Horace Greeley, The American Conflict: A History of the Great Rebellion in the United States of America, 1860-65: its Causes, Incidents, and Results: Intended to exhibit especially its moral and political phases with the drift and progress of American opinion respecting human slavery from 1776 to the close of the War for the Union. Volume II.

Gen. McNeil was at St. Louis when first apprised¹ of this raid, and at once set out for his post, Lebanon: whence, gathering up what force lie could, he advanced on Bolivar, moving by Humansville and Stockton on Lamar, where he hoped to intercept their flight. But Shelby had already passed through Humansville, hotly pursued, losing there his last gun, when McNeil reached that point; so the latter joined the hunt through Greenfield and Sarcoxie into Arkansas, and on through Huntsville over Buffalo mountain, taking prisoners by the way; continuing the chase to Clarksville, unable to come fairly up with the nimble fugitives, who had now crossed the Arkansas and vanished among the wilds beyond. McNeil here gave over the pursuit, moving deliberately up the river to Fort Smith. During this chase, he had been designated² to command of the Army of the Frontier, vice Gen. Blunt, relieved.

Standwatie and Quantrell made another attack³ on Col. Phillips's outposts near Fort Gibson, Indian Territory; but, after a fight of four or five hours, the assailants were routed and driven across the Arkansas. This terminated the fighting in this quarter for the year 1863.

A general Indian war on our Western frontier had been gravely apprehended in 1862; and that apprehension was partially realized. Under the administrations of Pierce and Buchanan, the Indian agents and other Government employes among the aboriginal tribes of the great plains were of course Democrats; many of them Southrons, and all intensely pro-Slavery. These were generally supurseded, under Mr. Lincoln, in the course of 1861; and were suspected of having been stimulated, by wrath at finding themselves displaced and by political and sectional sympathies, to use their necessarily great influence among the several tries to attach them to the fortunes and involve them in the struggles of the Confederacy. Of some of them, this is probably true; but it is not known to be proved, save with those formerly accredited to the tribes residing, within the boundaries of the Indian Territory. But, however caused, the general feeling of the western Indians toward us became more and more hostile during 1861-2; until at length certain bands of the Sioux of Minnesota, with some other tribes, pl<*>ed into open war. Little Crow's band bore a conspicuous part in these butcheries; striking in rapid succession the north-western frontier settlements at Yellow Medicine,⁴ New Ulm,⁵ Cedar City,⁶ Minn., and a few other feeble outposts; besieging for nine days Fort Ridgeley;⁷ beleaguering and twice assaulting Fort Abercrombie, whence they were driven with heavy loss; and butchering in all some 500 persons, mainly defenseless women and children. Militia were promptly called out and sent against them, under Gen. H. H. Sibley; and the main savage band was finally struck⁸ at Wood lake; where Little Crow was utterly routed, fleeing thence into Dakota. Some 500 of the savages were captured; of whom 498 were tried by court-martial, and about 300 convicted and