ATTACK ON FORT ABERCROMBIE. 5 



along over the prairie, the driver whipping instead of trying 

 to stop them ; the ground being so level that they were 

 invariably tired before we came to a bad bit of ground. 

 After leaving the woods and getting on the prairies the 

 journey became very monotonous, the only houses we came 

 across being the one where we dined, and our night's halting- 

 place. 



At about one hundred and twenty miles from Georgetown 

 we stopped for the night at Fort Abercrombie a two-company 

 post, where the soldiers were almost all of them Germans. Of 

 course, the whole conversation here was about Indians, and 

 they were expecting an attack, Indian scouts having been 

 seen on the surrounding hills for some days. The officer in 

 command was somewhat doubtful of the courage of his men, 

 most of them being recruits ; but he had strengthened the 

 defences, and had placed two small guns in position. 



On the second day from the Fort we reached Georgetown, a 

 very small place, of some ten or twelve log houses and a large 

 stage station, which we found almost deserted by all but the 

 stage agent and his men, all the settlers having gone down the 

 Red River in flat boats, as some Indians had been seen in the 

 neighbourhood. The stage agent a very plucky fellow 

 declared that he would remain alone, if necessary, and 

 defend the company's property, and we offered to remain 

 and help him, but circumstances rendered this unnecessary. 



The day after our arrival came the news of the attack on 

 Fort Abercrombie and of the massacre of a number of settlers 

 throughout Minnesota. It seems that the commanding 

 officer's fears about the courage of his men were justified ; 

 for when the Indians made a rush at the place, they retreated 



