Waseca County, Minnesota - Chapter 4, 1905

DRIVE CATTLE TO MANKATO - S. P. CHILD NEAR UNTO DEATH - CALLENS AND MANSFIELD SHANTY - CHILD CAUGHT ON PRAIRIE AT NIGHT AND FEET BADLY FROZEN - TERRIBLE SUFFISRING AND NO PHYSICIAN NEAR - THE WINNEBAGO INDIANS ARRIVE.

Shortly after their arrival at !Sutlief'& place, JMessrs. Barrett, Sutlief and y. P. Child started for Mankato with a portion of Sutlief 's cattle in order to get them kept there until spring, as the hay was running short. Mr. Sutlief returned within a few da.vs, leaving S. P. Child at Van Brunt's sawmill to get in logs for lumber. j\Ir. Barrett had a claim of his own near South Bend and remained there. Van Brunt's mill was on the LeSueur river, about five miles east of Mankato. Owing to some misunderstanding, S. P. Child, after remaining at the mill a few days, started to return to Sutlief's claim, intending to stop on the way, over night, at the shanty of Mansfield and Callens, who then resided about four miles south of what was soon after known as Winnebago Ager.e^-. Mr. Child found no one about the home and the door was locked; he therefore concluded to push through to Sutlief's that day. This was a most unwise decision, for he had nearly twenty-five miles to travel before he would reach the Sutlief place. There was no road, and half the forenoon was already spent. He should have forced open the door and remained over night. But he was young, strong, and impetuous, and, thinking he could get through in good time, he started on. The snow was deep, especially in low places and in ravines, often taking him in waist deep. It was also covered with crust, strong enough to hold him up in some places, while in other places it would break through. During the middle of the day the weather was mild, and some of the snow that worked into his boots melted, making his socks and boots quite wet. Toward evening the weather became much colder and, despite all his efforts, his feet began to freeze soon after dark. There was no track he could follow, no land mark he could see, and he was enabled to keep his course only by a star which he selected as his guide. One can, perhaps, better imagine than describe the feelings and emotions of one so young thus toiling on with frozen feet, nerved by the hope of reaching shelter and by the prospect of perishing with cold and fatigue on an uninhabited prairie with only prairie wolves to gather at his deathbed. Hour after hour wore away, his feet to his ankles were frozen hard; drowsiness came over him ; the prairie' wolves howled in the distance ; yet no sign of the shanty could be discovered. Though much exhausted and discouraged, he struggled on. He had passed the shanty to the south. Death was certain if he went forward.

Fortunately for him the inmates of the cabin were at work much later than usual that evening ; by mere chance he discovered the light, and to the great astonishment of all present came in about eleven o'clock more dead than alive. His boots and socks were frozen tight to his feet and ankles, and some time and much labor were required to remove them.

The suffering he endured for many weeks can not be described. No medical aid could be obtained, and the flesh on his feet literally rotted away, leaving the blackened bones of his toes exposed, ilany weeks of pain passed before he could step on his ±eet and it was months before he could wnlk without the aid of crutches. Most of the discolored bones of his toes were taken off by his brother who used a razor in the work of amputation. In the latter part of the following April, he was conveyed to Mankato where surgical aid was obtained and the other injured bones were removed. B>- July following he had so far recovered the use of his feet that he took the position of government cook at the Winnebago Agency, among the Winnebago Indians, These Indians had been brought to their reservation during the month of June of that year - Gen. Fletcher being the auent at that time.