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


reaching the trail was q knife, OLD and
worn to be sure, but priceless to me.
This incident some may deem mere &C
cident, but let such an one be placed in
my situation at that time, and he would
! feel with me that it was q boon granted
by the Great Oliver of gOoG. On the
third day about ten miles from the river
spoken of, left Lieut.. F.'s rifle on the
prairie, becoming too week to carry it
longer, besides it had already been so dam
aged by rain that / could not use it.
wrote upon it that Lieut.. F. had been
killed, and named the course was the n
pursuing. brought the pistol into Camp
Atcheson.
While wandering l lived on cherries,
roots, birds eggs, young birds, and frogs,
caught by hand, all my ammunition but
one cartridge having spoiled by the rain
on the first day. That cartridge was one
for Smiths breech loading carbine and had
gutta percha case. ] had also some
water proof percussion caps in my port
monaie. l took one half the powder in
the cartridge, and percussion cap, and
with the pistol and some dry grass started
nice fire, at which l cooked young
bird, something like loon, and about the
size. This was on the second night. On
| the fourth used the remainder of the cart
ridge in the same way and for like pur-
pose. The rest of the time ate my food
uncooked, except some hard bread (found
at the fourth camp mentioned above)
which had been fried and then thrown in
| to the ashes. l have forgotten our sweet
morsel, (and all were sweet and very pal
atably to me), viz; some sinews spared by
the wolves from a buffalo carcass. As
near as l am able to judge l travelled
in the seven days at least two hum
dred miles. I had ample means for
like journey in civilized localities, but
for the first time in my life, found gold
and silver coin useless thing. Ny boot
leg moccasins saved me; for walk of
ten miles upon such a prairie, barefooted,
would stop all further progress of any
person accustomed to wear covering upon
the feet. The exposure at night, caused,
more particularly, by lying in low and
wet places in order to hide myself was
| more prostrating to me than scarcity of
food. The loneliness of the prairies would
have been terrible in itself, but for the
drove of wolves that, after the first day,
lowered, in the daytime, at a respectful
distance, and in the night howled closely
around me, seemingly sure that my failing
strength would soon render me an easy
prey. But a merciful Providence has
spared my life, by what seems now, even
to myself, almost miracle.
SKETCH OF LIEUTENANT FREEMAN.
Chaplain Inman, of the Mounted Ran
gers, who has been for years, quite init
mate With Lieutenant Freeman, gives the
following short sketch of him:
Lieutenant Ambrose Freeman was
native of Culpepper County, Virginia.
About twelve years since he moved to the
State of Illinois, where he resided about
five years, and then moved to St. Cloud,
Minnesota. His wife and five children
still reside there. He bore an unblemish-
ed character, and was much beloved where
he was best and longest known. Since
the beginning of the Indian raid, last
year, he has been in military life, first as
Captain in the State troops for the de-
fence of the frontier, and afterward as
First Lieutenant of company D, First
regiment Minnesota Mounted Rangers.
His character in civil life accompanied
him in military life, and the loss of no
man in the Expedition would be more
generally regretted. He has borne, for
years, great reputation as hunter.
Though not positively known here that
Lieutenant Freeman is dead, yet all feel
that he has met whatever fate may have
been allotted him like soldier, and as a
man who has striven in every department
of life to do bis whole duty.
CAMP ATcHBsoN, los M1LKs NORTHWEST orr
Fort ABEECRoMBIE, NEAR LAKE JESSIE,
DAKOTA TERR., August 1, 1868.
Tothe Editor of the Pioneer:
CAMP ATCHEsON.
The command remaining here consists
of the following named troops, viz: Co.
Q, Lieut.. White commanding (Capt Bal
ley having left at Big Stone Lake for home,
sick), and 90. G, Capt. Stees, of the
Sixth regiment; Go. G, Capt Burt, and
Go. 1, Capt. Libby, of the Seventh reei-
ment; Go O, Capt. Phelps, OF the Tenth
regimedt; Go. E, Lieut.. Gardner COM
handing (Capt. Cox having obtained per-
mission to 60 with the main expedition as
volunteer supernumerary aid to the
Brigadier General commanding, First
regiment MINI. Mounted Rangers; one
section of Lieut.. Daniels Third Minnesota
Battery, and invalids from every company
in the brigade, making in all about SIS
men, of which 250 were On the sick list
To this number should be added team
sters, etc., under charge of Mr.. Nelson
Hart, superintendent of transportation,
and for others connected with the expedi-
ton, about 1875 persons in all about 800
men. At this date the sick list has been
reduced about one third. There were al
so left here about 100 wagons, 625 mules,
800 horses, and about forty days. rations
for the whole command, besides all the
ammunition not needed by the main ex-
petition. More than half the animals
were sick, or in need of recruiting.
DEATH OF A SOLDIER.
On the evening of the 21st, the body of
Geo. E. Brent, Captains Clerk, Company
D, First Regiment, Minnesota Mounted
Rangers, was brought back to camp from
the main expedition. He was severely
wounded on the evening of the goth, by
the accidental discharge of his own gun,
and died about eight miles out of our
camp. In the ambulance with him, was
loved comrade, in whose arms he breath