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Thrilling ADventures of Mr. Brackett who was with Him. CAPTURE OF A SON OF LITTLE CROW. His Relation of the Particu lars of KiLling of the His Father. HOW THE SON OF LITTLE CROW WAS CAPTURED. Twelve Hundred Lodges of Indians waiting to Fight General Sibley. Particulars of Capt. Burt’s Ex pedition to Devil’s Lake. . ONE HUNDRED HEAD OF BEEF CATTLE STAMPEDED. DISPATCHES FROM MAJ. COOK. A communication from Major Coox to Colonel Murr, dated Camp Atchison, August 2d, contains the following items: WHEREABOUTS OF GEN. SIBLEY’S EXPEDI TION ON THE 22D OF JULY. I received a communication from Gen. Sibley on the night of the 28d, dated at Camp Kimball, July 22d. He was then on the Indian trail, 4 miles from the Mis souri Coteau, which he would commence crossing on the following day, and would follow the trail wherever it might lead. A DETACHMENT SENT TO CAPTURE FIFTEEN LODGES OF SIOUX. He also directed me to send a detach ment of my command to Devil’s Lake, to capture a band of fifteen lodges of Sioux, which, he had learned, were making hay somewhere on the stores of said lake. In compliance therewith, I dispatched two companies of infantry—C, of the Sev enth, and D, of the Tenth—and one com pany of Mounted Rangers, and one moun tain howitzer, under command of Capt. W. H. Bart, of company OC, Seventh Re giment, on the 24th inst. ‘THEY RETURN WITH LITTLE CROW’S SON. Captain Burt returned to camp yester day, having captured one Indian—a son of Little Crow, the only Indian that he saw. I enclose the statement of the boy. UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO FORWARD DIS PATCHES TO GEN. SIBLEY. I forwarded mails and official docu ments to Gen. Sibley yesterday morning. The messengers went out about, forty-six miles, and returned to camp this morning, having met a small band of Sioux, who prevented them from going further. One of the messengers, Alexis Montrie, a brave Red River half breed, had a talk with one of the Sioux, from whom he learned that the Indians had resolved to give General Sibley battle, and that “Standing Buffa lo” and “Sweet Corn” were not with the main body, that Gen. Sibley was near Long Lake, and that Gen. Sully’s expedi tion was also in that vicinity. HEALTH OF THE TROOPS. The general health of the troops at this poet is good. BEEF CATTLE STAMPEDED. Heapquarters Camp ATCHISON, August 7, 1863. Coroast— One hundred head of our beef cattle «were stampeded from the herd on Sunday last.’ The guard in charge of them say, by wolves, but did not report the fact until evening. I dispatched a squad of cavalry to look for them at three o'clock not having discovered even their trail. On the following morning I sent a squad of cavalry and about twenty teamsters under Captain Hart, the former taking two and the latter four days’ rations. They both returned without finding a trail of the cattle. Mr. Brackett sends Mr. Hepp and Mr. Hinamon to St. Paul, to bring up one hundred head of cattle for the expedition. Very respectfully, . M. COOK, Maj. 10th Reg't. Statement of Wo-wi-nap-a, Captured July 28---Interpreted by Joseph De marais, Jr. I am the son of Little Crow ; my name is Wo-wi-nap-a; I am 16 years old; my father had two wives before he took my mother; the first one had one son, the second one a son and daughter; the third wife was my mother. After taking my mother, he put away the first two; he had seven children by my mother, six are dead ; I am the only one living now; the fourth wife had four children living ; do not know whether any died or not; two were boys and three were girls ; the fifth wife had five children ; three of them are dead, two are living; sixth wife had three children ; all of them are dead ; the oldest was a boy, the other two were girls; the last four wives were sisters. Father went to St. Joseph last spring. When we were coming back he said he could not fight the white men, but would go below and steal horses from them and give them to his children, so that they could be comfortable, and then he would go away off. Father also told me that he was getting old, and wanted me to go with him to carry his bundles. He left his wives and other children behind. There were six teen men and one squaw in the party that went below with us. We had no horses, but walked all the way down to the set tlements. Father and I were picking red berries near Scattered Lake at the time he was shot. It was near night. He was hit the first time in the side, just above the hip. His gun and mine were lying on the ground. He took up my gun and fired it first, and then fired his own. He was shot the second time, when he was firing his own gun. The ball struck the stock of his gun, and then hit him in the side, near the shoulders. This was the shot that killed him. He told me that he was killed, and asked me for water, which I gave him. He died immediately after. When I heard the first shot fired, I laid down, and the man did not see me before father was killed. A short time before father was killed, an Indian named Hi-u-ka, who married the daughter of my father’s second wife, came to him. He had a horse with him —also a gray colored coat that he had taken from a man that he had killed to the north of where father was killed. He gave the coat to father, telling him he might need it when it rained, as he had no coat with him. Hinka said he had a horse now, and was going back to the In dian country. The Indians that went down with us separated, eight of them, and the squaw went north, the other eight went farther down I have not seen any of them since after father was killed. I took both guns and the ammunition, and started to go to Devil’s Lake, where I expected to find some of my friends. When I got to Bea ver Creek, I saw the tracks of two Indi ans, and at Standing Buffalo's village saw where the eight Indians that had gone north had crossed. I carried both guns as far as the Shey enne river, where I saw two men. I was scared and threw my gun and the am munition down. After that I travelled only in the night, and as I had no ammu nition to kill anything to eat, I had not strength enough to travel fast. I went on until I arrived near Devil’s Lake, when I staid in one place three days, being so weak and hungry that I could go no further. I had picked up a cartridge near Big Stone Lake, which I still had with me, and loaded father’s gun with it, cutting the ball into flags; with this charge I shot a wolf, ate some of it, which gave me strength to travel, and I went on up the Lake until the day I was captured, which was twenty-six days from the day my father was killed. Statement of Mr. Brackett. We left camp on the 24th at the usual time, about five o’clock a.m. The First battalion, Minnesota Mounted Rangers in the rear. Lieut. Ambrose Freeman, com pany D, said to me several times that whenever I had a chance to go to the flank, he wanted to go with me. Soon as I had my cattle started, I went to Capt. Taylor and told him if he could spare Captain Freeman, we wanted to go out on the flank a little way. I left the main column about two miles out from camp, struck off to the left, went on to a range of hills which was es timated to be about five miles from the main column. Saw three scouts out about the same distance. After getting there we struck a parallel course, and supposed we were going in the same direction as the main body. We watered our horses in a lake. Saw two other scouts on the op posite side of the lake. We then went still further on, over one range of bluffs, a, — three quarters of mile. @ followed along parallel, or, aps a little to the left of the main cay, + a lance of three miles. Lieut. Freeman saw three antelope, an old and three young ones. We fired and wounded the old one. She then made off. I had the Lieutenant’s horse, and he fol lowed her on foot, which took us off our course, some way round the bluffs. We got into a section of a by a large ake, and succeeded in killing the ante lope near the lake. As we were coming down towards the lake, and while the Lieutenant was creeping up towards the antero, saw some scouts on the opposite side of the lake, the train in sight on the side hill, several miles distant. Instead of taking our course back we had a cu riosity to go around the lake to where we saw the scouts. We saw cherry bushes newly cut and piled up. I set out to tear them down. Lieut. Freeman persisted in saying they were Indian signs and Indians were there. We cocked our rifles and made around the bushes so as not to put ourselves in a too exposed condition. We then took our course as we supposed to ward the train or where the train had Between one and two o'clock we discov ered three objects a long distance off, be tween us and the train course, and making towards the train. This actions, as soon as we came near enough, to judge, con vinced us that they were Indians. Yet we still kept towards them, and they were making preparations to meet us, one leadr ing and the other two riding their horses. We got all ready to give them a trial, they creeping around on one side of the bluff, and we went creeping around to meet them. I saw one raise. He had a straw hat on, and I re cognized him as one of our scouts. He beckoned us to come towards him. From all description that I had of him I suppose him to be ‘‘Chaska,” the other two were full-blooded Sioux. Both had Government horses, and armed, one with a Springfield rifle, the other, with a carbine. I asked him where Gen. Sibley was. They pointed to a hill, I should judge three miles distant from where we stood, in the direction where the train I saw a large number of men on a bluff, judged to be about two hundred in mam e, whom I supposed to be General Sib ley’s men, (in camp,) looking upon us. We all at once started direct for them. About the time we started we saw what we supposed to be a guard of cavalry, start toward us. After we started the scouts turned to a little lake to water their horses—ours being previously watered we did not go with them. We still saw the cavalry, (as we supposed) coming, about fifteen in number. I remarked to Lieut. Freeman, that they must have turned back, as they had dis appeared, and were out of sight. We were soon surprised by seeing fifteen In dians charging upon us with a flag of truce. As we whirled, they fired a volley upon us. I yelled to the scouts that they were Indians. “I remarked to Lieut. Freeman that we had better put for the scouts. When we got within twenty or twenty-five rods of the scouts, we were riding about three rods apart One Indian rode up to Lieut. Freeman and put an arrow through his back, on the left side, and at the same time another Indian dismounted and dis charged his gun at me. I laid low on my horse’s neck, as close as I possibly could, and “Chaska ” stepped up to the top of a knoll and fired once at the Indians who fired at me. As Lieut. Freeman dropped from his horse, I asked him if he was hurt. He replied, ‘‘ I am gone.” He wished me to cut a piece of string which was around his neck and supported a part of the An telope, which he was carrying. As I cut the string he changed his position more on his side and rested more up hill. He asked, faintly, for water. The scouts had then mounted their horses and left us. The Indians were then all around us, one at the side of the lake. As the scouts ran towards them they fell back. I then took Lieutenant Freeman’s rifle and re volver and followed the scouts. Lieut. Freeman, to all appearance, was dead. The Indian mentioned, seeing the Lieuten ant’s horse, which followed me, left us and broke for the horse. In that way it al lowed me to overtake the scouts. He succeeded in catching the horse. Then the whole crowd started after us again. We rode about four miles when we were surrounded by them, again by the side of a little marsh. We all jumped off our horses. The scouts made motions and ran up to meet them, and “Chaska” motion ed for me to jump into the tall rushes on the marsh. I saw nothing more of the scouts. The Indians all rushed down to where the horses were. I cocked my rifle and lay in the rushes within ten feet of them. They got into a wrangle about the horses. They presently started off, I suppose from fear of being overtaken by our forces, taking a course around the marsh. I lay there about an hour. By accident in putting down the hammer of my rifle, it went off. This was about 8 p. m.. There was a shower. After it cleared off I immediately started, a course with the sun at my back, and traveled two hours. I followed this direction two days, stopping in marshes during the night time. I struck a river at night of the second day. It was clear water, running in a southerly direction, and a quarter of a mile in width. Next morning I struck from there due south, and trove that day until almost night—then took a westerly course, con cluding that the trail was not in that di rection—travelled a little north of west, and struck Gen. Sibley’s trail the after noon of the third day, about twelve miles from where we camped the night before I left the main column, and made the camp that night. I started next morning for Camp Atchison, and made it in two days. Arrived here the second night between eight and nine o’clock, making the dis tance of the four camps in two days— bareheaded, barefooted, and without a coat. I was obliged to leave my rifle on the last day of my travel, not having suf ficient strength to carry it any farther. About ten miles before reaching Camp A, I sat down to rest, and had such diffi culty in getting under way again, that I determined to stop no more, feeling sure that once again down I should never be able to regain my feet unaided. I enter ed the camp near the camp fire of a de tachment of the ‘‘Pioneers,” (Capt. Chase’s Company of the Ninth Minnesota Infantry, and fell to the ground unable to raise in. But, thank God! around that fire were sitting some St. Anthony friends, among whom were Messrs. McMullen and Whittier, attached to that company, who kindly picked me up, anded me to my tent. Trust my coat, hat and knife in the fight on the first day. I took Lieut. F.’s knife and with it made moccasins of my boot-legs, my boots so chafing my feet in walking that I could not wear them. These moccasins were constantly getting out of repair, and my knife was as much needed to keep them in order for use, as to make them in the first place. But just before reaching the trail of the expedition on the fifth day, I lost Lieut. F.’s knife. This loss I felt at the time decided my fate if I had much farther to go, but kind Providence ,was in my favor, for almost the first obserk that greeted my eyes upon reaching trail was a knife, old and worn to be sure, ‘but priceless to me. This incident some may deem a mere ac cident, but let such an one be placed in my situation at that time, and he would feel with me that it was been granted by the Great Giver of goo’. On the third day about ten miles ‘from the river spoken of, I left Lieut. F.'s rifle on the rairie, becoming too week to carry it anger, besides it had already been so dam aged by rain that I could not use it. I wrote upon it that Lieut. F. had been killed, and named the course I was then pursuing. I brought the pistol into Camp Atcheson. While wandering I lived on cherries, roots, bird’s eggs, young birds, and frogs, caught by hand, all my ammunition but one cartridge having spoiled by the rain on the first day. at cartridge was one for Smith's breech loading carbine and had a gutta percha case. I had also some water proof percussion caps in my manuie. I took one half the powder in the cartridge, and a percussion cap, and with the pistol and some dry grass started a nice tre,at which I cooked a young bird, something like a loon, and about the size. This was on the second night. On the fourth I used the remainder of the cart ridge in the same way and for a like pur pose. The rest of the time I ate my food uncooked, except some hard bread (found at the fourth camp mentioned above) which had been fried and then thrown in to the ashes. I have forgotten our sweet morsel,and all were sweet and very pal atably to me), viz. some sinews by the wolves from a buffalo carcass. As near as I am able to judge I traveled in the seven days at least two hun dred miles. I had ample means for a like journey in civilized localities, but for the first time in my life, found gold and silver coin a useless thing. My boot leg moccasins saved me; for a walk of ten miles upon such a prairie, barefooted, would stop all further progress of any person accustomed to wear covering upon the feet. The exposure at night, caused, more particularly, by lying in low and wet places in order to hide myself, was more prostrating to me than scarcity of food. The loneliness of the prairies would have been terrible in itself, but for the drove of wolves that, after the first day, hovered, in the daytime, at a respectful distance, and in the night howled closely around me, seemingly sure that my failing strength would soon render me an easy prey. But a merciful Providence has spared my life, by what seems now, even to myself, almost a miracle. SKETCH OF LIEUTENANT FREEMAN. Chaplain Inman, of the Mounted Ran gers, who has been for years, quite inti mate with Lieutenant Freeman, gives the following short sketch of him: Lieutenant Ambrose Freeman was a native of Culpepper County, Virginia. About twelve years since he moved to the State of Illinois, where he resided about five years, and then moved to St. Cloud, Minnesota. His wife and five children still reside there. He bore an unblemish ed character, and was much beloved where he was best and longest known. Since the beginning of the Indian raid, last year, he has been in military life, first as a Captain in the State troops for the de fence of the frontier, and afterward as First Lieutenant of company D, First iment Minnesota Mounted Rangers. His character in civil life accompanied him in military life, and the loss of no man in the Expedition would be more generally regretted. He has borne, for years, great reputation as a hunter. Though not positively known here that Lieutenant Freeman is dead, yet all feel that he has met whatever fate may have been allotted him like a soldier, and as a man who has striven in every department of life to do his whole duty. Camp Atcusson, 105 miles Northwest or Fort ABERCROMBIE, NEAR Lake JEssIE, Daxora Terr., August 1, 1863. To the Editor of the Pioneer: CAMP ATCHESON. The command remaining here consists of the following named troops, viz.: Co. O, Lieut. White commanding (Capt. Bai ley having left at Big Stone Lake for home, sick), and Co. G, Capt. Steel, of the Sixth regiment; Oo. OC, Capt. Bart, and Oo. I, Capt. Libby, of the Seventh regi ment; Oo O, Capt. Phelps, of the Tenth regiment; Oo. E, Lieut. Gardner com manding Capt. Cox having obtained per mission to go with the main expedition as a volunteer supernumerary aid to the Brigadier General commanding), First regiment Minn. Mounted Rangers, one section of Lieut. Daniels’ Third Minnesota Battery, and invalids from every company in the brigade, making in all about 675 men, of which 250 were on the sick list. To this number should be added team sters, etc., under charge of Mr. Nelson Hart, superintendent of transportation, and for others connected with the expedi tion, about 125 persons , in all about 800 men. At this date the sick list has been reduced about one third. There were al so left here about 100 wagons, 625 mules, 800 horses, and about forty days’ rations for the whole command, besides all the ammunition not needed by the main ex pedition. More than half the animals were sick, or in need of recruiting. DEATH OF A SOLDIER. On the evening of the 21st, the body of Geo. E. Brent, Captain’s Clerk, Company D, First Regiment, Minnesota Mounted was brought back to camp from the main expedition. He was severely wounded on the evening of the 20th, by the accidental discharge of his own gun, and died about eight miles out of our camp. In the ambulance with him, was a — ee in ase — he breath ed his last. He spoke much of approach ing death, and always calmly as brave men ever do. He suffered much at times, but without a murmur of complaint. Just be fore the last struggle he threw his arms about his comrade’s neck, drew his ear down to his face, and whispered with his last strength, ‘‘tell my mother ;” but alas, the effort came too late; his lips refused their utterance, his arms relaxed their hold, and all that was left on this earth of poor Brent, was the tenement of clay which his soul no longer needed now. We buried him on the second day after with such military honors as the circustances of the case would admit, on a high knoll over-looking Lake Emily and our camp. The body was placed in a strong box so that it could be removed at any time this winter or near spring. He was a man, a soldier, and a kind and faithful friend, and all here who knew him, mourns deeply his joss CAPT. BURT'S EXPEDITION TO DEVIL’S SAKE. On the 28d ult., a message was received from Gen. 8ibley, to the effect that all was going well with the expedition, and order ing an expedition, ‘consisting of two Com panies of Infantry, one of Cavalry and a detachment of the Battery be detached from the force here and proceed to Devil’s Lake, in search of a party of Indians re ported there engaged in making hay. This report came from some Red River Half breeds with whom the General had com municated. On the 24th alt., this expedition, con sisting of Company C, Seventh Regiment Capt. Bart, Company D, Capt. Phelps, Tenth Regiment, Company E, Lieutenant Gardiner commanding, First Minnesota Mounted Rangers, and detachment of the Third Minnesota Battery, having one mountain howitzer, Lieut. Daniels com manding, the whole under command of Captain Burt, starting with eight days rations and ample ammunition and tran sportation for Devil’s Lake, all wishing them every success. Bef aes passed we do fore many days have we hope to hear something from the main Expedi tion, under General Sibley, and, of course, will then hear whether anything further is known of the fate of Lieutenant Free man and the three scouts. Mr. Brackett speaks very highly of Chaska’s courage and devotion, and says that he owes the chance for his life to a’s firing at the Indians in the first encounter, and his rushing towards them in the second, thus enabling Mr. Brackett to carry out Chas ka’s suggestion, to drop in the grass, but he fears much that the scout has long since suffered a terrible penalty for such devotion. This morning Mr. Brackett is very much better, but his blistered feet and swollen limbs tell a terrible tale of physical exer tion and suffering. The surgeon thinks, however, that a week or so will place him on the near approach to his usual health and strength. A mail carried by two half breeds start ed this morning toward the Missouri river for Gen. Sibley’s command. May it successfully through the dangers that J. Brackett’s adventures would indicate are certain! are it. Gen. Sibley’s command is expected to return here about the 15th inst. All in this camp are enjoying life as much as could be expected under the cir cumstances, though there are quite a large air of sick, because of the number left by the main body which went when still the sick list is decreasing daily, an there are no very bad cases of disease. Since leaving Camp Pope not one life has been lost by disease unless it has been in the main body after its advance beyond this point. Yours, respectfully, “xX.” RETURN OF CAPT. BURT’S EXPEDITION—CAP TURE OF LITTLE CROW’S 80K. P. 8. Since closing the above letter, the Devil’s Lake eption returned to camp, and brought with it as a trophy, a son of Little Crow, the great Indian rebel. There can be no question of the identity, of the prisoner, since there are scouts and soldiers (half breeds) in camp who are well acquainted with him, and whom he recog nized. He was captured under the follow ing circumstances: On the 20th ultime, J. Burt commanding the expedition, had taken some four or five scouts, and Company E, (Lieut. P. 8. Gardner, com manding) First Regiment M. M. R., and advanced beyond the rest of the com mand about two or three miles, when in crossing a valley, in which was a small lake, probably an arm of Devil’s Lake, Private Oleson, of Company E, saw an Indian’s head thrust up out of the grass, about fifty yards to the right of the com pany, and informed Lieut. G. of it. Lieut. a. mean there might be other Indians concealed in the grass, there quite high, prepared his command for immediate fight, and sent word to Capt. Burt (who with the scouts has gone some distance ahead) of the state of things. Capt. B. returned, and sent an Indian scout who could speak the Dakotah language, to reconnoiter, and, if possible, to communicate with the In dian or Indians, as the case might be. The Indian, after some conversation with the scouts, gave himself up, and proved to be Wa-wi-nap-a, (‘‘one that appeareth”) the favorite son of Little Crow, and aged sixteen years, young in years but old in deviltry. The prisoner was almost dead with fatigue and starvation. He had been with his father on a war party into Min nesota. DEATH OF LITTLE CROW. On the 2daltime, the father, while the two were separated from the other In dians, was killed near Hutchinson, Minn. The son since that time had been strug gling to get back to his friends, and he just secured and cooked wolf meat enough to sustain him for days, so that he would soon have been off. The prisoner is now in camp, well secured, and improving fast, and will soon be heavy enough to put effectually any kind attentions which the powers that be, may have for his fu ture elevation. The taking of this prisoner proves be yond a question a fact, the news of which will be most welcome to the people of Minnesota, the death of “Little Crow,” and more particularly so, since all have felt that his death or capture would de stroy everything like unity among the sev eral tribes, and make them anxious for peace on any terms. The expedition saw no other Indians. The entire distance traveled by it was one hand and forty miles. One day was spent in camp, to give the mounted scouts time to scour the country around the head of Devil's Lake. This marching would be an average of twenty miles per day for seven days. Where is the infantry that can beat it? x.
Newspaper Details
Saint Paul Weekly Minnesotian And Times
Saint Paul, Minnesota, US
Fri, Aug 21, 1863
Page 6
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Stephanie F.
USA 08 Feb 2026
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