Freeborn County, Minnesota - Big Stone Lake Whites Kili.ed - Lake Shetek, 1882

Names Of Sbttlkrs Mbs. Alomina Hukd Es Destruction Of Property Killing Op Amos

At Big Stone Lake, in what is now Big Stone county, were four trading bouses, Wm. H. Forbes, Daily, Pratt & Co.. and Kathan Myrick. The liahitues of these Indian trading houses, as usual, wore mostly half-breeds, natives of the country. The store of Daily, Pratt k 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 Mauderfield; while one half-breed, at the store, Baptiste Gubeau, was taken prisoner, and was informed that be would be killed that night. But Gubeau succeeded in escaping from their grasp, and making his way to the lake. His escape was a wonderful feat, bound as be was, as to bis bands, 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 lum, 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 be was mistaken for an Indi;in 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 escape, when near Lac qui Parle, was met by Joseph Laframboise, who had gone thither to obtain his sister Julia, then a captive there. Manderfield received from Larramboise proper directions, and finally reached Fort Eidgely 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 commimity of some fifty persons were residing far 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. Ilurd 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 witb their several families, and six single men, Wm. James, Edgar Bently, John Voight, E. G. Cook, and John F. and Daniel Burns, the latter residing alone on a claim at Walnut Grove, some distance from the lake, constituted the entire population of Lake Shetek settlement, in Miirray county.

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. Hurd 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 dii'ection 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 ujiper 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 tiibe, 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 der.th. 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 gun, 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 Release, 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 apparently 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 rimning 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 woidd come out. They went out to them 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, Merton and Johnny. Her interesting narrative will 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 Galpin. 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 Lake. - On or about the 25th day of August, 1862, the "Annuity Sioux Indians" made their appearance at Sfiirit Lake, the scene of the terrible Inkpaduta massacre of 1857. The inhabitants fled in dismay from their homes; and the savages, after plundering the dwelUngs of the set-

Dakota Tebbitobt. - Portions of Dakota Territory were visited by the Sioux in 1862. At Sious Falls City the following murders were committed by the Sioux Indians on tho 25th of August: Mr. Joseph B. and ]Mr. M. Amidon, father and son, were found dead in a com- 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 2Gth, 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 Citv, 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. EastUck on the prairie, near Shetek, and carried her to the house of Mr. Bro^vn, 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 Kev. 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 born 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 Lao 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. It the people of the village had been at home Mr. Huggins and his family, which inchided Miss Julia Laframboise, who was also a teacher in the employ of the Government, would have been sate. 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 laljored among them since 1835 up to 1862, a jjoriod of twenty-seven years, shows a truly Christian spirit on the part of the Eev. S. K. Kiggs; but it is scarcely satisfactory to the general reader that the Christian Indians were entirely innocent of all blame in the great massacre of 1862.