The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-08-26

Ferry Muskets there they took them
and what ammunition they could get
and early Tuesday morning started
back to Fit. Ridgley where they ar
rived that night. The same Tuesday
morning eighteen men, all we'll arm
ed and good shots. from Judson, Eu-
reka and Nicollet formed a company
under A. M. Dean, and proceeded at
once to New Ulm reaching there
about l o'clock, p. m. just short time
before Little Crow and his warriors
arrived from the west. The people
of New Ulm and vicinity had formed
one or two volunteer companies I'M
der John Nix and barricades of wa
CONS and boards had been hastily
erected across the main street. About
4 o'clock the Indians began their lat
tack burning few houses on the out
skirts. and for an hour or two their
bullets whistled thick through the
streets killing two or three of the
people. But the men under Capt.
Nix and Capt. Dean held the savages
in check and being REINFORCED by the
oppertune arrival of Sheriff Broad
eman with 16 mounted, well armed
men, from St. Peter drove them back.
Little Crow only had about hundred
warriors in this skirmish. The bulk
of them were still scattered all along
the frontier from Hutchinson to the
Iowa line butchering the settlers.
Retiring to the Agency to recruit
his force and to council this Tuesday
night Little Crow and his chiefs con-
cluded Wednesday morning to attack
Fit. Ridgley. By this time there were
about 200 armed men in the fort. Who
with Sergeant John Jones and his
three or four pieces of artillery were
able to give the saVages a warm re-
ception.
All that day, Thursday and Friday
the battle ragged. The brave defen-
ders fought with heroic valor and
though the Indians numbered 1000
to 1900 strong and repeatedly made
desperate charges upon the fort, they
were each time repulsed with heavy
losses.
Few of these, however. had any
weapon other than an old
laundering shotgun, and not being
used to military ways or bound in any
way there was sad lack of order or de-
cipline. Judge Flandreau was chosen
commander, and the best organization
possible perfected. Friday morning
the South Bend company, seeing no
Indians yet at New Ulm, became
afraid that they had passed by down
the valley, and uniting with the Win
nebagos were then perhaps murder
ing their defenseless wives and
children, and hence went home.
This same Friday morning a ref
ugee came to town seeking help to
rescue eleven persons hid in some
bushes on the Big Cottonwood not far
from where Sleepy Eye now stands.
Then followed an account of an at
tack upon Fort Ridgely, and the rails
ing of and arming of men through the
settlements for the aid of New Ulm,
and also of the aid sent from New
Ulm to rescue party of eleven per-
sons hid in some bushes near where
Sleepy Eye now stands, and of their
return.
140 picked men with the best guns
were sent on this mission. 1t was
near night when this company reach
ed its destination and it was almost
determined to camp there until morn
ing, but fortunately wiser counsel pre-
vailed and by hard march they ar
rived in New Ulm by o'clock in the
morning. Learning from their scouts
this Friday night that New Ulm was
thus stripped of defenders the Indians
concluded to abandon their attack on
the fort for the present and seize this
town. Accordingly Saturday morning
Little Crow with about 600 warriors
reached New Ulm about 9 o'clock
after having sent portion of his
braves across the river for the pur-
pose of decoying some more of New
Ulm's defenders from it, which they
succeeded in doing by setting fire to a
number of houses and grain-stacks Of
the farmers.
About sixty-fve, mostly Nicollet
county people, volunteered under
Capt. Huey to cross the river on the
ferry and drive these Indians away
No sooner were they across the river,
then much swollen my rains, and well
away from the ferry than a horde Of
savages rose from ambush and driving
away the few guards
cut the ferry loose and
thus cut off this company's retreat in.
to town. Signaling this success to
their friends the main body of In
dams appeared to the west Of town
and commenced the fight with wild
charge across the prairie. Their vast