When I Was
At St. Paul I Heard Of A Party Of Englishmen Who Had Been Robbed Of
Everything They Possessed, And Was Informed That The Farmers In The
Distant Parts Of The State Were By No Means Secure.
The Indians
are more to be pitied than the farmers.
They are turning against
enemies who will neither forgive nor forget any injuries done.
When the war is over they will be improved, and polished, and
annexed, till no Indian will hold an acre of land in Minnesota. At
present Fort Snelling is the nucleus of a recruiting camp. On the
point between the bluffs of the two rivers there is a plain,
immediately in front of the fort, and there we saw the newly-joined
Minnesota recruits going through their first military exercises.
They were in detachments of twenties, and were rude enough at their
goose step. The matter which struck me most in looking at them was
the difference of condition which I observed in the men. There
were the country lads, fresh from the farms, such as we see
following the recruiting sergeant through English towns; but there
were also men in black coats and black trowsers, with thin boots,
and trimmed beards - beards which had been trimmed till very lately;
and some of them with beards which showed that they were no longer
young. It was inexpressibly melancholy to see such men as these
twisting and turning about at the corporal's word, each handling
some stick in his hand in lieu of weapon.
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