The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1898-10-13

ties from the fighting on Bear island.
Wednesday. We're eight killed. includ
ing Mai Wilkinson. The correspond
cnts Brill and BeatOn are safe.
Col. +. j. Sheehan got away from
the scene OF the battle yesterday morn
ing and gives graphic account Of the
action up To the time he left:
we landed about 10 o'clock
Wednesday morning on the southeast
side OF the point on the mainland iii
rectly north of Bear island. Gen. Ba
con and Marshal O'COnnor leading the
landing. \ short distance from the
shore is the log house Of BOgah NAH
ge-Shik Gen. Bacon left lively" sol
dierS along the shore To protect the
landing place. and the remainder of
the troops marched across the point 10
the west side and along the shore
couple Of miles. looking for some In
danS who were said Ia want n coun-
Gil | remained behind with my inter
prefer and arrested an Indian |
wanted near the house and sent him
10 the boat. While | was talking with
Sorpe other Indians | saw six bucks
armed with WincEcSterS come out Of
the house and 20 away inland | saw
they were Surly. for they did not speak
To mo. although | was their agent for
five years. | WAS afraid Of trouble.
and called in the twelve sol Tiers who
were scattered along the shore.
About that time Gen. Bacon re-
turned with tho troops. Half of the
men had stacked arms and the order
was given 10 unload their equipments.
As they did 50
shot Was Fired.
II was thou"ht ut first that some piece
had been discharged bv mistake. but
the firing almost immediately became
gcrcral The soldiers instantly formed
I'm line i'm n Scmi-circlc facin" the In
dams ard I've twelve men who we've
with me rushed IN To protect the right
flank and drove the Indians back. Sc
curing favorable nOSitiOn. OF those
men. one was shot in the face. one i'm
the arm and third i'm the leg. | do not
know how the other men were
wounded.
after our first rush we hal the best
Of the position. The log house was in
side our lircs and il was used as a
hospital. and the men sought the cover
Of logs and trees and settled down for
n long fight. II continued durin" the
day and evening and was renewed this
morning. although il was never so hot
as during the first hour or So. This
morning boat made a landin" with
some provisions and Gen. RacOn
wanted Ia send the wounded back.
He sent IN" down to make arrange
mentS and | went ont Ia the steamer
IN canoe. They brought down one
wounded man and the captain Of the
boat brought him off shore. hut before
the others could be moved the Indians
opened a hot fire on the boat and we
had to leave.
Mai Wilkinson KILLED.
"When | left there had been Eve
killd and eight wounded besides the
Indian policeman. Three men were
sick | don't know the names of any
nf the killed or wounded except Mai.
Wilkinson.
"Gen. Bacon haEdlcd his men mag
nficcntly and was on the firing line
during the whole Of the engagement.
encouraging his men and directing the
operations.
1T is impossible 10 tell how many
Indians are in the attacking party, but
| should say not less than la0 or 300.
and we don't know how many more
are joining them. The newspaper
men. Brill. Hcaton and Knappen. We're
all i'm good shape when | left. doing
their share Of duty on the line. No
one them bad been injured"
Several Of the small boats and the
steamer Flora Went out during the
night and early this morning 10 en-
deavor To lard provisions for Gen.
Racon'S bclcagucred command and
bring away the dead and wounded.
The Flora had the thirty Brainerd
fighters AMI a few other armed citi-
Zens, but had not yet returned. of the
very small boats none succeeded In
eifecting the purpose of the trip ex-
cent the Vera i'm charge Of Harris Nc
Cabe This is the boat Of which Col.
Shcehan speaks. McCabc made
landing on the point off the north end
OF Bear island. where the troons are
rntrenched 4 sufficient quantity Of
provisions To relieve the immediate
necessities of the men was landed and
safely conveyed from the beach To the
firing line. the soldiers protecting the
landing.
An attempt was then made 10 bring
down some of the wounded TIE
steamer could not approach close to
the shore and il was necessary TO use
n small boat between the steamer and
the shore. One man was brought
down across the open hut the Indians
discovered what was going on and
Concentrated Their Fire
on this point and on the boat. The
place was getting altogether too hot