The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-05-29
Report of school in District No /.
100, for month ending May 9th, Miss
Edith Pike, Teacher:
The 0Asrgs Il tAs 'Irish "Brigsds.
70 the heavy vvelB hts Of th'
G., a. r.

Who charged our line on muster day,
With blood shot eyes and hair like hay,
And camo as though they meant to stay?
The ''Irisa,."
If it was not the ':1rish" what was
it that made the violent attack on our
troops on that awful oath of May.
The first intimation of danger we had,
WAS when the advance guards of the
"1rish" appeared before us with the
front door on their backs. They
charged our Notifications on two diff.
ferent times. We gallantly held them
in check for about two minutes, until
we could find some way Of escape, but
no use, the second charge of "1rish"
was what did it.
At first on barricadcs held good,
But the second time they came for blood,
And thickly In our midst they stood,
The Frantic "Irish.'
Twas fact! Three of them stood
in the midst of the gallant fifteen vet.
Grams. Numbers were against US; not
numbers exactly, but they surround.
ed US; and then they had brass bat
tory which did the work and finished
the slaughter. Brave men who had
charged steel batteries and ten per
cent a month, men who had taught
the young Idea how to shoot, then
punished them for it; men of legal lore
who could lie to the jury without
blushing, government officials, rail.
readers, the farmer with his brush
hook, and the deadly mint julep mixer,
and other brave men lin times of
peace) were there when the ''Irish''
stood in the midst of the veterens,
and the veterens quailed. How could
they help it; there are things that
flesh and blood cannot stand and this
was one of them. The only one of
our troops to check the intrepid
advance of the enemy was our 9th
corporal and he got tlanked. and had
to fall back. Numbers was not what
Won the fight.
We outnumbered them just Ave to ono,
But what are odds when 4 fight is won,
Th,y whipped US with single (brass, gun,
Tho warlike "Irish.''
Our brave commander charged
from the centre of the line with the
Vermont light infantry, but when the
''Irish'' artillery unlimbercd an "old
brass piece" his line was broken and
he was struck (speechless) and carried
from the field by the Sutler, kinne.
TheNew York cavalry ,under tile gov
ernment officer and the limb of the law
made movement to flank the cnemcy
but the next that WAS seen OF them
was the government official climbing
the back stairs OF the P. O. Dept, and
the copy of Blackstone going over
his back fence. A hard Case, from
Iowa, led the troops from. that state,
but the enemy broke in his front line,
and he retreated behind the Sutler,
where he found the Michigan troops
in ambush. If the Sutler had retreat
ed, Iowa and Michigan would have
been captured. Just then the charge
Of the day was made by the Wisconsin
brigade, led by the Judge. The field
was strewn with hair pins, artificial
teeth, probate notices, land contracts
broken Irish and Choctaw, and to
save the brave Wisconsin brigade
from annihilation, we had to carry
them off on a broken door. The
fight was over, and when we reformed
on our colors again, roll was called
and all answered to their names, but
the quarter master. He came out
from under dry goods box with q
brush hook. We easily disarmed
him when he found out the enemy
were not liable to make another attack.
After every avenue Was barricaded
we br eathed easier.
We fought, fell back and ran away,
But don't care to fight another day
With tho "Irish"
ONE WHO WAS THERE.