USA > Minnesota > Renville County > The history of Renville County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 28
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About noon of August 20, a foree of Indians returning from the attack on New Uhm, were going towards the ageney on the opposite side of the river. and the commander dropped a few shells among them. About two o'clock the music began and it seemed for a while as though pandemonium itself had broken Joose, for the Indians mimbered 400 or 500 and they fired rapidly and each time they fired they uttered the war whoop. The noise from the shooting with the crashing of bullets through doors and windows was bad enough, but the war whoop was worse yet. for it was simply blood enrdling and I really think that I dodged oftener for the war whoops than for the bullets. For a moment it seemed that my hair stood on end and I was a bit rattled. but by an effort I regained control of myself and afterwards was not badly excited.
I could not do much in the way of shooting for the soldiers in the log Ints soon had quite a cloud of smoke about them which obseured my sight and made it dangerous to them for me to shoot. So I simply remained on guard at the window. The fighting continued till long after dark, when the Indians withdrew. No one in the room where I was stationed, was wounded, but the surgeon brought in others who had been wounded outside, and the sight of these poor fellows taxed my nerves severely.
After the fighting ceased everything became quiet and some of us slept while others kept watch. The next morning the eiti- zens company was ordered to assemble and we were arranged in single rank across the parade. I happened to stand fourth from the right of the company. As soon as Captain DeCamp had the company in line he reported the fact to bientenant Sheehan, who proceeded to make us a speech in which he called us all the mean names. such as cowards and sneaks, ete., that he could think of. I was surprised. for I was not aware of sneaking, but I afterward learned that many of them had deserted their posts
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and gone upstairs with the women and children. Lieutenant Sheehan ended his harangue by telling Captain DeCamp to pick out ten of his men, if he had so many in his company of serubs, and detail them to go on pieket duty to relieve his men.
Captain DeCamp began at the right of the company and asked if the man could go on pieket duty for about two hours. The man gave some flimsy excuse and said no. He then asked the second and got a still poorer excuse. I think his exeuse was that he had no cartridge box, but had to carry his cartridges in his pocket. He asked the third man and got another flimsy excuse. I confess by that time I was ashamed of the company I was in and I did not blame Lieutenant Sheehan for the language he had used. I think I would have volunteered to go if I had known I would get hurt. So when Captain DeCamp asked me I answered promptly and loudly, "Yes, sir." No doubt my answer eame more from shame and bravado than from bravery, but it seemed to have a magical effeet on Lieutenant Sheehan and he said, "Thank God for one man. Take a pace to the front." Soon the other nine were found and we were taken out and stretched in a picket line about the fort. My post was on a knoll about eighty rods from the fort and on the Abercrombie road. Other pickets were about twenty rods distant on either side.
Nothing of interest occurred during the two hours I was on that post, except that one of the soldiers, who had been with Captain Marsh, returned and was received at my post. While detaining him until the corporal of the guard could come and ad- mit him he told me of the fight between Captain Marsh's men and the Indians.
Having been relieved from pieket, I received my breakfast which was the first meal I had eaten since that mcal of raw pork, and I put in a good supply, for I did not know when I would get any more. I had made up my mind not to remain in that citizens company any longer, so after breakfast I went to a sergeant of Lieutenant Shechan's company and asked him to take me into his squad, but he said he could not do it without orders and could not draw rations for me. I thought I had failed, but one of the men who stood near said, "Take him in sergeant if you can, for he is the only citizen I have seen that is worth a d-n," and another said. "We'll divide rations with him, " and so I was sort of adopted by that squad of seven or eight men. But I did not remain with them long.
The next day there were signs of trouble and Lieutenant Shee- han perfected his scheme of defense, one item of which was to divide the line of defense into squad limits and place a sergeant in command of a eertain limit. Thus he could call for a report from any part of the line at any time. On this day (Friday) the squad I belonged to was placed behind the log huts, and Captain
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DeCamp had command of that line. Pretty soon the firing began briskly. The Indians could come up the ravine through which the road ran and in this way come within eight or ten rods of us still protected by the banks of the ravine, so we had to look sharp. We had become greatly interested when Captain De- Camp marched slowly along behind the line, apparently giving no heed to the bullets. When he had reached about the middle of the line he stopped and said in a voice loud enough to be heard all along the line, "Boys, I am ordered to shoot the first man who leaves his post without orders, and I'll do it by G-d." He carried a Sharps rifle and I think every one believed that he meant what he said. There were a few citizens in the squad and he probably remembered how they had acted before. Soon Lieutenant Sheehan eame running to Capt. DeCamp and said he wanted four men to go to the other side of the parade. There were four of us near together and DeCamp designated us to go with Sheehan. So bringing our guns to "right shoulder shift" Sheehan gave the order to double quick and led the way across the parade, which was being raked through every opening be- tween the buildings. We had reached the middle and the bullets were coming thick enough to satisfy even Lieutenant Sheehan. He turned around and said to us, "G-d d-n it, can't you run faster than that?" Now, as a sprinter, I was not ready to acknowledge any superior, so I let out and before he knew it I was way ahead, but he called, "Hold on, hold on," so I slacked up and let him catch up with me. At the south side he left me in the opening between the headquarters and the corner building without even a spear of grass for shelter. I contd simply hug the ground and trust to luck. But they did not leave me there long before Sergeant Blackmer called to me to come into his squad, which was outside of all the buildings on the east side of the fort. Here I found myself with four soldiers and though separated from my friends I was content. Here again there was nothing to shelter the men. Our only protection was in shooting so well that the Indians would not dare expose themselves long enough to take good aim. Our greatest danger was in the fact that the ground in our front was quite rolling, with numerous little hilloeks, and now here, now there. in the tall grass be- tween, an Indian would suddenly rise, take a quick aim and fire. One was particularly persistent and seemed to have a particular desire to pick me. He had made some close shots, so I became rather anxious to get him. In my eagerness I forgot dne caution and rose on my knees when another Indian let fly at me. The bullet hit the third finger of my right hand and glanced to the stock of my gun which it damaged considerably. I did not know that I had been hit, but found myself standing upright and a soldier tugging at my clothes to pull me down. I lay down at
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onee and resumed the watch for my Indian. Pretty soon the soldier said that one of us must be hit, for there was blood on the ground. I told him that it was he and showed him some holes in his coat sleeve. But he said no, that it was I, and pointed to a little hole just in the center of my shirt front, but then I remembered that that hole was burned one evening while fishing with a jack and just then the soldier noticed the wound on my finger. I was bleeding considerably and the bone was broken, yet it hadn't begun to pain me. Sergeant Blackmer sent me to the surgeon to have it dressed and I returned to the squad, but soon the feeling returned and the pain was terrific. My hand jerked so that I could not hold the gun still long enough to shoot. So as I was disabled, Sergeant Blackmer told me to go behind a door, made of inch pine boards, which was leaning against the side of the building and keep watel in a certain direc- tion, which did not seem to be under observation, and the In- dians might charge on that side. I got up and ran over and sat down behind the door and at onee I was taken with an unbear- able pain in my hand and arm. I simply could not endure it and had just come out from behind the door when the Indians fired a volley at it. The door looked like the top of a pepper box. If I had been behind it I would have been hit by at least a dozen balls. I returned to Sergeant Blackmer, who ordered me again to the surgeon. The surgeon dressed it again and put on a white powder, probably morphine, which, for a time, relieved the pain, but I was entirely unable to use a gun, so Sergeant Blackmer told me to keep a lookout in different directions. Soon afterwards Sergeant Blackmer was wounded in the jaw, the bullet passing through from side to side. The poor fellow must have suffered terribly.
For several hours, lasting until quite late in the night, they kept up the attack. There were a good many of our men hurt and I think we must have done them some injury for just before their attack ceased we could hear an Indian down in the timber calling the rest away. A half-breed, who was in the fort, said that the Indian said, "Come away or they'll kill us all." The firing ceased at once and from that time there was no further attack worthy of note. They kept up a state of siege so that it was dangerous for one to expose himself, but aside from occa- sional shots there was no firing. This state of siege lasted about ten days when, to our delight, one day a company of mounted men rode into the fort. The Indians made but slight effort to keep them out and immediately departed, well knowing, no doubt, that from that time there would be no use in trying to capture it. We heard no more of them.
As soon as I could I went to the eamp of the cavalry and found it composed largely of refugees under the command of
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Captain Joseph Anderson, who was an old Mexican War sollier. It had been organized for the express purpose of relieving New Ulm and Fort Ridgely. Much to my surprise I found Chalon, who brought me news of the safety of father, Herman and Mil- lard White. It seems strange to me now that I never asked father for a detailed statement of his experiences after we separated. Neither did he ever ask me any questions as to my escape, and when mother returned I never sought a history of her adven- tures. All that I know concerning any of them was what I heard them tell to others.
It seems that after father's reseue by Radnor. for it was no less, he ran across Herman, and then Chalon and Millard White. They tried until late in the night to make their way to Fort Ridgely, but they seemed to be prevented by some Indians. Fin- ally despairing of reaching there, they struck out to the north and at last reached Glencoe, after a couple of days. Herman be- came so exhausted that father had to carry him on his back many weary hours before they reached the settlement.
On the way they fell in with two (Mrs. White says five) In- dians, who evidently had been hunting and had not heard of the outbreak. They offered no indignities except to compel Chalon to trade gums with one of them and so Chalon lost Little Crow's gun.
Father's legs were so badly torn by the grass that gangrene at one time threatened.
After the mounted men reached the fort there was a reorganl- ization of the company and, as they expected to go on whenever there should be a move to rescue the women and children who were prisoners, I made up my mind to enlist in the company. which I did. A new roll was made and I think Chalon's name appears as third and mine as fourth on it. We elected officers, choosing as captain, Joseph Anderson: Brown, first lieutenant, and Marshall, second lieutenant. (I am not positive as to the name of the second lieutenant, but think I am right.) I remem- ber two other aspirants for the office of captain. One was said to be an old hunter and Indian fighter. The other was a young Irishman, whose claim to the office was based on the alleged fact that he was in the battle of Pittsburgh Landing and so had had experience. However, Anderson was elected by a large vote.
The next few days were spent in scouting, foraging and drill- ing. Nothing exciting occurred, unless it be a little incident by which I gained the Indian blanket, which has now been nearly worn out. I was scouting one day, when I saw a white objeet lying on the ground, and riding toward it I saw that it was a blanket, but there was an Indian there too. An argument fol- lowed, which resulted in my taking the blanket, which I needed and which the Indian did not need any longer.
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As I revert to those times it stirs my pulses a little, but such things as this just related were then considered of little moment. I have wondered a thousand times that I did not get my foolish head knocked off, but aside from the wound in my hand I never received a serateh.
Chalon was worse than a daredevil. Wherever was the trail of an Indian there would he go, seemingly without thought of the possible consequences. Yet he was never hurt, though he was many times in tight places. It may have been our good luck that got us out of bad serapes.
Sunday morning, August 31. we were ordered to mount, and then in addition to our heavy muskets and bayonets we were given heavy cavalry sabres, the most useless thing to us that we could have. But we had to take them anyway. As I sat there in the saddle, weighted down with musket, bayonet, saber, cart- ridge and cap box, besides blanket and haversack, I felt that it would be impossible to get out of the saddle without first un- loading.
By this time quite a large foree of infantry had reached the fort and were camped on the prairie west of it. Colonel Sib- ley was in command. He had been chosen for the command and given the rank of Brigadier General, because of his previous ex- perience with, and knowledge of the Indians.
We learned about noon of August 31 that an expedition made up of Anderson's cavalry and Captain Grant's company of in- fantry, had been ordered to proceed to the lower ageney and set- tlements near, for the purpose of burying the dead and of learn- ing something about the prisoners. The command of the expe- dition was given to Major Brown. We took along seven or eight wagons with rations, forage, etc.
Sunday night we camped in the river bottom not far from the ferry. It was my luek to be on guard that night and though we were undisturbed, there were plenty of signal fires indieating that Indians were about. The next morning Major Brown or- dered Captain Anderson to cross the river to the ageney and learn what he could there, if anything, then to proceed up the river a few miles and eross baek and meet the infantry in camp on the Birch Cooley. Grant's infantry, after burying the soldiers who had been killed at the ferry, were to proceed up the river to the mouth of Beaver creek to ascend that to our home and then cross over to Birch Cooley for camp. Bireh Cooley is the name of a ereek about three miles east of the Beaver creek. Chalon and I were detailed as guides and to seout for the infantry.
For some reason now forgotten, I was not ready to start with the infantry and they had been gone quite a while when I started after them and met a squad of soldiers under a half-breed ser- geant, on their way back to the fort. Why they had been sent
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along or why now returning I do not know. This sergeant had tried to get me to enlist in his company and I think I had nearly promised to do so, but when Chalon arrived at the fort I changed my mind and told the sergeant so. He seemed quite disappointed and inelined to be angry. When I met the sergeant and his squad. he stopped me and asked me again to enlist in his com- pany, but I refused and started on, when he called out, "You'll never see the fort again." Whether he thought to frighten me, or thought I would. while scouting, run into a bad place, or whether he knew the danger the expedition would be in. I do not know. nor did I then stop to think.
I was soon in advance of the infantry, looking out for possi- ble ambush. Before noon Chalon and I found a half-erazed Swedish woman, who tried to elnde us and we had to run her down. When we had captured her, we learned that all her fam- ily had been killed, she herself had been wounded by Fourteen buekshot in her back and in this condition had remained so near the Indians, supporting herself on the food found in the deserted houses. We halted and waited until the infantry came up, then we turned her over to Captain Grant and we resumed our sconting.
We reached our house sometime after noon and it was a sad looking wreck. We did not care to remain there long and as our camp for the night was to be nearly in the direction of our flight just two weeks before, we made up our minds to follow that course.
We soon came to the place where we had left the buggy with Mrs. Henderson and there we found her body with a broken jug at her head, the bodies of her two little girls, and a few feet away the body of Mr. Wedge.
Mr. Henderson had accompanied the expedition and was there to see the remains of his wife and children. He was nearly heart-broken, but I think he did not utter a word.
These buried. we followed on and found the body of Dave Carrothers' little boy, but did not succeed in finding the body of Engene White. Chalon. soon after, called and said that he had found Engene, but when I reached him I at once recognized the body as Radnor's from the clothing .. The body was so decom- posed as to be mmrecognizable. It was now getting late, so we buried him in a shallow grave and turned the camp, feeling that we had lost the best boy that ever lived.
We found the camp formed about twenty rods from the tim- bered banks of the Birch Cooley and surrounded by knolls and ravines. In fact, as I remember it now. it could not have been placed better-for the Indians. The wagons had been drawn up in a circle about five or six rods in diameter and the horses were tied to a rope stretched across the circle and fastened to
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the wagons. The tents, known as the Sibley tent, were pitched inside the circle and would accommodate about twenty men each. The tent which I slept in that night faced the east and I hap- pened to lie just at the side of the entrance. Chalon was a wagon guard and slept under the wagon. The Swedish woman we had captured, had been put into a covered wagon and a buffalo robe was given her for covering.
About four o'clock the next morning, just as the gray of approaching dawn began to appear, one of my company who had been one of Walker's Filibusters, saw some objeets running about the prairie near the camp, which he thought must be hogs. Thinking it would be a great joke on the inexperienced men to give an alarm he fired on one of the supposed hogs, when to his surprise his shot was followed immediately by a terrifie war- whoop and volley.
What he took for hogs were Indians sneaking up with hows and arrows in order to kill the sentinels without giving an alarm, and expecting then to charge a sleeping eamp. But the joke was unfortunate for them, for the camp was alarmed. The Indians immediately directed their fire at about breast high of the tents, caleulating that the soldiers would spring up at the first alarm and many would be hit before getting out of the tents. They were right. Very few of the men of either company had been under fire before and they immediately sprang up. Many were kiffed and wounded in the tents.
With the first war-whoop I was wide awake and at once rolled on my face in order to get up. Immediately the commotion began. Sergeant Baxter, a big, noble fellow, sprang up and said, "Come on, boys, don't be afraid, " and started for the tent door. Just then he clasped his hands to his chest and eried, "My God, boys, I'm shot in the breast, " and he fell across my legs. He was so heavy that it took quite a few seconds to get out from under him, and when I reached the line firing was heavy. Chalon was in his element. He stood at the end of a wagon and fired as rapidly as possible. His conduet pleased Captain Anderson, and every time he fired the captain praised him, thinking probably that "the boy's" courage would soon play out. But when he saw that he held his position he finally ordered him to lie down, saying that he could not afford to lose such a brave fellow. I lay along side of the captain and I soon found that he was as cool and unconcerned as an iceberg. That helped me and others to keep cool.
Thinking that when the Indians should find out that they could not take the camp by surprise they would leave we gave our sole attention to the fight. But as it continued hour after hour without any let up and our losses were severe we began to dig each for himself. My utensils for digging were my bayonet
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and my hands, till t soon had a little ditch with a slight bank in front. which .afforded a good protection. The others of our company provided for themselves in the same way. Captain Grant had a few shovels in his wagons and with these the men soon dug a trench deep enough and long enough to give protec- tion to the whole company. As the Indians persisted in the attack, and we were completely surrounded, no one could get out to go to the fort for help. So onr officers began to cantion the men not to waste ammunition, as no one could tell how long we might have to stay there, and judging by the firing it would be madness to attempt to cut our way through to the fort, which was sixteen miles away. No one dared to hope that the firing would be heard so far, so the prospects for relief were very poor.
There was not a bucket of water in the camp, and we soon began to suffer intensely from thirst, especially as we had to bite the cartridges, thus getting powder in our mouths. I got some reliel by chewing a bullet, which started the saliva and moistened my mouth.
Food was as scarce nearly as water. All I had to eat during the battle was a small piece of raw cabbage leaf, but that was very delicious.
As evening came the Indians left a part of their number to keep up the fight, but the larger number withdrew into the woods of the bottom lands, where they were perfectly safe, and slangh- tered and roasted beef for their suppers, which they evidently enjoyed more than we did.
The firing continued all night, which was as light ahnost as day. We were allowed no rest. We dared not sleep, even a por- tion at a time, for it had been noticed that when we slackened fire too much they became much bolder, and as we had lost a good many onr fire was necessarily much lighter than at first. At one time Captain Grant's men slackened their fire so much that we on the other side of the circle were badly exposed to the Indian fire and most of our casualties were from that side. So Captain Anderson determined to send word to Captain Grant to that effect. Tle asked me to go. As I was simply to go there and back I left my gun and made a bold dash for it, thinking I would get across before the Indians would see me. But they were alert and instantly the bullets came thick. There had been a scow picked up somewhere and brought along on one of the wagons and on camping had been thrown upon the ground. This Jay convenient for me and I threw myself behind it. The firing quickly ceased, and after a few minutes I went on to Captain Grant and delivered my message. When I sprang up to return it seemed as though they were all watching for me, for I never heard bullets whistle so thickly. Again I dropped behind the boat and from there across was a little more disereet.
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Morning came. Noon came and went with no promise of relief. But about two o'clock in the afternoon we noticed a stir among the Indians, a slaekening of their fire, and we soon were aware that most of them had left us to meet a force coming to our relief. A regiment under General Sibley was coming and. scarcely halting, they formed a line of battle and scattered the redskins from in front of them. The Indians didn't make much of an effort, for they were outnumbered and there was no show for them. Of our foree of 140 men more than half were killed or wounded. We buried thirteen there. Among them was poor Henderson. I did not seem him after the fight began. We found him between our lines and the Indians. He had probably started to run at the beginning of the fight, and was caught between the lines, and whether killed by soldiers or Indians no one knows.
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