USA > North Dakota > Early history of North Dakota: essential outlines of American history > Part 35
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Lieutenant Ploghoff resigned and James Bacon was commissioned second lieutenant in his stead. Lieutenant Fowler also resigned. The company, after receiving their equipment, was stationed for a short time at Fort Randall under Lieut. Col. John Pattee of the Seventh Iowa.
In July Lieutenant Ploghoff reached Yankton with twenty-five men. Captain .Miner was at Vermilion with a part of the company ; a portion under Lieutenant Bacon was stationed at Sioux Falls. Sergeant English was at Yankton with another detachment. This organization proved of great importance in the Indian war which commenced in August, 1862, as related in a previous chapter, when Sioux Falls was burned, several persons killed, and practically the whole territory abandoned excepting Yankton, Pembina, Fort Randall, Fort Åber- crombie and the upper Missouri trading posts.
August 30, 1862, the governor called out the militia of the territory, and Charles P. Booge was appointed adjutant-general and Robert M. Hagaman, aid- de-camp.
General Booge appointed Moses K. Armstrong aid-de-camp; Downer T. Bramble, brigade quartermaster; Joseph R. Hanson, judge advocate, and Rev. Melancthon Hoyt, brigade chaplain.
At a meeting at Yankton August 30, 1862, to organize a company of militia, with Enos Stutsman president and George W. Kingsbury secretary, sixty men were immediately enrolled and twenty others soon added from the homestead settlers. Those enrolled were Enos Stutsman, Downer T. Bramble, William Bordeno, W. N. Collamer, David Fisher, James M. Allen, Newton Edmunds, Moses K. Armstrong, H. T. Bailey, Joseph R. Hanson, John E. Allen, George W. Kingsbury, J. C. Trask, Obed Foote, George Brown, Parker V. Brown, William P. Lyman, Charles F. Rossteuscher, Charles F. Picotte, Thomas C. Powers (afterwards U. S. senator, Montana), Augustus High, William High, Lytle M. Griffith, James Falkenberg, Nicholas Felling, Antoine Robeart, A. S. Chase, Samuel Grant, John Lawrence, William H. Werdebaugh, John Rouse, Saumel Jerome, George N. Propper, George W. Lamson, William Miner, John McGuire, Washington Reed, James M. Stone, Joseph S. Presho, Charles Noland, John Smart, William Thompson, Bligh E. Wood, James E. Witherspoon, C. S. White, A. B. Smith, Charles Wallace, O. B. Wheeler, F. M. Ziebach, D. W. Reynolds, Henry Bradley, Samuel Mortimer, John Bradley, Jacob Arend, J. M. Reed, T. J. Reed, Charles Nolan, P. H. Risling, Berne C. Fowler, J. W. Evans, James Fawcett, Henry Arend. Dr. A. Van Osdel, Rudolph Von Ins, John Stanage, Gouzaque Bourret, Hans Shager, John Lefevre, William Stevens, George Granger, Charles Philbrick, Inge Englebertson, L. Olson, Henry Strunk, Lewis Peterson, John Johnson, Peter Johnson, G. P. Greenway, Ole Peterson, John Keltz, Barre Olson, Charles Mckinney, Christopher Arend, Pierre Dupuis, George Mathiesen, Richard Mathiesen, Peter Nugent, William Van Osdel, Samuel Van Osdel, J. N. Hoyt.
At the meeting for organization next day F. M. Ziebach was elected captain ; David Fisher, first lieutenant, and John Lawrence, second lieutenant; B. F. Barge, first sergeant : Antoine Robeart, Samuel Mortimer and F. Wadsworth, sergeants; George W. Kingsbury, A. S. Chase, Obed Foote, H. T. Bailey, Downer T. Bramble, J. C. Trask, John Rouse and Newton Edmunds, corporals.
A stockade inclosing 400 feet square, embracing the Ash Hotel and several
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other buildings, was built, and here the women and children were generally pro- vided with beds and the men were camped. The entire population of Yankton County, excepting the settlement at Gayville, which fled to Nebraska, found refuge here, and were joined by those at Bon Homme and other near-by places. Some from Vermilion and Elk Point found safety at Sioux City.
Strike-the-Ree, chief of the Yanktons, who was friendly, advised the settlers to flee, as he felt certain that he could not hold his young warriors who were dis- posed to join Little Crow's bands, who were on the war path; but the advice of the chief was rejected, after a meeting participated in by married men only, who · decided by one majority to stay and fight if necessary. After this decision they all engaged in hurried preparations for defense.
The stockade was to have been built of sod, with a ditch in front; but by the time it was completed on the north side, attacks were made by the Indians at the ferry and several other places, one of the skirmishes lasting nearly an hour, when it was completed with logs, posts, or any other available material. A cannon was planted at the gate and the militia and Company A were active in scouting.
There was preparedness everywhere, and as the advices from Little Crow's operations were not encouraging, the Yankton Indians resumed their peaceful atti- tude; yet on September 6th, there were several sharp skirmishes and every settler who had not already sought safety in the stockade did so or joined with the organization for defense.
The uprising lasted forty days, and after it was over some of the settlers returned to their homes; some never returned. Sioux Falls was practically abandoned for six years.
A militia company was also organized in the Brule Creek settlement with Mahlon Gore captain; a stockade was also built and a detachment of Company A stationed there during the fall. A number of settlers lived in the stockade for some time, including the Methodist circuit preacher, Rev. J. L. Paine. Stockades were built by returning settlers at Vermilion and Elk Point. Many settlers sent their families to their former homes.
The massacre at Sioux Falls occurred September Ist. The Norwegian fam- ilies at Gayville went to St. Helena, Neb., and organized, with Ole Sampson, captain.
Sergt. A. M. English was particularly active in escorting the settlers to Yank- ton and other places of safety. September 6th he joined the Yankton party, with his command, adding materially to the military strength. Captain Ziebach had taken great precautions and was already well prepared, as were all, and in pre- paredness they found safety ; but the main feature of that day of anxiety and real danger was the arrival of Capt. Nelson Miner with forty men of Company A. The Yankton Indians recognized it and dissuaded the hostiles who were in force a short distance away from any further attack. This incident was the turning point, and to the brave defenders of Yankton the credit was due. Strike- the-Ree no longer urged the retirement of the white settlers.
Dr. Walter A. Burleigh raised a company of 100 Indian braves for the com- mon defense at the Yankton Agency, where he had but recently arrived with his family. This also had great influence on the young Yankton braves and kept them from breaking away from the restraint of their chief and joining in the
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work of destruction commenced by Little Crow, who was even then becoming. discouraged by the resistance of the Sissetons, and the rumors of preparation that reached him from every direction. The resistance met at Fort Ridgeley and New Ulm was unexpected, and he realized that the time spent in dancing and rejoicing over the first day's terrible work could never be regained.
October 7th, Governor Jayne ordered the enlistment of four military com- panies, trusting to future legislation, or orders from the war department, to pro- vide for their pay and equipment. Commissions had previously been issued to officers for recruiting Company B, which was immediately organized, with Wil- liam Tripp, captain; T. Elwood Clarke, first lieutenant; the latter subsequently built Fort Hutchinson at the James River crossing, which became an important element in the defense of Yankton. It was built of logs with quarters for 100 men.
Among other officers commissioned under the call of October 7th were Capt. A. J. Bell, Lieut. M. H. Somers, Capt. A. G. Fuller, Lieut. John R. Wood and Lieut. W. W. Adams.
Those enlisted were subsequently mustered into the United States service and paid from date of enlistment. Captain Fuller and Lieutenant Fisher erected a block-house on the Ash Hotel lots but it never reached full completion, Minne- sota, Nebraska and Iowa troops coming to Yankton and other parts of Dakota in such force that it became unnecessary.
INDIAN CAPTIVES RESCUED
December 31, 1862, two women and six children, who had been captives among the Indians since August 22d, taken in the Minnesota massacre, reached Yankton. The persons were Mrs. Julia Wright, Mrs Laura Duley; Mrs. Wright was accompanied by her daughter, aged five years, and Mrs. Duley by her daugh- ter, aged nine years; a niece of Mr. Duley, aged five years, and Rosana and Ella Creland, aged nine and seven years, daughters of Thomas Creland, and Lille Everett, daughter of William Everett. Mr. J. M. Duley, formerly of Sioux Falls, who moved to Lake Shetak, Minn., was killed by Little Crow's bands and these women and children made captive. Mrs. Wright was the wife of John A. Wright. The women had been forced to walk from the place where captured to the Missouri River and the children much of the way. They were first taken in the direction of Devils Lake, and then to the Missouri River near Standing Rock, where they were released through the influence of Major Galpin and his good wife, the mother of Charles F. Picotte. The major sent twenty horses and a supply of provisions for this purpose, a horse and provisions being given for each captive. Another story of the rescue of this party is that Four-Bears of the Two-Kettle band of Sioux followed the Indians for a long distance and finally secured their release for eight horses, and that it was he who turned them over to Maj. John Pattee, who sent them to Yankton. Pattee was in command of an expedition in search of captives. A large number of captives had been recovered at Camp Release after the battle at Wood Lake, mentioned in Chap- ter XIII.
Vol. I-19
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THE SIBLEY EXPEDITION OF 1863
After the massacre of 1862, Little Crow and such warriors as cared to share his fortunes or feared to remain, went to Canada or sought refuge on the plains of Dakota. Little Crow subsequently returned and was killed. See page 203.
Gen. Henry H. Sibley, moving from Fort Ridgeley, Minn., in 1863, was sent to pursue the hostiles and further punish them for their depredations. Gen. Alfred Sully was ordered to move up the Missouri River in co-operation with him. Sibley's force numbered 4,000 men, consisting of the Sixth, Seventh and Tenth Minnesota Infantry, Third Minnesota Battery and a regiment of mounted rangers, enlisted for the purpose.
The expedition crossed the Red River at Fort Abercrombie, and followed the Sheyenne through what is now Cass, Barnes and Ransom counties on the way toward Devils Lake. The worst drought ever recorded in the history of Dakota prevailed at that time. Springs, lakes and streams usually affording an abundance of water, were dry. The earth was parched and the atmosphere almost like the blast from a furnace. Two hundred and fifty wagons carried his supplies.
THE BATTLES OF BIG MOUND, BUFFALO LAKE AND STONY LAKE
Proceeding southwesterly from Devils Lake, General Sibley encountered the Indians at Big Mound July 24, 1863, and twelve miles farther west at Dead Buffalo Lake, about thirty miles east of the Missouri River. The Indians pro- fessing a desire for peace, sought a council with the troops and during the conference Surgeon Josiah S. Weiser, of the mounted rangers, approached the council, and was immediately killed by one of the Indians, supposing him to be the commanding officer. General Sibley had previously been warned of the purpose of such a conference, the Indians intending to massacre the officers and then attack and destroy the troops. The conference was had without his knowl- edge. The Indians were in great numbers and General Sibley's command was divided, 1,400 infantry and 500 cavalry being with him some distance in advance. Immediately following the death of Doctor Weiser, Col. Samuel McPhail at- tacked the Indians with two companies of his regiment supported by Lieut. Col. William R. Marshall, Maj. George Bradley and Capt. Alonzo J. Edgerton and artillery commanded by Lieut. John C. Whipple, and also by the com- mand of Col. William Crook and Col. John T. Averill, and the battle of Big Mound was on. Col. Robert McLaren remained in command of the camp. The Indians occupying the hills and ravines were dislodged and put to rout, leaving large quantities of supplies and camp equipage, which Colonel McLaren was detailed to destroy. General Sibley joining the command, they pursued the Indians to Dead Buffalo Lake, where a still stronger force was encountered on the 26th, when another sharp engagement was had with con- siderable loss to the Indians, and they again fled toward the Missouri. Here the command remained a day, recovering from the severe marching and fighting in the Big Mound battle, and for the purpose of destroying the large amount of property hidden in the reeds and about the lake, and thrown away by the Indians in their flight.
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The number of Indians here engaged appeared to have been largely increased, and as the soldiers followed their trail toward the Missouri River they found and destroyed much property.
THE BATTLE OF STONY LAKE
On July 28th General Sibley again engaged the Indians at Stony Lake, their force having been largely increased by parties returning from the hunt.
General Sibley speaks of the Indian force met here, as being greater than was ever encountered in any previous conflict on the American Continent. So great were their numbers that they formed two-thirds of a circle around his lines five or six miles in extent, seeking some weak point for attack, rushing back and forth endeavoring to keep out of range of the unerring frontier riflemen who emptied many saddles, and wary of the artillery which had previously wrought much havoc with spherical case shell. The fire was rapid and incessant on both sides. Artil- lery and long-range rifles were a new element of warfare to them, and becoming discouraged they again fled with the troops in hot pursuit.
At Big Mound the number engaged was estimated at 1,500 to 2,000; at Buffalo Lake at 2,000, and of the 10,000 on the war path 2,000 to 2,500 were estimated by General Sibley to be then in his immediate front.
General Sibley pursued them on the 29th and that night camped on the banks of Apple Creek, a few mounted Indians being then in sight. On the 30th Colonel McPhail was sent forward with the mounted rangers and artillery to harass and if possible interrupt their flight across the Missouri River, Sibley following with the remainder of the column. The Indian women and children crossed the Missouri River the preceding night; and when Sibley arrived at the mouth of Apple Creek the hills west of the Missouri were swarming with Indians. The Indians in their flight had cached much property in the hills of Apple Creek and the Missouri, but had left much in the willows and timber.
General Sibley made his camp opposite what was then known as Burned Boat Island, from the incident of the Assinaboine being destroyed by fire on its way down the river with Maximilian's party in the spring of 1834, but now called Sibley Island. It was later granted to the City of Bismarck for park purposes by an act of Congress, but finally restored to the public domain. Here General Sibley remained two days, sending up rockets at night and firing cannon occa- sionally by day, hoping to get into communication with General Sully, ordered to meet him at this point.
DEATH OF LIEUTENANT BEEVER
On his approach to the Missouri River, Colonel Crook was directed to clear the woods on the flat north of Apple Creek of Indians, which was done. Lieu- tenant Beever, a young English gentleman acting as aid-de-camp on General Sibley's staff, was sent with an order to Colonel Crook. Taking the wrong trail, he was pierced by Indian arrows at a point about five miles below Bismarck. A private of the Sixth Minnesota, Nicholas Miller, who had taken the same trail, was also shot to death by arrows. On the next day Colonel Crook's com-
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mand destroyed a large amount of property which the Indians had left on the east side of the river in their flight, including 150 wagons and carts.
BATTLE OF THE MACKINAW
Immediately after General Sibley left the Missouri on August 3d, the Indians returned and secured a large amount of property cached by them which Colonel Crook did not find; and while engaged in this work a mackinaw appeared com- ing down the Missouri River, having on board twenty-one persons, including several women and children. The Indians attacked them, killing all and sinking the boat. The occupants of the boat, however, killed ninety-one Indians and wounded many others before their ammunition failed. This is the story told General Sully a few weeks,later by an Indian captive and confirmed from other sources. General Sully found the wrecked boat on arriving at the Missouri with his expedition.
Further research develops the fact that the party was from the Boise, Idaho, mines, and embraced originally twenty-seven miners, two half-blood Indians, one woman and two children. They were attacked near Fort Union, and shots were exchanged with Indians at various points on the river. At Fort Berthold ten men left the boat, regarding the dangers too great to justify them in proceeding. Six of these afterward went down the river in three small boats, two in each. There were in the boat seventeen miners, two half-blood Sioux, and the woman and two children. The miners were supposed to have one hundred thousand dollars, or more, principally in gold dust, in their possession. In the battle against over- whelming odds ten of the miners were killed outright, and when the leader fell, and their ammunition was exhausted, the Indians rushed the boat and killed the others. Red Blanket, a Santee woman, whose brother was killed in the battle, and who helped kill the woman, said the Indian loss was about thirty killed. Other Indians placed it at forty-two, and still others at thirty-six killed and thirty-five wounded. Indians who went to Fort Garry and joined Little Crow, admitted taking $18,000 to $20,000 in gold, and some greenbacks from the bodies of the slain miners, which they used in buying arms and ammunition.
Red Blanket said as they stripped the bodies of the dead they found on some of them buckskin belts filled with what they supposed was spoiled powder; that some of these were ripped open and the contents thrown away. In 1876, Whistling Bear, an Arickaree Indian, brother-in-law of Fred Gerard, the trader at Fort Berthold, told him about two weeks after the battle to take a few trusty Indians with him and go down and examine the bodies and the ground where the battle occurred, and see if they could find any gold dust, showing him some, so they could recognize it ; that he did as directed, and upon some of the bodies found belts filled with gold dust, and on others sacks or belts which had been cut open and the contents spilled on the ground. At the boat they found a coffee pot filled with gold dust ; that they gave the gold to Gerard, who, in return, gave him a horse. Gerard admitted he received gold in due course of trade, and that he sent word to the Sioux that he would allow them full value, in trade, for it.
The stories of Red Blanket and Whistling Bear were related by them to Joseph H. Taylor, and published in a volume of frontier sketches printed and published by him.
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THE LOSSES IN BATTLE
The Indian losses in these several battles were very large, the troops counting many abandoned on the field, but there is no definite information as to the number. In the Battle of Big Mound it is certain the losses were very heavy, as the fighting was frequently at short range, but in the other engagements the Indians had become more wary.
General Sibley's losses were three men killed and four wounded in battle and one John Murphy killed by lightning, besides Dr. Josiah S. Weiser (treacherously killed at the peace conference preceding the battle of Big Mound), Lieutenant Beever and Nicholas Miller at Apple Creek, and Lieutenant Ambrose Freeman of Company D, Minnesota Mounted Rangers, who was hunting a short distance from Sibley's command the first day of Sibley's engagement with the Indians, when he was pierced by Indian arrows and buried on the field with appropriate honors. His body and that of Doctor Weiser were later recovered through the efforts of Hon. Joel E. Weiser, of Valley City, a brother of Doctor Weiser.
The body of Lieutenant Beever was recovered and buried with Masonic honors in a grave resembling a rifle pit, a lodge being opened for that purpose, of which Capt. J. C. Braden was master. Ten years later Captain Braden, then grand master of the Minnesota Jurisdiction, and Grand Secretary A. T. C. Pierson, came to Bismarck to constitute the Masonic Lodge, and told the story of Lieu- tenant Beever's death and burial. They went to the place next day and exhumed the body and removed it to St. Paul, where it was buried and the grave cared for at the expense of General Sibley.
Lieut. Fred J. Holt Beever was an ordained clergyman of the English Church. He spent two years in New York and came to General Sibley with letters from John Jacob Astor and Hamilton Fish, and accompanied General Sibley as a volunteer aid-de-camp. On Memorial Day, May 30th each year, his grave is appropriately decorated by the soldiers of the Grand Army of the Republic.
Private Nicholas Miller was killed near where Lieutenant Beever was shot. Private John Murphy was killed by lightning, and Private John Platt was mor- tally wounded by an Indian whom he had previously wounded. Private Joe Campbell killed the Indian.
A son of Little Crow was found on the prairie exhausted, and taken prisoner by General Sibley on his return to Fort Ridgeley, followed by Indian scouts until he crossed the James River going east.
Among the officers who took a prominent part in this campaign were Capt. Alonzo J. Edgerton, afterward chief justice of Dakota Territory; Capt. Eugene M. Wilson and Col. John T. Averill, afterward members of Congress from Minnesota ; Col. James H. Baker, commissioner of pensions; Col. William R. Marshall, governor of Minnesota, and Col. Samuel P. Jennison, secretary of state; Capt. Oscar Taylor, John Jones, Jonathan Chase, Peter B. Davy, later a North Dakota farmer, and Capt. Abraham L. Van Osdel, prominent in Dakota history. Charles Bottineau accompanied Sibley as a guide.
GENERAL SULLY'S EXPEDITION OF 1863
In connection with General Sibley's expedition another was sent from Sioux City, under the command of Gen. Alfred H. Sully. It consisted of the Sixth Iowa'
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Cavalry, under command of Col. David S. Wilson; the Second Nebraska Cav- alry, Col. Robert W. Furnas; one company of the Seventh Iowa Cavalry under Captain Willard; three companies of the Forty-fifth Iowa Infantry and an eight-gun battery. The expedition was accompanied by seventy-five army wagons and seventy-five civil employes. They left Yankton June 26, 1863. They went by steamboat to Swan Lake, leaving that point August 21, reaching Long Lake on the 28th, where a lame Indian was found who told General Sully of Sibley's battle and that the Indians lost fifty-eight killed; that soon after Sibley left Apple Creek, the Indians attacked a mackinaw boat, mentioned elsewhere. On the 29th General Sully sent two companies of the Sixth Iowa, under the com- mand of Capt. D. W. C. Cram, to the mouth of Apple Creek, where they found General Sibley's fortified camp, and reported that they saw the mackinaw boat mentioned by the lame Indian.
September 3d they found the remains of many buffalo recently killed and numerous Indian trails all leading toward their favorite resort. 'That day scouts located four hundred to six hundred lodges of Indians in a ravine, the warriors numbering at least one thousand two hundred.
Some two hundred Indians surrounded and captured General Sully's guide, Frank La Frambois. They were Indians who had fought in the Minnesota massacre, and in the battles with General Sibley, and in the attack on the mack- inaw; and they told La Frambois that they did not see why the soldiers should come out to fight them unless they were tired of living and wanted to die. La Frambois escaping, ran his horse ten miles to give his commander the informa- tion he had gained as to the identity, strength and purpose of the Indians, consisting of Santees, Cutheads, Yanktonais, Uncpapas and Blackfeet. General Sully immediately galloped a force to the attack under Col. Robert W. Furnas, and the result was the
BATTLE OF WHITE STONE HILLS
The battlefield is in Dickey County, North Dakota, about fifteen miles west of Monango. Congress granted the State of North Dakota a section of land for park purposes, on which the beautiful monument shown in illustration here- with is situated.
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