New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1902-07-23

sibley came on and on, and at last came
the battle of w ood Lake.
Planning. the Wood Lake Fight.
When we learned that Siblsy had gone
into camp at the Wood Lake, q council
Of the sub-chiefs and others was held and
it was determined to give him battle
near there. I think the lake now called
Battle Lake Was the old time Wood Lake.
AS understand II there once were some
cottcnWoods about il, and the Indians
called it .sM 'da-chan Vood Lake. The
larger lake, two miles west, now called
Wood lake, was always knovn to me BY
the Indian name of Hinta hauk-pay-an
VOL 3 meaning LITERAL y, s'the planning
place of the man who ties his moccasins
with Eastwood ban K. 2 We soon learned
that sibley had thrown up breastworks
and it was not deemed safe to attack
him at the lake. We concluded that the
fight should he about mile or more To
the northwest of the lake, on the road
EaIong which the troops would march,
This was the road leading to the upper
country and Of course Sibley would travel
it. At the point determined on we
planned to hide q large nu nber Of men
on the side of the road Near the lake,
ina ravine formed By the outlet, we were
to place another strong body. Behind
3 hill to the west were to be SONS. more
men. We thought that when Sibley
marched out along the road and when
the head Of his column had reached the
farther end of the line Of our first division,
ur4men would open fire. The men IN
the rayine would then be in the rear Of
the whites and would begin firing on that
end iof the column. The men from be-
hind the hill would rush cut and attack
the flank, and then We had horsemen far
outson the right and left who would
come UP. We expected to throw the
whole white force into confusion By the
sudden and unexpected attack and defeat
them before they could rail- J.
] think this was 4 good plan Of battle.li
Oursconcealed men would not hays been
discovered. The grass vas tall and the
FL
place BY the road and the raYine were
good hiGing places. We had learned that
sibley was not particular about sending
out scouts and examining the country be-
fore he passed il. He had number Of
mounted men, but they always rode to-:
gether, at the head Of the column, when
on@a march, and did not examine the
ground at the sides Of the road. The
night he lay at Wood lake his picketsI
awere only short distance from camp
less than half q mile. When We were
putting our men into position that night
We often saw them plainly. I worked
hard that night fixing the men. Little
Crow was on the field, too. Mankato.
was there. Indeed, all our fighting chiefs
were present and all our best fighting
Indians. We felt that this would be the
deciding fight Of the war. The whites
were unconscious. We could hear them
and singing When all our
Preparations were made Little Crow and
q and some other chiefs went to . mound
'or hill to the west 90 as to watch the
tight better when it should commence.
There were numbers u other Indians
there.
Fora8srs Fofcs Flight. .Ss
The morning came and "a accident
spoiled alIsour plans. For some reason
'sfbley did not move early . We expect
ed he would. Our men were ring hidden
waiting patiently. Some were yery near
'theScamp lines N the rayine, but the
whites did not see j man Of all our men.
4 do not think they would have dis
covered our ambuscade. 4 seemed !
consid erable time after sun up when some
tour Of five wagons with ! number Of
soldiers started out from the camp ID the
direction Of the old y elbow Medicine
agency. We learned afterwards that they
5f.s
were going without orders 70 dig potatoes
over at the agency, five miles sway. They
came on over the prairie right where part
of our Line Waa. Some of the wagons
were notsln the road, and il they had
kept straight on would hare driven right
over our men g they lay ID the grass.
At last they came 90 close that our men
had % rise up and fire. This brought
on the fight, Of course, but not accord
ing 70 the way W had planned Il. Little
Grow nav i and felt very badl
The Last :stand 20 -
Of course you know ho~ the battle