The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-08
AN EYEWITNESS STORY.
Correspondent BeatOn Describes the
First Fight with the Indians.

|
First Fight with the Indians.
WALKER, Minn.. Oct. III. c. Beaton,
one of the three newspaper men marooned
with General Bacons troops on Sugar point
wires the Minneapolis Tribune a long ac-
count of the battle. After describing the
| landing of the soldiers, he says:
AS there was no indication of the trouble
Brill, Knappen and myself made up our
minds to go back to Walker on the boat to
be sent by General Bacon for the tents and
ratcns for another day. We were down at
the landing waiting for the rowboats to take
us to the steamer when a shot was heard.
| Immediately we ran back to where the sol-
| diers were on the hill, when a volley came
| from the woods in front of U.S. The soldiers
were just about to be dismissed, and for
moment 1 was at loss to understand the
significance of the firing. second later an
other volley came and the bullets whistled
past my head.
Run to cover" some one cried and as
the soldiers grabbed their guns and ran to
the left l hurried down to the beach where
l was soon safely housed behind big bowld-
ers and brush. AS l ran down, however,
more bullets chased me, and it was a won
der that myself and those with me were
not killed.
OtNuNJ, ACli, StCouy, was the ETSl SOUND
of a voice we heard. and as l raised my
head / could see General Bacon running
about with his men.
Get up in the firing line" was the next
order given and the men of the fighting
Third were seen to run through the grass
and woods in the direction from which the
shots had been fired.
Another peep above the stone behind which
l lay, and peep at a great chance of
DEATH and 1 saw Major Wilkinson and Lieu
tenant Ross calling the other men to ad-
vance. All the time the shots were fast and
furious and the bullets flew a few inches
above our heads as we lay on the beach.
The men continued to advance. The three
officers were everywhere-Major Wilkinson
in charge of the left flank, General Bacon in
charge of the center and Lieutenant Ross In
charge of the right flank. The soldiers were
running along, it appeared to me. on their
hands and knees. dropping every moment
to fire shot at the enemy The officers.
however, stood in the open. They were
brave almost to recklessness and seemed
only to consider the safety of their men,
Tor they advised them what to do in tones
that could be heard all over the point
For thirty minutes there was a ceaseless
rattle of musketry and every little while we
~~~AN AASeh NAiSS VI the men WHO naQ DGen
shot. looked up once and saw that Major
Wilkinson had been injured, but where did
not know. heard him cry: Ross, I've
been wounded. but won't give up, for it's not
bad" The next moment as he stood right
back Of his firing line calling at the men.
give ii to them, boysi we've got them go
ing give ii TO them. they are towards and
they're going to run he seemed to stag
ger and Surgeon Ross ran towards him.
Give them hell. general give them hell,'
he called at the top of his voice. over
towards the center. where General Bacon
was taking aim at a red man. Then Will
kinson fell into the arms of the doctor. who
carried him into the log cabin at the crest
of the hill, where he died in one hour and
thirty minutes later. There were two
wounds In his stomach and an artery had
been cut. He bled to death despite the ef-
forts of the surgeon to save him. His was
the death of soldier and such death as
he expressed to me a few minutes before he
desired to experience. for the major and my
self had walked back from the scouting tour
together.
II was an awful sight. but strange as 1t
seems. we reporters down upon the bank
tConfinued on Fifth Pae@J