The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1930-12-17
Redwood Falls Pioneer Was
Real Genius-fOr Stirring
Things Up
@'WALKING DUEL" MADE
MINNESOTA HISTORY
Crisp Soldier Was Born Phrase
maker-Many of Offerings
Still Live
By Merle Potter.

By Merle Potter.
In Minneapolis Journal Nov. a.
Many stories are told about Colo
mel McPhail, of Redwood Falls,
enough to fill book, and most OF
them are worth reading.
He had genius for keeping things
stirred up wherever he happened to
be, and he made many classic re-
marks that deserve high place In
the annals of the state.
1t is betraying no secret that the
colonel liked his liquor something
like as often as he could get it, and
used unbridled language with consid-
cradle freedom whenever the occas-
ion demanded.
Investigated Mill
Once he was sent out to make an
investigation for the government. He
was instructed to locate certain grist
mill that seemed to have been mis-
placed. Colonel McPhail obeyed or
ders and his report was short and to
the point.
He reported that he chad found a
dam by mill site, but no mill by a
dam site" That was one of his re-
marks that has been immortalized.
At another time, during the Indian
outbreak of 1862, the colonel was CIV
EN- some raw recruits to fight the willy
Sioux, who had taken to the warpath.
After looking over the consignment
of men he remarked that "They were
too old for milk and too young for
whisky" Regardless of this, he and
his command served with distinction
during this campaign.
Was Treat of Trial
Twenty years later McPhail came
to st. Paul to testify at the trial Of
his friend, Judge E. st. Julien Cox,
a fellow soldier and man toward
whom he had a brotherly feeling be-
cause they both liked the convivial
bottle. The judge was being tried by
the senate on charges that eventual
ly led to impeachment.
One of the attorneys told Colonel
McPhail that he was crazy" I'm
ruffled, the witness came back with,
81 guess you don't know what Web
ster's dictionary says about crazy. 1t
defines the word as "a man who once
had his senses but lost them! You
don't come under that head"
They had the colonel on the stand
for most of the day, and judging by
the newspaper reports of the day, he
was a treat. He was asked to tell
about some of his connections with
Judge Cox. 1t appeared that the
judge decided certain point of law
in a manner that was pleasing to the
Colonel back in the ninth judicial dis
trict, and a battle of whisky was
brought in to mark the event.
made Bottle Do"
The colonel said it was quart bot
tie, and that there were three drink
ers, the Judge, himself and one other.
The prosecuting attorney, intending
to be invidious, asked, "Was it
enough" and the priceless answer
was, "Well, we made it do"
But the best story told about Colo
mel McPhail was his celebrated
walking duel" at Redwood Falls.
Julius Schmahl, present state treas
urer, was a witness of part of this
memorable encounter, Schmahl was
then seven years old, and with his
brother, Otto, 8, were the town herds
boys. Every morning they drove the
cows out to pasture, watched them
during the day, and brought them
back at night.
Redwood Falls at this time, which
was 1874, had population of about
200, and Colonel McPhail was its
most distinguished citizen, as was
entirely fitting, for he had built a
stockade on the site and developed
the town.
Father Slave Owner
His record was glamorous. He had
been born in Kentucky, but had NOV
ed with his parents to a plantation
south of New Orleans when he was
very young. His father was a slave
owner, and Samuel at once learned to
have a hatred for the institution of
slavery. He once said that his moth
er was a Creole. The boy was sent
north to school and finally went to
West Point. At the outbreak of the
Mexican war he went south with
Scott and Taylor and served with
credit during the campaigns against
Santa Anna. He was cited for brav-
cry and was given commission as
first lieutenant as a reward.
The Civil war found him with mix
ed sympathies, but he Joined the
Union army, but made a request of
President Lincoln that he never be
made to serve in any part of the
South where he lived. When the Sioux
went on the rampage in 1862 he serv-
ed with Pope and Sibley and was
promoted to colonelcy. The Indians
tanned, he went to MISSOURI to assist
in the final quelling of the rebellion.
So his record made him the first
citizen of Redwood Falls and all that |
part of Minnesota. At the time of |
his Iuel he was about so years old,
had long. flowing heard was