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

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added their strength To that of Company A,
9th Regiment wheio, under the iBimediste e,s
Of Colonel Averill. they did splendid serylfe.
Lieutenant Whipple, In direct charge Of the
guns. was as usual cool and efficient and CAP,
taln Jones had but another opportunity Ut con.
graduating himself upon the efficiency of biz
battery
The march was resumed on the morning of
the 9th, and in the afternoon we camped ON
stony Lake, having marched eighteen miles.
NO demonstrations were made by the Indians
curing the nig1t, but rs the column was form
ing on the morning of the 28th, and the trans.
saw MS opportunity, and to the number of two
thousand mounted men at least made most
daring charge upon us. The 9th Regiment
holuing the centre of the column, and being
upon the north side Of the lake, Lieutenant
Colonel Averill commenced deploying the right
wing ana having deployed strongly from my
left, so as to hold the lake. the advance was
ordered. The men went boldly forward and
worked splendidly. Lieutenant Colonel Averill
displaying much judgment in an Obliaue for.
nation to cover threatened movement on nv
right by the Indians in great force, who whoop-
ing and yelling, charged our lines The con-
sequences mus have been destructive in the
extreme had the lake and flank not been s,iffiy
held. The savages were driven back Keeling
under their repulse, and the General com
handing coolly and determinately formed his
column OF march in the face of the attack. the
OBJECT OF which was manifold first, to destroy
our transportation, and second. to delay our
| advance, allowing their families more time to
escape.
| No time was lost, the column moved on. and
| by nine A. NJ. our advance saw the masses of
the retrcatlng foe. The pursuit was continued
until late, when we encamped on Apple River
| Men ana horses were not in condition to pur-
sue that night, but early on the morning of
the 18th, with the regiment in the advance,
pursuit was commenced, and after marching
SIX miles and overcoming rise of ground our
eyes first behold the timber on the Missouri
river, distant nine miles,
Gen. Sibley had, with much forethought.
early that morning. dispatched Colonel Nc.
Phaill and his regiment, with Captain Jones
and his field pieces, 10 the from; with the view
to lnterceptng the savages ere they crossed the
river. Rapidly McPhaill pushed forward, but
the Indian rear was covered by dense forest,
and tangle of prickly ash and thorn bushes
| almost impenetrablc. Our advance was soon
up, and by order of the General the 9th Regi-
ment was ordered to scour the woods to the
| river, and ascertain the eXac: position of the
enemy. | deployed Companies d, and X,
| commanded by Captains Whitney, Slaughter
and Braden as skirmiShers under the command
of Ma or McLaren while the five other compa-
| mics under Colonel Averill were held as reserve
Captain Jones accompanied me with Whipple's
| and Westerns St ctions of his battery We ad
vanced slowly, but surely, Smelling the woods
| in my advance, and we reached the river to
| find the enemy just crossed, after abandoning
all their transportation and losing many of their
women and children drowned in their hasty
flight. Lieut. Colonel Averill with the reserve.
| received the hrc OF an enemy in large numbers
concealed in the tall rushes across the river,
and returned it with spirit; but an order hav-
ing reached me to return, a retroSrade move.
| ment was ordered
just prior to the fire of Colonel Averill's re-
serve, Lieutenant +. j. II. Beever. an English
gentleman OF qualities worthy of the best, a
fellow of Oxford University. and volunteer
aid to the General, rode up alone and delivered
| the order to return. wrote short dispatch
and directed him to return at once, as my con-
munication might prove of much value to the
| General
All being accomplished that was desired, the
| regiment returned and Joined the camp near
the mouth of Apple River, vii the loss of pri
Vate N. Miller, OF Company X. On my return
| to Camp learned that Beever had never ie-
ported, and we had just grounds to believe him
| lost. Guns were fired and rockets sent up, but
our friend did not return.
At noon on the 30th of July, Il detachment
| consisting of companies A. l and X, of the 9th
| Regiment commanded by Captains Grant,
| Slaughter and Braden; A, and ii Of the 9TH,
commanded by captains Arnold Giltillan and
| Stevens, and b. + and X of the 10th Infantry.
commanded by Captains Edgerton, White and
OCOnnOr, and companies l. and NJ of the Cav
| airy, commanded by Captain Davy and Lieut..
johnson; Lieutenant Whpples and Lieutenant
DWelles sections of the Battery, together with
a detachment of Company A, 9th Regiment
Infantry as pioneers, under Lieutenant Jones;
the whole under my command, was ordered to
proceed to the place where had been the day
hfAtNra to hat
tatiOn left by the Indians, and to find the body
OF Lieutenant Becver and that of private Mil
Ter, IT dead; and ensa e the savageS if the OPP
portunity presented. Lieutel ant Colonel Jen-
nison OF the 10Th Infantry, Major McLaren of
! the eth, and Major Bradley Of the 9TH, CON-
manded the detacnments of the respective reg
iments. All the objects contemplated were full
ly accomplished.
1t was apparent that Lieut.. Beever on his
way back with my dispatch, became embar-
raised by the many trails left by an alarmed
and conquered enemy, lost his way, and, after
bravely confronting large party of savages
and dealing death into their ranks, had fallen
pierced with arrows and bullets, his favOrite
horse lying dead near him. He was buried in
the trenches with the honors due bis rank, and
every heart beat in sympathy with the family
OF this brave stranger. as we retraced our steps
towards the boundary of our own State.
take pleasure in mentioning the services of
Surgeon and Acting Medical Director Wharton,
of Assistant Surgeons Daniels and Potter, for
duties performed wherever they were needed,
in and out of the regiment, also to Lieuts. Car
yer and Snow for assistance fearlessly rendered
in the field. Lieut.. Col. Averill and Major
McLaren have proven themselves worthy of
the regiment.
For the officers of the line and men proud.
ly ray that they did all that they were ordered
to do with an alacrty and spirit which prom
Use well for the future.
l make the distance from Fort Smelling to
the Missouri by our line of march, five hun
dred and tighty-fve miles.
have the honor to remain, Captain,
Very respectfully,
Your obi servt,
VIM. CROOKS,
Colonel Com'd'g 9th MINI. Inf'y.
TENTU ENUNTEMn