New Ulm review., 1912-09-11

I. BY this you win have IN idea sot
how our town Il. Now Or, IN about
'|2 days our breastwork u ready and
We viii hold It: and IN y about " 4
weeks, our Quarters (of brick) are
ready, and II you will be pleased to
send US between this time, 200 stand
Of arms and ammunition and one or
two cannons, we will hold 1t with one
company sent for our help, from any
quarter, against al the Indians and
the devil. s.
Beef and pork, potatoes, wheat. rye
and oats, We will have enough; hay
we will make; the balance we need.
Whiskey no account; but in the next
days we will have some beer. home
made. and We will drink It, II the
Indians don't do it, but be sure, our
boys win hght for 1t to the last drop.
There are 80 many stories taken on
the way to st. Paul. but most of
them are nonsense. Tell the people
down there. as long as New Ulm AZ
It is, stands. and as long as am here,
they don't need to run: because as
long as we, hold this place, the In
dians wouldn't come down there. and
we will stay here as long as there
are Indians alive to fight and as long
as We are alive to defend. The In
dians could not drive us out: and II
they come again with all their power,
they cannot do 1t. They are all
towards and run away and all our
men are coming back, that is the diff.
ference. But press the legislature
that we get what We need or this
winter will freeze US to death. Most
Of us have no bed" -... ...,. ~ !.
The document in my possession is
unsigned, but in the handwriting of
my father. and is evidently the draft
Of the letter which was sent to the
governor At the time. It furnishes
suhdcient information on the condi-
tons however, for some of the sur
,vivors Of those days, to corroborate
the conditions. :; s@-s. q.
Other letters were written In Janu-
ary and February, 1863. in regard to
the further protection Of New Ulm Of
which the following is one. .,.
New Ulm, January 6, 1863.
To his Excellency H. H. Sibley,
Brigadier General and Commander
of the District of Minnesota.
Dear Sir, ......... ... |
. Please be kind enough to take this
letter into consideration. The Citi-
zens of New Ulm will present to you
an application for two cannons and |
for them. !
On the 18th day of November, 1862,
I wrote letter to Hon. Cyrus Al
drich, M, c., requesting him to pro-
cure, If possible, from the Secretary
Of War, two cannons and ammunition |
for them, for the defense of New Ulm.
On the 4th Of January, 1863. his re-
ply was received by me. He was in: I
formed by the Secretary of War, the
proper way to obtain cannons, etc..
would be to make application for them
to the then Commander Of those dis
tricts In which we reside, 80 in this
case, to you, and as soon as you would
make a requisition for cannon, arms,
etc., for US they would be forwarded.
Now sir, New Ulm is one the most
frontier Towns, which has
lost many Of Its citizens by the late
indian raid, but q greater part by en-
listments in the Volunteer force OF
the United States. i
The men who are left, chose to
stay and defend this Town and forti
fy the balance of it with IL log houses
and wall and ditch around 1t.
They are also In process of procur.
ing so McHenry rifles at their own
expense.
Blocks, forming the present town,
the hill in the rear Of the
Post Ofice, fortified with II log
houses and a wall and ditch, entire
about 5000 feet; two
cannons posted on the corner Of the
hill, command the whole plateau and
the Town; so McHenry rifles distri-
buted accordingly make it strong
hold against any Indian attack. Be-