The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-07-31
life and we had ample time to devote to


pleasure and amusement.
We secured long fishing net OF sein
from some one on the Blue Earth ant
spent the time fishing and hunting, ire
quently organizing picnic parties to thu
lakes to the south of Farimont, ant
spent the entire day in fishing and sports
Al one hauling of our seine in Mall LAKE
on one occasion, we brought in three hun
bred fish, pickerel, bass, perch, croppies
slmfsh, etc. At one time in the spring
we made crude fish trap by driving
large stakes into the creek between Lake
Sisseton and Lake George, and after 6
! short absence we returned, to find oul
trap full of fish, containing several bar
rels, while we ran for help TO secure oul
fish, our trap burst and the fish escaped
| We had a few good musicians in oul
company, and some quite good violinists
and we determined to have celebration
on July 4th, and a dance in the evening
We invited our friends and relatives
along the line, from Blue Earth City tC
st. Peter, and | guess that about every
one came. Our barracks, which we sur
rendered to the ladies, were filled to
overlooking. We soldiers slept upon the
stable roofs, the ground, in our boats
everywhere and anywhere, and because OF
the mosquitoes, the most of us, nowhere
/; The platoon from Chanyaska came over
and we had royal time, rounded oNt
with an all night dance.
| The day before the 4th six of us went
out on Sisseton and George lakes with
our three boats, and killed thirty six
Il IS I'll.
in abundance, our cooks took them with
wiling hands, and on the fourth our
meals We're mostly fish and goose, goose
and fish, boiled, fried, baked, stewed,
broiled, and raw; but our guests very
much enjoyed their entertainment, and
particularly their meals.
The unusual movement of the Indians
and troops on the western plains that
summer seemed to disturb and break up
the usually large herds of buffaloes which
roamed there, into smaller herds, which
wandered in many directions. On two
occasions in the early morning. our pick
cts discovered buffaloes across Sisseton
lake to the west of us. On one occasion
two, and ON another three.
We Immediately organized hunting
parties and succeeded in killing all of
them, enjoying the novelty of buffalo
steak very much. We had one horse
which belonged to one of our officers, and
at one, of these times there was ped
der at our fort who drove an old and
somewhat chippled horse. These horses
were both taken by the soldiers on the
buffalo hunt. The man riding the ped
dler's horse approached quite near a
buffalo after we had surrounded him, and
fired, wounding the buffalo, which quick
ly lowered his head and charged directly
at him, and it was with the greatest eff
fort that this man succeeded in getting
the machinery of that horse in motion
quick enough to escape being caught;
both man and horse then and there re-
tired from the field
We succeeded, at both of our forts, in
catching alive, foxes, prairie chickens,
quails cranes, geese, and an endless
variety of ducks, making really an in
teresting collection, which we kept in
cages and pens, cared for and fed, until
we turned them over to our successors.
We also had tame hawk at each fort,
wings entirely uncut, at liberty to go
and come as they would, but they were
the most tame of any of our collection.
Many times when the bugle call for
meals was sounded, these hawks could
be seen coming from far away, they
would sit upon the wall of the fort and
wait to be served with their ration of
fresh meat.
We discovered, as we thought, an
eagles nest containing young upon a far
reaching branch of a very large oak
tree on the northeasterly shore of Lake
George. One of our number, at great
to blanket held below, two of the
young, which we carefully fed and cared
for, for considerable time, when to
our utter disgust, we learned that they
were buzzards.
At our fort at Fairmont we learned a
lesson in order and method, which l
think none of us have ever quite for
gotten. One dark night otter midnight
the drum sounded the long roll, which
means IAN attack, get into line quick"
Things had been going smoothly, and we
had gotten extremely careless in the To-
cation of our clothing on retiring to bed,
and such confusion as this call caused,
can hardly be imagined. l jumped from
the upper bunk which 1 had occupied,
and fell straddle of the neck of the oc-
cupant of the lower bunk, who was try
ing to get on one of my shoes, the other
one / could not find. In fifteen minutes
from the first tap of the drum we were
in line, some without shoes, some without
hats, several without guns, nearly all in
a partial state of undress, only to re-
ceive round and well deserving scolding
from the captain for our utter disorder,
he very properly suggested that If we had
been attacked by the Indians, we would
all have been murdered before we could
get into line of battle. The two first
men to get into line were given six
days furlough. After two more similar
experiments, we could, in utter darkness,
get into line of battle, fully equipped to
march or fight, in three minutes from the
first tap of the drum. l am still in
clined to practice the lesson then learn
ed.
Our entire summer spent at Falrmont
was happy one, and was almost entire
ly unmarried by anything unpleasant.
But on one occasion an Incident occur
red which resulted, as sometimes hap
pens, in visiting the sins of the wicked
upon the heads of the innocent.
A peddler came to our fort ana brought
kegs of both whisky and beer, and placed
his wagon close along side of our fort,
and opened up for business. Our captain
was very temperate man, and | could
never understand why he allowed him to
do so. In day or two several OF our
soldiers became intoxicated and quarrel
some. and there was much trouble in the
i. Tod