The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-10-12
WILD RED SKINS
ON WARPATH.
Rumored Massacre Of Gen.
Bacon and His Force.
SCENE NEAR LEECH
LAKE.
Causes of the Uprising of the Pilla
ger Indians on the Chippewa
Reservation.

Walker, Mlno., Oct "A hard
6gh, with the Indians occarred to day
and the reports from the scene CT the
battle oa the other side of Leech Lake
are somewhat olficting. although all
reports agree that the result has been
considerable shedding of blood and
some less Of life or both sides.
No word has come from the front
for several hours, which fact is con-
sidered somewhat ominous. The most
serious report is that the detachment
of troops of the Third Infantry With
Gen. Bacon was massacred, the gene
raj himself being said to be among the
dead
Three newspaper correspondents,
Brill, of the St. Paul Pioneer Press ;
Beatou. of the Minneapolis Tribune,
and Kueppen, Of the Minneapolis
Times, are known to have been in the
fight, and one report is that they we're
killed, while another says they are now
prisoners in the hands of the Indians
This little town has been full Of ez-
citement all day and as the reports
from the other side Of the lake came
iu the people became frantic aud efforts
were made to get up force to help the
troops. This will be cent 10 few
hours. Reiuforcements are coming on
a special train from Brsinerd.
However. addition.l soldiers are most
needed, and the feeling is general that
they cannot come too sooD.
To-day's fight occurred thirty miles
from Walker on point jutting out in
the lake pear Bear island The SOL
diers, 100 strong. uuder command of
General John M. Bacon aud Maj
Wilkinson, had arrived here last even
ing, and at half past 4 this morning
they went on board boats and were
carried to the point named, where a
landing was made with considerable
difficulty, gale of wind having stirred
up g pretty lively sea The landing
was effected at about 8 O'Clock. Scouts
we're buried through the bushes in
every direction, and for three hours nc
trace Of the Indians could be found
Every precsutioo against ambush had
been taken. Finally at about half past
ii O'Clock, the soldiers were drawn up
in an open space near tie shore of the
lake and preparations were about to be-
gin for dinner.
The soldiers were still in lioe, though
the coffee making had commenced
Suddenly shot was fired from the
house of Bog Ah Nah &c Sbig, the
Indian who had been the head aud
center of this whole difficulty Marsh al
Ed Harris, Walker half breed, vas
struck. his arm being broken. This
shot seemed to be signal, for imme.
diately shots came from every direction
and three men we're droppeds and were
carried to the rear.
The soldiers, who are veterans. mol
alone of the Santiago battlefield, bat Of
many an Indian skirmisb knew what tc
DO, and at the first shot all found shell
ter and awaited another volley to tel
them where to shoot.
/ Ger Bacon aud Maj. Wilkinson
s:eadied their men with encouraging
words, and with second volley the In
dams attempted rush on the soldiers
The rafting volley from the regulars
that met the ouooming reds stopped the
rush and drove back the Indians, al
though . dozen of them were dropped
by the soldiers. Toe Gre then became
more scattering and the soldiers made
6ne charge and drove them back
though the firing continued The
steamers oD which the soldiers hao
come as vel! as those used by the news
paper correspondents were fired on By
the Indians.
Brill of the Pioneer Press, Beator
of the Tribune and the Times cores
pondents had landed prior to the ar
rival of the soldiers, previous ex
perience having made them believe
the danger was slight. They were
thus brought into the thick of the
fight and fought with the soldiers
The men on the steamers saw then
in the fight taking vigorous part
with their revolvers until they were
compelled to fly closel y pursued by
the Indians Tonight an Indian wnc
arrived from Bear island stated tina;
all the men out of uniform had been
killed, but that he could not tell how
many soldiers had been shot
No word has come from the cores
pondents who were with the troops,
or fronl the soldiers This is looked
or as an additional cause for appre-
hensiou as it is believed that Gen
Bacon would have sent back some
official communication had it been
possible to do 80 The outlook at
this hour is that the agency Indians