New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-08-26

SAAaIm W. gwen oy VARIOUS people who
escaped and many Of tho settlers lied
TO Fort Ridgely, New Ulm and other
points that promised safety.
TIE ATTACK ON FORT RIDGELY.
4 Aug. -, . company Of United States
volunteers. numbering shout forty-fve,
who were at Fort Ridgely. started to
Redwood under Capt. Marsh tc find
ont what the matter was. The Indians
ambushed them aud killed every man
as they were crossing the river
on the ferry. Tie Indians
then marched on Fort Ridpely and
made determined attack, lasting
from the 10Th 70 the 22nd. It was gal
lantly defended, however, and the at
tacklrepulsed by the little garrison,
Sergt. Jones handling the artillery with
great effectiveness.
Meanwhile, on the 18th of August,
the news of the outbreak reached St.
Peter. Maj. Thomas Galbraith was
there with q company of volunteers he
had enlisted for the war, and immedi-
ately marched with them to Fort Ridge
~. arriving in time to participate in its
defense, leaving St Peter almost with
out arms of any description.
With these particulars, Judge Elan
drau then proceeded with the account
of the attack and defense of New Ulm,
with which he was so intimately con-
nected, speaking as follows:
About four o clock in the morning of
the 18th Henry Behnke then of this ci-
ty. knocked on my door near St. Peter,
and informed me in an alarming way
that the Indians had broken out, and
were numbering people all over the
county. and that some one was needed
at St. Peter to organize the general de.
tense. Immediately put my women
and children on the road out of the
country and repaired to St. Peter with
all the guns and ammunition my pre-
misses afforded. There I found the
community in
A NATURAL STATE OF ALARM.
We instantly summoned all the men
to the court house, and in 3 very short
time had about one hundred and fifteen
men enrolled in company. In the Sc
lection of officers the volunteers did me
the honor to make ,me their captain.
William B. Dodd was chosen first lieu
tenant. The formation of the whole or
ganization did not occupy an hour.
Committees were then sent out and col
lected all the arms that were to be
found, and powder and lead. All the
blacksmith shops were put to work
moulding bullets; all the teams that
could be found were impressed, and 3
supply of provisions of all kinds was
procured, so that by IL O'Clock of the
18th every man had q gun of some
kind in his hand, a flask or bottle of
powder, q box of caps, and a pocket full
of bullets that, l will not say, fitted his
gun. but would 60 into it. About sixteen
men were mounted and ready to start
on a scout in the direction of the fort and
New Ulm under command of Sheriff
Bordman, it not being decided to which
point we would proceed. Quite q
number of LIE Sueur county men had
by this time Joined us. BY o'clock
in the afternoon we started, and it was
decided that New Ulm, thirty two miles
away, needed our aid more than the
fort, and our mounted scouts were or
dered to take that direction, and keep
US informed of anything that they
should discover. We travelled all the
afternoon in drenching rain, and ar
rived at the Redstone ferry nearly chill
ed to the bone at about 9 O'Clock in the
evening. Our scouts had crossed the
river and We could not find them. The
ferry was mile and half below the
town and
THE TOWN WAS ON FIRE,
Illuminating the night with a lurid and
very threatening glare. We deployed
our men up and down the river on the
Nicollet county side, and finding no
Indians, we put about half our men in
the boat to cross, the rest standing
ready to fire into any point from which
fire should be opened upon them. thew
watching carefully to return the same
fire. Fortunately no Indians develop
ed. and we crossed the command.
teams and all, and cautiously skirmish-
ed towards the burning town, the teams
taking the beaten road and the men
several hundred yards on each side of it.
The fire was in the upper part of the
town and Egyptian darkness reigned in
the part through which we had to 90.
We passed house after house, but saw
no living soul. The darkness augment
ed the excitement, but the word was
silence, and be ready" So on we
went, not knowing whether the Indians
or the citizens would receive US. After
having passed nearly all the lower town
and reached the central portion we
were, to our great relief, challenged in
cross between English and German.
Knowing now that the town was in the
possession of the whites we charged in
and found condition of things that I
shall never forget.
About one hundred Indians had de.
tached themselves from the attack on
the fort and by way of diversion had
made a raid on New Ulm, reaching
there at 8 or in the evening. They
opened fire from the ele-
waited platform that surrounds the place
and covers the streets. As is usual in
their warfare, they commenced firing
the buildings. The citizens were utterly
unprepared and great confusion ensued.
Several people were shot in the streets.
and had not our advance onard orr;vod