The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1931-10-01


Leaf Mountains they halted to rest
their animals, Kent took their trail
which was easily followed in the
wet grass and went back for as far
as he thought about mile where
h sat down by a stone in the bright
moonlight and dropped asleep. He
told me later that he had vivid
dream in which his mother appear
ed and warned him of approaching
danger, and being thoroughly
aroused by his dream he FASTENED
back to his man when they resum-
ed thir journey for Fort Ripley. The
next morning they met a French
Catholic priest and party enroute
from st. Paul to Fort Garry. This
party was following trail that
crossed the Mississippi River at
Fort Ripley, and from them Kent
learned of the extent of the Sioux
outbreak. He crossed the River at
Fort Ripley and arrived at st. Cloud
the same day, other riders taking
the message for aid to st. Paul. On
q later trip to Fort Garry Kent was
informed that soon after he passed
the priest and his party a war party
of--Sioux hot on Kent's trail met
them when the priest persuaded the
Indians to turn about by telling
them that Kent was then so far
ahead that he would arrive at Fort
Ripley before they could overtake
him.
A relief force of about five hum
dred was raised for Abercrombie
and DR.. Palmer who was then a
practicing physician at st. Cloud
was one of the volunteers in that
force and an active participant of
events during the Indian war.
After their defeat by Gen. Sibley
at the battle of Wood Lake in Sept.
1862, the Indians kept: out numer-
Gus war parties along the frontier,
and in the winter of 1862 and spring
of 63, line of stockades was con-
structed from Fort Ridgley to Fort
Abercrombie. The stockades were
located at Prestin Lake, Pipe Lake,
Long Lake, Mannannah, PayneS
vile, Alexandria, Pomme De Terre.
The stockade at Sank Centre was
the largest and stronger than any
of the posts between Fort Ridgley
and Abercrombie. This stockade
was constructed of logs set two or
three feet in the ground and being
about sixteen feet above ground,
with two hewed log bastions at the
northwest and southeast corners OF
the stockade, with capacity for
twenty men in each bastion, also
building inside the stockade for
two hundred men, log hospital, log
officers quarters, quartermasters
storehouse and stabling for two
hundred horses and mules. DR.. 3.
r. Palmer was appointed assistant
surgeon and First Lieut.. U. s. Army
and was on duty at Sank Centre for
over three years, treating the sick
from-the 9Th and 9th Regiments OF
Infantry, LIST Regiment of Cavalry
Matches Battalion of Cavalry and
the End Regiment of Cavalry who
were stationed at Sank Centre at
different periods or brought in from
other posts to the hospital there.
He was the most popular officer at
the Post.
I remember the friendly welcome
i received that cold, December
night in 1864 when I arrived at
Sank Centre following my ride
from Fort Ridgley where Twas left
in the hospital at the time my COM
pany marched to Sank Centre. And
DR.. Palmer's hospitality was en-
joyed by all the officers at the post,
and also by many visitors who were
always welcome at his f1reside after
their long stage ride, SaukCe ntre
being the night stop over for the
stages for many years. II
There were three killed in this vi
cinity during the Indian war, Van
Eaton, Captain Hoffman, and John
Strong, of Company G, 9th Mime
sofa, and with many of those who
died here at the stockade hospital
in 1863-64 and IS now rest in this
cemetery together with DR.. Palmer
who so ably treated them. Later,
when the G.. A. r. organized a post
here, it was honored by his name,
and this ground is honored with the
ashes of one who devoted many
years of his life to the service OF
those who mourned his departure,
and whose descendants meet here
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