The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-24
TROOPS HOME AGAIN
RETURN FROM The SCENES OF
THE RECENT INDIAN
TROUBLES
REGULARS FEELING BADLY

Loss of Their Comrades Had Filled
Them with Desire to Avenge
Their Murder. One Company
Left at Walker - Maj. Libbey's
Battery Boys Among Those Who
Returned. sui.'
All Of the troopsso hastily summon
ed to the protection. Of settlers in the
vicinity Of the Leech Lake Indian res
ervation, three weeks ago, returned
home yesterday, with the exception of
one company of regulars that was left
at the reservation as check to any
turbulent spirits among the redskins
who might attempt to incite another
uprising. The situation at Walker,
Cass Lake, Deer River and Bemiji is
now peaceful, and though the company
or regulars may remain at the reSerVa-
ton for some time, there is in reality
no further danger of troubles. Settlers
who were alarmed when the Indians
attacked the soldiers at Bear island
and feared a general uprising have
become treasured as to their safety,
and the country at large has resumed
its former reoose. so that the soldiers
are no doubt wholly relieved of the pos
sibility of a winter campaign in the In
dian country.
The first Of the soldiers to set into
st. Paul were the members Of Battery
A, Of st. Paul, and of Battery B, Of
Minneapolis, and the detachment of the
Fourteenth regiment. These came in
over the Great Northern road at 1
o'clock. Battery B left the train at
Minneapolis, and at Hamline the 100
volunteers that had been pressed into
service debarked and marched to their
camp at Kittsondaae. Battery A came
on through to the union depot whence
the members marched to the armory
with their Calling gun and were dis
banded.
ARRIVAL OF REGULARS.
At $50 o'clock last evening the spe-
cfal train bearing the three companies
of regulars that were stationed at the
Leech lake reserva ton pulled into the
Northern Pacific yards at the foot Of
Broadway street. The train carried
SOC men and officers and freight cars
bearing sixteen :: wagons, thirty-tWO
mules and the camp equipment. AS
soon as the train stopped Col. Har-
bach detailed mem from each company
to unload the BAGGAGE task occupy
ing couple Of hours, when the wagon
train started for Fort Smelling. Those
of the soldiers not engaged in unload
ing the baggage were kept together at
the Minneapolis & st. Louis depot until
o'clock, when they marched to Fourth
and Sibley streets and took the street
cars that were in readiness to convey
them to the fort.
Among the regulars were the men,
bers of Company E, who were in the
fight with the Indians at Bear island,
when Maj. Wilkinson and five other
members of the company were killed.
They were the heroes of the small
crowd that gathered to witness the
homecoming. Each of the men retOld
the story Of the battle in answer to
questions Of friends or interested per-
sons, how the Indians poured the
leaden death missives into their ranks,
while officers and men bravely faced
p the heavy fire, how Mai. Wilkinson
fell on the firing line directing the de-
Tense and of the horror of seeing their
comrades shot down about them, all
declaring that the battle was a fierce
conflict while it lasted So.
All the men Of Company E, consist
ing of seventy priyates and officers,
Under command Of Lieut.. Wygant, are
in good health after their experience
in the Indian country, and in high
spirits to return to the comforts of
civilization. Many OF the soldiers
brought back souvenirs of their fight
shoes said to have been the property
of old Bug, the Indian who is held re-
SpOnsible for the outbreak, while an
other dragged along an Indian dog at
the end Of a rope, and still others had
birch bark canoes, beads and sticks
used by the Indians for beating tom
toms.
HAVE ONE REGRET.
While glad to get back home, the
members of Company E are sorely
disappointed that they did not get an
opportunity to avenge the death Of
Maj. Wilkinson and their comrades
who fell by the Indian hidden attack
The men felt that the killing Of their
commander and companions was MOTH
ing short of murder, and they were
hungry for revenge. If they could
have given the Indians battle under
more equal conditions than the fight
at Bear island, they say many a saw
age would have been dispatched to
the happy hunting grounds. The men
all say the Indians were completely
whipped and lost all desire to precipi-
tate more fighting when. it appeared
that the soldiers were aroused and
anxious to get at them.
The returned regulars comprise the
detachment of twenty men first sent
to Leech lake, under Lieut. Humphrey.
the command that went out under
Maj. Wilkinson and the reinforcements
that were later sent to the scene of
the trouble, under command of Col.
Harbach. Sixty members Of Company
G were left at the reservation. Mem
berS Of this company that have been
on sick leave at the fort or otherwise
out Of service and who are now ready
for duty will be sent to join their com
pany as soon as possible
One of the pleasant incidents Of the
hOmeward trip of the regulars was their
reception at Brainerd On leayina
Walker at 8 o'clock a telegraph mes
sage asking that coffee be prepared for,
the mem at Brainerd inspired the cfti-
zens of that town to accord the soldiers
a fitting reception. When the train
pulled into Brainerd the entire pOpu-
lation was at the depot with a. brass
band and all the edibles the boys could
store away. The soldiers enjoyed the
ovation and gave three cheers for the
people Of Brainerd.
MAI. LIBBEY'S COMMAND.
Maj. Libbey, who commanded Batter
les A and B, reports all of his men in
good health. He says his command was
prepared to meet the enemy whenever
it might have been called upon, though
its primary object was only the pro
lection of lives and property in the
threatened country. The artillerymen
were armed with rifles, besides each
battery having it's Calling gun, and
during their service became quite pro-
ficient infantryn6n. They went through
daily drills with the infantry arms
while stationed at Cass Lake and Deer
River, until each battery could credit