The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1902-08-29

HS
vas uncalled for. The shots that had
OF new arrivals from St. Peter under
command of Capt. Boardman. and con-
fdence was then rendered doubly
strong.
Only two people were killed within
the barricades during the first attack.
n Of these being a girl Of fourteen
years, who out Of curiosity had ven
, tured from the Erd residence to wit
ness the combat. The wounded h a
had been brought into town were cared
for by DR.. Weshcke, the Dakota house
teinE used for a hospital. Wednesday
morning another company in command
Of Capt. Flandau arrived from st.
Peter and Le Sueur and also a company
' of volunteers from Mankato under
Capt. Bierbauer. The sheriff intrusted
command of the forces of Capt. Dodd
of st. Peter, but the ST. Peter folks OBJ
jected, claiming that he was too care
less with the life of men. Accordingly
a meeting was held in which Flandrau
was selected as commander, with Dodd
as provost marshal and Bell as deputy.
A regular military organization was
fC'med and martial law proclaimed.
People arrived during the day who In
their Gag erness to fight Indians had for
gotten their shoes, while others who
had no opportunity to ride had walked
! at least thirty miles. Moccasins Were
given to those in need of footwear, and
the rest were as we'll supplied with am
munition as a confscatiOn of the pow
der anG lead in the stores would permit.
! In short, the life where the individual
ceases, AMI where the public comes
first, had commenced. The whole town
was turned into a quartermaster s
store or garrison and everything was
utilized for the benefit of the public n
the paramount cause. Barbados were
improved to better resist a renewed az
tack and expeditions secured the u
try to protect settlers and gain in
formation.
While everything was quiet at New
Uim on Wednesday, it was not so at
Fort Ridgely. Little Crow saw the ad-
vantage Of more ammunition n a few
field pieces in mis- operations Down the
valley, and by capturing Fort Ridgely
these could surely be obtained. He
knew that one company had left the
Fcrt on the previous Sunday. and he
way dlSo aware u the ueSl Sdoc III VAC
force that held the citadel by the mas
sacre Of Capt. Marsh's gallant band on
the 18th pear the lower agency.
These facts encouraged Little Crow
to attack the fort. This he did on two
occasions, first on Wednesday,, Aug. 20.
and ag ain IN Friday. Aug. %. Both at
J tacks were repulsed, with but small loss
/ to either side. The attack on Friday
was the more formidable and protrac.ed
Of the two, and the Indians were only
beaten Off by the gallantry Of Lieut.. I.
j. Sheehaa 4, the commander, and the
brave defenders under him, and espe-
cially by the we'll served artillery in
general charge of Sergt. John Jones.
Thereafter, for some days. the fort was
virtually In a state of siege or invest
ment. The place was crowded with
refugees-men, women n children
from the m~assacres, and many Of them
were wounded. Water and provisions
became very scarce, and the situation
was perilous in the extreme. The fort
was finally relieved on Wednesday,
Aug. q, by the advance guard Of Gen.
S:bley's little army under Col. Sam
McPhail.
Fire and PilIags.
But tn. worst was yet to come. Sat
urGay morning clouds Of smoke could
be noticed rising from h farming
community around New Ulm, n 1t
was quit evident to the eager citizens
hat the Indians were advancing in full
force. During the night previous about
twenty men had started for st. Peter
and in the morning seventy more left,
under command Of Lieut.. Huey. They
met another company under Capt. Cox,
hut the Indians cut off the return OF
both, and only a few managed to reach
the besieged city. At noon a man on
Erd's house cried out that the Indians
were at hand. The forces remaining
in the town were Immediately called to
arms and skirmish lines were formed,
which fell back toward the center of
the city. The firing OF both sides was
.r~cessant: continuing ever into the
r:cades with the exception Of Wedden-
oorf's brick house were all burned eth
> er by the Indians or by the defense n
order to rob their enemies Of every ad-
vantage. The fight on the part Of those
within the barbados was courageous.
They had everything to fear.
nothing to hope for. Still they
adhered to their duty to the
last, unflinching in spite OF the odds
aeairs st them. The women huddled to-
gether in the cellars, and in Erd's build
ing they had a barrel of gun powder
ready to ignite in case the Indians
should be victorious.
, Only eight men were killed the first
day of the fight. About sixty were
wounded, some of whom died soon.
Sunday morning the fight was re-
ncwed, but the defenders had fixed up
seine stovepipe to resemble artillery.
and, deceived by this, the Indians soon
d.srersei. Toward noon Cox arrived
with $50 men and orders to e~vacuate the
town.
Monday morning 1873 wagon loads Of
wounded men and wornen and children
left their homes, and, guarded by $50
citizen soldiers, wended their way down
the valley to st. Peter and Mankato.
Stringing along for a distance of two
miles, 1t was perhaps the most graphic
and lamentable exhibition that ever