, 1866-03-01

Terrific Storm Gil the Cotean-EIpo-
aures and Death Of Detachment Of
Troops-Loss OF Captain and Three
men.
Correspondence Of the St Paul Pioucer.1
Fonr ApEnc1oMB1E, D. T., Feb, IS, 1861.
We hare this evening received the news Of
one of those sad catamtttes so prevalent in this
country at this season Of the year,
We feel almost too sad to give You the de.
affair. =
Company A, Second Minnesota volunteer
cayu1rY, Captain A. r. Field, IT,, command
ing, was ordered short time since to march
from Fort Wadsworth, .: r, tabout eighty
five miles southwest of this Post,) to sauk
Centre, Minnesota.
The company vas divided into two detaeh-
ments. One. Of some thirtT-four men, under
Lieut.. VIM. L. Briley, left fort Wadsworth on
Monday, the Goth inst, aud the other dctach.
ment, comprising the balance Of the eom~
pany, under command Of Capt. Field, left on
Tuesday morning.
The detachment under Lieut.. Bri1ey arrived
nt Twin Lake Station on Monday afternoon
forty miles ilfstlnt from this post, In good
shape. The next morning they left that sta
ton, and ca1ne on until past the "eaghteen
mile point" where they were oyertaken by q
/ md camp, where they were weather-boun
Tor two days- But 1t Is not Of them that We
have to relate, Is on Thursday evening they
arrived ut this post safe, not having frozen at
ali, IS they had the advantage Of timber. at
| their camp during the storm. It Is Of Capt.
The Cantaln With the balance Of his COM
maud left Fort Wadsworth on Tuesday morn
| ing at O'Clock. and had very pleasant Wcath-
er during the FIRST part Of the day-thcy pass
ed over The Gotea1 and lett it aIl ta good 5 cor =;
| The Fort of the Coteau, they met the pay
l master, Lieut. Col. Smith, who was on his
way to Fort Waasworth, with an escort un.
der command Of Lieut. Gerald, Of this COM
mand. They stopped and chatted for
Willie, and eacs party passed on their " May. J:
! 4 nilea from Twin Lake Station. which
| point Capt Field expected to make that eve
4 hing, When within about twelve or fourteen
miles of the Station, Capt. Field, with three
! of his men, left the balance Of the command
under Lieut.. Stevens, and went On aheaa, ~,
| for his men when they arrived. It was blow
| inr and showing some when he left the COM
1 mand, but very Eoon after leaving 1t, tneso
cnme On one Of those terrible winter storms
wherein It Is unsafe for man or oast TO oe
away from timber OF shelter. :. .u
the anfmals refused to go any further; they
would not and conld not be mado to face It,
and tbev we're obliged to turn back and seek
camping ground at the foot OF the Coteau.
| All 6ut thirteen reached 1t, and they camPed
down In the snow, burylng themselves In the
snow Is q shelter from the bitter blasts which
ali night long 7cve1ed In the miseffes Of its
own Creation. One poor fellow "a corporal)
Of the thirteen, died about twelve O'Clock at
night, while the rest cFept closer into their
cold bed. Excepting one noble fellow who
ali the night long stood his lonely watch en-
deaYorfng to keep his companions from per-
1 lshing; he would uncover them that they
might not smother md to see how they Jared,
nnd would cover them that they might NOT
freeze, and when he found one that ~a5 stupid
or cold he made free use Of bis " black snake
| Whip to bring back the freezing man to life,
And once, too, on the march he observed a
mulc.tenmster who was freezing, but atf1l de.
termiucd to ride his mule; him he pulled
from his mule and gave severe whipping
with his "blAck SNAKE" until nature, under
the lash, again bid defiance to the storm
Thus during the march back and during the
hight die this young soldier, utterly regard.
less of himself, actually save the lives o1
many OF his fellow-so1dle1s.
Tie next day this portion OF the command
| returned to Fort WadsHorth, but numbers o.
them badly were frozen. But Capt. Field and
his three men where are they. The Last seen oi
them was when they lett to 20 into Twin Lake
Station Ia advance Of the detachment. Col
Smith and bis party were overtakso BY shs