, •
Stories of
Great Scouts
AMITH K. RANKIN'S RIDE TO
SAVE HIS COMRADES
Ou nf the imteit rides In frontier
Watery was that of Joseph E. Rankin,
U ■»« with lb]. T. T. Thornburgh,
whoa that officer waa ambuehed and
WUai by the Utn Indiana September
ee U7t, and Wa command aurrounded
«■ tha win* river la northwestern
Oeiecsde. Whan Chpt J. S. Payne of
tha Fifth cavalry took command of
tha heleagmnul troops and called for
vahutasrn to ride for help, Bankln
waa tha Srat to offer himself.
all of tha horses la the command
had keen wounded, but, taking one
ad the least Injured, Rankin made a
dash **—g the hack trail and suc
ceeded in getting through the Indian
Uaea- Then la the darkness he headed
far Bawling* Wye, 170 miles away,
The next meaning ha met a party of
eaMlars bringing up a cattle herd for
Thornburgh, exchanged horses and
aaw mount soon failed him and
forced to continue his Journey
Luckily he soon reached a
„ and there obtained another
Da this bene he rode weari
Rawllage with his news that
■e had crossed three moun
had led his hones over
to ride In the dark
___the animals wen too
to cnivy him end he had covered
ed ITS miles In exactly
ho
hay
V
at once pot Into mo
te reacuo Paysa OoL Wesley
, with four troops of the Fifth
eavalry suached Rowlings on the mom
Mg eg Oft eh or g. Itenkln Immediate
ly sdkrud his ssrrlces as guide end
|g neon Manure commend was on
Idi wey, When they comped at mid
fsa» < they hud covered 40 miles.
It was the menlng of October 4.
