Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-10-08

and will return with my command, to-
morrow"
COL. sHEEHANs ACCOUNT.
He Was Present All Through the Fight at
Bear Island.
Walker, Mimi, Oct. 7.-Col. T. j.
Sheehan. deputy marshal, who was
wounded in Wednesdays fight, arrived
here, early today. and gives graphic
account of the action up to the time he
started back. He says:
I'VE landed about 10 o'clock, Wednes-
day, on the southeast side of the point
on the main land, directly north Of
Bear Island. Near the shore is the big
house of Bug-Ah- Nah Ge- Shirk. Gen.
Bacon left IL soldiers along the shore
to protect the landing place and the re-
lnainder of the troops marched across
the point to the west side and along the
shore for couple of miles looking for
some Indians who were said to want
a council. l remained behind with my
interpreter and arrested an Indian I
wanted near the house and sent him TO
| the boat.
While l was talking with some 9TH
er Indians saw six bucks armed with
Winchesters come out of the house and
go away inland. They did not speak
to me. although I was their agent for
| five years. and / feared trouble and
called in the II soldiers who were scat
tered along the shore About that
| time Gen. Bacon returned with the
troops. Half of the men had stacked
| arms and the order was given to un-
load their equipments. As they did so,
a shot was fired and the firing almost
Immediately became general. The
soldiers formed in line in a semi
circle. facing the Indians. and the II
| men who We're with me rushed up to
| protect the right flank and drove the
| Indians back, securing more favor
| able position. One of these men was
| shot in the face, one in the arm and a
third in the leg. 1 don't know how the
other men were wounded.
After our first rush we had the best
position. The log house was inside our
| lines and it was used as hospital and
| the men sought the cover of logs and
| trees and settled down for long fight
1t continued through the day and even
ing and was renewed. Thursday morn
| ing, although it was not as hot as dur
| ing the first hour or SO. Thursday
morning. boat made a landing with
some provisions, and Gen. Bacon want
ed to send the wounded back. He sent
me down to make arrangements, and /
went out to the steamer in a canoe.
| They hral,pht down ono yyo1,pdad man
and the captain of the boat brought
him off shore. Before the others could
be moved the Indians opened hot fire
on the boat and we had to leave.
About six miles out we met the Flora
going in with 80 or more armed men
and everything the soldiers needed.
| When l left there had been five kill
ed and eight wounded besides the In
dian policeman. Three men were sick.
don't know tine names of any of the
killed or wounded except Major Will
| kinson. Gen. Bacon handled his men
magnificently and was on the firing
line during the whole of the engage
ment encouraging his men and direct
ing the operations. He was ably sec
onded by Major Wilkinson until the
latter was killed and Lieut.. Ross, I'M
der fire for the first time. showed him
self born fighter. He rallied the men
at the opening volley and stayed right
with them all the time.
1T is impossible to tell how many In
dams are in the attacking party. but I
| should say not less than $50 or 200, and
we do not know how many more are join
/ ing them. They evidently had the thing
all planned out and were ready to begin
| firing at the signal. They concentrated
| part of their fire on the boats to drive
| them away and leave the soldiers no
| means of retreat, evidently thinking they
could overpower the whole force. The
newspaper men, Brill, Beaton and Kop-
pen. were all in good shape when left,
doing their share of duty on the line. No
one of them had been injured
Several of the small boats and the
steamer Flora went out during the night
and early this morning, to endeavor to
land provisions for General Bacon's be-
leaguered command and bring away the
dead and wounded. The Flora had 80
Brainerd fighters and few other armed
citizens. The Vera alone succeeded In
|effecting the purpose of the trip. Harris
McCabe, with the Vera. went to the north
end of the island. where the troops are
entrencned, landing sufficient quantities
of provisions to relieve the immediate
necessitis of the men.
An attempt was made to bring down
some of the wounded. The steamer did
not approach close to the shore and it
was necessary to use a small boat. One
man was brought across the open. but
the Indians concentrated their fire on this
point and on the boat. The place was too
hot and McCabe was forced to leave.
During the engagement Col. Sheehan re-
ceived a slight flesh wound across the alb
domen a bullet through his coat sleeve
and another through his trousers leg.
Major Wilkinson was killed. Wednesday
afternoon. He received flesh wound in
the leg and retired to have it dressed by
fNoptinupd an mage ~