1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Letter FRom a Frontier Fort

The following is an article from the magazine American West Volume V, Number 5, September 1968.

(Ed., Elias Huston Prall served in the 52nd Indiana Infantry during the Civil War. His enlistment ended in September 1865.
His brother, David Prall, was a corporal in the 23rd Indiana Infantry and was killed in August 1864 during the siege of Atlanta.
In February of 1867 Elias Prall enlisted as a Private in the 22nd US Infantry, and was assigned to Company F,
on duty in the Dakota Territory. He was killed by Sioux Indians on March 16, 1869, while on a wood gathering forage
near Fort Randall, South Dakota. The day after his death his friend and First Sergeant, Morgan S. Wright,
wrote the letter below to Elias' sister Elizabeth. )

Fort Randall, Dakota Territory, was situated along the Missouri River,
right near what is now the border between South Dakota and Nebraska

Portion of the original letter sent to Elias' sister Elizabeth
by First Sergeant Morgan Wright of Company F 22nd Infantry.

Elias H. Prall

Elizabeth Prall

Elias Huston Prall, who had already served in the Union Army during the Civil War, was twenty-one years old when he was killed
in a skirmish with Sioux Indians near Fort Randall, Dakota Territory. The news of his death was conveyed to his sister in Indiana by two letters —
one from Sergeant Morgan S. Wright, a close friend, and the other from Prall's captain, who tried to clothe his regret
in the standard military officialese representative of an army officer's need to ritualize death as a fact of life.

Sergeant Wright's letter begins in correct form, rationalizing that any soldier stationed in the troublous Indian country had to expect death—
his own and that of others—as a matter of course, and had to know what to do and say when it came. Yet even as he wrote, the enormity
of his friend's death seemed to seize hold of his mind and drive him to the edge of despair. The handwriting in the original letter,
at first formal and controlled, steadily declined to an almost hysterical script. It is a reminder that all the military form and "correctness"
in the world has never been enough to soften the brutal finality of a bullet through the head of a friend, and would seem to indicate
that even men professionally accustomed to violent death can be shaken to their souls by the mechanics of war. T. H.W. (T.H. Watkins)

Ivan E. Prall, who possesses the original letter and tintypes, passes along the aftermath of young Prall's death:
"What the letter does not tell are the final details. Elias' father, Thomas Prall, ruled that since one son, David, lay buried in Georgia
[killed during the siege of Atlanta], it would be unfair now to send for the body of Elias. Today, he lies in the military cemetary
of the Little Big Horn, where soldier corpses from all the frontier forts have been gathered for their final resting place."

(Ed., At some time after 1968 Elias Prall was removed from the cemetery of the Little Big Horn [Custer National Cemetery]
and re-interred in the Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery at Fort Leavenworth, Leavenworth County, Kansas, Plot: G 2972.)

Elias Prall sat for this formal portrait most likely during his service in the 22nd Infantry.
On the back of the photo is written "Shot by Indians/March 16, 1869/At Fort Randall/DT".

Ed., The original of the above photo is listed at Cowan's Auctions
Photo from the Cowan's Auctions website

(Ed., - Below is the letter written to Elizabeth Prall by her brother's friend and 1st SGT, complete with the original spelling,
and underlined words. The following words in "bold" are words that 1st SGT Wright underlined twice.)

It becomes my sad and very painful duty to inform you that your brother (a member of my Company) was yesterday (the 16th of March)
killed by a band of hostile Indians while engaged in hauling wood for the Post; he was the Wagoner of my Company; and was shot about a mile
from the Post; he was killed almost instantly having been shot with a pistol ball through the head; the Major & myself came too the conclusion
that you would send for his remains & have them Interred near the home of his Childhood; & we have had him dressed
in his best "Uniform" & he will be buried tomorrow.

As he and I were very close friends ever since he came to the Company; so much so that I could not feel any worse than I do,
if it had been my own brother, (whom I have not seen for many years or but once during my twelve years Service in the Army)
and scarcely a day has passed during those two years of Brotherly friendship that I have not told him time after time too always be on his guard;
for I know full well the "treacherous Red Skins" must be watched always, for you know not when they mean mischief,
but he was too self-confident & innocent of anything too once think that those Indians that he met with day after day would ever hurt him
("God have mercy on his soul,") pray for him, Oh! I beseech you, pray for him on the receipt of this, Have his father & mother all, all,
pray earnestly & long for our departed Brother; All yesterday evening & last night I Sent up my prayer to the God of Mercy;
for my Dear very best & Dear Comrade; I hope, & believe; my prayers have been answered,

He has often talked too me about you all very often Indeed; I know he loved you all very much, it was but Sunday last when he came too me
in my room and talked about home, and that he had but Eleven months more too stay; & he would then go home & never more
leave his Father, Mother, Brother & Sisters again; (Poor Boy, God of heaven & earth have mercy upon his soul) little did I think
that it would be my duty, painful duty; to inform his kindred of his fearful death, away, so far away from home & Friends;

He has often expressed, & I know it too be his wish if he should fall in battle or in the Service of his Country; that his kindred would come
and remove his remains to his dear "Childhood's home" & I that loved him as a brother beseech and entreat you too so impress it
upon your Father & Mother, & Friends too comply with this request; do not, Oh! I pray you do not let him lie in this wild & desolate country;
his comrades all are shrouded in gloom over his untimely death; they all expect your father too come after his body.

I have packed up everything that belonged too him; ready when you come to take with you as I know you all will keep them
as a mementoe of your Dear Brother, & our much lamented Comrade, the members of his Company will give you all their aid and assistance
in their power too give; toward the removal of his remains.

Oh! I again beseech you, one and all too pray for his soul; snatched away without a warning in the full bloom of early manhood;
I cannot now scarcely realize, that he is gone, it seemed almost impossible; that he was dead; until he was brought in a corpse;
I had seen him not 1½ hours before; just after dinner & he was so full of life, and vigor, that it crushed my heart at once to hear that he was killed

Everything that he had I have taken every care to pack them in a box all together & will guard them well
till we see some of his family come for him.

I again, ask you, to do not let him lie in this wild dreary & desolate Country, no matter what the trouble may be to bring them home;
his home, near the home of his fathers and alls those that were near and dear too him; for you perhaps know not how often,
very often he talked too me about his Dear Sister Elizabeth and all the family

It has been very trying too me too pen these lines I am wholly overcome with grief for our Dear Dear Brother

I am, With the most heartfelt
Sympathy Your sincere Friend
Morgan S. Wright
1st Serg't "F" Company
22nd Infantry