Rice County, Minnesota - Big Stone Lake Whites Killed Lake 8hetek -, 1882

At Big Stone Lake, in what is now Big Stone coimty, were four trading houses, Wm. H. Forbes, Daily, Pratt & Co., and Nathan Myriok. The habitues of these Indian trading houses, as usual, were mostly half-breeds, natives of the country. The store of DaOy, 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 was 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 stiU 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 Ujjper 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 escape, when near Lac qui Parle, was met by Joseph Laframboise, who hud gone thither to obtain his sister Julia, then a captive there. Manderfield received fi'om Laframboise proper directions, and finally reached Fort Bidgely in safety.

Lake Shetek. - This beautiful lake of quiet water, some six mUes long and two broad, is situated about seventy rmles west of New TJlm, in the county of Murray. Here a little community of some fifty jiiersons 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. Hurd 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 P. 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 Murray coimty.

On the 20th of August some twenty Sioux Indians rode up to tlio house of Mr. Hurd. Mr. Hurd himself liad left liome for the Missouri river on the 2d day of Juuo previous. Ten of these Indians entered the house, Calked and smoked their jjipes while Mrs. Hurd was getting breakfast. Mr. Voight, tlie work-hand, wliile waiting for breakfast, took i:p 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 infeinal deed, as these Indians had always been kindly treated, and often fed at her table. She ran to the fallen man to raise bim 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 comjielled 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 bttle ones. I

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 direction of ber 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 witli death. She instantly bared her bosom and dared him to Are. 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 jiointed toward the settlements. In this direction the teams were turned. They reached the neighborhood of the Uj.iper Agency in ten days aft<ir leaving Lake Shotek, 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 Avas finally rescued at Camp Release, after wading or swimming the Minnesota river ten times in company with a fHendly 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 slongh 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 Blrs. 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 t(^ come out of the slough, and they would not kill them or the children, if they would come out. They went out lo 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 chUdreu 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 excej^t 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 Spirit Lake, the scene of the terrible Inkpaduta massacre of 1857. The inhabitants rled in dismay from their homes; and the savages, after plundering the dwellings of the set-

Dakota. Tbbbitoet. - Portions of Dakota Territory -were visited by the Sioux in 18G2. 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, suppt)sed to be Sioux, attacked the camp of soldiers at that j)lace. They were followed, but eluded the vigilant pursuit of our soldiers and escajDed. 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 Mukdee of Amos Huggins. - Amos Huggins (in the language of Rev. S. K. Eiggs, in his late work, 1880, entitled "Mary and I,") "was the eldest child of Alexander G. Huggins, who bad 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 bad been at Lac qui Parle, near where the town of that name now stands. It was then an Indian village and planting jjlace, the principal man being Wakanmane - Spirit Walker, or Walking S23irit. If the people of the village had been at home Mr. Huggins and his family, which included Miss JuHa Laframlioise, who was also a teacher in the employ of the Government, would have been safe. But in the al.).sence of Spirit Walker's people three Indian men came - two of them fi-om the Lower Sioux Agency - and killed Mr. Huggins, and took from the house such thuigs 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 1802, a period of twenty-seven years, shows a truly Christian spirit on the part of the Rev. S. K.. Riggs; 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.