History of Houston County, Including Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 43

Author: Edward D. Neill
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 547

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The fight lasted until near noon, when the enemy withdrew, taking with him nearly all his dead. The loss which he sustained could not be fully as- certained, but from the number killed in plain view of the works, and the marks of blood, broken guns, old rags, and other signs discovered where the men had fallen or been dragged away by their companions, it must have been very severe. Our loss was one man killed and two wounded, one of them mortally.

Mr. Hills left the fort the same evening as bearer of dispatches to headquarters at St. Paul, where he arrived in safety on the evening of the 8th of September.

Captain Emil A. Buerger was appointed, by special order from headquarters, to take command of the expedition for the relief of Fort Abercrom- bie. He had served with some distinction in the Prussian army for a period of ten years. He after- ward emigrated to the United States, and be- came a resident of the state of Minnesota, taking the oath of allegiance to the Gov- ernment of the United States, and making a declaration of his intention to become a citizen. He enlisted in the second company of Minnesota Sharp-Shooters, and was with the company in the battle of Fair Oaks, in Virginia, where he was severely wounded and left upon the field. He was there found by the enemy, and carried to Rich- mond as a prisoner of war. After having in a great measure recovered from his wounds, he was paroled and sent to Benton Barracks, in the state of Missouri, where he was sojourning at the time the 3d Regiment was ordered to this state. As the regiment at that time was utterly destitute of com- missioned officers, Captain Buerger was designated to take charge and command during the passage from St. Louis, and to report the command at head- quarters in this state.

From his known experience and bravery, he was selected to lead the expedition to the Red River of the North, for the relief of the garrison at

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REINFORCEMENTS.

Fort Abercrombie. On the 9th of September he was informed, by the commandant at Fort Snell- ing, that the companies commanded respectively by Captains George Atkinson and Rolla Banks, together with about sixty men of the Third Regi- ment, under command of Sergeant Dearborne, had been assigned to his command, constituting an aggregate force of about 250 men.

The next day (September 10) arms and accou- trements were issued to the men, and, before noon of the 11th of September, Captain Atkinson's company and the company formed from the mem- bers of the Third Regiment were ready for the march. With these Captain Buerger at once set out, leaving Captain Bank's company to receive their clothing, but with orders to follow after and overtake the others as soon as possible, which they did, arriving at camp and reporting about 3 o'clock the next morning.

It was also deemed expedient to send the only remaining field-piece belonging to the state along with the expedition, and Lieutenant Robert J. McHenry was, accordingly, appointed to take command of the piece, and was sent after the expedition, which he succeeded in overtaking, near Clear Water, on the 13th of September, and imme- diately reported for further orders to the captain commanding the expedition.

Being detained by heavy rains and muddy roads, the expedition was considerably delayed upon its march, but arrived at Richmond, in Stearns county, on the 16th of September, and encamped in a fortification erected at that point by the citizens of the place. Upon his arrival, Cap- tain Buerger was informed that the night previous an attack had been made upon the neighboring village of Paynesville, and a church and school- house had been burned, and that, on the day of his arrival, a party of thirty Sioux warriors, well mounted, had been seen by some of the Richmond home-guards, about three miles beyond the Sauk river at that point.

Captain Buerger thereupon detailed a party of twenty men to proceed to Richmond, to patrol up and down the bank of the river as far as the town site extended, and, in case of an attack being made, to render all possible or necessary assistance and aid to the home militia; at the same time he held the remainder of his command in readiness to meet any emergency that might arise. No In- dians appeared during the night, and, on the morning following, the march was resumed.

On the 19th of September the expedition reached Wyman's Station, at the point where the road enters the "Alexandria Woods." At the setting . out of the expedition it was next to impossible to obtain means of transportation for the baggage and supplies necessary for the force. The fitting out of so many other expeditions and detachments about the same time had drawn so heavily upon the resources of the country, that scarcely a horse or wagon could be obtained, either by contract or impressment. Although Mr. Kimball, the quarter- master of the expedition, had been assiduously engaged from the 8th of September in endeavor- ing to obtain such transportation, yet, on the 11th, he had but partially succeeded in his endeavors.

Captain Buerger had refused longer to delay, and started at once with the means then at hand, leaving directions for others to be sent forward as rapidly as circumstances would allow. The march was much less rapid, for want of this part of the train. These, fortunately, arrived while the com- mand was encamped at Wyman's Station, just before the commencement of what was considered the dangerous part of the march.

On the 14th of September, Captains Barrett and Freeman, having united their commands, de- termined to make the attempt to relieve Fort Abercrombie, in obedience to previous orders. They broke up camp on the evening of that day, and by evening of the 15th, had reached Lake Amelia, near the old trail to Red River, where they encamped. During the night a messenger arrived at their camp, bearing dispatches from Captain McCoy, advising them of the advance of the expe- dition under command of Captain Buerger, by whom they were directed to await further orders.

On the 18th they received orders directly from Captain Buerger, directing them to proceed to Wyman's Station, on the Alexandria road, and join his command at that point on the 19th, which was promptly executed. Captain Buerger expressed himself as being highly pleased with these companies, both officers and men. He had been directed to assume command over these companies, and believing the country in his rear to be then sufficiently guarded, and being so well pleased with both companies that he disliked to part with either, he ordered them to join the ex- pedition during the remainder of the march.

By the accession of these companies the strength of the expedition was increased to something over four hundred effective men. This whole force,

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HISTORY OF THE SIOUX MASSACRE.

with the entire train, marched on the 20th of Sep- tember, and passed through the "Alexandria Woods" without seeing any Indians. After pass- ing Sauk Center, however, there was not an inhab- itant to be seen, and the whole country had been laid waste. The houses were generally burned, and those that remained had been plundered of their contents and broken up, until they were mere wrecks, while the stock and produce of the farms had been all carried off or destroyed.

On the 21st they passed the spot where a Mr. Andrew Austin had been murdered by the Indians a short time previous. His body was found, terri- ribly mutilated, the head having been severed from the body, and lying about forty rods distant from it, with the scalp torn off. It was buried by the expedition in the best style that circumstances would admit. Pomme de Terre river was reached in the evening.

On the 22d they arrived at the Old Crossing, on the Otter Tail river, between Dayton and Breck- enridge, about fifteen miles from the latter place.

On the 23d the march was resumed, and nothing worthy of remark occurred until the expedition had approached within about a mile of the Red River, and almost within sight of Fort Abercrom- . bie. At this point a dense smoke was observed in the direction of the fort, and the impression ore- ated among the troops was, that the post had al- ready fallen, and was now being reduced to ashes by the victorious savages, through the means of their favorite element of war.

Upon ascending an eminence where a better view could be obtained, a much better state of af- fairs was discovered to be existing. There stood the little fort, yet monarch of the prairie, and the flag of the Union was still waving above its bat- tlements. The fire from which the smoke was arising was between the command and the post, and was occasioned by the burning of the prairie, which had been set on fire by the Indians, with the evident design of cutting off the expedition from the crossing of the river. After they had advanced a short distance further toward the river, a party of thirteen Indians appeared on the opposite bank, rushing in wild haste from a piece of woods. They hastily fired a few shots at our men from a distance of about fifteen hundred yards, inflicting no injuries on any one of the command, after which they disappeared in great trepidation, be- hind some bushes on the river shore.

A detachment comprising twenty mounted men

of Captain Freeman's company, under command of Lieutenant Taylor, and twenty from the members of the Third Regiment, the latter to act as skir- mishers in the woods, was directed to cross the river with all possible celerity, and follow the re- treating enemy. The men entered upon the duty assigned them with the greatest zeal, crossed the river, and followed in the direction taken by the Indians.

Captain Buerger took with him the remaining force of the Third Regiment and the field-piece, and proceeded up the river to a point where he sus- pected the Indians would pass in their retreat, and where he was able to conceal his men from their sight until within a very short distance.

He soon discovered, however, that the savages were retreating, under cover of the woods, across the prairie, in the direction of the Wild Rice river. The whole expedition was then ordered to cross the river, which was effected in less than an hour, the men not awaiting to be carried over in wagons, but plunging into the water, breast-deep, and wading to the opposite shore.

By this time the savages had retreated some three miles, and were about entering the heavy timber beyond the prairie, and further pursuit was considered useless. The march was continued to the fort, at which place the expedition arrived about 4 o'clock of the same day, to the great joy of the imprisoned garrison and citizens, who wel- comed their deliverers with unbounded cheers and demonstrations of delight.

When the moving columns of the expedition were first descried from the ramparts of the fort, they were taken to be Indians advancing to an- other attack. All was excitement and alarm. The following description of the after-part of the scene is from the pen of a lady who was an inmate of the fort during the long weeks that they were besieged, and could not dare to venture beyond half cannon-shot from the post without being in imminent peril of her life:

"About 5 o'clock the report came to quarters that the Indians were again coming from up to- ward Bridges. With a telescope we soon discovered four white men, our messengers, riding at full speed, who, upon reaching here informed us that in one half hour we would be reinforced by three hundred and fifty men. Language can never ex- press the delight of all. Some wept, some laughed, others hallooed and cheered. The sol- diers and citizens here formed in a line and went

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BARBARITIES.

out to meet them. It was quite dark before all got in. We all cheered so that the next day more than half of us could hardly speak aloud. The ladies all went out, and as they passed, cheered them. They were so dusty I did not know one of them." * * * * * *

* *

On the same day that the expedition reached the fort, but at an early hour, it had been deter- mined to dispatch a messenger to St. Paul, with re- ports of the situation of the garrison, and a request for assistance. The messenger was escorted a con- siderable distance by a force of twenty men, com- posed of soldiers and partly of the citizens quar- tered at the post. When returning, and within about a mile of the fort, they were fired upon by Indians in ambush, and two of the number, one citizen and one soldier, were killed, and fell into the hands of the enemy. The others, by extraor- dinary exertions, succeeded in making their es- cape, and returned to the garrison.

The next morning, about two-thirds of the mounted company, under command of Captain Freeman, escorted by a strong infantry force, went out to search for the bodies of those slain on the day before. After scouring the woods for a con- siderable distance, the bodies were found upon the prairie, some sixty or eighty rods apart, mangled and mutilated to such a degree as to be almost de- prived of human form. The body of the citizen was found ripped open from the center of the ab- domen to the throat. The heart and liver were en- tirely removed, while the lungs were torn out and left upon the outside of the chest. The head was cut off, scalped, and thrust within the cavity of the abdomen, with the face toward the feet. The hands were cut off and laid side by side, with the palms downward, a short distance from the main portion of the body. The body of the soldier had been pierced by two balls, one of which must have oc- casioned almost instant death. When found, it was lying upon the face, with the upper part of the head completely smashed and beaten in with clubs while the brains were scattered around upon the grass. It exhibited eighteen bayonet wounds in the back, and one of the legs had received a gash almost, or quite, to the bone, extending from the calf to the junction with the body.

The citizen had lived in the vicinity for years. The Indians had been in the habit of visiting his father's house, sharing the hospitalities of the dwelling, and receiving alms of the family. He must have been well known to the savages who in-

flioted such barbarities upon his lifeless form; neither could they have had aught against him, except his belonging to a different race, and his be- ing found in a country over which they wished to re-establish their supremacy.

That his body had been treated with still greater indignity and cruelty than that of the soldier was in accordance with feelings previously expressed to some of the garrison. In conversation with some of the Sioux, previous to the commencement of hostilities, they declared a very strong hatred against the settlers in the country, as they fright- ened away the game, and thus interfered with their hunting. They objected, in similar terms, to having United States troops quartered so near them, but said they did not blame the soldiers, as they had to obey orders, and go wherever they were directed, but the settlers had encroached upon them, of their own free will, and as a matter of choice; for this reason the citizens should be se- verely dealt with.

No more Indians were seen around the fort until the 26th of September. At about 7 o'clock of that day, as Captain Freeman's company were water- ing their horses at the river, a volley was fired upon them by a party of Sioux, who had placed themselves in ambush for the purpose. One man, who had gone as teamster with the expedition, was mortally wounded, so that he died the suc- ceeding night; the others were unarmed. From behind the log-buildings and breastworks the fire was soon returned with considerable effect, as a number of the enemy were seen to fall and be car- ried off by their comrades. At one time two In- dians were observed skulking near the river. They were fired upon by three men from the fortifica- tion, and both fell, when they were dragged away by their companions.

On another occasion, during the fight, one of the enemy was discovered perched on a tree, where he had stationed himself, either for the purpose of obtaining a view of the movements inside of the fort, or to gain a more favorable position for firing upon our men. He was fired upon by a member of Captain Barret's company, when he released his hold upon the tree and fell heavily into a fork near the ground, from which he was removed and borne off by his comrades. In a very short time a howitzer was brought into position, and a few shells (which the Indians designate as rotten bul- lets) were thrown among them, silencing their fire and causing them to withdraw.

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HISTORY OF THE SIOUX MASSACRE.

A detachment, comprising Captain Freeman's company, fifty men of the 3d Regiment, and a squad in charge of a howitzer, were ordered in pursuit, and started over the prairie, up the river. At the distance of about two miles they came upon the Sioux camp, but the warriors fled in the great- est haste and consternation upon their approach. A few shots were fired at them in their flight, to which they replied by yells, but were in too great haste to return the fire. The howitzer was again opened upon them, whereupon their yelling sud- denly ceased, and they rushed, if possible, with still greater celerity through the brush and across the river.

Their camp was taken possession of, and was found to contain a considerable quantity of plun- der, composed of a variety of articles, a stock of liquors being part of the assortment. Everything of value was carried to the fort, and the remainder was burned upon the ground.

On the evening of September 29th a light skir- mish was had with a small party of Sioux, who attempted to gain an ambush in order to fire upon the troops while watering their horses, as on a pre- vious ooccasion. Fire was first opened upon them, which they returned, wounding one man. They were immediately routed and driven off, but with what loss, if any, was unknown.

On the 30th of September Captain Freeman's company and the members of the 3d Regiment, together with a number of citizens and families, started on their return from Fort Abercrombie to St. Cloud. They passed by where the town of Dayton had formerly stood, scarcely a vestige of which was then found remaining. The dead body of one of the citizens, who had been murdered, was there found, and buried in the best manner possible under the circumstances. The whole train arrived in safety at St. Cloud, on the 5th of October, without having experienced any consid- erable adventures on the journey.

CHAPTER XLI.

SOUTH-WESTERN DEPARTMENT-HON. CHARLES E. FLANDRAU-FEARS OF WINNEBAGOES AND SIOUX -- MANKATO RAISES A COMPANY FOR THE DEFENSE OF NEW ULM-HEADQUARTERS AT SOUTH BEND- WAKEFIELD-SIOUX RAID IN WATONWAN COUNTY -PURSUIT OF INDIANS - STATE TROOPS RE- LIEVED FROM DUTY -- COLONEL SIBLEY ADVANCED FROM ST. PETER-CONCLUSION.

That portion of the State lying between the

Minnesota river and the Iowa line, supposed in the early part of the military movement to occupy a position of extreme danger, was placed under the control of Hon. Charles E. Flandrau. In the division was the Winnebago Reservation. And it was reasonably supposed that the Winnebagoes would more readily unite with the Sioux than with the Ojibwas [Chippewas ] in the northern part of the State, the former tribe being on good terms with the Sioux, while the latter held the Sioux as hereditary enemies, with whom an alliance offen- sive or defensive would hardly take place, unless under extraordinary conditions, such as a general war of the Indian tribes upon the white race. This peculiar condition did not mark the present out- break.

In this portion of the State were distributed the following forces, subject to special duty as circum- stances required: a company of sixty-three mem- bers under the command of Captain Cornelius F. Buck, marched from Winona, Sept.1, 1861; on the 26th of August, six days previous, Captain A. J. Edgerton, of the 10th Regiment, with one hun- dred and nine men, arrived at the Winnebago Agency, where the inhabitants were in great ter- ror. After the evacuation of New Ulm, by Col- onel Flandrau, he encamped at Crisp's farm, half way between New Ulm and Mankato. On the 31st of August, a company of forty-four members, from Mankato, took up position at South Bend, at which place Colonel Flandrau had established his headquarters. On the 23d of August a company of fifty-eight members, from Winnebago City, under command of Captain H. W. Holly, was raised for special services in the counties of Blue Earth, Faribault, Martin, Watonwan, and Jackson. This command, on the 7th of September, was re- lieved at Winnebago City by the Fillmore County Rangers, under the command of Captain Colburn. At Blue Earth City, a company of forty-two mem- bers, under command of Captain J. B. Wakefield, by order of Colonel Flandrau, remained at that point and erected fortifications, and adopted means for subsisting his men there during the term of their service. Major Charles R. Read, of the State militia, with a squad of men from south-eastern Minnesota, also reported to Colonel Flandrau at South Bend. Captain Dane, of the 9th Regi- ment, was by order of the Colonel in command, stationed at New Ulm. Captain Post, and Colonel John R. Jones, of the State militia, reported a company of mounted men from the county of Fill-

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FORT COX.

more, and were assigned a position at Garden City. Captain Aldrich, of the 8th Regiment, re- ported his company at South Bend, and was placed in position at New Ulm. Captain Ambler, of the 10th Regiment, reported his company, and was stationed at Mankato. Captain Sanders, of the 10th, also reported, and was stationed at Le Sueur. Captain Meagher likewise was assigned a position with his company at Mankato, where the company was raised. Captain Cleary, with a company, was stationed at Marysburg, near the Winnebago Reserve, and a similar company, under Captain Potter, was raised, and remained at camp near home. Captain E. St. Julien Cox, with a com- mand composed of detachments from different companies, was stationed at Madelia. He here erected a fort commanding the country for some twenty miles. It was octagonal in form, two 'stories in height, with thirty feet between the walls. This was inclosed by a breastwork and ditch six feet deep, and four feet wide at the bottom, with projecting squares of similar thickness on the cor- ners, from which the ditch could be swept through its entire length. This structure was named Fort Cox, in honor of its projector.

From this disposition of forces in the depart- ment commanded by Colonel Flandrau, it will be seen that the south-western portion of the State was provided with the most ample means of de- fense against any attack from any open enemy in any ordinary warfare; and yet on the 10th of Sep- tember, the wily Indian made an attack upon But- ternut Valley, near the line of Blue Earth and Brown counties and fired upon the whites, wound- ed a Mr. Lewis in the hand, killed James Edwards, and still further on killed Thomas J. Davis, & Mr. Mohr, and wounded Mr. John W. Task and left him for dead. Mr. Task, however, survived. And again on the 21st of September, a party of Sioux came into Watonwan county, killed John Arm- strong, two children of a Mr. Patterson, and a Mr. Peterson.

The consequences of the massacre we have de- tailed in these pages to some extent can be easily imagined, and the task of the historian might here be transferred to the reader. But even the reader of fiction, much more the reader of history, re- quires some aid to direct the imagination in arriv- ing at proper conclusions. A few words in connec- tion with the facts already presented will suffice to exhibit this tragic epoch in our State's history in i's proper light.

Minnesota, the first State in the North-west, bounded on the east by the Great Father of Wa- ters, had taken her place in the fair sisterhood of states with prospects as flattering as any that ever entered the American Union. The tide of hardy, vigorous, intelligent emigrants had come hither from the older states, as well as from England, Ireland, and the different countries on the Euro- pean continent, until a thriving population of 200,000 had taken up their abode upon her virgin soil, and were in the quiet and peaceable enjoy- ment of her salubrious climate. Her crystal lakes, her wooded streams, her bewitching water-falls, her island groves, her lovely prairies, would have added gems to an earthly paradise. Her Lake Superior, her Mississippi, her Red River of the North, and her Minnesota, were inviting adjuncts to the com- merce of the world. Her abundant harvests and her fertile and enduring soil gave to the husband- man the highest hopes of certain wealth. Her po- sition in the track of the tidal human current sweeping across the continent to the Pacific coast, and thence around the globe, placed her forever on the highway of the nations,

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History of Houston County, Including Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 43

Author: Edward D. Neill Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Number of Pages: 547

Author: Edward D. Neill
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 547