The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-10-02

witnout loss, although fired upon fiercely from
the opposite side. He reported to me that a
iarge quantity OF transportation, including
carts, wagons and bther vehicles had heen iaft
behind In the woods oo0'' -O''
transmitted through Mr. Beever. a volunteer
aide on my Staff. an order to Col. Crooks n "a.
turn to the main column with his regiment
the ooject had in view in detaching him being
fully attained. The order was received ana
Mr.. Beever was entrusted with a messa~c n ' rs
turn containing information desired nv me
when ON his way to headquarters he inform
nately took the wrong trail, and was the newt
day found where he had been set unon and
Killed oy an outlying party of the enemy. His
for he was esteemed by ali for his devotion to
duty and for his modest and gentlemanlv de-
pertinent A private of the 9th regiment who
had taken the same trail was also shot tn death
with arrows, probably by the same partv.
Iherc being no water to be found on the
prairie, 1 proceeded down the Missouri to
the nearest point on Apple River opposite
Burnt Boat Island and made nv camn The
following day Colonel Crooks with n strono de.
tachment OF eleven companies of in antrv and
dismounted cavalry and three guns under tho
command OF Captain Jones, was despatched to
destroy the property left in the woods, which
was thoroughly performed with the aid of
Lieutenant Jones, and a portion of the Pho
neer corps. From one hundred and twenty to
one hundred and fifty wagons and carts were
thus disposed Of During this time the sayages
lay concealed in the grass on the opposite side
OF the river, exchanging occasional vollies with
our men. Some execution was done upOn
them by the long range arms of the Infantry
and cavalry. without any injury to any one of
my command.
waited two days in camp hoping to open
communication with Generally Sully, who,
with his comparatively fresh mounted force
could easily have followed up and destroyed
wal o6 co T,l.-
long and rapid marches had very much debil.
lated the Infantry, and as far as the horses of
| the cavalry, and the mules employet in the
transportation, they were utterly exhausted.
Under all the circumstances l felt that this
| column had done every thing possible within
the limits OF human and animal endurance and
| that Is further pursuit would not only be use
less, as the Indians could cross and rc-cross
the river in much less time than could my COM
| mand, and thus evade me- but would necessa-
rily be attended with the loss of many valuable
lives For three successive evenings caused
the cannon to be fired, and signal rockets sent
| up but all these elected no reply from General
Suly and am apprehensivc he has been de-
tanned by insurmountable obstacles The point
struck by me on the Missouri is about forty
miles by land below Fort Clark in latitude
46:42 longitude 1OO:35,
The military results of the expedition have
been highly satisfactory. A march of nearly
| l
in season OF fierce heats and unprecedented
drouth when even the most experienced voy-
| ayers predicted the impOssibility of such
movement. vigilant and powerful as well
as confident enemy, was found, success
fully routed in three different engagements
with loss OF at least one hundred and fifty
killed and wounded Ofhis best and b"aveSt war
riOrs. and his beaten forces driven in confusion
and dsmay, with the sacrifice of vast quantities
| OF subsistence, clothing and means of transport
tation across the Missouri River, many, per-
haps most of them, to perish mserably in their
utter restitution during the coming fall and
winter. These fierce warriors of the
prairie have been t,ught by dear bought
experience that the long arm OF he government
can reach them in their most distant haunts,
and punish them for their misdeeds that they
| are utterly pOWerless to resist the attacks ola
disciplined toice, and that but for the interpOs-
| ton OF mighty stream between us and them,
the utter destruction of the great camp contain
ing all their strength was certain. 1t would have
| been gratifying to us if the numbering remnant
| OF the Mindaywakan.On and WakpatOn bands
could have been extirpated. root and branch,
but as it is, the bodies of many of the most
| guilty have been left unburied on the plains
| to be deyCured by wolves and foxes.
am gratiied to be able to state that the
loss sustained by my column in actual combat
was very small -Four men of the cavalry were
killed and four wounded one l fear, fatally,
one private of the same regiment was killed by
lighting during the first engagement, and
Lieut.. Freeman, OF company D, also, of the
Mounted Rangers, a valuable officer was
| pierced to death with arrows on the same day
by party of hostile indians, while, without
| my knowledge, he was engaged in hunting at
distance from the main column. The bodies
| OF the dead were inferred with funeral hOnOrs,
and the graves secured from decoration by
making them in the semblance of ordinary rifle
pits.
1t would give me pleasure to designate by
name all those of the splendid regiments and
corps of my command who signalized them
selves by their gallant conduct, but as that
| would really embrace officers and men, must
content myself by bringing to the notice Of
the Major General commanding such as came
Immediately under my own observation.
I cannot speak too highly of Colonies Crooks
| and Baker, and Lieutenant Colonel Marshall,
commanding respectively the 9th 10th, and
9TH Regiments of Minnesota Volunteers, and of
Lieutenant Colonies Averill and Jennison, and
Majors McLaren and Bradley, and of the
line officers and men of those regiments. They
have deserved well of their country and of
their State. They were ever on hand to assist
me in my labors. and active, jealous. and brave
in the performance of duty. Of Col. McPhaill,
commanding the Mounted Rangers, and of
tcers and men generally, have the honor to
state that, as the cavalry was necessarily more
exposed and nearer the enemy than the other
portions of the command, SO they alike dis
tinguished themselves by unwavering courage
and splendid fighting qualities. The great de-
structiOn dealt out TO the Indians is mostly at.
tribu:aole to this branch OF the service although
many were killed or disabled by the artillery
and infantry also.
Capt. Jones and his officers and men of the
| Battery were ever at their posts, and their
| pieces were served with much skill and effect.
| To Capt. Chase of the Pioneers, and his inval-
liable company. the expedition has been greatly
| indebted for service in the peculiar line Tor
which they are detailed. Capt. Baxter's com.
| pany H of the 9th Regiment, having been
| attached to the 10th Regiment as a part of its
| organization temporarily, upheld its high rep
utation for efficiency, being the equal in that
| regard OF any other company.
The Surgical Department of the Expedition
was placed by me in the charge of Surgeon
Wharton as Medical Director. who has devoted
himself zealOusly and efficiently to his duties
In his official report to these Headquarters he
accords due credit to the Surgeons and Assis-
tants of the several regiments present with
them.
Of the members of my own Staff I can
affirm that they have been equal to the arduous
dxties imposed apOn them. Capt Oln my
Asst Adjt. Genl has afforded me great assis.
lance, and for their equal gallantry and zeal
may be mentioned C,pts. Pope and Atcheson.
Lieuts. Pratt and Hawthorne, and Capt. Cox.
flor ttoc had Oto&