Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1901-12-13
DEATH OF COL. PATTEE.
A Famous Character and Good Soldier
Gone His Reward. r,

Des Moines Register: He died with.
out dollar, and without relative
present" says Commandsnt W. v
Lucas. of the soldiers home at Hot
Springs, 8. D., telling Maj. W. H.
Fleming, of the governors Office, in a
letter, about the death of former State
Auditor of Iowa John Pattee. who
passed away at the home November 80.
His daughter, who lives in New York,
could not cOme, to see hiM, and his
present wife and be separated soon
after their marriage, = few years ago.
So he was a lonely and disconsolate old
man, s0ured A. the world and about all
the pe0plefin 1t.
The above notice appeared in the
Sioux City Journal last week. His
death was not unexpected by the writ.
er who had watched his gradual de.
cline and failing physical strength for
nearly three years while in command
Of the Home
Col. Pattee was famous on the Mis-.
souri river in early days, having com.
manded the troops at Fort Randall,
Fort su!ly and Fort Rice. and while in
command at the latter place fought
several battles with the Indians. He
was strict disciplinarian and terror
to thieves. and managed to keep him
self in hot water all the time. Many
army plunderers were exposed by him
and some Of them put up s scheme to
kill him in Sioux City: During his
command at Fort Randall. Gen. Marcy
Of Gen. Mcclellan, was
sent all the way from Washington to
q report which his enemies
had circulated. A rumor reached
Washington that Col Pattee was in
favor Of ktdnsping Gen. Mcclellan
and suryndering him to the hostile In.
dams. Of course there was nothing in
it, but it was hoped by his enemies
that it might cause his removal to some
other part of the country. He had
many bitter disputes with Capt. J.. B.
8. Todd of the 9th U. s. Infantry,
stationed at Fort Randall when Col.
Pat,ee arrived there. He was the rank.
Ing officer but Todd and his friends pre-.
ferred charges against him which pre-.
vented his taking command for . long
time, as communication with Wash
ington required weeks. Pattee won
out and Todd Afterwards become
General and after the war
settled in Yankton whore he died in
The early 70's.
Col. Psttee was brevsted . Brigadier
General at the close Of the waf, and re.
naiued on the frontier among the In
1ians until the frontier was wiped ont
BY the tidal wave Of civilization ad.
7ancing from tho east and the west.
He often talked with the writer
lbout his career and the misfortunes
which befell him He was very bitter
towards the pension department for .
'efusal to increase his pension above
I12 per month, when he knew of many |
men drawing pensions who had seen
10 service and some had never left
,ome and others had enlisted after Leo
lad surrendered. He often told the |
writer that he hoped he would live
ong enough to get justice. but We fear
10 didn't. His life was stormy one and
ull Of dissppointments. and largely
trough his own determination 10 have
lis own way regardless Of conseq uences.
If we are not mistaken he was .
Of Gov. Kirkwood Of
iowa. He had influential friends in
lis younger days and was State Audi.
or of Iowa before the war.
While at the Soldiers Homo he was
.lways doing something to earn . dol.
ar, and often said he would rather |
@e working. out than rusting out.
hough we often wondered how the
;body could keep place with