Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1921-05-12
Michael Emmett Urell

~ y d -li --.i3
Again il is the sad duty Of the
Pioneer to chronicle the
passing Of . pioneer Of the Dakotaa
This community was. shocked wha,
the news was spread from lip TO lip
Monday morning of the death ef
Michael En,met Urell, which occur.
red at the bone Of bis son.. M. D.
.Urell, at $3.50 a. N Monday. May
9th. Mr.. Ursll had been suffering
fron, ills due to his advanced aes
for several ssals hut on: sunday
said, that he had never ielt better Ia
his life. He retired in hia usual
good spirits and It was not until
nearly 8 O'Clock the next morn;ng
that Ills family was awakened sby
the fatal attack 81 heart trouble
thatbroua 1T death In ! few minptess
Michael Emmett Urell was born
Dec. sth. ls45- in County Kerry,
Ireland, his parents being Irish.
At the sse Of 4 he was brought to
New York City and while sill very
young enlisted In the 10th. U. 81
Regular Infantry and saw service
durina the Civil War. A cousin, J.
Emmett Urell. who was at one time
Commander in Chief Of the G. A:
R. and Chief Clerk Of the War d.
partment il Washington, D. c
wished to place him III. school but
his adventurous spirit led him to
enlist under the name Of Charles
Welch. Welch was his mother i
name and he was known as such
all over the West for many years;
At the close Of the war be was
sent to Fort Smith, Ark. where he
served bis country we'll In suppres-.
sing the guerrilla warfa ses that har.'
rassed that country for ''seyeral years.
lHs passed through ones Of the. J ~ ~.
crest yellow tevsf epiil lsmics that
1.-THE southwest evsr::@ssw snd in il
Iaeerly all oi M nasn IA is 81 81 his pomps
any died he. was then sent north
as.s Sergeant il Co. Z. 18th. Infan.
sry and was statioDsd al. Fort Ben
net, 8. D. where de was promoted
ito First Sergeant At one time dur
Ing his stay here, the post waa
about to be attacked by Sioux lndi.
ans and the soldiers threw up a
line Of entrenchments ardhnd the
fort. A missionery was killed . few
miles north Of the Cheyenne Agen-
lcy, which adjoined the post. and q
party brought the body down and
thailed the post asking for n escort.
Sergeant Welch volunteered To- 20
out to meet them and brought them
through the lines. This was an ex-
ceptionally darins. undertaking as
the enemy was "a suspected of sttemp-
ting to draw the soldiers into am.
tbush. .ls3
His company was moved mp riv-
or to Fort Yates and in 1877 Invent
10 Fort Pembina whore be was hon
orably discharged ia 1882. He re-
turned TO Fort Y Yates as civilian em.
| ployee Of the government and resid-
ed here until I l9O5i when he moved
his family to his ranch . miles
vest 81 Shields. During the last few
ysars of hisslifs III and Mrs. Urell
lhavss nade their home With their
daushter. Mls. Burt Ladus ct Car,
con, n. ,. and Nj. UreR served as
: deputy sheriif 81 Grant County,
being his lasts oflioisl| work ior his
country. '.s3G 3i.
Environmsnt = largely the MAX
ing ofsa man and Sergeant urell
measured Up pin foil = the require.
msnts q his vironm6nt. II took
{ man 81 great personally 70 han.
die ssoompany ofs soldisrs and In
dian 6shtersa q the earl u days, and
ons who has known NJ. u1ell could
e. that ,he vas equal sto the any 90
ossion. He knew no fear and prov.
Ia "a 4 ". = aN. q ss. - - !