The Goodhue volunteer. [volume] (Red Wing, Goodhue County, Minn.) 1861-1864, 1862-09-17

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change in this respect from the frontier hab-
its Of twenty or thirty years ago, thanst the
fact fact that guns Of any sort, it's said, were
not to be found in one third Of the houses.
The deficiency was made up as much "a
possible BY. such arms as we cuolds furnish.
and by supplies Of ammunition purchased
f. The urgent necessity for the prompt and
speedy conveyance, Of tlro tlroopsszand supplies TO
threatened points, and the want of regular
means Of transportation, made it necessary
to authorize the impressment Of horses and
teams, which were in general willingly yield
ed ands often, volunteered BY their. owners for
the purpose, in all cases to their great ineopv
yenience, and often to their !, damage, thoussh|
at stipulated rates Of scompe sation.. 5ssst..=
:; Certain persons We're, also commissioned
to raise detachments of mounted men for
special and instant service, and We're author
lzzed under, certain restrictions to- impress
horses. = The emergency which made it nee
essary to resort to this measure, having pass
Led, and learned that the authority given was
in some, cases absurd, or taken advantage OF
BY unauthorized parties - these orders have
generally been revoked, ! trust, that you
will promptly provide the requisite compen-
sation for the parties Whose, property has
been impressed for the public service, and
there can be no doubt that necessary ,expen-
ditures under this head will be ultimately
reimbursed by the. General Government, in
whose behalf they We're incurred.
Our new volunteers: though brave, are as
yet inexperienced, and in other respects lily
prepared for the active service into which
they have been ordered. The want of dis
ciplined troops being early felt, the Third
Minnesota then on parole atr St. Louis, was
at my request ordered to report here, They
arrived on the 4th inst, and were instantly
! dispatched under Major Welch to the scene
Of hostilities.
In the mean time the progress Of the In.
dians appeared to be checked.
On the Gath day Ct August, New Ulm,
into which a body Of citizens under Judge
Flandrau, had thrown themselves for the
protection Of its inhabitants, was relieved by
a detachme Mt of Col. Sibleys troops. after
having most bravely fought and repnlsel the
enemy in a severe battle on the proceeding
day. The place was then evacuated in or.
der to convey the women and children who
had fed thence for refuge, TO the number of
2,OoO, to place Of permanent safety. =.
On the 26th: Fort Ridgley was relieved
by a volunteer force of mounted citizens, un.
der Lieut.. Col. McPhail, sent forward by
Col. Sibley, who arrived next day with his
whole force.
They found the brave little garrison near
" exhausted with the labors and yiyils which
they had undergone IN their heroic defence
Of that weak post for period of nine days,
during which they had sustained and re-
pulsed three several desperate attacks in
force A number Of brave men fell in these
encounters.
/ While in this direction, the Indians ap.
pearcd to be retreating before our, forces,
news came on the 9th, that the settlers at
Breckenridge, on the Red River. had been
massacred, and that Fort Abcrcrombie was
seriously menaced. To two companie ) OF
Infantry already on. the march for the pro-
lection Of settlements in that quarter, two
more were now added.
On Sept. Sd. Capt Strout's company was
Unexpectedly attacked by $50 indians at
Cedar City, in Mcleod county, and retreated
to Hutchinson, which had been fortified.
An attack was made at the same tine on
Fores: City, which also had been, fortified
BY the citizens, and was repulsed BY them.
It was rene wed again at Hutchinson, q. few
days after, and repulsed. Their, dspreda
tons had now, extended through l., the whole
country west Of Forest City, and many per
sons were murdered, and much property
destroyed. Reinforcements on the way TO
this district, at the time of. these .occurren,
Ices, have since been distributed at various
points in and beyond the settlements, and
portion Of the Third Regiment, as soon as it
arrived, was dispatched in, this direction. /
| lnte!ligencex was also received that the
raid had extended into Jackson. and AHA
cent counties on the Iowa border. 's'.'s.,/ ''s1
The troops fer the protection d the south
western frontier, in the meantime we're
placed in charge of Col. Flandrau,,' whose
energetic defence of New Uln, bad proved
high capabilities for the service. Troops
were forwarded TO him as rapidly as they
fcould be raised and equipped, and be has
now under his command force Of about 500
men, winch. in case Of emergency can be
largely reinforced from the citizens in the
vicinity. @.s.z s~ ss' '...' @@',,ss
I All the arms and ammunition not il the
hands Of troops in active service, which
|couid be Obtained from any quarter have been
'districuted 9 soon = received 10 the c;,i
zens Of every locality which seemed 10 be in
danger By these precautions, and the dis,
,|tnbu.ion Of bodies of troops Il short dis.
lIiancsz apart, our whole Indian border, alonr %
1.-THE line Of the chippew. country, from
i Icneng~a.ana, II The 81. Croix valley. {
- n.