The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-17
New Nlm to Commemorate
the sioux Upnising

souri, had stirred UP the revolt and sup
piled the Indians with guns and am
munition. l confess I was astonished
when saw the bullets, as I knew the
Indians had no such arms, but I soon
decided they were using against us
the arms and ammunition they had
taken from the dead soldiers of Capt.
Marsh's company. do not baieye
the Confederates had any0land in the
revolt of these Indians.
I'VE held several other outposts, be-
ing brick buildings outside of the bar
r1cades, which we loopholed and found
very effective in holding the Indians
aloOf. The battle ragged generally all
around the town, every man doing his
best in his own way. 1t was a very
interesting fight on account of the
stake we were contending for. We had
in the place about twelve or fifteen
hundred women and children, the lives
OF whom, and of ourselves, depended
upon the victory perching on our ban
ner, for in fight like this, no quar-
ter is ever asked or given. The des-
peration with which the conflict was
conducted can be judged from the fact
that lost sixty men in the first hour
and a half, ten killed and fifty wound
ed, out of less than ESQ, as my force
had depleted by the number of about
-seyenty-five by Lieut.. Huey taking
that number to guard the approach to
the ferry. Crossing to the other side
of the river he was cut off and forced
to retreat towards st. Peter.
Mistake of Judgment.
TT was simply a mistake Of judy
ment to put the river between himself
and the main force, but in his retreat
ne met Capt. f. st. Julian Cox with
reinforcements for New Ulm, joined
them and returned the next day. He
was brave and willing officer.
The company | mentioned as hav-
ing arrived from South Bend having
heard the Winnebagoes had joined in
the outbreak left US before the final
attack on Saturday, Aug. %, claiming
that their presence at home was neces-
sary to protect their families, and on
the morning of the 23rd, when the
enemy was in sight, a wagon load Of
others left US and went down the river.
doubt II We could have mustered over
z00 guns at any time during the fight
The enemy, seeing his advantage in
firing the buildings in the lower part
OF the main street, and thus gradually
nearing our barbados with the inten-
tlon or burning US out, kept up his
work as continuously as he could with
the Interruptions we made for him by
occasionally driving him out; but his
approach was constant and about 2
o'clock roaring conf1agration was
raging on both sides of the street, and
the prospect looked discouraging. At
| this Juncture Asa White, an old
! frontiersman, connected with the Win
nebagoes, whom I had known for a
long time and whose judgment and ex-
perience I valued and appreciated.
came to me and said: Judge. if this
| goes on, the Indians will bag us in
| about two hours I said: Tt looks
that way; what remedy have you to
| suggest His answer was: We must
make for the cottonwood timber Two
miles and half away between us and
the timber referred to, which, of course,
rendered his suggestion utterly i'm
| practicable with 1000 non-combatants
TO move, and | said: White, they
| would slaughter US like sheep should
| we undertake such a movement. Our
| strongest hold is in this town. and If
! you will get together fifty volunteers.
! L Will drive the Indians out of the low
| er town and the greatest danger will
| be passed.
Sailed Out Shouting.
He saw at once the propriety of my
| proposition, and in a short time we
mad squad ready, and sailed out.
cheering and yelling in manner that
I would have done credit to the widest
| .ComancheS. We knew the Indians
! were congregated in force down the
| street, and expected to find them in
| a Sunken road, about three blocks from
where we started, but they had work.
| ed their way up much nearer to us.
! and were in a deep sWale about a block
and half from our barbados. There
was large number of them, estimated
at about 70 to loo, some on ponies and
] some on foot. When the formation Of
the ground disclosed their where
! abouts, we were within 100 feet of
| them. They opened a fire on US, which
we returned While keeping up our
rush1ng advance. When we were with
IN fifty feet of them, they turned and
| NED down the street. We followed
| them for at least half a mile, firing az
Well as we could. This took us beyond
the burning houses, and finding a
large collection of saw-Iogs, I called
a malt and we took cover among them.
lying fat on the ground.
The Indians stopped when we ceased
TO chase them, and took cover behind
| anything that afforded protection. and
Kept up an incessant fire upon us
whenever head or hand showed itself
above the logs. We held them, how
ever In this position, and prevented
| their return toward the town by way
of the street.
at once sent a party back with in :
structlon to burn every building, fence.
stack or other object that would afford
cover between US and barricades. This
order was strictly carried out and by
or o'clock there was not a struc-
ture- outside Of the barbados in that
part of the town.
The Victory Won.
I'VE then abandoned our saw-logs and
returned 10 the town, and the day was
won, the Indians not daring to charge
US over an open country. I lost four
! men killed in this exploit one of whom
was especially to be regretted speak
| or Newell Houghton. In ordinary war
fare all men stand for the same value
as a general thing, but in an Indian
| nghf man of cool head, an exception
ally fine shot and armed with a reliable
rifle is loss doubly to be regretted.
! Houghton was famous as being the
best shot and deer hunter in all the
Northwest, and had with him his
| choice rife. He had built a small
| Stea mboat with the proceeds of his
gun, and we all held him in high re-
spect as a fine type of frontiersman.
His Body Found.
I'VE had hardly got back to the town
before man brought me a rifle which
he had found on the ground near a
cl1mp of brush, and handing it to me
said, Some Indian lost a good gun in
the-t rum 1t happened that White was
with me and saw the gun. He recog-
nized it in an instant, and said, New
ell Houghton is dead. He never lei
that gun out of his hands while he
could hold it. We looked where the
gun was picked up, and found Hough-
ton dead in the brush. He had been
scalped by some Indian who had seen
him fall, and had sneaked back and
scalped him.
That night we dug a system of rife
pits all along the barricades on the
outside. and manned them with three