Battle of Redwood Ferry

The Battle of Redwood Ferry was a battle in the Dakota War of 1862. Infobox Military Conflict
conflict = Battle of Redwood Ferry
partof = The Dakota War of 1862


caption =
date = August 181862
place = North Bank of the Minnesota River
result = Santee Sioux Victory
combatant1 = Dakota (Santee Sioux)
combatant2 = US Soldiers from Fort Ridgely
{Co B 5th Minnesota Infantry}
commander1 = Chief Little Crow
commander2 = Captain John S. Marsh†
strength1 = 325-350
strength2 = 48
casualties1 = 1 confirmed
casualties2 = 24 killed, 1 drowned, 10 wounded, 11 unschathedAt 8:00 A.M., August 18, 1862, J.C. Dickinson, of the Lower Sioux Agency, arrived at Fort Ridgely (then spelled "Ridgley") telling Captain John S. Marsh that the Agency had been attacked. At first, Marsh didn't believe him but all the girls of the group insisted that Dickinson was telling the truth. At 8:30 A.M. several others came, their stories the same.

At 8:30 A.M., Marsh decided to go to the Lower Sioux Agency with 47 enlisted men and Interpreter Peter Quinn. The post was nearly deserted because all who were there were Second Lieutenant Thomas P. Gere, Post Sutler Ben H. Randall, Ordnance Sergeant John Jones,2 sergeants, 3 corporals, and about 32 privates. So Marsh, as his last important order, sent Private James C. McLean to Fort Ripley where First Lieutenant
Timothy J. Sheehan and about 50 men of Company C, Fifth Minnesota Infantry, to go strenghten the fort from 39 men, and one officer, to about 80 men, and 2 officers.

Marsh deprted at about 9:00 A.M., in old army wagons. seeing many settlers going to Ridgely. The men saw a burning cabin and Dr. Philander P. Humphrey, dead on the doorstep, tomahawked. Once they got inside they saw Mrs. Humphrey, dead in the center of the room, tomahawked, and an infant, just 2 days old, alive, but too cut up to be helped. Marsh got advice from a chaplain, Samuel Hinman, from the Lower Sioux Agency not to go. Also, from one of his men, who they had met up with. The man was visiting his home near the Agency and told them not to go, but still went with them. One mile from the river the terrain got to rugged so they got out of their army wagons and they marched.

Once Company B got to the Minnesota River at 12:00 P.M., Chief White Dog was on the other side. Sergeant John F. Bishop was sent about 30 feet away to get water for the men. After a while, InterpreterQuinn said, "I don't know this Indian, but he don't belong here." Several men said, "I saw this Indian under Chief Standing Buffalo, on the Yellow Medicine at the Upper Agency." White Dog took out his gun. "Look out'" were Interpretor Quinn's last words.

Quinn and about half the men were dead, Quinn with twelve bullets through him. The men heard great shouts from behind and found out it was naked Indians who wanted to fight Marsh and his men. Marsh and his men fought until half the men had fallen then went to the Faribault cabin, at the bottom of "Faribault Hill".

All the men had army rifles, probably, except Sergeant John F. Bishop, who got a loaded Indian double-barrel shot gun after an Indian gave it to him. Finally, at 4:00 P.M. Marsh ordered his men to swim across. About two-thirds of the way there Marsh yelled, "Cramp" for the water was too deep for even him, a strong swimmer. Fifth Sergean Bishop took command for there were five sergeants, two stayed at the fort and 1st Sergeant Findley and Sergeant Trescott were killed. Bishop ordered Privates John Brennan, James Dunn, and Stephen Van Buren, the strongest swimmers, to save Marsh. Brennan reached Marsh. Marsh grabbed Brennan's shoulder, just to have Marsh drown. The current was too strong so Marsh fell under and drowned. However, this made the Indians think that Marsh and the remaining 16 had gone across, so the Indians hid in a dam, ready to ambush.

For about an hour Company "B" decided to hold a council. They made their way back to Ridgely and had a thunder shower between 6 and 7 P.M. Company B had Captain John S. Marsh, drowned, Interpretor Quinn, 1st Sergeant Russell H. Findley, Sergeant Solon A. Trescott, Corporal Joseph S. Besse, and 20 privates killed. Also, Sergeant Bishop, and 9 privates were wounded. One man was shot up and had to be carried several miles, and, Bishop got a flesh wound and walked. The other 8 escaped Indians and went to Ridgely.

Realizing it was getting dark, Bishop sent Privates James Dunn and William B. Hutchinson to Ridgely to tell the post commander what happened, this happened at 7:00 P.M. About a mile from Ridgely a woman went up to them, "Have I found you? Am I saved?" She led the men to her sister with an infant, not even 2 hours old. They knew if they didn't help the baby and the Mother they both would die, and so they did. They arrived at Ridgely at 10:00 P.M.

Ten men of the command were cut off and made their way back to Ridgely. William H. Blodgett was wounded in the the abdomen, making its way to the spinal column-a six inch hole! He made his way back to Ridgely, and on the 19th met a German, John Fanska, and another man of Marsh's party who saw Blodgett fall. They arrived at Ridgely on the 20th at 2:00 A.M. Oddly enough, Dr. Alfred Muller, was still awake. He fixed their wounds and sent Blodgett's X-Ray to the Surgeon-General's Office for he "had never seen anything like it". Five men were cut off in the woods. The men heard the disgusting sound off the Indians scalping their comrades until James W. Foster was left. Foster had seen his poor comrades be scalped. He had his gun become too hot to put a cartridge in and he was alone so he crawled and he lay behind a vine. He saw a thought lifeless body. Although it appeared lifeless Foster leaned over and asked, in a whisper, "Is this one of the boys from the fort?" Feeling the body was still breathing he asked, "If this is one of the boys from Co. B, get up and let us go to the fort." Although no answer came Foster waited. He soon decided to leave the man, dead or alive. The body started moving and asked Foster, "Is that you Jim?" "Yes," Foster responded, "and let us get out of here at once." The body was Thomas Parsley. Parsley was 23 and his 26-year old brother, John, had been severly wounded,could not stand, and probably scalped or died of his wound. Thomas, however, found his gun worthless, was shot, and crawled away. Both Thomas Parsley and James M. Foster knew English well. It took Parsley a bit to realize it was Foster, and that he wasn't the only survivor of the fight. William A. Sutherland was cut off and hid in the woods. He was knocked out and he woke up on the night of the 18th realizing that he had no gun, ammunition, ammuntion, or anything besides a shirt and trousers. He snuck to the water's edge to get water, risking his life. He then realized the Indians were on the other side of the river. He pushed all the water out of the ferry with his hands and went to Fort Ridgely. Their were no paddles, oars, or anything but he assumed he was going the right way. However, the water leaked in and Sutherland arrived at Ridgely very early on the 20th. A few other men fell and snuck back, but I don't know their names.

References

Minnesota In the Civil and Indian War Vol. 2 pages 166-170 Battle of Redwood by First Lieutenant John F. Bishop Sheldon,Iowa, Sept 5, 1887.

Men in Marsh's Command

Incase you were wondering, these are the men who went with Marsh's expedition to Redwood Ferry, in order of command, from Recollections of the Sioux Masscre, by Oscar G. Wall, Page 41-42:

Captain-John S. Marsh-drowned Interpreter-Peter Quinn-killed 1st Sergeant-Russell H. Findley-killed Sergeants-Solon A. Trescott-killed John F. Bishop-wounded Corporals-Joseph S. Besse-killed William E. Winslow-Unscathed Truman D. Huntley-Unscathed Charles H. Hawley-Unscathed Privates- Charles Beecher-Unscathed* Charles R. Bell-Killed William H. Blodgett-Wounded* John Brennan-Unscathed Levi Carr-Unscathed Edwin F. Cole-Killed James Dunn-Unscathed James W. Foster-Unscathed* Charles E. French-Killed Ambrose Gardner-Unscathed* Jacob A. Gehring-Unscathed John Holmes-Killed William B. Hutchinson-Unscathed Christian Joerger-Unscathed Duraz Kanzing-KilledJames H. Kerr-KilledWenzel Kuzda-KilledHenry McAllister-KilledJohn McGowan-UnscathedJames M. Munday-Unscathed*James Murray-UnscathedWenzel Norton-KilledJohn W. Parks-KilledMoses P. Parks-KilledJohn Parsley-KilledThomas Parsley-Wounded*Harrison A. Phillips-KilledNathaniel Pitcher-KilledAntoine Rebenski-UnscathedEzekial Rose (Unofficial Bugler)-Wounded* John Serfling-UnscathedHenry A. Shepherd-KilledCharles W. Smith-KilledNathan Steward-KilledSamuel Steward-UnscathedWilliam A. Sutherland-Wounded*Ole Svendson-WoundedStephen Van Buren-Unscathed

Men who were at Fort Ridgely or recruiting in St. Paul with Lieut. Culver and Serg. McGrew:

First Lieutenant Norman K. CulverSecond Lieutenant-Thomas P. GereSergeants-James G. McGrew-Lorin ScriptureArlington C. Ellis Corporals-David W. Aitkins William Good Michael PfremerDrummer-Charles M. Culver Wagoner-George M. Annis Privates- Charles H. Baker Christopher Boyer William H.H. Chase Caleb Elphee Andrew J. Fauver (ambulance) Columbia FrenchElias HoytLevi W. IvesJohn W. LesterIsaac LinseyHenry MartinArthur McAllisterJames C. McLean (messenger)John L. MagillEdward F. NehroodWilliam, J. PerringtonHenry F. PrayHeber RobinsonAndrew Rufredge Lorin ScriptureJohn SerflingAllen SmithRobert J. SpornitzMartin J. TannerJohnathan TaylorJoel A. Underwood (Color Guard)Eli Wait(e)Oscar G. WallAndrew W. WilliamsonMartin H. Wilson
*These men were cut off in the wood and later arrived at Fort Ridgely. Rose, however, thought the Indians captured the fort, snuck to Henderson through the prairie and was carried back to Ridgely.