Washington County, Minnesota - Chapter 26: T1ik Sioux Mass Ague, 1881

Chapter 26: T1ik Sioux Mass Ague

The Stmix Mnnarte - Tho EvcnU Which rrolwbljr lr*l In 11,-Himilriit of Hie Imllam. - The Mnnlera at Artnn. - Commriirrmmt of Ihe Cnrnane al Rol Woml. - Awful Semen. - Narrow Kaca|ie of Whiten. - The llatlle of fte*! Wool Kerry. - KietHlMi ('ruellien of the Sovapen. - I'aule ami KHkIH of Ihe "Hllem. - Comlitlon of Alfaira at Kort Rhlpely - The Alarm Reachen St. lYter. - Ileinforeemenla Ret Out from There. - Th? Drat Attack on New Him - The Sava pen Repiilaeit - They Heniege Kort KiHgcljr - But Kali In ( 'a 1 4 tire It - Amt Again Khll on New Ulm. - Denperato Kighting. - Tho Town Nearly fhimetl Down - The Savagei Wilhilraw, Uniucccnaful. - The Town Evacuated. - End of Ihe firm! " Week of Wood."-Ita Reaulta to the State.

While these exciting events were occurring, and attracting the attention of our citizens, a fearful stonn was gathering in an unexpected quarter, and soon burst upon our state with ap¬ palling fury. The Sioux Indians, of whom sev¬ eral thousand were living on reservations in tho western portions of Minnesota, had been for sev¬ eral weeks (i. e. since about June 14th) collected at the Yellow Medicine agency, to receive their annual payment. This woidd have been made to them by the proper officer, at that time and place, promptly, had not the necessities of the government just at that juncture, prevented the prompt transmission of the $70,000 in gold coin, which was to pay the Indians their annuities. As soon as it could bo got ready, it was sent, and hurried forward by special messengers, night and day, arriving just one day too late. Meantime the Indians were waiting impatiently for their money, cand for the provisions and other supplies which were to lie given them when the payment was made. They were almost destitute of food, and some were really sulTering from hunger. In this discontented condition, they were ready to listen to bad counsel. Malicious parties had whis¬ pered to them that the war had destroyed most of the young men of the whites; that only old men and lxiys were left; and if so disposed they could repossess themselves of the land; that they were to lie cheated out of their money by the traders, whom they had before accused of de¬ frauding them; and other wrongs, real or fan¬ cied, were recited to inflame them. As was usual, a small detachment of troops had been sent to tho agency when the Indians first assem¬ bled, to preserve order. This consisted of fifty men from Fort Ridgely, under Capt. Jno. S. Marsh, and fifty from Fort Ripley, commanded by Lieut. T. J. Sheehan. Yet, notwithstanding the presence of these soldiers, guarding tho ware¬ houses, on Aug. 4th, several hundred Indians attacked and broke into one of tho buildings, and took about one hundred sacks of flour before they could be stopped. The missionaries, with Major Galbraith, the agent, at length quieted this outbreak. The agent issued some ammuni¬ tion and goods to them, and i>ereunded them to disperse, and he would send them word when the money was ready for them. To this they appeared to agree, and apparently left the agency and went to their hunting-grounds. It was now supposed that the trouble was over, and the troops were allowed, on Aug. Kith, to deimrt for their iwists. Rut it was only the calm before the storm. All this time bad blood was brewing, and the storm gathering, unnoticed, or at least unheeded by the whites. Only a spark was needed to explode this magazine of savago fury, and that, at length came. There is good evi¬ dence to believe that during this interval the In¬ dians were holding councils and " soldiers lodg¬ es," and had concluded that as the forts were manned by but a handful of soldiers, it would be a good time to rise and sweep away the while race from their old hunting-grounds.

On Sunday, Aug. 17, a party of four Indians, be¬ longing to a band noted for insubordination, were in the neighborhood of Acton, Meeker County, where they had lieen for several days hunting. They were angry ami quarrelsome. They came to the house of a Mr. Howard Raker, where they found him and his wife, and a Mr. Webster and wife. Mr. Robinson Jones and wife and a Miss Wilson, neighbors, came in soon after. The In¬ dians had previously had a quarrel with Jones, which was now renewed. They then proposed shooting at a mark with Baker and Jones, which was done. After discharging their guns, the Indians at once reloaded, and commenced firing oil the whites. Jones and his wife, and Baker and Webster were killed, and Miss Wilson, Mrs. Baker and child, and Mis. Webster, were un¬ hurt. The four Indian murderers then stole horses in the neighborhood, and rode rapidly, during the night, to the Indian village near the agency, where they told what they had done, and urged that, as blood had been spilt, and they would suffer the penalty, they must all unite and exterminate the whites. The other Indians then armed themselves, and at sunrise, Aug. 18, the work of the death commenced, at the Lower Sioux Agency, near Bed Wood. It is strongly asserted by other writers, who give good reasons for the lielief, that the Indians collected at the Agency had all ready demanded on the massacre, and commenced it on the 18th, without knowing of the events at Acton.

The tirst victim to this hellish plot was James W. Lynde, a clerk in the trading house of Nathan My rick, lie was a man of tine attainments, and had written a work on the History and Religion of the Dakotas, which was just ready for publi¬ cation. Three other i>ersons were killed at the same store. At Forbes' trading house, near by, George II. Spencer, the clerk, was badly wounded, when his life was saved by. the interposition of a friendly Indian, named Clinska, who protected him until he recovered. Other white i>ersons in and near the houses at the agency, were either killed or wounded, within a few minutes. At this jHjint the Indians ceased their carnage, in order to plunder the stores and government ware¬ houses, and this delay enabled Rev. S. D. Ilinman and some other whites, to escape to Fort Ridgely, spreading the alarm as they went.

After a brief time spent by the savages in rob¬ bing the stores, they continued their work of car¬ nage in every direction. They were soon joined by the warriors of the other bands, and, to the number of two or three hundred, spread through the settlements for several miles up and down the river, murdering all the whites whom they could find, excepting a few young womem, whom they took captive, and in many instances burning the houses of the settlers.

Meantime, the whites at the upi>er, or Yellow Medicine Agency, some thirty miles distant, were in ignorance of these dreadful scenes, and of the danger which threatened them. It was not until nearly night when John Other-Day, a Christian Indian, brought them the dreadful news, and warned them to save their lives. The whites, sixty-two in number, at once took refuge in a warehouse; but lliglit seemed the only safe course, and before daylight the next morning, they were on their way across the prairies to¬ wards Henderson, the men on foot, and the wo¬ men and children, with S. B. Garvie, who had escajH-d from his warehouse, after being badly wounded, in wagons. The noble Other-Day piloted them truly and skillfully. This party, after great hardships, arrived safely at the settle¬ ments on the Minnesota river, and thence to St. Raul, though Mr. Garvin died on the way. The two missionaries, Messrs. Williamson and Riggs, also escai>ed, with their families, after suffering much hardship.

On Monday morning, August lKth,alsmt three hours after the first outbreak at Ited Wood agency, a messenger from that place arrived at Fort Ridgely, twelve miles distant, with the startling news. Captain Marsh, Company B, Fifth Regiment, then in command, at once dis¬ patched a courier to Lieutenant Sheehan, Com¬ pany C, Fifth Regiment, who, with his detach¬ ment, had left the post the morning previous on his return to Fort Ripley, and also to Major Gal¬ braith, who had left at the same time for St. l'eler, with alxmt fifty recruits, called the "Ren¬ ville Rangers," en-route for Fort Snell ing, urging them to return at once. Captain Marsh at once left for the scene of carnage, with forty-four men on foot. After a forced march, he arrived about 2 o'clock l'. M. at the ferry opi>osite the Agency, near which place they found nine dead bodies. They were met here by Rev. Mr. Ilinman, on his way to the fort, who cautioned Capt. Marsh against an ambuscade, and warned him to return, as the Indians greatly outnumbered his force. Captain Marsh, who was a very brave but very rash man, would not listen to the advice, declaring that he could "whip all the Indians," or something to that effect. Arriving at the ferry, his men were drawn up on the bank, in plain sight, when three or four hundred Indians concealed in the thickets near by, poured a volley into them. Nearly half of his men fell dead or mortally wounded at the first fire, some of them pierced with twenty bul¬ lets, while several other's were wounded, but managed ultimately to escape ; some of them not reaching the fort for three days. The survivors of this sudden attack (Captain Marsh being himself uninjured) fell back from the ferry towards the fort, keeping up a running light amidst the thick timber on the river bottom, but against terrible odds.

Bushing up to the fallen soldiers, the savages tomahawked those still living, and tore the scalps from most of them, inflicting also nameless bru¬ talities on their corpses. All the flue Springlield muskets carried by the dead, and their ammuni¬ tion, fell into the hands of the redskins, and were subsequently used by them, with deadly effect, at the sieges of Fort Hidgely and New Ulm, and the battle of Birch Coolie. The remains of the fallen heroes wero ultimately interred at Fort Kidgcly, and the legislature, some years subsequently, caused a fine monument to be erected there in honor of their bravery.

For some time a hot battle raged in the forest, Capt. Marsh and his men retreating towards the fort, contesting the ground, inch by inch. Find¬ ing that his men were falling fast, and that the enemy was gathering in force ahead of him, so ns to cut him off, he determined to cross the river, so as to gain the open prairie on that side, ami reach the fort, if possible. He had now but thir¬ teen men left. At their head he attempted to Vade the river, but was drowned while so doing. His men got over in safety, and made their way to the fort about dark. Out of the forty-four who had left it that morning, twenty-four were dead. Thus ended the Battle of Redwood Ferry, the first engagement of the war. The Indians, it is thought, lost only one or two warriors.

Flushed with this easy victory in their first encounter with our troops, the Indians now con¬ sidered that the way was clear for their bloody war of extermination. They scattered in every direction, carrying death and torture to the homes of all the settlers within reach. For several days the work of carnage was awful. No pen can describe the horrors of that bloody week. 80 sudden and unexpected was the outbreak, and so insidious and skulking the mode of warfare of the savages, that the inhabitants were overtaken at their various pursuits and butchered in cold blood, without any chance of flight or resistance. Most of them were European immigrants who had re¬ cently settled on the frontier, and were quite un¬ acquainted with savage warfare and treachery. But few of them possessed effective fire-arms, or weapons of any kind, indeed, and even if they had these, so sudden and stealthy was the onset, that resistance would have been unavailing. The savages generally went about on these raids in squads of eight or ten, well armed. In many instances the treacherous devils w'ould advance boldly and with friendly demeanor into houses with whose owners they were acquainted, as if to ask for food, (as was their custom, for the set¬ tlers had always freely supplied them) ; when all at once they would shoot down or tomahawk the unsuspecting inmates, perhaps the very per¬ sons who had many times fed them when hun¬ gry. In a few' instances children, and sometimes adults, lied unobserved while this wrork of death was going on, and escaped a like fate by skulking in the grass or bushes, from whence they were often compelled to witness the cruel tortures practiced on the other members of their family, or flee for life with the death shrieks of the suffer¬ ing victims ringing in their ears. Some of those who escaped thus, wero rescued many days sub¬ sequently, after enduring incredible hardships, skulking by day around deserted houses, endeav¬ oring to find food, and wandering by night through the trackless waste, towards the settle¬ ments. Delicate women, carrying or leading in¬ fant children, thus traveled scores of miles to some place of safety, sometimes wounded and sick and almost naked. Many perished from hunger, exposure or wounds. Others lived, to suffer for years from their injuries. There were literally hundreds of such incidents as the above, and a full narrative of these adventures and escapes would fill volumes. No record can ever be made of them, and the fate of many will never be known until the last day.

The cruel barbarities practiced by the savages on their victims, was another sickening feature of the massacre, and its bare recital makes one shudder. All the fiendish cruelties that their savage nature and pent up hatred of the pale faces could suggest, they wreaked on their vic- tims, «i people who had always been their friends and benefactors. The wounded and dying were scaled or tomahawked out of all semblance of humanity. The bowels of many were gashed open, and their hands and feet, or other members, cut off and thrust into them. Children were slashed with knives, eyes gouged out, ears or hands cut off, or skulls smashed with wnr clubs. Some of these survived even such awful wounds, liabes were thrust living into stove ovens, and there left, to roast to death. Pregnant women were ripped open, and their unlx>rn babes torn away, and thrown into their face, or nailed to a door or tree, for their dying gaze to witness. But few women, comparatively, were killed outright. Instant death would have been a more merciful fate than they were reserved for. Frequently delicate young maidens were tied, or held by the fiends, and repeatedly outraged by the band of captors, some actually dying in the hands of their tormentors, or if they survived, led into a cap¬ tivity of horrors. But let us draw a veil over these atrocities.

After the murder of the inmates of a house, pillage was the next step, and the torch was then generally applied to it, oftentimes the wounded victims, unable to escape, being burned to death. Day after day the columns of smoke rising here and there showed where the various bands of de¬ mons were plying their work of destruction, while night after night the sky along the frontier was lurid with the light of burning homes. Two or three thousand dwellings were thus destroyed, in addition to three entire towns. Cattle were shot from mere wantonness, and others left to starve, with no one to attend them, Horses were saved for the use of the marauders, hundreds of them being stolen, and in many instances the savages were observed riding to and fro in fine buggies and carriages.

As the houses of the settlers were generally isolated from each other, the news of the out¬ break could not reach the more remote and scat¬ tered, in season to save them. Along the main roads leading to the settlements, the alarm was spread by fugitives, after a day or two, and this j fact enabled thousands to save their lives who would otherwise have fallen. Abandoning houses, crops, cattle - everything, hastily seizing some food and clothing, and harnessing their teams, they fled towards New Ulm, Fort Itidgely, St. Peter, Mankato, Henderson, ami other towns along the river. Some even pressed on to St. Paul. Soon the roads were literally crowded with a panic-stricken cavalcade, on foot, on horseback, in all sorts of vehicles, hurrying along with blanched faces and nervous trepidation. Many wero pursued and shot at (some killed, even) while flying, and all had horrid stories to relate. Lieut. Gov. Donnelly, on Aug. 2(5, wrote from St. Peter: " You can hardly conceive the panic existing along the valley. In Belle Plaine I found GOO people crowded in. In this place there are between 3,000 and 4, (MM) refugees. On the road between New Ulm and Mankato wero over 2,000. Mankato is also crowded. * * *

Their pro]>erty in tho mean time abandoned and going to ruin." The condition of these throngs of fugitives, crowded into the small towns, was pitiable.

The handful of men who survived the massa¬ cre at ltedowod Ferry, and made their way back to Fort Itidgely, found that post already crowded with panic-stricken fugitives from tho sur¬ rounding country. All night these poor settlers arrived from every direction, many of them wounded, having left portions of their families murdered, and their homes in flames. In every direction, all night long, the sky was reddened with the light of burning houses. It was a night of terror and despondency. About ten o'clock on Tuesday morning, the inmates were gladdened with the return of Lieutenant Sheehan and his command, who, on l>eing overtaken tho evening before by the messenger sent out to recall them, had made a forced march of sixteen hours. Lieutenant Sheehan at once took command of the post, and in connection with Sergeant John Jones, of the regular army, j>ost ordinance ser¬ geant, took effective measures to put the fort in a defensible condition. All the civilians who were fit for duty, were armed, or put on guard, and even the women were employed making cart¬ ridges, running bullets, &c. No attack was made that day, however, although Indians were seen watching the fort. [The warriors were busy at¬ tacking New Ulm, as will be seen a little farther on.] About noon on Monday, the messengers and guard in charge of the $70,000 in gold, reached

The Sioux Massac Tie

Let us now follow Mr. J. C. Dickinson, of Lower Agency, the messenger sent from Red¬ wood to recall Maj. Galbraith from St. Peter. Maj. G., so well satisfied was he with the loyal promises of the Indians, had left the agency with some yolunteers for Fort Snelling. Ilis family were at Yellow Medicine, and escaped from that place. lie, with the " Renville Ran¬ gers," Lieut. O 'Gorman, had arrived at St. Peter Monday evening, when Mr. Dickinson reached there, with the startling news. It was at first discredited, but he at once made preparations to return, with the Rangers, and a company of vol¬ unteer citizens. He immediately dispatched Wm. II. Shelley, of St. Paul, who was with him, with a message to Gov. Ramsey, asking military aid. Shelley rode at full speed all night, and reached St, Paul, nearly one hundred miles distant, at 10 o'clock i*. m. Tuesday, spreading the news as he passed. down the valley. Gov. Ramsey at once took steps to send troops to the scene of blood. But of this anon.

Monday night was spent by the soldiers and citizens at St. Peter in organizing companies, searching for arms, making cartridges, etc. Early on Tuesday morning, the bells were rung and the inhabitants called together. Great excitement prevailed, but a company was at once organized, lion. Chas. E. Flandrau, associate justice of the Supreme Court, was elected captain, and W. B. Dodd, first lieutenant. Teams, wagons, camp equipage, etc., were hastily collected.

Major Galbraith, with the Renville Rangers, and others who accompanied them, armed as well as could be possible, left St. Peter at 6 a. m., and after a hard march, reached Fort Ridgely (Forty-five miles distant) the same evening. Just as they arrived at the fort, a furious thundergust came up. In the darkness and rain they got into the fort safely, although hundreds of Indians were watching it, and must have seen them but for tho storm. There were now 250 fencible men in the fort, and the crowd of fu¬ gitives hourly increasing. These were cared for as well as i>ossible, the hospital being full of wounded.

which was reported by fugitives to be in great danger. At one o'clock the same day, Hon. Chas. E. Flandrau left for the same place with 100 well armed men, on foot. Let us now give some account of the

Siege Of New Ulm

Tills town was on the south bank of the Minne¬ sota River, thirty miles, by land, from St. Peter, and eighteen miles below Fort Ridgely. It con¬ tained about 1 ,500 inhabitants, mostly Germans. On Monday morning, Aug. 18th, a party of citizens left New Ulm to recruit for volunteers. When some seven or eight miles west of new Ulm, they found several dead bodies lying in the road. Con¬ vinced that the Indians had risen, they retraced their steps, but on their way back were fired on, and several of the party killed. The rest fled to town and gave the alarm. At the same time, fugitives came in from other directions, near the town, all telling horrid tales of butcher}'. This created a great panic in the town, and many fled to St. Peter. All that day and night, and next day, fugitives continued pouring into the place. The leading men of the town at once took steps to organize for defence. Arms were collected, barricades erected, sentinels posted, and every¬ thing done which could be, to repel an attack. These precautions were taken none too soon. About four o'clock on Tuesday, a party of mount¬ ed Indians appeared on the prairie above the town, and dismounting, advanced on the place. The few men who had arms, at once attacked them, but most of the people gathered into the houses in the center of the town, panic stricken. Fortunately, soon after the attack commenced, the fifteen horsemen from St. Peter arrived, and at once began a vigorous defence. The savages burned several buildings on the west edge of th town, and kept up a hot fire on the people with¬ in the barricade. The St. Peter cavalry soon made such a brave advance on the Indians, that they were compelled to retire, about dark, sev¬ eral having been killed. During the engagement, the whites lost several, killed and wounded, also. About nine o'clock, in the midst of a furious thunder-storm, Judge Flandrau, with over one hundred men, reached the town, and were warmly welcomed. Vigorous efforts to organize for defence were at once made. Judge Flan- drau was chosen commander-in-chief, ('apt. Dodd, provost marshal, Ac. Small reinforcements con¬ tinued to arrive from Mankato and other jioints, and by Thursday, 323 armed men were guarding the town. Wednesday passed without any alarms, and scouting inuties were sent out in va¬ rious directions to bury the dead, of which a number were found. Let us now glance at the condition of things

About three o'clock on Wednesday, the 20th, the Hrst attack was made on this post, probably by the same force who had Ihtii at New I'lin the evening previous. It is thought live hundred Indians were engaged in it. Concealing them¬ selves in the wooded ravines near the post, the savages suddenly advanced on it with horrid yells and a volley of balls. The suddenness of the on¬ set almost threw the garrison off their guard, and two of the soldiers were killed at the lirst tire. The men speedily rallied, however, and fought bravely. Sergeant Jones was quickly at his guns, two 0-iHnmders anil one 24-i>ouuder, but on at¬ tempting to fire, they would not go off. On drawing the charges, he found them stuffed with rags! Some treacherous half-breeds had done this dastardly act, and then deserted to the enemy. Assisted by a citizen, J. 0. Whipple, who had served in the Mexican war, and Sergt. MctJrew, of Company C, he soon poured several rounds of cannister and shell into the thickets, amongst the foe, killing and wounding a number. The savages then succeeded in crawling up be¬ hind some old outbuildings and hay-stacks, from which they poured furious volleys into the fort. Sergt. Jones soon set these on fire with shells, and drove the savages off. At dusk the light of this fire, and the noise of the artillery, impressed the people at New Ulm and other places in the vicinity with the belief that the fort had fallen. Hut when night closed down, the savages with¬ drew. The garrison remained on arms all night. One great danger was the dryness of the roofs' which could have been ignited with "fire-ar¬ rows." A close watch was kept, and Providence favored the beleagured force, for late at night a heavy rain-storm commenced falling, and contin¬ ued until next day, entirely averting this danger. The large stables of the fort, alnmt tliirty rods ' distant, were jierfcetly filled with government mules, and horses brought in by the fugitives. These the Indians succeeded in getting out and stampeding.

The next morning (Thursday) the attack was renewed almut n o'clock, and lasted hotly for an hour, when the savages retreated, hut again at¬ tacked the fort about <> l*. m., when another en¬ gagement took place, and lasted aliout an hour. Hut their efforts to capture the fort were useless. They found it loo well defended. It could have lieen taken by charging into it, but this Indians are afraid to do. Meantime the garrison was liecoming worn out with loss of sleep and continual labor and fighting. Nearly five hundred refugees were crowded into its small buildings, where they were compelled to lie on the lloor to avoid the bullets of the foe, which swept like a hail¬ storm through the windows. To add hi the trou¬ ble, many were becoming sick, and the stores lmth of ammunition and provisions, and even water, were running low.

That night, as subsequent evidence revealed, Little Crow and his forces returned to the Lower Agency, where he found the iqqier Indians, whom he had sent for, arrived. This increased his force to 430 warriors. Large numbers were also marauding among the settlements, as far east as Forest City and as far south as Lake Shetek. Confident that with this large force lie could take both Fort ltidgely and New Ulm, he now moved on the former post.

During the night, however, the garrison had strengthened its weak points with great skill and success. Earthworks had been thrown up, bar¬ ricades erected, out of cord wood, sacks of grain, etc., and other defenses provided, while the can¬ non were stationed so as to command the most exposed points, ami the riflemen posted where they could do the greatest execution. About noon the Indians appeared in greater numbers than on either previous attack, and commenced an assault so detenni tied and furious, it seemed as if they were confident that this time the post must fall. Hut ns they advanced, yelling like de¬ mons, the gunneis sent a storm of grape and can¬ nister amongst them, while the riflemen j mured volley after volley into them, and the savages re¬ treated from this hot fire. They soon rallied and took possession of the stables and other outbuild- ing8 near the fort, and kept up a terrible fire from them. A perfect storm of balls poured into the frame buildings in the fort, sometimes passing clear through them. Several soldiers were hit, and some civilians (one being killed), though all the non-combatants kept well concealed. Finally Sergt. Jones was compelled to fire the outbuild¬ ings with shells, and drive the savages out. Soon the flames and black smoke rolled up, and, with the yells of the Indians, the rattle of small arms, and the thunder of the cannon, made an exciting scene. For five hours the battle raged hotly. Little Crow was heard repeatedly order¬ ing his warriors to charge into the fort, and sev¬ eral times they gathered for that purpose and started, but Sergt. Jones would send a storm of shell or cannister among them, and drive them back. It is thought numbers of them were killed in this attack.

About dark their fire ceased, and the night was passed in quiet, but there were few slept around the post except the non-combatants. All the men were under arms all night, being five nights of weary vigil and sleeplessness. The garrison were well nigh worn out, and expected another day of hard lighting. The sun rose, but no signs of In¬ dians. Work was continued on the fortifications, which were greatly strengthened. While thus engaged, a large body of mounted Indians (said by Louis Robert, who counted them, to numl>er nearly 1,000) were seen coming down from the ]x»wer Agency on the opposite side of the river. They did not, however, cross to the Fort Ridgely side, but kept on towards New Him. It now liecame evident that the latter place was their objective point, and the garrison breathed freer. Still, they knew not what a day might bring forth, and kept up their working and watching. Let us now return to and see how that l>eleagured town fared. After the battle of Tuesday, before described, no at¬ tack had been made on the town, though small parties of Indians, doubtless scouts, were once or twice seen near the place. This interval of quiet was spent in erecting barricades, and other works of defence, and in taking such steps jis seemed necessary, in ciise of another attack.

the Indians (mounted) appeared in great force on the prairie above town, and our forces were at once posted on the open ground in that direction. The Indians first approached slowly, but when about a mile from our line, increased their speed, and gradually spread out their front, like a fan, until it covered our whole line. On they came at full speed, yelling like demons. When about double rifle-shot off, Col. Flaiulrau's men, inex¬ perienced in such warfare, fell back on the town, the Indians firing on them. The whites com¬ mitted the error of passing the outermost build¬ ings, and not occupying them, an error the sav¬ ages soon took advantage of, as they at once took possession of them, and opened a furious fire on our men. Ry the exertions of Col. Flandrau, the latter soon rallied, and commenced a vigorous fire from every protected spot, each doing duty as best he could, '-on his own hook." They soon recovered their coolness, and fought bravely. The enemy, from their great numbers, were able to surround the town, and soon poured into it a fire from every direction. The battle became fu¬ rious and general.

The Indians also succeeded in getting possess¬ ion of the houses on the bluff, which gave them a great advantage, commanding, ns it did, the inte¬ rior of the town below, but about twenty men of the Le Sueur company had occupied the windmill, a high building in that locality, and kept up such a hot fire, the Indians could dobutlittlecxecution on that side. They took possession of the lower end of the city, however, and, the wind being from that direction, fired the houses one by one, ad¬ vancing thus towards the center of the city, con¬ cealing themselves ltehiml the smoke. The greatest danger seemed now to be from this di¬ rection, and a strong force of the l»est marksmen was sent to resist the advance. They fought bravely, and checked the enemy considerably. The battle here was very hot for several hours. About threo o'clock the enemy concentrated a force on the river side, as if preparing for a grand assault. A detachment was sent to meet it. The Indians came on at full speed, but our men stood firm, and sent such volleys among them, that they broke and retreated, losing several. Two of our l>est marksmen, however, fell at the same time.

Outlines Of The History Of Minnesota

woumled, several killed. All had fought nobly, some performing feats of great daring. The en¬ emy had left ten dead on the Held, besides many killed and wounded carried off, and had gained, so far, no great advantage; but if the attack con¬ tinued much longer, the worst result Wits feared. Night closed on the weary defenders, full of doubt and anxiety.

A consultation was now held among the leading men and those in command, as to the " situation.' One thing that seemed necessary, was to contract the lines of defence toward the center of the town so that a less number could more readily defend any iniint. To do this it was voted that all build¬ ings, except a few in the center of the town, must be burned. To this the inhabitants consented, and themselves applied the torch to about forty buildings. One brick house was left, and loopholed for defence. Including those burned by the savages, 100 houses in all were now in ashes. Only about twenty-live were still standing. A range of rifle-pits were now dug in front of the barricade, and all the defences strengthened.

When morning dawned (Sunday, August 24th), the savages feebly renewed their attack, but they soon saw they were foiled. In order to get near enough to the barricade or buildings to do any execution, they must pass over an open space right in the face of the defenders rifles, where there was not even a bunch of grass to skulk behind. They kept up a lire at long range for three or four hours, but as it made no impression they ceased the attack about noon, and left ii the direction of Lower Agency They were seen from Fort Ridgely tha afternoon, passing up the river with a long train ol wagons, probably loaded with their plun¬ der, and many horses and cattle stolen from the settlers. Neither Fort Ridgely nor New Ulm were again attacked. The brave resistance of the whites had balked the red demons at both places. Nad either of those posts fallen, hundreds of women and children, and even of the armed men, would have been massacred. Rut few would have escaped, and there is no doubt but that the victorious savages would have pressed on and taken both St. l'eter and Mankato.

In the attack on New Ulm, ten whites were killed and about lifty wounded. The few build¬ ings left standing in the place, were almost tilled with the dead and wounded, and with sick people ; for disease had by this time commenced to do its work. The provisions were nearly exhausted, and it seemed impossible to hold the place any longer. There were no houses adequate to shel¬ ter the two thousand people now crowded within the fortilieations. Hundreds hud l>een for several days huddled in cellars and other unsuitable pla¬ ces. On Sunday afternoon, one hundred and lifty more volunteers from St. Peter and vicinity, arrived, in command of E. St. .J alien Cox, well armed and equipped. A council of war was held, and it was resolved to evacuate the town. Ac¬ cordingly, on Monday, August 25th, every inhab¬ itant, some two thousand in number, with a train of one hundred and lifty-three wagons bearing the sick, wounded and feeble, commenced the march to Mankato. " It was a melancholy spec¬ tacle (says Colonel Flamlrau, in his report) to see two thousand people, who a week before had been prosperous and happy, reduced to utter beggary, starting on a journey of thirty miles through a hostile country." The volunteer troops guarded the train through safely One week had now elapsed since the cruel mas¬ sacre began. It was a " week of blood." Over seven hundred i>ersons had been murdered (many think the number exceeds one thousand); two hundred had been taken captive; nearly two thousand houses burned ; thousands of horses and cattle stolen, and a fertile region some two hundred miles long and one hundred wide, laid waste and depopulated. Eighteen counties were ravaged, thirty thousand people (one-tenth of the population of the State) homeless, their crops and property going to ruin. Claims were subsequently tiled by nearly three thousand persons, who lost property valued at $2,500,000. Rut this does not represent the total loss to our State, while no sum can represent the sorrow ami suffering caused by the massacre.