The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-08-31

I howitzers, one six FOUNDER field piese
| and one twenty-four FOUNDER gun.
There were at that time about 300
| non-combatant refugees at the fort, all
barracks.
Lieutenant Tim sheehan was in COM
charge of the artillery.
: On the afternoon of August 20, Indians
in large numbers began to appear. Little
Crow in person appeared just outside
of gun shot range to the west of the fort,
to divert attention from the main body
of the Indians. who were approaching
by the way of the long ravine to the
east. But their approach was discovered
by the pickets and skirmishing begun
Lieutenant Sheehan formed his men
on the west side of the square facing
east, and the Indians with over-confi-
dence came out on the open ground not
far from where we now are, and at
tackled with vicious volley of musket-
, ry and gained possession of some of the
most easterly buildings.
Both the artillery and a detachment of
Company under Lieutenant Gere,
whirled, on the enemy, and a detach-
ment of Company C moved on the run
around the north end of the barracks
and poured hot fire at short range in
to the Indians. Sergeant McGrew, in
charge of one of the howitzers, with
his second shot exploded shell in the
vrey thickest of the Indians, and after
few more shots, with the aid of the
from the buildings and forced back into
the ravine.
About this time Little Grow, with his
force west of the fort. made an attack,
but Sergeant Jones with his six pound
er, taking very perilous position, soon
drove him to cover.
Then the Indians seemed to deploy
and surrounded the fort on all sides,
and continuous battle was kept up for
at least five hours, the little band of
defenders holding their ground, and
keeping their positions long after dark,
after the Indians had fallen back, de-
feated and disappointed.
1t rained the latter part Of that night
and nearly all of the following day.
the 21st.
Little Crow could not endure defeat,
and on Friday, the 22d, with a much
larger force, tried it again.
They surrounded the fort, and witt
demoniac yells and screeches, they pour
ed merciless volley of musketry into
ers met the attack with both cannon and
muSketry, with splendid effect.
But the Indians, somewhat concentrat-
ing their forces on the southwest, and
tured all of the animals belonging to
the fort, and literally riddled the other
buildings with their bullets.
During this time a large body of In
the northeast. hoping to find weak
opening on that side, but Whipple with
his howitzer, and Gore with his infan-
try, stood like granite wall absolutely
invincible; and McGrew with superhu-
man courage ran his howitzer to the very
edge of the ravine, and with few shots
swept every Indian from their position.
Then the Indians began to congregate
on the southwest side of the fort, and
here the twenty-four- FOUNDER got in it's
work. McGrew in charge, after firing
one shot, dropped his second shell right
into the main body of the Indians, and
a great stampede resulted. The two
bodies of Indians had not fully united,
shells prevented their union.
AT this moment Sergeant Jones w
his six-pounder double charged with
canister, by depressing his gun, fired
down one of the ravines close to the
ground, and killed and wounded seven
teen of the Indians which were reserved
for the final assault.
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