Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-10-26
THE CALAMITY AT FORT
RANSOM.
A Terrible Prairie Fire.

u
Extract from Fort Ransom. Dakota, Letter. Oc-
tober IL
The winds, which had been blowing
strongly, increased into gale on Sunday
night, and by Monday morning had work.
ed themselves into almost irresistible fury.
was writing in my tent about eleven
O'Clock, when a man put his head in and
told me that my kitchen tent-a Sibley-
was being blown away. 1 went out in
time to see it rent into ribbons; and the
kitchen furniture, and other articles, strik-
ing out over the prairie on their own
hook. So occupied was / in recovering my
property, that did not notice the immense
volumes of smoke coming over the hill,
until suffocating blast made me feel it;
and strange to say, no one else seems to
have been prepared for the fire.
You can understand this better when
you recollect that we are in a
hollow. One glance showed me the
danger; and to rush into the tents
and haul out the women, and run them
down to the suffers store, (the only COW
cred building) was the work of a moment.
Being officer of the day, had to rush back
and turn out the guard and sound the
alarm. The fire rolled down on us with
terrific rapidity, and was accompanied by
immense banks of smoke that threatened
suffOcatton, before the raging element
reached us. Blinded and stifed, anything
like resistance was almost impossible; and
our feeble tempts would have been futile,
for the wind caused the fire to leap fifty
yards in some places. l had thrown myself
down on my face to save my eyes, and get
a breath, when the recollection flashed
upon me, that six hundred pounds of pow
der were stored in the suffers; ran back,
and found sitting down by the
corner of the cattle corral, surrounded by
the frightened animals, and shrieking with
terror. 1t appears that Major X had also
recollected about the powder, and had
sent the women down to the post, but she
and became separated, and
thought that her sister was lost. Provid-
ing for her safety, 1 ran back to the camp.
BY this time the whole camp would have
been destroyed, but sudden change in the
wind drove the fire past the flank of the
camp, within five yards of the tent, jumped
the plowed ground around the hay-stacks,
devouring our six hundred tons of hay
corner OF the post, setting fire to few
outer buildings and the corded wood,
dashed up the side of the hill, and was
off on the prairie, destroying the half
breed camp, burning men, women, children
and Misunderstanding us suffocated with
smoke and cinders, and blinded with the
ashes. The whole garrison worked for
dear life to save the post, and the wind
providentially favored US. To put out
what was on fire was impossible. The
flames burnt almost with a white heat, but
they were forced away from the other
buildings by the terrific force of the tornado.
Everything was destroyed that was set fire
to; but the main body of the camp and post
was saved. All the rest of the day was oc-
cupied in beating out the remnants of the
fire; and by night, we were fain to lay
down and rest our weary bodies. Every
thing was covered with SCOT, and my loss
has been considerable, but 1 am thankful
we escaped as we did. But rest was denied
us, for as the sun went down the wind grew
worse and worse. Foreseeing what would
happen, l ran the ladies down again into
the store, and the other officers soon fol-
lowed my example. In few minutes a
genuine hurricane swept us, carrying
everything before it. Trying to get back
to my tent for bedding, l was struck
in the eyes and blinded with the
sand and earth, and carried away from
camp past the nearest corner of the post,
when, by merciful providence, fell over
man, whom found to be the hospital
steward. The hospital tents had been
pitched here, and were filled with the burn
ed. The tents were now down and the suf-
ferers covered by the fallen poles and can
vas. l managed to get back to camp and
sent men to their aid. The fury
of the storm did not abate until morning.
when the remnants of the camp were to be
| seen. Nearly every tent was blown down
or torn into pieces, and property all more
or less injured. If you could see
us now you would imagine we were all
more or less afflicted with opthalmia, for
such a collection of infiamed eyes l never
saw. Prairie fires of the ordinary
kind are easily met, but the fact of these
half-breeds being burned, and their camp
destroyed Is proof of the swiftness and un-
eXpectedness of this visitation. The Indi-
ans VINO have come in say they have never
seen any thing like it in their lives. Two
half breeds were burned to death; two
women have died to-day from the effects,
one squaw, who is daily expecting confine-
ment, lies in the hospital very badly
burned; an old squaw and an old man in
the same condition; two children of six or
ers in a less serious state. They present a
horrible spectacle as they lay there with
their blackened and swollen faces and bod
les.