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


TIM w u,s artillery padef Capt JONES, when
W bsIf past EpT. 3. ~, receiyed IN of6sf ny
Capt. DIN w dsploy o COMPANY " ystpprat
this bat cry. ] immediately doployej ~ y,
Capt, EdKeytp,, aB5 tbst coIdDapI, Though
fa1gged already with esg ordinary days mafeb,
continued witt, ms battsyy lygefchidg fa ma
ny miles og the dD1ide-qyHak) dDriag tie On
tire pursuit Ut the ege,0y ~, bflsep n'iGes and
throughout the Diyst, I'll eg2riss nezI morn
Ing when 0ey fe1gfns1 fsDfo MS pursuit "
the camp baYjDY glsD1e offy1DI tiSe day aHd
night, the almost DDDsfs1Lfatd g>sS<sp nj quito
fifty miles.
AT about five ocloe;k rsnesys1 % eya4s III
captain rope, u seigd Le1t L<llra@5 5taBnsiaDU,
with four cpmpasies. ~ be ssbLny15 sty5 ~
1oiiow IN the direction III NBe yeSsHljnI lAaeDoy
as a support for the cavalry sa1 aSt3Aely. nj.
JennlsOn moved forward With nl>tD Dagies r
u and X, five miles, more UAs bSlf 1f q On
the dOuble-qulck, and reports1 his eDsoooas.s 10
the General commanding at That tisae 10 tic
front After resting about one Iyo1y D., tie
order of the General cOmm0AdinV (1lll,n.5
Jennison was directed TO return With ht. f<tcs
to camp, and arrived little utter .iae .J<l.1,1
Pm.
AT the same time that the first ,,,os, el,ve
alluded to was given, was directed " asaUu.s
command of the camp, and make the Df1.e,
dispositions for its defence; which did D.,
completing all the intrenchmcnts and l,1ai'-
izing and posting such forces as were vel lei.
in camp not anticipating the return Of our f,,-
ces that night.
| The action of the 26th of July took pIa,e on
the side of the camp opposite from NV red
ment, and consequently we did not participate
in it. We were, however constantly under
arms, ready at any moment for orders or an
opportunity.
On Tuesday; the 2sth of Jaly, my regiment
being in the advance for the days march, we
started out of Camp Amber at five o'clock in
the morning. The General commanding, some
| OF the scouts and q few of the Headquarters
wagons had preceded my regiment out of camp
and were ascending the long sloping hill VIII ca
gradually rose from Stony Lake. had just re-
celved directly from the General commanding
| orders Tor the disposition Of my regiment dur
| ing the days march, when the scouts came
from over the hill on full rum shouting They
are coming! They are coming!" when imrnes-
diately large body of mounted Indiins began
to make their appearance over the brow of the
| hill, and drec'ly in the front of my advancing
column. L instantly gave the necessary orders
Tor the deployment of the regiment 10 the
right and left, which, with the assistance of
| Lieut. Col. JennisOn, and the great alacrity Of
commandments of companies were executed
| with The utmost rapidly, though portion Of
! my line was thrown into momentary confusion
! by the h1sty passage through it of the return
| ing scouts and advance wagons. At this mo-
ment an Indian on the brow of the bill shouted
y We are too late: they are ready for Us "
Another one replied, But remember our
children and families; we must not let them
get them." Immediately the Indians, all
well mounted, filed off to the right and left
along the hill in my front with the utmost
| rapidity My whole reg iment was depoyed
but the Indians covered my entire front and
| soon far outtlanked on both sides appearing
| in numbers that seemed almost Incredible and
! most seriously threatening the train to the
| night ana lett OF my widely extended line
! / If p1Art
eminently critical. II had began TO pass out
| OF the coral around both ends OF the small lake
| TO mass Itself III the rear of my regiment, in
the usual order of march. The other regi-
ments were not yet in position, as the time to
lake their respective places in the order of
march had not vet arrived. Fortunately. how.
ever. Captain Jones had early moved out of
| camp with one section of artillery, and was in
the centre ofmy left wing, and Lieut. w ipple
| with another near the centre of my right,
which was acting under Col Jennison
simultaneously with the deplOyment of the
Regiment, VIC began a steady advance of the
| whole line up The hill upon the foe trusting
| TO the speedy deployment of the other infan-
try regiments, and the cavalry for the protec.
ton OF the train, so threatened on either flank
at the ends OF the lake. My whole line was ad-
| vancing splendidly up the hill directly upon
the enemy. the artillery doing fine work, and
the musketry beginning to do execution, when
received percmptory order to halt the en-
| tire line. as a further advance would imperii
| the train So ardent were both officers and
men for the advance, that it was with some
| considerable difficulty that could effect halt
Believing fully that the great engagement
! OF the expedition was now begun, and
| seeing in my front, and reaching far be-
You'd either flank. more than double the
number of Indians that has hitherto made
their appearance. Itook advantage of the halt
to make every preparation for q prolonged and
determined action. Meantime long range fir
| ing continued throughout the entire line, and
| frequently the balls Of the enemy would reach
to and even pass over my men, though it was
evident that the range of the Indian guns bore
no comparison to ours. About this time
! TWICE received the order to cause the firing to
cease, which order found difficult to execute
owing to the wide extent Of my line, and the
| intense eagernesS of the men.
then received orders that, as the train was
closed up, should form my regiment in order
OF battle, deplOyed as skirmishers. holding two
companies in reserve, and that thus advancing. ,
our order of march would be resumed in the
| face of the enemy. In few minutes, the dis
| positions being made, all was ready and in the
| order OF battle indicated we passed the hill.
and found that the enemy had fled. We saw
them but once again for a moment on distant
hill in great numbers when they entirely dis
appeared. My regiment marched in depioyed
order OF battle in echelOn at the head of tho
column for eighteen miles, expecting and rea-
dy at any moment to meet the enemy
Tue number of Indians so suddenly charging
upon us, was estimated at not less than from
1870 to 1000. They were well mounted and
moved about with the utmost rapidity aud with
their Characteristic hdeOus yells The artillery
under Captain Jones and Lieutenant Whpple
did great execution as l could well observe,
and the fire of my men did effective service,
and enabled us to hold the enemy at bay till
the train was closed up and the regular dispO-
sitiOns for its defence made. At least three OF
the enemy were seen to fall by the fire from my
line, their bodies being thrown on ponies and
| rapidly carried away. The artillery must have
killed and wounded considerable number.
Nothing could exceed The eagerness tirmness
and gallant bearing Of all the officers and men
of my command during this unexpected, and
by far numerically, the greatest effort the In
dams had yet made upon the forces OF the Ex-
petition In their courage and earnest desire |
to clear the enemy from the hill by double. |
quick charge, my officers and men were unit
Nothing but the imminent peril of the train
could induce them to cease the advance they |
had so galllntly begun.
On the 3Oth of July, while at Camp Slaugh- |
ter on the Missouri l received an order to |
send three companies Of my regiment un-
der Lieutenant Colonel Jennison to join an |
expedition under Col. Crooks, the object of
Which was to skirmish through the timber
and heavy underbrush to the river, and destroy
the property of the Indians known to be upon