Rice County, Minnesota - Chapter 35: Leopold Wohler and Wife Lbivenworth, 1882

Statement Op Mrs. Mary J. Covill Story Op

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 B. Brown.

Major Brown's family consisted of his wife and nine children; Angus Brown and wife, and Charles Blair, a sou-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. M;ijor 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 bis escape to Fort Kidgely, 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 httle 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 foimd 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 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 othera were waylaid and massa.'red 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. Covin, says:

"On Monday, the 18th of August, messengers came to the houue 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 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 Miiinp, to take liis team and cscap.'". I i)ackod a trunk with clothing, and hid it in the grass, and then went myself to Whiton's, as I was afraid to remain at homo. Mr. Biaut 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 ciiild in her arms, and we all started across the 2:)rairie, 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 (iuilder and family, Edward Allen and wife, Charles Smith and family and Mrs. Carroll, were aU 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. Covin discovered them to be Indians. Riant turned his horses round and fled, when they jumped up out of the grass, whooped, and tired at us. They then jumped into their wagon and followed. Mr. Covin had the only gun in the party that could be used, and kept it pointed at the Indians as we retreated. They tired at us some halt- dozen times, but, fortunately, without injuring any one. "We drove hastily back to the house of Van Guilder, and entered it as quickly as pj.Siible, 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 fi-om 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 stoj^ped to hitch the horses, and they soon started otf, and the Indians followed. As they were going over a hill near the house, they shook a white cloth at us, and, whoopuig, 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 alterward found, tcith its head aemred frnm its hudy by the fiends. B. L. Wait and Luther Whitou, who had concealed themselves in the grass when they saw the Indians coming, joined us. Jlrs. A. B. Hough and infant child were with the family of Van Guilder. These made our numljer up to fifteen. We traveled across the prairie all day without seeing any Indians, and, at night, camped im the Little Cottonwood. We waded the stream, and made our camp on the opposite side, in the tall grass and reeds. We reached this sjjot on Tuesday night, and remained there till Friday afternoon, witliout 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. Tiiat night, and nearly all the next day, it rained. At about daylight the next dav, 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-bashes, 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, \vith 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 morniag, one hundred and fifty men, under Captain Tousley, of Le Sueur, and S. A. Buell, of St. Peter, started to our relief, reaehm" our place of concealmsut 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, rescue any who might remain alive, and then return. They buried the Bkim 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 sulijected.

"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 hud left it, and reached New Ulm without seeing Indians, about half an hour before the place was attacked. The same day, William Carroll, a party of men, came to the house for us, found Mr. Eiant, 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. HUl, 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 wore 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, conceahng her near a slough, took the eldest cliild 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 nest day, Tuesday, Mr. Jackson was one of the party with Carrcll, 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 hia 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 Uim, 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 rjached the village in safety. Mrs. Laura Whiten, 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, ccme 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. Hoydrick jumped off a bridge across a ravine, and, riiuniug 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 oi^his brother, Luther, a single man, to see what had become of him, telliug us to remain where we were until he came back. We never saw liim again. After he left us, not daring to remain where we were, wo fcirdeil the river (Cottouwood), and bid in the timber, on the opposite side, where we remained imtil about 8 o'clocli, when we started for New TJlm.

" 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 nest day, arriving at New Ulm at about dark on Friday, the 22d. About midnight, on Thursday night, as we were fleeing alimg 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 to'mi, but were overtaken by the savages upon the road, and all but a little boy most brutally murdered.

" Mr. Whiton returned homo, from his visit to the house of his brother, which he found deserted, and found that our hoiise 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 heat 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 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 iintouched upon it. Hei'e they sat do'svn 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. Whiton arose and stepped to the stove for some water, they came into the door, one of them saying, ^Da mca 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, imol iserved. The savage made no answer, but instantly raised his gun, and shot bim 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 hiniself in the bushes near by.

" While lying here ho could hear the Indians yelling and tiring 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, wc 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 jirairie, 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 thmk she was loliite, 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. HiU took with her to New Ulm.

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

The toWTi of Milford, Brown county, adjoinino- New Ulm on the west and contiguous to the reservation, was a farming community, comjiosed 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 "bud and blossom like the rose." Industry and thrift had brought their sure reward, and peace, contentment and happiness filled the hearts of this simj^le-hearted peojde. The noble and classic Ehme 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 dowu 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 infliiential citizen, a widower. Mr. Massipost had two daugliters, intelligent and accomplished. These the savages murdered most brutally. The head of one of them was afterward foimd, severed from the body, attached to a fish-hook, and hung upon a naU. His son, a young man of twentyfour years, was also killed. Mr. Massijiost 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 woimds. Two of them were kiUed 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 tiU 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 jjarents escaped.

Adolph Shilling and his daughter were killed; his sou 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 barl)arity at th's place. After kUling the inhabitants, they plundered and sacked the houses, destroying all the proj^erty 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 "Duteh 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 housss 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 famUy 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 esca2Jed to the town, but Ids 'ftife and children, together with his team, were taken by them. Beturning 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 reserx'ation was not generally visited by the savages until Tuesday, the 19th, and the succeeding days of that week. The people had, generally in the mcautime, sought safety in flight, and were l^rincipally 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 imcut, and wasted in the field, while horses and cattle and shee]3 and hogs roamed rmrestraiaed^at wiU 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 swine and sheep, and all other stock that theyo.iull ii'.>t e:itcli; ruiisliing the work of ruin . by :ij)pl_ving the torch to tho stacks of hay and grain, and in some instances to the dwellings of the settlers.

William Mills kept a public house in tlie 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 tho safety of his family, by sending them across the prairie to a secluded spot, at a slough some three miles from the house. Leaving a span of horses and a wagon with them, he instructed them, if it should seom 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 visiteil 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 Tu-sday morning, when he started out to his family, thinking he would send them to Henderson, and return and assist in the defense of that po.st. 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 w'as going to send his family to a place of safety, and return. The heutenant, with an oath, wrested from hira 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 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. Ccmrtland 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, or Monday night and Tuesday, indescribable terror seized the inhabitants; and the rapidly accuujulating human tide, gathering force and humbcrs as it moved across the prairie, lulled an overwhelming Hood into tho towns along tlio river.

On the arrival of a force of mounted men, under Captains Anson Northnip, of Minneapolis, and K. H. Chittenden, of the First Wisconsin Cav.alry, at Henderson, on the way to Fort Kidgely, they met Charles Nelson, and, on consultation, decided to go to St. Peter, where they wer-o 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 wo 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. Eeapers 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 th? spot where he had been overtaken in attempting to escape with his wife and children. We found his wagon; the groimd was strewn with articles of apparel, his wife's bonnet, boxes, yarn, in fact everythmg they had hastily gathered up. But the wife and boys were gone. Her he had seen them miu-der, but the children had run into the corn-field. He had also secreted a woman and child undtr 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 ehie 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 his 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 Bidgely, 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 coimtry between Fort Kidgely, 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 bluif, 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 Bidgely.

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 reoonnoiter, and report to Little Crow the condition of the place, and the abilitv of the people to defend themselves. But they failed to take Fort Kidgely, and, on the 22d, their scouts saw a large body of troops, under Colonel Sibley, enter St. Peter.