Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1898-10-06

MINNEAPOLIS Mimi, oct. 6.-Artnur
L. Pegler, staff correspondent of the
Journal, wired at $3.50 this morning
from Walker, Mimi: A force of eighty
men, under General Bacon, has been
annihilated l do not know whether
Inspector Tinker has mure information
than have, but he sent word to the
War Department last night that the
Third Infantry detachment had been
wiped OUT got in very late from an
expedition on the Flora. We started
out to carry supplies and rations to the
troops. 1t was very dark off shore.
and we signaled for an hour. Corporal
Nettlekoven used the code in use at
Santiago. Either the troops have been
driven inland or there is not aman left.
No answering signal of any sort was
received. although we lay off and on
the whole length of Head island Il
To land was an impossibility in the
dark as reinforcements from Brainerd
have not arrived and there was only
one old Winchester rifle on the boat.
Reddy Lazard, captain of the Flora, is
q dead game man, and would have
landed. There is no possible doubt
that the small force on the boat would
have been annihilated il this had been
done. There were men abroad who pre-
ferred to die in the effort at rescue,
however, futile as ii might have been.
We had our blankets and rations for
the blue coats; if any survive, they slept
last night in the open. Heavy frost
prevailed There is not SO much as a
coffee bean TO divide between the
whole command this morning. AT
later date | am going to tell the
whole truth about this expedition. l
never such gross mismanagement, or
witnessed such criminal obstinancy, as
has been exhibited here. The men of
Bacon's command were taken out ua
der conditions that would disgrace a
militia sergeant, were he responsible
for them. Every life lost is useless
sacrifice Had proper force been sent
here inthe first place, not shot would
have been fired / hope Bacon may
have entsenched himself and that the
failure to answer the signals last night,
Is due to his determination not to be-
tray his location. The men bad 120
rounds of ammunition each. l hardly
think they exhausted the supply.
Newspaper correspondents, Brell, Bea-
ton and Knappen,. are still with
the troops. / went with a force
determined to save them If
possible, but it was impossible
to locate them. Immediately on my
return from Bear Island l sent my
chartered steamer with Gus Betulcu, a
friend of. the Chippewas, who has
Chippewa blood in his veins, to pick the
newspaper men up if possible. I'm
armed, ill clad, out of condition, with
out food or drink the press representa-
tives with Bacon are in desperate
straits. l do not fully endorse the be-
lief that every man in the command is
dead because General Bacon 10 an old
Indian fighter and, however badly
Handicapped doubt very much whether
he would permit twice the number Of
Chippewas to get away with him.
Corporal Nettlekoven, sharpshooter
dropped couple of bucks over on the
point yesterday evening with Krag-
Jorgensen at 1000 yards.
THIRD EXPEDITION.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., Oct. s. = A
special from Walker, Minn., says; The
third expedition to this point has jusI
started. There are fifteen riAemen or
board, all picked men. The boat carrie!
provisions, and the detail is under th'
direction of DR.. Camp. of Brainerd, al
old Indian fighter. The troops hav'
had nothing to eat since yesterday noon
and every man in town slept all nigh
with a Winchester across bis arm
There Is going to be an Indian exodus
sure. Lieutenant Humphrey is count
ing the minutes, until reinforcement
arrive. have been to the agency Oh
the way back here, and the Indian
there swear they are friendly.
coRBlE HASN'T HEARD.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6.-The War DE
pavtment, up TO Ii o'clock, had receives
no dispatches bsaring On the Indial
outbreak. Charges Of mismanagemen
made by the Minneapolis journal dis
patch, we're shown Adjatant Genera
CorbIn, who said: ut is the habit t
criticiss the management Of militar
affairs now. He expressed doub
that there had been serious loss Of life
CAUSE OF TROUBLE.
WAsHENeroN, Oct. g.. -Commissione
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