The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-11-02
RECENT INDIAN OUTBREAK
REPORT OF GENERAL BACON ON
 THE BATTLE.

The Indians First Attack Instantly
 Followed the Accidental Discharge of
 Rifle While the Soldiers Were Stack
 ing Arms-The Men for D Moment w ere
 Confused by the First Volley and
 Broke Ranks Quickly Recovered and
 Charged Enemy.
 Washington, Nov. 1.-General Bacon. who commanded the United States forces at the recent Indian battle at Leech Lake, Minn., has sent a detailed report of the action to Adjutant General Corbin. The interesting portion of the report Is that in regard to the battle. After stating the arrival of the detach- ment at the scene of the trouble the report says: "The detachment had re- ceived orders to stack arms, when one of our rifles was accidentally discharg- ed. Instantly the Indians fired volley into the ranks of the detachment from the surrounding woods and underbrush and charged to the edge of the same, keeping up a continuous fire. My de- tachment was composed of forty eight absolutely raw recruits and nineteen old soldiers. When the attack was made the men were in line near log hut. They were for moment confused by the first Indian voiley and the de- moniac yelling, and broke ranks and attempted to conceal themselves behind the hut. But they recovered almost al- most instantly and under the personal directions of the three officers present formed a steady skirmish line and in their turn charged and drove the ln- dians back through the thick brush as far as it was penetrable. The Indians continued their tactics of crawling up, concealed by the underbrush, and at tacking until dark, the attacks growing less and less vigorous. They were arm ed with Winchester repeating rifles and appeared well supplied with ammuni- tion, judging from the prodigal use which they made of it. During the night they disappeared from the penin- sula so far as could be ascertained, sup posedly departing in their canoes to neighboring lands or islands They seemed to have had quite enough of fighting and were not heard from ex- cept an occasional distant shot, one of which killed a soldier digging potatoes in an adjoining field on the morning of the sixth"
 After calling attention to the con- spicuous bravery of Captain M. c. Will Hanson, who was killed while steady ing his men after the first repulse, and to the intrepidity and coolness of Sec ond Lieutenant Penney Ross, and the bravery of Assistant Surgeon Hubert B. Hardis, Sergeant Thomas Kelley and Private Oscar Burkhardt and to the valuable assistance rendered by the newspaper correspondents in the care of the wounded, the report says:
 q regret to report that during the night two Indian policemen who had failed to get off In the steamboat and whose presence near my camp was un- known, attempted to cross the lake in a canoe and whilst passing nearby the picket guard were mistaken for hostiles and fired upon, one being killed instantly and the other slightly wound- ed and captured" General Bacon re- views the subsequent events ending with the surrender of all save two of the Indians wanted and closes as fol- lows: From all obtainable informa- ton these Chippewa Indians have long entertained complaints of the disposi- 1f ,ta7, nta hni They also claimed to have experienced much suffering by reason of promiscu- ous arrests amoug them by United States deputy marshals. It is believed that they have been for more than a year preparing to resist the United States authorities, accommodating ann munition dancing and getting ready after their own fashion for war and when my detachment of seventy-seven soldiers reached their almost inaccessi- ble homes they made their one desper- ate effort. They were badly whipped and driven from their chosen battle ground and now declare that they want no more fighting with United States soldiers They were found arrogant and boastful; they are now humiliated and begging for peace and I believe they are honest in that statement. I further believe that the result of that fight prevented the Bear Islanders from being largely reinforced by large numbers of nelghboring Indians and saved northern Minnesota from long and costly Indian war. Owing to the densely wooded nature of the country the losses sustained by the Indians have not been accurately ascertained."