The record-union., 1898-10-06
Have All Been Massacred by the Hostile
Redskins.
Definitely Known That a Terr1hc
Battle Was Fought When the
Troops Made a Landing on Bear
Island, and a Telegraph opera
tor Confirms the Report Of the
Massacre.

ST. PAUL, Oct. 5.-An unconfirmed
rumor has reached here that the SOL
d!ers and General Bacon have been
massacred by the Indians at Leech
Lake. A Brainerd operator says this
reported massacre is true.
TERRIFIC BATTLE FOUGHT.
MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. "a special to
the Journal from Walker, Mimi,
says:
a terrific battle was fought at IL
O'clock this morning thirty miles from
Walker at BOg-ah- -Me-Ge-Shirks Point,
close to Bear Island The detachment
of 100 men under General Bacon was
landed on the point shortly after )
o'clock The landing was effected with
considerable difficulty, owing to the
heavy surf. After landing a sOrtie of
the bush was made in all directions.
The soldiers went through the thick
underground very carefully, and with
every precautiOn taken against am
bush. 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 or
der to make coffee had been given, and
the soldiers We're standing in column
formation when the first shot was
fired. 1t came from BogMe house.
The ball struck Ed Harris, eXMar-
shall of Walker, a half-breed. His arm
was broken. That was the signal, and
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
We're Immediately carried to the rear.
On the very instant that the first
shot was heard every man in the COM
mand sprang to cover, without wait
ing for orders. Like a flash the blue
column had vanished, and not a sign
was to be seen of the eighty men who
had stood erect but an instant before,
except here and there a little patch
where a gray hat might be made out.
1 heard General Bacon's voice high
above everything, admOnishing his
men. The General stood straight up,
and supported by Major Wilkinson
looked right into the eye of the red
devils
Steady, men," he called. Keep
COOL now; keep COOL
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 a frightful rat
tie just as the PiHagers made a terrific
rush. Half a dozen of them dropped
and the rest fell back yelling like
fiends. I don't know how many Indi-
ans there were, but there must have
been 150 or 800. Lieutenant Morrison,
with a squad of twenty men, made a
rush to prevent the recapture, of Old
Mahquod, a very choice scoundrel, and
Bop Dway We Dung.
The Marshals had those men under
arrest. and a rescue would certainly
have been effected. but Lieutenant Nor
rison yelled Charge" and his squad
scattered the copper-coiored gang. BY
this time the troops were under cover
The Indians We're fighting in a desul-
tory way, and the order was given to
fire. The soldiers rose, ducking, drop
ping like grasshoppers. They made the
most Of their opportunity. Suddenly
a volley was fired by the Indians at
the steam tug Flora which lay off
shore. A score of bullets tore through
L.
every man except the pilot sought COW
er. Some blazed away in return with
revolvers. but the range was too long.
A volley was fired at the tug Chief
of Duluth. Inspector Tinker was shot
through the leg and his coat sleeves
were torn by another ball. The Flora
steamed for the agency under orders
from Marshal OConnor. who was on
enant Humphrey, who had been left
there. O'Connor escaped death by a
miracle The Indians fired a volIey
directly at him. Brill, the newspaper
correspondent, and also Beaton, fought
bravely with revoivers. They took des-
perate chances several times, and came
out safely
The steersman Of my tug, Jennie. is
shot through the arm with Win
chester ball He is very badly hurt.
The Indians gave us a full volley as
We pulled out. Rev. Mr.. Chandler of
Owateena, Mimi, who was with me in
the boat, had a very narrow escape.
On board the Flora when we started
for reinforcements were Marshal
O'Connor, Deputy Morrison. Indian
Agent Sutherland and the Indian pris-
oners
A guard of two men under Corporal
NettolIoven was sent with the Flora.
She will return at once with rations
and ammunition
Lieutenant Humphrey was white
with rage when the news reached him.
His men have already started for the
front. The fire of the Krag-Jorgen-
sens, twenty miles distant, is distinctly
audible from this point They have
been banging away all the afternoon.
A man just in tells me that we lost
four killed and nine wounded up to
date. Bacon's men have their blood up.
The fighting Third has seen its dead.
Bear Island as well as it's dangerous
vicinity viii be gutted
fatal mistake was made in falling
to send Gatling and Hotchkiss gun.
They could have been used with mag
nifieent effect to-day. The Indians
had fired twenty-five shots before the
troops returned their fire.
General Bacon viii intrench himself
tonight and await achievements. The
wounded City Marshal Of Walker was