Kimball enterprise. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1883, 1883-06-29

the gunboat Pawnee, and landed at the
wharf simultaneously with us, This
| boat contained an officer bearing white
flag, and hurried consultation was held
between this officer and Colonel Els
worth: have always understood that
the colonel was informed that the town
had either surrendered or had been
placed under the flag of truce or that
the people had been given time,to Leave
the city. We were the only Union troops
there st that time. We landed at the
foot of Cameron street, and the reg
irent was formed on the wharf. Colonel
Ellsworth, in company with the chap
lain of the regiment, Mr.. Dodge; tbs
correspondent of the New York
Times, Mr.. Windsor. and
Mr.. f. II. House, correspondent of the
New York Tribune started up Cameron
street1o go to the telegraph office. At
the suggestion of an officer. they were
accompanied by guard of five men.
was one of the party. 1t was broad day
llght-after five o'clock-and not a soul
In the town seemed to be stirring. We
went up Cameron street two squares
street to King. AS we turned the cor
ner Of King and Royal streets we came
IN full view of the Marshall House, on
which confederate flag. was hutterine
In the breeze. AT sight of the rebel flag
Ellsworth halted us. Turning to the
sergeant he said: Marshal go back and
tell Capt. Coyle, of company y. 10 harry
his company up here as soon as possi-
ble.' Then we all passed up the street
for short distance, Col, Ellsworth and
the newspaper men litale distance in
advance. suppose he was going to
leave Capt. Coyle to take care of the
tag when he came up with his company.
If that was his intention he changed his
mind, for he suddenly turned and went
dlagonally across the street to the Mar
shall House
II have no doubt be remembered the
promise he had made to the President
and desired to
GET THAT sLAG OUT OF SIGHT
before the soldiers came up. You can
readily imagine the effect the sight Of
that flag would have mad upon his COM
pany. The men would have been SO
intlamed that Capt. Coye would be un-
able to control them. Colonel Els
worth intended to quietly remove the
flag, and prevent any violence that ii
might have caused. He had promised
to be responsible for his men. He in.
tended to keep that promise, and to
carry out President Llncoln's wish that
there be no violence. No one was on
the street. No one was stirring about the
motel. Col Ellsworth went intothe hotel,
and we followed him. There was but
one person,yisible-the first manw had
yet met-and he stood behind the coun-
ter in the office. Ellsworth asked him
for the proprietor He replied in sur
~ manner that he was not about. The
whole party then went into the hall and
started up the stairway 90 the attic. No
oony offered to stop us, and nobody was
to be seen to do so. When we reached
the attic Ellsworth mounted step-lad.
der leading to the Roof, where the flag
haivards came through the scuttle, and
pulled IN the offending bunting and
threw it down the the ladder. We start
ed down the stairs, which were old
fashioned wooden zigzag ones, broken
with landings between each story. I
was in advance.
up to this time everything had been
SO quiet, peaceful, and dead thatnone of
us dreamed of violence. AS made the
turn of the landing in the middle Of the
flight leading to the third floor. | saw
man standing on the floor below at .he
side of the stairs with the barrel of a
double barreled gun resting on the ban.
mister. He was brawny looking fellow
and was in his shirt sleeves | saw as
quick as flash what that gun and that
man meant. l was in his eye.
BY the instinct of elfpreservation
rather than anything else, jumped to
the foot of the stairs at bound. AS |
aighted beside him / struck down his
gun with my own. Both pieces struck
the bannister together and both glanced
Of the Dannister, where the guns sep
arated By this time Ellsworth had APP
peared IN sight al the landing had but
just left. Without i word, and before l
could recover my equilibrium, the man,
who was laekson. the proprietor Of the
house.
RAISED HIS GUN AND FIRED.
The muzZle Of his shotgun was not more
than three or four fee, distant
% Colonel Ellsworth, with the single
exclamation My God.' pressed his hand
on his breast, and fell dead at the foot
of the stairway. The heavy charge of
buckshot had pierced him just above
the heart.
'.Iu the meantime had jumped back,
and just as Jackson raised his gun again,
fired upon him, hitting him in the left
eye. Without stopping to see the effect
Of my shot, l sprang toward him, and
with quick thrust ofthe bayonet forced
him to the floor. 1t was all done so
quickly had no time to think. AS
jackson fell, it was with one convulsive
grip upon the trigger. and his other bar
rel was discharged so close to my head
that it seemed to paralyze me. Thee echarge
went into the wall just above my head.
As the body Of the dead
rebel slipped from my hayonet
it rolled to the floor below.
Jackson had never spoken a word from
the first and died without sign. The
story that his body was mutilated after
his death is false. By this time the en-.
tire party had reached the scene Great
excitement ensued. People came rush
ing from the rooms and the street.
reloaded my gun and the squad stood
On The landing for minute back %
back expecting an attack. We COMPEL.
ed them to stand up in row, that we
might command the situation. Mr..
House. at the imminent risk OF his life
went out for assistance. In few mo-
ments Colonel Wilcox, OF Michigan,
Since generaD came up stairs with
Captain Coyle and the regimental sur
geon. The body of our dead colonel
was wrapped in a blanket and accom-
panied it to the navy yard. where it was
placed in the engine room for the pur-
pose of embalming. When President
Lincoln saw the body he was very
much agitated. Lifting the cloth from
the f.lrp of fha dead man ba aycloin