USA > Minnesota > Renville County > The history of Renville County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 71
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76
Captain Marsh after sending orders to Lieutenant Sheehan to return, was soon on the way to the Lower Sionx agency with forty-six men and Interpreter Peter Quinn. There they met the disaster recorded elsewhere in this volume.
At 11 o'clock the members of Company B were located as follows: On the way to the ferry, 47; at St. Peter, 7; South
621
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
with the regiment, 1; on furlough, 1; sent with a message to Company C, 1; at the fort, 30. Of the 30, six were sick.
After the departure of Captain Marsh for the Lower agency, refugees from the surrounding county swarmed into Fort Ridgely in considerable numbers, many of them bringing tales of murder, outrage and ruined homes.
Lieutenant Thomas P. Gere, then only nineteen years of age, had been left in charge of the fort. Preparations were at onee begun for its defense. Vietor Rieke, who had taken ret- uge in the fort, went out with his yoke of oxen, and some as- sistants, and from the big spring under the bluff gathered enough water to fill the tanks and barrels. This work was done under the direction of the sutler, B. II. Randall.
With a lack of thoroughness that in these days seems little short of criminal, no well had been dug within the confines of the fort. During the siege, when the soldiers, citizens and refugees were suffering from lack of water, and it seemed likely that their confinement within the limits of the fort might be of considerable duration, it was proposed by the citizens that a well be dug. But the officials did not favor the project, their observations of the contour of the land leading them to believe that at least one hundred feet of earth would have to be pene- trated before wholesome water could be reached. In the summer of 1896, when a well was finally dug. a bountiful supply of pure water was found onty twenty-four feet from the surface.
The fort, which consisted of a group of buildings standing at intervals, surrounding an open square ninety yards aeross, stood back from a spur of the high prairie tableland which extended from the northwest toward the Minnesota river, that stream being about one-half mile to the south. Along the east and north side of the fort, and within musket range of the fort, a long and deep ravine of Fort ereek extended southeasterly to the main valley : to the south, at a distance of about three hundred yards, ran the line of a quite abrupt descent to the valley, while from this line. and nearly opposite the southwest corner of the fort, another lat- eral ravine projected into the spur, terminating not over three hundred feet from the buildings on that angle. The buildings on the east, south and west sides of the square above referred to were two-story frame houses, ereeted for officers' quarters, ex- cepting a one-story storehouse for commissary supplies, which stood adjacent to the northwest corner, while on the north side stood the two-story barracks built of stone. In rear, to the north of the barracks, was a row of log buildings comprising houses for Families of post attaches and the post hospital, while at the north- east corner, and near the end of the barracks, stood the post bakery and laundry. The sally port was south of the commissary building. The guard house was sixty feet west of the sally port.
622
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
Further west was the sutler's store. Still further and beyond the depression at the head of the ravine was the sutler's ware- house and dwelling. The stables were near the edge of the Minne- sota bluff. Near the Fort creek bluff were the ice and root houses. Between these and the stables was the granary. North- west of the garrison about 630 feet stood the two log ammunition magazines.
While the water supply was being replenished on the morning of the eventful eighteenth of August. 1862, the few available small-arms in the fort were furnished to the men who seemed most likely to handle them to advantage. these men being placed on duty with the soldiers, of whom. besides the sick and hospital attendants. only twenty-two were available for active duty. At about noon there arrived at the fort in charge of C. G. Wykoff. clerk of the Indian superintendent, and his party of four. the long expected ammity money, $72.000 in gold. Here this party was halted. As the day passed, the frightened fugitives continued to come in, until at night fall more than 200 had arrived. In- telligence from Captain Marsh, so anxiously awaited. came not .. Pickets were posted in every direction by Lieutenant Gere in person. instructed. as this duty required nearly every man in the command, to rally promptly on the fort in case of attack in any quarter.
Among the men so placed was Jack Frazier. a noted half-breed and a faithful friend of the whites, who had escaped from the ageney that morning under the fire of half a dozen rifles, leaving his wife and children to the tender merey of his angered full-blood kinsmen.
Intelligence from Captain March was expected every hour. but it did not come. Shortly after dark James Dunn and William B. Hutchinson sent forward by Sergeant John F. Bishop reached the fort, bringing to the young officer the direful news of the slaughter of his comrades and the death of his captain at the Redwood ferry. With the knowledge that new regiments were at this time being formed at Fort Snelling for the Union army, Lieutenant Gere hurriedly penned a dispatch to the commander at Snelling. briefly detailing the situation and asking for help and requesting that Governor Ramsey be informed of the state of affairs. This dispatch was written at 8:30 and sent forward im- mediately in charge of Private William J. Sturgis, who was given the best horse in the garrison. He was also instructed to report the situation to Lieutenant Culver and Agent Galbraith and the Renville Rangers at St. Peter and hasten their coming.
After midnight, when bleeding fugitives were still coming in with tales of horror, when the Indians had surrounded the post with a strong skirmish line. and Little Crow with a formidable
623
THISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
array was reported as advancing Lieutenant Gere, tired and weighed down with a dreadful pressure and the dark hour upon him, sent out the following message to his comrade, Lieutenant Sheehan, then on his way to the fort.
"Headquarters Fort Ridgely, August 19, 1862-Lieutenant T. J. Sheehan-Foree your march returning. Captain Marsh and most of his command were killed yesterday at the Lower ageney. Little Crow and about 600 Sioux warriors are now approaching the fort and will undoubtedly attack ns. About 250 refugees have arrived here for protection. The Indians are killing men, women and children. Have sent dispatches by mounted messen- gers to Governor Ramsey and commander at Fort Snelling. re- questing re-enforcements immediately .- Lieutenant T. P. Gere. Cominanding Post."
Immediately upon the dispatel of the courier, Lieutenant Gere ordered the removal of all the women and children, who were scattered in the frame houses forming three sides of the fort, to the stone building nsed as soldiers' quarters, which stood on the north side of the square ; but before this order could be executed. one of the citizens on picket fired his gun, and came running in erving. "Indians." Panie seized the refugees, who rushed fran- tically for the quarters, and some of the young boys fired a volley of shots breaking a number of the windows. The few soldiers, true to their discipline, rallied promptly to their designated po- sitions : the alarm proved false, but good in effect, as now all but the fighting men were in the quarters ; the pickets were replaced and the first night of unceasing vigil wore away. The effective soldiers in the fort at this time consisted of 1 second lieutenant. 3 corporals, 1 musician (a young boy), and 19 privates, three of whom were in the hospital, thus making a total of 24 soldiers.
But the Indians made no attack that night. Probably they had planned none, though it has been said by some writers that Little Crow was moving toward Fort Ridgely for a night attack when a scont arrived with the tidings that a large force of white soldiers were on their way to the fort, and that this news caused Little Crow to order his men to fall back, an order which was countermanded only when a second seout. who had seen Shechan's force on its way from Glencoe to Ridgely, arrived and reported that the armed force of whites did not number over fifty. As a matter of fact it has been fairly well established that most of the Indians were making merry over the success of the day, and had no intention of continuing their work or revenge before morning.
Tuesday morning dawned on mingled hope and apprehension for the coming hours, and when sunlight shone npon the prairies. every quarter was elosely scanned from the roof of the highest building through the powerful telescope fortunately at hand.
624
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
At about 9 o'clock the Indians began assembling on the prairies west of the fort. Most of them were mounted, but many were on foot, and some were in wagons. It seemed that they held a eonneil to deliberate upon the day's program. It has been said that Little Crow's intention had been to attack Fort Ridgely promptly, but at the commeil above mentioned it was determined to first proceed to New Ulm, and soon after the dispersion of the council the Indians were seen passing southward on the west side of the river. No demonstrations at the fort were made during the day.
While the supposed couneil was in progress cheers of wel- come announced the arrival of Lieutenant Sheehan and his fifty men of Company C. Corporal McLean, the courier dispatched by Captain Marsh on the previous day, reached Sheehan's com- mand at evening soon after it had gone into camp, forty-two miles from Fort Ridgely, between New Auburn and Glencoe. Lieuten- ant Sheehan at once commeneed his forced march; and during the night covered the entire distance traversed by him in the two preceding days. Upon his arrival at the fort Lieutenant Sheehan assumed command.
Meanwhile at St. Peter at 6 p. m., on Monday, news of the outbreak reached Agent Galbraith, Lieutenant Culver, and the Renville Rangers. Obtaining some old Harper's Ferry muskets, which belonged to a militia company, and such other guns as they could requisition, the company left St. Peter at 6 o'clock on Tues- day morning, with barely three rounds of cartridges to the man and twelve hours later reached Fort Ridgely, completing its roll of defenders. The force now at the fort consisted of fifty-one men of Company B, under Lieutenants Culver and Gere; fifty men of Company C, under Lieutenant Sheehan; fifty men of the Renville Rangers, under Lieutenant James Gorman ; about twenty- five armed citizens; Sutler B. Il. Randall, Sergeant John Jones, Post Surgeon Muller, and a number of brave and self-possessed women who proved of as much service and value as the same number of male defenders. A detachment of the citizens was placed in charge of Sutler Randall. Others helped man the ean- nons. As soon as Patriek Heffron arrived he repaired for service some of the old guns at the fort including twenty dragoon varbines. The total foree numbered about 180 men; Lieutenant Sheehan was in supreme command over all. The non-combatants numbered about 300, some of whom were wounded, others sick, and others again in a condition of nervous prostration. Many of the women were in a delicate condition, adding to the embarrass- ment of the situation.
Three of the six cannons at the fort were brought into service. A field piece was given in charge of Dennis O'Shea, an old artil. lery man, who had been living near Franklin, while one twelve-
625
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
pound howitzer was placed in charge of Sergeant J. G. McGrew and another in charge of J. C. Whipple, an experienced artillery- man of the Mexican war, who had escaped to the fort from the Lower ageney. Thus organized the garrison was confident of a sturdy defense in ease an attack should be made. Werner Boesch who had been an artillery officer in Switzerland, but who had been living for some years west of the fort in Camp township. assisted Whipple, while James Dunn, a merry Irishman, whose wit and humor did mneh to keep the defenders in good spirits, helped Mc- Grew. The brave Dunn was afterward killed at Nashville.
Repulsed in the attack made at New Ulin on the nineteenth, the Indians determined to carry out Little Crow's alleged orig- inal plan, to attempt the capture of Fort Ridgely, and on Wednes- day, August 20, made their dispositions to this end. Knowing the facility of approach afforded by a long ravine to the east, and that the usual park of artillery was on the west line of the build- ings, the main attacking party. under Little Crow was moved down the river valley to the mouth of this ravine sometimes called Fort creek-then under its shelter to a point opposite the fort. This movement was executed under cover and entirely unob- served. To divert attention from the real point of attack a num- ber of Indians, at about 1 o'clock, p. m., made their appearance on the west side of the fort, just out of the range of the pickets. Some writers have claimed that Little Crow was in this group and that he invited the officers out for a parley, but that they refused a conference unless he would come down to the picket line. At this juncture the advance of the main party which was approaching from the northeast, was discovered by the piekets on that side and skirmishing commenced. The Indians poured a heavy volley through the openings at the northeast and gained possession of some of the out-buildings at that quarter. Lieuten- ant Gere, with a detachment of Company B, was ordered direetly to the point of attack, and moved at a "double-quick." Whipple, with his howitzer, was stationed in the opening between the bakery and the next building to the sonth, the detachment of Company C, moved on a run around the north end of the barracks to the row of log buildings; while Sergeant MeGrew wheeled his howitzer rapidly to the northwest corner of the fort and went into position on the west side of the most westerly building in the row. All of these detachments at once became engaged in a hot fight at short range. At the beginning of the fight Mark M. Greer of Company C, was killed and William Goode of Company B was shot through the head.
There was a slight delay in getting Whipple's gun in opera- tion, owing to the fact that it had been tampered with by stuffing it with eotton. But the infantry of Company B advantageously located around him, kept up a hot fire, enabling him, after the
626
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
brief delay, to work his gun to good advantage, and some ad- mirable work was here performed. The men of Company C simi- larly covered MeGrew's operations. MeGrew first trained his gin to bear northeasterly, on the most northerly point at which the enemy appeared, and from which a heavy fire was coming; but his fuse had been ent for a range of a quarter of a mile, and the first shell, though passing close to the grass, exploded over the ravine. Running his piece quickly behind the building, MeGrew cut his next fuse to its shortest limit, reloaded, ran the howitzer out amidst a shower of bullets, and exploded his second shell in the very midst of this extremely troublesome party, wholly dis- lodging the savages from their position. The converging fire of these two howitzers, with their musketry supports, soon drove the Indians from the buildings they had reached and forced them back to the line of the ravine.
Meanwhile, upon the attack at the east, the piekets who were defending the other sides of the fort, fell back to the defense of that point. Thereupon, the Indians used their extra forces to close in on the west and south, to divert as far as possible, the white defense against their main attack.
Ordnance Sergeant Jones, when the Indian charge started, took immediate command of Dennis O'Shea and his force, who were manning the field piece, which had been placed near the opening at the southwest angle. but which was later moved back onto the parade grounds. This gun was supported from within the buildings and back of the barricades by the Lieutenants Cul- ver and Gorman. The rest of the men were stationed in various advantageous positions.
The position of the men manning the field piece under Jones and O'Shea was especially exposed, as the Indians in the shelter of a short spur of Minnesota valley, could swarm almost in safety to a position within easy musket range, and the men at the gun worked under a constant hail of bullets.
The crew of this gun consisted of O 'Shea, four regular soldiers, and three citizen soldiers, George, Adam and Vietor Rieke.
It becoming soon apparent that the Indians were in large enongh force to maintain a continuous siege if so disposed, and that all the artillery ammunition was likely to be required, it was decided to remove at once into the stone buildings, from the log magazine, the ammunition remaining there, consisting principally of the supply for the extra field-pieces. The magazine stood on the open prairie to the northwest and distant from the stone bar- raeks some two hundred yards, the one quarter from which the Indians could not approach under cover. MeGrew now took po- sition so as to command any locality from which men detailed for this duty could be reached by the enemy. and the ammunition was all safely bronght in. Among those who assisted in this
627
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
venture were two young soldiers of Company C, Charles E. Chapel and Charles A. Rose. The paymaster, C. G. Wykoff, and his guard of four men from St. Paul, also assisted.
The Indians' original plan having met with such vigorous re- pulse on the northeast the attacking force was distributed to all quarters, and the battle became general. For five hours an in- eessant fire was kept up on the fort. The men in the garrison were directed to waste no ammunition and fired only when confident their shots would be effective, but found sufficient opportunity to maintain a steady return of the enemy's fire. The artillery did most efficient service in all directions throughout the entire en- gagement. ' Just about sunset the building in front of Whipple's gun was set on fire, also some log buildings in front of the bluff's. At dark the firing ceased, but each man remained at the post where night found him, all in almost momentary expectation of further attacks.
Sometime during the day six half-breeds of the Renville Rang- ers deserted, taking to the Indians the news of the gold which had reached the fort. Some writers elaim that there was but one half-breed deserter. It has been said that the stuffed gun al- ready mentioned was the work of some of the deserting half- breeds.
That night, Sutler Randall went to the bluffs west of where the Indians had that day destroyed his home, and clearly heard the Indians talking.
Later in the night the Sioux withdrew to the Lower agency.
At midnight on the 20th, a dreary rain set in, adding not only gloom, but discomfort to the situation. The resulting darkness was utterly impenetrable for even the distance of a few feet, and amid these conditions there came a wailing sound from out on the prairie, repeated over and over. Believing this to be a ruse, Lieutenant Sheehan ordered MeGrew to fire his cannon in that direction. The sound, however, continued as before. Sheehan then ordered a detachment of soldiers to proceed to the spot, and there the men found a woman, erazed with fear and grief, whose harrowing experiences had almost unbalanced her reason.
No other incident disturbed the night. Lowering skies marked the morning of the twenty-first (Thursday), but the day passed uneventfully. A large body of Indians passed within view of the fort and their presence was regarded ominously. They passed by, however, and entered the Minnesota valley a mile be- low the fort, passing on to the attack of New Uh.
The day was improved by the construction of barricades made of everything available, for the better protection of the gunners, especially at the southwest corner where Jones was in position. Another field-piece was maned and put in position in reserve on the parade ground nnder Sergeant Bishop of Company B; and
02>
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
the other two idle guns were loaded and made ready in case a last desperate defense became necessary; otherwise, the officers, men and guns remained in the positions assigned in Wednesday's battle, and so continued generally during the remainder of the siege.
Little Crow was determined to take Fort Ridgely. The first attack had failed, as he thought. from lack of sufficient numbers on the part of the Indians. Ile resolved to make another attempt and this time to bring into action every available Sioux warrior of the Lower hands and those of the Upper bands who could be induced to join him. On Friday, August 22, with abont 800 war- riors, he marched from the Indian villages at the Lower ageney, and massed his warriors until the fort was fairly surrounded on all sides. At about 1 P. M. a sudden but furious attack was made on the post from every available position. The garrison returned the fire with equal spirit and vigor and with great effect on the Indians, who at first had hoped to effect a quick entrance into the post by the sheer weight of superior mummbers. From the cover of the slopes approaching the fort their fire was unceasing and very accurate. They kept themselves under cover and well concealed : their presence could generally be detected only by the puffs of smoke when they discharged their pieces. Many of them stuck grass and golden-rod and ox-eyed daisies in their head-bands so that they could not well be distinguished from the herbage which covered the prairies and hillsides.
The Indian attack continued for about five hours. or until 7 P. M. The plan of the chiefs after the first attempt had failed. was to keep up a continuons fire upon the garrison from every direction until the defenders should become weakened and then attempt to carry the fort by a charge at the southwest corner, where the sally-port had been left open. To this end the greater portion of the warriors were collected at the south and southwest corners of the post under the cover of a ravine and the high bluff commanding the valley. Chief Mankato. The Thief. Big Eagle, and other noted warriors had charge of this movement. They took possession of the government stables directly south of the fort, and also the sntler's store, and began a fire from these strue- tures upon the south line of the garrison. Sergeant Jones di- rected O'Shea to throw shells into the sutler's store and other outbuildings, and set them on fire. This was skillfully done and the buildings were entirely consumed. the Indians falling back under the cover of the bluff and of the ravine to the west. Some writers have said that Jones and O'Shea fired through the hall of the officers' quarters and set the stables on fire. Others have said that the Indians fired the stables themselves. The Indians attempted to fire the buildings in the fort by shooting burning arrows upon the roofs. but the shingles were wet and the de-
629
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
fenders were able to extinguish the fires before they had made any progress. Subsequently the roofs were covered with sod and dirt and thus rendered fire-proof. At about this time Joseph Vanosse, a refugee from Yellow Medicine, was killed by a bullet which came through the side of the building in which he was sheltered.
Still in pursuance of the plan of battle, the hail of bullets, the whizzing of arrows, and the blood-eurdling war-whoop were in- cessant. From the ravine to the northeast came an especially heavy attaek, the object being to divert as far as practicable the defense to this side, and here was some gallant and effective ser- viee again performed. Whipple from the northeast corner, pro- teeted in every discharge by the hot musketry fire of Gere's de- tachment and the men of Company C to the left, swept the very grass to its roots all along the erest of the slope while MeGrew, improving the opportunity, with most conspicuous bravery, ran his howitzer out from the northwest corner to the very edge of the ravine and delivered several enfilading volleys of canister down along the hillside, practically sweeping the savages from their position.
Now began the convergence to the southwest, the Indians passing from the opposite side in either direction. In moving around the northwest corner a wide detour was necessary to avoid MeGrew's range, but the open prairie rendered the movement plainly apparent. Divining its object, MeGrew went into position on the west line and.at the south end of the commissary building. Participants have declared that before taking this change of po- sition he also changed guns, taking one of heavier caliber. in this new position he did most effective work. He fired one shot at a party passing around the fort and then training his gun westwardly dropped a second shell where the Indians were form- ing a reserve to support the charge.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.