Houston County, Minnesota - Chapter 35: Leopold Wohleb and Wife - Leavenworth, 1882

STATEMENT OP MBS. MART J. OOVTLL - STORY OP MRS. LAURA WHTTON - MILFORD - NICOLLET COUNTY - WEST NEWTON - LAFAYETTE - OOUBTLAND - SWAN LAKE - PARTIAL LIST OP THE KILLED IN NICOLLET COUNTY - INDIANS SCOURING THE COUNTRY - A SOOUTINO 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, and 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 housev 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 massacre.

J. H. Ingalls, 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 Release, 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 w«b 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 Carroll 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 German 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. Covill, wife of George W. Covill, says:

"On Monday, the 18th of August, messengers came to the house of Lnthur 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 P. M., and told me about it, and then went back to Whiton's, about half a mile away, to get a Mr. Riant, who had recently come there from the State of Maine, to take bis team and escap*. I packed a trunk with clothing, and hid it in the grass, and then went myself to Whiton's, as I was afraid to remain at home. Mr. Riant 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.

44 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. Riant turned his horses round and fled, 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.

,k We drove hastily back to the house of Van Guilder, and entered it as quickly as p383ible, 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 off, and the Indians followed. As they were going over a hill near the house, 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, which the mother had brought back to the house with her, was left lying upon the table. It was afterward found, with its liead severed from its body by the fiends. S. L. Wait and Luther Whiton, 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 grass 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 heard an 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, an 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, to 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, rescua 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 Ulm 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. Carroll 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 and 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 escaped. 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 Carroll, heretofore mentioned, that 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 following 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 young boy, who resided three miles from our place, came 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. Heydriok 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 believe 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 Ulm.

44 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 passed 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 plundered. He then went to the woods to search for us. He remained in the timber, prosecuting his search, until Saturday, without food; and, failing to 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 till they came to the noose 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. WTiiton arose and stepped to the stove for some water, they came into the door, one of them saying, kDa mea tepee.1 [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 corn. 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 daylight, 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 English 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 German 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 Germans. A quiet, sober, industrious, and enterprising class of emigrants had here made their homes, and the prairie wilderness around them began to i4bud 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 were almost forgotten, or, if not

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 the 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 Massipost, 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 escaped to New Ulm. The house of Anton Hanley was likewise visited. Mr. Hanley was absent. The 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 death 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 running, Zierke escaped to the town, but his wife and children, together with his team, were taken 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 county contiguous to the reservation was not generally visited by the savages 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 fell 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 shooting 8 wine and sheep, and all other stock that they could not catch; finishing 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 Kidgely, 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 same three miles from the house. 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 remained 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. Sheehan 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 defenseless. Left thus unarmed and powerless, he took his family and hastened to Henderson, arriving there that day in safety.

A few Indians 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 remained 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. . Court land 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 oveiwhelming 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 the 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, yarn, 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 clue 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 his 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 fall 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.