?"

" 'No, sergeant; I don't What do you think we'd better do?' " 'Well, I think we hed better buih up a big fire, so they kin see it. tin drift out of this.' "And we did. We struck a trail at followed it all that night. About d,-. light we found ourselves on a hill tc and right in the center of an old. serted Indian village. It was ti night's trip that first gave me my hj appreciation of the much maligned <.. government mule. Every mule in ih« pack train seemed to understand th. situation and there wasn't a whimpe: or a bray from any one of the lot untiwe had put a good night's travel be tween us and that gang of redskins. "We didn't have any more trouble i getting back to the fort, though w< crossed a number of warm trails o! bands. I met the chief when he cam; into the fort a long time after to mak< peace, and he told me how many time: he had shot at me on that trip am couldn't understand how it was tha he never got me. "The wound that I got at Los Guay mas, in Cuba, was another lucky one too. You remember, Sellers, how A an< B troops of the regiment were lined in that day at the foot of the hill, an. we were getting a perfect hell of fir from the Spanish entrenched up oi top of the hill? Well, I was walkin. up and down before my battalion. an< had orders to hold them fast to pre tect our right flank from the enfilad: fire on the right. I had just turnei around and waved my glove at them U hold fast, and dropped my hand to m;. side again, when a Mauser struck m* in the arm.' If I hadn't dropped nr< arm just as I did, the ball would hav, cut me straight through the center It turned me around and knocked mi down, but in a short time I gatherer myself up, went to the rear to see hov badly I was hit, and found that thi bone was badlf shattered. It was three days before I had the wound attended to. There was a lump on the inside of my arm, and when the surgeon examined it he said it was a piec of bone sticking out, and that he woulr have to cut it out. He made a cut across the lump and out popped the bullet wrong end first. If it had come straight as most of them do, it would nev,-: have stopped in the arm, but went or straight through me. "The following day T wanderer around back of the firing line trying t r help the poor fellows that were worse off than I was, and I remember seeinc one of the A troop boys—'Buck o'Xiell' c company, coming down the road with tears running down his cheeks and 1 thought he must be wounded badly He saw me and yelled: " 'Hello, major, where is the firing line!' I told him it was away on ahead in the other direction, but the fight v?as over.

"Then he seemed to feel worse than eve»; and broke out with as choice a lot of ornamental cuss words as I evei heard a mule driver get rid of, and wound up by saying: " 'lt's a shame that a feller comes all the way here from Arizona to fight and then gets knocked out by the climate within a few yards of the firing line.' "That forced march was the hardest I ever saw. Packed down with about 50 pounds of blankets, rations and other stuff in that hot country, we doublequicked right by the regulars, . that were coming up at a good stiff gait, too. right straight into trouble. Fellows would drop out of the ranks along the line of march like they were shot, some of 'em wouldn't come to for a day or two after and some never were right afterwards. "Teddy Roosevelt came over to my tent at four o'clock in the morning after the fight and woke me up to tell me that the Arizona boys made his regiment. He said he knew that I knew it, but wanted to tell me that he knew it and wanted to tell it first.

"There's a fellow, that Teddy; full of life, vigor and energy, that enjoys living and fighting. I was in New York after he was elected governor and went over to .Albany to call on him at the capitol. I hardly expected to see him, as he was busy, but thought I'd just send in my card to let him know I was in town. I met the secretary at the door and asked him to take in my card to the governor. He told me there was no use, the governor was busy on some important case or other, and there were several delegations of lawyers arguing something before him. I insisted that he take in the card, anyway, and handed it to him. He took a look at it and went in. In a minute he came back with a smile on his face and said that the governor wanted me to come right in. "When I went in he squinted across the room to see who it was, held up his hands at the fellows talking, anr! rushed across the room to me with both hands stuck out—the same 61C Teddy I knew in Cuba. After he talked a few minutes he turned, waved his hand at the waiting lawyers with a look on his face as much as to say: 'See what rot I have to stand all the time,' then said: 'lt's fun being governor, though, and I rather like it.' "A third shot I guess would get me. but I've got enough of it. All I want now is for that mine of mine near Wicksrberg to pan out and I'll be satisfied." —Globe-Democrat.