The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-09-05

We discovered concentration of In
dams on the side of the street towards the
river, and at the rear Of the buildings, and
expected rush upon the town from that
position, the result of which feared more
than anything else, as the boys had proved
unequal to it in the morning., and we were
not disappointed, for in few moments they
came on ponies and on foot, furiously,
about sixty in lumber, charging round the
point of little grove of oaks. This was
the critical point Of the day, but four or
five hours under fire had brought the boys
up to the fighting temperature, and they
stood firmly and advanced with a cheer,
routing the rascals like sheep. They RECEIVE
ed us with very hot fire, killing Hough-
ton and the elderly gentleman, whose name
did not know. As they fled in crowd
at very short range, we gave them volley
that was very efectual, and settled the for
tunes of the day in our favor, for they did
not dare try it over. I think, after once
repulsing them in fair fight, we could have
successfully resisted them, had they return
ed second time, as the necessary confidence
had been gained.
White men fight under great disedvan.
tage the first time they engage Indians.
There is something so fiendish in their yells
and terrifying in their appearance when in
battle, that it takes good deal of time to
overcome the unpleasant sensation it In
spires. Then there is snake-like stealth
in all their movements that eXcites distrust
and uncertainty and which unsteadies the
nerves at first.
After this repulse the battle ragged until
dark without sufficient advantage on one
sides or the other to merit mention in de-
tail, when the savages drew of, firing only
an occasional shot from under close
cover.
After dark we decreased the extent of
our lines of barricades, and deemed it pru>
dent to order all the buildings outside to be
burned in order to prevent them from afford~
ing protection to the savages while they adj
vanced to annoy US. We were compelled to
consume about forty valuable buildings, but
as it was military necessity the inhabitants
did not demur, but themselves applied the
torch cheerfully. In short time we had
fair field before US of open prairie, with the
exception of large square brick building,
which we held, and had loop holed in all
the stories on all sides, and which com,
manded long portion of our front towards
the bluff. We also dug a system of rifle
pits on that front, outside the barricades,
about four rods apart, which completed our
defences.
That night we slept very little, every man
being at the barricades all night. each third
man being allowed to sleep at intervals.
In the morning the attack was renewed,
but not with much vigor, and subsidized
about noon.
During the day body of men appeared
in the lower town, and turned out to be a
detachment of $50 volunteers from Nicol.
lect and Sibley counties, under Capt. E.
st. Julien Cox, which had been forwarded
to our relief by Col. Sibley. They had
about fifty Austrian rifles, and the rest
were armed with shot guns and hunting
rifles. Their appearance inspired us with
gladness, as things were becoming doubt
full.
1 held council of the officers, and we
determined to attempt an evacuation of the
town, carrying off all the inhabitants, wo-
men, children, sick and wounded, to the
number of about two thousand. This
movement was very perilous one to UNI
dertake with the force at our command, but
the confined state of the town was rapidly
producing disease among the women and
children, who were huddled in cellars and
close rooms, like sheep in cattle car, and
we we're fast becoming short of ammuni-
ton and provisions. I feared the result of
another attack by larger force, and all the
people decided that they would abandon the
town the first opportunity, as residence
there was impossible under the circum
stances.
At daylight next morning the barbados
were broken, and the wagons taken out and
put in motion. The scene was one of ins
describable confusion and destruction. The
poor people, naturally DESTROYS of carrying
off all they could, filled their wagons with
boxes and baggage, to the exclusion las we
found before the train was completely of
many of the women and wounded I was,
therefore, compelled to order all articles of
q bulky nature to be tumbled out, and their
places supplied by more valuable freight.
1t was hard, but necessary, and the inhab'
itaAts yielded with less reluctance than I
had anticipated
About nine A. NJ, we moved with one
hundred and ffty-three wagon-loads of wo.
men and children, and sick and wounded
and large company on foot. Lieutenant
Cox took the general disposition of the
escort, and the various commands were
posted so as to best protect the whole in
case of attack. 1t was a melancholy spec
tacle to see two thousand people, who few
days before had been prosperous and happy,
reduced to utter beggary, starting upon a
journey of thirty miles, through hostile
country, every inch Of which we expected
to be called upon to defend from attack, the
issue of which was life or horrid butchery.
Beggary, starvation and probable destruc-
tion were at one end of the road doubt
full escape from the latter at the other. We
took the latter alternative, and, under Prov
idence, got through.
During the battle we lost, as near as l
can ascertain, about ten killed and fifty
wounded. l can give you no accurate de-
tail of either, as the casualties occurred
among citizens, soldiers and strangers. The
physicians, of whom, fortunately, We had a