The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1863-09-29


. Fort Abercrombie, it is all good farming
land as you go south and east, but it i'm
proves as you leave Red River, and its
, tributaries until from Ottertail down to
Crow River, and this side, it seems the
garden of Minnesota. Of course you
{ will make allowance for me, who for
nearly three months has travelled over
about as desolate. wild and sterile a
country as a man can we'll travel over
and live, if my expressions seem some
what extravagant, but the day is not far
distant when the mighty empire of the
: Northwest shall receive vast increase
to her wealth and power, by the addition
Of the sturdy yeomanry who will then
have made this pleasant land their home.
Sauk Centre was the first settlement we
passed through upon our homeward
march, and it was pleasant to us, to gaze
upon ploughed fields, rail fences and
substantial houses, once again. Iwish |
could speak good word for its citizens,
but when they take advantage Of the
necessities Of our soldiers. just in from
such priyations as we have encountered,
almost solely for the benefit of the
frontier towns. TO rise potatoes from so
cents TO 8 / 25 per bushel, butter from
l2t to 25 cents per pound. and charge
95 cents for pie, and dime for five
small doughnuts-as small as. well ]
was going to say their souls, but | hard
ly think they have any-and other things
in proportion, the less | say Of them the
better for their reputation. No wonder
the Indians gobble such fellows, and
they must be in desperate circumstances
when they try to make up for raids
against which they are unable to defend
themselves, out Of the pockets Of their
defenders.
We left the brigade at Ssuk Centre,
they going TO Fort Smelling, while we
journeyed down by easy marches TO this
place. A chain of garrisons stretches
from Sauk Centre TO Ridgely, placed
about l2 miles apart, those at Sauk
Centre and Painesyille being the only
two at all fit for winter quarters. The
first named place is quite military post,
with its stockade Of logs, good comfort !
able buildings, commissary department,
hospital, stores &c At Painesvlle the
stockade is smaller and built Of sods, but
has comfortable log huts inside. All
the rest are small sod fortiticaions, just
large enough TO enclose half dozen
tents or so, cook shanty, and some
times stables for eight OF ten horses.
miles away in some cases from other
habitations, and looking squalid and
miserable in the extreme. May the
Faes, deliver me from making one of r
garrison for these places. Another thous
and mile chase after Indians. even on
foot, is far preferable The two great
topics OF conversation in these parts now
are. "Is Little Grow really dead, and
.what is to be the destination of the
FIVE Minnesota regiments now IN the
State" As for Little Crow, he is rery
dead, dead beyond peradventure, his
scalp hangs as an ornament in the capitol
city Of ST. Paul, and his body in scien
tifc hands is undergoing course of,
treatment that will soon reduce 10 a
Crinning skeleton all that is left OF that
onoe famous warrior. am as positive
of il as am Of my own identity, al
though there are many that contend
Little Crow yet roams unmolested over
the plains of Dacotah. and base their
opinion upon the fact that several saw
his body who were well acquainted with
him in life, and pronounced it not the
man. Well. If am ever tried for my
4 life. and find the evidence as strong
against me, as against his existence, !
shall abandon the case as hopeless.
Letting alone that he was known to be
upon the frontier, and has not been
heard Of since. there. or by our eXpedi-
tIon, that both Of his arms had been
broken near the wrist years ago. and
healed, which was found to be the case
with tlis Indian on dissection, we cap
tured his son, Augustus Ceser Grow
! (there's man for you) near Devils
Lake, who, half starved, Nas trying to
find his tribe again, and he corroborated
the story of Mr.. Tompson in every par.
ticular, even to the putting OF new moe
casins upon his fathers feet, and straight,
ening the body before he left him.
As for the destination OF the various
1 regiments. il is rumored that three will
soon receive marching orders for Dixie
pat,ar sa,l ,ha uhnia fva NAV nra