The record-union., 1898-10-07

Tic WdT department IaSt nlSnI that
the Third Infantry detachment mad
been wiped out.
Il got in very late from the expedi-
tion on the Flora We started out TO
carry supplies and rations to the
troops. 1t was very dark off shore.
We signaled for an hour. Corporal
Nettlekoven used the code in use at
Santiago. Either the troops had been
driven inland, or there is not any of
them left. No answering signal of any
sort was received, although we lay off
and on the whole length of the head
lands.
TO land was an impossibility in the
dark, as the reinforcements from Brain
erd have not arrived and there was
only one old Winchester rifle on the
boat. Reddy Lazard, Captain of the
Flora, is a dead game man, and he
would have landed There is no pos
sible doubt that the small force on the
boat would have been annihilateu il
this had been done. There We're men
on board who preferred to die in an
effort at rescue, however futile it might
have been. We had our blankets and
rations for the blue coats; if any of
them survive they slept last night in
the open. A heavy frost prevailed
there. There is not SO much as a
coffee bean to divide between the whole
command this morning.
AT a later date | am going to tell
the whole truth about this expedition.
never knew of such gross mismanage-
ment or witnessed such criminal OBJ
Stlnacy as has been exhibited here. The
men of Bacon's command were taken
out under conditions that would dis
grace militia Sergeant We're. he re-
Sponsible for them. Every life that
has been lost here is a useless sacri-
nee. 1t broke my heart to see the
poor fellows dropping. Had a proper
foCce been sent here in the first place
not shot would have been fired
have hope that Bacon may have in
trenched himself and that the failure
to answer signals last night was due
TO his determination not to betray his
location. The men had 120 rounds of
ammunition each. I hardly think they
have exhausted their supply The
newspaper correspondents Brill, Bea-
ton and Knapehen are still with the
troops. 1 went with the force deter
mined to save them if possible, but it
immediately on my return from Bear
Island, L sent my chartered steamer
with Gus Botulcu, a friend of the
Chippewas, who has Chippewa blood
in his veins. to pick the newspapermen
up If there is any such thing. He is
now on that mission and as he is abso-
lutely fearless, 1 have strong hopes. I
dare not express my opinion of the
outcome so far as they are concerned.
Unarmed, ill-clad, out of condition,
without food or drink, the press rep
reSentatiVeS with Bacon are in desper-
ate straits. l believe that in our run
last night we did all human beings
could have done to find the missing.
There was something horribly ominous
in the dead silence that came from that
stretch of brush where the fighting oc-
Cured l do not fully indorse the
belief that every man in the command
Is dead, because General Bacon is an
Old Indian fighter, and however bad
they We're handicapped, I doubt very
much whether he W. | rsernit twice
the number Of Chippewas to get AWAY
with hir1
Corporal Nettlekoven, the sharpshoot-
er, Is worth his weight in gold. He
dropped couple of bucks over on the
point yesterday evening with his Krag-
Jorgensen at 2,00O yards Both the In
dians were distinctly seen to stageer
and collapse after he had shot at them.
Our fighting preacher is worthy Of
distinguished mention After the pilot
was shot and I had gone aboard the
Flora after the Marshars instructions
Rev. Mr.. Chandler took the tiller and
| with a storm Of Winchester balls
Whistling around his head, brought the
boat into port. 1 have kissed NV hand
TO more whistling rifle balls in the
last forty-eight hours than I ever
care to meet again.
I1nker the inspector, took refuge in
the pilot house. A ball drove througb
the wood work, perforated the in
spectors coat sleeve in two places and
also shot him in the leg / was stand
| ing by the pilot of the Flora. when q
slug as big as a mans thumb lust
skipped his back and crashed into ;ha
side of the box. My own pilot. Oscar
who was shot yesterday while we were
off Bear Island, is doing well. He will
recover, as will Harris, the Marshal.
There is an effort being made here
| now to organize land force to march
into the point. Much time has been
lost in telegraphing between here and
Washington.
Major Wilkinson, six privates and
one Indian policeman are dead. Colonel
Sheehan is slightly wounded. Thirty
Indians are dead. The Journal dis
patch boat has just returned from the
battle ground. There has been desper-
ate fighting all the morning.
THE Journal boat brought out H. d.
| Talman, Deputy Marshal and Colonel
Sheehan. Sheehan is not badly wound
ed. He was shot in the abdomen
While the boat was transferring
wounded men she was fired on from the
brush. This was the signal for an
imme ediate reopening of hostilities. The
troops opened fire on the Indians and
III second there was as fierce fight
in progress as that of yesterday Beulcu
/ narrowly escaped with his life He had
his shoulder bored clear through. We
handled provisions and medicines. The
| firing became so hot we were COM
! PEELED TO weigh anchor and steam out
| into the lake. The Indians appear to
| be in force. Bacon's command is too
small to take the aggressive. The de-
| tachment is intrenched in a good po-
| sition and can hold out so long rs
ammunition lasts. The steamer Chief
was met by my boat eight miles out
and has arrived ere this. She carries
| a posse of armed men. Major Will
klnson was shot and killed while walk
ing up and down admonishing the men
10 Keep their heads low. No braver
man or better officer ever lived. The
men in his command are crazed with
rage. When reinforcements arrive they