Waseca County, Minnesota - Chapter 31, 1905

Chapter 31

EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION - COUNTY MILITARY DISTRICTS - WAR PRICES - SIBLEY EXPEDITION AGAINST THE SIOUXBATTLES OF BIG MOUND, DEAD BUFFALO LAKE - DEATH OF LITTLE CROW - GETTYSBURG, SURRENDER OF VICKSBURG AND PORT HUDSON, THE NEW YORK RIOTS - WILTON WEEKLY NEWS - TERRIBLE BLIZZARD DEC. 31.

In some respects the year 1863 was the most notable in the history of our nation and of the world. New Year's day is second only to Christmas as a day of enjoyment throusihout the civilized world, even in ordinary times, but this New Year's day was one long to be remembered and held in reverence.

From the issuing of the Declaration of ludependeuee to this "happy New Year" of 1863, the life of the nation had been a paradox - as some said, a living lie.

On this day the paradox was wiped out, for President Abraham Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proelamation forever freeing the black and yellow slaves in tlie rebel states from the chains of the most odious bondage that the civilized world had ever seen. This brave, generous, (Jod-like act - alroaily too long delayed, as many thought- set forever free over four millions of oppressed human beings. Not only will the intelligent American citizens of African blood, Ui the remotest generation, i-evere tlie name of Abraham Lincoln, but intelligent and Christian Auun-ican citizinis of Caucasian blood will link his name with the greatest of earth

It Avas "ordered that the treasurer of the county be directed not to receive soldiers' orders for bounty (taxes) of such persons as were rejected for disability at Fort Snelling, and not now in the service of the United States." At the same meeting the county was divided by the commissioners into seven military districts as follows :

First district. Blooming Grove; Second district, Iosco ; Third district, Janesville ; Fourth district, St. Mary ; Fifth district, Yv ilton and Woodville; Sixth district, Otisco and New Richland; Seventh , district, Vivian and Byron. Alton and Freedom then belonged to the Winnebago Indians.

At a subsequent meeting, June 15th, the board appointed officers for some of the districts. In the St. Mary district Enoch Plummer was appointed captain, John Byron, now deceased, first lieutenant, and Thomas J. Kerr, second lieutenant. W. H. Wyman was appointed captain in the Sixth district, but the record does not show that he had any lieutenant, either first or second. In the Second district, Wm. E. Allen was appointed captain, J. S. G. Honnor, first lieutenant, and John G. Ward, second lieutenant. There is no record of appointments in other districts, nor does it appear that any military or^ianizations were ever perfected iindei- the law.

It seems that there was at that time a suspicion that jiistices of the peace did not pay over promptly all fines' collected by them, for in the proceedings of Jan. 29, 1863, the following entry appears :

"Ordered that all justices of the peace in the County of Waseca be directed to bring their dockets to the district attorney to be compared with the treasurer's books; and it is further ordered that all fines due the county be paid immediately."

Whether the order received any attention does not appear of record, but it is preserved as one of the many orders made by county commissioners. Such orders were without the authority of law, but serve to show the condition of affairs at the time.

There being at that time two newspapers purporting to be printed in the county, but really printed, one at Owatonna, the other at Faribault, it was "voted that the chairman be authorized to receive bids for the county printing and to contract for the same with the lowest bidder entitled to it." This was the first time our county printing was ever let to the lowest bidder. The printing was let to Col. J. C. Ide, editor of the Courier and also county auditor, for the sum of $130, not including the tax sale list of taxes.

The tax levy for 1863 was as follows : State revenue, four and a half mills ; county expenses, three mills ; for liquidation of county bonds, four mills ; back indebtedness, three mills, one-half cash; school tax, two and one-half mills; - a total of seventeen mills on the dollar. This tax levy was made Oct. 6, 1863. At the same meeting the county auditor's salary was raised $-50, making his total salary $500 per year. And it cost more to live then than it does at this writing, 1904.

The spring stocks of merchandise brought "war prices" in Waseca county. In consequence of the war, prices of goods, which had for some time been gradually advancing, reached pretty high figures as early as i\Iarcli. The first of April, common cotton sheeting was selling for fifty cents per yard; calico, at from thirty-five to forty; entton shirting, at from forty-five to sixty cents; coffee, at from forty to fifty cents per pound; the poorest, cheapest tea, at $1.50 per pound: common brown sugarpeople do not eat such now-a-days, - from sixteen to twenty-five cents per pound. The prices of nearly all merchandise were in proportion.

Very many of our people, the ma.iority, to say the least, made their table beverages, during the high prices, of barley, carrot, beet, corn, wheat, rye, or pea cott'ee, and pennyroyal or sage tea, and they drank these without much sugar. :Many people then learned for the first time, that hot water, with a little milk or ere;i]ii, at meal time, is more conducive to health than the best tea or coiTee.

The weather was mild during the winter of lS6l!-3 and the spring months were very favoraitle to early seeding. The sowing of wheat was commeneetl as early as April 1st. and by the loth of May, spring crops were all planted. There was verv little rainfall all through the season, and the hay crop was comparatively light; but the wheat, oat, and barley crops yielded well and were of excellent quality.

The Indians Again

A small band of Indians in the month of April, made a raid into the AVatonwan river settlement, killed five persons, stole several horses, and made their escape. 'Within the summer. Gen. Sibley, -with three thousand troops from Minnesota, and General Sully, with about an equal force from Iowa, advanced into the country then occupied by the Indians. The battle of Big Moimd was fought by the forces under Gen. Sibley, July 24th. At this battle, Rev. Dr. AYeiser was treacherously shot and killed by the Indians while they were pretending to want peace. One white man was killed by lightning during the battle. Lieut. Freeman, while hunting, was killed by the Indians the morning before the Indians had been discovered by the scouts. A large number of the red men were killed and wounded and some of them scalped by the hunters. On the 26th of July, at the Indians, mounted on ponies and led by Grey Eagle, made a dash for the hay cutters and mules, but were promptly met by the ^Mounted Rangers, who gave them battle. A number of the savages were killed in this engagement, among them their chief, Grey Eagle, who fought bravely but was soon killed.

On July 3, 1863, Little Crow, the chief who had led in the massacre of 1862, v.-as shot and killed near Hutchinson by Nathan Lampson. Little Crow also shot Lampson, wounding him in the shoulder. The second shot from Lampson 's gun proved mortal. Little Crow's son, aged 16 years, was with his father at the time of his death, 'but made his escape. He was afterwards taken prisoner and finally sent to the reservation of his people on the ilissouri river, where he has since died.

Battle Of Gettysburg

BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG. June 18th, 100,000 rebels entered Pennsylvania, near Chambersburg. On the 1st, 2d and 3d days of July occurred the great battle of Gettysburg, which was one of the greatest of the civil

Avar, and really the turning point in the great struggle. It was in this great battle that the First Minnesota regiment conferred imperishable honor and fame upon our state. July 4th, Vicksburg, iliss., surrendered to Grant with her 31,000 rebels, 220 guns and 70,000 small arms. July 8th, Port Hudson surrendered to the Union army. July 13th, the New York rioting commended, - the negro orphan asylum was burned, negroes were hanged in the streets, and houses robbed and burned by rebel sympathizers. The rioting lasted several days and was finalh' suppressed by Union troops. The last battles of the year occurred at Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain, Xov. 23d, in which our Union soldiers were victorious.

The Fall Election

It was a close call for the Republicans in this coimty at the fall election of 1863. The draft, which had been ordered throughout the coimtry, had been very unpopular. The local Republicans that were appointed to conduct it - especially the writer, who was appointed to the very unpleasant position of deputy United States marshal - were accused of many wrongful acts: and although nearly all the accusations were false and unjust, as was afterwards admitted, they had their influence upon the voters. "Waseca county was then in the same legislative district with Freeborn and Steele coimties. The candidates for state senator were F. J. Stevens, Republican; Amos Coggswell, Democrat; and Jacob ]\Iail, independent. Stevens received 2S2 votes, Coggswell 58, and :Mail 51.

The First Permanent Newspaper

As before mentioned, there were two newspapers, "The Waseca Home Views" and "The "Waseca Courier," purporting to be edited and published in Wilton, but they were really side editions of other papers. The Courier was printed at Owatonna, Col. Ide, Republican, being the Wilton editor. The Home Views was printed at Faribault, Buel Welch, a Democrat, being editor.

The people of Wilton said thej- wanted a really home paper ; so Hon. H. D. Baldwin, who held a chattel mortgage on the press and material of the Home Views plant, at Faribault, arranged to take the plant in satisfaction of the mortgage. He employed a man named James ^lowatt, an Englishman by birth, to conduct the mechanical department, and arranged with the writer to edit and take charge of the biisiness management of the paper. After some delay in getting the plant in working order, the first number of the made its appearance. It was a six-column folio - Republican in politics. It is said that no paper ever flourished in a country to^Yn where the editor and the publisher are separate, neither having entire control. And so at the end of the year the writer purchased the plant and took entire control. It was three years before the plant paid expenses and four years before the proprietor received any income for his own services ; but, then, he enjoyed the excitement of the business and the struggle for success, and has never regretted the hard work that finally brought reasonable success. Under the chapter relating to "Journalism," a full account of newspaper enterprises in the county will be given "without hatred or affection."

A Terrible Storm

The last day of December, 1863, and the first two days of 1864 brought one of the most severe storms that have ever visited the county since its first settlement in August, 1854. The wind bl?w a gale. The air was filled with the tempest-driven snow, and the cold was intense. The temperature went as low as 34 degrees, in Wilton, and at St. Louis, Mo., and in Kentucky and Ohio, the thermometer registered as low as 24 degrees. On the last day of December the air was so filled with fine particles of frost and snow and driven with such force by the wind that objects a dozen feet distant could not be seen. It was almost impossible to face the wind for any distance Fortunately the storm arose in the night, and no one in this section was seriously injured.