Mike at the Little Bighorn
Sgt. Mike Madden
After several round trips of carrying water to the wounded during the siege on Reno/Benteen Hill Mike Madden started back for more . Trooper Mike, an Irishman, made one too many trips and was wounded in the leg by an Indian sharpshooter. One of the Ree scouts, named Half Yellow Face carried and pulled Mike to safety. Neither of these two brave souls received a Medal of Honor although there were several noncoms in this action that did.
Mike was unable to walk and so was carried to the field hospital of Dr. Porter in the center of the siege circle on top of the Hill. Primitive is too kind a word for the conditions in the hospital area and there was no painkiller available only a bottle of Prairie Whiskey. The doctor gave Mike a drink before he began to operate. Mike took a huge drink and is reported to have said;,” Doc, give me anither drink and ye can cut off me othr leg.” What more can we ask of a true Irishman with a sense of humor.
Well, the good news is that Mike survived the battle and the field operation. But the poor guy never seems to get a break or to put it another way, his only luck was bad luck, because when the personnel were evacuated to the River Boat “Far West”, waiting at the mouth of the Little Bighorn River, Mike was given a mule to ride to ease his trip. They were close to reaching the boat on a cold wet rainy night, when the mule slipped in the mud on the steep riverside trail and Mike landed in a patch of prickly pear cactus.
In later life Mike’s luck seemed to improve because he lived a long life and his sense of humor helped endure the loss of his leg. But I often wonder if it was Mike’s cheerful outlook on life or his whiskey drinking that contributed to his survival to old age.
After several round trips of carrying water to the wounded during the siege on Reno/Benteen Hill Mike Madden started back for more . Trooper Mike, an Irishman, made one too many trips and was wounded in the leg by an Indian sharpshooter. One of the Ree scouts, named Half Yellow Face carried and pulled Mike to safety. Neither of these two brave souls received a Medal of Honor although there were several noncoms in this action that did.
Mike was unable to walk and so was carried to the field hospital of Dr. Porter in the center of the siege circle on top of the Hill. Primitive is too kind a word for the conditions in the hospital area and there was no painkiller available only a bottle of Prairie Whiskey. The doctor gave Mike a drink before he began to operate. Mike took a huge drink and is reported to have said;,” Doc, give me anither drink and ye can cut off me othr leg.” What more can we ask of a true Irishman with a sense of humor.
Well, the good news is that Mike survived the battle and the field operation. But the poor guy never seems to get a break or to put it another way, his only luck was bad luck, because when the personnel were evacuated to the River Boat “Far West”, waiting at the mouth of the Little Bighorn River, Mike was given a mule to ride to ease his trip. They were close to reaching the boat on a cold wet rainy night, when the mule slipped in the mud on the steep riverside trail and Mike landed in a patch of prickly pear cactus.
In later life Mike’s luck seemed to improve because he lived a long life and his sense of humor helped endure the loss of his leg. But I often wonder if it was Mike’s cheerful outlook on life or his whiskey drinking that contributed to his survival to old age.
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