Fillmore County, Minnesota - Chapter 35, 1882

Chapter 35

liBOPOLD WOHIjER AND WIPE - ^LEAVENWORTH - STATEMENT OP MRS. MARY J. OOVILL - STORY OP MRS. LAURA WHTTON - ^MILFORD - NICOLLET COUNTY - WEST NEWTON - LAPAYBTTB - OOURTLAND - SWAN LAKE - PARTIAL UBT OF THE KILLED IN NICOLLET COUNTY - INDIANS SCOURINQ THE COUNTRY - A SCOUTING PARTY SEEN AT ST. PETER.

The news of the murders below reached Leopold Wohler at the "lime-kiln," three miles below Yellow Medicine, on Monday afternoon. Taking his wife, he crossed the Minnesota river, »nnd went to the house of Major Joseph R Brown.

Major Brown's family consisted of his wife and nine children ; Angus Brown and wife, and Charles Blair, a son-in-law, his wife, and two children. The Major himself was away from home. Including Wohler and his wife, there were then at their house, on the evening of the 18th of August, eighteen persons.

They started, early on the morning of the 19th, to make their escape, with one or two others of their neighbors, Charles Holmes, a single man, residing on the claim above them, being of the party. They were overtaken near Beaver Creek by Indians, and all of the Browns, Mr. Blair and family, and Mrs. Wohler, were captured, and taken at once to Little Crow's village. Messrs. Wohler and Holmes escaped. Major Brown's family were of mixed Indian blood. This fact, probably, accounts

Crow told him to go away, as his young men were going to kill him; and he made his escape to Fort Ridgely, being out some five days and nights without food. Mr. Blair was in poor health. The hardships he endured were too much for his already shattered constitution; and although he escaped the tomahawk and scalping-knife, he was soon numbered among the victims of the masisacre.

J. H. In galls, a Scotchman, who resided in this neighborhood, and his wife, were killed, and their four children were taken into captivity. Two of them, young girls, aged twelve and fourteen years, were rescued at Camp Edlease, and the two little boys were taken away by Little Crow. Poor little fellows! their fate is still shrouded in mystery. A Mr. Frace, residing near Brown's place, was also killed. His wife and two children were found at Camp Release.

The town of Leavenworth was situated on the Cottonwood, in the county of Brown. Word was brought to some of the settlers in that town, on Monday afternoon, that the Indians had broken out and were killing the inhabitants on the Minnesota. They immediately began to make preparations to leave. Mr. William CarroU started at once for New Ulm alone, to learn the facts of the rumored outbreak. The most of the inhabitants, alarmed by these rumors, fled that night toward New Ulm. Some of them reached that town in safety, and others were waylaid and massacred upon the road.

The family of a Mr. Blum, a worthy Oerman citizen, were all, except a small boy, killed while endeavoring to escape. On Tuesday morning, Mr. Philetus Jackson was killed, while on the way to town with his wife and son. Mrs. Jackson and the young man escaped.

We insert here the statements of two ladies, who escaped from this neighborhood, as they detail very fully the events of several days in that locality. Mrs. Mary J. CoviU, wife of George W. Covill, say^:

**On Monday, the 18th of August, messengers came to the house of Luther Whiton, from both above and below, with a report of an outbreak of the Indians. My, husband was at Mr. Whiton's, stacking grain. He came home about four o'clock F. M., and told me about it, and then went back to Whiton'9, about half a mile away, to get a Mr. Riant, who had recently come there from the State of Maine, to take his team and escap e I packed a trunk with clothing, and hid it in the grass, and then went myself to Whiton's, as I was afraid to ramain at home. Mr. Kiant got up his team, and taking his two trunks'- - one of them containing over two thousand dollars in gold - took us all with him. There was a family at Mr. Whiton's from Tennessee, and a young child of theirs had died that day. The poor woman took her dead child in her arms, and we all started across the prairie, avoiding the road, for Mankato. We camped that night about three miles from home, on the prairie; and seeing no fires, as of burning buildings, returned to the house of our neighbor, Van Guilder, and found that the settlers had nearly all left. Mr. Van Guilder and family, Edward Allen and wife, Charles Smith and family and Mrs. Carroll, were all we knew of that remained.

" We started on, thinking that we would overtake the Leavenworth party, who had been gone about an hour. We had gone about two and a half miles, when we saw, ahead of us, a team, with two men in the wagon, who drove toward us until they got into a hollow, and then got out and went behind a knoll. We drove quite near them, when Mr. Covill discovered them to be Indians. Biant turned his horses round and iled, when they jumped up out of the grass, whooped, and fired at us. They then jumped into their wagon and followed. Mr. Covill had the only gun in the party that could be used, and kept it pointed at the Indians as we retreated. They fired at us some half-dozen times, but, fortunately, without injuring any one.

" We drove hastily back to the house of Van Guilder, and entered it as quickly as possible, the savages firing upon us all the time. Mr. Van Guilder had just started away, with his family, as we came back, and returned to the house with us. A shot from the Indians broke the arm of his mother, an aged lady, soon after we got into the house, as she was passing a window. In our haste, we had not stopped to hitch the horses, and they soon started ofi^ and the Indians followed. As they were going over a hill near the houae, they shook a white cloth at us, and, whooping, disappeared. There were in this company - ^after Riant was gone, who left us, and hid in a slough - ^fifteen persons. We immediately started out on the prairie again. We had now only the ox- team of Van Guilder, and the most of us. were compelled to walk. His mother, some small children, and some trunks, made a wagon -load. The dead child, Avhich the mother had brought back to the house with her, was left lying upon the table. It was afterward found, with its head seoeredfrom its body by the fiends. S. L. Wait and Luther Whitou, who had concealed themselves in the grass when they saw the Indians coming, joined us. Mrs. A. B. Hough and infant child were with the family of Van Guilder. These made our number up to fifteen. We traveled across the prairie all day without seeing any Indians, and, at night, camped on the Little Cottonwood. We waded the stream, and made our camp on the opposite side, in the tall gross and reeds. We reached this spot on Tuesday night, and remained there till Friday afternoon, without food, save a little raw flour, which we did not dare to cook, for fear the smoke would reveal our whereabouts to the savages, when a company from New Ulm rescued us.

"On Wednesday night, after dark, Covill and Wait started for New Ulm, to get a party to come out to our aid, saying they would be back the next day. That night, and nearly all the next day, it rained. At about daylight the next day, when just across the Big Cottonwood, five miles from New Ulm, they hoard au Indian whooping in their rear, and turned aside into some hazel-bushes, where they lay all day. At the place where they crossed the river they found a fish-rack in the water, and in it caught a fish. Part of this they ate raw that day. It was now Thursday, and they had eaten nothing since Monday noon. They started again at dark for New Ulm. When near the graveyard, two miles from the town, ari Indian, with grass tied about his head, arose from the ground and attempted to head them off. They succeeded in evading him, and got in about ten o'clock. When about entering the place, they were fired upon by the pickets, which alarmed the town, and when they got in, all was in commotion, tj) meet an expected attack.

" The next morning, one hundred and fifty men, under Captain Tousley, of Le Sueur, and S. A. Buell, of St. Peter, started to our relief, reaching our place of concealment about two o'clock. They brought us food, of which our famished party eagerly partook. They were accompanied by Dr. A. W. Daniels, of St. Peter, and Dr. Mayo, of Le Sueur. They went on toward Leavenworth, intending to remain there all night, bury the dead, should any be found, the next day, resoue any who might remain alive.

and then return. They buried the^ Blum family of six persons that afternoon, and then concluded to return that night. We reached New Uhn before midnight. Mr. Van Guilder's mother died soon after we got into town from the effects of her wound and the exposure to which she had been subjected.

"At about the same time that we returned to the house of Mr. Van Guilder, on Tuesday, Charles Smith and family, Edward Allen and wife, and Mrs. Oarroll had left it, and reached New Ulm without seeing Indians, about half an hour before the place was attacked. The same day, William Carroll, with a party of men, came to the house for us, found Mr. Riant, who was concealed in a slough, and started back toward New Ulm. But few of them reached the town alive."

On Monday, the 18th of August, two women, Mrs. Harrington and Mrs. Hill, residing on the Cottonwood, below Leavenworth, heard Of the outbreak, and prevailed upon a Mr. Henshaw, a single man, living near them, to harness up his team an l take them away, as their husbands were away from home. Mrs. Harrington had two children; Mrs. Hill none. They had gone but a short distance when they were overtaken by Indians. Mr. Henshaw was killed, and Mrs. Harrington was badly wounded, the ball passing through her shoulder. She had just sprung to the ground with her youngest child in her arms; one of its arms was thrown over her shoulder, and the ball passed through its little hand, lacerating it dreadfully. The Indians were intent upon securing the team, and the women were not followed, and escapad. Securing the horses, they drove away in an opposite direction.

Mrs. Harrington soon became faint from the loss of blood; and Mrs. Hill, concealing her near a slough, took the eldest child and started for New Ulm. Before reaching that place she met John Jackson and William Carroll, who resided on the Cottonwood, above them; and, telling them what had happened, they put her on one of their horses and turned back with her to the town.

On the next day, Tuesday, Mr. Jackson was one of the party with Carre 11, heretofore mentioned, tliat went out to Leavenworth, and visited the house of Van Guilder, in search of their families. When that party turned back to New Ulm, Jackson did not go with them, but went to his own house to look for his wife, who had already left. He visited the houses of most of his neighbors, and finding no one, started back alone. When near the house of Mr. Hill, between Leavenworth and New Ulm, on the river, he saw what he supposed were white men at the house, but when within a few rods of them, discovered they were Indians. The moment he made this discovery he turned to flee to the woods near by. They fired upon him, and gave chase, but he outran them, and reached the timber unharmed. Here he remained concealed until late at night, when he made his way back to town, where he found his wife, who, with others of their neighbors, had fled on the first alarm, and reached the village in safety. Mrs. Laura Whiton, widow of Elijah Whiton, of Leavenworth, Brown county, makes the folio win/? statement:

"We had resided on our claim, at Leavenworth, a little over four years. There were in our family, on the 18th of August, 1862, four persons - ^Mr. Whiton, myself, and two children - a son of sixteen years, and a daughter nine years of age. On Monday evening, the 18th of August, a neighbor, Mr. Jackson, and his son, a yoimg boy, who resided three miles from our place, oame to our house in search of their horses, and told us that the Indians had murdered a family on the Minnesota river, and went away. We saw no one, and heard nothing more until Thursday afternoon following, about 4 o'clock, when about a dozen Indians were seen coming from the direction of the house of a neighbor named Heydrick, whom they were chasing. Heydrick jumped off a bridge across a ravine, and, running down the ravine, concealed himself under a log, where he remained until 8 o'clock, when he came out, and made his escape into New Ulm.

"The savages had already slain all his family, consisting of his wife and two children. Mr. Whiton, who was at work near the door at the time, came into the house, but even then did not beheve there was any thing serious, supposing Heydrick was unnecessarily frightened. But when he saw them leveling their guns at him, he came to the conclusion that we had better leave. He loaded his double-barreled gun, and we all started for the timber. After reaching the woods, Mr. Whiton left us to go to the house of his brother, Luther, a single man, to see what had become of him, telling us to remain where we were until he came back. We never saw him again. After he left us, not daring to remain where we were, we forded the river (Cottonwood), and hid in the timber, on the opposite side, where we remained until about 8 o'clock, when we started for New Uhn.

** While we lay concealed in the woods, we heard the Indians driving up our oxen, and yoking them up. They hitched them to our wagon, loaded it up with our trunks, bedding, etc., and drove away, we went out on the prairie, and walked all night and all next day, arriving at New Ulm at about dark on Friday, the 22d. About midnight, on Thursday night, as we were fleeing along the road, we pcissed the bodies of the family of our neighbor, Blum, lying dead by the road-side. They had started to make their escape to town, but were overtaken by the savages upon the road, and all but a little boy most brutally murdered.

-* Mr. Whiton returned home, from his visit to the house of his brother, which he found deserted, and found that our house had already been phmdered. He then went to the woods to search for us. He remained in the timber, prosecuting his search, until Saturday, without food; and, failing t^) find us, he came to the conclusion that we were either dead or in captivity, and then himself started for New Ulm. On Saturday night, when traveling across the prairie, he came suddenly upon a camp of Indians, but they did not see him, and he beat as hasty a retreat as possible from their vicinity.

"When near the Lone Cottonwood Tree, on Sunday morning, he fell in with William J. Duly, who had made his escape from Lake Shetek. They traveled along together tiU they came to the house of Mr. Henry Thomas, six miles from our farm, in the town of Milford. This house had evidently been deserted by the family in great haste, for the table was spread for a meal, and the food remained untouched upon it. Here they sat down to eat, neither of them having had any food for a long time. While seated at the table, two Indians came to the house; and, as Mr. W^hiton arose and stepped to the stove for some water, they came into the door, one of them saying, *^Da mm tepee.'* [This is my house.] There was no way of escape, and Mr. Whiton, thinking to propitiate him, said *Come in ' . Mr. Duly was sitting partly behind the door, and was, probably, unobserved. The savage made no answer, but instantly raised his gun, and shot him through the heart, they then both went into the com. Duly was unarmed ; and, when Mr. Whiton was killed, took his gun and ran out of the house, and concealed himself in the bushes near by.

" While lying here he could hear the Indians yelling and firing their guns in close proximity to his place of concealment. After awhile he ventured out. Being too much exhausted to carry it, he threw away the gun, and that night arrived at New Ulm, without again encountering Indians."

We now return to Mrs. Harrington, whom, the reader will remember, we left badly wounded, concealed near a slough. We regret our inability to obtain a full narrative of her wanderings during the eight succeeding days and nights she spent alone upon the prairie, carrying her wounded child. We can only state in general terms, that after wandering for eight weary days and nights, without food or shelter, unknowing whither, early on the morning of Tuesday, the 26th, before day- Hght, she found herself at Crisp's farm, midway between New Ulm and Mankato. As she approached the pickets she mistook them for Indians, and, when hailed by them, was so frightened as not to recognize the Enghsh language, and intent only on saving her life, told them she was a Sioux. Two guns were instantly leveled at her, but, providentially, both missed fire, when an exclamation from her led them to think she was white, and a woman, and they went out to her. She was taken into camp and all done for her by Judge Flandrau and his men that could be done. They took her to Mankato, and soon after she was joined by her husband, who was below at the time of the outbreak, and also found the child which Mrs. Hill took with her to New Ulm.

Six miles from New Ulm there lived, on the Cottonwood, in the county of Brown, a Gterman family of the name of Heyers, consisting of the father, mother and two sons, both young men. A burial party that went out from New Ulm on Friday, the 22d, found them all murdered, and buried them near where they were killed.

The town of Milford, Brown county, adjoining New Ulm on the west and contiguous to the reservation, was a farming community, composed entirely of Gtermans. A quiet, sober, industrious^ and enterprising class of emigrants had here made their homes, and the prairie wilderness around them began to "bud and blossom like the rose." Industry and thrift had brought their sure reward, and peace, contentment and happiness filled the hearts of this simple-hearted people. The noble and classic Rhine and the vine-clad hills of Fatherland w^re almost forgotten, or, if not

Uistohy Of The Sioux Massacre

When the sun arose on the morning of the 18th of August, 1862, it looked down upon this scene in all its glowing beauty; but its declining rays fell upon a field of carnage and horror too fearful to describe. The council at Rice Creek, on Sunday night, had decided upon the details of tlie work of death, and the warriors of the lower bands were early on the trail, thirsting for blood. Early in the forenoon of Monday they appeared in large numbers in this neighborhood, and the work of slaughter began. The first house visited was that of Wilson Mtissipost, a prominent and influential citizen, a widower. Mr. Massipost had two daughters, intelligent and accomplished. These the savages murdered most brutally. The head of one of them was afterward found, severed from the body, attached to a fish-hook, and hung upon a naiL His son, a young man of twentyfour years, was also killed. Mr. Massipost and a son of eight years escaix>d to New Ulm. The house of Anton Hanley was likewise visited. Mr. Hanley was absent. Tlie children, four in number, were beaten with tomahawks on the head and person, inflicting fearful wounds. Two of them were killed outright, and one, an infant, recovered ; the other, a young boy, was taken by the parents, at night, to New Ulm, thence to St. Paul, where he died of his wounds. After killing these children, they proceeded to the field near by, where Mrs. Hanley, her father, Anton Mesmer, his wife, son Joseph, and daughter, were at work harvesting wheat. All these they instantly shot, except Mrs. Hanley, who escaped to the woods and secreted herself till night, when, her husband coming home, they took their two wounded children and made their escape. At the house of Agrenatz Hanley all the children were killed. The parents escaped.

Adolph Shilling and his daughter were killed; his son badly wounded, escaped with his mother. Two families, those of a Mr. Zeller and a Mr. Zettle, were completely annihilated; not a soul was left to tell the tale of their sudden destruction. Jacob Keck, Max Fink, and a Mr. Belzer were also victims of savage barbarity at this place. After killing the inhabitants, they plundered and sacked the houses, destroying all the property they could not carry away, driving away all the horses and cattle, and when night closed over the dreadful scene, desolation and deatlr reigned supreme.

There resided, on the Big Cottonwood, between New Ulm and Lake Shetek, a German, named Charles Zierke, familiarly known throughout all that region as "Dutch Charley." On the same road resided an old gentleman, and his son and daughter, named Brown. These adventurous pioneers lived many miles from any other human habitation, and kept houses of entertainment on that lonely road. This last-named house was known as * 'Brown's place." It is not known to us when the savages came to those isolated dwellings. We only know that the mutilated bodies of all three of the Brown family were found, and buried, some miles from their house. Zierke and his family made their escape toward New Ulm, and, when near the town, were pursued and overtaken by the Indians on the prairie. By sharp nmning, Zierke escaped to the town, but his wife and children, together with his team, were token by them. Returning afterward with a party of men, the savages abandoned the captured team, woman, and children, and they were recovered and all taken into New Ulm in safety.

The frontier of Nicollet coimty contiguous to the reservation was not generally visited by the s ivages until Tuesday, the 19th, and the succeeding days of that week. The people had, generally in the meantime, sought safety in flight, and were principally in the town of St. Peter. A few, however, remained at their homes, in isolated localities, where the news of the awful scenes enacting around them did not reach them; or, who having removed their families to places of safety, returned to look after their property. These generally feU victims to the rifle and tomahawk of the savages. The destruction of life in this county, was, however, trifling, compared with her sister counties of Brown and Renville; but the loss of property was immense. The entire west half of the county was, of necessity, abandoned and completely desolated. The ripened grain crop was much of it uncut, and wasted in the field, while horses and cattle and sheep and hogs roamed unrestrained at will over the unharvested fields. And, to render the ruin complete the savage hordes swept over this portion of the county, gathering up horses and cattle shouting swine and sheep, and all other stock that they oould not catch; linishing the work of ruin by applying the torch to the stacks of hay and grain, and in some instances to the dwellings of the settlers.

William Mills kept a public house in the town of West Newton, four miles from Fort Ridgely, on the St. Peter road. Mr. Mills heard of the outbreak of the Sioux on Monday, and at once took the necessary steps to secure the safety of his family, by sending them across the prairie to a secluded spot, at a slough some three miles from the liouse. Leaving a span of horses and a wagon with them, he instructed them, if it should seem necessary to their safety, to drive as rapidly as possible to Henderson. He then went to Fort Ridgely to possess himself, if possible, of the exact state of affairs. At night he visited his house, to obtain some articles of clothing for his family, and carried them out to their place of concealment, and went again to the fort, where he remaioed until Tuesday morning, when he started out to his family, thinking he would send them to Henderson, and return and assist in the defense of that post. Soon after leaving the fort he met Lieutenant T. J. Bheehan and his company, on their way back to that post. Sheehan roughly demanded of him where he was going. He replied he was going to send his family to a place of safety, and return. The lieutenant, with an oath, wrested from him his gun, the only weapon of defense he had, thus leaving him defenceless. Left thus unarmed and powerless, he took his family and hastened to Henderson, arriving there that day in safety.

A few Lidians were seen in the neighborhood of West Newton on Monday afternoon on horseback, but at a distance on the prairie. ^ The most of the inhabitants fled to the fort on that day : a few re - mained at their homes and some fled to St. Peter and Henderson. The town of Lafayette was, in like manner, deserted on Monday and Monday night, the inhabitants chiefly making for St Peter. Ck)urtland township, lying near New Ulm, caught the contagion, and her people too fled - the women and children going to St. Peter, while many of her brave sons rushed to the defense of New Ulm, and in that terrible siege bore a conspicuous and honorable part.

As the cortege of panic stricken fugitives poured along the various roads leading to the towns below, on Monday night and Tuesday, indescribable terror seized the inhabitants ; and the rapidly accumulating human tide, gathering force and numbers as it moved across the prairie, rolled an overwhelming flood into the towns along the river.

On the arrival of a force of mounted men, under Captains Anson Northrup, of Minneapolis, and R. H. Chittenden, of the First Wisconsin Cavalry, at Henderson, on the way to Fort Ridgely, they met Charles Nelson, and, on consultation, decided to go to St. Peter, where they were to report to Colonel Sibley, by way of Norwegian Grove. Securing the services of Nelson, John Fadden, and one or two others, familiar to the country, they set out for the Grove.

" The prairie was magnificent, but quite deserted. Sometimes a dog stared at us as we passed; but even the brutes seemed conscious of a terrible calamity. At 2 o'clock we reached the Grove, which surrounded a lake. The farms were in a fine state of cultivation; and, strange to say, although the houses were in ruins, the grain stacks were untouched. Reapers stood in the field as the men had left them. Cows wandered over the prairies in search of their masters. Nelson led the way to tha spot where he had been overtaken in attempting to escape with his wife and children. We found his wagon; the ground was strewn with articles of apparel, his wife's bonnet, boxes, yam, in fact everything they had hastily gathered up. But the wife and boys were gone. Her he had seen them murder, but the children had run into the corn-field. He had also secreted a woman and child under a hay -stack. We went and turned it over; they were gone. I then so arranged the troops that, by marching abreast, we made a thorough search of the corn-field. No cla^ to his boys could be found. Passing the still burning embers of his neighbor's dwellings, we came to Nelson's own, the only one still standing. * The heart-broken man closed the gate, and turned away without a tear; .then simply asked Sergeant Thompson when he thought it would be safe to return. I must confess that, accustomed as I am to scenes of horror, the tears would come."

The troops, taking Nelson with them, proceeded to St. Peter, where he found the dead body of bis wife, which had been carried there by some of liis neighbors, and his children, alive. They had fled

Jacob Mauerle had taken his family down to St. Peter, and returned on Friday to his house, in West Newton. He had tied some clothing in a bundle, and started for the fort, when he was shot and scalped, some eighty rods from the house.

Felix Smith had escaped to Fort Ridgely, and on Wednesday forenoon went out to his house, some three miles away. The Indians attacked the fort that afternoon, and he was killed in endeavoring to get back into that post.

Small parties of Indians scoured the country between Fort Ridgely, St. Peter, and Henderson, during the first week of the massacre, driving away cattle and burning buildings, within twelve miles of the first-named place. The Swan Lake House was laid in ashes. A scouting party of six savages was seen by General M. B. Stone, upon the bluff", in sight of the town of St. Peter, on Friday, the 22d day of August, the very day they were making their most furious and determined assault upon Fort Ridgely.

This scouting party had, doubtless, been detached from the main force besieging that post, and sent forward, under the delusion that the fort must ^all into their hands, to reconnoiter, and report to Little Crow the condition of the place, and the ability of the people to defend themselves. But they failed to take Fort Ridgely, and, on the 22d, their scouts saw a large body of troops, under Colonel Sibley, enter St. Peter.

Chafier Xxxvi

BIG STONE LAKE - WHITES KTLLBD - ^IiAEB BHETEK - NAMES OF SETTLERS - MRS. AliOMINA HURD ESCAPES WITH HER TWO OHHiDREN - THE BATTLE OF SPIRIT LAKE - WARFARE IN JACKSON COUNTY -

At Big Stone Lake, in what is now Big Stone county, were four trading houses, Wm. H. Forbes, Daily, Pratt & Co., and Nathan Myrick. The Tuihitues of these Indian trading houses^ as usual, were mostly half-breeds, natives of the country. The store of Daily, Pratt & Co. was in charge of Mr. Ryder of St. Paul. On the 21st of August, four of these men at work cutting hay, unsuspicious of danger, were suddenly attacked and all murdered, except Anton Manderfield; while one half-breed, at the store, Baptiste Gubeau, was taken prisoner, and was informed that he would be killed that night. But Gubeau succeeded in escaping from their grasp, and making his way to the lake. His escape waa a wonderful feat, bound as he was, as to his hands, pursued by yelling demons determined on his death. But, ahead of all his pursuers, he reached the lake, and dashing into the reeds on the margin, was hid from the sight of his disappointed pursuers. Wading noiselessly into the water, until his head alone was above the water, he remained perfectly still for some time. The water soon loosened the rawhide on his wrists, so that they were easily removed. The Indians sought for him in vain ; and as the shades of night gathered around him, he came out of his hiding place, crossed the foot of the lake and struck out for the Upper Mississippi. He finally reached St. Cloud. Here he was mistaken for an Indian spy, and threatened with death, but was finally saved by the interposition of a gentleman who knew him.

The other employes at the lake were all killed except Manderfield, who secreted himself while his comrades were being murdered. Manderfield, in his e^iipe, when near Lac qui Parle, was met by Joseph LaframboisR, who had gone thither to obtain his sister Julia, then a captive there. Manderfield received from Laframboise proper directions, and finally reached Fort Ridgely in safety.

Lake Shetek. - This beautiful lake of quiet water, some six miles long and two broad, is situated about seventy miles west of New Ulm, in the county of Murray. Here a little community of some fifty persons were residing fac, out on our frontier, the nearest settlement being the Big Cottonwood. The families and persons located here were: John Eastlick and wife, Charles Hatch, Phineas B. Uurd and wife, John Wright, Wm. J, Duly and wife, H. W. Smith, Aaron Myers, Mr. Everett and wife, Thomas Ireland and wife, Koch and wife; these with their several families, and six single men, Wm. James, Edgar Bently, John Voight, E. G. Cook, and John F. and Daniel Bums, the latter residing alone on a claim at Walnut Grove, some distance from the lake, constituted the entire population of Lake Shetek settlement, in Murray county.

Lake Shetek

On the 20th of August some twenty Sioux Indians rode up to the house of Mr. Hurd. Mr. Hurd himself had left home for the Missouri river on the 2d day of June previous. Ten of these Indians entered the house, talked and smoked their pipes while Mrs. Hurd was getting breakfast. Mr. Voight, the work-hand, while waiting for breakfast, took up the babe, as it awoke and cried, and walked with it out in the yard in front of the door. No sooner had he left the house than an Indian took his gun and deliberately shot him dead near the door. Mrs. Hurd was amazed at the infernal deed, as these Indians had always been kindly treated, and often fed at her table. She ran to the fallen man to raise him up and look after the safety of her child. To her utter horror, one of the miscreants intercepted her, telling her to leave at once and go to the settlements across the prairie. She was refused the privilege of dressing her naked children, and was compelled to turn awaj from her ruined home, to commence her wandering over an almost trackless waste, without food, and almost without raiment, for either herself or little ones.

These Indians proceeded from the house of Mr. Hard to that of Mr. Andrew Koch, whom they shot, and plundered the house of its contents. Mrs, Koch was compelled to get up the oxen and hitch them to the wagon, and drive them, at the direction of her captors, into the Indian country. In this way she traveled ten days. She was the captive of White Lodge, an old and ugly chief of one of the upper bands. As the course was towards the Missouri river, Mrs. Koch refused to go farther in that direction. The old chief threatened to shoot her if she did not drive on. Making a virtue of necessity she reluctantly obeyed. Soon after she was required to carry the vagabond's gun. Watching her opportunity she destroyed the explosive quality of the cap, and dampened the powder in the tube, leaving the gim to appearance all right. Soon afterward she again refused to go any farther in that direction. Again the old scoundrel threatened her with death. She instantly bared her bosom and dared him to fire. He aimed his gun at her breast and essayed to fire, but the gun refused to take part in the work of death. The superstitious savage, supposing she bore a charmed life, lowered his gtm, and asked which way she wishsd to go. She pointed toward the settlements. In this direction the teams were turned. They reached the neighborhood of the Upper Agency in ten days after leaving Lake Shetek, about the time of the arrival of the troops under Colonel Sibley in the vicinity of Wood Lake and Yellow Medicine. White Lodge did not like the looks of things around Wood Lake, and left, moving off in an opposite direction for greater safety. Mrs. Koch was finally rescued at Camp Belease, after wading or swimming the Minnesota river ten times in company with a friendly squaw.

At Lake Shetek, the settlers were soon all gathered at the house of John Wright, prepared for defense. They were, however, induced by the ap. parently friendly persuasion of the Indians to abandon the house, and move towards the slough for better safety. The Indians commenced firing upon the retreating party. The whites returned the fire as they ran. Mrs. Eastlick was wounded in the heel, Mr. Duly's oldest son and daughter were shot through the shoulder, and Mrs. Ireland's youngest child was shot through the leg, while running to the slough. Mr. Hatch, Mr. Everett, Mr. Eastlick, Mrs. Eastlick, Mrs. Everett, and several children were shot. The Indians now told the women to come out of the slough, and they would not kill them or the children, if they would come out. They went out to tJiem with the children, when they shot Mrs. Everett, Mrs. Smith, and Mrs. Ireland dead, and killed some of the children. Mrs. Eastlick was shot and left on the field, supposed to be dead, but she finally escaped, and two of her children, Morton and Johnny. Her interesting narrative wOl be found in the large work, from which this abridgment is made up. Mrs. Julia A. Wright, and Mrs. Duly, and the two children of Mrs. Wright, and two of the children of Mrs. Duly were taken captive. Some of these were taken by the followers of Little Crow to the Missouri river, and were subsequently ransomed at Fort Pierre, by Major Qnlpin. All the men except Mr. Eastlick, being only wounded, escaped to the settlements. The brothers Burns remained on their claim, and were not molested. One sneaking Indian coming near them paid the forfeit with his life.

Spirit IjAKE. - On or about the 25th day of August, 1862, the "Annuity Sioux Indians" made their appearance at Spirit Lake, the scene of the terrible Inkpaduta massacre of 1857. The inhabitants fled in dismay from their homes; and the savages, after plundering the dwellings of the set-

Dakota Tbrritobt. - Portions of Dakota Territory were visited by the Sioux in 1862. At Sioux Falls City the following murders were committed by the Sioux Indians on the 25th of August: Mr. Joseph B. and Mr. M. Amidon, father and son, were found dead in a corn-field, near which they had been making hay. The son was shot with both balls and arrows, the father with balls only. Their bodies lay some ten rods apart. On the morning of the 26th, about fifteen Indians, supposed to be Sioux, attacked the camp of soldiers at that place. They were followed, but eluded the vigilant pursuit of our soldiers and escaped. The families, some ten in number, were removed to Yankton, the capital, sixty-five miles distant. This removal took place before the murders at Lake Shetek were known at Sioux Falls City. The mail carrier who carried the news from New Ulm had not yet arrived at Sioux Falls, on his return trip. He had, on his outward trip, found Mrs. Eastlick on the prairie, near Shetek, and carried her to the house of Mr. Brown, on the Cottonwood.

In one week after the murders at the Falls, onehalf of the inhabitants of the Missouri slope had fled to Sioux City, Iowa, six miles below the mouth of the Big Sioux.

The Murder of Amos Huggins. - Amos Huggins (in the language of Eev. S. B. Kiggs, in his late work, 1880, entitled "Mary and I,") "was the eldest child of Alexander G. Huggins, who had accompanied Dr. Williamson to the Sioux country in 1835. Amos was bom in Ohio, and was at this time (1862) over thirty years old. He was married, and two children blessed their home, which for some time before the outbreak had been at Lac qui Parle, near where the town of that name now stands. It was then an Indian village and planting place, the principal man being Wakanmane - Spirit Walker, or Walking Spirit. If ' the people of the village had been at home Mr.- Huggins and his family, which included Miss Julia Laframboise, who was also a teacher in the employ of the Government, would have been safe. But in the absence of Spirit Walker's people three Indian men came - two of them from the Lower Sioux Agency - and killed Mr. Huggins, and took from the house such things as they wanted." pp. 169-170.

This apology for the conduct of Christian Indians towards the missionaries and their assistants, who had labored among them since 1835 up to 1862, a period of twenty-seven years, shows a truly Christian spirit on the part of the Rev. S. B. Biggs; but it is scarcely satisfactory to the general reader that the Christian Indians were entirely innocent of all blame in the great massacre of 18G2.