The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1862-10-14

III CudoiHS tHe IuuidHS, VINO VIII retreat
as We advance into the far west, and new
er show us even their backs, and the
want of forage and provisions will make
following them up impossible until
spring opens i; and as for garrisoning
these little one horse towns scattered
over the country, to keep down the fears
of the settlers, who have about AS much
spunk as some of our generals have
brains-and that is l,nle enough-we
don like to do IT,.
The fact is, the Indian excitement
caused as great skedaddle throughout
northwestern Minnesota, as our forces ev-
ermade among the alarmed secesh Every
little village and hamlet within $50
miles Of the trouble, sent out its panic
stricken inhabitants, and almost every
farm and clearing followed suit, and now
soldiers must be stationed through the
country to restore confidence and bring
in settlers again.
Verify what magic there is in blue
coats and brass buttons. Take a hand
full of men clad in Uncle Sans livery,
with old smooth bore muskets which
could mt with the utmost care in sighting,
be made TO hit a savage at 90 rods, a
ricketty old drum and loud squeaking
fife, and it is greater safe guard than
double the number of sturdy citizens
armed with the deadly rifle, but clad in
plain clothes. But human nature is
"human mater" as the Yankees say, and
in justice to the thousands who left their
homes, must say that some of the in
cidents of the massacre were fearful and
sickening in the extreme.
The poor Indian" Is truly Fastening
his destiny by such outbreaks as these
The sympathy we have felt for the
wrongs Of the red man is overcome al
the recital of these outrages, and those
who pitied most are now the loudest in
their cry for determination. To day, in
the christian city of st. Paul, swings a
bloody scalp torn from the head of a
Sioux warrior, and as it fsunts in the
wind, doubtless many young miss and
refined lady gazes upon it with smile
at this proof Of the proves of our arms.
Old Fort Smelling is looking up again
Two years ago its walls were crumbling
its wood work fast Fastening to decay,
and the whole thing bidding fair to soon
become ruin like her beautiful sister,
Fort Craw ord, the silent, decaying sen
tinel over Prairie de Chen To day a
small army Of masons, carpenters, labor
ers. &C., are busy tearing down and
building up, until soon we shall renew
her youth, and listen TO the tread oil
armed men greater in number than she
has ever before seen in or around her
walls.
There are but ii or 1900 men here at
the present time, but the order is 70 con
struct accommodations for 1000, and as
! it was never meant to accommodate over
600, you may imagine what busy time
there will be for the next SIX weeks, un
less this order is countermanded.
Uncle Sam is also dealing pretty ex
tensively in horse flesh at this post. the
call being for 1000. Every day brings
in motley drove, yesterday some fifty
before light wagon, to-day l5o by
boat, and still they come.
Each horse, as it arrives, is put through
on the trot, canter and gallop, search
ing glance given him by the inspector
if satisfactory, the old bride slipped off
new one slipped on, the letters U. S
branded on the left shoulder, and in less
time than it takes me to write il, ne is
led off, and makes one of the long lines
that stretch over the green sward, neigh
ing, kicking, biting, little thinking of the
hard life that lies before them. What
our destination is, or where we shall go
is unknown to US. That large force
must be kept stationed on the frontier
4
to keep the Indians at bay is positive
that when spring opens there will be
! plenty Of work on the far western plains
TO protect emigrants and mail transpor-
tation, is more than probable. In the
meantime it is stated that the paroIed
prisoners captured at Harper's Ferry are
to be sent here for active service, which
may relieve most Of us from that defect
able job, which |, for one, hardly crave
We go through our daily routine o
duty, live in tents, and on the whole fare
very vol, what we lack in the way o
eatables issued by the Commissary being
made up by foraging.
Our boys are equal to the emergency