The Adjutaut General might well be excused in styling us “Irregular” when connected with the fact that the horses were cabbaged upon democratic principles-no partiality being shown among horses or men–all were taken that could be found-in size of horses, from the Indian pony to the trace horse weighing 1,600, with switches from 8 inches to 3 feet long, and soldiers to match from five feet two, to six feet eight, with weight from 100 to 240 lbs, some in stoga boots, and others in nature’s moccasins. The Adjutant General must have been a man of extraordinary genius to have found any other name for us than “irregular.”
On Monday morning, August 25th, a detail of 27 men was made for the purpose of visiting Monongalia county–now part of Kan-di-yo-hi-in pursuit of Indians, returning on the 27th, having penetrated some thirty-five or forty miles west, and having seen no Indians but buried seven mutilated bodies in all and passed the ruins of three dwellings and quite a number of mutilated carcasses of dead cattle.
The following is a copy of Quarter Master’s commission issued to James M. Harvey, Esq.
Forest City,
Aug. 28th, 1862
I hereby appoint Jas. M. Harvey to serve as Quarter Master for “Meeker County Volunteers,” and he is hereby authorized and empowered to exercise the duties of the office.
On Wednesday the 27th of August, the following named persons, residents of Manannah, left Forest City to obtain stoves bedding, provisions, stock, etc., to-wit: Linus Howe, David Hoar, Chauncy Wilson, Moody Caswell, Thomas Ryckman, James Nelson, Phillip H. Deck, Wil mot Maybee, N. C. Caswell, Joseph Page and R. D.. C. Cressy. Arriving at the house of Maybee the party took dinner, thence went to Manannah to the house of Carlos Caswell-saw no Indians-left; a yoke of cattle in Caswell’s barn, intending to return and pass the night there, thence the party went two miles to, the house of Silas Caswell, and loaded Maybee’s two-horse wagon with bedding and provisions, whereupon Maybee and Page Howe with Deck’s one-horse vehicle, on their return to the residence of Carlos Caswell, the balance of the party scattering for the purpose of recovering stock. Just as Maybee’s and Deck’s teams went into Caswell’s door-yard, they were fired upon by a party of Indians concealed behind a pile of lumber and a fence and some in a corn-field.
Page was killed, and fell from the wagon, Deck and Howe rode about twenty rods, when they too fell, fatally pierced by bullets. Maybee ran his horses about forty rods, when he was headed off by the savages, whereupon he left his team and ran about thirty rods further, in the direction of the river where he was shot and instantly killed. Those exciting scenes were witnessed by Wilson and Ryckman at a distance of about sixty rods, for about a mile, the redskins stopping once, apparently to form an acquaintance, but soon drove off at a rapid rate and were seen no more.
The remainder of the party returned to Forest City-Wilson and Ryckman-via Main Prairie, which they deemed quite the safest route. Howe, Maybee, Deck and Page were among the best men in the county. Mr. Howe had been a county commissioner most of the time for three years previous.
On the morning of the 28th, Lieut. Atkinson with a detail of 24 men was sent to Manannah; charged with the melancholy duty of burying the dead.