The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-10-10
The Latest AbercrOmbie Murders.

From the st. Cloud Democrat.
We give the following horrible particu-
luars of the late murders at Abercrombie,
not because we believe in the general prin-
ciple of the Press dealing in the horrible,
but because it appears to us to be a painful
duty, imperative on the people of Mime
sofa, to acquaint the world with the nature
of the foe they have so suddenly been
called upon to meet. Already mock or
mistaken philanthropy is at work to screen
the savages from the just punishment of
their crimes, and this under current of pub
lie sentiment will certainly avail to protect
these demons and throw the onus of their
crimes upon the whites, unless the Eastern
public is better informed than they now
are, OF the extent of the atrocities COM
mitted.
In this case, it should be remembered
that the victims were void of offence to-
ward their foe, men of unblemished repu-
tatiOn, against whom the Indians could have
had no memory of wrongs to be revenged.
Mr. Wright, especially, must have been
known TO them, as he was to all who knew
him, as young man of rare intelligence, a
high sense of honor, and strict integrity
past four years at Otter Tail; and the Indi-
ans have been in the habit Of freely visiting
their house, sharing their hospitality, and
receiving aims. This case is no exception,
for these Intervals have taken especial
pains to treat those who have most be
triended them, and for whom they have
professed most friendship, with their most
diabOlical and ingenious devices OF cruelty.
How long shall it be before these Hell
Hounds are swept from the face of the
earth, old and young, male and female?
Mr.. Garrison, the writer of this letter,
is member Of the St Cloud cavalry, and
we'll known here. The letter was written
to his wife.
Fort AEEEcRoMBIE, Sept 25th, 1862.
My DEAR WIFE: L last wrote You When
we were at Lake Amelia. We remained
there three days waiting for two other
companies of infantry, and finally received
orders to join them at Wymans place. on
the Alexandria road, six or eight miles
below Alexandria. We went by way of
Reno and Swan Lake l guided them,
and arrived at Wymans place about two
O'Clock p. NJ, the next day came on up to
Chippewa, the next day found and buried
the body of Mr.. Austin, who was shot. as
| mentioned in one Of my letters, and
camped at the crossing Of the Otter Tail
company strayed off, and the division of
our company to which | am attached was
detailed to hunt them up. Tanner
found them about five miles from camp,
on the Breckenridge road, and we, that
is Barrets company and our division of
cavalry, did not get started before 8 A. NJ.
while the rest Of the army started at sun
rise. We arrived at the Fort just at dark,
and learned that the advance of the army
came in sight ofthirteen Sioux, they being
on one side of Red River and the Sioux on
the other, half or three-fourths miles off.
The Sioux ran, and the advance fearing an
ambush in clump of trees and brush, did
not pursue in time to Overtake them.
Here we also learned that the same party
of Sioux had killed two men a few hours
before they were seen by our advance. A
party of twenty was out, and when about
one mile from the Fort, were attacked and
driven back with the loss of two men, one
of them Oscar Taylors brother-in-law, Ed
ward Wright. Yesterday our com pany
volunteered to go after the bodies.
We were followed by a part of the
infantry. We secured the woods near the
Fort, and found the bodies on the prairie
about sixty or eighty rods apart. The
body of Mr. Wright was ripped up from
the navel to the throat; the heart and
liver taken out; the lungs left on the
chest; the head cut off, scalped, and
stuck in the cavity of the abdomen with
the face toward the feet; and the hands
were cut off and placed side by side, palms
down, within two feet of the body. The
other man had been shot twice, once the
ball entering under, and little back of
the left arm; which must have killed him
at once. The right arm was broken by a
ball little below the shoulder. He lay
on his face and the whole of the upper
part of the skull smashed, and the brains
scattered around; there were eighteen
bayonet thrusts in his back, and on the
back of the left leg was cash nearly to
the bone from the hip to the calf of the