The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-08-21


advanced to the front seeking to call forth
an attack If possible. The cunning foe
meanwhile was concentrating his forces
upon bluff near the rear camp, evidently
with the intention of making descent
upon the teams which swere foraging in
that direction. Fortunately Capt. Davy
of the Rangers had been stationed under
the hill to guard against any sudden at
tack, and his company was in readiness
for the expected dash Soon some sixty
or seventy horsemen dashed down the hill
directly in the face of Captain Davy's
men. With instant promptness the brave
Rangers threw themselves upon the enc
my, and two of them fell at once, while
the remainder turned on their heels and
flew away over the bluff holly pursued.
One of the Indians who fell in that dash
was prominent Sioux, supposed to be q
chief. After several shots had been put
into him, he rolled over, loaded his gun,
and discharged it at a cavalryman who
was running up to saber him. A terrible
wound was inflicted, and in few days
after, the name OF Corporal John Plat
was added to the list of our dead. By
shutdown the Indians were only to be seen
on the far prize and the excitement had
subsidized, the troops being chiefly engag-
ed in fortifying for an expected night at
tack, and in the discussion of scalps cap
tured during the day. The cavalry brought
in five, the scouts two, and other Indians
were known to have been killed. Up to
this time about thirty scalps had been
brought into camp since the expedition
left Camp Atchison, and many were
known to have been wounded. But we
had no alarm that night, and thus with
only one of our men injured, closed the
day of the second fight. The Indians en-
gagged in this raid included many of the
Flower bands together with Yanktonais and
Sissitons. Indeed all the bands of the
Sioux seemed to be joined in thus defy
ing the power of the whites.
THE BATTLE OF STONE LAKE.
We left camp Tuesday morning with
unusual carelessness, there being no sus-
pieion whatever that any body of Indians
were lurking about. Just at the moment
when the train was in the greatest confu-
sion, being scattered about in as many as
half dozen places, suddenly there was q
sharp firing in front, which was sufficient
announcement of the presence of Indians
One needed but to glance about to secure
ample proof Of the fact. From every sur.
rounding hill the cunning providers dashed
down, till the camp and Outstarting train
seemed to be entirely encircled. The
greatest number seen at any one time, is
variously estimated from 1000 to 1000,
and all were mounted. Such scene of
hurry and hustle as ensued, has seldom at
tended an Indian surprise. But the Gen.
eral was in the advance, as usual, and un-
rolled order and plan from the chaos in
almost moments time. The Tenth Re-
giment was at the head Of the column and
Col. Baker was equal to the emergency.
His men were soon deployed for . long
distance on the right and left, and half a
dozen good volleys joined with she'll from
the six-pounders of Captain Jones, efec-
tually checked the towards in front. On
the left, Col. Crooks also deployed his men
in handsome manner, as did Col. Mar
shall, on the right. On all sides the saw
ages retreated, bowling war songs, shak-
ing their blankets, and making themselves
impudent generally. They only managed
to capture two of our mules. They killed
or wounded none of our men, although
they tried the old dodge of displaying the
national colors in front of our line and
reckoning to an interview By the time
the train was in readiness to move, not q
redskin wa to be seen. At times, during
the march of the day, they appeared in
the distance, their evident purpose being
to delay us as much as possible, the better
to afford them time for fight across the
Missouri. The battle of Stone Lake was,
most truly, one of magnificent distances
and sudden diSappearances, but the first
dash was bold one for Indians, and quite
worthy to be noted as battle in running
record of the campaign. We camped that
night at distance of eight miles from
the Missouri. Our tents were not wholly
pitched when a cavalryman came in with
the scalp of an Indian scout, whom he
had shot with his carbine in ravine near
by. We also brought captive into camp
that day in the shape of Teton Indian,
at whom over thirty shots were fred, but
who was taken finally uninjured. He re-
ported the Indian force as very large,
numbering several thousand warriors, all
of whom were united against the whites.
He himself, be stated, had comes cross the
Missouri with hunting party, and was
asleep when our forces came upon him.
Two or three days after he was released,
it not being thought advisable to nnneces-
sarily provoke the enmity OF the Indians
across the Missouri. 1t was also on that
days march that Private Platt, wound
ed cav, lryman, died in an ambulance He
was buried at moonlight on the banks of
the Apple Greek.
MURDER OF LIEUT.. FREEMAN.
At the time the events of the first days
battles were recorded, I failed to give the
sad story connected with the death Of
Lieut.. Freeman and the disappearance of
Mr.. Bracket, beef contractor of the ex
petition. On the morning of that day,
the Lieutenant. with Mr.. Bracket, left the
train for buffalo chase. We heard moth
ing more of them till just as the battle of
Big Mound was commencing, when three
Indian scouts came in on foot greatly ex-
cited, and reported that Freeman had been
shot dead by party of Indians who had
come suddenly upon them. While the In
dams We're securing the horses OF the fire,
the scouts managed to secrete Mr. Brack-
EFT in the grass and promised to return
for him if he would wait there. The
mur0erouS Indians suffered the scouts