New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-09-22

The death 81 alcott cast : gloom
over the party, but no one weakened.
Along toward midnight, when every.
thing was very quiet, Capt. Swift tried
| for water. Acottonwood leaned over
the bank untilone in its top would be
over the wateE A canteen was low
cred by rope, after Swift got into
position, but some slight noise
was made. which caused the
Indians en- the opposite bank TO
open fire, and before Swift could de-
I scend from the tree a bullet, wounded
him in the calf Of the leg. He crept
back to the rife pit and bandaged
the wound, and in fifteen minutes
would have given year of his life for
pint of water. Various methods
for obtaining what all now really SUI
tered for were suggested and rejected.
There was only one way. It must
be got from the tree if at ALL An
hour or two. after Swift was shot a
man named, Cooper crept out on the
tree and lowered the canteen. He
succeeded IN drawing up few
swallows OF water, and at once
hastened' to Swift. The Captains
wound had OF course set him in a
fever, and while he could have
gulped down quart he had only a
gill Cooper returned to the tree, and
IN lowering the canteen lost it. An
| other rope was extemporized and g.
| coffee pot lowered, but the Indians in
some manner got hint OF what was
going on and again opened fire. While
Cooper was not wounded, he was
driven to the pit, and all further hope
Of securing water was abandoned.
Not man slept a wink during the
| night, it being generally understood
that the Indians might make a rush
any moment. AS early dawn came a
shot was fired from the top OF a tree
in the edge OF the grove, which struck
q man named Abbott in the head and
killed him instantly. A second shot
| immediately followed, but hit no one.
! It was at once discovered that two In
| dian sharpshooters had climbed into
the tree during the night, and from
| their elevation could look down into
the rifle pit. They could not be seen,
but two of the men opened a rapid
fire, and after about twenty-five shots
had been fired both redskins were
tumbled to the ground. Their fall
was the signal for the ball to open all
along the line, and again the bullets
| whizzed over the pit like legions OF an
cry bees. The Indians were pretty
cautious about exposing themselves,
but during the forenoon three of them
were seen to drop, either hard hit or
killed outright.
From noon to 5 o'clock not a shot
was fired on either side, and from S
to shutdown the Indians fired only
a dozen times sufficient to warn the
white men that the siege was still
on. Hunger now compelled the men
to eat raw bacon and -four; and the
torments of thirst were increased.
Swift suffered far more than the 9th
ers, being wounded, but not COM
plant passed his lips. He was too
stiff and sore to leave the pit, but
| about 10 o'clock one of the men vol.
untered to try for water Some of
the Indians had swan across, and
were located under the bank. While
they could not climb it, or at least did
not, they were at hand to prevent
the men from getting water.
| 1t was Foster who went out on the
tree this time, and he had not yet
lowered the vessel when bullet knock
ed his cap off, second struck the
stock OF his rifle, and q third went
through the coffee pot. He reached
the pit unwounded, however, and Swift
advised that no one else should ex.
pose himself. They dug up the roots
around them and got slight consola-
ton from chewing them, and again the
morning broke. 1t soon became evil
dent that the Indians intended to fin
ish their work. They were whooping
and shouting all along the line, and
seemed in good spirits.
An hour after daylight the whole
line advanced along on the pit, each
redskin working along under the best
shelter he could find. There were only
four men to defend the pit, but, armed
as they were, and desperate as they
had become. the odds were not so
great. They fired coolly yet rapidly,
and they not only halted the line, but
at one point where three bucks were
killed within ten seconds ofeach other
a panic occurred. Thirty or more
Indians rose up in body for rush,
but the fire broke them before they
had made a Jump. The four men had
the six rifles, and their revolvers were
lying beside them for the emergency
which all expected. The peril of the
morning did not last twenty minutes.
The baf1ed Indians retreat
ed back to their old position,
and about nine o'clock withdrew so
quietly that their going was not sus-
pected for another hour. They went
tn masse, leaving not even scout be-
hind. When thefo men had secured
water and something to eat, they took
| look over the battle ground. The
carcasses of seven ponies had beenleft
behind, and there were plenty of blood
stains to rrOve that their Winchesters