Willmar tribune., 1909-08-25


made for reunion of the survivors
of the battle which was fought on
the ground hear the scene of the
massacre on Sept. 3rd following.
This reunion was promoted by
former Editor NJ. P. Satterlee of
Atwater, now of Minneapolis, who
has taken an interest in the matter.
Those present were the following
Members of Co. B, 9th Minnesota
Volunteers commanded by Capt.
Richard Strout-James Marshall,
VIM. C. Allen, Dewitt C. Handy
and Milton Stubbs; A. H. Del ong,
scout for Capt. Strout: Jesse V.
Branham and A. H. Sperry, scouts
for Capt. Whitcomb of Forest City.
The ground of the battle was gone
over and old "reminiscences ex-
changed. The following is the
story of the battle as it appears in
the Kandiyohi County History and
written by Martin E. Tew.
About the time of the Sioux
outbreak the Ninth regiment of
Minnesota Volunteer Infantry was
in process of organization, with
headquarters at Fort Smelling.
Richard Strout, a young merchant
of Minneapolis, had secured the
enlistment of number of recruits
and was made captain of Company
B. On August Oath, having been
supplied with some Belgian rifles,
a quantity of ammunition, commits
sary stores and nine teams and wa
gons, he was ordered to proceed to
Forest City via Glencoe and to
operate in that sectiop wherever
his services were needed most for
the protection of the settlers. Ar
irving at Forest City on the even
ing of the 9th, he camped there
that night; but, seeing no Indians,
returned next day to Hutchinson
and Glencoe. While at one of these
villages message from headquar-
ters reached him ordering him back
to Meeker county. He had some
apprehension that his command
might be called back to Fort Smell
ing without an opportunity Of
brushing up against the Indian
and in the hope of seeing some of
the redskins he resolved to go to
the scene of the Baker and Jones
murders in Acton township. The
we'll worn Hcnderson-Pembina trail
passed through Hutchinson and
Acton, SO he would have good
road all the way. Setting his little
column in motion he started on
September I'd and arrived that even
ing at he deserted home of the
murdered Jones, where tents were
pitched and all went into camp for
the night.
1.-The company consisted of sixty
men, nearly all of whom had been
clerks, apprentices and artisans
from the shops and Offices of the
city. All were without military
experience and as sadly deficient in
their knowledge of Indian tactics
as the captain himself. After car
ing for their horses and eating
their evening meal they sat for a
time around the camp fires, told
stories and finally crawled into their
tents and went soundly to sleep,
! WITHOUT EVEN POSTING A
GUARD-utterly oblivious tc the
fact that hundreds of dusky war.
riors were prowling around them.
The yard in which the camp was
pitched was an ideal spot for an
ambuscade, heing near the timber
with hazel brush close up to the
fence on three sides and acorn field
on the remaining side. From any
direction the enemy could approach
and almost touch the tents with
their gun barrels without them.
:: selves being seen. Fortunate il
was for these light hearted unthink.
ing city boys that shortly afte,
midnight three young frontiersme1
on tired steeds arrived at their un
guarded camp to warn them of the
death trap into which they hat
walked.
1.-The three messengers, Jess'
2 Branham, Jr., Albert Sperry ant
Thomas Holmes, after leaving
Forest City about sunset, set ou
for Strout's camp by circuitou
! route. In direct line the distance
4 was less han fifteen miles, but the.
+. Travelled at least twenty-five miles
! their purpose being to avoid con
r tact with the enemy. At first the,
: rode southwark between the presen
: sites of Litchfield and Darwin, the
: in a southwesetrly direction unit
e they struck the Henderson, -Pembin
: trail.
e Dismounting, lighting matche
E and examining the road, they coul
U see the newly made tracks of men
: horses and wagons. Mountin
I again, they turned their horses tt
+ wards the northwest and foll0we