The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-08-31

teen nunQred or the picked warriors
of the Sioux nation is now a familiar
story.
An intimate and unbroken friendship
Of more than a quarter of century
with this modest and gallant man,
would warn me, If warning were need
ed, that exaggeration is not eulogy,
but depreciation. But the student of
the history of Minnesota knows that
fifty years ago the story of this COM
monwealth was illumined by the
names Of mon who in the future an
mails Of the world will occupy q COM
manding share Of the worlds atten-
ton and their country's gratitude.
This is not the place to tell Of Colonel
Sheehans services to his country on
other fields of the Indian War, on the
battlefields Of the South, or on that
bloody day at Sugar Point, when the
gallant Wilkinson went down before
the rife of the Chippewas. That sto-
monument (pointing to the monument
erected by the State Of Minneso:a)
and in the imperishable records Of this
commonwealth. From the volume Of
his life We read but a page today. a
page that can never fade and that will
grow brighter as the years roll on.
In days to come will be told to the
eager ears Of childhood and wherever
manly men shall gnther to listen to
the tales of lofty decd and high en-
deavor the great achievements of the
best and bravest Of the world-of the
midnight ride Of Paul Revere as he
bore his message fraught with the
liberty Of a people. of Sheridan's wild
rush the day he saved the honor of
his country's flag at Winchester. OF
McMahon's dash for the honor Of the
Tri-color on the burning sands Of
Africa, OF the swift advance of Scot
lands sons when to the stricken and
beleagured ones at Lucknow came
the gladstone strains of the bagpipes
of the Campbells-and Of the march
beneath the silent and unthinking
stars fifty years ago when Sheehan
and his men brought life and hope
and honor to women and to babes at
Ridgely.
The following Is description of
the monument referred to by the
speaker:
The fine, substantial monument
erected at Fort Ridgely to commem-
crate the defense Of the fort against
the Sioux Indians during the mas
sacre of 1862, Is 5211 feet in height
from its foundation, with a base of IA
feet square and composed entirely of
Minnesota granite from the Rockville
quarries near st. Cloud.
The inscriptions are on white
bronze tablets. securely fastened to
the granite dies. Upon the east side
of the main shaft above the dies. is
a life-sized bronze medallion Of Lieu
tenant T. ]. Sheehan. cast at Phila-
delphia from a photograph taken near
the time he was in command. The
monument was completed and set
during the month of September. 1895.
1t stands on the exact site Of the FOR
mer flag staff OF the fort, in the CEN
ter of the parade ground. The in
scriptions are as follows. and speaks
to the world with it's tongue Of
bronze:
I'm Memory Of the Fallen; in
Recognition of the Living; and
for the Emulation of Future Gen.
erations.
Erected A. D. 1896. by the State Of
Minnesota, to preserve the site Of
Fort Ridgely, United States MILL
tary post established in 1853 and es-
pecially to perpetuate the names and
commemorate the heroism of the SOL
diers and citizens of the state, who
successfully defended the fort during
nine days of siege and investment,
August 1927, 1862. and who gallantly
resisted two formidable and protract-
ed assaults upon it. made August 20
and %. 1862. by a vastly superior
force of Sioux Indians under COM
mand of Little Crow and other noted
Indian leaders and warriors.
august IS. 1862, the Sioux Indians
of the Upper Minnesota river. in vto-
1ation Of their treaties, broke into
open rebellion, and within a few days
thereafter massacred about one thou
sand citizens in the southwestern part
of the state, and destroyed property
of the value Of millions of dollars.
Many men. women and children fled
to Fort Ridgely and were under its
protection during the siege. The sue
cessful defense Of the fort by it's gar
rison, consisting of parts Of Compa-
nfn u