The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-06
BLOODY WORK
Gen. BacOn's Force of so Men
Entrapped.
Fell Into an AmbGscade Near
Bear Island
BY PILLAGER INDIANS
Troops Had Arrested Some of
the Indians
And Unloaded Their Guns
Ready to Leave
WHEN FIRING BEGAN
Major Wilkinson and Six Pri-
Yates Killed.
Thirty Indians Fell in the First
Battle.
A Second Engagement is In Pro
gress Today.
HELP HAS BEEN SENT.
BacOn's Command is Entrench-
ed In Good Position.
But is Without Food or Blank
cts.
HELP HAS BEEN SENT.
BacOn'S Command is Entrench-
ed In Good Position.
But is without Food or Blank
cts.

Minneapolis, oct. 6.-Arthur ]. Peg
Ier. the stan correspondent of the Jour
nal wires at $50 this morning from
Walker, Mimi:
The force of so men, under Gen. Ba-
con have been annihilated. do not
know whether Inspector Tinker has
more information than have, but he
sent word to the war department last
night that the Third infantry detach-
ment had been wiped out. I got in very
late from an expedition on the Flora.
We started out to carry supplies and
rations to the troops. It was very dark
of the shore and we signalled for an
hour
Corporal NettIekoven used the code
in use at Santiago. Either the troops
have been driven inland, or there is not
a man of them left. No answering sig
nal Of any sort was received, although
we lay off and on the whole length Of
the headland.
To land was an impossibility in the
dark as the reinforcements from Brain
erd have not arrived and there was only
one old Winchester rife on the boat.
Reddy Lazard. captain of the Flora, is
a dead game man and he would have
landed. There was no possible doubt
that the small force on the boat would
have been annihilated if this had been
done. There were men aboard who pre-
ferred to die in an effort at rescue how
ever 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 be-
tween the whole command this morn
ing
At a later date I am going to tell the
whole truth about this expedition. I
never knew of such gross mismanage-
ment. or witnessed such criminal obsti-
macy as has been exhibited here. The
men of Bacons command We're taken
out under conditions that would dis
grace a militia sergeant were he re-
sponsible for them. Every life that has
been lost here is a useless sacrifice.
It broke my heart to see the poor fell
lows dropping. Had a proper force been
sent here in the first place. not a shot
would have been fred. I have hopes
that Bacon may have entrenched him
self and that the failure to answer sig
nails last night was due to his determi-
nation not to betray his location. The
men had 12O rounds of ammunition each.
I hardly think they have exhausted
their supply. The newspaper cores
pondents, Brill. Beaton and Knappen,
are stin with the troops
Ambushed.
St. Paul. Oct. 6.-The Globes staff
correspondent at Walker. Mimi. tele-
graphs as follows: Company z of the
Third United States infantry. COM
manded by Major Wilkinson, Lieuten-
ant Ross and under charge of General
Bacon was ambushed and trapped bv
the Pinager Indians at Bear island.
The battle was a complete surprise to
the troops and on the first voIley, four
of the men were stricken down.
There were several Indians seen about
the few log houses on the shore, but
when the troops landed through the surf,
all but one disappeared in the woods.
on landing the soldiers proceeded to the
house in which Bog-Ahe-NIa- -Ge-Shik re-
sides when at home. but the chief. who
had threatened to kill the soldiers in
case they should be sent after him,
was not at home. Marshal Sheehan'
however. found Mah-Quod, a PiIlager
-Lts dtlolan, who was one of the % who res
cued the Pillager chief some weeks ago
ana placed him under arrest
Arrest of Mah-OuOd.
Mah-Quod put up a desperata 6eb+
although the company of soldiers were
drawn up in front Of the place. It re-
Quired the assistance of four soldiers