St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-04-30
LETTER FROM CAPT. mccoy.

J. G. s.
= Isl LETTER FROM CAPT. Mccoy.
Fonr ABERcRoxBlE, April 18th, 1868.
Editor ST. CLoUB DENocRAr.-In your issue
of the 9th inst, in reviewing IN article from a
correspondent at this post, you reproduce an
editorial from your issue Of September 18th,
1852, which did not see t to notice at the time,
but since you ''vouch that the statements con-
tanned in the article are strictly true" wisl,
to place the facts as they are before your read.
ers.
The evening before marching from Fort
Smelling received the following order from
Col. B. F. S'uith, commanding at Fl. Smelling:
"Capt. Mccoy: The Company under your
command and the Company under command
Of Capt. Barrett will proceed forthwith to
Sank Center, in the county of Stearns, for the
purpose Of protecting the inhabitants Of the
Sauk Valley from any attack from hostile In
dams and to cooperate as far as possible with
the troops at Fort Abercrombie and in case
there is no possible danger from such Indians
in the Sank Valley, you will proceed to Fort
Abercrombic and report to the Captain in com
mmand at that post.
'(sigued] &. F. SMITH.
"Col. Commanding Rendezvous
The article above alluded to states that
was five days marching from Fl. Smelling to
East 81. Cloud, $50 miles). WAS directed on
leaving Fort Smelling to draw thirty-six hun
dred rations at Minneapolis and the Quarter
master Of the expedition was instructed TO i'm
press teams for transportation Of the same.
On arriving at Minneapolis found that the
rations lad been ordered but were not in read.
mess. Here was detained day and half
in impressing teams and receiving rations.-
The farmers were very unwilling to leave their
harvest fields for the purpose Of furnishing
teams for transportation and ran them off to
avoid their impressment; consequently was
obliged to overload those which was enabled
to procure which prevented my marching with
as great dispatch as should have liked to
have done. Now if you subtract one day and
half that was unavoidably detained at Min
neapolis and it leaves but 81 days marching
Cloud. The last day marched thirty miles
out The men being unused to marching in
the bootee's furnished by Uncle Sam, COM
planned Of their Souls suffering, if not their
bodies. The morning after reaching st. Cloud
the Quartermaster reported to me that three of
the teams was unable to proceed farther, at the
same time informing me that there was train
Of cattle there that he could get for transport
alton but that he could not be able to get them
together and change the loading to start before
the next morning. On arriving at East St.
Cloud was not aware that the citizens of st.
Cloud regarded themselves in such imminent
PERIL was not met by any of the citizens or
advised where to encamp. In fact did not
meet with any of the dignitaries of St. Cloud
until the next day and even then was not ad-
vised Of their danger, nor was invited to
cross the river to encamp and when did move
the troops under my command instead of being
half q day crossed in an hour although the
train was sometime longer. In regard to the
petition Of Gen1 Mitchell, II. G. Burbank and
others to send Capt. Barrett with fifty men to
join Capt. Freeman at Sank Center and whose
command consisted of but fifty men to REIN
force Abercrombie was made after shutdown
the night previous to my breaking CAMP
They at the same time represented that Fort
AbercroDbie was garrisoned by one hundred
and eighty soldiers and citizens and surround
ed BY several hundreds If not thousands of
bowling savages-To have granted their petit
ton 40 things were represented with so small
= force and so poorly armed, would have been
the height of folly, besides being direct vio-
lation Of my Instructions -....'s-'j
When arriving within six miles of Sank Cen
ter Was met by a citizen who told me that
he had just seen party of Indians on the prai-
RE south Of us-Capt. Barrett being acquaint-
ed with the country Immediately dispatched
. force under his command in pursuit, they
coming up to party Of Capt. Freemans com
mand who were scouting for the same purpose,
the former being somewhat scattered one Of
them q halfbreed) was mistaken for Sioux and
Oh h~r - ~
ces Of which you have been informed. On ar
irving At Sank Centre found the inhabitants
gathered within small plank stockade and
hourly expecting an attack although Captain
Freeman, whose command was encamped Just
outside the stockade, did not apprehend an i'm
mediate attack: 1 .'.71 ...@ $50
called on Capt. Ramsdalc who was com.
missioned officer and in command of the mill
tia at that place and stated to him what my
orders were and told him that with his consent
would Immediately march my command to
Fort Abercrombie. -.--.t ' .'s -
& / hadsDo means of knowing the danger of
that place other than Is it was represented to
me by the citizens thereof. Il ao..s..zsT
Capt Ramsdale stated to me in reply that
in his opinion there would be an attack there
in less than twenty flour hours if marched
from there, and could not march from there
with his consent--After remaining at Sank
Center two days and learning that the Indian
force around Fort Abercrombie Was not Is
large as had been previously represented,
Immediately detached Capt Barrett and his
command 70 proceed with Captain Freeman
70 the Portland now in conclusion let ne add
that entered the service to aid in defending
my country against all its enemies, and l
have ever purposed to obey all the lawful com
mands Of my superiors. have never been
esnsured or reprimahded by them, and hope
that in the future the public press will let me
and my company alone until We accomplish
something that is worthy Of praise or deserv-
ing Of ceusure.
Respectfully yours,
Capt. Go. H, 9Th Regt. MINI. Vols.
Atcr the above letter has been read
and carefully re-read, We ask if there is
sufficient excuse, giving Mccoy benefit