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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (March 21, 1891)
180 THE WEST SHORE. COL JAMES W. FORSYTH. Colonel James W. Forsyth, Seventh United States cavalry, who has been so prominently brought before the public in connection with the late Sioux ghost or mcssiah craze outbreak, culminating in the Wounded Knee, or Mission, fight, was appointed to the military academy in 1851 from Ohio, graduating in 1 856, and was assigned as second lieutenant in the Ninth United Slates infantry (Colonel Wright's old regiment, which was then sta tioned on the Pacific coast, with headquarters at Vancouver), and participated in the Indian wars in which the Ninth infantry took such a prominent part. Serving with the Ninth until May 14, 1861, he was transferred to the Eigh teenth infantry as captain. At the commencement of the rebellion Colonel Forsyth was placed on staff duty in organizing troops for the field. In April, 1864, he was assistant adjutant general, with rank of major. The nineteenth of April, 1864, he was appointed lieutenant colonel and inspector general in the volunteer service. May 19, 1865, he was appointed brigadier general of volunteers. His war record is full of honorable service to his country, having served upon the staff of that gallant officer, General Philip Sheridan, in his most noted campaigns. Colonel Forsyth was honorably mustered out of the volunteer service January 1$, 1866, and assigned as major of the Tenth United States cavalry in 1866, lieutenant colonel First United States cavalry April 4, 1878, and colonel of the Seventh United States cavalry July, 1886. Colonel Forsyth took command of the First United States cavalry, with headquarters at Fort Walla Walla, Washington, September, 1877. In 1878 the liannack Indians, under Iiuflalo Horn and Egan, left the Fort Hall reservation, in Idaho, and went on the warpath. No uprising in the northwest had a more threatening outlook than this one, for it was well known that the Malheurs, as well as the Umatillas, were very restless, and, if the liannacks were success- UII.ONKI. JAMKS W. FORSYTH. ful, the latter tribes would join them, in which event the rich agricultural dis tricts of Eastern Oregon and Washington would be scourged for time by a well armed band of hmtiles, numbering several hundred warriors. General Howard telegraphed to Colonel Forsyth to place all available troops in the field and interceit them, which order was so well carried out by Colonel For syth that it was not long before (he liannacks were in the center of three battalions of the First cavalry. Captain llernard, with two troops, was in the rear, and coming upon them in camp on Willow creek, Oregon, gave them a terrible defeat, killing Huffalo Horn and destroying their camp. The Indians lied in dismay toward the Malheur, but were intercepted again and lied north toward the Umatilla reservation, when they were again met on Mutter creek, Oregon, by Captain Parncll's battalion of the First cavalry, and suffered another defeat. The hosliles now made every effort to reach the Umatilla reservation, as Eg.in was assured by a renegade Umatilla chief, who was with the hosliles, tlial they would gel fresh ponies there and be joined by the Umatillas, In fact, this was their only line of march, as Captain lloutell was in the Grand Konde valley, llernard in their rear and Parnrll on their left, and their only luiie was to seek aid from the Um.1lill.1s, and in case of defeat scalier among the Indians of the reservation in the hope of escaping arrest. Agent Comoyer, of the Umatillas, had informed Homily and other chiefs of the Umatillas thai they must not leave the reservation or lend aid to the liannacks 1 if they did they would be punished. General Howard, with K troop, First cavalry, and a battalion of the Twelfth infantry, arrived at the reservation the second day after the hostile 1 Colonel Forsyth, with a battalion of the First cavalry, came towards the reservation by way of Van yckle canyon. The liannacks were completely surrounded, and in the battle that followed at the reservation Fgan was killed and the liannacks completely scattered, Colonel Forsyth followed the hostile through the John Day country and succeeded in capturing and vanning the remaining hosliles, thus terminating what at first threatened to be the most serious Indian war of the northwest. Colonel Forsyth was in command of the Seventh United States cavalry during the late Sioux trouble, and it was the fortune of his command to have to deal with the worst element of the affected Indians. The investigation into the conduct of Colonel Forsyth, beginning with his being relieved from command by General Miles on the charge of failure to take proper precautions to prevent surprise and incapacity as shown by a faulty disposition of his force, and ending with a complete exoneration by General Schofield and Sec retary Proctor and his restoration to his command, are matters of general public knowledge. It was officially determined that Colonel Forsyth handled his men in a skillful manner, and that under the most trying circumstances possible they so conducted themselves as to demonstrate that the state of discipline in his regiment was remarkably good. Colonel Forsyth comes out of this investigation with a national reputation that may win for him the star of a brigadier general soon to be bestowed upon someone by the president. See advertising columns for particulars of prizes for puzzles and answers. No. 30. MALTESE CROSS. J 3 o t 4 t I t 8 5 t 7 6 2 to 3 At this (Obs.). 4 to 5 Draws back. 7 to 6 A short poem. 9 to 8 A tedder. 1 to 3 Advancement. 1 to 3 An adept. 1 to 4 A tenant. 1 to 5 Overwhelms. 1 to 6 To construct upon. 1 to 7 Exam ines. 1 to 8 To saunter. 1 to 9 Due. The initial letters of the diagonals spell the name of a martyred president. Fort Wayne, Indiana. Fairplay. No. 31. ENIGMA. My whole lady loves 10 do, Whenever she my last ailcndj. Without my head I'm worn by you, And on your eyes my head depends. Ikheud me twice, curtail, and though so small You'll find I ever am the head of all. Then, If niv last 10 this you'll add. I'll show rrlalioni, good or tiud. Si. Paul, Minnesota. p. No. 3. I)IAMOI) CROSS WORD. I In Portland. 1 A tattered garment (Scotch). 3 Humiliated by practical jokes. 4 llewildered. J Something that perplexes. 6 Expunged. 7 Damp with condensed .moisture. 8 Imperfect participle of an irregular verb. 9 In mountain. East Portland, Oregon. C. D. M.