Class of 1875

Lieut. Cherry Murdered.

Killed by a soldier under his command
while pursuing desperadoes.

Chicago, May 16. — A dispatch from Fort Niobrara, Nebraska, May 13, by way of Neligh, Neb., says: On May 10, Lieut. Cherry, of the Fifth Cavalry, with eight men and five Indians, was ordered by Major Upham to pursue and capture a party of four robbers, headed by Charles Johnson, a deserter from the Fifth Cavalry, who had attacked a party in a dance hall and killed a half-breed named John Bodeaux and severely wounded a white man. Lieut. Cherry rode in pursuit the entire day, and, losing the trail, camped at Sharp's ranch, 25 miles north-west of the post. The next morning he divided his command and started east, to reach the rations sent to meet him from the post. About 10 o'clock, while riding along, with Sergt. Harrington on his right hand and Thomas Locke and James Conroy in the rear, a shot was fired from behind, and Lieut. Cherry, turning around, saw Locke with a pistol in his hand, which he pretended had gone off accidentally. When asked what it meant, Locke immediately leveled his pistol and shot Lieut. Cherry through the heart, killing him almost instantly. Locke then turned and fired at Conroy, at whom he had directed the first shot, wounding him and knocking him from his saddle. Sergt. Harrington, according to his own statement, seeing his officer shot down and a body of men rapidly approaching whom he believed to be desperadoes, but who were in fact a party under the leader­ship of Bodeaux's brother, fled and, after riding down his own horse and Lieut. Cherry's, which had followed him, reached the post at 9:30 o'clock. Locke put spurs to his horse and escaped.

When the news reached the post Capt. Montgomery, with his company of the Fifth Cavalry, proceeded at once to the scene of the tragedy and sent Lieut. Cherry's body in. Lieut. Cherry was a graduate of West Point, not more than 30 years old, and had already achieved a brilliant reputation as a soldier and frontier fighter and in the engagement at Milk River, Col., Sept. 29, 1879, between the Ute Indians and three companies of cavalry, under command of Major Thornburgh. After the death of Capt. Payneα he displayed great courage and high soldierly qualities. He and Capt. Lawson saved the command from annihilation. He was a man of fine stature, •6 feet in height and well built, and was engaged to be married to a young lady of a distinguished Pennsylvania family. The motive of the man Locke is not known, and the whole affair has a look of mystery. The conduct of Spotted Tail, who remained at the post, and of the Indians he sent with the troops has been admirable.

My Note:

α A mistake in the newspaper article. Of all the officers named Payne listed in Heitman's Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army from its Organization, September 29, 1789, to March 2, 1903, the only one serving in the Army with the rank of Captain in 1881 was West Pointer John Scott Payne. Capt. Payne did fight at Milk River, but was not killed: according to his AOG obituary, he was twice wounded. The Register doesn't even record a medical leave from Fort Niobrara after the engagement.