The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-08-21
on THE pRAIRIEs OF MINNESOTA
LITTLE CROWS MARAUDJNG BAND
KILLED THE sEI.rLERs,
A THOUSAND WHITES SLAUGHTERED
THE REDSKINS FINALLY DRIVEN
BEYOND THE MISSOURI

Last Wednesday was the thirty-fifth
anniversary of the outbreak of The
bloodiest Indian massacre in the history
of America.
On the morning of that day, without
the slightest word of warning or in
timation of approaching danger, Little
Grow and his red fiends fell on the
whites and half-breeds at the upper AMI
lower agencies in the Minnesota valley
and murdered them in cold blood. That
day and the next numerous parties of
painted warriors took the warpath and
all western Minnesota was given over
to pillage. rapine and murder.
In the days Of panic-stricken flight
and nights of sleepless terror that fol-
lowed, the war parties swept the prair-
les clean, burned houses and barns, ran
off the cattle and massacred a thou
sand men, women and children, and
took several hundred women and chill
dren into captivity that was worse
than death.
The Indians have always claimed that
rible blow they dealt the whites in that
memorable war; but whatever ground
they may have had for dissatisfaction
1t does not appear that they were in
any way justified in their sudden out
burst of murderous wrath.
A wounded man who had escaped the
fury OF the Indians brought the news
OF the outbreak to Fort lidgely, on
the Minnesota, where Captain John f.
Marsh of Company r, Fifth Minnesota
Infantry, was stationed with eighty
five men. He at once marched towards
the lower agency with fo1.ty-flve men.
At the ferry. opposite the agency, he
was ambushed by Little Crows war
riors, and in the slaughter and panic
that followed, all but some fifteen men
of his command were killed. Captain
Marsh himself was drowned while re-
treating across the Minnesota river,
two miles below the scene of the nm-
Uuottiut. IIdL 80 UlC SI ublIlS VI
the war, and there is no doubt that The
success Of the Indians filled them with
confidence, and overcame the hesitatinS
loyalty of thousands.
After that battle, practically all OF
tho 5000 Sioux Indians in Minnesota
were in open hostility. They had, per-
haps, 1000 or 5000 warriors, and they
were warriors of the finest type ever
produced by the American Indians. =,
Governor Ramsey Immediately pro-
ceeded to Mendoza, the home OF Henry
H. sibley. and asked him to take COM
mand of the Minnesota forces in the
war that was then at hand. Siblcy con-
sented and took the field at once, start.
ing for the scene of hostilities on Aug.
10 with four companies OF tn" Sixth
regiment which had just been collected
at Fort Smelling. He was soon Joined
by 200 men OF the Cullen Guard, and
six more companies Of the Sixth regi-
ment, and Colonel II. II. Chittenden of
tho First Wisconsin Infantry This
made UP force Of some 400 strong.
But those were not days of railroads,
and while this small army was passing
ON to the frontier bloody scenes were
being enacted.
Lieutenant Sheehan, with a company
OF men, had been detailed to Fort Rip
ley just before the outbreak and had
marched 40 miles from Ridgely, when
he was Ovcrtaken by a messenger from
the ill-fated Captain Marsh, telling him
were raising hell" Shechan was n
young and energetic Irishman, who
turned his company into foot cavalry
and marched them back to Rdgcly at
such a pace as soldiers never stood be-
fore. The lieutenant was none too
soon, for on Aug 20 the Indians. scv
eral hundred strong, flushed with 'hej-
bloody disposition of the gallant Marsh's
band, threw themselves upon the fort.
For three days the gallant little garri-
son gave them as gOod as they sent.
The efforts OF the Indians eliminated
in a grand onslaught on the last day;
but the garrison defended itself so well
and Sergeant Jones handled the forts
cannon to such good purpose that :hc
reds were not able To get any nearer
tho fort than the outlying buildings,
which were set aflre and knocked down
around their heads by Jones' effective
cannonadc.
This stubborn and successful defense
of Fort Ridgely had an all important
effect on the result Of the Indian war.
Had the redskins captured the fort they
would have swarmed down through the
valley OF the Minnesota and we'll into
the eastern part OF the state, evading
the troops and numbering and looting
to their hearts content. Failing to
carry Fort Ridgely they decided to
leave 1t in the rear and take the only