Frank Moore

“ On nearing the shore of what is now a great city the lonely voyageur was amazed on discovering that the pale face of the white man had many years preceded him. "What, ho!" he muttered to himself; "methinks I see a paleface toying with a dusky maiden. I will have speech with him." On approaching near where the two were engaged in some weird incantation the voyageur overheard the dusky maiden impart a strange message to the paleface by her side. "From the stars I see in the firmament, the fixed stars that predominate in the configuration, I deduce the future destiny of man. ”

“ By 11 o'clock quite a number of the commanders of regiments had fallen, and in some instances not a single field officer remained; yet the fighting continued with an earnestness that plainly showed that the contest on both sides was for death or victory. The almost deafening sound of artillery and the rattle of musketry was all that could be heard as the men stood silently and delivered their fire, evidently bent on the work of destruction which knew no bounds. Foot by foot the ground was contested, a single narrow strip of open land dividing the opponents. ”

“ The Emmert house was built in territorial times by Fred Emmert, who for some time kept a hotel and boarding house at that place. It had not been used for hotel purposes for some time, but was occupied by a colored family and used as a boarding-house for colored people. While the flames were rapidly consuming the old building the discovery was made that a man and his wife were sick in one of the rooms with smallpox. The crowd of onlookers fled in terror, and they would have been burned alive had not two courageous firemen carried them out of the building. ”

“ Therefore be it resolved by the legislature of Minnesota, That while it was the fortune of the veteran First regiment to shed luster upon defeat, it was reserved for the glorious Second regiment to add victory to glory.
Resolved, that the bravery of our noble sons, heroes whether in defeat or victory, is a source of pride to the state that sent them forth, and will never fail to secure to them the honor and the homage of the government and the people. ”

“ That the Second Minnesota was in close contact with the enemy was evident all along its line, blasts of fire and belching smoke coming across the fence from Mississippi muskets. The contest was at times hand to hand—the Second Minnesota and the rebels running their guns through the fence, firing and using the bayonet when opportunity offered. The firing was very brisk for some time when it was suddenly discovered that the enemy had disappeared. The battle was over, the Johnnies had "skedaddled," leaving their dead and dying on the bloody field. ”

“ In the United States bucket fire departments were organized in most of the cities in the early part of the last century, and hand engines, used by the old volunteer firemen, did not come into general use until about fifty years later. The New York volunteer fire department was for a long time one of the institutions of the country. When they had their annual parade the people of the surrounding towns would flock to the city and the streets would be as impassible as they are to-day when a representative of one of the royal families of Europe is placed on exhibition. ”

“ The First battery was the only organization from Minnesota engaged in the battle, and their conduct in the fiercest of the struggle, and in changing position in face of fire from the whole rebel line, was such as to receive the warmest commendation from the commanding officer. It was the first battle in which they had taken part, and as they had only received their guns and horses a few weeks before, they had not had much opportunity for drill work. Their terrible execution at critical times convinced the rebels that they had met a foe worthy of their steel. ”

“ It was before the advent of the railroad and telegraph in that locality. The people were not blessed with prosperity as it is known to-day. Neither were they gifted with the intellectual attainments possessed by the inhabitants of the same locality at the present time. Many of the old men served in the war of 1812, and they were looked up to with about the same veneration as are the heroes of the Civil War to-day. It was at a time when the younger generation was beginning to acquire a thirst for knowledge, but it was not easily obtained under the peculiar conditions existing at that period. ”

“ At 9 o'clock the sound of the artillery and musketry fully equaled that of the day before. It now became evident that the rebels were avoiding our extreme left wing, and were endeavoring to find a weak point in our line by which they could turn our force and thus create a panic. They left one point but to return to it immediately, and then as suddenly would direct an assault upon a division where they imagined they would not be expected. The fire of the united forces was as steady as clockwork, and it soon became evident that the enemy considered the task they had undertaken a hopeless one. ”

“ Throughout the day the rebels evidently had fought with the Napoleonic idea of massing their entire force on weak points of the enemy, with the intention of braking through their lines, creating a panic and cutting off retreat.
The first day's battle, though resulting in a terrible loss of Union troops, was in reality a severe disappointment to the rebel leaders. They fully expected, with their overwhelming force to annihilate Grant's army, cross the Tennessee river and administer the same punishment to Buell, and then march on through Tennessee, Kentucky and into Ohio. ”

“ The Merchants is the only one left, and that only in name. Messengers from newspaper offices, representatives of storage and commission houses, merchants looking for consignments of goods, residents looking for friends, and the ever alert dealers in town lots on the scent of fresh victims, were among the crowds that daily congregated at the levee whenever the arrival of one of the packet company's regular steamers was expected. ”

“ In anti-bellum times Washington's birthday was celebrated with more pomp and glory than any holiday during the year. The Pioneer Guards, the City Guards, the St. Paul Light Artillery, the St. Paul fire department and numerous secret organizations would form in procession and march to the capitol, and in the hall of the house of representatives elaborate exercises commemorative of the birth of the nation's first great hero would take place. ”

“ On Feb. 24, 1862, the Second Minnesota was again in Louisville, where the regiment had admirers and warm friends in the loyal ladies, who as evidence of their high appreciation, though the mayor of the city, Hon. J.M. Dolph, presented to the Second regiment a silk flag. The mayor said. "Each regiment is equally entitled to like honor, but the gallant conduct of those who came from a distant state to unite in subduing our rebel invaders excites the warmest emotions of our hearts." ”

“ A Berlin correspondent of the Pioneer Press many years ago, said that when an alarm of fire was sounded in the city, the members of the fire companies would put on their uniforms and report to their various engine houses. When a sufficient number had assembled to make a showing the foreman would call the roll, beer would be passed down the line, the health of the kaiser properly remembered and then they would start out in search of the fire. ”

“ The possession of it will enable thee to conquer all thine enemies. Thou now beholdest, O Robert, the ground upon which some day a great city will be erected. Thou art destined to become the mighty chief of this great metropolis. ”

“ The selling of this strip caused great dissatisfaction among the Indians and Little Crow was severely denounced for the part he took in the transaction. The sale rendered it necessary for all the Indians to locate on the south side of the Minnesota, where game was scarce and trapping poor. There was nothing for them to live upon unless they adopted the habits of civilization and worked like white men. This was very distasteful to many of them, as they wanted to live the same as they did before the treaty—go where they pleased, when they pleased, and hunt game and sell fur to traders. ”

“ It was feared that the city itself was in danger of an attack from the savages. Home guards were organized and the bluffs commanding a view of the city were nightly patrolled by citizen volunteers. There was no telegraph at that time and rumors of all sorts were flying thick and fast. Every courier reaching the city would bring news of fresh outrages, and our panic-stricken citizens had hardly time to recover from the effect of one disaster before the news of another would be received. ”

“ Other Day was an educated Indian and had been rather wild in his younger days, but experienced a change of heart about four years before the outbreak and had adopted the habits of civilization. Other Day arrived in St. Paul a few days after he had piloted his party in safety to Carver, and in the course of a few remarks to a large audience at Ingersoll hall, which had assembled for the purpose of organizing a company of home guards, he said: "I am a Dakota Indian, born and reared in the midst of evil. I grew up without the knowledge of any good thing. ”

“ Paul to the International Typographical Union. Old members of the Sons of Malta will recollect how strenuously he resisted the canine portion of the ceremony when taking the third degree of that noble order.
Who has not heard of David Ramaley? He is one of the best as well as one of the best known printers in the Northwest. He has been printer, reporter, editor, publisher and type founder. Although he has been constantly in the harness for nearly fifty years, he is still active and energetic and looks as if it might be an easy matter to round out the century mark. ”

“ Settlers fleeing from their homes for places of safety were arriving by the score, leaving crops to perish in the field and their houses to be destroyed. The situation was appalling, and many of our citizens were predicting the most direful results should the army fail to check the savage hordes in their work of devastation and ruin.
Every boat from the Minnesota river would be crowded with refugees, and the people of St. Paul were often called upon to assist in forwarding them to their place of destination. ”

“ The average citizen of to-day does not know that such a street ever existed. The Central house, on the corner of Bench and Minnesota streets, was the first hotel of any pretension built in the city, and it was one of the last to be burned. The first session of the territorial legislature of Minnesota was held in the dining room of this old hotel building, and for a number of years the hotel did a thriving business. ”

“ At 6 o'clock the fire had become general along the entire front, the enemy having driven in the pickets of Gen. Sherman's division and had fallen with vengeance upon three Ohio regiments of raw recruits, who knew nothing of the approach of the enemy until they were within their midst. The slaughter on the first approach of the enemy was very severe, scores falling at every discharge of rebel guns. ”

“ Aromory hall, on Third street, between Cedar and Minnesota, was built in 1859, and was used by the Pioneer Guards up to the breaking out of the war. The annual ball of the Pioneer Guards was the swell affair of the social whirl, and it was anticipated with as much interest by the Four Hundred as the charity ball is to-day. The Pioneer Guards disbanded shortly after the war broke out, and many of its members were officers in the Union army, although two or three of them stole away and joined the Confederate forces, one of them serving on Lee's staff during the entire war. ”

“ On the Fourth of July, 1863, the Pioneer made arrangements to move from their old quarters near the corner of Third and Cedar streets to the corner of Third and Robert. It happened that on that day two of the greatest events of the Civil war had occurred—the battle of Gettysburg and the surrender of Vicksburg. The Pioneer being engaged in moving their plant could not issue an extra on that occasion, and the Press had the field exclusively to itself. ”

“ Gen. Halleck had under his immediate command more than one hundred thousand well equipped men, and the people of the North looked to him to administer a crushing blow to the then retreating enemy. The hour had arrived—the man had not.
"Flushed with the victory of Forts Henry and Donelson," said the envious Halleck in a dispatch to the war department, previous to the battle, "the army under Grant at Pittsburg Landing was more demoralized than the Army of the Potomac after the disastrous defeat of Bull Run." ”

“ CAPT. E.Y. SHELLY. Much has been written of the trials and tribulations of the pioneer editors of Minnesota and what they have accomplished in bringing to the attention of the outside world the numerous advantages possessed by this state as a place of permanent location for all classes of people, but seldom, if ever, has the nomadic printer, "the man behind the gun," received even partial recognition from the chroniclers of our early history. ”

“ Another old timer entitled to a good position in the hilarity column was J.Q.A. Ward, commonly known as Jack Ward. He was business manager of the Minnesotian during the prosperous days of that paper. The first immigration pamphlet ever gotten out in the territory was the product of Jack's ingenuity. Jack created quite a sensation at one time by marrying the daughter of his employer on half an hour's ball room acquaintance. He was a very bright man and should have been one of the foremost business men of the city, but, like many other men, he was his own worst enemy. ”

“ At the present time I have fallen into great evil and affliction, but have escaped from it, and with sixty-two men, women and children, without moccasins, without food and without a blanket, I have arrived in the midst of a great people, and now my heart is glad. ”

“ Little Crow's father was friendly to the whites, and it was his dying wish that his son should assume the habits of civilized life and accustom himself to the new order of things, but the dying admonitions of the old man were of little avail and Little Crow soon became a dissolute, quarrelsome and dangerous Indian. ”

“ When the requirements of the people of thy city become too great for thee alone to administer to all their wants, the great family of Okons, the lineal descendants of the sea kings from the bogs of Tipperary, will come to thy aid. ”

“ Hip hurrah for the happy land of freedom."
The loyal Kentuckians were in great glee and rejoiced over the victory. It was their battle against rebel invaders from Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama, who were first met by their own troops of Wolford's First cavalry and the Fourth Kentucky infantry, whose blood was the first to be shed in defense of the Stars and Stripes; and their gratitude went out to their neighbors from Minnesota, Indiana and Ohio who came to their support and drove the invaders out of their state. ”