on Tuesday, two detachments of
reenforcements, of about fifty men each, reached the garrison in safety.
On the other hand, from the beginning of the outbreak, the women and
children of the surrounding country who had escaped massacre, sometimes
a whole family, sometimes only a single member--now a mother, and then a
child--fresh from the scenes of savage violence and blood, had been
fleeing to the fort for safety, until the number had been swelled to
some three hundred. Six cannon, a few old condemned muskets, and
considerable supplies of provisions were fortunately in the fort. Such
hurried preparations for defence as could be, were soon made. Small
squads of Indians were seen prowling about during Monday and Tuesday,
but they were promptly scattered by a shell from the howitzer,
accurately planted by the veteran artillery sergeant who was in charge
of the guns.

At a quarter past three o'clock on Wednesday afternoon, about three or
four hundred Indians, led by Little Crow, advanced under cover of the
woods and ravines to the attack of the garrison. It was a complete
surprise, the first announcement being a deadly volley through one of
the north entrances into the parade ground of the fort. For a moment
there was uncontrollable confusion and alarm among the whites, and had a
storming assault immediately followed, the fort must have fallen. The
garrison, however, quickly rallied, manned the guns, and poured a steady
fire on their assailants. The Indians, as usual, took shelter behind
every available cover--trees, ravines, outhouses, high grass and
logs--the whites directing their return shots as best they could. In
this way, a brisk fusilade was kept up until half-past six o'clock in
the evening. A number of the outbuildings were fired by the enemy, but
the flames did not reach the fort. The houses that remained nearer the
fort were destroyed by the garrison after the enemy withdrew. The
garrison lost twelve or fifteen men killed and wounded in this
engagement.

A night of terrible anxiety and suspense succeeded, but there was no
further disturbance. On the next day, Thursday, two more attacks, each
lasting about half an hour, were made, one at nine o'clock in the
morning, and the other at six in the evening, but they were much feebler
than the previous one, and easily repulsed.

The final and most desperate attack occurred on Friday, the
twenty-second. The garrison was engaged in strengthening its defences,
when,