and
reported to me at Garden City. They were organized into companies under
Captains N. P. Colburn and Post, and many of them were stationed at
Garden City, where they erected a serviceable fort of saw-logs. Others
of this command were stationed at points along the Blue Earth river.
Capt. Cornelius F. Buck of Winona raised a company of fifty-three men,
all mounted, and started west. They reached Winnebago City, in the
county of Faribault, on the 7th of September, where they reported to me,
and were stationed at Chain Lakes, about twenty miles west of Winnebago
City, and twenty of this company were afterwards sent to Madelia. A
stockade was erected by this company at Martin Lake. In the latter part
of August Capt. A. J. Edgerton of Company "B," Tenth Regiment, arrived
at South Bend, and having made his report, was stationed at the
Winnebago agency, to keep watch on those Indians and cover Mankato from
that direction. About the same time Company "F," of the Eighth Regiment,
under Capt. L. Aldrich, reported, and was stationed at New Ulm. E. St.
Julien Cox, who had previously reinforced me at New Ulm, was
commissioned a captain, and put in command of a force which was
stationed at Madelia, in Watonwan county, where they erected quite an
artistic fortification of logs, with bastions. While there an attack was
made upon some citizens who had ventured beyond the safe limits, and
several whites were killed.

It will be seen by the above statement that almost immediately after the
evacuation of New Ulm, on the 25th of August, the most exposed part of
the southern frontier was occupied by quite a strong force. I did not
expect that any serious incursions would be made along this line, but
the state of alarm and panic that prevailed among the people rendered it
necessary to establish this cordon of military posts to prevent an
exodus of the inhabitants. No one who has not gone through the ordeal of
an Indian insurrection can form any idea of the terrible apprehension
that takes possession of a defenseless and noncombatant population under
such circumstances. There is an element of mystery and uncertainty about
the magnitude and movements of this enemy, and a certainty of his
brutality, that inspires terror. The first notice of his approach is the
crack of his rifle, and no one with experience of such struggles ever
blames the timidity of citizens in exposed positions when assailed by
these savages. I think, all things being consi