Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-11-27

either drunk or insane Within an hour.
hour, however, a second courier arrived
with confirmation OF the first awful ac-
count
The Governor of the State, Alexander
Ramsey, selected Ex-Governor Henry II.
Sibley to,take command Of an expedition
against the Indians. He was well quail
fed for the perilOus mission, having
spent many years among the Sioux as
trader, speaking their language and
knowing what could be expected Of them.
One week after the first outbreak. Col
Sibley was at ST. Peter with /, 400 men.
This seemed a large force, and would
have been so regarded were it not for the
uncertainty of the whereabouts of the
red enemy and their peculiar mode OF
warfare.
On Sunday, the s1st day of August,
Col. SibleY started out from Fort Ridge
" burial and scouting party under the
command of Major Joseph r. Brown,
whose family had been made captives by
the Indians. The expedition numbered
153 men all told, of whom a considerable
number were teamsters, with ninety-six
horses, and a good supply of camp
'equipage and provisions. The first day
about fifty murdered citizens were dis
covered and buried. Early the next
morning they came upon the lifeless and
scalped bodies of Captain Marsh and
about thirty men who had been sent out
on relief expedition few days before.
They seem to have been surprised and
fired upon from all sides. They were
buried by their comrades in one long
grave, which was marked by a large
wooden cross.
On the night of the 1st of Sep
TENDER, sold Joe," as Major Brown
was affectionately called. ordered his
command TO go into camp in a gorge
near the now thriving village of Birch
| Coolie, about sixteen miles from Fort
| Ridgeiy. Major Brown, who had great
knowledge Of the Indians, believed that
all was well, and the men, with the ex-
ceptiOn of the guards, went to sleep.
Slumber is heaviest just before day
break, and it is then that Indians gen
orally make an attack. The guard well
understood this, and were on the alert.
Suddenly, about four o'clock, a watch
full sentinel saw and fired upon a moving
object. In an instant the camp was
| aroused. All sprung to their feet, and
received a deadly crOss-fire from not less
than 800 rifles, mostly dOuble-barreled,
in the hands of their stealthy, fiendish
enemies, the Sioux. Soon all who had not
been killed or disabled by the first fire,
broke for the wagons, from the doubtful
shelter of which brisk fire was re-
turned. Almost Immediately discovery
was made which sent thrill of dismay
| through the hearts of the braYest of the
"raW recruits. A mistake had been
made in the ammunition; the cartridges
were all of too large a caliber for the
muskets, and not more than twenty
rounds of the proper size remained for
each man.
The men fell to work whiting down
the bullets with their knives, in the
mean time firing occasionally to keep up
show of fighting. Only one shovel and
one pick could be found, and these, to-
gether with knives, spoons, and bayO-
nets, were used to dig intrenchments. A
strong but losing fight was maintained,
and by 10 O'clock sixty men were killed
or wounded, and ninety-fve out of abe
ninety-six horses were dead. The latter
no doubt saved the command from an
Inhalation, since their bodies were used
as a barricade.
For twenty-four hours longer the