History of Company E of the Sixth Minnesota Regiment of Volunteer Infantry Part 1

History of Company E of the Sixth Minnesota Regiment of Volunteer Infantry.

by Alfred J. Hill and Charles J. Stees.

PREFACE.

It will be remembered by those connected with the military service that towards the end of the late Civil War, there went through the camps and barracks of the volunteer soldiers agents of publishing houses busily engaged in procuring material for "company histories," and still more anxiously soliciting subscriptions for the same. These histories were mere broadsides or charts, giving the name and rank of each man, with a few other personal facts, compiled from the muster rolls, and in addition an abstract of campaign movements, battles, and so forth; all the information being brought up to date of subscription. Of course as permanent and final records such publications would be failures, there being no "next" in which to "conclude" their stories.

While the Sixth Minnesota Infantry Regiment lay at New Orleans, one of the visitations described occurred to it (this being a very successful one), and thereupon a member of Company E proposed to a comrade the getting up of something of the kind among themselves, to be of home manufacture. Time permitting, the work was then commenced, continued in the field, and kept up with current events till the order for return home of the command to which the company belonged. Serious illness of the compiler, and the scattering of the members of the company, prevented the finishing of the work at the intended time, and caused its indefinite postponement.

As a contribution, though humble, to material for some future history of the part taken by Minnesota in the war for the Union this little book has been completed and published, and the writer would be greatly pleased if its appearance should stimulate the necessary research for the putting on record in somewhat similar form of the histories of other companies of our state regiments.

ALFRED J. HILL.

St. Paul, Minn., 1869.

PART I.

ORIGIN AND ORGANIZATION-1862.

In the spring of 1862 a sixth regiment of infantry had been called for from Minnesota by the Governor of the State, but, from various causes, the enlistments proceeded very languidly till the disasters of the Virginian armies in the summer and the consequent proclamations of the President of the United States for volunteers gave an immense impulse to recruiting.

Under such circ.u.mstances it was that the "Sigel Guards," afterwards Company E of the Sixth Regiment, were projected and raised. In the month of June, Mathias Holl, of St. Paul, was authorized to recruit for the proposed company; and on the 23rd of July, twenty men having been enlisted, he received a regular recruiting commission. Rudolph Schoenemann and Christian Exel, of the same city, also engaged in the work in connection with Lieutenant Holl, themselves enlisting in the company on the 6th and 14th of August, respectively. Many of the members, however, were not obtained particularly by these gentlemen, some having been recruited for other companies or regiments and transferred involuntarily to the Sigel Guards, others who had purposed enlisting in other companies-that never were filled-having joined it of their own accord, while a large proportion acted as their own recruiting officers, and made it their first choice. The names of those recruited for, or who intended to join, other organizations, are as follows, viz.: (1) Beckendorf, Besecke, Detert, Gropel, Mahle, Mann, Metz, J. J. Mueller, Schaefer, Simon, and Temme, were to have belonged to the company projected by Messrs. Klinkenfus, Knauft, and Krueger, of Lower Town, St. Paul. They joined in a body. (2) Bast, Blesius, Blessner, Dreis, Fandel, Greibler, Hoscheid, and Neierburg were enlisted August 15th by Messrs. Julius Gross and Lieutenant Kreitz, of St. Paul, for the Tenth Regiment, but were transferred to the Sixth. (3) George Paulson, a recruit for L. C. Dayton's company (St. Paul) for the Eighth Regiment, was transferred to the Sixth. (4) John, Kilian, Kraemer, Meyer, Praxl, and Radke came to Fort Snelling from Winona, as recruits for the Seventh Regiment, but enlisted instead in the Sigel Guards. All the recruits were enlisted and sworn in as privates except the drummer, the period of enlistment being "for three years unless sooner discharged."

The general rendezvous was at Fort Snelling, and, the "minimum" number (83) having been obtained, the company was provisionally organized there, on the 16th of August, by the enlisted men expressing, by vote, their preference for candidates to fill the commissioned offices, and by the captain, then chosen, appointing the non-commissioned officers. Schoenemann and Holl were thus respectively elected captain and second lieutenant of the Sigel Guards, and were commissioned as such, on the 19th, by the Governor of the State, and Lieutenant Exel, already commissioned (August 11th), accepted as first lieutenant.

By the 19th of August the aggregate number of members was 94; their names, rank, etc., being shown in the following roll:

NAME NATIVE COUNTRY When Enlisted 1862 OFFICERS.

Captain- *Rudolph Schoenemann Prussia Aug. 14 First Lieutenant- Christian Exel Hesse Darmstadt Aug. 6 Second Lieutenant- Mathias Holl Hesse Darmstadt July 23 First Sergeant- Justus B. Bell Ohio Aug. 4 Second Sergeant- George Huhn Bavaria Aug. 7 Third Sergeant- *Frederick Scheer Prussia July 23 Fourth Sergeant- Ernst J. k.n.o.belsdorff Prussia July 29 Fifth Sergeant- *Elias Siebert Hesse Ca.s.sel Aug. 2 First Corporal- *Paul P. Huth Prussia June 13 Second Corporal- John Burch Prussia Aug. 13 Third Corporal- *Mathias Mueller Prussia Aug. 5 Fourth Corporal- *William Rohde Hesse Ca.s.sel Aug. 2 Fifth Corporal- Peter Leitner Bavaria Aug. 6 Sixth Corporal- Reinhard Stiefel Prussia Aug. 7 Seventh Corporal- George Sauer Bavaria Aug. 7 Eighth Corporal- Richard Mueller Prussia Aug. 8 Musician- *Charles Seidel Prussia July 9 Privates- Bast, William Luxemburg Aug. 15 Beckendorf, Peter H. Prussia Aug. 14 Becker, Mathias Prussia Aug. 13 Besecke, Ferdinand Prussia Aug. 14 Blesius, John Prussia Aug. 15 Blessner, Charles Luxemburg Aug. 15 Boos, Michael Bavaria June 12 Bristle, Christian Baden Aug. 4 Detert, Henry Prussia Aug. 14 Dreis, Nicholas Luxemburg Aug. 15 *Eberdt, Charles Mecklenb Aug. 13 Eheim, Joseph Austria Aug. 14 Fandel, Henry Luxemburg Aug. 15 *Ferlein, Joseph Bavaria June 2 Fischer, Louis Switzerland Aug. 16 Gaheen, Samuel Canada Aug. 14 *Gantner, Jacob Switzerland June 10 Goldner, Joseph Prussia July 23 Griebler, Joseph Prussia Aug. 15 *Gropel, Henry Prussia Aug. 14 Hahn, F. Carl Wurtemberg July 23 Harrfeldt, August Holstein July 28 Hauck, Jacob Baden Aug. 14 *h.e.l.lmann, Herman Prussia Aug. 9 Henricks, Frederick Prussia July 28 Henricks, Henry Prussia Aug. 5 Hill, Alfred J. England Aug. 14 Hill, William A. Virginia July 22 Hoscheid, Nicholas Luxemburg Aug. 15 Jakobi, Conrad Hesse Darmstadt July 18 John, Jacob Bremen Aug. 18 *Juergens, Louis Waldeck Aug. 16 *Kellermann, August Prussia Aug. 14 Kernen, Jacob Switzerland Aug. 14 Kilian, Philip Hesse Darmstadt Aug. 18 *Klinghammer, Louis Prussia July 9 *Kobelitz, Frederick Bremen July 28 *Koenig, Louis Baden Aug. 12 *Kraemer, Frederick Wurtemberg Aug. 18 *Krueger, Henry Schleswig Aug. 15 Mahle, William Wurtemberg Aug. 14 Mann, Jacob Wurtemberg Aug. 14 *Martin, Frederick Prussia Aug. 16 Metz, Charles Hanover Aug. 14 Maurer, John J. Prussia Aug. 13 Meyer, John H. Ohio Aug. 18 Mueckenhausen, Joseph Prussia Aug. 14 Mueckenhausen, Mathias Prussia Aug. 14 Mueller, John Jacob Wurtemberg Aug. 14 Munson, John Sweden June 26 Neierburg, Michael Luxemburg Aug. 15 Parks, Thomas M. Pennsylvania June 13 *1Paulson, George Prussia July 28 Paulson, Paul Norway June 10 Peterson, Ole Norway July 28 Porth, William Prussia Aug. 7 Praxl, Anthony A. Austria Aug. 18 Radke, Rudolph Prussia Aug. 18 Rehse, August Prussia Aug. 4 *Reimers, Joachim Holstein Aug. 13 *Reuter, Henry Hanover July 23 Rossion, Jean Belgium July 31 Schafer, Henry Canada Aug. 14 Schauer, August Prussia Aug. 4 Scheibel, Augustin France Aug. 15 Schene, William Hanover Aug. 12 Schermann, George Austria Aug. 11 Schoenheiter, Frederick Prussia Aug. 16 Simon, John Prussia Aug. 14 Smith, Joseph France Aug. 14 Smith, William A. Indiana Aug. 19 Sproesser, William D. Wurtemberg July 23 Stengelin, Gottfried Wurtemberg July 16 Temme, Charles Prussia Aug. 14 Wetteran, Louis Wisconsin Aug. 5 Willialms, August Sweden June 10 *Wolf, Anton Prussia June 2 * In military service before.

With the exception of less than half a dozen, all of the above were residents of Minnesota, fifty-four being from St. Paul, eight from Winona, and the remainder from other parts of the state. Twenty-four of the members had been soldiers previously, many of them having seen active service-seventeen in European armies, one in the United States regulars, and six in the United States volunteer forces. Wolf-then a boy of sixteen-enlisted in Bulow's Army Corps, fought at Quatre Blas, and was present at the battle of Waterloo.

PART 2.

SERVICES IN MINNESOTA AGAINST THE SIOUX INDIANS-1862-63.

Immediately after the organization of the company the usual recruit life began. Military clothing and equipments were issued, squad drill commenced, and light guard duty done in and around the fort. The quarters of the company were two rooms on the northern side of the parade grounds, with a kitchen and dining room below. Fritz Stirneman, a civilian, but an ex-soldier of the First Regiment, a.s.sisted by Rossion, was hired to do the cooking.

The monotony of barrack life, however, did not last long. The news of the outbreak of the Sioux Indians in the western part of the state turned all thoughts from antic.i.p.ations of Southern campaigns to the necessities of the hour. The regiment was put on a war footing, orders to march were issued, and arms and accoutrements supplied to the men; four Sibley tents being allowed for the enlisted men of each company. On the 20th of August the first battalion of the Sixth Regiment, consisting of three companies, left Fort Snelling for the scene of the ma.s.sacre, and, together with Company A, which had been ordered to march across the country, arrived at St. Peter on the 22nd. All being ready, the second battalion, including Company E, embarked on the evening of the 22nd, on the steamboat Wilson for the upper Minnesota River. At the time of embarkation the aggregate strength of the company was 94, the number present being 84; the absentees being Lieutenant Exel, on recruiting service; John, Harrfeldt, Kraemer, Martin, Meyer, Praxl, and Radke, on furlough; Dreis and Fandel, who had not yet joined; and Porth, left behind at the fort on account of inability to march.

On the morning of the 23rd we disembarked at Shakopee, 24 miles from the fort. From this day commenced the official organization of the regiment, it being the date of Colonel William Crooks' commission. The route followed was through Jordan, Belle Plaine, and Henderson, to St. Peter, where we arrived on the 24th. All the companies of the Sixth were now concentrated at this point, where an expeditionary force was collecting for the relief of Fort Ridgley, then sorely pressed by the Indians. On the 26th the expedition commenced the march, and arrived at the fort on the 28th; the regiment encamping on the prairie near by.

H. Henricks was appointed wagoner of the company on the 30th. Also on that day Louis Thiele, a Prussian settler of the neighborhood, whose family had been murdered by the Indians, enlisted in the company as a private.

On the 31st an expedition under the command of Major Joseph E. Brown, consisting of the Union Guards (Company A), under Captain Grant, and a detail of men from the other companies of the Sixth Regiment, and the Cullen Guards under Captain Anderson, was dispatched to the Lower Agency to bury the dead, and ascertain if possible the position of the enemy.

Early on the morning of September 2nd, rapid firing was heard in the direction of the Agency. The scouts reported that the detachment under Major Brown was attacked and surrounded at Birch Coolie, 20 miles from the fort and 3 miles from the Lower Agency. A second detachment under Colonel McPhail, consisting of the Hickory Guards (Company B), Sigel Guards (Company E), Young Men's Guard (Company G), of the Sixth Regiment, under Major McLaren, also some cavalry and one howitzer under Captain Mark Hendricks, was at once sent forward to their relief. When within three miles of the beleaguered force, the demonstrations of the Indians became so threatening-coming near enough to shoot one of the horses-that the commander of the relieving party, not daring to fight his way through, made a halt, had the horses unhitched, and disposed the men to meet the expected attack, but, as the enemy did not return any nearer to us, we shortly fell back some distance to a better position. Night soon came on and it was spent watchfully by the men behind their corralled wagons, the silence being broken only by the occasional firing of the howitzer. The firing had been heard at the fort and towards morning the little force was strengthened by the arrival of the remainder of the Sixth Regiment, the Seventh Regiment, which had just arrived at the fort, and two pieces of artillery. About daylight on the 3rd, the combined forces were drawn up in line of battle, ready to move; the Indians soon appeared and commenced the attack, but the return fire was so heavy, and evidently so unexpected, that they almost immediately retreated to the woods in the coolie, from which they were driven by the heavy fire delivered by the artillery. The Indians having been repulsed, the whole force continued their march to Birch Coolie camp, and the Indians then abandoned the attack of the party there, though the soldiers of the first relieving party were not allowed the honor of driving them, which was given to the Seventh Regiment. After burying the dead and attending to the wounded, the troops returned to their camp at Fort Ridgley.

Five men of the company were with the original detachment at the battle of Birch Coolie. R. Mueller and Klinghammer were severely wounded, the former in the side and arm, and the latter in the leg. They were cared for at the post hospital. Dreis and Fandel were there, having accompanied the volunteer cavalry from St. Paul; Dreis joined on the 4th and Fandel, being wounded in the hand, went to the hospital. Thiele, too, was present at this fight. About this time Lieutenant Exel with the seven furloughed Winona men returned.

Shortly after this affair the order of the adjutant general of the state was received and published, fixing the letters of the companies according to the rank of the respective captains. The Sigel Guards were the fifth company, and so became E; in position it was therefore the seventh from the right wing of the regiment, and had, when marching during the summer, Company A of the Ninth Regiment in front, and Company K of the Sixth in the rear.

While preparations for the campaign were progressing, the troops were drilled daily in the "school of the soldier" and "of the company;" and, among other things, trenches were dug at the fort, and beyond the camps. About the middle of the month Eberdt was detailed as regimental pioneer.

On the 18th of the month the expeditionary force took up the line of march from its base at Fort Ridgley. Crossing at the ferry near by, the route pursued was on the south side of the Minnesota River, fording the Red Wood at the usual place, and touching Wood Lakes, about three miles from Yellow Medicine, which was reached on the 22nd. On the morning of the 23rd the Indians surprised a foraging party half a mile distant from the camp. The Third Regiment formed in line, and, crossing a ravine, opened fire on the Indians, but immediately received orders to fall back. The Third recrossed the ravine, and, the Renville Rangers coming to their support, the Indian advance was checked. Captain Hendricks placed his artillery in a raking position at the head of the ravine, and soon dislodged the enemy. On the right, Colonel Marshall with five companies of the Seventh Regiment, and Companies A and I of the Sixth under Lieutenant Colonel Averill, charged and drove the Indians from their position. On the left, a similar flank movement was repelled by Major McLaren with Companies F and K of the Sixth, while the remainder of the regiment was held in reserve. The action lasted about two hours, at the end of which time, the Indians being unable to withstand the murderous fire of shot and sh.e.l.l rained upon them, fled with great precipitation, and thus ended the battle of Wood Lake. The whole plan of battle seems to have been of defense, fought on the old lines of chivalry-man for man, instead of bringing all the troops in line of action and dealing the enemy a crushing blow at the beginning. This mode of action may have been very nice from an Indian's point of view, but the men in the reserve who stood in line of battle for nearly two hours, and those engaged at the front who were held back and not allowed to drive the enemy, would have preferred a little less chivalry and a few more dead Indians.

On the 25th the line of march was again taken up, and on the 26th we arrived at the camp of the "so-called" friendly Indians, where were most of the white captives taken during the insurrection, and who in a day or two were delivered up. This place was nearly opposite the mouth of the Chippewa River, and near by, about a quarter of a mile south of the Minnesota River, was formed the camp ever afterwards to be known in local history as Camp Release, from this memorable surrender of captives there.

On the 4th of October, Captain Whitney, with two companies of the Sixth and one from the Seventh, was sent below in charge of the Indian prisoners to gather the crops in the vicinity of the Yellow Medicine Agency. On the 5th all the company present, 91 in number, were mustered into the military service of the United States, "for three years from their respective dates of enrollment." On the 13th, Colonel Marshall was sent to the westward with a detachment consisting of Company G of the Sixth Regiment, 100 men of the Third, and one howitzer, in quest of the Indians reported to be near the headwaters of the Lac qui Parle River and Two Lakes (Mde-nonpana) in the Coteaus. The expedition returned on the 21st, having penetrated the prairies nearly to the James River, and having in charge about 150 Indian prisoners, including men, women and children.

By company order of September 22nd, Corporal Huth was promoted to fifth sergeant, and Privates J. Smith and Martin appointed seventh and eighth corporals, respectively. On October 13th warrants bearing the same date were made out and signed by the colonel for all the non-commissioned officers, making the grades agree with said order, but causing them to take effect from the 18th of August. On the 14th Company F left for Yellow Medicine to reinforce Captain Whitney. On the night of the 15th, Captain Merriman, with Company B and 35 mounted men (including 25 scouts), made a raid beyond the lower Lac qui Parle, and captured 23 lodges, in all 67 Indians. On the 18th W. A. Hill rejoined. While at Camp Release the duty performed was chiefly guarding the Indian prisoners, foraging, and serving on camp guard,-a very strict and irksome one. Company drill in the morning and battalion drill in the afternoon were also required.

Though within sixty miles of depots of supplies, and though the majority of the fighting men of the insurgent Indians had either been captured, or had surrendered, or retreated further up the Minnesota river, the rank and file of this small army had here to suffer for the want of commissary stores,-truly following the advice of the ancient philosopher to leave off eating with yet a little appet.i.te. Had it not been for the potatoes of the Indian gardens and cattle of the slaughtered and fugitive settlers-which provisions, though costing nothing to the government at the time, were made to offset the amounts due for non-issued rations, the source of "company funds"-we would have been nearly starved.

The return march was begun on the 23rd of October, on which day the weather turned suddenly cold and a high wind rose, which blew down many of the tents at Yellow Medicine that night. Arrived at the Lower Agency on the 25th, and then went into camp at Camp Sibley; and remained there till the 8th of November, and then resumed the march. The next day the company was detailed as guard for the prisoners, two men being a.s.signed to each wagon. Though the troops left the village of New Ulm a mile or more to the left, yet the citizens, exasperated at the sight of the Indians in the wagons guarded by the soldiers, lined the road opposite the town in great excitement, hurling stones and endeavoring to get at the Indians, in which they partly succeeded. On the 10th we arrived at Blue Earth River bridge, and camped a little beyond it, on the townsite of Le Hillier (L'Huillier) and immediately south of the isolated bluff at the mouth of the river,-the camp being called Camp Lincoln.

Here Eberdt was relieved. Fischer left on the 15th on furlough, from which he never returned; Juergens and k.n.o.belsdorff, sick, were sent to the hospital at Mankato the same day. Gaheen, Gantner, Meyer and Parks had been detailed or detached as regimental teamsters during parts of October and November, but by this time were all with the company again for duty.

The regiment marched, by the way of Mankato, to St. Peter, on the 17th, having traveled to the latter place, since leaving Fort Snelling in August, as a regiment of the expeditionary brigade, about 350 miles. The campaign being terminated, the companies departed to their various a.s.signed winter stations,-Companies A, B, G, H, and K for Fort Snelling; D for Forest City; E for Hutchinson, McLeod county; and C, F, and I for Glencoe. Lieutenant Holl was detailed as quartermaster and commissary for the company during its separation from the regiment.

On the 18th of November we left St. Peter with Companies C, D, and F: four miles beyond New Auburn parted with C and F, and with D at Hutchinson, where we arrived on the 20th. This place was already garrisoned by Company B of the Ninth Regiment, quartered in good log houses, but there was no accommodation for the newly-arrived company, and fatigue parties had at once to be set to work cutting and hauling logs for building. The season, however, being too far advanced, the work was abandoned, permission having been obtained to hire quarters at Kingston instead. On the 24th Dreis died of diphtheria. He was buried in the village burial-grounds near by. Seven men had to be left at Hutchinson on departure,-five sick and two as nurses.

On the 28th we left for Kingston, traveling by the way of Greenleaf, Round Lake, and Forest City, and reaching destination the next day. An old frame store near the mill on the west bank of the Crow River was used for barrack purposes, and by the erection of a log kitchen and bake house, with some other improvements, served the purpose very well. Duties were light, provisions good and ample in quant.i.ty, and the time pa.s.sed pleasantly enough. A system of furloughs was inaugurated, and every man had the privilege of fifteen days' leave of absence. After the departure of Fischer, Koenig had to cook alone, and when he went on furlough, December 16th, Gantner and Rossion conducted the kitchen in the interim. Sergeant Burch left on furlough on the 16th, but being detailed in St. Paul at District Headquarters he did not return to the company at the expiration of his leave of absence; also Griebler, who did not return to Kingston either. Sergeant Scheer was reduced to the ranks at his own request on the 20th, and on the same day Corporal Burch was, by company order, promoted to fifth sergeant; also privates Neierburg and Eheim were appointed, respectively, seventh and eighth corporals, on the 4th of January, 1863, to fill vacancies, the enlisted men having shown their preferences by special election; the same day also Gaheen and Hauck were similarly recommended for company cooks, and were detailed as such. Juergens rejoined on the 13th. A. J. Hill left for Washington, D.C., in obedience to orders from the Headquarters of the Army requiring him to report there for duty; same day John left on furlough, but, becoming ill, did not return to the company at its expiration. Sproesser was detailed as company fifer on February 1st. Klinghammer rejoined, sick, on the 6th; he having been mustered in at Fort Ridgley on the 13th of October.

The company being ordered to Fort Snelling, where the headquarters of the regiment were, left Kingston on the 27th of February, on the arrival of Company H, which relieved it, and traveled, in sleighs mostly, by the way of Clear Water and Dayton, reaching the fort on the 1st of March. Quarters were a.s.signed it in the old barracks, near the sutler's store, and the usual routine of drill and guard duty began again. Here Fandel joined, sick, and Griebler rejoined. Jakobi was detailed as company bugler on the 22nd, and John rejoined on the 29th. Private Kobelitz was on the 1st of April honorably discharged, for disability. The regiment went into camp on the river, about a mile above the fort, on the 4th, and Sibley tents were issued as before. George Paulson left on detached service for Yellow Medicine on the 12th, afterwards (in June) acting as orderly at regimental headquarters. William Gabbert, a Prussian, resident of St. Paul, enlisted as private in the company on the 13th. Privates Griebler and Maurer left on the 17th on a (forged) pa.s.s, but did not return at the proper time, and were afterwards found to have deserted. Privates Harrfeldt, W. A. Hill, and Meyer were, by District order of the 1st of May, transferred to the Third Minnesota Battery.

PART 3.

INDIAN CAMPAIGN IN MINNESOTA AND DAKOTA-1863-64.

At the end of April, 1863, orders were received to rendezvous at Camp Pope on the upper Minnesota River. Fifteen of the men had to be left behind at the fort, viz.: J. J. Mueller and Reimers, on detached service; and Becker, Fandel, Gantner, John, Kellermann, k.n.o.belsdorff, Koenig, Mann, J. Mueckenhausen, Peterson, Schauer, Scheer, and Wolf, sick. On the 28th of April Companies E and D embarked on the steamboat Favorite, but could go no further by water than to within about three miles of Mankato, thence going on foot, arriving at their destination on the 5th of May.

Camp Pope was not an original settlement, but a spot selected especially as a base of operations against the Indians; for which purpose storehouses had been erected there. It was situated on the river about a mile and a quarter above the crossing of the Red Wood River. On the rea.s.sembling of the regiment the company held the same rank (5th) and position (7th) as before, but had as neighbors Company G on the right and Company I on the left.

In the latter part of the month (May) a regimental band was formed, and Seidel, Eberdt, and Jakobi were detailed as members of it. J. J. Mueller and Reimers rejoined on the 5th. Detert was detailed as regimental pioneer on the 15th. The expedition being ready, those sick and unable to travel were left behind at Camp Pope; of Company E, h.e.l.lmann and Paul Paulson remained there. The strength of the company present at this time was 68, and aggregate number 85.

The second expedition for the chastis.e.m.e.nt of the Dakotas left Camp Pope on the 16th of June, 1863. The 19th and 21st of the month were spent in camp. On the 23rd, transportation permitting, the knapsacks of the men were carried in wagons. The valley between Big Stone Lake and Lake Traverse was reached on the 26th, and a camp established about a mile from the latter on the south side of the Minnesota River (there but a rivulet), which camp was situated near but outside of the state boundary. The camp was called McLaren, and three days were spent there. From here a detachment consisting of three companies of infantry, including Company H of the Sixth Regiment, some cavalry, and one piece of artillery, all under command of Lieutenant Colonel Averill, was dispatched to Fort Abercrombie for supplies. Klinghammer, unable to march, was sent along to the fort. It may be here noted, as a matter of interest to hydrographers, that Lake Traverse was not at this time an unbroken sheet of water, as a corporal of Company G crossed it on foot near the middle, seeing the lake in two parts, to the right and left of him.

Resumed the march on June 30th, and forded the Sheyenne River on the 4th of July, camping a little beyond it at a spot three-quarters of a mile northeast of the two mounds called "The Bowshot" and in the neighborhood of where the fight occurred about forty years before between the p.a.w.nees, Shawnees, and Sheyennes, which, as I am informed, resulted in the annihilation of the last-named tribe. At this place,-named Camp Hayes,-70 miles distant from Camp McLaren, the expedition lay six days, awaiting the supply train, which arrived on the 9th. Resumed the march on the 11th, on which day Lieutenant Exel left on furlough. The 12th was spent in camp. The second crossing of the Sheyenne was made on the 17th. On the 18th arrived at two lakes named Jessie2 and Leda, 90 miles from Camp Hayes. An entrenched camp was established on the banks of the former (the more easterly one of these two lakes) which was about three miles long. The camp was called Atchison, and a day and one-half were spent there in making arrangements for a vigorous pursuit of the Indians. Companies C and G of the Sixth were stationed there as a part of the garrison, and five of the company were left behind there, viz.: Seidel, Eberdt, and Jakobi, as members of the band, and Kraemer and Reuter, who were too sick to travel.

On the 20th, all the arrangements having been completed, the expedition began a more rapid advance in pursuit of the enemy, and on the 24th of July, 89 miles from Camp Atchison was fought the battle of "Big Hills" or "Big Mound." As soon as it was known that the Indians were in force, the train was corralled on the margin of a small lake, Big Mound being directly to the eastward and distant about one and one-quarter miles. The Sixth Regiment with one company of Mounted Rangers and a section of artillery occupied the east front, and threw up a line of earthworks for protection. As soon as the attack began, Colonel Crooks at once deployed Companies E, I, and K of the Sixth and A of the Ninth, under Major McLaren, as skirmishers, and they pursued the Indians two and one-half miles. Three companies of the Sixth were also deployed on the left flank, and the Indians were repulsed at that point. Major McLaren with companies A, B, D, I, and K advanced four miles at a double-quick, having been ordered to support the troops already at the front, but on their arrival they were ordered to return to camp.

On the 25th the expedition moved only about five miles to a better camping place and remained there on account of the jaded horses. On the 26th, with the Sixth Regiment in advance, the march was resumed. On arriving at Dead Buffalo Lake, some 15 miles from the last camp, the Indians again appeared in force and commenced an attack. Colonel Crooks immediately deployed a part of the Sixth, including Company E, as skirmishers, under Lieutenant Colonel Averill, and they advanced steadily, driving the enemy as they went; the remainder of the regiment under Major McLaren being held in reserve. After an advance of about one and one-half miles Major McLaren with five companies of the Sixth was ordered to return to the camp at the lake, three companies remaining at the front. Desultory firing was kept up until about 3 p.m., when the Indians made a final a.s.sault, which was repulsed in fine style by the troops under command of Major McLaren. The Indians, having been defeated at every point, now withdrew from the field.

On the morning of the 27th the advance was again resumed, and in the afternoon a camp was formed on Stony Lake. On the 28th, as the troops were forming in column, the Indians again appeared and made their last charge. About one mile beyond the lake the Sixth Regiment was deployed to skirmish on the right of the train, and they repelled the attack of the Indians who threatened it. The firing continued for a time, the Indians finally making a rapid retreat in the face of the advancing expedition. The pursuit was continued until Apple River was reached, where a camp was formed for the night.

On the 29th the army crossed Apple River, continuing the pursuit, and in the afternoon the Missouri River was reached, the regiment, under the immediate command of Colonel Crooks, skirmishing nearly two miles through the woods to it. The Indians having crossed to the west bank and hoisted white flags, the battery which had been advanced, and was in good position for sh.e.l.ling, was moved away, as the policy seemed to be to kill Indians only when they made an attack. Many of the skirmishers ventured to the river bank and began filling their canteens, when suddenly the enemy fired at them from the other side and the men were forced back, but not without sending a volley in return. A camp was formed on the banks of the Missouri River near the mouth of Apple River. The point on the river struck was in about 46 40' north lat.i.tude, 600 miles from Fort Snelling by the route followed, 6 miles above the mouth of Apple River, and 85 miles from the Big Mound.

On the 30th Colonel Crooks with Companies A, I, and K and details of men from other regiments, proceeded to the Indian crossing, and destroyed all the wagons and such other property as would be of service to the Indians, and then returned to camp.