Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-10-08

Indians Began the Fight.
waakar, MINI. Oct "a terrific bat
Tie was fought yesterday 80 miles from
Walker, at Bog-Ah- Me-Go- Shirk's Point.
close to Bear Island. A detachment of
100 men, under General Bacon, was
landed on the point shortly after s
o'clock. The landing was effected with
considerable difficulty. owing TO high
sea. After landing a sortie Of the bush
was made in all directions. The sol
diers went through the thick under
growth very carefully and with every
precaution taken against ambush. No
| Indians were seen until nearly IL
o'clock. The men were then ordered
to line UP in an open space near the
shore of the lake. charges were drawn,
and preparations made for dinner.
The order to make coffee had been
given and the soldiers were standing in
column formation when a shot was
fired. 1t came from Bog Met Co
Shirk's house. The bali struck Ed.
Harris, ex-marshal of Walker. a half
breed. His arm was broken. That
was the signal. Immediately the firing
became general from all directions 1t
seemed that a shot came from every
bush Three of General Bacon's men
dropped. They were at once carried
to the rear. On the very instant that
the first shot was heard every man in
the command sprang for cover without
waiting for orders. Like a flash the
blue column had vanished and not a
sign was to be seen of the men who
had stood erect but an instant before
except here and there a little patch
where a gray hat might be made out.
General Bacon stood straight up and,
supported by Major Wilkinson, looked
right into the eyes of the red devils.
Steadily, men,"he called; keep cool
now, keep coool."
Again there came a volley from the
Indians. and that was what the troops
had been waiting for. The Krag-Jor-
gensens opened up with frightful rat
tie just as the Pillagers made a ter
rife rush. Half a dozen of them
dropped, and the rest of them fell back,
yelling like fiends incarnate. There
were probably $50 or 200 Indians. Lieu
tenant Morrison, with a squad of 20
men, made a rush to prevent the re-
capture of old Mah-Qoud, a very
choice scoundrel, and Bap Dway We
Wung. The marshals had these men
under arrest and rescue would cer-
tainly have been effected, but Lieuten-
ant Morrison yelled Charge" and his
squad scattered the copper colored
gang BY this time the troops We're
under cover. The Indians were firing
in a desultory way and the order was
given to charge. The soldiers made the
best of their opportunity.
Suddenly a volley was fired by the
Indians at the steam tug Flora, which
lay off shore. On board the Flora
when she started for reinforcements
were Marshal O'Connor, Deputy Nor
rison. Indian Agent Sutherland and the
| Indian prisoners. A guard Of two men
under Corporal ]. l. Nettokoven was
sent with the Flora. She will.return at
once with rations and ammunition.
There was a mistake made In send
ing so few men. Had two companies
been sent there would have been no
fight These red blackguards respec.
numbers. A fatal mistake was made
in failing to send a Calling and a
Hotchkss. They could have been used
with magnificent effect.
Marshal OConnor and Deputy Mar
shall Sheehan behaved with the ut
most bravery The latter, an old man
of so, but the hero of Fort Ridgely,
stood yelling at the men to keep their
heads down while himself standing
erect and bareheaded. The young
lieutenant, Morrison. had never been
under fire before, but there he stood,
steady as a rock and cool as an ice
berg The men behaved splendidy.
No word has come from the front
for several hours, which fact is con
sidered somewhat ominous. The most
serious report is that the detachment
of troops with General Bacon was mas
sacred the general himself being said
to be among the dead Three news
paper correspondents, Brill, of the st.
Paul Pioneer Press; Beaton, of the
Minneapolis Tribune. and Knappen, Of
the Minneapolis Times, are known to
have beeen in the fight, and one report
is they were killed, while another says
they are now prisoners in the hands Of
the Indians.
The Pillager and other neIghboring
Indians of the White Earth reservation
claim to have many reasons for their
present outbreak, although the direct
trouble with the Pillagers comes over
attempts to bring in some Of the In
dams to the United States court at
Duluth in connection with the liquor
selling cases. Their grievances go
back through many years, and there
have been legislative and other at
tempts TO settle them, one Of the latest
being the Nelson law regarding the sale
of the timber on the Indian lands
However, the Indians claimed that the
method Of disposing of this was both
cumbersome and expensive and that
they were the sufferers In regard to
serving as witnesses in illegal liquor
selling cases they claimed that the
deputy marshals left them to find their
own way home from Duluth without
having paid the proper mileage.
This is denied by the deputies. The
leader in the trouble with the pillagers
is an old warrior, Bog-Ah- Me-Go
Shirk. not a chief who recently re-
turned from court and was soon after
wards sought by the deputies again.
He alleged i'll treatment in being turn
ed adrift penniless in Duluth. and
aroused the other Indians to protest
against the way he claimed to have
been treated.