The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-19

militia company formed at st. Cloud
to aid in repelling the attacks of the
savages elected Mr.. Freeman it's cap
tain, under whose leadership it did val
liant service. Later on when the First
Minnesota cavalry, known as the
Mounted Rangers, was recruited,
enlisted and mustered in, Capt. Free.
man was made first lieutenant Of Com
panysD, under Col. Samuel McPhail.
Col. McPhail's regiment made up the
cavalry portion of the Sibley expedi-'
ton Of 1868, which marched against the
Sioux near Devils lake. The expedi-
ton proceeded by way of Fort Ridgely,
Big Stone lake and the Cheyenne
river, with Pierre Bircheneau as guide,
to or near Lake Jessie, north of Coop
erstown, where camp Atchison was es-
tablished. From this camp the best
men and animals were selected for a
final march against the Sioux, then
known to be on buffalo hunt to the
Southwestward, less than 100 miles dis
tant.. 1t was a fated march for AM
brose, Freeman, for on the oath day of
July, 1863, and unexpectedly, the In
dams were encountered in force Lieut.
Freeman, with George A. Bracket, of
Minneapolis, had left the command to
hunt antelope in the hills north of
where the Troy farm was afterward
located on the Northern Pacific An
antelope had been killed and dressed
and, Joined by some half breed scouts,
the party were returning to the COM
mand as they supposed, but the gath
ering Of mounted men on a distant hill
1y-I @haxy rsrIn cd ~ 70.
be friends, but Sioux Indians, who
gathered into low depression to await
the fatal onslaught that soon occurred.
Lieut.. Freeman proceeded a little in
advance Of his companions, well armed
with repeating rife and pair of re-
volvers. In the meantime the COM
mand had encountered the Sioux at
a point now known as Kunkle's lake,
northeast of the present site of the viii
lage of Dawson, N. D. Regimental
Surgeon Weiser Of the cavalry, was
the first man shot, Immediately in front
Of the command, which had gone into
camp behind rifle pits. 1t was but a
few moments until other shots were
heard In the distance, and from that
locality the body of Ambrose Freeman
was brought into camp, shot with an
arrow in the neck, tomahawked,
scalped and his body shorn of buck
skin leggings. The scouts had es-
capped, and Mr.. Brackets, waiting to
aid his unfortunate friend, was obliged
to hide iTfthe tall grass to save his own
life, wandering with only uncooked
frogs for food, until on the fourth day,
nearly famished, he reached Camp
Atchison
The Indians had been routed and the
cavalry under Col. McPhail had sue
cessfully raided them in a running
fight until darkness put stop to the
engagement nearly sixteen miles from
the main command. Then followed a
fearful night on the prairie in an en-
deavor to reach camp back past the
dead Indians who had been killed on
the prairie. The main command did
not move forward but remained en-
trenched near the Big Mound, from
which the battle took its name. On it's
return, Company d Of the cavalry, I'M
der Capt. Oscar Taylor, first learned Of
its severe loss in the death of Lieut..
Freeman, and his body in it's frightfuI
condition, was tenderly placed in an
improvised casket. made Of 8 wagon
boz, .-dd l.1.- = eu to his grave, with the
honors due dead soldier, not under
a rife pit as has been stated. but in
a grave near the easterly end Of the
Notifications thrown up by the cavaI-
ry. There his remains were left until
in 1881, when that portion Of them
which could be found after wolves had
despoiled the grave were removed for
final interment at st. Cloud Recently
a party Of gentlemen visited the old
earthworks at the Big Mound, fifteen
miles from Dawson, finding them intact 1
and situated upon Section 10, Town
ship $780, Range H.. Lieut.. Freeman's
former resting place was discovered /
unmarked yet In plain view, showing
the effects OF excavation. A stone