The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-03-23

tHe uoIScS lHdh oySlcH IL was II 'oo
when my company stacked arms, and at
2 D. m. | started for Lake Crystal with
forty eight mounted men. / left Lieu
tenant Roberts with the unmOunted
men and instructed him to keep on
pressing horses and send to the cOun-
try if necessary. Two days later | had
l04 mounted men, three more than
needed, so the three were transferred to
another company. Most of the company
had been recruited at Mankato. Lieu
tenant Roberts brought twenty men
all Welshmen-from lie Sueur county.
The others were raised at Garden City,
Lake Crystal, Butternut Valley near
Judson, South Bend, Eagle Lake and
Lura township.
II hired martial band and a brass
band and got James H. Baker an elo-
quent orator, to speak at the war meet
ings. He helped me in recruiting my
company. He was afterwards secretary
of state and is now known as General
]. H. Baker and lives in Mankato. The
boys who were in the brass band enlist
ed as privates.
When my company left Mankato the
people were badly scared so they asked
General Sibley to have me ordered back
to Mankato. That same night I re-
ceived orders from Sibley to fall back
to Mankato, but did not want to 60, so
| wrote a letter to the general telling
him that I considered this the better
position and that | was organizing my
command so as to guard the country
from the Minnesota river to the Iowa
line John Hubbell soon after reported
that the people feared an uprising of
the Winnebagoes. Another order came
from Sibley 70 fall back. So / wrote
a second letter that if | should fall back
the country would be unprotected and
that all the settlers will have to aban-
don their homes. Another dispatch
came from Sibley saying: Fall back to
Mankato immediately At ten o'clock
started on the march to Mankato.
The entire fat on the south side of the
river from South Bend to Mankato was
filled with droves of cattle and wagons
of the settlers hurriedly going east. l
received word from the other side of the
Agency that the settlers in and about
Winnebago city and Blue Earth city
were going east. | sent word to Sib-
ley. He wrote Il can not tell what is
best as well ase you can. After this
use your company for the protection of
the south side of the Minnesota river.
For Gods sake, send some troops across
the country and stop the stampede
"My command was soon afterward or
dered to New Tim, so a meeting was
appointed in the hall to provide for the
defense of AIankato by the organization
of company of home guards. An i'm
mense crowd filled the hall. was elect
ed chairman. First was the selection of
a captain for the company but no one
would make nomination, so | nomi-
mated William Bierbauer. Another fac
ton preferred John Meagher. They re-
fused to nominate first lieutenant, so
| nominated Mr.. Meagher. | forgot who
was elected second lieutenant but I
think it was Herbert Bruels.
''rhe company was then ordered to
fall in and | made them speech and
appointer Bierbauer provost marshal
general of the city? l instructed them
in guard duty and told them if they
needed help they should send to New
Ulm for me. There had been an old
militia company in Mankato before the
war, so the company was furnished
with the arms of this disbanded COM
pany. This was on Monday. The next
day, Tuesday, I started with my COM
pany for New Ulm. The town seemed
to be literally filled with hogs. A
wagon train had been loaded down with
provisions and goods which Colonel
Flandreau ordered to be dumped into
the street as the wagons were needed
to transport the wounded So there
was pile of sugar, soap, flour, ETC.,
in the street rooted up by the hogs.
Houses were wide open and few doors
locked.
''The Indians having fallen back we
returned in the direction of Mankato
going into camp on the Crisp farm,
fourteen miles east of New Ulm and
the same distance west of Mankato. It
was called Camp Crisp. We stayed here
till cold weather set in. Keeping watch
of the Indians. We then went to Jud-
son on the Minnesota river where we
found saw mill. The proprietor told
us to saw up logs and make winter
quarters. We built big hall which
we used for eating and drilling We
also used it for shows and for religious
meetings. Rev. Jenkin Jenkins, a
Welsh Calvinistic preacher who liv-
ed on a farm near by held services We
appropriated a vacant house for sleep
ing quarters.
'In November an order came from
the state quartermaster to give up our
horses and certify on back of the orig
inal certificate the amount of service
and damage. We stayed in our camp at
Judson till April. We were then order
ed to st. Peter and from there to
Hutchinson where we built a stockade
We were ordered from there to the
frontier in Minnesota and stationed at
Long Lake, Pipe Lake, Forest City and
Hutchinson.