ve stand of arms and some
ammunition. He left a part of the arms at Hutchinson, and with the rest
armed a company at Forest City, of fifty-three men, twenty-five of-whom
were mounted. Capt. Richard Strout, of Company "B," Ninth Regiment, was
ordered to Forest City, and went there with his company. Gen. John H.
Stevens of Glencoe was commander of the state militia for the counties
of McLeod, Carver, Sibley and Renville. As soon as he learned of the
outbreak he erected a very substantial fortification of saw-logs at
Glencoe, and that place was not disturbed by the savages. A company of
volunteers was formed at Glencoe, under Capt. A. H. Rouse. Company "F"
of the Ninth Regiment, under Lieut. O. P. Stearns, and Company "H" of
the same regiment (Capt. W. R. Baxter), an independent company from
Excelsior, and the Goodhue County Rangers (Capt. David L. Davis), all
did duty at and about Glencoe during the continuance of the trouble.
Captains Whitcomb and Strout, with their companies, made extensive
reconnoisances into the surrounding counties, rescuing many refugees,
and having several brisk and sharp encounters with the Indians, in which
they lost several in killed and wounded. The presence of these troops in
this region of country, and their active operations, prevented its
depopulation, and saved the towns and much valuable property from
destruction.

PROTECTION OF THE SOUTHERN FRONTIER.

On the 29th of August I received a commission from the governor of the
state, instructing and directing me to take command of the Blue Earth
country, extending from New Ulm to the north line of Iowa, embracing the
then western and southwestern frontier of the state. My powers were
general--to raise troops, commission officers, subsist upon the country,
and generally to do what in my judgment was best for the protection of
this frontier. Under these powers I located my headquarters at South
Bend, being the extreme southern point of the Minnesota river, thirty
miles below New Ulm, four from Mankato, and about fifty from the Iowa
line. Here I maintained a guard of about eighty men. We threw up some
small intrenchments, but nothing worthy of mention. Enough citizens of
New Ulm had returned home to form two companies at that point. Company
"E," of the Ninth Regiment, under Capt. Jerome E. Dane, was stationed
at Crisp's farm, about half way between New Ulm and South Bend. Col.
John R. Jones of Chatfield collected about three hundred men,