The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-08-31
By Hon. Daniel w. Lawler ON the
Anniversary of the Battle of
Fort Ridgely.
The Gallant Youth, Born Within the
Sound of Shandon Bells, is
Lieut.. Sheehan.
Spotless Uniform of the Army of
United States Never Worn Over
Truer Heart.

The following eloquent address wa,
delivered by Hon. Daniel w. Lawler
of st. Paul. Minn.. at the Anniversary
Exercises held at Fort Ridgely. Mimi.
on August ~. 1912:-
Ladies' and Gentlemen:
Fifty years ago last Sunday even.% \
ing n detachment OF soldiers in the
uniform Of the Union Army. some fif.
ty In number. had just completed their
this state. The bivouac was grate-
ful to the tired and hungry soldiers,
because on that day they had march,
ed twenty-five miles under burning
August sun. Their dreams Of rspose
were rudely shattered when into camp
q messenger dashed bearing the fol-
lowing message:
Headquarters, Fort Ridgely, Aug.
is. 1S62.-Lieutenant Sheehan:---It is
absolutely necessary that you should
return with your command Immediate
ly to this post. The Indians are rais-
ing hell at the Lower Agency. Return
as soon AZ possible. John S. Marsh,
Captain Commanding Post"
The camp was struck and the SOL
diers marched to the West. Footsore
and fatigued through all that Sleep
less night they followed their young
nd So lof d =,
ly on the day before in apparent peace
and security. The threatened upris-
ing had not taken place. the savage
was apparently appeased, the border
seemed secure. But in the intervening
time Marsh and twenty-three of his
men had gone to their death in the
deadly ambush at Redwood Ferry and
the unspeakable horror of an Indian
war. with all It's nameless dread had
burst upon the Minnesota border. FIJI
ty years ago last Monday morning,
within the square Of this fort. unpro.
tected by wall or palisade were crowd
ed panic stricken settlers with wives
and children. defended by twenty nine
men with muskets commanded by a
lieutenant nineteen years Of age. The
language Of Captain Marsh In his mes-
sage was not coarse or profane. There
tongue of ours to tell the story except
the words which were used by the
gallant soldier who was stiff in death
almost before the ink was dry that
wrote them. Mad with the taste Of
blood and slaughter the Indians moved
against this place of refuge. From the
highest building through the telescope
the watchers saw the enemy gather TO
the west Little Crow himself was in
command of six hundred warriors.
Who can paint the horror Of that hour
and what tongue can tell the thank
fulness to God that filled the hearts
OF the besieged when in the east they
heard the cheers of Sheehan's gallant
band that told that help had come and
Sheehan was in command?
1t is not for me to attempt to trace
In detail the career of the gallant SOL
dier whose name belongs to Minneso-
ta and the nation. That task would
take n volume. But In all the story
OF war / find no stranger, brighter or
more fascinating scene than this. The
fables of the Heroic Age and the sto-
ries of Chivalry have no brighter tale
than the career of this gentle and
heroic spirit. He was then STRIPPING
youth. But a few years before he had
listened to the Bells of Shandon and
wandered by the pleasant waters of the
River Lee. And now by the inscrut-
able DEGREES Of fate in this far of
western land, beside another river,
whose waters ran red with blood, he
heard the war cry Of the red man and
the wall of the widow and the orphan.
The spotless uniform of the army Of
the United States was never worn
above a truer heart than that Of Tim.
othy ]. Sheehan. when on that far OF
August day. fifty years ago, he took
this place Of danger and Of trust. You
know the rest. Reinforced by the,
Renvile Rangers and by the citizen
!! defenders under the Leadership of
Hon. B. H. Randall. who honors III