Title: Realism Uncanny in War Pictures, Verdict in East

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REALISM UNCANNY IN WAR PICTURES, VERDICT IN EAST

Washington Herald Tells How Notables Viewed Indian Battles.

EVERY DETAIL CORRECT.

Denver Will Have Opportunity to See Them All of Next Week.

The Washington Herald of last Saturday has an elaborate story of the Indian war pictures as presented before the officials of the nation last week. The article which follows, gives an idea of what the people of Denver will be able to see at the Tabor Opera house all next week beginning Sunday afternoon:

Army officers, active and retired, grizzled veterans of the Indian wars, yesterday lived again their battles during two complimentary presentations of moving pictures of frontier battles, in which many of them participated. The pictures were shown first at the Columbia in the afternoon, and the Home Club of the interior department in the evening.

Under the direction of Col. William F. Cody, dear to the hearts of hundreds of thousands the world over as Buffalo Bill, the Indian fights through which he passed as a chief scout with United States troops, were re-enacted last summer on the scenes of the original engagements.

PICTURES ARE ALMOST UNCANNY IN REALISM.

The war department loaned United States troops for the purpose, and the interior department permitted the mobilization of Indians, and then virtually all survivors on both sides of the conflicts were gathered into a council to make the scenes historically correct. The result is a set of films almost uncanny in their realism. The realism was carried even to the point of having officers of general rank, "active and retired, re-enact the parts they played in battles as young lieutenants. Maj. Gen. Miles is seen reviewing again on the plains of South Dakota, the victorious troops following the battle of Wounded Knee, the last battle of the great Indian uprising. And gathered around him are many who sat their horses during the review twenty-two years before. In an earlier picture, Col. H. G. Sickles, now in command of the Twelfth cavalry, is seen scouting on his stomach through the sage brush, in company with Buffalo Bill, watching a wagon train which was about to be attacked by a band of Cheyennes — a part he had played as a young lieutenant, and upon the identical spot.

Many national figures appear in the presentation. Besides Lieutenant General Miles, are Maj. Gen. Jesse M. Lee, Brig. Gen. Charles King, Brig. Gen. Frank Baldwin, Big. Gen. Marion Maus, from the army veterans, and Short Bull, who led in person hundreds of warriors, many veterans of the warpath of the powerful Red Cloud, Ogallalla and Spotted Tail Brule Sioux through the scenes they renacted [sic] in bloody earnest many years before.

The pictures cover scenes from 1876 to 1891 — from the battle of War Bonnet Creek in the Custer campaign, to the end of the Messiah Ghost Dance Craze War — the Pine Ridge campaign.

Many of the scenes are beautiful, many are inspiring, others impress through the terrible realism they show. All defy a detailed description, but the verdict of the audiences who sat spellbound through the two presentations may be indicated from the remark of Brigadier General Hall, a veteran of the Custer campaign and most of the Indian fights.

WAR DEPARTMENT TO PRESERVE THE REELS.

"Bill, I didn't think it could be done," he said, clasping Colonel Cody's hand during the performance at the Columbia. "I didn't think until I saw these pictures that it would be possible to reproduce what we went through out there."

The Columbia performance was given under the auspices of the National Press club. Every seat in the house was filled when Senator Francis E. Warren arose for a brief introduction of Colonel Cody. In the audience were most of the general officers stationed here, among them the adjutant general of the army.

The evening performance at the Home Club of the Interior Department was attended by especially invited guests of Secretary Lane, who, with Secretary Garrison and Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood, has done everything in his power to make the venture a success. Members of the cabinet and their wives, senators and members of congress and military men of this and other nations packed the club to capacity.

One complete set of reels will be preserved in the archives of the war department as a historical record of the frontier campaigns, a record such as never before was taken of a similar set of scenes.