The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-26


His Part In the Fierce Fight
With the Indians Mt Birch Cou-
lte-After the War He Lived
In Texas and Later in OKLA
hOma.
some of his friends of his family in
St Paul that Capt. Joseph Anderson,
pioneer citizen of Minnesota and
prominently connected with some of
the important incidents in the history
of the state, died at his residence in
! Oklahoma City, o. T., June %, 1897. At
the time or his death he was about sew
enty-one years of age. The news of his
death has just reached this CITY,
Capt. Anderson was a striking type
or the active, hardy and adventurous
| frontiersman of Minnesota and the
Northwest. His career had been large
ly one Of activity and of perilous adj
venture. He was born near Smithfeld,
JEFFERSON county, Ohio and came of
good American stock of remote Scotch
Irish ancestry. Left an orphan at two
! years OF age, he made his own way
through life. In about 1S45 he went to
Indiana and for a time was a fiat boat
man on the Ohio and Mississippi, max
Ing frequent trips to New Orleans. He
served in the American army during
the Mexican war as a member of Capt
Alexander's company in Col Willis A.
Gorman's Fourth Indiana regiment of
Gen. Joe Lanes brigade. He was in
the battle of Buena iSta and other
enga genlents, and Col. Gorman-Who
was afterwards governor of Minnesota
territory and otherwise prominent in
public life-gave him a splendid char
acter as soldier
After the Mexican war he located IN
! Wisconsin and for some years was en-
gagged in business as a drover, bringing
| numerous herds of cattle from Indiana
and Ohio to the Northwest In 1852 he
! married in Milwaukee county, Wis,
| Martha ]. Howard, whose father, John
Howard, was a soldier of the War of
the Revolution and of the War of 1872.
In 1855 he settled in Minnesota, and
this state was his home until in 1877,
When he removed to Texas. For many
years he was engaged in the cattle
trade in this state and Dakota. He
was frequently government contrac-
! tor, and as the head of the Missouri
Contracting company furnished sup
! plies Of all kinds to the frontier posts
in the days when the Western Indians
through whose territory he was Of
ten compelled to pass-were generally
hostile and always unrelia BILE In 1889
he settled in Oklahoma City, where he
thereafter resided and where his re-
mains rest. For some time he had
been In failing health and his death
was not unexpected although it is
remarkable that the news of his death
was not sooner received by his friends
here.
Capt. Anderson took a very active
and somewhat prominent part in the
Indian wars Of Minnesota during the
years 1924. When the Sioux upris-
ing OF August 1852, occurred he was In
st. Paul, and at once raised a local
company Of mounted men called 1.-The
Cullen Guard and went to the front
under Gen. Sibley. His company was
the first to enter the then deserted
town of New Ulm, after the forces I'M
der Col. Flandrau had evacuated the
place, and it was nearly always at the
front in Sibley's advance to Fort
Ridgely. The company also formed an
important part Of the force under Maj
Joseph r. Brown that was engaged in
the desperate affair at Birch Coulie-.
Capt. H. P. Grants Company A, Sixth
Minnesota Infantry, and some citizens
constituting the remainder Of the force
in all about $50 men.
On Sept. 2, 1852, this command was
surrounded in camp near the head of
the Birch coulie, in Renville county,
by an overwhelming force of Indians
and kept under heavy and destructive
fire for about thirty-six hours, until re-
l1eved by the army under Gen. Sibley
Capt. Anderson's company suffered
severely, and but for the captains con-
duct of his men many more of them
would have been lost. AS it was, every
morse In the company was killed and
Capt. Anderson himself was so badly
wounded that he was disabled for serv-
ice during the remainder of the cam
+ palgn. Later In the year. however he
raised another company and entered
the military service as captain of Com
pany G, First Minnesota mounted
rangers, and served through the war.
His term was spent on the frontiers Of
Minnesota and in Dakota and mainly
in lighting Indians during the temper
ate months and facing billiards. and
the other rigors in winter.
There was no better ideal Of the
American cavalryman and rough rider
than Capt Joe" Anderson. He was
tall and strong of stature, 1.-THE and
sinewy, a superb horseman, and as
brave and dashing as any trooper that
ever "buckled on a spur" Withal he
was wary and intelligent, and no other
officer stood higher in the estimate of
general efficiency. He was careful and
considerate Of the men he led and they
were devoted to him, and all who knew
him respected and esteemed him.
Capt. Anderson's last visit to Mime
sofa was made in the fall of 1894, when
he came a thousand miles to attend the
dedication of the Birch Coulie monu-
| ment. His address ON that occasion
was most interesting. In the contro-
| versy over the location Of the monu-
| ment and the identity of the command
er of the forces, he was strenuous
defender of the right of Maj. Brown to
| the distinction of commander, and his
| letters and statements were largely in
| huential in securing the passage of the
law requiring the correction of certain
portions of the inscription on the monu-
ment, and that the structure itself be
removed to the actual site of the battle.