The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1896-08-20

Renville Rangers for enlistment, con-
frmed their belief that the govern
ment was in the last throes of dissolu-
ton, that the time and opportunity
was present when they could win back
without resistance the inheritance
they had lost.
On Monday morning, August 18th,
at ten o'clock, Mr.. J. G. Dickinson
reached Fort Ridgley from the Lower
Sioux Agency, bringing the startling
news that a wholesale massacre of the
whites was in progress at the last
named place, this at first incredible
rumor being moment later confirmed
by the arrival of other refugees bring
ing wounded man. Capt. Marsh at
once resolved to 60 to the rescue.
The long roll was sounded, the little
garrison was promptly under arms.
and hastily dispatching mounted
messenger Corporal McLean) with
orders to Lieut.. Sheehan to return
Immediately with his command to
Fort Ridgley, and directing teams
with extra ammunition and empty
wagons for carrying the men to fol-
low as soon as harnessed, Capt Marsh
with Interpreter Quinn and forty-six
men marched for the agency, within
thirty minutes of the first alarm, leav-
ing at Fort Ridgley Twenty-Five men
under command of Lieut.. Gere.
Captain Marsh and the interpreter
we're mounted on mules. About three
miles out the teams overlook the COM
mand, and, placing the men in the
wagons, Capt. Marsh fastened toward
the scene of slaughter, meeting on bis
way scores of affrighted citizens fee
ing toward the fort for protection.
Only six miles from Fort Ridgley
houses in flames, and mutilated but
not yet cold corpses of men, women
and children at the road side, marked
the limit thus far reached by the saw
ages, and revealed the appalling char
acter of the outbreak; but still in the
hope that this was the work of some
desperate band of outlaws among the
Sioux, and strangely confident that it
was in his power to quell the disturb
ance, Capt. Marsh, again forming his
command on foot, hurried on.
At Faribault's Hill, some miles three
distant from the lower agency, the
wagon road descended from the high
prairie and crossing a small stream
stretched across a wide bottom land
of the Minnesota River, covered at
this time with tall grass, to the ferry.
Half way across this bottom, Capt.
Marsh halted his command for a
moments rest, and proceeded in sin
gle file, advancing in this order to the
ferry house, which stood on the north
side of the road some two hundred
feet east of the ferry landing. Here,
on the east bank of the river, on either
side of the road, the heavy grass
merged with scattered thickets of haz-
el and willow, intersperced with open
sand patches left by the rivers over
flow, one larger thicket extending
southwark along the bank some two
miles in varying width from twenty to
two hundred feet. Across and close
to the west bank we're the high bluffs
on which the lower agency was locat-
ed, their steep face then covered by
thick growth of young trees and un-
derbrush. Hating at the ferry house
shortly after noon, the boat was dis
covered to be on the east side in ap-
parent readiness for the command to
use for its crossing, though the dead
body of the ferryman had been found
on the road, Up to this time but few
Indians had been seen, and these on
the high prairie west of the river,
south Of the agency on their horses.
Now appeared some squaws and child
rem on the bluff west of the river, and
j Continued on eighth page)