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DAKOTA  WAK  WHOOP : 


OR, 


INDIAN    MASSACRES 


AND 


WAE    IE"    MINNESOTA, 


1863— '3. 

£ 

BY 

HAEEIET  E.  BISHOP  McCONKEY, 

A/utlaor    of   "  Floral    Homes,"   &:c. 


i  s  EI  i> 


ST.  PAUL  : 
PUBLISHED    FOB,    THE    AUTHOR. 

WM.  J.  MOSES'  PRESS,  AUBURN,  N.  Y. 

1864. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  one  thousand  eight  hundred 

and  sixty-three,  by 

HABRIET  E.  B.  M'CONKEY, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Minnesota. 


BRIG.  GEN.  HETSiRY  H.  SIB-LET. 


TO  BRIGADIER   GENERAL 

fenrg  f .  Sibleg, 

ON  "WHOM  HONORS   WERE   NEVER  UNFITTINGLY 
OR  UNWORTHILY  BESTOWED, 

THIS    BOOK 
IS  VERY  RESPECTFULLY   INSCRIBED. 

THAT   THE   LAUREL  WREATH 
WHICH  ENCIRCLES  HIS  BROW,  MAY 

NOT   FADE 

TILL   EXCHANGED   BY  THE   DIVINE   HAND 

FOR  A  CROWN   OF  IMMORTAL  GLORY, 

IS  THE  EARNEST  PRAYER  OF 

THE   AUTHOR. 


PBEFACE. 


This  edition  of  the  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP,  is  a  careful  revision  of 
the  first,  with  additional  items  of  interest,  and  is  a  reliable  historical 
work,  detailing  facts  in  their  time  and  order,  so  far  as  possible,  and 
endorsed  by  the  most  conspicuous  actors  in  the  great  drama.  Gen. 
Sibley,  a  prominent  actor,  as  will  be  seen,  said  to  the  writer,  after  a 
close  perusal  of  the  first  edition,  that  it  seemed  quite  a  mystery,  "how 
one,  not  an  eye  witness  of  the  events,  could  detail  them  so  graphi 
cally  and  minutely  correct."  So,  also,  another :  "It  is  a  truthful  and 
vivid  picture  of  the  scenes  represented."  But  we  know  the  vast 
arena  and  scores  of  the  sufferers,  and  have  lost  no  opportunity  in  col 
lecting  personal  experiences,  and  yet,  horrid  as  it  seems,  heart-sick 
ening  as  is  the  detail,  there  are  unwritten  facts,  still  more  horrid, 
which  would  seem  but  the  emanation  of  a  distorted  brain,  or  too  vivid 
imagination. 

We  take  pleasure  in  crediting  the  photographs  from  which  the  en 
gravings  and  cuts  were  made,  to  Whitney's  celebrated  gallery,  in  St. 
Paul,  to  whom  was  awarded  the  first  prize  medal,  at  the  Chicago  Na 
tional  Fair. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.  PAGE. 

INTRODUCTION.  —  News  of  the  outbreak 17 

CHAPTER  II. 

THE  BREAD  RAID.  —  Troops  called  to  Yellow  Medicine  —  Threatening  as 
pects  —  Heroic  conduct  of  Lieut.  Sheehaii  —  Quiet  restored 20 

CHAPTER  III. 

THE  FIRST  BLOW.  —  Commencement  of  hostilities  —  Burial  of  the  dead  — 
Evacuation  of  the  settlement 30 

CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  COUNCIL  FIRE. —  Little  Crow  and  his  intent  —  Indian  wrongs  (?)  —  Prep 
arations  for  attacking  the  inhabitants  —  Annuity  Indians  —  Upper  and  Low 
er  Agency «...  37 

CHAPTER  V. 

THE  OUTBREAK  AT  RED  WOOD. —  James  "W.  Lynde,  the  first  victim  —  Fall  of 
Andrew  Myrick,  and  horrid  treatment  of  his  body  —  Wm.  Bourat's  fall 
and  escape  —  Death  of  Doct.  Humphrey  and  family  —  Surprise  of  the 
whites * 41 

CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  SLAUGHTER.  —  The  fury  —  Miraculous  escape  from  a  burning  mill  —  Tor 
ture  of  women  and  children  —  Bloody  work  of  Cut  Nose  —  Slaughter  of  a 
family  —  The  daughter  made  captive  —  Murder  of  George  H.  Gleason 46 

CHAPTER  VII. 

GEORGE  H.  SPENCER.  —  Early  manhood  —  Home  among  the  Indians  and  its 
object  —  1. 
made  capt 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

CAPTIVITY  AND  RELEASE  OF  GEORGE  SPENCER,  AS  TOLD  BY  HIMSELF.  —  Dis 
satisfaction  of  the  Indians  —  The  people's  security  —  The  first  note  of  alarm 
on  the  morning  of  18th  Aug.  —  Knew  it  to  be  a  war  party  —  Four  comrades 
shot  —  Spencer  receives  three  balls,  and  rushes  up  stairs  —  Position  of  dan 
ger  there  —  Intense  suffering  —  rescued  by  Chaska,  his  Indian  friend  —  Lit 
tle  Crow's  treatment  of  him 55 

CHAPTER   IX. 

TJ.  S.  TROOPS  CUT  TO  PIECES.  —  Alarm  at  Fort  Ridgley  —  Death  of  Capt. 
Marsh  —  Lieut.  Sheehan  going  North  —  Double  quick  return  —  Assumes 
command  —  Maj .  Galbraith 61 


object  —  Attempts  on  his  property  and  life  —  "Was  wounded  at  first  fire,  and 
ide  captive  —  Saved  by  an  Indian  friend 50 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    X.  PAGE. 

YELLOW  MEDICINE.  —  Mission  stations  —  Dakota  council  fire  —  John  Other- 
day  —  News  of  the  outbreak  at  Bed  Wood,  its  effect  —  The  anxious  night  — 
Sixty-two  persons  saved  by  Other  Day  —  Mr.  Garvie 65 

CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  FAMILY  OF  AN  OLD  SETTLER  TAKEN  CAPTIVES.  —  Their  first  alarm  — 
Start  for  the  Port  —  are  captured  by  Indians  —  Dead  bodies  —  At  the  house 
of  Little  Crow  — Escape  of  Charles  Blair 72 

CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  PANIC.  — Flight  of  women  and  children  —  Depopulated  country  —  Sad 
condition  of  refugees  —  30,400  involved  in  the  massacre,  directly  or  indi 
rectly 75 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

ATTACK  pN  NEW  ULM.  —  Its  situation  and  character  of  citizens  —  Their 
sacrilegious  work  on  Sabbath,  August  17,  and  what  followed  —  Assault  of 
the  town  —  Arrival  of  Judge  Flandrau  in  command 81 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

ATTACK  ON  FORT  RIDGLEY. — Return  of  Lieut.  Sheehan  —  His  efforts  to  meet 
the  expected  attack  —  Isolated  position  —  The  attack  —  Excitement  in  the 
Fort  —  The  spirit  of  the  leader  diffused  through  the  ranks  —  condition  of  the 
Fort  —  Fire  arrows  —  The  life  struggle  —  Re-enforcements  sent  —  Anxiety 
for  their  arrival  —  Minnesota  Third  —  Promotion  of  Lieut.  Sheehan 85 

CHAPTER  XV. 

SECOND  AND  FINAL  ATTACK  ON  NEW  ULM. —  Preparations  for  renewal  of  hos 
tilities  —  Destructive  work  of  the  Indians  —  Courage  of  Commandant  Flan 
drau  —  The  turning  point  in  the  struggle  —  The  savages  repulsed  —  Evac 
uation  of  New  TJlm  —  Mournful  cortege 97 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

OFFICIAL  REPORT  OF  JUDGE  FLANDRAU. —  Destruction  of  New  Ulm 101 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  MISSION  PARTY.—  Rev.  Dr.  Williamson  —  Peril  of  Rev.  S.  R.  Riggs  — 
Peril  of  Dr.  Williamson  —  Prairie  Wanderings  —  Joy  and  disappointment 
on  nearing  the  Fort  —  Dangers  of  the  way  —  Norwegian  grove  —  housed 
with  friends Ill 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

MASSACRE  AT  BIG  STONE  LAKE. —  Government  plans  —  Surprise  and  capture 
of  Government  hands  —  Escape  of  Manderfield  —  Ruins  visited  some  months 
afterwards  —  Dead  bodies  then  found 117 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

MURDER  OF  AMOS  W.  HUGGINS. —  Early  settlement  of  Misssionaries  —  Amos 
Huggins  and  his  work  —  His  home  —  Miss  La  Frambois  —  Strange  conduct 
of  the  Indians  —  they  shoot  Mr.  Huggins  —  The  excitement,  etc 120 

CHAPTER  XX. 

CAUSE  OF  THE  WAR  —  WHAT  is  AN  INDIAN  1  —  Mr.  Spencer's  statement  — 
Cause  of  complaint  —  The  Indian  defined  —  Their  language  —  Half-breed 
interpreters  —  The  Agent  volunteers  into  the  service  of  his  country  —  Im 
pression  of  the  Indians  in  regard  to  it  —  British  flag  in  their  possession  — 
Desire  of  Little  Crow  for  British  protection  —  Little  Priest  assisting  in  the 
fights  —  Expectations  of  assistance  from  other  tribes,  &c.  —  Demand  of 
Standing  Buffalo 124 


CONTENTS.  9 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

SIIETAK  MASSACRE. — The  community  —  The  memorable  20th  Aug.  — 
Mr.  Phineas  P.  Hurd  —  Mrs.  H.'s  unwelcome  morning  visitors  —  The  raid 
on  her  house  —  Fall  of  the  hired  man  —  Driven  from  home  —  her  wander 
ings  and  sufferings  of  her  two  children  —  Willie  sick  —  Her  mother  heroism 
to  get  on  with  both,  after  "Willie  became  unable  to  walk  —  Arrival  at  a  cab 
in  —  Disappointment  in  finding  nothing  to  eat  —  She  finds  some  decaying 
meat,  and  her  boy  is  saved  irom  starvation  —  Joined  by  other  refugees 133 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  GENERAL  ONSLAUGHT  —  Starting  for  the  other  settlements  —  Attack  by 
Indians  —  Twelve  killed  —  Women  made  captives  —  Mrs.  Eastlick  left  for 
dead  —  Mrs.  Errett  and  two  children  killed  —  Mrs.  Eastlick  revives  and  re 
turns  to  the  battle-field  —  Mr.  Myres  and  family  overtaken  by  the  wounded 
fugitives  —  Their  sad  condition  —  Perils  by  the  way  —  Fears,  &c.  —  Mr. 
Myres  goes  to  New  Ulm  and  finds  the  battle  raging  —  The  others  to  Man- 
kato  —  Protection  of  U.  S.  troops  —  Care  for  their  wounds 139 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

OUTBREAK  AT  THE  NORTH.  — Attack  on  the  Breckenridge  House  —  Old  Mrs. 
Scott,  her  perils,  sufferings  and  escape  —  Little  Jimmy  Scott  —  Life  adven 
turers  145 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

SIEGE  OF  FORT  ABERCROMBIE.  —  The  first  alarm  —  Rush  to  the  Fort  —  First 
battle  —  Return  of  Messengers  —  A  friend  of  the  writer  in  peril  —  Birth 
of  three  children  —  Edgar  Wright  —  his  body  exhumed  and  mutilated. . . .  150 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

INDIANS  AT  Sioux  FALLS  CITY.  —  Murder  of  J.  B.  Amidon  and  son  —  De 
parture  of  the  populace  —  The  place  burnt 157 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE  HEROIC  BOY.  —  Mr.  Ireland  —  his  captive  daughters  —  sufferings,  men 
tal  and  physical  —  Burton  Eastlick  starts  on  a  tour  of  90  miles  with  his 
baby  brother  in  his  arms  —  Mrs.  Eastlick,  wounded  and  suffering,  follows  — 
Meets  her  children  —  August  Garzene  —  Mrs.  Hurd  and  Mrs.  Truland  — 
Ten  days  at  "Brown's"  —  Relief  sent  —  Burial  of  the  Shetak  dead 160 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

SIEGE  OF  HUTCHINSON  —  Capt.  Stuart's  report  —  Mrs.  Adams  —  Murder  of 
her  child 168 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

BATTLE  OF  BIRCH  COOLIE.  —  The  dead  on  the  prairies  —  the  detachment  sent 
to  bury  them  —  85  bodies  found  —  Encampment  —  Morn  of  Sept.  2  —  Des 
perate  fighting  —  Extreme  peril  —  Benjamin  S.  Terry  —  his  life  given  from 
love  to  his  friend  Spencer  —  Corporal  Wm.  M.  Cobb  —  Sergeant  Wm.  Ir 
vine  — •  Continued  fighting  —  Relief  sent  —  Joy  of  the  men  in  the  trenches 
—  Burial  of  the  dead  and  removal  of  the  wounded  —  Robert  Gibbons  —  Mr. 
J.  W.  Decamp  fought  to  retaliate  the  supposed  death  of  his  wife  and  chil 
dren,  who  lived  to  weep  at  his  grave  —  Other  refugee  women 171 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

BATTLE  OF  BIRCH  COOLIE. —  OFFICIAL  REPORT  OF  MAJ.  J.  R.  BROWN 182 

At 


10  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

WANDERING  REFUGEES.  —  Escape  and  rescue  of  Almira  Harrington  —  Mrs. 
Caruthers  claimed  by  two  Indians  —  escapes  by  the  aid  of  a  squaw  —  pad 
dles  her  own  canoe  —  safe  in  the  fort  —  An  Indian  playing  priest,  which  en 
ables  his  fair  captive  to  escape  —  Peril  of  a  young  man  and  his  escape 190 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 
THE  MANIAC.  —  A  poem 194 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

TALES  OF  SUFFERING.  —  A  woman  and  four  children  found  after  three  weeks 
of  prairie  wandering  and  suffering  —  Shocking  mutilation  of  children  — 
Escape  of  the  parents  —  Further  search  reveals  further  horrors  — Mrs. 
Boetler's  eight  weeks  of  prairie  life  —  Dead  bodies  found  and  buried 196 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

THE  ATHENAEUM.  —  Succor  given  to  the  refugees  —  Changes  of  a  day  in  their 
circumstances  —  the  fair-eyed  babe  saved  as  by  miracle  —  Heart-thrilling 
tales  told  by  the  sufferers 201 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

THE  CAPTIVE'S  EXPERIENCE  AS  FURTHER  RELATED  BY  HIMSELF.  —  The  In 
dians  bi-eak  camp  for  removal  to  Yellow  Medicine  —  Spencer  recognizes  the 
body  of  Gleason  —  Soldier's  Lodge  —  Firing  of  buildings 206 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

EFFORTS  TO  REGAIN  THE  PRISONERS.  —  Correspondence  between  Gen.  Sibley 
and  Little  Crow 209 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

CORRESPONDENCE  OF  GEN.  S.  AND  LITTLE  CROW  CONTINUED  —  Letter  from 
"Wabashaw  and  Taopee  —  Forward  the  trOops  —  Body  of  Philander  Prescott 
-%A  brief  history  of  the  good  man 212 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

BATTLE  OF  "Woop  LAKE  —  Burial  of  George  Gleason  —  Preparations  for  bat 
tle  —  The  Indians  driven  —  Fidelity  of  Other  Day  —  "Wisdom  of  the  Gene 
ral  commanding 217 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

OFFICIAL  REPORT  OF  COL.  SIBLKY  TO  Gov.  RAMSEY 224 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

THE  CHIPPEWAS.  —  Proclamation  of  Hole-in-the-day  —  Threatening  aspect  at 
the  North  —  Efforts  for  treaty  unsuccessful  —  Accomplished  by  Gov.  Ram 
sey  —  Novelty  of  the  Indian  dance  —  They  become  a  terror  —  An  embassy 
of  Chippewas  visit  the  capital  —  The  "talk,"  the  feast,  and  ride  on  the  "fire 
wagon  " 229 

CHAPTER  LX. 
THE  CAPTIVE'S  PBRIL 235 

CHAPTER  LXI. 
THE  FRIENDLY  CAMP.  —  Efforts  to  form  it  —  Final  success  —  Release 239 


CONTENTS.  11 

CHAPTER  XLII. 

CAMP  RELEASE.  —  Two  hundred  and  twenty  captives  rescued  —  Strategy  of 
Mrs.  Reynolds  —  Terrible  sufferings  of  Miss  Mattie  Williams  while  a  cap 
tive  —  Joy  on  release  —  Approach  of  Col.  Sibley's  troops  —  Joy  at  camp  — 
Release  —  Glory  of  the  achievement 242 

CHAPTER  LXIII. 

TRIAL  OF  THE  PRISONERS. —  Heavy  criminal  calendar  —  Various  subterfugees  247 
CHAPTER  LXIV. 

MRS.  HUGGINS  IN  CAPTIVITY.  —  Trials  and  heart-aches  —  Mr.  Manderfield  re 
ceives  kindness  at  her  hands  —  Julia  takes  leave  of  Mrs.  H.,  and  goes  with 
her  brother  —  She  goes  to  De  Cota's  —  Unwelcome  reception  —  Kind  recep 
tion  at  the  lodge  of  "Walking  Spirit  —  De  Cota's  fears  for  his  scalp 252 

CHAPTER  LXV. 

MRS.  HUGGINS  in  care  of  Walking  Spirit  —  Kindness  of  her  host  —  Redeem 
ing  traits  —  Effects  of  their  new  mode  of  life  —  Her  employment  —  Perplex 
ities  of  various  kinds  —  The  children  —  Insulting  proposal  —  Day  of  the 

week  lost 257 

i  "  ." 

CHAPTER  LXVI. 

THE  ALARMS.  —  Train  of  Northerners  —  Fears  for  her  children  —  Return  of 
a  detachment  of  Northerners  —  Feast  with  the  chief  —  A  letter  —  A  bad 
man  —  Explanation  of  his  conduct •  ••• 262 

CHAPTER  LXVII. 

LEAVING  FOR  THE  PLAINS. — Mrs.  H.  decides  to  go  —  Mode  of  travelling  —  In 
cidents  of  the  way  —  Fears  —  Trust 267 

CHAPTER   LXVIII. 

RELEASE  AND  RETURN.  —  Last  outward  bound  night  —  Increase  of  the  cara 
van  —  Darkest  hour  before  dawn  —  Preparations  for  company  —  Joy  in  the 
arrival  —  Release  of  two  little  girls  —  Steps  retraced  —  Perils  —  Visits  the 
grave  of  her  husband,  &c.  —  At  Camp  Release 270 

CHAPTER  LXIX. 

REMOVAL  TO  CAMP  SIBLEY.  —  Trial  resumed  —  The  criminal  calendar  at  last 
cleared  —  The  sufferers  of  New  Ulm 274 

CHAPTER  L. 

REMOVAL  OF  THE  "GOOD  INDIANS"  TO  FORT  SPELLING. —  Winter  quarters  — 
Old  Betsey  —  Ta-o-pee  —  First  note  of  freedom  to  the  captives  —  Chaska. .  277 

CHAPTER  LI. 
PROTEST  ON  SENATOR  WILKINSON.  —  Thrilling  rehearsals,  &c 280 

CHAPTER  LII. 

CAUSE  OF  THE  DAKOTA  UPRISING.  —  The  normal  savage  state  —  The  desola 
tion  —  The  hidden  harm  —  Secession  the  main-spring  of  action  —  Indian 
councils  —  Discussion  of  the  war  theme  —  The  rebel  Col. 's  plan  —  Where 
rests  the  guilt  —  Its  enormity  deduced  from  the  data 287 


12  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  LIII. 

PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  EXECUTION  OF  THE  CONDEMNED  INDIANS.  —  Its  an 
nouncement  to  the  prisoners  —  Col.  Miller's  remarks  —  Confession  of  their 
guilt  —  Death-song  —  General  appearance  —  Ascent  of  the  gallows  —  In 
tense  interest  of  the  throng  —  Pall  of  the  platform  —  38  souls  launched 
into  eternity , 292 

CHAPTER  LIV. 
THE  EXECUTION 300 

CHAPTER  LV. 

THE  CONDEMNED.  — Spiritual  advice  given  them  —  Apparent  spiritual  change 
—  Removal  to  Davenport,  Iowa  —  Improved  condition 304 

CHAPTER  LVI. 

THE  WINNEBAGOES  DECLARE  WAR  WITH  THE  Sioux.  —  Former  alliance  — 
Awful  scene  in  Mankato  —  Removal  to  new  Reservation 306 

CHAPTER  LVII. 
AN  ALARM.  —  Troubles  at  Medalia  —  Col.  Marshall  sent  in  pursuit  of  the  foe  309 

CHAPTER  LYIII. 

REMOVAL  OF  THE  GOOD  INDIANS.  —  Families  of  the  scouts  remaining  —  Cos 
tume  —  Blameworthy  treatment  of  the  Indians  —  "Work  of  progress  in  their 
new  homes,  &c 312 

CHAPTER  LIX. 

HORSE  STEALING.  —  Gangs  prowling  through  the  country  —  Murders  frequent 
Bounty  for  scalps 317 

CHAPTER   LX. 

MURDER  OF  THE  DUSTIN  FAMILY.  —  Appearance  of  hostile  Indians  in  Henna- 
pin  Co.  —  Horrid  state  of  the  bodies  —  One  little  girl  alive 320 

CHAPTER  LXI. 
LITTLE  CROW'S  WHEREABOUTS 323 

CHAPTER  LXII. 

THE  RANSOMED.—  Months  of  torture  —  Horrid  boasts  of  the  savage  —  Saved 
by  Maj.  Galpin  —  Meeting  of  Mr.  Everett  with  his  little  daughter  Tilla. . .  326 

CHAPTER  LXIII. 

THE  INDIAN  EXPEDITION.  —  Camp  Pope  —  Arrival  of  Gen.  Sibley  —  His  be 
reavement  —  Departure  for  the  plains  —  Organization  of  the  expedition  — 
Drouth  and  drawbacks  —  Resting  on  the  Sabbath 330 

CHAPTER  LXIV. 

DEATH  OF  GEN.  LITTLE  CROW.  —  The  boy  Lampson  shoots  an  Indian  —  Ex 
citement  in  town  —  Striking  resemblance  to  Little  Crow  —  Gen.  Sibley  and 
others  declare  it  the  veritable  Chief  himself  —  confirmed 339 


CONTENTS.  13 

CHAPTER  LXV. 

CAPTURE  OP  WO-WI-NAP-A.  —  His  wanderings  after  his  father's  death  —  con 
dition  when  taken  —  His  own  statement  —  The  boy  chief  when  an  infant  — 
Kissed  by  the  writer 344 

CHAPTER  LXVI. 

THE  CAPTIVE  BOYS.  —  George  Ingalls  —  Little  Jimmy  Scott 349 

CHAPTER  LXVII. 

THRILLING  ADVENTURE  OF  MR.  BRACKETT,  AND  DEATH  OF  LIEUT.  FREEMAN. 
—  Mr.  Brackett's  story  —  Eulogy  of  Lieut.  Freeman 352 

CHAPTER  LXVIII. 

THE  CAPTIVE,  JOHN  JULIEN.  —  Ten  months  in  captivity  —  Sad  experience  with 
the  Indians  —  Deliverance 359 


CHAPTER   LXIX. 

PROGRESS  OF  THE  EXPEDITION.  —  Above  calumny  —  Delay  of  tidings  —  Col. 
Marshall's  adventurous  return  —  He  brings  reports  of  their  engagements 
with  the  Indians  —  Rehearsed 364 

CHAPTER  LXX. 

CAPTURE  OF  A  TETON. — When  found  —  His  motive  in  coming  out  —  Kindly 
treated  and  discharged  —  A  boat- load  of  returning  miners  killed  —  brave 
fighting  and  slaughter  by  them 379 

CHAPTER    LXXI. 

DEATH  OP  LIEUT.  BEEVER. —  Col.  Crooks  with  his  men  scour  the  woods  and 
drink  of  the  Missouri  waters  —  the  body  found  —  Sadness  in  camp 382 

CHAPTER  LXXII. 
TERMINUS  OF  THE  CAMPAIGN.  —  Return  order 385 

CHAPTER  LXXIII. 
OFFICIAL  REPORT  OF  MAJ.  GEN.  HENRY  H.  SIBLEY 389 

CHAPTER  LXXIV. 
OFFICIAL  REPORT  OF  BRIGADIER  GENERAL  ALFRED  SULLY 40G 

CHAPTER  LXXV. 

TIE  OF  COMRADESHIP  —  Death  of  Chaska  —  Attachment  to  Geo.  H.  Spencer  — 
Brave  and  faithful  —  Sudden  death  —  Poison  the  probable  cause 420 

CHAPTER  LXXVI. 

HOME  AGAIN 426 

CONCLUSION....  ..428 


DAKOTA    WAR    WHOOP. 


CHAPTER  I. 

INTRODUCTION. 

"THREE  HUNDRED  THOUSAND  MORE!"  The  na 
tion's  rallying  cry  had  electrified  every  telegraph  wire 
and  intensified  the  great  heart  of  the  Northwest. 
Women,  with  the  spirit  of  the  Kevolutionary  mothers, 
had  bidden  their  loved  ones  GO,  glad  that  they  had  hus 
bands  or  sons  to  give  in  the  crushing  of  a  rebel  foe. 
Minnesota  was  thoroughly  aroused.  Though  as  a  State 
she  had  yet  scarcely  seen  her  first  decade,  she  had 
already  sent  her  Fifth  Eegiment  into  the  field.  Fired 
with  the  spirit  of  the  immortal  "First,"  which  won  lau 
rels  even  in  defeat,*  her  quota  was  again  being  filled. 
Young  men,  the  flower,  vigor,  and  hope  of  the  State, 
with  musket  in  firm  grasp,  stood  ready,  impatiently 
awaiting  "orders  !" 

"Home  work  enough  to  engage  our  troops  for  the 
present,"  said  the  "other  half"  of  myself,  excitedly,  as 
lie  entered  from  a  spirited  war  meeting.  "It  is  well 
that  they  had  not  received  'marching  orders.'  " 

"Another  Indian  'scare,' "  I  interrogatively  replied. 

*  At  the  memorable  battles  of  Bull  Run  and  Ball's  Bluff. 


DAKOTA    WAR    WHOOP. 


CHAPTER  I. 

INTRODUCTION. 

"THREE  HUNDRED  THOUSAND  MORE!"  The  na 
tion's  rallying  cry  had  electrified  every  telegraph  wire 
and  intensified  the  great  heart  of  the  Northwest. 
Women,  with  the  spirit  of  the  Revolutionary  mothers, 
had  bidden  their  loved  ones  GO,  glad  that  they  had  hus 
bands  or  sons  to  give  in  the  crushing  of  a  rebel  foe. 
Minnesota  was  thoroughly  aroused.  Though  as  a  State 
she  had  yet  scarcely  seen  her  first  decade,  she  had 
already  sent  her  Fifth  Regiment  into  the  field.  Fired 
with  the  spirit  of  the  immortal  "First,"  which  won  lau 
rels  even  in  defeat,*  her  quota  was  again  being  filled. 
Young  men,  the  flower,  vigor,  and  hope  of  the  State, 
with  musket  in  firm  grasp,  stood  ready,  impatiently 
awaiting  "orders !" 

"Home  work  enough  to  engage  our  troops  for  the 
present,"  said  the  "other  half"  of  myself,  excitedly,  as 
he  entered  from  a  spirited  war  meeting.  "It  is  well 
that  they  had  not  received  'marching  orders.'  " 

"Another  Indian  'scare,' "  I  interrogatively  replied. 

*  At  the  memorable  battles  of  Bull  Run  and  Ball's  Bluff. 


18  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

"It  is  no  'scare,'  I  assure  you,  but  an  earnest  and  ter 
rible  reality." 

"To  frighten  the  credulous  and  the  'new  comer'  — 
nonsense !" 

"  'TRUTH  is  stranger  than  fiction.'  Facts  need  no 
further  confirmation.  An  army  of  savages  are  even 
now  sweeping  down  the  Minnesota  Eiver  valley,  swear 
ing  destruction  to  all  in  their  course,  and  death  to  every 
white  man !" 

"It  is  not  the  first  time  our  nerves  have  been  set 
vibrating  by  such  unpleasant  rumors,  and  I  have  long 
since  ceased  to  give  credence  to  these  crazy  reports, 
which  have  had  their  birth  in  some  wild  brain.  If  the 
Indians  would  have  made  us  trouble,  it  would  have 
been  when  we  were  only  a  handful,  and  they  strong  as 
now,  and  in  close  proximity.  It  is  all  nonsense  to  think 
of  it  1"  And  thereupon  I  proceeded  to  dash  off  the 
remaining  stanza  of  a  patriotic  song,  which  was  pulsa 
ting  in  every  nerve  and  quivering  on  my  pen's  nib, 
when  he  entered. 

Alas !  the  visions  of  the  night  troubled  me,  despite 
my  unbelief.  To  fancy's  ear  came  the  fearful  wail  and 
the  groans  of  the  dying,  and  to  fancy's  eye  came  only 
one  blood-blinding  scene — the  dead,  in  tall  prairie 
grass,  or  at  their  own  hearth-stones ;  and  above  the 
shrieks  and  groans  of  their  victims  rose  the  terrible  war 
whoop  of  the  government-pampered  Dakotas,  furious 
from  a  taste  of  blood,  and  panting  for  more. 

With  the  celerity  of  execution  for  which  Gov.  Eam- 
sey  is  noted,  he  had,  on  the  following  morning,  four 


DAKOTA  WAK  WHOOP.  19 

companies  armed  and  equipped,  and  moving  towards 
the  murder  scenes,  where  hands  were  already  stained 
with  the  blood  of  more  than  one  thousand  victims. 
The  demand  for  energetic  action  was  met  by  prompt 
effort,  otherwise  the  savage  hordes  might  have  carried 
out  their  design ;  swept  through  the  land,  killed  or 
driven  off  the  inhabitants,  and  re-possessed  the  soil  for 
which  they  were  receiving  annually  the  interest  on  its 
equivalent,  in  gold  and  goods,  thereafter  to  revel  amid 
their  blood-gained  spoils. 

It  is  a  dreadful  tale  —  one  from  which  the  heart  re 
coils  and  the  pen  shrinks ;  but  I  have  girded  me  for 
the  effort,  and  what  though  every  hair  of  the  head  is 
erect,  and  every  nerve  a  vibrating  medium,  making  me, 
for  the  time  being,  as  a  living,  actual  witness  of  all  I 
rehearse ;  the  reading  world  shall  hear,  if  they  cannot 
see,  what  young  Minnesota  has  experienced,  how  her 
adopted  sons  and  daughters  have  suffered  from  the  sav 
age  bullet  and  bloody  tomahawk,  while  yet  is  undula 
ting  the  clear,  prairie  air,  in  brutal  fierceness,  never  to 
die  from  the  ear  of  the  sufferers,  the  terrible  Dakota 
war-whoop. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE   BREAD   KAID. 

The  Dakota  or  Sioux  Indians  number  about  thirty 
thousand.  These  are  divided  into  Bands,  and  each 
Band  has  its  own  Chief.  They  ignore  the  name  of 
Sioux,  by  which  they  are  known  in  the  civilized  world, 
and  answer  only  to  the  name  of  Dakota.  The  purchase 
of  the  late  Eeservation  secured  to  the  small  number  of 
the  Bands  interested  in  the  sale,  the  interest  annually 
in  gold  on  $2,000,000  for  the  ensuing  fifty  years,  to 
gether  with  blankets,  provisions,  etc.,  which,  with  any 
provident  foresight,  would  place  ordinary  economists 
quite  above  want.  On  their  new  Keservation,  Govern 
ment  had  established  two  Agencies,  the  lower  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Red  Wood,  the  Upper  Agency  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Yellow  Medicine  rivers,  both  tributaries 
of  the  Minnesota.  The  lower  bands,  residing  mostly  at 
or  near  the  Lower  Agency,  went  there  for  their  pay, 
while  the  upper  bands,  living  mostly  on  the  plains, 
came  to  the  Upper  Agency. 

Choosing  their  own  time  to  assemble,  or  instigated  to 
it  by  a  secret  foe,  the  upper  bands,  numbering  nearly 
7,000  men,  women  and  children,  had  come  to  their 
Agency,  demanding  annuities,  the  arrival  of  which  was 
delayed,  and  in  regard  to  which,  the  Agent,  Thomas  J. 
Galbraith,  was  not  advised.  They  had  brought  little  or 


DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP.  21 

no  provisions  with  them,  and  the  small  amount  of  game, 
with  the  fish  they  caught,  hardly  served  to  satisfy  so 
many  hungry  stomachs.  They  demanded  flour,  for 
which  orders  of  distribution  had  not  yet  been  given — 
shot  an  ox  belonging  to  the  Agent,  which  was  scarcely 
a  mouthful,  among  so  many.  The  begging  dance 
would  furnish  them  food  for  a  day  or  two,  and  so  with 
the  buffalo  dance ;  but  they  had  no  idea  of  seeking 
any  laudable  or  remunerative  employment,  even  though 
some  of  their  children  had  died,  they  said,  from  starv 
ation.  But  it  was  a  formidable  work  —  knowing  the 
character  of  the  Indians,  as  they  did,  that  once  giving 
them,  you  must  continue  to  give  —  to  think  of  feeding 
so  many,  for  a  period  quite  indefinite ;  besides,  Govern 
ment  had  not  provided  boarding  accommodations  at 
this  point,  on  so  grand  a  scale.  But  the  spirit  of  unrest 
became  more  and  more  apparent,  and  indicative  of  hos 
tilities.  The  tents  of  their  encampment  were  struck, 
and  hurriedly  removed  two  miles  to  the  rear.  Dark, 
portentous  clouds  were  evidently  gathering  in  the  polit 
ical  heavens,  Siouxward.  A  consultation  of  the  few 
Government  officials  resulted  in  sending  to  Fort  Ridg- 
ley  for  an  armed  force. 

In  1856,  the  frontier  settlers  were  thrown  into  panic 
by  the  murder  of  forty  persons,  at  Spirit  Lake  Settle 
ment,  in  Iowa  and  the  southern  extreme  of  Minnesota. 
The  leader  of  the  desperado  gang  was  Ink-pa-du-ta,  the 
basest  among  the  base,  who,  ever  since,  had  roamed  at 
large,  the  vilest  wretch  unhung.  It  had  been  feared 
that  his  going  unpunished  and  unpursued  would  em- 


22  DAKOTA   WAK  WHOOP. 

bolden  the  evil  inclined,  —  that  the  leniency  would  be  a 
precedent  on  which  they  might  base  their  future  deeds. 
Still,  dangers  slept ;  the  settlers  were  unmolested,  and 
those  who  had  known  him  longest,  became  quite  stupid 
in  relation  to  the  red  man,  so  that  when  the  clarion 
notes  rang  with  such  vibrating  thrill  through  the  State, 
one  company  of  volunteers  of  the  Minnesota  5th,  at 
each  of  the  three  military  posts,  was  all  deemed  essen 
tial  for  the  protection  of  Government  stores  and  fron 
tier  defense.  Capt.  Marsh  was  in  command  at  Fort 
.  Eidgley,  on  the  Minnesota,  Capt.  Hall  at  Fort  Eipley, 
on  the  Crow  Wing,  and  Capt  Vanderhock  at  Aber- 
crombie,  on  the  Eed  river  of  the  north,  and  the  least 
expectation  of  these  men  was,  that  they  were  to  bear 
the  brunt  in  the  outset,  of  a  home  outbreak,  and  so 
check  the  savage  onset  as  to  save  the  State  from  gen 
eral  desolation,  while  relief  forces  were  mustering,  hur 
riedly,  for  the  conflict.  Well  that  we  may  not  lift  the 
curtain  and  peep  into  futurity.  Experience,  as  it 
falls  in  life's  pathway,  is  quite  enough  for  our  finite 
view,  while,  if  the  scope  of  mental  vision  enabled  us 
to  comprehend  the  whole  in  one,  the  effect  would  be 
overwhelming.  The  Divine  Euler  has  his  marked  men 
for  the  emergency,  though  they  know  it  not ;  and  rich 
in  the  fact  is  that  man  whose  Grod  is  the  Lord,  and  who 
can  so  await  the  disposal  of  His  will,  as  to  say  in  the 
results,  "my  life  has  been  to  a  purpose." 

The  18th  of  June,  1862,  Lieut  Thomas  J.  Sheehan, 
Co.  C.,  Fifth  Eegiment  Minnesota  volunteers,  a  young 
man,  full  of  patriotic  fire,  and  burning  with  intense  de- 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  23 

sire  to  combat  a  rebel  foe,  had  orders  to  report  with  a 
detachment  of  fifty  men,  to  Capt  Marsh,  and  ten  days 
after,  loud  cheers  for  their  arrival  rang  through  Fort 
Kidgley.  The  following  morning,  June  29,  Capt.  Marsh 
issued  orders  that  Lieut.  Sheehan,  with  his  detachment 
from  Co.  C.,  and  fifty  men  from  Co.  B.,  Fifth  Minne 
sota,  with  Lieut.  Gere,  report  forthwith  to  Agent  Gal- 
braith,  at  Yellow  Medicine,  "for  the  purpose  of  preserv 
ing  order,  and  protecting  United  States  property,  du 
ring  the  time  of  annuity  payment." 

The  Indians  would  listen  to  no  advice  to  return 
home,  secure  their  crops,  and  await  the  Agent's  call, 
when  their  annuities  should  arrive.  Assuming  no  mil 
itary  dictation,  but  regarding  "discretion  the  better  part 
of  valor"  in  warding  the  impending  blow,  Command 
ant  Sheehan  waited  upon  the  Agent,  with  the  earnest 
desire  that  provisions,  to  the  extent  of  his  ability,  be 
issued,  to  satisfy  the  constant  demand  for  "something 
to  eat." 

As  if  to  add  intensity  to  kindling  fire  of  desperation, 
two  of  their  tribe  were  killed  by  the  Chippewas,  a  few 
miles  from  camp.  At  early  morn,  the  following  day, 
an  imposing  array  of  mounted  and  armed  Indians, 
1500  strong,  clad  only  in  moccasins  and  the  breechlet,  - 
started  on  the  "war  path,"  but  at  night  they  returned, 
crest-fallen  from  disappointment,  directing  vicious 
glances  at  the  soldier's  camp,  which  augured  no  good. 
To  avert  their  minds  from  pursuit  of  the  foe,  a  feast  is 
promised,  with  the  stipulation  that  they  submit  to  be 
counted  when  thus  convened,  an  ordeal  essential  to 


24  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

payment.  Citizens  and  soldiers,  some  of  whom  kept 
guard,  enjoyed  the  rare  fun  of  the  scramble,  each  for 
his  share,  as  barrel  after  barrel  of  crackers  were  emptied 
on  the  ground.  It  was  a  hilarious  time,  and  one  of 
apparent  satisfaction  to  the  participants.  Some  forty 
barrels  of  water  were  served  to  satisfy  the  demand  of 
the  clamorous  crowd  for  "drink,"  after  which,  for  an 
hour  or  two,  the  friendly  pipe  passed  from  hand  to 
hand,  and  the  counting  process  was  the  finale  of  the 
day. 

On  the  27th  July,  the  following  order  was  issued, 
giving  little  hope  of  rest  for  mind  or  body  of  our 
young  hero  : 

"SiB  :  I  have  to  request  that  you  detail  a  small  de 
tachment  of  your  command,  and  with  it  proceed  forth 
with  in  the  direction  of  Yellow  Medicine  river,  in 
search  of  Inkpaduta  and  his  followers,  who  are  said 
to  be  camped  somewhere  in  the  region,  with  stolen 
horses,  &c. 

uYou  will  take  said  Inkpaduta  and  all  Indian  soldiers 
with  him,  prisoners,  alive  if  possible,  and  deliver  them 
to  me  at  the  Agency.  If  they  resist,  I  advise  that  they 
be  shot.  Take  all  horses  found  in  their  possession,  and 
deliver  them  to  me. 

"A  party  of  reliable  citizens  will  accompany  you ; 
they  will  report  to  you  and  be  subject  to  your  orders. 

"Ten  or  twelve  men  will,  in  my  opinion,  be  sufficient. 
They  should,  by  all  means,  be  mounted  on  horses  or 
mules.  You  should  take  at  least  nine  days'  rations, 
and  should  start  a  sufficient  time  before  daylight  to  get 


DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP.  25 

away  without  the  knowledge  of  our  Indians.     While  I 
recommend  prompt  and  rigorous  action  to  bring  these 
murderers,  thieves  and  villains  to  justice,  dead  or  alive, 
yet  I  advise  prudence  and  extreme  caution. 
"Very  respectfully,  your  ob't  servant, 

THOS.  J.  GALBRAITH, 

Sioux  Agent 
"LIEUT.  T.  J.  SHEEHAN, 

"Commanding  Camp  at  Sioux  Agency." 

Accompanying  the  expedition  was  a  Christian  In 
dian,  who  acted  as  guide.  He  seemed  most  eager  of 
all  the  party  to  bring  the  scamp  to  justice,  while  he 
boasted  of  having  before  killed  his  son,  and  was  one  of 
the  party  who  rescued  Mrs.  Nobles  and  Miss  Gardner 
from  their  hands,  after  the  Spirit  Lake  Massacre.  After 
a  chase  of  many  a  weary  mile,  finding  the  deserted 
camp,  their  eyes  gratified  only  with  the  sight  of  a  soli- 
itary  Indian  in  the  distance,  supposed  to  be  a  spy  of 
Inkpaduta,  whom  the  best  horse  speed  could  not  over 
take,  and  after  continuing  the  search  till  further  pur 
suit  seemed  useless,  their  horses  were  headed  campward, 
where  they  arrived  on  the  evening  of  August  3d,  most 
opportunely.  Notwithstanding  the  drumming  and  pow 
wow  at  the  Indian  encampment,  during  the  night,  the 
adventurers  rested  well  after  the  excitement  and  travel 
of  the  last  five  restless  days  and  nights,  a  needed  refresh 
ing  for  the  ordeal  of  the  morrow. 

Scarcely  had  the  sun  of  August  4th  gilded  the  bluffs, 
when,  painted  and  stripped  for  the  work,  the  entire 
body  of  male  Indians,  with  axes,  hatchets  and  clubs, 


26  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

made  general  onslaught  on  the  warehouse,  the  doors  of 
which  soon  yielded  to  the  well  wielded  blows.  Then 
followed  an  unceremonious  seizure  of  goods,  flour  and 
bacon,  which  the  squaws,  with  wide  spread  blankets, 
(the  common  receptacle  of  all  things,)  awaited  to  re 
ceive,  and,  so  far  as  able,  convey  to  their  encampment. 
They  had  chosen  this  early  hour,  before  the  powers  of 
resistance  should  be  astir,  but  in  quick  time  the  alarm 
was  beat,  and  the  little  band  of  stout  hearts  were  ready 
for  action.  Leaving  the  rest  to  guard  camp,  Lieut 
Sheehan,  with  twenty -five  men,  hastes  to  the  scene  of 
confusion.  The  resistance  of  the  immortal  one  hun 
dred,  in  Sumter's  walls,  to  ten  thousand  rebels,  was  less 
daring,  had  less  of  cool  and  determined  bravery  than 
this.  What  power  have  twenty -five  men  to  cope  with 
fifteen  hundred  infuriated  savages,  armed  to  the  teeth  ? 
But  ah !  there  was  a  power  in  the  courage  of  the  bear 
ing,  in  the  determined  flash  of  the  eye,  when  he  ordered 
them  to  "fall  back,"  threatening  with  instant  death  any 
who  disobeyed.  See  them  quail  beneath  it  —  their 
withering  glances  change  to  awe,  as  they  coweringly 
obey.  The  gun  of  private  Foster  was  jerked  from  his 
hand,  discharged,  his  scalp  was  seized,  and  about  to 
pass  from  his  head  to  savage  hands,  when  arrested  by 
the  above  order.  Mr.  Fadden  and  James  Grormon, 
warehouse  and  trader's  clerks,  were  the  only  citizens 
rendering  any  assistance  during  this  emergency,  and 
are  deserving  of  much  credit  and  the  thanks  of  the 
State  at  least. 

Now  followed  a  grand  stampede  for  camp,  for  though 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  27 

awed,  they  were  not  subdued.  Here  they  were  rushing 
to  and  fro,  insulting  the  soldiers,  and  evidently  daring 
them  to  unequal  contest ;  but  when  the  howitzer,  by 
order,  was  turned  upon  them,  there  was  a  "scattering 
in  hot  haste,"  for  they  had  no  power  to  cope  with  this, 
to  them,  most  dreaded  monster.  The  lull  in  the  raging 
of  human  elements  was  seized  by  Lieut.  Sheehan  for 
an  interview  with  the  Agent,  in  the  quiet  of  his  own 
home.  Permission  was  granted  for  convening  a  coun 
cil  with  his  "red  children."  The  chief  speaker  shook 
hands  in  mock  friendliness  with  the  commanding  offi 
cer,  and  made  a  speech  as*  follows : 

"We  are  the  braves.  We  have  sold  our  land  to  the 
great  father,  (the  President,)  and  we  think  that  he  in 
tends  to  give  us  what  he  has  promised,  but  we  can't  get 
it,  and  we  are  starving;  we  want  something  to  eat." 

Commandant  Sheenan  replied :  "You  should  have 
gone  to  the  agent  before  breaking  open  the  warehouse, 
and  asked  him  for  something  to  eat,  which  he  was  in 
tending  to  give  you  to-day.  If  your  great  father  heard 
that  you  had  committed  these  depredations,  breaking 
open  the  warehouse  and  attempting  the  life  of  his  sol 
diers,  he  would  not  forgive  you,  for  it  would  make  him 
very  mad" 

"We  have  asked  the  Agent  almost  every  day,  but  he 
will  give  us  nothing ;  now  we  are  starving,  and  we 
want  you  to  ask  him  for  us.  We  know  if  we  kill  the 
soldiers,  it  will  make  our  great  father  mad.  We  held 
a  council  last  night,  and  concluded  we  must  have  some 
thing  to  eat."  B 


28  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

"If  I  get  you  a  good  issue  of  provisions  this  after 
noon,  will  you  all  go  back  to  your  teepees,  and  not 
trouble  my  camp,  nor  come  around  the  warehouse  any 
more?" 

"Yes,  that  is  what  we  want." 

The  whole  responsibility  being  thrown  upon  the 
shoulders  of  this  young  officer,  with  results  which  fol 
lowed,  may  have  had  its  parallel,  but  has  been  surpass 
ed  by  few.  The  plunder  being  ordered  returned  to  the 
warehouse,  the  execution  of  the  order  devolved  on  him, 
but  it  was  hauled  from  the  shoulders  of  the  men,  by  the 
Indians,  as  often  as  raised  thereto.  Matters  again 
seemed  rife  for  a  general  massacre.  Guards  were  set 
by  the  savage  rebels,  and  the  lowering  war  clouds  again 
muttered  their  thunders.  Still  the  determined  courage 
of  the  man  for  the  hour  did  not  forsake  him,  and  in 
every  effort  was  nobly  seconded  and  aided  by  his  com 
rade,  Lieut.  Gere,  and  he  again  demanded  an  issue  of 
provisions,  for  which  "they  were  as  eager,"  he  says,  "as 
wolves  for  blood."  This  being  received,  the  aggressors 
retired  to  feast  in  their  own  encampment,  regarding 
themselves,  no  doubt,  victors  of  the  day.  Considering 
all  things,  this  was  a  fortunate  ending,  even  though  but 
temporary.  The  following  day,  some  of  the  ring-lead 
ers  were  arrested  and  put  in  jail,  when  came  a  demand 
for  their  release,  with  a  threat  to  kill  every  man,  and 
blot  out  the  Agency,  if  not  complied  with.  Agent 
Galbraith  ordered  their  release. 

Capt.  Marsh,  in  compliance  with  the  request  of  Lieut. 
Sheehan,  arrived  in  camp,  August  6th,  and  gave  im- 


DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP.  29 

mediate  and  peremptory  orders  for  the  issue  of  the 
goods  and  provisions  on  hand,  when  quiet  returned, 
and  seeming  satisfaction  was  restored.  The  military 
force  having  other,  and,  as  thought,  more  important 
posts  of  duty,  withdrew.  Alas,  for  limited  human 
foresight !  Little  thought  they  that  the  startling  events 
of  these  two  weeks  were  the  foreshadowings  of  the  hor 
rid  tragedies  so  soon  to  make  every  heart  faint  with 
their  recital,  and  pale  every  cheek  with  terror  —  the 
result,  perhaps,  of  a  long  maturing  plot. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  FIRST  BLOW. 

The  first  event  in  tMs  great  Sioux  raid  to  confirm 
the  fact  that  they  had  broken  truce  with  the  whites, 
was  at  Acton,  Meeker  county,  on  Sunday,  the  17th  of 
August,  1862.  A  party  of  six  or  seven  reckless  young 
warriors  from  the  Lower  Agency,  forty  miles  south, 
had  gone  out  the  previous  day  on  a  Chippawa  "scalp 
hunt,"  but  meeting  no  success  in  that  line,  and  imbibing 
largely  of  "fire  water,"  they  entered  that  isolated  set 
tlement,  intent  on  carrying  out  whatever  promptings 
their  evil  hearts  might  devise.  The  house  of  Mr.  Jones, 
the  postmaster  of  Acton,  was  first  visited  by  them, 
where  they  were  loud  in  their  demand  for  whisky,  but 
in  lieu  of  which  he  gave  them  tobacco,  to  their  appa 
rent  satisfaction,  when  they  left  with  no  unfriendly 
demonstrations.  Still,  Mr.  Jones  was  suspicious  that 
evil  was  lurking  in  their  hearts,  as  he  an  hour  after  as 
serted  at  the  house  of  his  step-son,  Mr.  Howard  Baker, 
where  he  and  his  wife  had  gone,  leaving  his  niece,  an 
adopted  daughter,  with  a  child  a  year  old,  alone  in  the 
house. 

Three  weeks  previous  to  this,  a  "prairie  schooner," 
a  mere  speck  on  the  horizon,  was  seen  approaching  the 
settlement.  It  "cast  anchor"  before  the  door  of  Mr. 
Baker,  and  its  crew  was  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Webster,  who 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  31 

had  come  to  start  life  in  that  really  inviting  region. 
Here  a  temporary  home  was  given  them,  while  prepa 
rations  for  their  own  went  forward. 

A  little  before  noon,  these  same  Indians,  in  their 
usual  unceremonious  manner,  entered  the  house  of  Mr. 
Baker,  where  the  friends  were  still  in  social  converse. 
Save  the  fact  of  their  being  drunk,  there  was  nothing 
to  incite  suspicion.  In  such  a  state  they  are  always  to 
be  feared.  After  much  meaningless  talk,  they  proposed 
to  "go  out  and  shoot  at  a  mark." 

Mr.  Webster,  who  had  never  before  seen  an  Indian, 
stood  on  the  door  step,  a  mere  spectator  of  the  game. 
The  Indians,  taking  advantage  of  the  discharged  guns 
of  the  others,  made  him  their  first  victim.  His  wife  was 
in  the  covered  wagon,  unpacking  some  articles  for  use, 
and  thus  screened,  escaped  their  bullets.  Mr.  Jones 
ran  a  short  distance,  when  an  unerring  aim  brought 
him  down.  Mr.  Baker  rushed  into  the  house,  where 
he  and  his  mother,  Mrs  Jones,  were  soon  prostrate  in 
death.  His  wife,  with  her  two  children,  of  four  and 
six  years,  had  fled  to  the  cellar,  and  so  escaped.  The 
sight  of  blood  infuriated  their  demon  thirst,  and  hastily 
they  return  to  Mr.  Jones',  break  down  the  dooi  which 
the  young  girl  had  fastened,  and  killing  her,  spared 
the  child,  which  the  next  day  is  found  lying  in  the 
blood  of  the  slain,  which  is  in  coagulated  pools  on  the 
floor. 

As  soon  as  satisfied  it  was  safe  to  do  so,  Mrs.  Web 
ster  and  Mrs.  Baker  come  from  their  concealment 
and,  almost  paralyzed  with  horror,  survey  the  dreadful 


32  DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP. 

scene.  The  life-blood  of  Mr.  W.  had  not  yet  ceased 
its  flow,  and  an  hour  afterwards  he  dies  in  the  arms  of 
his  heart-stricken  wife.  It  was  no  time  for  communion 
with  grief,  but  prompt  and  decisive  action.  With  feel 
ings  akin  to  joy,  they  call  to  a  white  man  then  passing. 
He  stands  in  the  doorway  when,  with  speechless  lips 
and  bursting  hearts,  they  point  to  their  dead.  With 
a  demoniac  srnile  he  says,  "0,  they've  got  the  nose 
bleed,"  and  turned  to  go.  "But  you  will  not  leave  us 
alone  with  these  dead  bodies,"  agonizingly  pleaded  the 
women. 

"They're  doing  well,"  was  the  reply  of  the  heartless 
wretch,  and  then  he  followed  in  the  wake  of  the  In 
dians. 

Various  were  the  conjectures  as  to  who  this  inhu 
man  monster  might  be,  some  of  the  more  charitable 
believing  him  insane.  Not  so  in  the  neighborhood 
where  the  tragic  scene  transpired.  By  those,  he  was 
believed  to  be  in  league  with  the  enactors,  and  inciting 
to  the  bloody  deeds. 

Three  miles  away  was  an  intelligent  Swede  settle 
ment,  and  thither  these  women  and  helpless  children 
wend  their  lonely  way.  The  sun  had  sank  to  rest,  ere 
with  sickned  hearts  and  weary  feet  they  are  welcomed  at 
a  friendly  abode — friendly,  though  the  spoken  language 
of  each  is  not  understood  by  the  other.  The  Indians 
had  been  seen ;  yea,  a  fine  span  of  horses  had  been 
mounted  and  rode  off  by  two  of  them.  Then  the  in 
telligent  signs ;  the  grief-marked  faces,  and  the  blood- 
bedabbled  dresses  told  the  awful  tale.  Before  mid- 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  33 

night,  the  whole  settlement  was  aroused  and  their 
course  determined. 

On  the  following  morning,  some  two  hundred  in  all, 
every  man  armed,  went  out  to  bury  their  murdered 
friends.  Mr.  Jones,  whom  the  women  had  supposed 
instantly  killed,  and  was  concealed  from  their  view  by 
an  outbuilding,  had  evidently  had  a  severe  grapple 
with  death,  deep  holes  having  been  dug  in  his  strug 
gles  by  his  hands  and  feet  Already  the  bodies  had 
become  very  offensive,  and  pools  of  clotted  blood  were 
all  over  the  floor  of  the  house.  The  burial  party  was 
fired  on  by  the  Indians  before  the  hasty  rites  were 
finished ;  a  ball  passing  through  the  hat  of  one,  which 
was  returned  with  even  less  effect,  save  in  causing 
them  to  mount  their  stolen  steeds  and  fly  to  the  covert 
of  the  woods. 

That  was  an  anxious,  restless  night,  for  those  about 
to  abandon  their  homes  for  safety.  Guards  were  sta 
tioned  around  the  house  where  the  women  and  chil 
dren  were  gathered,  while  the  main  body  of  men  were 
preparing  to  depart  on  the  morrow.  In  that  vast  train 
of  sixty  teams  was  one  bright  Swede  girl,  who  was 
afterward  employed  as  a  domestic  in  the  home  of  the 
writer.  From  her  the  minutiae  of  these  facts  were 
obtained.  All  was  smiling  with  plenty  and  homes 
were  becoming  attractive,  when  the  rude  touch  of  sav 
age  hands  passed  over  them,  and  subsequently  wrote 
desolation  on  all.  Change,  how  sudden,  had  come  over 
their  earthly  hopes !  Blight  how  unexpected  had  fallen 
on  their  prospects !  As  they  wind  over  the  prairie, 


84  DAKOTA    WAR   WHOOP. 

both  ear  and  eye  are  alert,  lest  an  ambushed  or  grass 
hidden  foe  lurks  with  deadly  aim ;  but  safely  they  are 
guided  to  a  haven  of  rest,  where  present  dangers  are 
past.  The  smitten  hearts  find  sympathizing  friends  ; 
but  no  kindness  can  efface  the  memory  of  that  Sabbath 
day,  when,  powerless  to  save,  their  loved  ones  lay  dead 
before  them.  During  that  day's  trial  and  those  which 
followed,  these  women  evinced  rare  good  sense  and 
genuine  intelligence,  impressing  those  who  conversed 
with  them,  of  their  worth  and  virtues. 


LITTLE  CHOW. 
(  The  Bloody  Chief. ) 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE   COUNCIL  FIRE. 

The  purpose  of  Little  Crow,  chief  of  the  Lower 
Annuity  Indians,  was  to  strike  a  strong,  decisive  blow 
at  the  Lower  Agency  as  soon  as  "paid  off,"  before  the 
whites  had  scattered  to  their  homes,  and  this  to  be 
followed  up  by  extermination  and  a  repossession  of  the 
entire  State. 

A  premature  and  unbidden  blow  had  been  struck 
at  Acton,  and  with  lightning  speed  some  of  the  fiend 
ish  perpetrators  hastened  on  their  stolen  steeds  to  Eed 
"Wood,  or  Lower  Agency,  twelve  miles  above  Fort 
Ridgley  and  at  midnight,  stand  before  their  chief, 
exhibiting  their  blood-stained  hands,  and  recounting  in 
fiendish  triumph,  the  deeds  of  the  day,  and  urging  an 
immediate  onslaught  on  the  whites.  For  well  they 
knew  the  consequences  if  they  were  given  up  to  re 
ceive  justice  at  the  hands  of  a  proper  tribunal — if 
withheld,  war,  they  urged,  was  inevitable. 

Little  Crow  had,  in  several  trips  to  "Washington,  and 
otherwise,  picked  up  some  knowledge  of  the  world, 
and  the  nation's  power,  and  he  knew  well  the  element 
with  which  he  had  to  contend.  He  had  so  far  adopted 
the  customs  of  the  whites  as  to  wear  their  apparel,  live 
in  a  brick  house,  sleep  in  a  bed,  eat  at  table  and  drink 
all  the  whisky  he  could  get.  Being  an  adept  in  craft, 


38  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

he  hesitates,  though  his  heart  thirsts  for  blood,  and  he 
covets  the  rewards  of  the  white  man's  industry.  But 
there  is  much  at  stake.  "Wait  till  paid  off,"  he  said,  and 
then  the  work  should  begin.  Still,  if  his  young  men 
were  going  to  fight,  even  now,  he  coveted  the  glory  of 
leadership,  —  they  could  have  their  own  way. 

Here  let  us  say  that  the  name  by  which  this  bloody 
Chief  is  known,  is  only  a  nickname,  which  descended 
to  him  from  his  grandfather,  who  received  it  from 
wearing  a  crow's  skin  upon  his  breast.  His  true  name 
is  Tah-o-ah-ta-doo-ta,  meaning  "his  scarlet  people." 
The  band  he  governed  was  known  as  the  Lightfoot 
Band. 

The  longer  that  council  fire  burned,  the  higher  and 
brighter  rose  the  flame,  and  the  more  determined  grew 
the  spirit  emitted  by  the  lightning  flashes  of  their  eyes. 
They  urged  that  the  whites,  all  but  the  old  men  and 
boys,  had  "gone  to  the  war,"  and  that  these,  with  the 
women  and  children,  could  be  easily  exterminated. 
Now  was  the  time  for  the  work  of  death  to  begin, — 
to  avenge  their  wrongs. 

Here  let  us  pause  and  investigate  those  wrongs. 
Personal  wrongs  there  may  be,  but  national  wrongs  in 
relation  to  them  we  fail  to  see.  Sloth  is  their  own 
worst  and  most  powerful  enemy.  Like  the  care  of  a 
provident  parent  for  the  children  of  his  love,  is  the 
government  provision  to  render  them  useful  and  happy. 
To  encourage  civilization  among  them,  it  has  used 
every  means  that  money  or  influence  could  induce. 
To  every  Indian  who  will  lay  aside  his  blanket,  cut  off 


DAKOTA   WAK   WHOOP.  39 

his  hair,  and  put  on  white  man's  apparel,  is  accorded, 
in  addition  to  his  annuities,  a  farm  of  eighty  acres,  pre 
pared  and  stocked,  and  farming  implements  provided ; 
on  this  a  house  is  built  and  furnished,  and  medical 
attendance  guaranteed.  In  addition  to  this,  he  receives 
a  percentage  on  every  rod  of  fence  built,  on  every  bush 
el  of  grain  or  potatoes  raised,  and  for  every  acre  of 
new  land  cultivated,  with  full  ownership  of  the  same, 
so  long  as  he  continues  to  occupy  it,  or  follow  indus 
trial  pursuits.  How  would  the  souls  of  poor  white 
men  expand  with  ambition,  was  the  same  kindly  gov 
ernmental  care  extended  to  them  !  There  would  be  far 
less  poverty  and  wretchedness  in  our  large  cities  than 
now.  But  in  the  main,  the  Indians  prefer  their  own 
mode  of  life,  and  despise  the  one  who  thus  sells  his 
tribal  birthright  (his  blanket,)  and  goes  to  work  like  a 
white  man.  Some,  however,  have  done  it,  in  spite  of 
the  disgrace,  as  many  small  but  comfortable  brick 
houses  at  Red  Wood  and  elsewhere  will  testify.  This, 
however,  is  the  exception,  not  the  rule.  More  generally, 
you  will  find  their  chivalrous  spirit  manifested  in  loung 
ing  and  smoking,  while  the  women  perform  all  the 
labor,  except  fighting  and  eating. 

The  decision  was  made.  The  remainder  of  the 
night,  while  the  populace  slept  in  security,  was  spent 
in  preparations  for  action.  Before  dawn,  the  spirit 
was  deeply  imbibed  by  all,  with  few  exceptions,  and 
the  murderous  weapon  was  clutched  with  a  despera 
tion  which  even  their  blood-thirsty  souls  had  never  be 
fore  known.  They  were  eager  for  the  onset. 


40  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

The  signal  for  general  attack  was  to  be  the  firing  of 
a  gun  by  the  store  where  waved  the  American  flag, 
when  the  assailants,  previously  divided  into  squads 
and  stationed  at  every  house,  would  each  discharge  a 
volley,  and  the  people,  rushing  from  their  houses  to 
learn  the  cause,  would  become  an  easy  prey.  Thus  it 
was  settled,  and  thus  eating  and  drinking,  they  wait 
and  watch  for  the  first  glimmerings  of  day. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  Lower  Annuity 
Indians  all  resided  at  or  near  the  Lower  Agency,  and 
a  day  was  sufficient  to  bring  them  all  together  to  pay 
ment,  whenever  the  gold  and  goods  should  arrive. 
These  for  all  time,  they  were  now  willing  to  exchange 
for  the  booty  they  would  obtain,  and  the  glory  of 
wearing  a  scalp  feather. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE   OUTBKEAK  AT    BED  WOOD. 

That  Monday  morning  of  August  18th,  1862,  dawned 
clear  and  mild,  all  nature  seemed  radiant  with  life  and 
hope,  and  more  like  a  festive  bridal  morn  than  the  en 
acting  of  the  dark  plottings  of  the  night. 

Their  plan  was  admirably  carried  out,  and  had  blood 
alone  been  their  intent,  not  one  would  have  escaped 
to  tell  the  tale.  The  people,  as  they  had  presumed, 
rushed  to  the  doors  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  the  strange 
alarm,  with  no  apprehension  of  evil.  Men  were  indis 
criminately  shot  down,  hatchets  were  buried  in  the 
heads  of  women  and  children,  or  they  were  dragged 
off  into  captivity,  a  fate  far  worse.  Soon  arose  the 
smoke  of  burning  buildings — and  the  shrieks  and 
groans  of  the  sufferers,  as  the  tomahawk  cleft  their 
bones  and  chopped  their  flesh  in  pieces,  was  terrific, 
beyond  the  power  of  pen  to  describe.  There  were 
women  and  children  imploring  mercy  at  the  hand 
where  there  was  none,  from  those  whom  their  own 
hands  had  fed,  and  their  own  houses,  now  in  flames, 
had  often  sheltered  from  the  pitiless  rain  and  cold, 
now  as  reckless  of  all  as  the  weapon  which  seeks 
the  brain.  O  the  horrors  of  that  one  first  hour !  One 
has  very  truthfully  said,  that  these  barbarities  could 


42  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

"not  have  been  exceeded,  had  all  hell  been  turned 
loose,  with  no  opposition  or  restraint." 

So  paralyzed  were  the  people,  tha^  strange  to  say, 
not  a  gun  was  fired,  not  a  hand  was  raised  in  defense, 
and  such  unlocked  for  success  seemed  but  to  madden 
their  rage  into  more  violent  fury. 

The  first  victim  was  James  W.  Lynde,  son  of  an 
eminent  Baptist  minister  of  Covington,  Kentucky. 
He  was  a  single  man,  thoroughly  cultivated  in  all  the 
physical,  social,  intellectual  and  refined  elements  of 
manhood.  His  soul- absorbing  love  of  nature  led  him 
where  he  could  revel  amid  her  beauties,  and  worship 
amid  her  smiles.  His  passion  for  music  and  the  muses 
he  had  highly  and  extensively  cultivated.  He  had 
held  the  position  of  editor  of  the  "HENDERSON  DEMO 
CRAT,"  had  served  with  acceptance  as  State  Senator, 
and  held  many  other  offices  of  trust  in  his  adopted 
State.  As  they  had  predicted,  he  with  others  stepped 
to  the  door  to  learn  the  cause  of  the  tumult,  when  he 
was  made  a  target  for  seven  balls,  and  fell  dead. 

Andrew  My  rick,  formerly  of  Westport,  N.  Y.,  when 
the  first  gun  was  fired,  ran  up  stairs,  where  for  a  long 
time  he  lay  concealed  under  a  dry  goods  box.  The 
Indians,  with  all  their  daring,  are  arrant  cowards,  and 
no  one  dare  to  be  the  first  one  up  for  fear  of  being  a 
victim  to  whatever  death  weapon  he  might  have.  To 
bring  him  down,  they  in  a  loud  voice  proposed  to  fire 
the  store,  when  he  climbed  through  the  scuttle  to  the 
roof,  let  himself  down  by  the  lightning  rod  to  the  roof  of 
a  low  addition,  and  from  thence  j uniped  to  the  ground 


DAKOTA   WAK  WHOOP.  43 

and  ran  toward  the  brush,  where,  had  he  not  been  seen, 
he  might  have  been  safe.  Unfortunately,  it  was  other 
wise,  and  a  shower  of  arrows  pierced  him  through. 
He  was  then  dragged  back  to  the  store,  and  his  face  in 
dignantly  pelted  with  the  gold  coin  they  had  found  in 
his  safe,  while  the  vilest  imprecations  fell  from  their  lips. 
The  burying  party  of  Birch  Coolie  notoriety,  of  whom 
more  anon,  found  his  body  and  buried  it,  so  marking 
his  grave  that  his  brother  had  him  afterward  removed 
to  St.  Paul. 

William  Bourat  was  clerk  in  the  store,  and  on  being 
wounded,  rushed  up  stairs  with  another,  whose  history 
demands  a  separate  chapter,  securely  fastened  the  trap 
door  and  prepared  for  their  fate.  With  a  wild  whoop 
of  triumph,  the  Indians  had  rushed  in  and  taken  pos 
session  of  the  store,  and  while  distributing  the  goods, 
were  concocting  their  plans  to  dispatch  these  hapless 
victims,  and  then  burn  the  building.  Bourat  hearing 
this,  determined  to  make  a  bold  dash  for  his  life, 
wounded  and  bleeding  as  he  was,  rushed  down  stairs 
and  through  the  crowd,  clamorous  in  securing  their  plun 
der,  and  passed  out  in  safety.  When  two  hundred 
yards  from  the  building,  he  received  a  heavy  charge 
of  duck  shot  in  the  side,  and  another  in  his  leg,  which 
brought  him  to  the  ground.  Nor  had  this  satisfied 
the  savage  thirst.  His  clothing  was  stripped  from  him, 
and  then  he  was  piled  with  logs  to  prevent  escape,  till 
they  could  return  and  "cut  him  up,"  as  they  talked 
among  themselves.  What  a  moment  was  that !  To  do 
or  die,  was  the  only  alternative.  None  could  look  to 


44  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

a  comrade  for  aid,  and  few  knew  the  fate  of  their 
friends.  He  must  save  himself  if  saved,  and  by  su 
perhuman  effort. he  removed  the  logs  and  went  on  the 
way  rejoicing  in  his  own  escape. 

Doct.  Humphrey,  Government  physician,  had  fallen 
in  death,  at  his  own  door,  which  he  had  turned  to  enter, 
when  his  house,  in  which  his  wife  and  children  were 
fastened,  was  set  on  fire,  and  she  and  her  three 
little  girls  were  burned  in  it.  Several  weeks  after, 
their  charred  and  blackened  remains  were  found  in  the 
cellar,  and  with  the  decayed  and  mutilated  body  of 
her  husband,  decently  buried.  A  little  boy  of  this 
family,  eleven  years  old,  escaped  from  the  burning 
building  to  the  woods,  across  the  river,  where  he  re 
mained  concealed  till  the  arrival  of  troops,  when  he 
"fell  in,"  and  stood  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  while 
the  unequal  contest  raged,  and  was  by  them  protected 
till  conveyed  to  friends  in  St.  Paul, — the  sad-hearted 
lone  remnant  of  an  unbroken  happy  family  of  the 
previous  day. 

Such  was  the  surprise  of  the  whites,  that  they  were 
as  nearly  paralyzed  with  wonder  as  alarm.  Some  mis 
take,  thought  they,  and  in  some  instances,  actually  gazed 
at  the  elevated  rifle,  threatening  to  send  a  bullet  to  the 
heart  But  in  less  time  than  I  am  writing,  the  true  in 
tent  was  evinced  by  bloody  reality.  Many  had  come 
out  with  half  made  toilets,  some  of  whom  were  shot 
down,  and  others  barely  escaped  with  their  lives,  having 
no  time  to  return  for  more  clothing.  What  a  scene ! 
burning  dwellings,  dead  men  strewing  every  yard,  and 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  45 

forbidding  entrance  to  every  door,  women  butchered 
or  dragged  into  captivity,  children  screaming,  till  their 
brains  are  dashed  out  against  a  tree,. or  the  butt  of  a 
rifle,  and  all  so  sudden,  so  unlooked-for  !  My  God,  is 
there  vengeance  in  heaven  ! 

With  demoniac  yells,  they  seize  upon  every  treasure. 
Goods  are  recklessly  trodden  down,  money  safes  broken 
open  and  the  contents  divided,  and  a  scene  of  such  car 
nage  and  plunder,  modern  history  does  not  record. 
When  the  sun  arose,  the  smoke  of  burning  buildings 
darkened  its  rays,  and  the  earth  was  drinking  the  blood 
of  the  slain. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE     SLAUGHTER. 

A  few  had.  escaped  by  the  ferry,  and,  the  Indians 
well  knew,  would  carry  the  news  of  their  dreadful  work 
to  the  Fort,  and  that  retributive  justice  was  sure  to  fol 
low.  To  retard  this,  they  secure  the  ferry-boat,  kill  the 
ferryman,  disembowel  him,  chop  off  his  head,  hands  and 
feet,  which  they  insert  in  the  cavity,  and  then  dance 
around  him,  in  hellish  triumph,  at  what  their  own  hands 
had  done,  and  their  own  savage  hearts  devised. 

In  some  instances,  after  the  first  excitement  of  the 
onslaught,  persons  met  their  death  by  slow  torture.  A 
boy,  in  trying  to  escape,  was  overhauled,  stripped  to 
the  skin,  and  then  pierced  with  sticks  and  knives,  as  he 
was  driven  along,  they  in  the  meantime  mimicking  his 
agonies,  hooting  and  laughing  at  him  till  death  ended 
his  sufferings. 

One  man  leaped  from  the  window  of  the  mill,  which 
they  set  on  fire,  to  the  river,  not  soon  enough,  how-' 
ever,  to  prevent  their  well-aimed  balls  from  entering 
his  breast.  With  more  than  mortal  energy,  he  swam 
the  river,  and  was  scarcely  alive  when  he  reached  the 
opposite  shore.  For  four  days,  without  food,  he  drag 
ged  himself  round  in  swamps  and  grass  more  dead  than 
alive,  and  was  at  last  found  by  a  party  of  refugees, 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  47 

sixty-five  miles  from  his  starting  point,  and  by  them 
taken  to  a  place  of  security. 

Women  were  tortured  in  every  imaginable  manner. 
Some,  with  infants  in  their  arms,  had  their  breasts  cut 
off,  others  their  toes,  and  some  were  hamstrung  and 
dragged  over  the  prairie  till  torn  and  mangled ;  from 
that  alone  they  died  Those  who  escaped,  spread  the 
alarm.  The  people  seemed  paralyzed  to  all  but  per 
sonal  safety,  and  fled  precipitately,  not  knowing  whith 
er  they  went.  In  one  instance,  several  families,  not  far 
away  from  home,  had  congregated  in  consultation  as  -to 
their  course,  when  they  were  overtaken  by  the  Indians, 
at  the  head  of  whom  was  "Cut  Nose,"  one  of  whom  it 
might  emphatically  be  said,  "Ye  are  of  your  father, 
the  devil,  and  his  works  ye  do."  The  first  volley  kill 
ed  the  few  men,  which,  the  women  and  children  seeing, 
in  their  defenseless  state,  huddled  more  closely  togeth 
er  in  the  wagons,  and  bending  low  their  heads,  drew 
their  shawls  tightly  over  them.  Two  of  the  fiends 
held  the  horses  while  Cut  Nose  jumped  into  a  wagon, 
containing  eleven,  and  deliberately  cleft  the  head  of 
each,  while,  stupefied  with  horror,  and  powerless  from 
fright,  each  awaited  their  turn,  knowing  the  tomahawk 
would  soon  also  tear  through  their  flesh  and  bones,  in 
like  manner.  Then  kicking  these  butchered  victims 
from  the  wagon,  they  filled  it  with  plunder  from  the 
burning,  houses,  leaving  them  a  prey  to  vultures  and 
ravenous  wolves. 

Forcing  an  infant  from  its  mother's  arms,  with  the 
bolt  of  a  wagon  they  fastened  it  to  a  tree,  and  holding 


48  DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP. 

the  mother  before  it,  compelled  her  to  witness  its  dying 
agonies.  They  then  chopped  off  her  legs  and  arms, 
and  left  her  to  bleed  to  death.  And  thus  they  butch 
ered  twenty -five,  within  an  area  of  as  many  rods. 

To  serve  their  base  passions,  some  of  the  younger 
women  were  saved  alive,  while  perhaps  the  parents 
were  cut  down  before  their  eyes. 

One  family,  who  lived  a  few  miles  out,  consisting  of 
the  parents,  son  and  daughter,  fled  from  the  back  door, 
as  the  murderers  appeared  at  the  front  door.  The 
father  fired  the  first  gun  that  had  been  raised  against 
them,  but  before  he  could  re-load,  with  fiendish  yells 
the  savages  sprang  upon  them.  The  father,  mother 
and  son  fell  dead,  and  the  daughter,  with  genuine  tact, 
fell  to  the  ground,  holding  her  breath  and  feigning 
death.  The  monsters,  after  hacking  and  mutilating  the 
quivering  flesh  of  the  others,  seized  her  feet  to  drag 
her  off — unconsciously,  she  attempted  to  adjust  her 
dress  —  which  these  barbarians  seeing,  stopped  short, 
and  sparing  her  life  for  viler  purposes,  sent  her  back 
to  swell  the  company  of  hapless  captives. 

On  the  route  between  Yellow  Medicine  and  Eed 
Wood,  George  H.  Gleason,  Agency  Clerk,  having  in 
charge  Mrs.  Wakefield  and  two  children,  was  surprised 
by  a  party  of  these  Ked  Wood  murderers,  who  now 
were  ravaging  the  country  in  every  direction,  and  mad 
dened  by  every  fresh  taste  of  blood,  were  still  dealing 
death  and  captivity  to  all  in  their  way.  Gleason  was 
a  favorite  with  all,  and  they  had  never  received  aught 
but  kindness  from  his  hands.  But  that  did  not  save 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  49 

him.  A  bullet  quick  went  to  his  heart.  His  person 
was  searched,  valuable  papers  scattered  to  the  four 
winds,  and  he  left,  stripped  nearly  to  the  skin,  while 
Mrs.  Wakefield  and  her  children  were  carried  into  cap 
tivity,  there  to  remain  until  the  time  of  the  great  re 
lease  had  come. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

GEORGE  H.   SPENCER. 

The  subject  of  this  chapter,  who  has  furnished  much 
material  for,  and  will  play  a  conspicuous  part  in  the 
tragedy  announced,  came  to  St.  Paul  in  the  early  dawn 
of  manhood,  while  yet  the  thriving  young  city  was 
struggling  in  swaddling  bands.  West  of  the  Missis 
sippi  river,  the  Sioux  title  was  not  yet  extinct.  Their 
villages  and  encampments  were  in  close  proximity  to 
town,  and  numbers  of  them  were  daily  parading  the 
the  streets,  visiting  the  stores  to  trade,  and  the  houses 
to  beg. 

Young  Spencer,  as  clerk,  found  a  knowledge  of  their 
language  quite  essential  to  success  in  business.  Devo 
ting  half  of  the  night  to  study,  and  being  a  persever 
ing  scholar  and  good  linguist,  he  soon  acquired  a  per 
fect  knowledge  of  the  Dakota  language.  This  made 
him  a  favorite,  and  some  strong  personal  friendships 
were  formed  with  some  of  the  most  deserving  of  the 
tribe. 

The  study  which  our  hero  most  loved  was  the  starry 
heavens.  Watching  the  planets  as  they  rose,  tracing 
the  stars  in  constellation,  and  the  comets,  till  they 
moved  off  in  unknown  space,  he,  in  nature's  observa 
tory,  would  be  lost  to  all  else,  save  in  adoration  of  Him 
who  made  them  all,  till  his  garments  were  drenched 


DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP.  51 

with  the  dews  of  night.  To  perfect  himself  in  the 
glorious  study  of  Astronomy,  was  the  one  absorbing 
desire  of  his  life.  And  to  facilitate  this,  was  the  main  in 
ducement  for  forming  a  co-partnership  with  Wm.  II. 
Forbes,  which  would  isolate  him  in  the  heart  of  the 
Indian  country  for  the  five  succeeding  years.  The 
lumber  which  entered  into  the  construction  of  his  store, 
was  drawn  more  than  two  hundred  miles,  and  none 
could  be  obtained  nearer. 

Goods  were  readily  converted  into  furs,  and  these 
into  gold,  which  poured  into  the  coffers  of  the  firm  like 
rain  from  full  clouds.  True,  the  life  of  Spencer  was  in 
jeopardy,  or,  to  use  his  own  words,  he  was  obliged  to 
"risk  his  scalp"  in  carrying  out  his  designs  ;  for  though 
he  had  many  professed  friends  among  them,  those  who 
sought  his  advice,  and  offered  to  him  their  daughters 
for  wives,  which  he  rejected  with  a  firmness  they  could 
but  respect,  yet  he  well  knew  there  was  many  a  secret 
lurking  foe,  who  would  not  hesitate  to  do  him  any 
amount  of  eviL 

Once  his  store  was  fired  in  the  night  time,  when,  but 
for  timely  notice  by  his  Argus-eyed  friends,  he  and  all 
his  goods  would  have  been  consumed 

Another  time,  his  store  had,  all  the  evening,  been 
filled  with  those  who  came  for  trade  or  gossip,  when,  at 
a  late  hour,  he  drank  from  a  pail  of  water,  to  which  all 
had  had  free  access.  An  unusual  taste  excited  his  sus 
picion,  in  test  of  which  he  gave  some  to  a  cat,  which 
died  in  violent  convulsions,  in  less  than  a  minute.  In 
vestigation  proved  the  presence  of  strychnine.  His 


52  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

heavy  moustache  had  collected  the  poison,  and  thus 
saved  his  life.  Those  more  honorable  than  their  fel 
lows,  tried,  in  both  of  these  instances,  to  find  out  the 
guilty,  but  investigation  was  a  failure.  He  had  learned 
thereby  a  lesson  of  caution,  and  that,  as  a  race,  the 
Sioux  were  worthy  of  little  confidence. 

Mr.  Spencer  was  en  route  to  visit  his  host  of  St.  Paul 
friends,  where  he  held  membership  in  the  First  Baptist 
Church,  and  stopped  to  spend  the  Sabbath  at  the 
Agency.  He  was  at  the  store  of  his  partner  when  the 
attack  was  made,  and  thinking  there  must  be  some 
mistake  in  what  he  saw,  was  looking  on  in  perfect  won 
der,  till  recalled  by  the  power  of  three  convincing  bul 
lets.  But  as  Mr.  Spencer  still  lives,  after  being  forty 
days  regarded  as  dead,  we  shall  let  him  tell  his  own 
story,  simply  adding,  that  this  Chapter  was  commenced 
as  a  biography  when  there  was  scarcely  a  hope  of  his 
being  alive.  That  he  was  shot,  and  said  he  must  die, 
was  all  that  his  escaped  friend  knew  of  him  or  his  fate. 
But  there  was  "joy  in  that  city,"  when  it  was  told  that 
he  lived,  was  safe  with  his  Indian  friend,  who  designed 
to  restore  him  to  his  white  friends,  as  soon  as  safe  to 
do  so. 

The  engraving  represents  him  in  the  dress  in  which 
he  was  taken  captive,  the  bullet  holes  being  distinctly 
seen.  While  a  captive,  he  was,  as  all  others,  obliged 
to  wear  the  Indian  costume,  but  his  clothes,  watch,  dia 
mond  pin  and  ring,  together  with  his  money,  were  care 
fully  kept,  by  his  Indian  friend,  and  returned  to  him 
on  his  release. 


X/x 


CHAPTER  Ylii. 

CAPTIVITY  AND  RELEASE  OF  GEORGE  H.    SPENCER,  AS 
GIVEN  BY  HIMSELF. 

"Upon  Monday  morning,  August  18th,  1862,  the 
dissatisfaction  which  had  long  been  manifested  by  the 
Mile-na-kan-toan  and  Wah-pe-ku-te  bands  of  the  Sioux 
Indians,  reached  the  culminating  point,  and  inaugura 
ted  one  of  the  most  horrible  massacres  of  which  we 
have  any  record. 

"About  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  inhabitants 
of  the  Agency  were,  as  usual,  pursuing  their  customary 
avocations,  little  dreaming  that  that  bright  and  beauti 
ful  sun  which  was  diffusing  its  genial  rays  over  the 
earth,  had  risen  for  the  last  time  upon  them,  and  that 
when  he  should  have  performed  his  daily  journey,  and 
returned  to  his  resting  place  at  eve,  their  mutilated  and 
mangled  remains  would  be  left  food  for  the  vultures, 
and  their  unprepared  souls  summoned  into  the  pres 
ence  of  their  Creator. 

"I  had  arrived  in  the  place  on  Saturday  evening,  the 
16th.  On  Sunday  evening,  the  17th,  I  attended  the 
Eev.  Mr.  Hinman's  Church,  where  I  heard  a  very  fine 
and  appropriate  sermon.  Had  the  Kev.  gentleman 
known  that  the  events  which  transpired  on  the  following 
morning  were  to  have  taken  place,  he  could  not  have 
preached  a  more  appropriate  sermon  for  the  occasion. 

"On  Monday  morning,  about  six  o'clock,  on  going 


56  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

to  the  door,  I  noticed  an  unusual  number  of  Indians 
coming  down  the  road  into  the  village,  all  armed  and 
naked,  except  the  breech-clotk  I  knew  it  was  a  war 
party,  and  upon  arriving  in  the  village,  they  divided 
into  small  parties,  and  stationed  themselves  around 
every  building  in  the  place,  and  upon  inquiring  of  those 
around  our  building — (the  store  of  Wm.  H.  Forbes)  — 
what  the  matter  was,  I  was  told  that  some  of  the 
enemy  were  seen  near  by,  and  that  they  were  going  to 
attack  them.  Supposing  they  meant  Chippewas,  I 
thought  no  more  about  the  matter.  Presently,  how 
ever,  I  heard  the  firing  of  guns,  and  hideous  yelling 
outside,  when  I  rushed  to  the  door,  with  five  or  six  oth 
ers,  and  just  had  time  to  see  that  the  trading  house  of 
Messrs.  My  rick  &  Co.,  had  been  attacked  by  them,  and 
that  they  were  firing  into  it,  when  a  volley  was  dis 
charged  at  us.  Four  men  fell  dead,  and  I  received 
three  balls,  one  through  my  right  arm,  another  struck 
me  in  the  right  breast,  and  the  third  in  the  stomach. 
One  white  man,  William  Bourat,  and  a  half-breed  boy, 
were  not  hit.  I  did  not  fall,  and  with  these  two,  rushed 
up  stairs.  Upon  reaching  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  I  turn 
ed  to  see  if  they  were  following,  when  I  saw  the  store 
was  filling  with  Indians,  and  one  had  followed  me  to 
the  stairs,  where,  placing  his  double-barrel  gun  almost 
against  my  body,  endeavored  to  shoot  me,  but,  provi 
dentially,  both  barrels  missed  fire,  and  I  succeeded  in 
reaching  the  upper  story,  without  further  injury.* 

*This  Indian,  so  intent  on  the  life  of  Spencer,  was  one  whom,  with  his  family, 
he  had  kept,  two  winters,  from  starvation  ;  in  short,  had  been  his  most  available 
friend.  Such  is  the  Indian's  gratitude. 


DAKOTA   WAK   WHOOP.  57 

"After  being  up  stairs  a  short  time,  the  half-breed, 
looking  through  the  window,  saw  an  Indian,  to  whom 
he  called.  The  Indian  told  him  to  come  down,  and  he 
should  not  be. hurt;  he  thereupon  opened  the  door  and 
went  down. 

"It  was  a  trap  door,  secured  by  two  or  three  boxes 
of  guns,  making  it  quite  impossible  for  the  Indians  to 
open  from  below. 

"Bourat  also  gave  himself  into  their  hands,  and  after 
getting  outside  of  the  house,  perceiving  a  good  oppor 
tunity,  started,  and  ran  for  life.  The  Indians  fired 
upon  him,  and  two  charges  of  duck-shot  struck  him 
in  the  side  and  hips. 

"He  fell,  and  feigned  death.  Some  of  them  then 
threw  some  sticks  of  wood  upon  him,  but  he  never 
moved,  and  they,  supposing  him  to  be  dead,  left  him, 
saying  they  would  come  back  and  cut  him  up,  when 
their  other  ^srork  was  done.  After  a  while,  seeing  the 
coast  clear,  he  succeeded  in  making  his  escape. 

"The  half-breed,*  through  fear,  I  am  inclined  to 
think,  joined  the  Indians  in  some  of  their  raids,  and 
confessed  to  having  killed  a  white  woman.  He  was 
among  those  who  surrendered  themselves  to  Gen.  Sib- 
ley's  command,  and  was  convicted  and  executed  at 
Mankato,  with  the  others. 

"Being  thus  left  alone  up  stairs,  and  my  wounds  be 
coming  painful,  I  threw  myself  upon  a  bed,  expecting, 
if  I  did  not  very  soon  die,  that  the  Indians  would  come 


*  His  name  was  Paulito  Osier,  once  a  pupil  of  the  writer,  and  by  her  taught  tho 
first  rudiments  of  education.    lie  was  now  a  clerk  in  Forbes'  store. 


58  DAKOTA   WAK  WHOOP. 

up  and  dispatch,  me.  While  lying  there,  I  could  hear 
distinctly,  all  that  was  going  on  below. 

"I  soon  learned,  from  their  conversation,  that  they 
were  afraid  to  follow  me  up  stairs,  as  they  had  the  im 
pression  that  I  was  standing  at  the  head  of  the  stairs, 
with  a  gun.  There  were  four  cases  of  double  barreled 
shot  guns,  and  one  case  of  rifles,  in  the  upper  story,  of 
which  they  were  aware.  They  proceeded  to  open  the 
boxes  and  bales  of  goods  and  to  carry  them  out  They 
appeared  very  anxious  to  get  at  the  guns,  but  would 
not  come  up,  each  one  fearing  to  be  the  first  one  up,  as 
they  supposed  he  would  be  shot.  They  talked  of  firing 
the  building.  Fearing  this,  I  arose  quietly,  and  took 
off  my  shoes,  and  took  a  bed-cord  and  attached  one  end 
to  the  bed-post,  and  carried  the  other  end  to  one  of  the 
windows,  which  I  raised.  I  thought  if  they  did  apply 
the  torch,  I  would  lower  myself  to  the  ground  and  take 
the  chances  of  being  shot  again,  rather  than  to  be  burnt 
to  death.  About  this  time,  an  Indian  called  out  to  me, 
from  below,  to  come  down,  that  I  should  not  be  hurt, 
or,  as  he  expressed  it,  'you  shall  live.'  I  went  to  the 
door,  but  not  recognizing  him,  refused  to  go  down.  I 
had  been  in  tight  places  before,  among  the  Indians  of 
the  plains,  but  a  kind  providence  had  always  watched 
over  me,  and  delivered  me  safely,  and  I  now  put  my 
trust  in  that  same  Power,  to  deliver  me  from  this  most 
dangerous  situation. 

"Thus  matters  stood,  and  things  began  to  look  des 
perate,  when  I  heard  a  well  known,  and  to  me,  most 
welcome  voice,  shouting  my  name  from  below.  I  rec- 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  59 

ognized  the  voice  at  once,  and  hastened  to  the  door, 
and  called  him  up.  I  was  saved  for  the  present,  at  any 
rate.  It  was  the  voice  of  my  Indian  comrade,  Wa-kin- 
yan-tu-wa,  (Chaska.)  We  had  been  intimate  friends 
and  comrades  for  the  past  ten  years,  and  he  happened 
to  hear  that  I  was  wounded,  but  still  living,  and  hast 
ened  to  where  I  was,  to  save  me,  if  possible.  When 
he  came  up,  several  others  followed  him,  some  of  whom 
took  me  by  the  hand,  and  appeared  to  be  very  sorry 
that  I  had  been  hurt.  My  friend  asked  me  'if  I  was 
badly  hurt,  and  if  I  thought  I  would  die.'  I  replied,  I 
did  not  know,  but  that  my  wounds  were  very  painful 
He  then  said  that  he  would  take  me  home  with  him, 
and  cure  me,  if  he  could,  and  if  I  died,  he  would  bury 
me  like  a  white  man. 

"He  then  assisted  me  in  getting  down  stairs,  when 
several  Indians  cried  out,  'kill  him !  kill  him !  show 
mercy  to  none!  spare  no  American!'  &c.,  when  my 
friend,  who  was  unarmed,  seized  a  hatchet  that  was 
lying  near  by,  and  declared  that  he  would  cut  down  the 
first  one  who  tried  to  do  me  any  further  injury.  Wa- 
kin-yan-tu-wa  had  always  been  noted  for  his  bravery 
on  the  war-path  against  the  Chippewas,  and  they  knew 
that  he  was  not  to  be  trifled  with.  Said  he,  'this  is  my 
friend  and  comrade ;  we  have  been  comrades  for  ten 
years,  and  if  you  had  killed  him  before  I  got  here,  of 
course  I  could  have  said  nothing,  but  now  that  I  have 
seen  him,  I  will  protect  him  or  die  with  him. 

"They  then  suffered  him  to  pass  out  After  getting 
out  of  the  house,  he  gave  me  in  charge  of  a  couple  of 


60  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

squaws,  and  told  them  to  take  care  of  me  while  he  got 
a  wagon  to  carry  me  home.  His  lodge  was  about  four 
miles  above,  at  Little  Crow's  village.  After  putting  me 
in  the  wagon,  he  ordered  the  squaws  to  take  me  home, 
saying  that  he  would  be  along  in  a  few  minutes.  We 
were  stopped  on  the  way  three  or  four  times,  by  armed 
Indians,  on  horse-back,  who  would  ride  up  to  the  wagon, 
and  demand  'what  that  meant.'*  Upon  being  told,  by 
the  squaws,  that  'this  is  Wa-kin-yan-tu-wa's  friend,  and 
he  has  saved  his  life,'  we  were  allowed  to  pass  on,  and 
reached  the  lodge  in  safety. 

"My  friend  soon  came  home  with  some  roots,  with 
which,  after  washing  me,  he  dressed  my  wounds,  which 
were,  by  this  time,  exceedingly  painful.  Several  of  the 
Indians  came  in  to  see  me,  and  to  talk  over  their 
wrongs,  (?)  &c.,  and  the  reasons  why  they  had  declared 
war. 

"Little  Crow,  with  whom  I  had  been  personally  ac 
quainted  for  many  years,  came  in  to  see  me  frequently, 
and  assured  me  that  I  need  have  no  fears,  that  I  should 
be  well  treated,  and  thought  that  I  could  be  very  use 
ful  to  him  as  soon  as  I  recovered  from  my  wounds. 
This  professed  friendship,  however,  did  not  last  long, 
for  my  friend  utterly  refused  to  join  in  the  war  against 
the  whites — Little  Crow  attributed  it  to  my  influence 
over  him  —  and  they  frequently  quarreled  in  regard 
to  the  disposition  that  was  to  be  made  of  me." 

*  This  was  the  first  adult  male  captive  whose  life  was  saved,  and  the  only  one. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

U.    S.   TKOOPS     CUT     TO     PIECES. 

At  the  time  of  the  outbreak,  only  eighty  men,  all  told, 
garrisoned  Fort  Ridgley,  which  was  distant  from  Eed 
Wood  twelve  miles.  At  nine  o'clock,  the  first  breath 
less  refugee  had  told  them  of  the  awful  slaughter,  and 
one-half  of  the  command,  with  Capt.  Marsh,  post  com 
mander,  were  hastily  moving  toward  the  scene  of  car 
nage. 

At  noon,  they  approach  the  ferry,  but  all  is  as  quiet 
as  death,  with  which  they  are  surrounded.  Not  a  red 
skin  is  to  be  seen.  The  ferry  boat  is  on  the  other  side, 
and  the  ferryman  killed.  There  is  no  means  of  cross 
ing  the  river,  and  they  wait  in  consultation,  and  doubt 
how  to  proceed.  The  ambushed  Indians,  all  stained 
with  blood  of  the  slain,  see  their  dilemma,  and  lose  no 
time  in  wily  movements  to  surround  them.  Crawling 
through  grass  and  bushes  to  a  bend  above,  they  get 
across  the  river  in  canoes,  and  by  moving  unperceived 
by  the  troops,  till  sending  one  forward  with  instructions 
to  detain  them  in  friendly  conversation  through  In 
terpreter  Quinn,  whom  they  beckoned  to  their  aid  till 
the  adroit  manoeuvre  is  successful.  Then  a  galling,  a 
terrible  fire  is  poured  upon  them  from  both  sides  of 
the  river.  In  panic  they  broke  and  run,  but  twenty- 
six  of  their  number  fell,  to  rise  no  more.  Capt.  Marsh, 
Ct 


62  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

a  brave  man,  but  bewildered  by  the  unexpected  on 
slaught,  rushed  into  the  river,  sword  and  pistol  in  hand, 
as  his  only  means  of  escape.  Whether  his  death  was 
occasioned  by  an  enemy's  ball  or  by  drowning,  is 
not  known.  He  was  carried  down  by  the  current,  and 
one  month  later  was  found  among  driftwood,  one  mile 
below,  his  body  in  a  remarkable  state  of  preservation. 
He  had  been  stripped  of  his  coat  and  sword,  which 
had  been  worn  and  flourished  by  the  defiant  savage,  as 
testified  by  Spencer. 

The  remnant  of  the  command,  fourteen  in  number, 
reached  the  Fort  by  different  routes  during  the  day, 
where  the  wildest  alarm  now  reigned.  Eefugees, 
many  of  whom  were  wounded,  and  all  torn,  worn  and 
weary  had  come  in,  to  the  number  of  five  hundred. 
The  stock  of  ammunition  was  small ;  their  leader  dead, 
and  only  thirty  men  capable  of  bearing  arms.  What 
was  to  be  done  in  case  of  attack,  which  might  come, 
any  moment  ?  It  was  a  question  to  be  tested !  He 
who  "is  stronger  than  the  strong  man  armed,"  taught 
them,  most  emphatically,  in  the  lessons  which  follow 
ed —  "that  the  race  is  not  the  swift  nor  the  battle  to 
the  strong." 

With  the  other  events  of  the  day  to  be  chronicled,  was 
the  arrival  of  the  long-delayed  annuities,  but  for  the 
delay  of  which,  the  trouble  would  have  been  postponed 
or  prevented.  It  is  but  personal  justice,  however,  to  say, 
that  the  delay  was  unavoidable,  "the  powers  that  be" 
having  had  much  trouble  in  purchasing  the  gold,  for 
such  was  the  treaty  stipulation,  and  with  no  other  funds 


DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP.  63 

would  they  be  satisfied.  This  having  been  forfeited, 
their  treaty,  annulled  by  their  own  base  hands,  it  is 
needless  to  say,  never  went  to  the  Agency. 

The  reader  will  recollect,  that  some  two  weeks  pre 
vious  to  the  general  outbreak,  Lieut.  Sheehan,  with 
one  hundred  men,  had  been  ordered  to  Yellow  Medi 
cine,  that  their  armed  presence  might  awe  into  quiet, 
the  hordes  of  Indians  awaiting  "payment."  From 
thence  he  had  been  ordered  to  attend  Commissioner 
Dole,  in  efforts  to  make  a  treaty  with  the  Eed  Lake 
Indians.  So,  when  the  blow  was  struck,  the  match 
ignited  so  soon  to  produce  a  conflagration,  the  glare  of 
which  would  be  seen  all  over  the  State,  yea,  and  na 
tion,  he  was  forty  miles  away  in  rapid  march  north 
ward 

Orders  were  dispatched  for  his  return,  and  his  men 
hurried  through  most  of  the  way  on  "double  quick," 
and  providentially  arrived  at  the  Fort  on  Tuesday 
noon,  Aug.  19th,  having  made  the  distance  in  9  1-2 
hours.  The  command  now,  by  the  death  of  Capt. 
Marsh,  devolved  on  Lieut.  Sheehan,  and  how  nobly 
and  how  well  he  performed  his  duty,  we  shall  soon 
see.  The  mantle  of  the  lamented  dead  fell  not  on 
unworthy  or  unfitting  shoulders. 

The  morning  previous  to  the  outbreak,  Maj.  Gal- 
braith,  government  agent,  who  apprehended  no  more 
trouble,  had  left  his  family  and  post  to  raise  the  com 
pany  of  Eenville  Hangers,  had  reached  the  Fort,  fifty 
strong.  When  tidings  of  the  outbreak  reached  them, 
they  were  on  the  way  to  Fort  Snelling,  to  be  mustered 


64  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

into  the  volunteer  service  of  the  general  government, 
in  response  to  the  first  three  hundred  thousand  call. 
Thus  in  one  day  was  that  little  handful,  unexpected 
ly  when  hope  was  well  nigh  sinking,  re-enforced  by 
one  hundred  men,  ready  for  action.  Without  these, 
the  Fort  must  have  fallen,  and  an  unparalleled  massa 
cre  have  ensued. 

For  days,  Maj.  Galbraith  continued  in  the  active 
discharge  of  duty,  writhing  with  intense  desire  for  the 
fate  of  his  family,  whom  he  had  little  doubt  had  shared 
in  the  general  massacre.  This  gave  intensity  to  his 
efforts  to  meet  the  foe,  and  vigor  to  his  arm  when  the 
siege  had  commenced.  He  would  avenge  their  death  ! 
He  would  mete  to  them  the  full  reward  of  their  doings. 
But,  fortunately,  these,  after  many  days,  were  heard 
from.  They  had  made  their  escape  mid  dangers  thick 
around  them,  and  now  the  husband  and  father  hears 
of  them  in  St.  Paul. 


CHAPTER  X. 

YELLOW     MEDICINE. 

The  settlement  at  Yellow  Medicine  is  emphatically 
a  farming  community,  the  country  for  miles  being  laid 
off  in  eighty  acre  farms,  on  which  are  comfortable 
houses  and  other  buildings.  The  owners  are  "farmer 
Indians,"  and  this  is  the  encouragement  which  govern 
ment  gives  to  all  who  will  adopt  the  customs  and 
habits  of  the  whites.  Here  at  Hazelwood,  was  the 
Mission  station  of  Rev.  Mr.  Biggs ;  and  here,  in  their 
little  chapel,  on  Sunday,  while  the  Acton  tragedy  was 
being  enacted,  was  celebrated  the  supper  of  our  Lord 
and  Savior,  of  which  several  Indians  partook.  We 
speak  of  this  here,  because  these  persons,  thus  remem 
bering  Him,  were  so  soon  to  act  an  all-important  part 
in  the  temporal  salvation  of  their  white  neighbors. 

One  mile  below  this  point  was  the  Mission  house,  of 
Rev.  Dr.  Williamson,  of  whom  the  writer  has  many 
pleasant  and  almost  fraternal  remembrances ;  and, 
three  miles  below  this,  the  Agency,  with  all  the  gov 
ernment  buildings  and  the  dwellings  of  other  citizens. 
Here,  the  "upper  Indians"  came,  annually  to  pay 
ment,  and  here,  in  addition  to  those  residing  here,  they 
were  now  gathered,  to  the  number  of  several  thousand, 
for  this  purpose. 

Secure,  as  in  months  agone,   the  people  had  slept 


66  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

that  ni.glit,  and  the  morning  dawned  as  others,  bright 
and  beautiful,  full  of  hope  and  promise,  for  there  were 
no  premonitions  of  danger.  They  knew  not  that  all 
day  long  the  council  fire  in  the  Dakota  encampment, 
the  same  which,  two  weeks  before,  had  withdrawn  its 
threatening  atittude,  burned  with  fearful  brilliancy ; 
that  their  great  captain,  the  Devil,  had  stirred  the  de 
moniac  spirit  in  their  hearts,  till  the  war-spirit  was 
sending  its  lightning  flashes  from  their  eyes,  and  mad 
dening  them  for  the  onset.  He  had  instigated  them 
simultaneously  to  strike  the  blow  of  extermination,  and 
duped  them  into  the  belief  that  they  were  fully  ade 
quate  to  the  task.  Then  they  should  be  a  great  and 
mighty  people,  like  the  "big  knives"  (Americans.) 
Other  tribes  would  see  and  admit  their  greatness  when 
the  tree  of  prosperity  should  wave  over  them,  and 
they  would  have  no  need  of  war,  for  their  acknowl 
edged  power  would  forever  keep  their  enemies  in  awe. 

John  Other-Day,  the  Christian  name  of  one  seated  in 
that  council,  was,  four  years  before,  a  miserable  drunken 
Indian ;  now  his  very  presence  seemed  a  terror  to  those 
inclined  to  evil.  What  had  wrought  the  change? 
Hear  what  he  saith :  "It  is  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ 
alone ;  but  for  this,  I  should  have  been  the  bloodiest  of 
the  murderers."  Who  shall  gainsay  the  power  of  the 
living  vital  principle  which  can  so  tame  the  savage 
heart  ? 

His  dress  was  now  the  white  man's,  and  by  his  side  sat 
a  white  woman,  whom  he  had  brought  from  Washing 
ton  to  be  "the  Indian's  bride"  and  the  light  of  his 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  67 

home,  which  had  been  transformed  from  a  bark  lodge 
to  a  comfortable  brick  house.  He  urged  them  to  heed 
no  more  the  muttering  war  thunders,  but  listen  to  the 
good  spirit  rapping  at  their  hearts,  and  patiently  await 
their  annuities,  and  then  return  peaceably  to  their 
homes,  adopt  the  customs  and  industrious  habits  of 
the  whites,  and  the  religion  which  the  missionaries 
preached,  so  would  they  be  prosperous  and  happy. 
Though  he  could  not  prevent,  he  evidently  delayed 
the  decision. 

Just  as  sunset's  rosy  tints  were  thrown  athwart  the 
sky,  a  horseman,  with  flashing  eye,  flowing  hair  and 
blood-stained  blanket,  rode  up  to  the  council  circle. 
Intuitively  they  understand  the  message  he  brings. 
Every  determined  warrior  springs  to  his  feet  and  clutch 
es  his  musket.  The  work  of  destruction  has  com 
menced.  Eed  Wood  is  a  heap  of  smouldering  ruins. 
Other-Day  waits  to  hear  no  more.  Taking  his  wife  by 
the  arm,  he  moves  in  the  direction  of  the  Agency, 
and  loses  no  time  in  warning  all  of  their  danger. 
In  obedience  to  his  directions,  sixty  two  persons  flee 
to  the  Agency  warehouse,  a  strong  brick  building,  for 
safety.  Around  this  building,  with  four  others,  he 
keeps  faithful  watch  all  that  anxious  night 

Still  outside  of  these,  a  hostile  guard  was  set,  with 
the  supposed  intent  of  dispatching  them  and  attacking 
the  building,  at  the  moment  when  came  the  signal  for 
general  attack.  But  the  Almighty  Kuler  thwarted 
their  purposes,  and  permitted  these  sixty- two  persons 
to  escape,  and  saved  the  populace  alive. 


68  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

At  the  sombre  gray  of  dawn,  the  sharp  crack  of 
musketry  was  heard,  followed  by  loud  and  triumphant 
yells.  The  hostile  guard  yell  in  fiendish  response,  and 
run  for  their  share  of  the  booty.  The  attack  was  on 
the  government  stores,  and  richest  spoils  awaited  those 
soonest  on  the  ground  Their  preconcerted  signal  had 
failed,  through  venal  desire.  By  this  bold  dash,  their 
own  hands  were  greatly  strengthened,  the  hand  of  re 
sistance  weakened.  At  the  two  Agencies,  during  these 
two  days,  they  took  some  twenty  tons  of  ammunition 
to  aid  in  their  deadly  work. 

Seeing  the  coast  clear,  Other-Day  and  his  party  has 
tily  prepare  for  evacuation  of  their  night's  quarters. 
The  sixty-two  persons,  with  a  small  amount  of  pro 
visions,  were  crowded  into  live  wagons,  and  before  the 
sun  had  arisen,  they  had  looked  their  last  on  their 
pleasant  homes  and  the  scenes  which  association  had 
rendered  dear. 

From  Tuesday  morn  till  Friday  noon  they  wandered 
over  the  prairie,  with  little  rest  for  man  or  beast,  when 
they  found  themselves  directly  opposite  the  Lower 
Agency,  only  thirty  eight  miles  in  advance  of  their 
starting  point.  They  had  desired,  on  crossing  the 
river,  to  take  the  main  road  to  the  Fort,  to  which 
Other-Day  would  not  listen,  and  refused  to  act  longer 
as  their  protector,  unless  they  yielded  to  his  wish. 
Events  proved  the  wisdom  of  his  choice,  and  the  only 
course  by  which  they  could  have  escaped  massacre. 

We  regard  John  Other-Day  as  one  having  this  espe 
cial  mission  to  fulfill,  as  one  whose  heart  the  Lord  had 


JOHN    OTHER    DAY. 
(The  Christian  Indian.) 


DAKOTA    WAK   WHOOP.  71 

prepared  to  act  this  very  part  in  the  bloody  drama.  A 
full  week  had  passed  before  all  were  safely  housed 
with  friends  at  various  points  at  the  lower  settlements, 
truly  grateful  for  their  escape,  and  anxious  for  the  fu 
ture. 

Mr.  Grarvie,  a  pioneer  and  for  several  years  a  trader 
at  Yellow  Medicine,  inclined  not  to  credence  of  the 
reports  brought  to  him  at  an  early  hour,  and  at  all 
events  resolved  to  stay  and  defend  his  property  to  the 
last ;  but  before  many  hours,  he  found  reality  in  the 
alarm,  and  all  night  vigorously  defended  himself  and 
his  barricaded  building.  He  listened  not  to  their  fre 
quent  calls  to  surrender,  and  was  finally  hit  by  a  ball 
fired  in  at  a  window.  He  escaped  from  the  rear  of 
the  building  and  reached  the  warehouse,  about  a  half 
a  mile  distant,  where  Other-Day  and  his  party  were 
convened.  His  wounds  aroused  them  to  a  keener 
sense  of  their  danger.  Before  the  terminus  of  their 
eventful  journey,  the  sufferings  of  Mr.  Garvie  became 
so  great  they  were  obliged  to  leave  him  in  the  care  of 
a  friend,  wliere  death  soon  came  to  his  release. 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE   FAMILY  OF  AN  OLD    SETTLER    TAKEN    CAPTIVES. 

Joseph  R  Brown  was  one  of  the  earliest  adven 
turers  in  the  then  undefined  limits  of  Minnesota,  He 
has  acted  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  various  settlements, 
and,  understanding  the  language  perfectly,  had  often 
been  an  important  agent  in  the  adjustment  of  Sioux 
matters.  His  wife  is  a  full-blood  Sioux,  whose  mother 
still  lives  with  her  tribe.  His  present  residence  is  a 
few  miles  below  Yellow  Medicine,  and  his  family,  at 
the  time  of  the  outbreak,  numbered  fourteen.  Most  of 
his  children  had  been  pupils  of  the  writer  when  he  re 
sided  in  St.  Paul,  and  therefore  it  was  with  no  ordinary 
emotion  that  we  received  tidings  of  the  massacre  of 
the  entire  family.  Mr.  Brown  himself,  returning  from 
the  East,  read  the  same  in  a  St  Paul  daily,  while  on 
board  a  steamer,  and  knew  not  to  the  contrary,  till  in 
the  vicinity,  he  learned  instead  they  were  captives  in 
savage  hands. 

On  Monday,  the  18th,  Miss  Ellen  Brown  went  to 
see  her  grandmother  at  Yellow  Medicine,  and  was  by 
her  informed  and  warned  of  the  bloody  intent.  She 
returned  home  in  alarm,  but  the  family  discredited  it, 
to  find  it  too  sure  on  the  following  morning.  It  was 
earnest  and  hasty  work  then.  Two  teams  were  got 
ready,  and  they  started  for  the  Fort.  Angus  Brown, 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  73 

Jharles  Blair,  his  brother-in-law,  and  hired  man,  re 
mained  to  see  the  way  things  were  going,  and  follow 
on  horseback.  They  were  joined  by  two  men  who  had 
crossed  the  river  and  come  upon  them  unawares.  Ap 
prehensive  that  the  enemy  might  approach  them  in  the 
same  way,  they  turned  the  cattle  loose  and  started  on 
after  the  family.  Blair  rode  ahead,  and  overtook  them  at 
Patterson's  Rapids,  where  they  were  prisoners  in  the 
hands  of  about  twenty  Indians.  This  savage  party 
averred  they  had  as  yet  shed  no  blood,  and  did  not 
wish  to  begin  there,  as  all  of  these,  except  Mr.  Blair, 
were  allied  to  them  by  blood.  They  shook  hands 
with  him  in  a  mock  friendly  manner,  ordered  him  to 
dismount,  appropriating  his  horse  to  their  own  use. 
The  balance  of  the  equestrian  party,  re-enforced  by 
other  refugees,  were  also  taken  prisoners,  and  from  some 
strange  freak  the  men  allowed  to  go  on  with  the  rigid 
injunction  "to  speak  to  no  one  on  the  way"  —  the  first 
instance  where  men  in  their  power  were  left  unharmed, 
which  was  owing  to  Sioux  blood. 

As  the  captive  party  proceed,  half  bewildered  by 
the  rapidly  occurring  events,  and  half  doubting  the 
reality  of  their  experience,  they  are  startled  to  its  full 
consciousness  by  the  sight  of  three  dead  mangled  bod 
ies.  They,  too,  might  be  awaiting  a  like  fate ! 

After  various  erratic  movements  on  the  part  of  their 
captors,  they  were  taken  to  the  top  of  Red  Wood  hill, 
and  there  compelled  to  listen  to  a  discussion  as  to  the 
disposition  to  be  made  of  them.  An  old  Indian  woman, 
seeing  their  danger  and  desirous  to  save  them,  got  off  the 


74  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

Browns,  by  secret  manoeuvre,  to  Little  Crow's  village, 
and  into  an  upper  room  of  the  chiefs  house. 

Here  they  remained,  trembling  with  apprehension, 
till  a  late  hour  in  the  evening,  when  Little  Crow  him 
self  came  up,  and  kindly  shook  hands  with  all.  Evi 
dently,  on  his  part,  there  was  no  hostile  design.  But 
he  shook  his  head  when  Mrs.  Brown  spoke  of  ransom, 
and  would  not  listen  to  it  or  encourage  the  hope. 

He,  however,  assured  them,  they  should  all,  except 
Blair,  be  safe  from  hostile  hands,  but  refused  to  insin 
uate  his  destiny.  He  evidently  wished  his  escape,  and 
it  was  to  facilitate  this  that  he  blew  out  the  light  be 
fore  going  down  stairs.  Little  Crow  went  off  into  the 
village,  and  a  young  Indian  soon  came  whom  he  had 
commissioned  to  aid  Blair  in  escaping.  Hasty  prepa 
rations  followed,  which  left  him  "shaven  and  shorn," 
as  well  as  blackened  and  blanketed.  Several  times, 
suspicious  ones  tried  to  pull  his  blanket  from  his  face, 
as  he  followed  his  guide  through  their  village.  When 
two  rods  beyond  its  limits,  he  was  told-  to  "go,"  and 
needed  not  a  second  bidding. 

That  night  he  went  into  a  marsh,  where,  for  half  a 
day,  he  floundered  in  the  mud,  and  then  lay  in  the  tall 
grass  for  four  days,  eating  only  two  crackers,  which  the- 
old  squaw  had  given  him  when  he  left.  Whenever  he 
raised  his  head  to  reconnoitre,  he  held  grass  before  his 
face  —  an  Indian  trick,  but  for  which  he  would  have 
been  seen,  for  the  woods  around  were  filled  with  them. 
On  the  fifth  day  he  crossed  the  river,  keeping  under 
cover  of  a  log  which  he  pushed  before  him,  and  at 
night  reached  the  Fort  in  safety. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

THE    PANIC. 

Despite  the  unbelief  evinced  in  the  "Introduction," 
the  reader  has  seen  it  was  not  all  a  "scare,"  and  a  cer 
tain  fertility  of  imagination  enabled  me  to  take  a 
bird's  eye  view  of  the  arena  of  three  hundred  miles, 
while  the  heart  pulsates  with  fear  for  the  safety  of  the 
enactors. 

In  every  direction  are  seen  men,  women  and  children 
with  streaming  hair,  en  dishabille,  or  garments  rent 
and  torn,  perhaps  blood-stained,  in  wild  confusion  fly 
ing  from  the  theatre  of  actual  danger.  Horsemen, 
frightened  out  of  their  wits,  are  flying  through  the 
country,  giving  the  alarm,  perhaps  when  there  is  no 
cause  for  it,  and  the  people  "flee  for  their  lives,"  as  if 
a  dozen  Indians  were  at  their  heels,  and  their  toma 
hawks  raised  above  their  heads.  Mothers  go  one  way, 
children  another,  while  perhaps  the  husband  and  father 
hides  himself  from  sheer  fright,  or  becomes  powerless 
for  action  from  the  same  cause.  Some  hide  in  the  tall 
prairie  grass;  some  seek  the  covert  of  the  woods; 
some  rush  to  the  river  and  take  to  the  nearest  water 
craft  they  see,  and  others  fly  to  the  nearest  village,  to 
find  it  quite  evacuated,  and  feel  themselves  compara 
tively  safe  in  the  deserted  houses  they  enter. 

One  instance  we  know  of,  and  were  assured  there  were 


76  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

not  a  few  of  the  same  order,  where  a  mother,  alone 
with  four  children,  was  preparing  them  for  bed,  A 
messenger  called  from  without,  that  "the  Indians 
would  soon  be  upon  them,  and  were  murdering  all  in 
their  way."  The  children  were  almost  nude  at  the 
moment,  the  mother  but  little  in  advance  of  them  and 
barefooted,  threw  one  child  over  her  shoulder,  took  her 
babe  in  her  arms,  bade  the  others,  one  on  each  side,  to 
hold  to  her  skirt,  and  thus,  though  raining  hard, 
she  ran  eight  miles,  never  laying  down  her  burden  or 
stopping  for  breath,  while  she  saw  an  Indian  on  every 
stump,  and  a  blanket  in  every  bush ;  and  this  where 
there  was  not  then  an  Indian  within  a  hundred  miles 
of  them. 

I  hope  my  reader  will  not  indulge  a  smile,  audible 
or  otherwise,  at  this  panic  scene,  for  "I  myself"  con 
fess  to  a  feeling  akin  to  this,  even  though  a  citizen  of 
St.  Paul,  a  hundred  miles  or  more  away,  though  with 
no  disposition  to  run.  I  wished  to  see  it  out,  and  then 
write  it  in  a  book  for  you  to  see  what  we  suifered,  my 
good  friend.  I  had  been  over  all  this  arena,  and  I 
knew  the  Indian  from  an  acquaintance  of  fifteen  years, 
and  I  knew  no  good  of  him.  Now,  the  least  street 
alarm  would  unseal  the  eye-lids  and  bring  my  nerve- 
quivering  body  to  the  window,  for  the  Indians  might 
even  come  here,  and  so  cat-like  were  their  movements, 
that  the  town  might  be  half  destroyed  before  an  alarm 
was  sounded  !  Many  families  actually  went  "below," 
while  those  from  "above"  were  rushing  here  for  safety. 

Do  you  remember,  reader,  of  the  horrid  "scare  sto- 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  77 

ries"  of  the  nursery,  about  the  Indians,  and  of  the  after 
lessons  of  our  school  books,  and  how  the  impression 
of  terror  mixed  in  the  mind  with  the  very  name  of 
Indian  ?  You  would  have  run  then  at  the  sight  of  a 
passive  Indian,  and  these  impressions  were  now  hav 
ing  their  fruition  of  fear.  You,  no  doubt,  would  have 
done  the  same. 

But  it  was  not  every  where  thus.  Far  up  the  valley, 
the  alarm  started,  and  like  a  wild  tornado,  it  rushed  on, 
till  every  house  was  filled  in  all  the  villages  of  this  so 
lately  quiet  and  beautiful  valley  ;  every  strong  build 
ing  was  barricaded,  and  hastily  put  in  the  best  possible 
state  for  defense.  Arms  and  ammunition  of  all  kinds 
were  concentrated  with  all  speed,  and  brave  hearts, 
men,  yes  MEN  of  will  and  purpose,  resolved  to  do  or 
die. 

Still  they  come,  those  worn  and  weary  refugees : 
One  mother  has  dropped  her  darling  infant  by  the 
wayside,  and  being  hotly  pursued,  could  not  stop  to 
recover  it.  A  child  has  seen  its  parents,  perhaps  both, 
fall  beneath  a  murderous  bullet  or  tomahawk,  and 
barely  escape  with  life.  Alas,  "there  is  no  more  room 
in  the  inn  ;"  in  many  hamlets,  every  house  is  an  inn, 
and  every  woman  a  nurse,  and,  pitiable  to  relate,  not  a 
few  are  obliged  to  turn  from  what  would  gladly  have 
been  a  friendly  shelter  to  the  covert  of  bushes,  and 
the  protection  of  Him  who  "carries  the  lambs  in  his 
bosom,"  and  to  the  ministrations  of  those  who 

"Walk  the.  earth  unseen, 
Both  when  we  sleep  and  when  we  wake." 


78  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

On  the  more  remote  boundaries,  red  lights  darted 
athwart  the  sky  in  the  night  time,  and  dense  pillars  of 
smoke  obscured  the  sun  in  the  day — the  light  and 
smoke  of  burning  houses  and  ripened  grain-fields. 

As  if  to  add  to  one  night  of  terrific  horror,  a  storm 
of  thunder  and  lightning,  and  wind  and  rain,  fell  on 
those  shelterless  ones,  so  lately  in  the  homes  of  com 
fort  Yivid  flashes  made  the  darkness  visible,  felt 
almost,  as  in  Egypt  in  the  day  of  the  plagues.  It  is 
no  fiction,  no  fancy  sketch,  reader,  nor  was  it  a  single 
instance,  but  innumerable,  that  when  the  heavens 
cleared,  when  the  sun  again  rose  on  these  roofless 
mothers,  it  rose,  also,  for  the  first  time,  on  a  new  exist 
ence.  A  new  life,  a  being  of  immortal  destiny  was 
folded  in  the  arms  and  feebly  clasped  to  the  bosom  of 
that  mother.  Yes,  during  surroundings  like  the  above, 
many  a  child  was  born ;  many  a  sad-hearted  mother 
prayed  the  angels  would  take  it  before  it  should  know 
sorrow  or  be  left  to  die  from  starvation  and  cruel  want, 
or  worse,  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  merciless  sav 
age. 

Let  the  plate  be  adjusted  so  as  to  take  in  the  scene 
entire ;  let  the  skillful  artist  daguerreotype  the  same  in 
an  actual  life  view, — would  it  all  be  told  ?  Ah,  no  ! 
none  but  the  Divine  Artist  can  daguerreotype  the 
heart  throbs,  and  mental  and  physical  throes  in  these  ter 
rible  days  of  panic  and  fright  Faithfully  registered 
in  heaven,  it  is  kept  for  the  wonder  and  admiration  of 
the  angels !  Every  pang  is  numbered,  "every  tear  is 
bottled,"  for  the  future  healing  of  those  suffering 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  79 

hearts,  on  whom  the  calamity  fell,  not  in  righteous  in 
dignation  and  judgment,  as  on  some. 

True,  much  of  the  above  described  panic  occurred 
where  there  was  no  immediate  or  present  cause  for  it ; 
yet  it  cannot  be  wondered  at  Fresh  excitement  was 
constantly  imparted  by  continual  arrivals,  as  was  new 
vigor  to  the  flight  by  the  fears  which  accumulated  at 
every  step.  With  all  who  participated  in  the  panic, 
the  cause  to  them  was  real.  They  suffered  equally,  in 
mind,  with  those  who  were  flying  from  the  actual  mur 
derous  scenes,  for  such  there  were,  as  the  reader  has 
seen  and  shall  presently  see.  They  believed  them  to 
follow  close  in  the  wake  of  those  who  told  the  tale. 
In  short,  to  be  just  upon  them ;  hence,  like  the  snow 
ball  gathering  bulk  and  power  as  it  rolls  over  the  in 
clined  plain,  did  this  panic-ball  roll  on,  depopulating 
the  whole  country  in  its  course. 

During  that  memorable  Monday,  Aug.  18th,  the  In 
dians  ranged  over  Brown  county,  elated  with  the  pre 
vious  day's  success,  carrying  death  and  carnage  wher 
ever  they  went  Those  who  here  escaped  their  mur 
derous  hands,  rushed  to  the  charming  little  town  of 
New  Ulm,  and,  added  to  the  population,  made  about 
2,000  souls. 

Gov.  Eamsey,  in  his  message  to  the  Legislature, 
soon  after  convened,  says,  "Brown  county,  adjacent  to 
the  Sioux  Keservation,  has  felt  the  worst  effects  of 
this  calamity.  It  was  peopled  chiefly  by  Germans, 
and  their  neat  cottages  and  fine  farms  gave  evidence 
of  the  superior  thrift  and  industry  which  distinguish 


80  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

this  class  of  our  foreign-born  citizens.  Driven  from 
their  homes,  their  property  destroyed  or  plundered, 
robbed  even  of  their  household  goods — many  of  them 
mourning  wives,  husbands,  children  and  parents  mur 
dered  —  their  beautiful  and  busy  town  of  New  Ulm, 
and  their  own  homes  a  blackened  heap  of  ruins: — 
these  poor  fugitives,  many  of  whom  cannot  speak  our 
language,  are  especially  deserving  our  Sympathies." 

"In  all  probability,  not  less  than  30,000  are  involved, 
directly  or  indirectly,  in  the  loss  of  life  or  loss  of  pro 
perty,  from  pillage,  destruction,  or  abandonment,"  and 
the  details  of  each  family  or  individual  experience 
would  make  a  volume  of  thrilling  interest 


CHAPTER  XIH. 

ATTACK   ON    NEW    ULM. 

Fifteen  miles  below  Kidgley,  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  Minnesota  river,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Cottonwood, 
was  the  neat  little  town  of  New  Ulm,  containing  about 
1,500  inhabitants.  Nature  had  furnished  an  inviting 
site  and  been  lavish  with  charms  on  the  surroundings. 
Sad  to  say,  a  class  of  infidel  Germans  were  first  at 
tracted  by  its  beauty  —  were  first  to  build  here  their 
homes.  The  original  proprietors  had  stipulated  that 
no  church  edifice  should  ever  "disgrace  its  soil,"  under 
penalty  of  returning  to  the  former  owners.  Thus, 
with  no  religious  restraints,  they  became  strong  in 
wickedness,  defiant  of  the  restraints  of  the  Gospel, 
and  resolved  that  no  minister  should  be  allowed  to 
live  among  them.  One  they  drove  from  the  place,  and 
another  was  annoyed  in  every  possible  way.  Even 
private  Christians  could  not  live  in  peace.  They  built 
a  dancing  hall,  and  the  Sabbaths  were  spent  in  drink 
ing  and  dancing.  Wealth  had  rolled  into  their  cof 
fers,  and  they  said,  "our  own  hands  have  gotten  it." 
As  the  crowning  act  of  their  ungodliness,  some  of  the 
"baser  sort"  paraded  the  streets  one  bright  Sabbath 
day,  while  Heaven  was  preparing  the  "vials  of  wrath" 
at  Acton,  bearing  a  mock  figure,  purporting  to  repre 
sent  our  blessed  Savior,  and  labeled  with  vile  and 


82  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

blasphemous  mottoes ;  and  the  closing  scene  of  the 
day  was  burning  him  in  effigy. 

Scarcely  had  the  smoke  of  their  unholy  doings 
ceased  to  rise,  as  if  calling  for  Heaven's  vengeance, 
when,  panic-struck,  the  enactors  hide  themselves  as  if 
from  the  wrath  of  the  Almighty.  The  pleadings  and 
threats  of  women  to  protect  their  homes  were  alike 
unavailing.  New  Ulm  was  doomed.  The  dance  hall 
escaped  the  general  conflagration,  where  "the  wrath  of 
man  was  made  to  praise  Him,"  in  being  afterward  used 
for  worship  by  the  troops  stationed  there.  Yes,  He 
who  was  here  so  lately  derided  and  crucified  afresh, 
was  now  worshipped  and  adored. 

Kecruiting  for  the  volunteer  service,  some  of  its  cit 
izens  found,  on  Monday  afternoon,  several  dead  bodies, 
horribly  mutilated,  a  few  miles  back  of  town.  Hasten 
ing  home  to  give  the  alarm,  this  party  was  fired  upon 
by  Indians  in  ambush,  some  of  their  number  and  two 
horses  killed.  The  panic,  increased  by  the  constant 
arrival  of  refugees,  who  had  barely  escaped  the  bullet, 
the  knife  or  tomahawk,  became  terrible. 

In  expectation  of  an  immediate  attack,  no  man  for 
the  emergency  was  near.  A  few  there  were,  brave, 
God-fearing  men,  who  stood  firm  and  unscared,  ready 
to  confront  the  danger,  with  a  suitable  leader. 

Midway  between  St.  Peter  and  Traverse,  which  are 
separated  only  by  a  school  section,  is  the  mansion  of 
Judge  Flandrau,  forty  miles  from  New  Ulm.  On  Tues 
day  morning,  while  it  was  yet  dark,  the  Judge  was 
aroused  by  a  violent  rapping  at  his  door.  The  start- 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  83 

ling  news  needed  no  repetition.  Rapid  movements  en 
sued.  Preliminaries  were  arranged  for  advanced  ac 
tion  ;  the  care  of  wife  and  child  committed  to  an  invalid 
relative  from  New  York  City,  with  peremptory  orders 
to  make  the  best  time  with  a  nag  whose  travelling 
qualities  never  won  him  a  reputation  for  "fast,"  till 
past  the  line  of  danger.  By  noon  of  that  day,  his  own 
house  was  closed,  and  he,  with  a  company  of  one  hun 
dred  and  fifty  men,  true  as  steel,  and  of  the  best  mettle, 
was  ready  to  march  to  the  "seat  of  war." 

At  four  o'clock  the  same  day,  the  dreaded  assailants, 
three  hundred  strong,  besieged  the  town.  The  entire 
population  were  huddled  together,  in  houses,  inside  of 
two  squares,  and  utterly  powerless,  from  fright,  when 
the  first  volley  was  fired  Fortunately,  a  party  of 
eighteen  men  had  preceded  the  main  body  from  St 
Peter,  but  vain  were  their  efforts  to  rally  the  panic- 
stricken  citizens.  The  Indians  had  first  fired  with  long 
range  guns,  from  the  top  of  the  table-land,  and  while 
they  were  advancing,  this  brave  little  body  hastily  or 
ganized  and  advanced  to  meet  the  skulking  foe,  who 
were  now  intrenched  behind  buildings,  pouring  their 
murderous  volley  into  the  town.  The  sure  aim  and 
true  steel  of  these  defenders  of  those  who  would  not 
defend  themselves,  was  made,  in  turn,  to  tell,  and  sev 
eral  red  skins  "bit  the  dust"  in  mortal  agony.  A  man 
and  woman,  running  through  the  street,  to  seek  better 
security,  were  killed,  and  these  were  all  who  met  death 
in  this  encounter.  To  increase  the  panic,  and  add  to 
the  horrors  of  the  scene,  several  buildings  were  on  fire, 


84:  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

some  of  which  were  fired  by  the  enemy,  and  others  by 
friends,  in  order  to  get  a  better  shot  at  the  foe. 

At  six  o'clock,  Judge  Flandrau  arrived,  to  the  great 
joy  and  relief  of  those  who  preceded  him.  His  cavalry 
charged  at  once,  drove  them  back,  killing  twelve  or 
fifteen.  The  Indians,  seeing  they  had  encountered 
more  than  their  match,  gather  up  their  dead,  and  retire 
from  the  field 

At  the  end  of  these  two  awful  and  ever  memorable 
days,  in  which  the  soil  of  Minnesota  drank  the  blood 
of  more  than  one  thousand  of  her  citizens,  by  savage 
hands  inflicted,  eighty  of  these  were  in  New  Ulm  and 
the  immediate  vicinity,  the  list  made  up  by  the  rem 
nants  of  slain  families,  who  had  sought  refuge  in  other 
towns. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

ATTACK    ON    FORT    RIDGLEY. 

The  thrilling  events  at  Yellow  Medicine,  the  weary- 
prairie  marches,  neath  a  burning  sun,  the  change  of 
programme  in  rapidly  varying  events,  did  not  abate  the 
determined  zeal  of  the  young  officer,  on  whom,  now 
that  Capt.  Marsh  had  fallen,  devolved  the  command  in 
volving  the  temporal  salvation  of  the  post,  and  the 
hundreds  who  had  sought  refuge  there  from  the  most 
wily  of  human  foes.  Nature's  sweet  restorer,  rest,  was 
forgotten — food  was  scarcely  taken  into  the  account  of 
human  needs,  while  the  most  active  preparations  to  re 
sist  an  attack  went  on.  No  little  assistance  was  ren 
dered  by  Mr.  Wycoff,  of  the  Indian  department,  hav 
ing  in  charge  their  annuities  on  the  way  to  the  Agency, 
accompanied  by  J.  C.  Ramsey,  A.  J.  YanVorhes  and 
Maj.  E.  A.  C.  Hatch,  since  having  been  commissioned 
with  the  celebrated  Hatch's  battallion  doing  active  and 
efficient  service,  for  which  it  was  originated. 

So  crowded  was  the  garrison  with  refugees,  that  rigid 
discipline  had  to  be  kept  over  the  citizens,  as  well 
as  the  soldiers,  and  the  men  were  armed,  or  set  to 
work  on  the  defenses.  Those  were  anxious  working 
hours,  greatly  embarrassed  by  the  presence  of  women 
and  children.  But  the  energy  of  their  brave  leader 
never  failed  him  ;  everywhere  present,  he  cheered  the 
Dt 


86  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

men  in  their  work,  infusing,  throughout  the  ranks,  his 
own  indomitable  spirit,  while  the  Supreme  Kuler  held 
the  savage  hordes  at  bay,  until  they  were  comparatively 
prepared  to  receive  them.  No  knowledge  could  be  ob 
tained  from  the  outer  world,  and  they  knew  not  of  the 
fearful  work  in  progress  at  New  Ulm,  but  were  sure 
that  this  news-calm  was  no  precursor  of  good  tidings, 
and  regarded  the  whole  region  as  under  savage 
blockade. 

Foiled  in  their  first  attack  on  the  doomed  city,  in 
censed  by  defeat,  and  thirsting  for  larger  draughts  of 
blood,  these  demon  besiegers  haste  over  the  intervening 
space,  designing  a  grand  surprise,  and  capture  of  the 
fort  Very  cautious  and  guarded  was  their  approach, 
with  flowers  and  grass  fastened  into  their  turbaned 
heads,  that  they  might  not  be  detected  from  the  tall 
weeds  and  grass.  But  the  watchful  eye  of  sentinels 
discovered  them  on  the  west  side  of  the  fort,  at  noon, 
on  Wednesday,  Aug.  20th.  At  one  o'clock,  they  had 
nearly  surrounded  them,  and  with  horrid  yells,  poured 
a  volley  into  the  garrison.  Several  crawled  even  to 
the  walls  of  a  building,  raised  the  windows,  and  fired 
several  shots  at  Mrs.  Jones,  wife  of  the  Ordnance  offi 
cer,  who  was  rescued  from  her  fearful  position  by  a 
squad  from  Co.  C.,  one  of  whom,  Mark  Grere,  lost  his 
life,  in  the  brave,  soldierly  act,  for  which  the  lives  of 
three  Indians  at  once  paid  the  forfeit. 

The  excitement  was  intense.  Men  rally,  in  haste,  to 
the  conflict  —  women  and  children  scream,  in  uncon 
trollable  panic  —  the  big  guns  fail  to  work,  and  inves- 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  87 

tigation  finds  them  stuffed  with  rags,  the  work  of  four 
half-breed  soldiers,  who  had  deserted,  and  gone  over  to 
the  Indians,  and  were  now  encouraging  them  in  their 
work  of  death.  Had  the  courage  of  the  assailants 
been  equal  to  the  opportunity,  they  might  have  rushed 
in,  at  this  moment,  and  carried  off,  in  triumph,  the 
scalp  of  every  person  there. 

But  Grod  overruled  the  savages'  purpose,  and  the 
calm  presence  of  mind  which  so  characterized  the  com 
mandant,  through  all  this  anxious  siege,  never,  for  a 
moment,  forsook  him ;  but,  reckless  of  personal  safety, 
even  when  bullet  showers  were  thickest,  he  passed  from 
post  to  post,  cheering  and  encouraging  his  men,  and 
had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  one  savage  fall  by  his 
own  unerring  aim.  From  the  confusion  came  order, 
and  the  leader's  spirit  was  soon  diffused  through  the 
ranks,  and  every  man  stood  firmly  at  his  post  A  six 
pound  howitzer  being  ranged  upon  the  foe,  in  the 
hands  of  Sergeant  Jones,  did  deadly  work.  Some 
were  seen  to  bound  into  the  air,  from  its  unwelcome 
effects,  and  all,  for  that  time,  were  scattered  like  autumn 
leaves,  in  a  strong  wind.  As  darkness  fell  upon 
the  brave  but  besieged  company,  the  foe  gathered  in 
council  so  near,  that  the  clamor  of  voices  was  heard, 
all  that  weary,  working  night  The  day's  battle  had 
been  sharp,  determined  and  persistent  on  the  part  of 
the  assailants ;  as  sharp,  more  cool  and  decided,  on  the 
other.  Two  soldiers  and  two  citizens  killed,  and  one 
wounded,  was  the  sum  total  of  the  day's  casualties  to 
the  garrison. 


88  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

The  Fort  buildings  are  mainly  of  wood,  without  walls 
or  fortification,  erected  more  for  the  purpose  of  govern 
ment  storage  than  military  defense,  hence  in  constant 
danger  of  being  fired,  as  were  also  the  citizens'  build 
ings  without.  Several  ignited  arrows  were  shot  into  the 
roofs,  but  fortunately  without  effect  A  timely  rain, 
with  thunder  and  fearful  tempest,  checked  the  night 
work,  and  gave  the  handful  of  weary  men  within  the 
Fort,  time  to  rally  their  failing  strength  and  courage. 

With  no  lightning  speed  had  the  news  of  the  out 
break  gone  to  the  Executive  department.  The  Eden 
Yalley  of  the  Minnesota  had  not  yet  seen  its  first  de 
cade  since  it  passed  from  savage  to  civilized  hands, 
from  those  who  would  now  wrest  it  from  its  lawful  and 
just  purchasers,  and  telegraph  posts  had  not  had  time 
to  grow,  even  in  this  prolific  soil.  But  messengers, 
disguised  as  Indians,  had  crept  forth  from  those  walls, 
and  gone,  with  swiftest  horse  speed,  demanding  re-en 
forcements. 

Impatient  of  delay,  and  distrusting  their  own  powers 
of  endurance,  this  struggling  band  continued  daily,  du 
ring  the  five  days  they  were  besieged,  to  send  forth  a 
"hurry  up"  for  the  relief  desired. 

Eveiy  hour  was  full  of  the  most  intense  anxiety. 
If  the  battle  ceased,  it  was  only  to  be  renewed  with 
greater  vigor. 

Women  huddled  together,  in  almost  breathless  fear, 
children  clung  to  their  mothers  in  terror,  and  those  too 
young  to  understand  its  nature,  seemed  conscious  of 
impending  danger.  Sentinels  stood  on  the  "watch 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  89 

tower"  with  eyes  keenly  alert,  and  ever  and  anon  a  spy 
glass  surveyed  the  direction  whence  re-enforcements 
were  expected  to  come  ;  officers  and  men  stood  at  their 
posts  all  that  weary  night,  not  doubting  but  the  attack 
would  be  renewed  on  Wednesday  night.  At  daylight, 
on  Thursday,  21st,  the  attack  was  renewed,  but  was  less 
bold  and  spirited  than  on  the  previous  day.  The  num 
bers  seemed  depleted,  which  was  probably  owing,  in 
part,  to  losses  of  the  previous  battle,  but  more  to  scout 
ing  parties  being  out,  plundering  the  country  and  ex 
tending  the  work  of  death.  The  Indians  retired,  after 
about  four  hours  hard  fighting,  until  six,  when  they 
again  renewed  their  work  of  death,  continuing  it  for  an 
hour  and  a  half,  when,  being  warmly  repulsed  by  our 
troops,  again  retired,  leaving  the  little  struggling,  heroic 
band  to  another  night  of  anxiety.  Aside  from  an  oc 
casional  alarm,  nothing  broke  upon  its  quiet.  It  is  sur 
prising,  how  long  and  how  much,  in  the  face  of  danger, 
men  can  endure,  without  rest  0,  how  eagerly  they 
waited  re-enforcements,  but  still  they  came  not 

On  Friday  morning,  the  Indians  seemed  resolved  on 
one  more  desperate  assault  on  the  Fort,  to  retrieve  the 
advantage  lost  by  the  three  previous  attacks.  In  an 
ticipation  of  this,  strong  breastworks  had  been  com 
menced,  and  though  incomplete,  afforded  some  protec 
tion. 

At  mid-day,  the  enemy  were  seen  advancing,  at  a 
distance  of  two  miles,  in  increased  numbers,  and  all 
mounted.  The  ravine  surrounding  the  Fort,  gave  them 
protection,  till  fully  ready  for  action.  For  five  hours, 


90  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

bullets  flew  like  hail,  and  the  guns  were  one  continuous 
rattle;  the  battle  was  bitter  and  persistent  In  one 
room,  thirty-two  balls  were  picked  up,  which  had  per 
forated  the  walls.  One  who  was  there,  says,  "All  our 
previous  engagements  were  as  boys'  play,  in  compar 
ison  with  this.  It  was  evidently  expected  to  be  the 
last,  on  the  part  of  the  enemy,  for  they  confidently  de 
signed  a  charge  and  a  capture.  The  first  volley, -dis 
charged  from  the  woods,  the  high  reeds  and  out-build 
ings,  was  perfectly  terrific.  It  seemed  that  all  the  in 
carnate  fiends  of  hell  were  concentrated  and  let  loose 
upon  this  little  band,  with  all  the  fierceness  of  infuri 
ated  demons,  crazed  for  blood  and  plunder.  The  fire 
was  received  with  coolness,  by  our  men,  and  returned 
in  the  same  spirit  The  officers  and  gunners  were  most 
exposed,  yet  only  one  man  was  killed,  and  but  four 
wounded." 

Too  much  praise  cannot  be  awarded  the  officers  and 
gunners  ;  yea,  every  man  in  that  seven  days'  sleepless 
watch  and  engagement,  deserves  a  commission  of  high 
rank  Sergeant  Jones,  doing  deadly  execution  with 
his  big  gun,  really  saved  the  post  At  one  time,  a 
charging  party  was  placed  very  near  the  fort,  and  the 
half-breeds  within,  distinctly  understood  and  interpret 
ed  the  order  "to  charge  on  and  seize  the  cannon."  But 
to  thus  charge  with  death,  they  had  not  the  courage. 

Early  in  the  engagement,  they  had  cut  loose  the 
mules  and  horses  in  the  government  stables,  and  at 
tempted  to  fire  some  outside  buildings. 

The  writer  above  alluded  to,  A.  J.  Van  Vorhes,  fur- 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  91 

ther  says,  under  date  of  25th,  "After  seeing  themselves 
foiled  in  taking  the  post,  their  next  game  was  to  burn 
the  barracks,  in  which  are  the  government  stores,  the 
families  seeking  protection,  &c.  A  number  of  fire  ar 
rows  were  found  on  the  roofs,  but,  fortunately,  they 
failed  in  their  mission.  Every  preparation  was  made 
for  a  night  attack,  but  the  severe  lesson  of  the  after 
noon,  or  a  care  for  their  plunder,  prevented. 

"About  six  o'clock,  Saturday  morning,  this  body  of 
demons  was  seen  approaching  by  the  same  route,  but 
continuing  along  the  ravines,  and  under  cover  of  hills 
and  woods,  they  passed  by,  most  probably  on  their 
way  to  New  Ulm,  or  vicinity,  from  which  direction  the 
fires  of  burning  buildings  were  seen,  all  Saturday 
night 

"Since  the  battle  of  Friday,  we  have  been  undisturb 
ed,  but  are  in  momentary  expectation  and  preparation. 
The  weather,  perhaps,  has  had  something  to  do  with  it, 
as  we  have  had  rain  most  of  the  day  and  night 

"Some  three  hundred  women  and  children  are  here, 
for  support  and  protection.  This  is  a  great  embarrass 
ment  to  the  officers  and  soldiers.  With  them  out  of 
the  way,  a  great  point  would  be  achieved.  When  the 
hospital  becomes  filled  with  them,  as  will  be  the  case, 
unless  removed  soon,  our  position  will  be  distressing 
indeed. 

"What  is  the  matter  in  St  Paul  and  Fort  Snelling? 
Have  re-enforcements  been  sent  and  cut  off,  or  are  we 
to  be  sacrificed  to  indifference  and  apathy  ?  Let  help 
be  sent  in  such  force  that  it  cannot  be  impeded.  With 


92  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

this  point  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  the  Mississippi 
will  share  the  universal  desolation." 

There  was  prompt  response  to  the  first  note  of  alarm, 
and  yet  they  knew  it  not.  Every  hour  was  an  age  to 
them.  Lieut.  Sheehan  had  written  on  the  21st :  "We 
can  hold  out  but  a  little  longer,  unless  re-enforced. 
We  are  being  attacked  almost  every  hour.  Our  little 
band  is  being  decimated.  We  had  hoped  to  be  re-en 
forced  to-day,  but  as  yet,  hear  of  none  coming." 

Gov.  Eamsey  had  hastened  to  Fort  Snelling,  where 
the  new  regiments  were  rendezvoused,  and  ordered  four 
companies  of  the  Sixth  to  march  at  once  to  the  scene 
of  disturbance,  under  Hon.  Henry  H.  Sibley,  whose 
long  residence  on  the  frontier,  and  thorough  acquaintance 
with  Dakota  character,  especially  qualified  him  for 
the  command  to  which  he  was  designated.  Seven 
other  companies  soon  followed,  under  Col.  Crooks,  with 
orders  to  report  to  Col.  Sibley. 

We  do  not  wonder  that,  in  this  severe  siege,  with 
no  rest,  day  or  night,  save,  as  every  other  man,  in  turn, 
occasionally,  in  the  lull  of  battle,  slept  on  his  arms  a 
few  moments  at  a  time,  the  eye  grew  weary  with  watch 
ing,  and  the  heart  faint  with  waiting,  and  that,  in  this 
anxious  solicitude,  they  should  feel  themselves  neglect 
ed  and  uncared  for.  Hours  were  magnified  into  days, 
and  days  into  weeks,  to  them,  while  relief  troops  were 
moving  up  the  Minnesota  valley. 

'T  was  a  foot-sore  march.  The  men,  many  of  them 
just  from  the  counting-room  or  law  office,  were  not  in 
ured  to  hardness,  Besides,  there  were  unavoidable 


DAKOTA   WAK  WHOOP.  U3 

delays,  over  which,  the  Colonel  commanding  had  no 
control.  To  meet  the  foe,  unprepared,  would  be  to 
rush  to  unbidden  death,  and  the  rifles  were  found  to  be 
useless,  even  in  the  hands  of  those  most  skillful  in 
their  use ;  therefore,  they  must  camp  at  St  Peter,  till 
the  defect  could  be  remedied,  or  others  brought  from 
St.  Paul.  Two  mounted  companies,  under  command 
of  Col.  McPhail,  went  forward  and  reached  the  Fort, 
August  28,  after  the  walls  of  the  wooden  buildings 
were  perforated  "like  the  lid  of  a  pepper-box,"  greatly 
to  the  relief  of  the  worn-out  men,  and  enabled  the  half 
starved  refugees  to  go  to  a  place  of  greater  security. 
The  night  of  the  30th  was  the  first  of  rest,  to  the 
besieged  party,  for  ten  days.  All  now  slept  well,  while 
the  re-enforcements  stood  guard. 

The  Minnesota  Third,  a  brave  and  gallant  band  as 
ever  "sighted"  rebels,  was  surrendered  by  their  officer 
in  command,  to  which  they  never  assented,  at  Murfrees- 
boro,  Tenn.,  in  July,  1862.  They  were  at  once  paroled, 
the  officers  remaining  prisoners  of  war.  This  well  dis 
ciplined  regiment  was  deemed  a  desirable  force  for  fron 
tier  emergency ;  hence,  a  request  from  the  Executive 
Department,  to  the  War  Department,  responded  to  by 
prompt  "orders"  to  report  at  Fort  Snelling.  On  the 
day  of  their  departure  from  the  south,  an  "exchange" 
was  effected  with  the  rebel  powers,  and  so  they  entered 
the  home  field,  untrammeled  by  the  shackles  of  parole. 

To  the  Third  was  added  the  Seventh,  which  reported 
as  before  mentioned,  so  that  Col.  Sibley  moved  on  to 
the  fort,  with  a  force  of  fifteen  hundred  men,  where  he 


94  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

arrived  August  31st  But  he  found  not  an  Indian  to 
oppose  him,  though  tokens  of  their  doings  everywhere 
met  the  eyes,  and  their  dingy  smoke  wreaths  had  not 
yet  ceased  to  rise  from  the  ruins.  Ghastly  dead  men 
lay  here  and  there  on  the  prairies,  their  bodies  far  ad 
vanced  in  decomposition,  torn  and  fed  on  by  hogs  and 
prairie  wolves,  and  tainting  the  air  with  their  vapor. 
That  night  they  were  saluted  by  a  few  shots  from  the 
foe,  with  no  serious  effect. 

"We  close  this  chapter  with  the  record  of  Lieut  Shee- 
han's  promotion  to  a  captaincy  of  the  Company  he  so 
gallantly  led,  in  the  seven  days  of  peril,  —  a  merited  hon 
or,  awarded  by  Governor  Eamsey,  26th  Sept ;  and 
thereafter  his  military  skill  found  wider  scope  on  the 
tented  fields  of  the  South,  in  combat  with  a  rebel  foe. 
May  his  well- won  laurels  ever  be  green,  and  his  name, 
indelible  on  the  scroll  of  fame,  never  receive  ambition's 
taint,  but  like  the  burnished  gold,  be  reflecting  more 
glory,  when  children's  children  shall  recount,  with 
pride,  the  valor  and  achievements  of  Thomas  J.  Shee- 
han. 


m 


CHAPTER  XV. 

SECOND  AND  FINAL  ATTACK  ON  NEW  ULM. 

During  those  fearful  and  anxious  days,  while  the 
engagement  was  going  on  at  Fort  Ridgley,  this  doomed 
village  was  unmolested.  The  time  was  well  appre 
ciated  in  intrenching  their  position,  burying  their  dead, 
and  in  sending  out  scouting  parties  in  various  direc 
tions.  One  of  these  brought  in  thirteen  persons  who 
had  secreted  themselves  in  a  slough  to  escape  massa 
cre. 

The  route  of  the  Indians  from  the  Fort  was  marked 
by  the  burning  of  buildings,  the  fires  of  which  were 
seen  at  New  Ulm,  and  intimated  their  approach  to 
those  preparing  for  their  reception.  When  four 
miles  in  the  distance,  the  foe  were  seen,  and  soon 
drove  in  the  pickets,  but  all,  save  the  still  panic-struck 
inhabitants,  rallied  for  defense.  On  they  come,  in  all 
their  fierce  savage  majesty.  From  twelve  to  five 
o'clock,  the  battle  raged  in  the  most  approved  style  of 
savage  warfare.  With  the  rapidity  of  thought,  they 
dodged  from  house  to  house,  — fifteen  of  which,  in  less 
than  half  an  hour,  were  in  flames, — picking  their  man 
as  they  went  Their  arms  were  the  best,  and  their  aim 
deadly. 

The  commander-in-chief,  Judge  Flandrau,  was,  dur 
ing  all  these  terrible  hours,  in  a  dense  shower  of  leaden 


98  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

hail,  cool,  discreet  and  determined,  constantly  among 
"the  boys,"  cheering  them  on,  and  these  performed 
their  part  equally  as  well.  More  and  more  desperate 
the  enemy  become !  Captain  Dodd,  well  known  in 
the  State,  makes  an  imprudent  effort  to  drive  them 
back  by  a  mighty  charge.  Hiding  forward  of  the 
breastwork,  shouting  to  his  comrades,  "come  on,"  he 
becomes  the  target.  His  body  is  pierced  by  five  balls, 
but  heroically  he  keeps  his  saddle  till  he  fell  in  the 
arms  of  his  own  people. 

"At  five  o'clock  was  the  turning  point  in  the  strug 
gle.  Now  it  seemed  as  if  the  Indians  would  capture 
the  town.  The  remarkable  gallantry  of  Judge  Flan- 
drau  alone  prevented  this  result,  and  a  massacre,  which 
for  magnitude  would  have  been  without  a  parallel  in 
the  history  of  Indian  warfare.  He  rallied  his  men, 
and,  charging  at  their  head,  drove  them  out  of  the 
brush  at  the  lower  end  of  the  town,  the  point  whence 
they  had  inflicted  the  greatest  injury  upon  the  gar 
rison. 

"All  night  the  burning  of  houses  continued.  Oc 
casional  guns  were  fired  till  ten,  when  they  fell  back, 
formed  into  three  great  parties,  and  had  war  dances, 
shouting  and  singing  during  the  night." 

During  the  fight,  ten  men  were  killed,  and  nearly 
fifty  wounded.  Theirs  were  carried  from  the  battle 
field,  and  the  number  not  known  —  supposed  to  be  not 
less  than  forty  killed. 

"As  morning  dawned,  the  enemy  again  came  dash 
ing  over  the  prairie,  'spoiling  for  a  fight,'  and  great 


DAKOTA   WAK  WHOOP.  99 

indeed  was  their  chagrin  and  surprise  to  find  their 
breastwork  but  a  few  smouldering  ashes.  They  gath 
ered  at  the  east  end  of  the  town,  and  seemed  to  be 
consulting  what  course  to  pursue.  Finally,  they  col 
lected  a  large  drove  of  cattle,  of  which  there  were 
plenty  all  around  them,  and  moving  these  as  a  breast 
work,  again  advanced.  But  the  cattle  were  not  to  be 
allied  to  such  chaps,  and  soon  commenced  to  make 
tracks  for  other  parts,  and  the  enemy,  finding  himself 
perfectly  thwarted,  skedaddled." 

As  these  took  up  their  line  of  march  for  parts  un 
known,  they  formed  a  train  four  miles  long,  of  cattle, 
farm  horses,  and  wagons,  loaded  with  valuable  booty, 
and  several  elegant  "turn-outs."  No  wonder  that, 
jubilant  with  success,  they  had  made  the  night  hideous 
with  dance  and  song. 

The  next  order  in  the  programme  of  arrangements, 
was  the  evacuation  of  New  Ulm.  The  entire  region 
above,  and  on  either  hand,  was  desolated,  depopulated, 
one-half  of  the  town  destroyed,  and  had  it  been  safe 
to  do  so,  there  was  no  inducement  for  the  people  to 
remain. 

Just  one  week  had  now  passed  since  the  first  intima 
tion  of  the  rise  of  savage  ire,  and  alas !  what  an  in 
calculable  amount  of  evil  had  been  done.  Where 
peace,  plenty,  and  content  reigned,  there  were  heard 
now  but  the  wails  of  anguished  hearts,  and  seen  but 
the  desolation  of  hopes,  the  utter  annihilation  of 
earthly  trust 

It  was  a  mournful  cortege  which,  on  that  Monday 


100  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

morning,  Aug.  25,  took  up  its  line  of  march  for  Mankato, 
twenty-five  miles  distant.  Instead  of  ambulances  for 
the  eighty  wounded  persons,  some  of  whom  were  little 
children,  innocent  of  wrong,  hacked  and  mangled  in  a 
most  shocking  and  brutal  manner,  they  were  conveyed 
in  hard  running  farm  wagons,  while  scouting  Indians 
watched  from  a  distance,  but  happily  leaving  them 
undisturbed. 

Such  another  company,  perhaps,  the  world  has  never 
seen.  Such  a  march,  history  never  recorded.  Here 
were  mothers  whose  children,  their  shrieks  still  ringing 
in  their  ears,  had  been  slaughtered  before  their  eyes, 
— strong  men  "shorn  of  their  strength,"  who  in  one 
day  had  passed  from  wealth  to  poverty, — homes  in 
ashes,  wife  and  children  gone,  some  of  whom  wounded 
had  crept  away  into  sloughs  or  bushes  to  die,  —  wives 
bereft  of  husbands,  children  of  parents,  the  heads  of 
all  bowed  down  in  overwhelming  grief  and  a  sense  of 
utter  destitution.  For  their  protection,  the  glittering 
bayonet  gleamed,  and  yet  a  sense  of  the  comparative 
security  was  no  relief  to  the  bitter  anxiety  of  heart 
In  two  instances,  actual  insanity  occurred. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

BATTLE    OF    NEW    ULM  —  OFFICIAL    REPORT    OF    CAP 
TAIN  FLANDRAU. 

ST.  PETEE,  August  27th,  1862. 
His  EXCELLENCY,  GOVERNOR  ALEX.  RAMSEY  : 

SIR  :  —  Events  have  transpired  so  rapidly,  and  my 
time  has  been  so  taken  up  since  my  last  communica 
tion,  that  I  cannot  with  certainty  recall  the  condition 
of  things  existing  at  its  date,  but  believe  I  wrote  you 
almost  immediately  preceding  the  second  attack  upon 
New  Ulm,  which  occurred  on  Saturday  last. 

During  the  morning  we  discovered  a  succession  of 
fires  on  the  Nicollet  county  side  of  the  river,  very  near 
the  bluffs,  approaching  us  from  the  direction  of  Fort 
Ridgley.  Our  supposition  was  that  the  Fort  had 
fallen,  and  the  Indians  were  moving  down  upon  the 
town,  on  that  side  of  the  river,  to  unite  with  another 
party  on  the  side  we  were  occupying. 

As  they  increased  in  numbers  very  rapidly,  I  thought 
it  best  to  send  a  detachment  over  to  ascertain  the  de 
sign  of  the  enemy,  and  if  possible'  give  him  a  check 
on  that  side  of  the  river.  Lieut  Huey,  of  Traverse 
des  Sioux,  volunteering  to  perform  the  service,  I  de 
tailed  seventy-five  men  with  him,  and  they  crossed  at 
the  ferry  opposite  the  town,  about  nine  o'clock,  A.  M. 
Very  shortly  alter  their  departure,  the  Indians  were 


102  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

discovered  issuing  from  the  woods  above  the  town,  in 
large  numbers,  and  assembling  upon  the  prairie. 

I  at  once  posted  all  my  available  force  upon  the 
open  prairie,  outside  the  town,  about  half  a  mile  at 
some  points,  and  at  a  greater  distance  towards  the 
point  at  which  I  conceived  the  attack  would  be  made, 
determining  to  give  them  battle  in  the  open  field, 
where  I  conceived  would  be  our  greatest  advantage. 

At  nearly  ten  A.  M.  the  body  began  to  move  towards 
us,  first  slowly,  and  then  with  considerable  rapidity. 
The  men  were  encouraged  by  their  officers  to  stand 
firm  and  meet  the  attack,  and  all  promised  well.  We 
had  in  all,  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  guns,  while  the 
Indians  were  variously  estimated  at  from  four  to  five 
hundred.  I  fixed  the  number  at  not  over  three  hun 
dred  and  fifty. 

Their  advance  upon  the  sloping  prairie,  in  the  bright 
sunlight,  was  a  very  fine  spectacle,  and,  to  such  inex 
perienced  soldiers  as  we  all  were,  intensely  exciting. 
When  within  about  one  mile  and  a  half  of  us,  the 
mass  began  to  expand  like  a  fan,  and  increase  in  the 
velocity  of  its  approach,  and  continued  this  movement 
until  within  about  double  rifle  shot,  when  it  had  cov 
ered  our  entire  front  Then  the  savages  uttered  a  ter 
rific  yell,  and  came  down  upon  us  like  the  wind.  I 
had  stationed  myself  at  a  point  in  the  rear,  where  com 
munication  could  be  had  with  me  easily,  and  awaited 
the  first  discharge  with  great  anxiety,  as  it  seemed  to 
me  that  to  yield  was  certain  destruction,  as  the  enemy 
would  rush  into  the  town  and  drive  all  before  them. 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  103 

The  yell  unsettled  the  men  a  little,  and  just  before  the 
rifles  began  to  crack,  they  fell  back  along  the  whole 
line,  and  committed  the  error  of  passing  the  outer 
houses  without  taking  possession  of  them,  a  mistake 
which  the  Indians  immediately  took  advantage  of  by 
themselves  occupying  them  in  squads  of  two,  three, 
and  up  to  ten.  They  poured  into  us  a  sharp  and  rapid 
fire,  as  we  fell  back,  and  opened  from  the  houses  in 
every  direction.  Several  of  us  rode  up  to  the  hill,  en 
deavoring  to  rally  the  men,  and  with  good  effect,  as 
they  gave  three  cheers  and  sallied  out  of  various 
houses  they  had  retreated  to,  and  checked  the  advance 
effectually.  The  firing  from  both  sides  then  became 
general,  sharp  and  rapid,  and  it  got  to  be  a  regular  In 
dian  skirmish,  in  which  every  man  did  his  own  work 
after  his  own  fashion. 

The  Indians  had  spread  out  till  they  had  got  into 
our  rear,  and  on  all  sides,  having  the  very  decided  ad 
vantage  of  the  houses  on  the  bluffs  which  commanded 
the  interior  of  the  town,  with  the  exception  of  the 
windmill  which  was  occupied  by  about  twenty  of 
the  Le  Sueur  Tigers,  and  held  them  at  long  range.  The 
wind  was  from  the  lower  part  of  the  town,  and  this 
fact  directed  the  larger  part  of  the  enemy  to  that  point, 
where  they  promptly  commenced  firing  the  houses, 
and  advancing  behind  the  smoke.  The  conflagration 
became  general  in  the  lower  part  of  the  town  on  both 
sides  of  the  street,  and  the  bullets  flew  very  thickly, 
both  from  the  bluff  and  up  the  street.  I  thought  it 
prudent  to  dismount  and  direct  the  defense  on  foot. 
E 


104:  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

Just  at  this  point,  Capt.  Dodd,  of  St.  Peter,  and  some 
one  else  whose  name  I  do  not  know,  charged  down 
the  street,  to  ascertain  (I  have  since  learned,)  whether 
some  horsemen  seen  in  the  extreme  lower  town, 
were  not  our  friends  coming  in,  and  were  met  about 
three  blocks  down  with  a  heavy  volley  from  behind  a 
house,  five  bullets  passing  through  Capt.  Dodd,  and 
several  through  his  horse.  They  both  turned,  and  the 
Captain  got  in  sufficiently  near  to  be  received  by  his 
friends  before  he  fell.  He  died  about  five  hours  after 
being  hit.  Too  much  cannot  be  said  of  his  personal 
bravery,  and  general  desire  to  perform  his  duty  man 
fully. 

Capt  Saunders,  of  the  Le  Sueur  company,  was  shot 
through  a  part  of  his  body  shortly  after,  and  retired, 
placing  his  rifle  in  effective  hands,  and  encouraging 
the  men.  The  fight  was  going  on  all  around  the  town, 
during  the  whole  forenoon  and  part  of  the  afternoon, 
sometimes  with  slight  advantage  to  us,  and  again  to 
the  Indians,  but  the  difficulty  that  stared  us  in  the 
face,  was  the  gradual  but  certain  approach,  up  the 
main  street,  behind  the  burning  buildings,  which  prom 
ised  our  destruction.  We  frequently  sallied  out  and 
took  buildings  in  advance,  but  the  risk  of  being, 
picked  off  from  the  bluff,  was  unequal  to  the  advan 
tage  gained,  and  the  duty  was  performed  with  some 
reluctance  by  the  men.  In  the  lower  part  of  the  town 
I  had  some  of  the  best  men  in  the  State,  both  as  shots 
and  for  coolness  and  determination.  It  will  be  suffi 
cient  to  name  two  as  types  of  a  class  of  the  fighting 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  105 

men — Asa  White  and  Newell  Houghton,  known  to 
all  old  settlers.  They  did  very  effective  service  in 
checking  the  advance,  both  by  their  unerring  rifles  and 
the  good  examples  their  steadiness  placed  before  the 
younger  men. 

We  discovered  a  concentration  of  Indians  on  the 
side  of  the  street  towards  the  river,  and  at  the  rear  of 
the  buildings,  and  expected  a  rush  upon  the  town  from 
that  position,  the  result  of  which  I  feared  more  than 
anything  else,  as  the  boys  had  proved  unequal  to  it  in 
the  morning ;  and  we  were  not  disappointed,  for  in  a 
few  moments  they  came,  on  ponies  and  on  foot,  furi 
ously,  about  sixty  in  number,  charging  round  the 
point  of  a  little  grove  of  oaks.  This  was  the  critical 
point  of  the  day,  but  four  or  five  hours  under  fire  had 
brought  the  boys  up  to  the  fighting  temperature,  and 
they  stood  firmly,  and  advanced  with  a  cheer,  routing 
the  rascals  like  sheep.  They  received  us  with  a  very 
hot  fire,  killing  Houghton,  and  an  elderly  gentleman, 
whose  name  I  did  not  know.  As  they  fled  in  a  crowd 
at  very  short  range,  we  gave  them  a  volley  that  was 
very  effectual,  and  settled  the  fortunes  of  the  day  in 
our  favor,  for  they  did  not  dare  try  it  over.  I  think, 
after  once  repulsing  them  in  a  fair  fight,  we  could  have 
successfully  resisted  them,  had  they  returned  a  second 
time,  as  the  necessary  confidence  had  been  gained. 

White  men  fight  under  great  disadvantage  the  first 
time  they  engage  Indians.  There  is  something  so 
fiendish  in  their  yells,  and  terrifying  in  their  appear 
ance  when  in  battle,  that  it  takes  a  good  deal  of  time 


106  DAKOTA  WAE  WHOOP. 

to  overcome  the  unpleasant  sensation  that  it  inspires. 
Then  there  is  a  snake-like  stealth  in  all  their  move 
ments  that  excites  distrust  and  uncertainty,  which  un- 
steadies  the  nerves  at  first. 

After  this  repulse,  the  battle  raged  until  dark,  with 
out  sufficient  advantage  on  one  side  or  the  other  to 
merit  mention  in  detail,  when  the  savages  drew  off, 
firing  only  an  occasional  shot  from  under  close  cover. 

After  dark,  we  decreased  the  extent  of  our  lines  of 
barricades,  and  I  deemed  it  prudent  to  order  all  the 
buildings  outside  to  be  burned,  in  order  to  prevent 
their  having  come  from  behind  which,  to  annoy  us. 
We  were  compelled  to  consume  about  forty  valuable 
buildings,  but  as  it  was  a  military  necessity,  the  inhab 
itants  did  not  demur,  but  themselves  applied  the  torch 
cheerfully.  In  a  short  time  we  had  a  fair  field  before 
us,  of  open  prairie,  with  the  exception  of  a  large  square 
brick  building,  which  we  held,  and  had  loopholed  in 
all  the  stories  on  all  sides,  which  commanded  a  long 
portion  of  our  front  towards  the  bluff.  We  also  dug 
a  system  of  rifle  pits  on  that  front,  outside  the  bar 
ricades,  about  four  rods  apart,  which  completed  our 
defenses. 

That  night  we  slept  very  little,  every  man  being  at 
the  barricades  all  night,  each  third  man  being  allowed 
to  sleep  at  intervals. 

In  the  morning,  the  attack  was  renewed,  but  not 
with  much  vigor,  and  subsided  about  noon. 

Daring  the  day,  a  body  of  men  appeared  in  the 
lower  town,  and  turned  out  to  be  a  detachment  of  one 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  107 

f 

hundred  and  fifty  volunteers  from  Nicollet  and  Sibley 
counties,  under  Capt.  E.  St.  Ju]ien  Cox,  which  had 
been  forwarded  to  our  relief  by  Col.  Sibley.  They 
had  about  fifty  Austrian  rifles,  and  the  rest  were  armed 
with  shot  guns  and  hunting  rifles.  Their  appearance 
inspired  us  with  gladness,  as  things  were  becoming 
doubtful 

I  held  a  council  of  the  officers,  and  we  determined 
to  attempt  an  evacuation  of  the  town,  carrying  off  all 
the  inhabitants,  women,  children,  sick  and  wounded, 
to  the  number  of  about  two  thousand.  This  move 
ment  was  a  very  perilous  x>ne  to  undertake,  with  the 
force  at  our  command,  but  the  confined  state  of  the 
town  was  rapidly  producing  disease  among  the  women 
and  children,  who  were  huddled  up  in  cellars  and 
close  rooms,  like  sheep  in  a  cattle  car,  and  we  were 
fast  becoming  short  of  ammunition  and  provisions.  I 
feared  the  result  of  another  attack  by  a  larger  force, 
and  all  the  people  decided  that  they  would  abandon 
the  town  the  first  opportunity,  as  residence  there  was 
impossible  under  the  circumstances. 

At  daylight  next  morning  the  barricades  were  bro 
ken,  and  the  wagons  taken  out  and  put  in  motion. 
The  scene  was  one  of  indescribable  confusion  and  de 
struction.  The  poor  people,  naturally  desirous  of  car 
rying  off  all  they  could,  filled  their  wagons  with  boxes 
and  baggage,  to  the  exclusion  (as  we  found  before  the 
train  was  complete,)  of  many  of  the  women  and 
wounded.  I  was,  therefore,  compelled  to  order  all  ar 
ticles  of  a  bulky  nature  to  be  tumbled  out,  and  their 


108  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

places  supplied  by  more  valuable  freight  It  was  hard, 
but  necessary,  and  the  inhabitants  yielded  with  less 
reluctance  than  I  had  anticipated. 

About  nine  o'clock  A.  M.,  we  moved  with  one  hun 
dred  and  fifty-three  wagon  loads  of  women,  children, 
sick  and  wounded,  and  a  large  company  on  foot. 
Lieutenant  Cox  took  the  general  disposition  of  the 
escort,  and  the  various  commands  were  posted  so  as 
best  to  protect  the  whole  in  case  of  attack.  It  was  a 
melancholy  spectacle  to  see  two  thousand  people,  who 
a  few  days  before  had  been  prosperous  and  happy,  re 
duced  to  utter  beggary,  starting  upon  a  journey  of 
thirty  miles,  through  a  hostile  country,  every  inch  of 
which  we  expected  to  be  called  upon  to  defend  from 
an  attack,  the  issue  of  which  was  life  or  horrid  butch 
ery.  Beggary,  starvation,  and  probable  destruction 
were  at  one  end  of  the  road ;  a  doubtful  escape  from 
the  latter  at  the  other.  We  took  the  latter  alterna 
tive,  and,  under  Providence,  got  through. 

During  the  battle,  we  lost,  as  near  as  I  can  ascertain, 
about  ten  killed  and  fifty  wounded.  I  can  give  you 
no  accurate  detail  of  either,  as  the  casualties  occurred 
among  citizens,  soldiers,  and  strangers.  The  physi 
cians,  of  whom,  fortunately,  we  had  a  good  supply, ' 
may  have  kept  some  hospital  lists,  but  I  have  been  too 
much  occupied  to  ascertain.  I  was  satisfied  to  know 
the  wounded  were  well  cared  for,  without  knowing 
who  they  were. 

I  was  seconded,  ably  and  bravely,  by  all  the  officers 
and  most  of  the  men  of  the  companies,  and  many  citi- 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP  109 

zens  from  different  parts  of  the  State,  and  strangers 
who  were  present,  so  uniform  was  their  good  conduct, 
and  valuable  their  services,  that  one  could  not  be  men 
tioned  without  naming  all.  There  were  several  cases 
of  abandonment  immediately  preceding  the  attack, 
which,  if  designed  to  evade  the  struggle,  were  dis 
graceful  in  the  extreme,  and  unworthy  of  Americans. 
But  as  they  may  have  arisen  from  other  causes,  I  will 
not  report  the  names  of  the  parties. 

Many  narrow  escapes  occurred  during  the  protracted 
fight  Several  persons  were  shot  through  the  hat 
One  young  man  received  three  bullets  through  the 
pantaloons  in  rapid  succession,  without  being  hurt  in 
the  least 

We  did  not  burn  the  town  on  leaving,  thinking  pos 
sibly  that  the  Indians  might  not  return  and  destroy  it, 
and  not  deeming  it  much  of  a  defense  for  them,  should 
they  occupy  it  on  our  return. 

It  was  my  design  that  the  country  between  New 
Ulm  and  Mankato,  should  be  immediately  reoccupied 
by  our  troops,  and  the  ground  temporarily  lost  by  our 
withdrawal,  regained  at  once  by  fresh  troops,  well 
equipped  and  capable  of  remaining  on  the  field,  and  I 
looked  for  material  of  that  sort  for  the  business  on  my 
arrival ;  but  not  a  soldier  from  the  regular  service,  ex 
cept  Captain  Dane,  with  one  hundred  horses,  has  yet 
reached  that  part  of  the  country,  which  is  at  this  mo 
ment  utterly  defenseless,  except  so  far  as  he  is  capable 
of  holding  it  The  citizen  volunteers  that  went  to  the 
assistance  of  New  Ulm,  disbanded  pretty  generally  on 


110  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

their  return,  being  barefooted,  overworked,  and  re 
quired  at  their  homes. 

I  wish  your  Excellency  would  turn  the  tide  of  sol 
diers  flowing  into  the  valley,  to  the  Blue  Earth  region, 
from  which  the  whole  southern  portion  of  the  State 
can  be  protected,  and  efficient  co-operation  afforded 
the  column  advancing  upon  the  north  side  of  the  Min 
nesota. 

Hoping  my  operations  meet  your  approval,  I  am 
Truly  your  obedient  servant, 

CHAELES  E.  FLANDEAU, 
Commanding  West  of  the  Minnesota. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE     MISSION    1*ARTY. 

Dr.  Williamson,  unwilling  to  believe  there  was  any 
thing  but  a  "scare,"  and  yet  fearing  all  things,  sent 
away  from  Yellow  Medicine,  on  Tuesday  morning,  the 
younger  members  of  his  family,  while,  with  his  wife 
and  sister,  he  remained,  to  see  whereunto  the  trouble 
would  grow.  For  thirty  years  he  had  labored  among 
this  people — had  a  perfect  knowledge  of  their  lan 
guage,  and  his  soul  was  wholly  engrossed  for  their 
good,  both  temporally  and  spiritually  —  in  short,  had 
been,  as  the  others,  a  faithful,  self-sacrificing  missionary. 
This  was  the  work  to  which  he  had  devoted  his  life. 
His  influence  over  them,  was,  under  some  circum 
stances,  very  great.  Why  should  it  not  be  now  ?  He 
had  seen  individual  dissatisfaction,  but  never  a  general 
uprising,  and  he  was  unwilling  to  interpret  aright  the 
demonstrations  before  him. 

Mr.  Riggs,  under  the  guidance  of  a  Christian  Indian, 
had  started,  with  his  family,  from  Hazlewood,  early  on 
Tuesday  morning,  but  was  met  by  a  hostile  party,  his 
team  taken  from  him,  and  they  escaped  to  a  bushy  island, 
in  the  river,  where  they  were  nearly  devoured  by  mos 
quitoes.  The  first  detachment  of  Dr.  Williamson's 
household,  hunted  them  out,  and  with  them  went  on 

theii  way,  numbering,  in  all,  some  forty  persons,  and 
Et 


112  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

not  over  six  armed  men  in  the  company.  Providen 
tially,  the  terrible  rain  storm,  which  caused  the  battle 
at  the  fort  to  cease,  until  the  "cords  were  lengthened, 
and  the  stakes  strengthened,"  completely  obliterated 
their  tracks,  so  that  they  were  not  followed  and  mur 
dered,  by  the  war  party  which  crossed  their  trail. 

The  Doctor  remained  until  Wednesday,  when,  as 
sured  it  was  no  longer  safe  to  do  so,  they  started,  in  an 
ox  cart,  guided  by  a  Christian  Indian,  to  overtake  their 
family  and  other  friends.  Passing  Beaver  Creek  Set 
tlement,  they  found  it  entirely  deserted.  Inquiring  of 
some  Indians  where  the  white  people  were,  they  replied : 

"All  gone  to  the  fort,  and  you  go,  too,  or  you  will  be 
shot" 

Nearly  all  there  had  been  killed  or  made  captive. 
In  one  instance,  a  war  party  started  out  of  the  Big 
Woods,  with  the  design  of  crossing  the  trail  of  these 
parties,  to  kill  or  make  them  prisoners.  "His-big- 
fire,"  a  Christian  Indian,  known  as  Eobert  Hopkins, 
joined  and  kept  with  them  until  he  had  lured  them 
from  their  purpose,  and  their  intended  victims  had 
passed  beyond  the  reach  of  their  bullets,  when  he  left 
the  war  path  and  returned  to  find  the  people  of  his 
choice  —  the  Christian  Missionaries. 

On,  the  separate  mission  parties  journeyed,  scarcely 
knowing  their  whereabouts,  or  caring,  so  that  they  kept 
out  of  the  way  of  the  prowling  savages,  which,  occa 
sionally,  were  seen  in  the  distance.  It  was  woman's 
patience  and  faith  which  shone  clearest,  and  buoyed  up 
the  sinking  spirits  of  the  men,  during  those  desolate 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

days  and  nights,  suffering,  as  they  were,  for  food,  and 
often  drenched  to  the  skin  with  the  cold,  drizzling,  and 
again  the  pelting  rain.  Even  the  children  endured  all 
this  with  a  fortitude  which  shames  complaining  man 
hood. 

At  last,  the  two  mission  parties,  having  each  been 
increased  by  wounded  fugitives,  to  whom  they  had  act 
ed  the  "Grood  Samaritan,"  form  a  junction,  and  together 
make  for  the  fort,  where,  unknown  to  them,  the  battle 
fury  raged  with  the  greatest  violence.  All  were  eager 
to  enter  its  walls,  thinking  then  all  danger  would  be 
over.  How  every  heart  rej  oiced  at  the  prospect  of  being, 
once  more,  safe  from  fear,  with  abundance  of  food  and 
rest  I 

Now  they  pass  a  sight  which  makes  all  hearts  quail, 
and  to  thank  God  for  their  own  deliverance,  thus  far. 
A  mother  and  three  children  lay  by  the  roadside,  (the 
first  time  they  had  dared  take  to  the  road,)  weltering  in 
their  own  gore.  And,  near  by,  a  sick  woman  had 
been  burned,  on  the  mattrass  on  which  she  lay,  while 
her  two  sons  were  trying  to  escape  with  her.  This  filial 
love  was  rewarded  by  cruel  death  to  each.  Traces  of 
massacre  and  butchery  were  more  frequent,  as  they 
neared  their  destination,  and  their  danger,  where  they 
had  hoped  security,  was  most  augmented.  The  plains 
around  were  literally  fall  of  Indians,  some  of  whom 
were  seen  at  no  great  distance. 

They  now  expected  an  attack,  and  drew  up  in  battle 
line,  with  onward  march,  tightening  their  grasp  upon 
their  weapons,  with  firm  resolve  to  die,  rather  than 


114  DAKOTA   WAK  WHOOP. 

yield  to  the  foe.     They  trusted  in  the  living  God,  and 
He  could  and  did  deliver  them. 

Then  they  saw  rockets  ascend  from  the  fort,  and  had 
no  thought  but  that  they  were  beacons,  to  guide  them 
there,  and  not  signals  of  distress,  as  they  really  were. 
There  was  then  a  lull  in  the  battle  storm,  which  was 
improved  by  Dr.  Williamson  and  Mr.  Hunter,  who 
went  forward,  crawling  on  their  hands  and  knees,  and, 
as  by  miracle,  avoiding  the  skulking  Indians,  and  pass 
ing  the  blazing  stables,  enter  the  garrison,  in  safety. 
It  was  a  wonderful  exploit,  which  surprised  all  within 
the  walls.  But  the  long  desired  rest  had  not  come  yet. 

The  exhausted  condition  of  the  troops,  and  the 
crowded  state  of  the  barracks,  made  it  inexpedient  for 
more  to  enter,  even  could  they  escape  the  savage  bul 
let  or  tomahawk.  With  sad  disappointment,  the  tidings 
was  received  by  the  hastening  party,  and  their  hearts 
sunk  within  them.  It  was  now  quite  dark,  and  the 
glare  of  burning  buildings  misled  these  scalp-seekers, 
and  though  passing  but  a  few  rods  from  them,  their 
"eyes  were  blinded  that  they  did  not  see  them,"  and 
they  hastened  on,  with  rapid  speed,  still  further  away,  in 
quest  of  their  prey.  With  suspended  breath,  and  flut 
tering  hearts,  they  had  heard  them  pass,  and  again, 
with  as  much  speed  and  little  noise  as  possible,  push 
on  their  tired  teams.  From  sounds  they  heard,  death 
seemed  lurking  all  around,  but,  trusting  in  God,  they 
fainted  not.  In  fording  a  stream,  the  exhausted 
teams  gave  out,  and  then  they  unhitched  and  let  them 
graze,  despite  the  danger.  So  tired  and  worn  were  all, 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  115 

that  they  sank  down  on  the  wet  grass  to  rest,  while  one 
only,  each  in  turn,  rifle  in  hand,  stood  guard  over  their 
sleeping  friends. 

They  knew  these  blood-hounds  were  upon  their 
track,  and  that,  just  before  daylight,  was  their  time  for 
attack,  so,  as  this  danger  approached,  they  were  again 
on  the  move.  Four  of  their  number  now  left,  going 
in  another  direction.  Scarcely  were  they  out  of  sight, 
when  their  Mends  heard  the  firing  of  guns ;  afterwards 
the  decayed  bodies  of  these  four  men  were  found, 
where  they  fell,  scarcely  a  mile  from  the  main  party. 
Thus  had  these  again  escaped  death. 

On  Saturday  morning,  August  23d,  after  a  vigorous 
siege  of  four  days,  the  Indians,  despairing  of  ultimate 
success,  and  ignorant  of  the  decimated  condition  of  the 
garrison,  leaving  a  few  men  to  prevent  the  arrival  of 
re-enforcements,  and  starve  the  garrison  out,  they  with 
drew  their  main  force,  and  moved  for  another  attack 
on  New  Ulm.  The  Indians  moved  through  the  tall, 
dripping  grass,  in  their  approach  to  the  doomed  city ; 
scarcely  five  miles  away  were  passing  the  mission 
party,  to  whom  their  guns  were  visible,  and  by  whom 
the  rattle  of  the  same  was  distinctly  heard.  They  saw 
the  burning  buildings,  as  one  after  another  lit  the  sky, 
with  its  glare,  or  sent  up  its  lurid  columns  of  smoke. 

That  night,  another  tragic  scene  was  enacted,  at  Nor 
wegian  Grove,  two  miles  from  which  they  "encamped" 
in  a  deserted  house.  Weary  and  worn,  they  slept  se 
curely,  while  those  who  fled  from  it  two  hours  before 
they  entered,  were  already  dead,  though  they  then 


116  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

knew  it  not,  nor  of  the  bloody  enactments,  even  then, 
at  the  "Grove."  From  this  point,  their  dangers  lessen 
ed,  until  all  had  been  welcomed  by  friends,  at  various 
points,  who  had,  during  this  memorable  week,  been 
mourning  them  as  among  the  slain.  They  had  "com 
mitted  their  ways  unto  the  Lord,"  and  he  had,  myste 
riously,  "directed  their  steps." 


CHAPTER  XVHI. 

MASSACEB  AT  BIG  STONE  LAKE. 

On  the  banks  of  Big  Stone  Lake,  far  away  from  white 
settlements,  government  agents  had  sent  four  men  to 
cut  hay,  build  a  blacksmith  shop  and  stables,  prepara 
tory  to  establishing  an  Agency  there.  They  had,  with 
them,  John  Julien,  a  lad  of  sixteen,  for  cook,  whose 
parents  lived  near  the  lower  Agency,  and  were  among 
the  first  victims  of  the  raid. 

The  first  specified  part,  of  their  work  was  done,  and 
they  were  camped  on  the  shores  of  the  lake,  cutting 
logs  for  the  buildings.  On  the  morning  of  the  21st  of 
August,  unaware  of  any  danger,  and  sleeping  in  uncon 
scious  security,  in  their  tent,  they  were  suddenly  arous 
ed  by  a  loud  and  repeated  war  whoop.  They  were 
scarcely  on  the  feet  before  they  were  surrounded  by 
fifty  or  sixty  Indians,  some  on  foot  and  some  on  horse. 

Within  ten  paces  of  the  tent,  a  volley  was  fired,  kill 
ing  one  man,  Henry  Manderfield,  instantly.  Two  oth 
ers  escaped,  to  be  murdered  by  another  party,  when 
thirty  miles  away.  Another,  Anthony  Manderfield, 
brother  to  the  above,  plunged  into  the  ravine,  on  the 
brow  of  which  their  tent  stood,  was  closely  followed, 
and  several  ineffective  shots  fired  upon  him.  Reaching 
the  lake,  he  waded  along  the  shore,  for  two  miles,  fol 
lowed  by  three  Indians,  in  a  canoe.  Seeing  they  gain- 


118  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

ed  upon  him,  yea,  were  about  to  lay  violent  hands  upon 
him,  by  a  dexterous  manoeuvre,  he  eluded  their  grasp, 
plunged  into  the  bushes,  where  he  remained  concealed 
till  the  immediate  danger  was  passed.  He  then  pushed 
on,  with  bare  and  bleeding  feet,  in  all  haste,  to  the 
foot  of  the  lake,  and  though,  on  one  occasion,  passing 
very  near  an  Indian  village,  a  rain,  providentially,  ob 
literated  his  footsteps,  hence  he  was  not  followed. 

At  Lac-qui-parle,  at  the  house  of  a  half-breed,  he  saw 
Mrs.  Huggins,  whose  husband  had  been  murdered,  and 
Miss  Julia  La  Frambois,  captives.  He  was  kindly 
cared  for,  his  bleeding  feet  bound  up,  and  his  stomach 
cravings  satisfied.  But  they  urged  him  away,  with  all 
possible  speed,  for  they  knew  it  was  unsafe  for  him  to 
remain.  After  four  days  of  almost  incessant  travelling, 
with  very  little  food,  he  arrived  at  Fort  Eidgley,  if  not 
a  better,  a  wiser  man,  for  his  experience  at  Big  Stone 
Lake,  and  to  avenge  their  treatment  of  him,  and  the 
death  of  his  brother,  by  joining  a  cavalry  company  in 
defense  of  the  frontier. 

The  boy,  mentioned  above,  was  taken  prisoner,  the 
details  of  which,  we  reserve  for  a  separate  chapter. 

When  the  "Expedition"  passed  this  point,  in  June 
after,  George  Spencer,  and  others,  went  over  to  see  the 
ruins  of  his  trading  house.  Here  they  found  the  skel 
etons  of  two  human  forms,  one  of  whom,  George  recog 
nized,  by  the  shreds  of  clothing  left,  as  the  clerk  in  his 
own  employ,  when  the  outbreak  commenced  The 
other,  as  in  the  employ  of  Louis  Eoberts,  at  another 
trading  post,  two  miles  away,  who,  in  two  days,  lost 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  119 

$80,000  by  the  Indian  raid.  Here  they  had  lain,  through 
autumn's  rains  and  winter  snows,  till  summer's  heat 
had  come,  and  were  now,  by  friendly  hands,  buried, 
where,  by  savage  hands,  they  fell.  How  many  more 
such  there  be,  their  bones  bleaching  by  sun  and  wind, 
yet  remains  to  be  seen. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

MURDER     OF     AMOS     W.     HUGGINS. 

Some  thirty  years  before  this  great  Sioux  tragedy 
was  enacted,  Revs.  Riggs  and  Huggins,  faithful  and 
devout  men  of  God,  then  in  the  vigor  and  prime  of 
youthful  manhood,  and  the  heart's  glow  of  richest 
earthly  love,  settled  on  the  banks  of  Lac-qui-parle,* 
several  hundred  miles  removed  from  civilized  life. 
But  they  had  girded  them  for  the  sacrifice,  and  the  sal 
vation  of  the  red  man,  for  whom  Christ  had  died,  as 
for  themselves,  was  the  impulse  of  their  hearts.  In 
due  time,  a  son  was  given  to  Mr.  Huggins,  which  the 
Indians  learned  to  pet-,  caress  and  love. 

Slowly  their  work  went  on,  and  after  years  of  toil, 
these  now  toil-worn  men  and  women  were  able  to  re 
joice  in  some  perceptible  good  to  the  people  among 
whom  they  lived  Olive  plants  had  increased  around 
their  tables,  and  though,  to  human  view,  their  work 
seemed  disheartening,  yet  could  their  hearts  rejoice  in 
His  goodness,  while  they  could  still  "thank  God  and 
take  courage." 

Amos  W.,  the  subject  of  this  chapter,  at  the  age  of 
sixteen,  was  sent  away,  to  finish  the  education  com 
menced  under  the  tutelage  of  his  mother.  Meantime, 
a  change  in  the  base  of  missionary  operations  took 
place,  and  this  point  was  left  for  more  urgent  fields  of 

*The  lake  that  speaks. 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  121 

labor.  Amos,  having  completed  Ms  education,  return 
ed  to  his  father's  house,  bringing  with  him  a  fair  young 
bride,  to  grace  his  frontier  home.  Government  had 
designated  him  as  its  agent,  teacher,  and  general  super 
intendent  of  Indian  aifairs  at  Lac-qui-parle.  On  the 
very  soil  where  his  boyhood  was  spent,  he  dwelt,  and 
among  the  very  people  of  boyhood's  memory.  Thus, 
in  quiet  security,  never  dreaming  of  trouble,  their  iso 
lation  was  not  an  unpleasant  one.  To  these  loving 
hearts,  all  the  joys  of  earth  centered  at  their  own 
hearth-stone. 

Employed  as  female  teacher,  Miss  Julia  La  Frambois 
had  long  been  a  valued  member  of  his  household. 
Though  a  half-breed,  she  was  a  young  lady  of  high  cul 
tivation,  and  spoke  several  languages  fluently. 

Two  smiling  cherubs  blest  their  happy  home,  and  a 
more  bright  and  beautiful  morning  never  dawned,  than 
on  the  19th  day  of  August,  1862.  It  was  Mrs.  Hug- 
gins'  twenty-fourth  birthday,  of  which  she  says  :  "She 
little  thought,  when  the  morning  dawned,  so  full  of 
hope,  and  promised  to  be  the  happiest  day  of  her  life, 
it  was  to  close,  the  saddest  she  had  ever  known." 

Mr.  Huggins  had  been  in  the  field,  superintending 
the  work  in  which  the  Indians  were  engaged,  and  at 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  returned  home,  bringing 
with  him  the  oxen  they  had  been  using. 

Previous  to  this,  two  Indians  from  Bed  Iron's  village 
came  to  the  house,  seemed  unusually  talkative,  asked 
many  questions  of  Miss  Julia,  about  the  sewing  ma 
chine  she  was  using,  but  excited  no  suspicion.  As 
soon  as  Mr.  Huggins  came  up,  they  left  the  house,  and 


122  DAKOTA   WAE   WHOOP. 

the  next  moment  the  women  heard  the  report  of  two 
guns.  Julia  rushed  out,  as  the  Indians  rushed  in,  who, 
in  a  wild,  excited  manner,  exclaimed  to  Mrs.  H.  : 

"Go  out,  go  out ;  you  shall  live — but  go  out — take 
nothing  with  you !" 

In  the  strange  bewilderment  of  the  moment,  she 
scarce  understood  their  meaning,  and  from  their  man 
ner,  supposed  that  their  enemies,  the  Chippewas,  were 
upon  them.  Mechanically,  she  obeyed  the  imperative 
command,  when  she  was  aroused  to  terrible  conscious 
ness,  by  seeing  Julia,  kneeling  by  the  lifeless  form  of 
her  husband.  "O,  Josephine !  Josephine  1"  was  all  she 
said  ;  but  it  told  the  awful  tale  that  he  was  dead.  A 
ball  had  entered  his  back,  passing  through  his  body, 
killing  him  instantly.  An  ocean  of  grief  swept  over 
her  soul,  in  that  one  awful  and  bitter  moment.  No 
time  was  given  to  adjust  the  lifeless  form,  but  seeing 
they  were  really  going  to  shoot  her,  unless  she  went 
away,  she  hastily  threw  over  him  a  lounge  cover,  on 
which  she  was  sewing,  when  she  ran  out ;  and  with 
tearless  eyes,  but  a  bursting  heart,  left  him  there,  with 
out  even  a  last  kiss  of  those  lips  which  would  never 
again  return  this  seal  of  affection.  Julia  had  preceded 
her  to  Mr.  De  Cota's,  a  half-breed  Chippewa  trader,  with' 
a  Sioux  wife,  who  lived  near,  taking  with  her  the  dar 
ling  little  Letta. 

When  the  heroic  girl,  with  their  host  and  hostess,  re 
turned  to  the  tragic  scene,  (it  was  not  deemed  safe  for 
the  wife  to  go  with  them,)  they  found  many  excited 
savages  gathered  around,  some  ready  almost  to  "gnash 
on  him  with  their  teeth,"  for  the  crime  of  being  a  white 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  123 

man ;  and  others,  among  whom  was  the  chief  of  the 
village,  Wa-kan-ma-ni,  or  Walking  Spirit,  who  de 
nounced  the  deed,  the  latter  saying,  had  he  been  there, 
he  would  have  died  before  harm  should  have  come  to 
Mr.  Huggins. 

Before  the  sun  went  down,  these  friendly  hands  had 
buried  him,  without  shroud  or  coffin,  and  with  sad 
hearts,  turned  away,  while  the  evil-designing  Sioux 
pillaged  the  house,  and  divided  among  them,  for  their 
breakfast,  the  oxen,  which  he  had  driven  from  the 
field.  With  a  brave  heart,  Julia  had  entered  the  house, 
even  while  full  of  pillagers  and  murderers,  and  secured 
some  articles,  which  were  afterwards  of  great  value  to 
them. 

Among  the  relics  of  these  spoils,  were  two  pocket 
Bibles,  one  of  which  was  the  well  thumbed  companion 
of  Mr.  Huggins,  the  precepts  of  which  he  bound  to 
his  heart,  as  "the  man  of  his  counsel  and  rule  of  life.'-' 
O,  what  a  comfort  was  this,  in  the  weary,  anxious  days 
of  captivity  which  followed, — precious  for  the  sake  of 
him  who  had  read  and  loved  its  teachings,  as  also  the 
"hidden  manna"  of  its  leaves — the  gracious  promises 
which  now  fed  her  sore  heart.  Therefore,  she  trusted 
its  teachings,  and  waited,  while  its  Divine  Author 
guarded  her  fatherless  little  ones,  and  kindly  disposed 
the  savages'  hearts  toward  her. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

CAUSE   OF  THE  WAR  —  WHAT  IS  AN  INDIAN? 

We  append  the  reply  of  one,  to  the  above  question, 
whose  opinion  is  at  least  entitled  to  respect  and  consid 
eration.  His  whole  statement  will  be  found  of  thrilling 
interest;  and  we  cheerfully  present  to  our  readers  the 
following  statement  of  Mr.  Spencer : 

"Ever  since  the  treaty,  which  was  made  in  1851,  with 
the  nation  of  Dakota  or  Sioux  Indians,  they  have  been 
finding  fault,  complaining  that  the  government  did  not 
strictly  comply  with  the  stipulations  of  the  treaty. 
While  some  of  the  causes  of  these  complaints  have 
been  imaginary,  there  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  there 
have  been  good  grounds  for  others.  In  regard  to  the 
management  of  affairs  among  the  lower  Sioux,  where 
the  recent  outbreak  originated,  I  cannot  speak  know 
ingly,  as  I  have  not  resided  among  them  since  the 
treaty  went  into  effect  But  among  the  upper  Sioux, 
the  Sissitons  in  particular,  with  whom  I  have  been  en 
gaged,  in  trade,  for  the  past  two  years,  there  has  been 
some  cause  for  complaint,  on  their  part. 

"I  have  often  heard  Standing  Buffalo,  the  Sissiton 
chief,  complain  about  the  whites  not  fulfilling  their 
promises  in  regard  to  the  location  of  mills,  schools, 
mechanics,  physicians,  etc.,  among  his  tribe.  It  is  true 
that  the  lower  bands  enjoyed  all  the  advantages  to  be 
derived  from  these  sources,  but  as  they  were  located  at 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  125 

a  distance  of  nearly  one  hundred  miles  from  the  vil 
lages  and  fields  of  the  Sissitons,  they  derived  but  little, 
if  any,  benefit  from  them.  It  is  too  often  the  case,  that 
the  parties  who  are  employed  by  the  government  to 
hold  councils,  form  treaties,  etc.,  with  Indian  tribes,  do 
not  sufficiently  understand  the  character  of  the  parties 
with  whom  they  are  negotiating ;  and,  consequently, 
although  matters  may  go  off  smoothly  enough  at  the 
time,  difficulties  are  liable  to  arise  in  the  future,  the 
consequences  of  which  may  be  disastrous. 

"As  there  are  other  savage  tribes,  standing  in  the 
same  relations  to  the  government  to-day,  that  the  Sioux 
occupied,  previous  to  the  insurrection,  it  may  be  well 
enough  to  examine,  minutely,  one  or  two  points  con 
nected  with  Indian  affairs,  which,  if  properly  observed, 
may  be  the  means  of  preventing  a  repetition  of  the 
cruel  blow,  by  other  tribes,  which  has  been  so  fearfully 
inflicted  by  the  Sioux.  In  the  first  place,  let  us  exam 
ine  the  Indian  himself.  What  is  an  Indian  ? 

"Simple  as  this  question  may  seem,  yet  it  is  one  that, 
in  my  opinion,  is  not  thoroughly  understood  by  our 
officials,  and  others,  who  have  Indian  affairs  in  charge. 
In  the  great  chain  of  nature,  the  Indian  is  a  connecting 
link  between  the  wild  beast  and  the  human  species. 
In  shape  he  is  human,  and  has  the  gift  of  speech,  and, 
to  a  limited  extent,  the  use  of  language.  In  almost  all 
his  actions,  he  seems  to  be  guided  by  instinct,  rather 
than  reason ;  to  say  that  he  possesses  no  intellect,  might 
possibly  be  saying  too  much  ;  but  if  he  does,  it  seems 
to  be  so  clouded  and  obscured,  that  it  does  not  avail 
him  much.  Long  association  with  the  whites  has  de- 


126  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

veloped,  in  some  of  them,  the  reasoning  faculties,  and 
shown  them  to  be  possessed  of  some  little  intelligence. 
So  the  same  thing  may  be  said  of  some  animals,  whose 
performances  seem  to  be  more  the  result  of  reason  than 
instinct  The  treachery  of  the  Indian  is  proverbial 
Unaccustomed  to  the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  a  home, 
there  is,  in  his  language,  no  word  which  answers  to  our 
word  home.  Accustomed,  from  infancy,  to  witness 
scenes  of  violence  and  bloodshed,  and,  as  soon  as  he 
can  speak,  it  is  impressed  upon  his  mind,  that  the  great 
est  achievement  he  is  capable  of  performing,  is  to  dye 
his  hands  in  the  blood  of  his  fellow-creatures,  whereby 
he  may  become  entitled  to  wear  a  scalp-feather.  He 
soon  learns  to  take  delight  in  participating  in  the  ex 
citement  of  the  chase,  and  in  following  the  war  path. 
His  passions  being  subjected  to  no  restraint  whatever, 
his  imagination  is  constantly  taxed  to  invent  some  new 
mode  of  torture,  to  apply  to  the  victim  that  may  have 
been  unfortunate  enough  to  fall  into  his  hands.  The 
brutish  propensities  largely  predominating,  it  requires 
but  slight  provocation  to  cause  him  to  turn  his  murder 
ous  weapons  against  his  fellow-beings.  Poets  may 
sing,  and  romancers  may  write,  as  much  as  they  will, 
about  the  "noble  savage,"  the  "dignified  and  majestic  • 
bearing  of  nature's  nobleman,"  the  "generous  traits  of 
character"  possessed  by  the  "sons  of  the  prairies,"  etc., 
but  "distance  lends  enchantment  to  the  view,"  and  after 
having  been,  more  or  less,  intimately  associated  with 
them,  for  the  last  ten  years,  I  have  been  unable  to  per 
ceive  but  a  very  few  of  those  noble  attributes  which 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  127 

have  been  so  plentifully  ascribed  to  them.  There  are 
some  individual  exceptions,  it  is  true.  As  you  will 
find,  among  our  own  race,  persons,  who  have  been  rear 
ed  under  the  holy  influences  of  Christianity,  possessing 
the  spirit  of  fiends,  so  you  will  find,  occasionally,  an 
Indian  who  is  possessed  of  some  feelings  of  humanity. 
Skilled  to  perfection  in  the  peculiar  craft  pertaining  to 
his  calling,  and  his  powers  of  endurance  being  almost 
incredible,  when  aroused,  he  becomes  the  most  danger 
ous  of  foes. 

"When  difficulties  and  misunderstandings  arise  be 
tween  civilized  nations,  they  may  be  amicably  adjusted 
by  negotiation,  or,  that  failing,  a  resort  to  warfare,  con 
ducted  on  scientific  principles,  but  never  losing  sight 
of  the  great  principles  of  humanity.  But  not  so  with 
a  race  of  savages.  Diplomacy  is  something  unknown 
to  them. 

"When  they  feel  that  they  have  been  wronged,  they 
proceed  (actuated  solely  by  a  desire  for  revenge)  to 
wreak  their  vengeance  upon  defenceless,  helpless  wo 
men  and  children.  Such  being  the  state  of  things,  how 
important  it  is  that  the  government  should  see  that  the 
stipulation  of  the  treaties  now  existing  with  those 
tribes  who  yet  remain  friendly,  should  be  strictly  and 
faithfully  complied  with.  Since  open  hostilities  have 
been  commenced  by  one  tribe,  it  will  not  require  much 
to  induce  other  tribes  to  follow  their  example. 

"Another  point,  which  is  a  very  essential  one,  is  the 
employment  of  competent  interpreters — men  who  have 

a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  two  languages.     It  is  my 
F 


128  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

opinion,  that  more  than  one-half  of  the  misunderstand 
ings  which  have  arisen  between  the  Indians  and  the 
government,  may  be  traced  to  the  fact  that  the  inter 
preter  did  not  understand,  himself,  what  had  been  said 
to  him.  As  a  general  thing,  half-breeds  are  employed 
to  interpret. 

"White  men,  who  are  capable  of  interpreting,  cannot 
afford  to  accept  the  position  of  government  interpreter, 
because  the  salary  is  so  small  that  they  can  make  more 
other  ways.  To  explain  what  I  mean,  more  fully,  we 
will  examine  the  languages.  Ten  thousand  words  will 
probably  more  than  cover  the  number  of  words  in  the 
Sioux  language,  while  our  language  is  said  to  contain 
over  forty  thousand  words.  Now,  the  half-breed,  of 
course,  is  raised  among  the  Indians,  and  acquires  his 
mother  tongue  perfectly.  As  he  grows  up,  he  becomes 
associated  with  the  people  of  the  frontier,  and  from 
them  acquires  his  knowledge  of  English,  which  is  not 
such  English  as  is  spoken  among  the  elite.  The  per 
son  who  has  acquired  his  education,  and  has  graduated 
from  our  high  schools,  speaks  a  different  language,  you 
might  say,  from  the  backwoodsman,  who,  probably, 
never  saw  the  inside  of  a  school-house. 

"The  excess  of  thirty  thousand  words  in  our  lan 
guage  over  that  of  the  Indian,  renders  it  very  easy  to 
say  things  which  cannot  be  literally  interpreted  into 
the  Indian  tongue.  In  such  cases,  you  can  only  con 
vey  the  idea ;  that  is,  if  the  interpreter  has  intelligence 
enough  to  catch  the  idea  himself.  Now,  our  officials 
are  generally  intelligent  and  educated  men.  In  coun- 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  129 

cils  with  the  Indians,  they  use  the  English  language  in 
its  purity,  to  which  the  ear  of  the  poor  half-breed  is 
entirely  unaccustomed.  He  hears  big  sounding  words ; 
they  are  all  Greek  to  him,  and,  under  such  circum 
stances,  to  convey  the  proper  idea,  is  next  to  an  impos 
sibility.  Under  such  circumstances,  treaties  are  formed, 
and,  when  signed  by  all  parties,  the  Indian  is,  half  the 
time,  as  ignorant  of  the  contents  of  the  document,  as 
a  native  of  Africa.  On  the  other  hand,  I  have  known 
instances  where  white  men,  who  were  wholly  unfit  for 
the  office,  have  received  and  held  the  responsible  posi 
tion  of  interpreter  for  the  government;  men  whose 
knowledge  of  the  Indian  tongue  scarcely  enabled  them 
to  carry  on  simple  every  day  conversation.  They  were 
favorites  of  those  in  authority,  and  therefore  received 
the  appointment,  the  question  of  competency  never 
being  taken  into  consideration.  Under  such  circum 
stances,  it  is  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world  for  serious 
misunderstandings  to  arise  between  the  Indians  and  the 
government 

"Now,  in  regard  to  the  Sioux,  they  knew  that  the 
Federal  Government  had  been  carrying  on  an  expensive 
war  for  a  long  time ;  they  believed  that  almost  all  our 
able-bodied  men  had  gone  South  to  take  part  in  the 
war.  The  customary  time  arrived  for  the  payment  of 
their  moneys  and  distribution  of  goods,  and  the  Indians 
were  assembled  to  receive  them ;  but  the  money  did 
not  arrive. 

"They  were  put  off,  with  promises  that,  by  such  and 
such  time,  they  should  have  their  money,  but  were  as 
often  disappointed. 


130  DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP. 

"Two  months  after  the  customary  time  for  making 
payments  had  passed,  when  their  agent  volunteered  to 
go  into  the  service  of  his  country,  and  faking  almost 
every  able-bodied  man  on  the  reservation  with  him,  he 
left  his  post,  to  be  gone,  nobody  knew  how  long.  The 
Indians,  finding  that  their  agent  had  thus  left  them, 
without  giving  them  any  satisfactory  explanations, 
were  at  once  impressed  with  the  idea  that  the  Federal 
Government  had  ceased  to  exist,  and  that  their  money 
had  been  expended  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  on  the 
war,  and  that  they  were  left  to  take  care  of  themselves, 
as  best  they  could." 

When  they  broke  camp  at  Ked  Wood,  and  started 
for  Yellow  Medicine,  Mr.  Spencer  says  : 

"A  fine  large  flag,  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  was 
flying  out  to  the  breeze,  from  one  of  the  wagons  in  front, 
and  a  few  American  flags,  which  had  been  captured, 
were  raised  at  different  points  of  the  procession. 

"It  did  not  occur  to  me,  to  inquire  how  they  came  by 
that  emblem  of  British  authority,  but  I  supposed  it  to 
have  been  presented  to  some  chief  or  soldier,  many 
years  ago,  and  it  had  been  preserved  until  the  present 
time.  In  the  early  part  of  the  present  century,  British 
flags,  medals,  &c.,  were  freely  distributed  among  all  the 
Indian  tribes  by  the  British  traders. 

*  *          -x-  *  *  * 

"Here  much  time  was  spent  in  counselling.  Little 
Crow  was  very  anxious  to  move  up  in  a  body,  and 
place  themselves  under  the  protection  of  the  English, 
at  the  Ked  Eiver  settlement,  but  a  majority  were  against 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  131 

him.  In  the  meantime,  the  attacks  upon  New  Ulm 
and  Fort  Eidgley  had  been  made,  but  their  statements 
were  so  conflicting,  and  I  was  suffering  from  my 
wounds  so  much,  that  I  took  no  pains  to  ascertain  the 
particulars ;  one  thing  is  certain,  however,  that  they 
did  not  lose  so  many  men  as  the  whites  have  always 
supposed  to  have  been  killed. 

"At  New  Ulm,  the  Sioux  were  assisted  by  some  of 
the  Winnebagoes,  and  the  conduct  of  'Little  Priest,'  in 
that  engagement,  was  very  highly  spoken  of  by  the 
Sioux. 

"  'Little  Priest'  is  the  head  chief  of  the  Winneba 
goes,  and  lost  two  of  his  warriors  in  that  attack.  Mes 
sengers  were  sent  from  here  to  the  Sissitons,  Yanctons, 
Yanktonais,  and  to  the  governor  of  Selkirk  Settle 
ment,  to  inform  them  that  they  (the  Mede-wa-kan-tons 
and  Wa-hpe-kwtes)  had  declared  war  against  the  whites, 
and  praying  for  their  assistance.  They  considered  it 
almost  certain,  that  the  western  tribes  would  join  them, 
and  they  confidently  believed  that  the  English  would 
assist  them.  They  say,  that  many  years  ago,  the  Eng 
lish  gave  them  a  small  piece  of  artillery,  and  named  it, 
'Da-ko-ta-chis-tina,'  or  'Little  Sioux,'  and  promised  them 
that,  in  case  any  difficulty  should  arise  between  the 
Americans  and  themselves,  they  could  look  to  them 
(the  English)  for  assistance.  I  could  not  hear,  in 
any  of  my  conversations  with  them,  anything  that 
caused  me  to  suspect  that  secessionists  had  anything 
to  do  with  it.  If  the  tribes  on  the  Missouri  had  been 
tampered  with  by  secessionists,  (which  may  have  been 


132  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

the  case,)  this  outbreak,  I  think,  was  no  part  of  the 
programme. 

"While  encamped  here,  'Standing  Buffalo,'  the  head 
chief  of  the  Sissitons,  came  down  with  about  two  hun 
dred  warriors,  and,  in  a  council  with  Little  Crow,  de 
manded  the  goods  that  had  been  taken  from  the  Agen 
cy  buildings  at  Yellow  Medicine,  as  his  property. 
This  demand  Little  Crow  refused  to  comply  with,  say 
ing  that  as  he  had  done  all  the  fighting  he  was  entitled 
to  the  plunder.  Standing  Buffalo  then  refused  to  take 
any  part  in  the  war,  and  threatened  Little  Crow  or  any 
of  his  people  with  death,  if  they  came  into  his  country 
for  protection,  in  case  they  were  defeated  by  the 
whites." 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

LAKE     SHETAK     MASSACRE. 

Lake  Shetak,  in  Minnesota,  ninety  miles  west  of 
New  Ulm,  is  the  head- waters  of  the  Des  Moines  river 
in  Iowa.  Attracted  by  its  unsurpassed  loveliness  and 
fertility  of  soil,  some  six  or  eight  American  families, 
making  a  community  of  some  fifty  souls,  united  in  a 
settlement  on  its  banks.  Industry  was  well  rewarded, 
and  comfort  smiled  a  constant  guest  at  their  hearth 
stones.  A  weekly  mail  brought  them  tidings  from  the 
outward  warring  world,  in  the  strifes  of  which  they 
had  no  wish  to  mingle. 

On  the  memorable  twentieth  of  August,  they  went 
about  their  daily  avocations  as  usual,  till  past  mid-day, 
little  dreaming  of  the  terrible  siege  raging  at  Fort 
Kidgley,  or  the  fate 'which  awaited  them  ere  the  sun 
went  down.  So  general  was  the  onslaught  from  one 
extreme  of  the  state  to  the  other,  it  is  hard  to  divest 
ourselves  of  the  belief  of  preconcerted,  pre-arranged 
action.  Certain  it  is,  that  all  acted  under  "orders"  of 
the  commanding  general  of  evil ;  hence  their  death- 
dealing  power. 

Some  two  months  before  the  outbreak,  Mr.  Phineas 
P.  Hurd,  formerly  a  resident  of  Steuben  county,  New 
York,  but  for  three  years  a  resident  at  Lake  Shetak, 
with  one  man  and  a  team,  left  home  for  Dakota  Terri- 


134  DAKOTA   WAE  WHOOP. 

tory ;  since  which  time  no  tidings  had  come  from  him, 
and  his  wife,  was  daily  watching  for  his  return ;  and 
his  own  heart  too  also  bounded  with  joy  at  the  antici 
pated  welcome,  as  the  distance  hourly  decreased  be 
tween  him  and  home. 

The  farm  which  smiled  under  the  magic  wand  of 
cultivation,  was  left  in  charge  of  a  Mr.  Yoigt,  and  the 
tidy,  skillful  housewife  and  dairy  woman,  was  evinced 
by  the  cheerful  aspect  within  doors,  and  the  golden 
butter  and  rich  cheese  which  sent  their  fragrance  from 
the  dairy  room.  Mrs.  Hurd  was  an  industrious  woman 
and  early  riser ;  hence,  before  the  sun  was  up  or  her 
children  awake,  she,  with  the  hired  man,  was  out  milk 
ing  the  cows.  On  the  bitterly  eventful  morning  of 
August  20,  1862,  while  thus  engaged,  they  are  sur 
prised  at  the  appearance  of  some  twenty  Indian  horse 
men,  and  more  at  seeing  her  husband's  horses  among 
them.  Suspicion  was  aroused  and  they  hastened  with 
in,  while  the  savages  were  dismounting,  to  be  followed 
by  the  whole  gang,  who  at  once  commenced  an  indis 
criminate  plunder.  Beds  were  ripped  open  and  the 
feathers  sent  kiting  in  the  air ;  cheese,  for  which  they 
have  the  greatest  abhorrence  of  anything  eatable,  were 
pitched  into  the  yard ;  trunks  and  drawers  were  rifled 
of  their  contents,  and  a  ball  was  sent  to  the  heart  of 
Mr.  Yoigt,  who  fell  dead  with  Mrs.  Hurd's  baby  in  his 
arms,  as  he  was  trying  to  hush  its  cries. 

That  was  an  awful  hour ;  her  home  desolated,  her 
husband,  though  her  fears  were  not  yet  confirmed,  a 
mangled  carcass  but  a  few  leagues  from  the  home  to 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  135 

which  he  hastened,  and  now  driven  out  with  her  un 
dressed  children,  denied  even  a  sun-bonnet  or  shawl, 
and  life  granted  only  on  condition  of  giving  no  alarm, 
and  starting  across  the  prairie  for  the  towns.  Thus 
under  an  escort  of  seven  Indians  on  horseback,  with 
one  child  toddling  by  her  side  and  another  in  her 
arms,  she  was  hurried  through  an  unfrequented  trail 
for  three  miles,  and  then  bidden  to  go  alone,  "to  look 
not  behind,  nor  tarry  in  all  the  plains,"  under  penalty 
of  sharing  death  with  all  the  other  settlers. 

The  August  sun  was  shining  with  unusual  bright 
ness  upon  the  suffering  head  of  our  heroine,  and  the 
thick  matted  grass  was  heavily  beaded  with  dew, 
which  also,  soon  set  bleeding  the  bare  tender  feet  of 
the  pedestrians,  and  most  piteously  cried  the  little  boy 
Willie,  of  only  three  years,  to  return  home,  and  re 
peatedly  asked  where  she  was  going.  Alas,  she  could 
not  tell  him.  Death  by  savage  hands  was  behind  her, 
and  starvation  with  all  its  horrors  before.  The  re 
peated  firing  of  guns  convinced  her  that  her  neigh 
bors  were  suffering  a  like  peril  with  herself. 

It  was  some  relief  to  her  throbbing  heart,  *when  her 
little  boy  ceased  to  complain  and  manfully  trudged 
along  by  her  side,  with  apparent  confidence  in  his 
mother's  course,  and  the  younger  rested  in  blissful  un 
consciousness  on  her  bosom. 

Now.  burst  upon  the  shelterless,  weary  wanderers, 
one  of  our  wild  western  storms  —  that  terrible  storm  of 
which  mention  is  elsewhere  made  —  which,  sweeping 

over  the  prairies  and  bluffs,  obliterated  tracks,  pro- 
Pl 


136  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

duced  a  lull  in  battle  storms,  and  saved  hundreds  of 
hapless  wanderers  from  savage  hands  and  bloody 
death.  So  are  often  life's  greatest  discomforts,  the 
soul's  richest  blessings.  For  three  full  hours  the  storm- 
king  reigned  supreme  ;  the  thunder  and  lightning  were 
terrific,  and  the  water  fell  in  a  blinding  deluge,  wash 
ing  out  the  trail,  and  covering  the  lower  portions  of 
the  prairie.  But  He  who  folds  the  lambs  in  his  bosom, 
gave  her  strength  to  wander  on,  breakfastless  and  din- 
nerless  though  they  were,  to  a  slight,  sandy  elevation, 
where,  supperless,  she  laid  down  her  precious  charge 
for  the  night,  while  bitterly  her  heart  ached  that  she 
could  not  respond  to  her  boy's  pleadings  for  food  ;  and 
there,  her  scant  garments  drenched  to  the  skin,  all  that 
long  dreary  night,  she  leaned  over  her  children,  her 
own  shivering  body  protecting  them  from  the  wind. 
Willie  slept  most  of  the  night,  but  the  baby  worried 
almost  constantly ;  happily  its  plaintive  wail  reached 
not  the  savages'  ears,  else  a  tomahawk  would  have 
sought  its  brain. 

The  second  day  was  a  duplicate  of  the  first,  till 
toward  evening,  when  she  had  the  additional  trial  of 
seeing  her  little  boy  become  very  sick,  and  his  phys 
ical  powers  fast  failing  him  ;  but  the  baby  still  slept 
and  nursed,  and  so  suffered  less.  At  night  she  struck 
a  road,  and  then  understood  her  whereabouts.  With 
all  her  foot-sore  walking,  she  was  but  four  miles 
from  home,  having  doubtless  wandered  in  a  circla 
Her  heart  sank  within  her  and  a  sense  of  exhaus 
tion  before  unknown  carne  upon  her.  After  two 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  137 

day's  constant  travel,  her  journey  was  just  be 
gun. 

But,  cheered  by  the  fact  that  she  was  no  longer  lost 
upon  the  vast  prairie,  with  woman's  courage  she  pushed 
on  in  the  road  to  New  Ulm,  till  nature  demanding 
rest,  she  halted  for  the  second  night.  Willie's  sickness 
increased,  and  he  asked  no  more  for  food.  In  the 
morning  he  could  no  longer  walk,  but  craved  water 
from  every  spring  or  pool  they  passed 

To  carry  both  her  children  was  quite  impossible  for 
the  exhausted  mother,  but  her  maternal  love,  of  which 
we  have  no  fuller  or  nobler  exemplification^  found 
practical  development  Here  let  the  reader  pause  and 
fix  this  woman  and  the  circumstances  surrounding  her, 
in  the  mind's  eye.  Enter  into  her  feelings  if  you  can, 
after  two  days  of  fasting,  watching  and  wandering, 
and  tell  me  if  history  presents  a  more  striking  example 
of  woman's  heroism  and  endurance,  as  with  the  fire  of 
determination  in  her  eye,  and  firm  purpose  in  her  step, 
she  conceals  one  child  in  the  grass,  and  taking  the 
other  in  her  arms,  passes  over  the  first  half  mile,  when 
she  deposits  this  and  returns  for  the  other.  Thus  all 
that  day  she  travels  three  times  over  the  same  path. 
We  read  of  Spartan  mothers  and  Cornelia's  "jewels," 
but  it  is  left  for  Minnesota  mothers  of  1862,  to  evince 
to  the  world  the  powers  of  human  endurance  in  the 
strength  of  maternal  love ! 

Take  now  another  view.  A  distant  cabin  meets  the 
eye,  it  revives  her  sinking  heart  and  nerves  her  with 
the  hope  of  rest  and  food,  and  on  she  presses,  tell- 


138  DAKOTA   WAK  WHOOP. 

ing  her  boy  of  the  relief  so  near.  She  enters,  no 
sound  breaks  upon  the  awful  silence,  its  inmates  had 
either  been  murdered  or  had  deserted  it.  She  commences 
her  search  for  food,  but  not  an  article  could  be  found. 
In  despair  she  sank  down  in  unconscious  exhaustion, 
to  be  aroused  by  the  plaintive,  pitiful  cry  of  her  boy,  de 
manding  the  fulfillment  of  her  promise  for  food,  of 
which  they  had  now  been  four  days  destitute.  She  now 
bethought  of  the  garden,  and  thither  she  went,  found 
some  carrots  and  onions,  of  which  she  ate,  but  her  sick 
child  refused  them.  That  night  they  slept  in  a  corn 
field,  and  she  made  her  supper  on  raw  corn,  having  no 
fire  to  roast  it.  The  following  morning,  with  as  much 
joy  as  Hagar  felt  when  she  found  the  stream  in  the 
wilderness,  and  pressed  therefrom  the  cup  to  the  lips  of 
her  famishing  boy,  did  Mrs.  Hurd  find  the  decaying 
remnant  of  a  ham,  not  to  exceed  a  pound.  Of  this 
she  fed  at  intervals  her  starving  boy,  and  had  the 
blissful  satisfaction  of  seeing  him  rapidly  revive,  and 
his  vomiting  cease.  It  was  manna  from  heaven  to 
her.  She  was  here  joined  by  some  of  her  refugee 
neighbors,  (of  whom  more  anon,)  and  they  continued 
together  till  they  reached  "Brown's,"  sixty  miles  from 
Shetak,  where  the  inmates  had  been  murdered.  There 
they  remained  ten  days,  making  themselves  at  home, 
while  awaking  to  the  terrible  reality  of  their  fate,  real 
izing  more  keenly  the  bitterness  of  experience,  and  the 
dark  uncertainty  which  awaited  them. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE    GENEKAL    ONSLAUGHT. 

The  note  of  alarm  sounding  from  the  door  of  Mrs. 
Hurd,  soon  extended  through  all  the  settlement,  and 
was  confirmed  by  the  strange  movements  of  the  hos 
tile  foe. 

The  people  at  once  aroused  to  their  danger  and  col 
lected  in  one  house  for  defense  ;  but  finding  they  were 
insufficient  in  numbers  and  means  to  combat  so  for 
midable  a  foe,  determined  on  flight.  Women  and 
children  were  hastily  loaded  into  farm  wagons,  and  the 
men  on  foot  were  as  body  guards  for  defenseless  wives 
and  children.  Shaping  their  course  towards  New  Ulm, 
the  fate  of  which  they  had  not  heard,  their  anxious 
hearts  beat  with  premature  hopes  of  a  safe  asylum 
there.  Alas,  how  little  thought  they,  with  all  their 
fears,  that  separation  and  death  was  so  soon  to  ensue, 
and  that  captives  and  fugitives,  some  of  them  were  to 
pass  through  sufferings  of  which  their  own  hearts  had 
never  conceived ! 

When  but  two  miles  on  their  journey,  a  fighting 
party  of  eight  or  ten  Indians  suddenly  came  upon 
them,  ready  for  immediate  action.  Women  and  chil 
dren  hid  in  the  high  grass  while  the  battle  raged. 
Two  of  the  men  deserted  at  the  onset.  The  others 


140  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

nobly  stood  their  ground,  till  all  the  men  were  wound 
ed,  and  Mr.  Eastlick  and  eleven  others  killed. 

The  Indians,  now  regarding  their  work  as  complete, 
called  to  the  women  to  surrender  as  prisoners  of  war, 
pledging  life  and  protection  if  they  did  so ;  if  not, 
threatening  them  with  death  as  soon  as  their  retreats 
could  be-  hunted  out.  Their  wounded  husbands,  hop 
ing  they  might  eventually  be  ransomed  by  Govern 
ment,  encouraged  the  surrender.  Without  a  parting 
kiss,  and  scarcely  a  parting  glance,  they  were  driven 
away  from  husbands ;  and  children  in  some  instances, 
with  scarcely  an  idea  of  what  their  fate  was  to  be. 
Like  a  horrid  nightmare  dream  seemed  the  experience 
of  the  day, — yea,  of  the  last  few  hours. 

The  supposed  dying  husbands  watched  the  receding 
forms  of  their  families,  till  lost  amid  the  foliage,  and 
then  nerving  themselves  to  superhuman  effort,  assisted 
each  other  to  their  feet  in  trial  to  escape,  —  all  save  Mr. 
Ireland,  who  was  left  to  die,  and  in  his  agony  anxious 
ly  awaited  the  end. 

When  half  a  mile  away,  the  captives  were  over 
taken  by  Burton  Eastlick,  who  for  the  love  he  bore 
his  mother,  had  determined  to  follow,  but  she  entreated 
him  to  return  for  the  sake  of  his  baby  brother,  only 
fifteen  months  old,  which  had  been  ruthlessly  torn 
from  her ;  with  the  injunction  to  save  him,  if  possible, 
and  carry  him  in  his  arms  as  far  as  he  could,  or  till  he 
reached  some  settlement.  A  sacred  charge,  and  how 
regarded  by  this  noble  boy  of  twelve  years  we  are  yet 
to  see. 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

No  sooner  had  Burton  received  this  charge,  than 
with  bursting  heart,  he  obediently  turned  to  retrace 
his  steps,  when  the  sharp  crack  of  muskets  made  him 
look  back  in  time  to  see  his  mother  and  three  other 
women,  together  with  several  of  the  children,  fall  in 
death.  Three  bullet  wounds  in  the  head,  back  and 
knee  of  Mrs.  Eastlick,  had  not  produced  the  effect  de 
signed  by  the  savages,  and  a  young  monster  beat  her 
on  the  head  with  the  butt  of  his  gun  till  she  was  quite 
insensible,  and  then  with  the  spared  captives,  they 
hastened  away. 

"When  Mrs.  Bastlick  revived,  darkness  had  settled 
upon  the  earth,  like  the  pall  upon  her  heart.  Her  last 
recollections  were  of  her  friend  and  neighbor,  Mrs. 
Everett,  lying  near  her  quite  dead,  and  her  infant 
vainly  endeavoring  to  draw  sustenance  from  the  source 
to  which  it  had  never  before  appealed  in  vain,  and  a 
little  girl  was  crying  over  them  in  the  bitterness  of 
first  heart  grief.  Now,  these  two  children  were  dead, 
the  Indians  had  returned  and  shot  them. 

To  find  her  husband  and  see  if  he  was  really  dead, 
Mrs.  Eastlick  crawled  through  the  thick  dew-matted 
grass  to  the  battle  ground.  Cold  and  stiff  she  found 
him,  and  the  little  son  of  six  years  whom  she  left 
wounded  in  the  feet,  was  with  him — he  too  had  ceased 
to  suffer.  Eeader,  picture  to  yourself  that  scene  if 
you  can  !  Silence  sublime,  reigning  over  all  the  broad 
expanse  of  earth  and  sky,  and  she  alone  with  her 
dead,  and  there  she  must  leave  them.  Again  and 
again  she  kisses  lips  and  forehead,  and  turns  away  in 


142  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

tearless  agotay,  but  firm,  and  resolved  to  find  her  wan« 
dering,  living  'children. 

Four  miles  from  the  main  settlement  of  Lake  She- 
tak,  had  resided  the  family  of  Mr.  Myers.  Early  in 
the  day  he  had  become  convinced  that  Indians,  on 
hostile  work  intent,  were  prowling  around.  But  there 
was  no  time  or  opportunity  to  confer  with  his  neigh 
bors,  and  so  with  a  sick  wife,  on  a  bed  in  an  ox  wagon, 
with  four  little  children,  he  started  for  some  point  of 
safety. 

The  wounded  men,  before  mentioned,  aided  by  an 
invisible  power,  had  progressed  about  sixteen  miles, 
and  on  the  following  day  fell  in  with  the  Myers  party. 
There  was  joy  in  that  meeting,  though  their  hearts 
were  full  of  grief.  The  heavy,  springless  wagon  in 
which  they  found  a  place,  relieved,  by  change,  their 
wounded  limbs  and  broken  bones ;  but  slowly,  very 
slowly,  moved  those  plodding  oxen  along,  and  sadly 
their  aching  hearts  kept  time  to  the  dull  creaking  of 
the  lumbering  wheels.  Their  undressed  wounds  were 
painful  in  the  extreme,  and  why  or  how  they  lived 
through  these  weary  days,  is  not  in  the  scope  of  human 
mind  to  understand.  ,  Their  only  food  was  flour 
and  water  cakes,  with  no  other  ingredients,  baked  in' 
the  sun,  they  fearing  to  make  a  fire,  lest  the  lurking  In 
dians  should  be  attracted  by  the  smoke,  and  thus 
again  put  their  lives  in  jeopardy. 

They  were  unmolested  by  the  way,  but  had  several 
narrow  escapes.  On  one  occasion,  they  took  shelter 
for  the  night  in  a  deserted  house,  which  had  been 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  143 

sacked  by  the  Indians.  Scarcely  ten  rods  distant  was 
another  house,  where  some  Indians  spent  the  night  in 
feasting  and  plunder,  but  left,  providentially,  without 
making  any  discovery  as  to  the  occupancy  of  the 
other. 

On  approaching  New  Ulm,  Mr.  Myers  left  the  team 
to  go  into  town  for  assistance.  When  too  near  to  rem 
edy  his  error,  for  he  was  seen  and  pursued,  he  saw  the 
Indians  had  already  besieged  it,  the  work  of  destruc 
tion  was  going  on,  and  their  horrid  war  whoop  rung 
on  the  air.  Happily  he  eluded  pursuit,  and  though  he 
could  not  return  to  his  waiting,  anxious  family,  he 
bent  his  steps  for  Mankato,  twenty-five  miles  below, 
where  he  arrived  in  safety. 

The  wagon  party,  alarmed  at  his  long  absence,  con 
cluded  some  evil  had  befallen  him,  and  sure  he  would 
not  return,  moved  on,  heading  their  oxen  toward  Man 
kato.  Nervous,  excited,  anxious  and  alarmed  at  every 
sight  or  sound,  worn-  out  with  suffering,  hunger  and 
waking,  and  constantly  watching  for  Indian  "signs," 
it  was  not  strange  they  should  mistake  the  encamp 
ment  of  U.  S.  troops  for  Sioux  teepees.  They  left 
their  wagon  and  hid  in  the  swamp,  but  fortunately  not 
till  they  had  been  seen  by  the  soldiers,  who  suspecting 
the  true  cause  of  their  movements,  hunted  them  out 
and  brought  them  into  camp,  where  a  safe  escort  into 
town  was  furnished  them. 

It  was  eight  days  since  their  wounds  were  received, 
to  which  neither  lint  nor  bandage  had  been  applied. 
But  now,  broken  arms  are  set,  putrid  wounds  dressed, 


144  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

and  the  poor  sufferers  made  as  comfortable  as  the  cir 
cumstances  would  allow,  in  a  town  of  only  two  thou 
sand  inhabitants,  already  crowded  with  refugees. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

OUTBKEAK     AT     THE     NORTH. 

Like  a  spark  of  fire  in  a  magazine  of  powder,  had 
been  the  war  spark,  ignited  at  Acton,  and  from  the  ex 
treme  north  to  the  south-western  boundary  of  Minne 
sota,  the  explosion  was  being  felt  An  electric  chain, 
passing  from  village  to  village,  through  every  savage 
heart,  could  scarcely  have  produced  a  more  simultane 
ous  uprising. 

On  the  24th  of  August,  a  party  of  Sioux  crossed  the 
the  Red  river  of  the  north,  at  Breckinridge,  where  the 
entire  "town"  was  comprised  in  a  mammoth  hotel — took 
possession  of  the  horses,  and  slaughtered  or  drove  off 
the  cattle.  Their  next  onslaught  was  on  the  "Breckin 
ridge  House,"  which  was  strongly  barricaded  by  those 
who  had  resolved  to  defend  it,  or  die  in  the  attempt 
Doors  and  windows  were  smashed  in,  and  no  living 
man  was  left  to  tell  the  tale.  On  the  following  day,  a 
reconnoitering  party  drew  up  before  the  house,  and 
scarcely  had  their  eyes  surveyed  the  destructive  work, 
ere  a  large  force  of  Indians  sprang  up,  as  from  the 
earth.  Their  swift-footed  horses,  as  well  as  their  riders, 
saw  the  danger,  and  they  reached  the  fort,  in  safety. 
A  day  or  two  after,  another  body  of  men  went  up  to 
learn  more  of  the  true  state  of  affairs.  As  they  came 
near,  a  woman  came  forth  from  the  saw  mill,  eliciting 


146  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

both  their  sympathy  and  protection.  She  wore  but 
two  garments,  and  these  were  stiff  with  the  blood 
which,  for  twenty-four  hours,  had  flowed  from  her 
wounded  side,  during  which  time  she  had  not  tasted 
food.  Her  home  was  at  "Old  Crossing,"  sixteen  miles 
distant,  where,  with  her  son,  she  kept  a  "station,"  and 
with  them  lived  little  Jimmy  Scott,  her  pet  grandson, 
only  five  years  old.  The  Indians  attacked  the  house 
before  breakfast.  Young  Scott  was  killed,  and  his 
mother  severely  wounded.  She  lay  upon  the  floor, 
they  supposing  her  dead,  while  they  plundered  the 
house.  Then  they  came  round  her,  kicking  and  punch 
ing  her  with  sticks  and  guns,  stripped  off  her  dress, 
preparatory  to  mutilating  her  body,  when  the  sound  of 
approaching  wheels  drew  their  attention  without,  and 
they  rushed  for  the  prize  of  the  farmer's  loaded  mar 
ket  wagon,  she  not  daring  to  move  a  hand  to  staunch 
the  blood  of  the  wound,  lest  they  should  return,  and 
note  its  change  of  position.  But  she  opened  her  eyes, 
and  saw  little  Jimmy,  bewildered,  and  almost  power 
less  from  fright,  and  faintly  whispered  him  to  do  the 
savages'  bidding,  —  they  might  let  him  live. 

The  farmer  had  escaped  to  the  woods,  and  greedy 
with  venal  desire,  they  did  not  pursue ;  but  driving  the 
wagon  to  the  door,  emptied  the  flour  from  the  sacks, 
and  drove  off,  taking  little  Jimmy,  who,  in  obedience 
to  his  grandmother's  injunctions,  passively  submitted 
to  his  fate.  Not  till  the  sound  of  the  wheels  had  died 
on  her  ear,  and  no  other  sound  broke  upon  the  awful 
silence,  did  she  again  venture  to  open  her  eyes.  Then 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  147 

she  crawled  to  the  door,  where  lay  the  ghastly  form  of 
her  murdered  son,  her  youngest  born,  and,  faint  from 
the  bleeding  wound,  and  without  bonnet,  shawl,  or  dress, 
she  started.  Fifty  dollars  in  silver  had  been  over 
looked,  when  the  Indians  robbed  the  house,  and  this 
she  hid  in  a  haystack,  with  the  provident  hope  of  its 
doing  goc/d  to  some  one.  All  that  day,  she  walked 
and  crawled,  eating  nothing  but  some  savory  herbs,  that 
grew  in  her  path.  As  twilight's  mellowing  influence 
fell  over  the  earth,  she  crawled  to  the  door,  where  she 
had  hoped  a  friendly  admittance.  One  glance,  and  she 
knew  the  fiends  had  been  there  ;  and  though  she  did 
not  know  of  the  three  dead  bodies  within,  she  turned 
to  the  saw  mill,  for  shelter,  and  was  found,  as  described. 
The  ladies  at  Fort  Abercrombie  made  her  as  comfort 
able  as  their  own  wardrobes  would  allow,  and  with 
kind  surgical  care,  her  wound  was,  in  due  time,  healed 
A  party  went  down  to  "Old  Crossing,"  to  bury  her  son, 
and  brought  to  her  the  money  she  had  hidden.  A  few 
days  after,  others  found  the  body  exhumed,  with  a 
stake  driven  through  it,  into  the  earth. 

The  reconnoitering  party  entered  the  Breckmridge 
House,  where  they  found  the  three  dead  bodies,  with 
chains  on  their  legs,  by  which  they  had  been  dragged 
from  room  to  room,  leaving  a  bloody  trail,  as  the  work 
of  plunder  progressed.  They  had  now  been  several 
days  dead,  and  were  very  offensive. 

On  further  search,  the  stage  of  Burbank  &  Co.'s  line 
was  found  in  the  river,  the  top  cut  off,  the  horses  taken, 
and  the  driver  killed.  Articles  of  minor  value  were 


148  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

scattered  around,  and  a  distributing  office  had  been 
improvised  for  the  mail,  letters  and  drafts  were  sent  to 
the  four  winds  of  the  prairie.  Thus  commenced  the 
conflict,  along  the  northern  line  of  travel,  and  so  few 
were  the  men  and  arms  at  Fort  Abercrombie,  that  all 
who  were  there,  and  more,  were  needed  for  its  protec 
tion. 

Many  of  the  people  who  were-  driven  from  their 
homes,  could  not  get  to  the  Fort,  and  so  made  their  way 
to  the  nearest  village.  Thrilling  tales  are  told  of  these 
life  adventurers, — of  their  almost  miraculous  escapes, 
and  providential  guidance  beyond  the  reach  of  savage 
hands.  We  remember  of  a  man  and  his  wife,  with  a 
little  boy,  of  four  years,  whom  they  had  brought  forty 
miles,  on  their  backs,  coming  into  St.  Cloud.  Never 
had  they  a  mouthful  to  eat,  and  never  a  loud  word  was 
spoken.  Once  or  twice  only,  did  the  little  hero  whis 
per,  "I am  hungry" 

Another  instance  there  was  of  a  man  shot  at  his  own 
doof.  His  wife  drew  him  in,  and  bolted  the  door,  when 
her  husband  continued  to  load  the  gun,  which  she  fired, 
through  the  window,  till  the  Indians,  after  several  had 
fallen,  withdrew,  doubtless  supposing  a  hidden  force 
within.  The  husband,  sure  he  must  soon  die,  and  feel 
ing  that  every  moment's  delay  but  increased  her  peril, 
begged  his  wife  to  save  herself  by  flight  Eeluctantiy 
she  did  his  bidding,  and  after  incredible  hardships,  by 
day  and  by  night,  she  reached  a  friendly  shelter.  A  • 
few  days  later,  some  white  men  entered  the  dwelling, 
expecting  to  find  only  a  putrid  corpse.  To  their  sur- 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  149 

prise,  the  man  was  still  alive,  though  he  had  made  re 
peated  attempts  to  end  his  physical  agony.  In  a  short 
time,  he  was  re-united  with  his  wife,  rejoicing  in  the 
failure  of  the  dull  butcher  knife  to  perform  his  bidding. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

SIEGE     OF     FORT     ABERCROMBIE. 

When  the  northern  stampede  began,  Fort  Abercrom- 
bie  was  garrisoned  by  only  forty  men,  in  command  of 
Captain  Yanderhock,  with  no  protecting  walls,  or  even 
embankments.  The  danger  becoming  known,  messen 
gers,  with  "life  in  their  hands,"  were  sent  forth  to  warn 
the  citizens,  government  and  Red  River  trains,  known 
to  be  on  the  route,  which,  it  was  rumored,  the  Indians 
had  gone  to  intercept,  and  also  to  Si  Paul,  for  mil 
itary  re-enforcements.  The  citizens  at  once  banded 
with  the  troops  for  defense  of  the  post,  and  soon  com 
pleted  a  breastwork,  from  cord  wood,  covered  with 
earth  on  the  three  most  exposed  sides. 

The  list  of  women  and  children  soon  swelled  to  six 
ty-two,  who,  being  crowded  into  the  soldier's  quarters, 
the  only  bullet  proof  building,  made  a  one  room  com 
munity  of  two  hundred  and  fifty.  Here  commissary 
stores  were  brought,  water  was  hauled,  and  whatever 
of  comforts  could  be  supplied  for  so  large  a  family. 
Eyelids  were  held  open  in  suspense,  and  the  nerves  of 
the  women  set  quivering,  at  the  least  note  of  alarm. 
There  was  neither  eating  nor  sleeping,  only  as  each 
gnawed  at  hard  tack,  with  which  their  pocket  was  sup 
plied,  when  faintness  from  the  cravings  of  hunger 
came  over  them,  and  slept  on  a  blanket,  which  was 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  151 

rolled  up  for  a  seat,  during  the  day.  The  men,  in  turn, 
kept  guard  without,  while  the  women,  even  though  all 
freedom  from  excitement  was  most  desirable  for  some, 
energetically  worked  at  cartridge  making,  or  moulded 
bullets  for  hourly  expected  use, 

The  first  show  of  Indians  was  on  the  28th  of  Au 
gust,  when,  in  a  daring,  dashing  manner,  a  large  com 
pany  of  horsemen  came  in  sight  of  the  fort,  and  killed 
the  herdsman,  surrounded  and  drove  off  nearly  three 
hundred  head  of  cattle,  and  many  of  the  horses  and 
mules  of  the  fort,  which,  in  defiance  of  the  guns,  they 
entered  the  stables  to  obtain,  A  few,  almost  reckless 
men,  went  forth  to  dispute  their  right,  and  sheltered  by 
the  stacks  of  hay,  actually  drove  them  from  the  stables, 
and  saved  a  few  of  the  horses.  The  Indians  fled  to 
the  woods,  where  Capt.  V.  thought  imprudent  to  follow 
them,  as  the  fort  had  poor  enough  protection  at  best 
Take  away  the  handful  of  men,  and  who  would  save 
it,  if  attacked  from  another  side  ?  The  three  succes 
sive  days,  the  Indians  bivouaced  in  sight  of  the  Fort, 
their  smoke  revealing  their  whereabouts,  while  they 
barbacued  and  feasted. 

At  early  dawn,  on  the  morning  of  Sept  1st,  the  ac 
tual  siege  of  the  fort  commenced,  and,  for  several  hours, 
raged,  with  fearful  power,  against  fearful  odds.  The 
loss  on  our  side  was  comparatively  small,  only  one 
killed  and  several  wounded.  Their  casualties  were 
unknown,  as  only  two  of  their  dead  were  left  on  the 
field  ;  the  prairie  was  strewn  with  cloths  and  paper,  sat 
urated  with  blood,  which  indicated  more  than  it  proved. 
G 


152  DAKOTA  WAE  WHOOP. 

The  brave  little  band  at  the  fort  was,  by  no  means, 
idle.  Every  soldier  and  citizen  worked  with  a  will,  in 
anticipation  of  a  renewed  attack,  till,  on  the  morning 
of  the  sixth  — just  as  the  sober  gray  was  yielding  to 
rosy  tints — the  pickets  announced  the  enemy's  ap 
proach.  This  band  was  variously  estimated  at  from 
five  hundred  to  one  thousand  strong,  and  spread  them 
selves,  the  mounted  ones  ahead,  in  the  form  of  a  fan, 
till  three  sides  of  the  fort  were  enclosed  by  them.  As 
they  wildly  dashed  on  to  the  attack,  their  yells  were 
most  terrific,  and  their  appearance  hideous  in  the  ex 
treme.  This  was  so  unlike  anything  the  men  had  ever 
heard  or  seen,  that  the  first  effect  was  not  very  cheer 
ing  ;  but  they  rallied  behind  the  breastwork,  and  though 
attacked  at  four  points,  fought  with  a  coolness  and  he 
roism  equal  to  anything  we  read  of  in  history.  Had 
they  met  this  superior  force  of  blood-hounds,  with  oth 
er  than  determined  wills,  all  must  have  fallen  into  sav 
age  hands,  and  the  buildings  have  been  reduced  to 
ashes.  The  fire  from  the  howitzer  scattered  them  like 
autumn  leaves.  One  shell  entered  a  log  building, 
where  many  of  the  savages  had  taken  refuge,  doing 
deadly  work.  The  blood  on  the  floor  revealed  its  ef 
fect.  After  three  hours'  hard  fighting,  the  unequal 
conflict  ceased,  with  a  decided  repulse  to  the  assailants. 
Scarcely  had  their  war  whoops  ceased  to  reverberate  on 
the  air,  when  a  messenger,  two  weeks  away,  returned, 
with  the  cheering  news  of  re-enforcements  near.  In 
forty-four  hours,  Mr.  Hill  had  made  the  trip  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  miles,  to  St.  Paul,  and  his  demand 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  153 

for  troops  was  promptly  responded  to ;  but  these  could 
not  move  with,  the  celerity  of  fleet  horses,  nor  could 
each  man  carry,  in  his  haversack,  sufficient  food  for  his 
journey. 

Though  there  were  no  more  direct  attacks,  small 
scouting  parties  kept  up  a  harassing  fire  from  the  op 
posite  shore,  where  bushes  and  weeds  concealed  them. 
The  dwellings,  to  which  some  of  the  families  had  re 
turned,  were  being  riddled  with  balls,  and  some  per 
sons  had  very  narrow  escapes.  A  friend  of  the  writer 
was  guest  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Stone,  the  sutler.  After 
two  weeks'  fasting,  the  women  went  over,  with  the 
hope  of  being  unmolested,  while  they  should  have  a 
week's  palatable  rations  prepared.  They  were  seen, 
and  a  ball,  sent  to  them,  whizzed  past  their  heads,  and 
lodged  in  the  casing  of  the  door,  as  they  were  about  to 
enter.  Then,  like  "rain  on  the  roof,"  they  fell  all  around, 
while  the  inmates  of  the  house  lay  upon  the  floor, 
almost  breathless,  with  fear,  till  the  bullet  storm  had 
subsided.  Under  circumstances  like  those  named,  per 
sonal  ablution  or  tidy  apparel,  was  not  to  be  thought 
of,  and  for  three  weeks,  the  husband  of  the  friend 
above  alluded  to,  never  removed  his  boots  from  his 
feet,  only  to  shake  out  the  fleas. 

Under  circumstances  and  with  surroundings  like 
those  before  described,  the  existence  of  three  immortal 
beings  was  commenced.  True,  two  of  these  had  just 
opened  their  eyes,  drew  a  few  fleeting  breaths,  and  then 
passed  on  to  that  eternal  state,  of  which  this  life  is  but 
a  shadow, —  away  from  the  cares  and  bloody  strife 


154  DAKOTA  WAK  WHOOP. 

which  surrounded  their  advent  into  existence.  In  a 
soldier's  bunk,  partitioned  from  the  main  quarters  by 
tent  canvas,  the  chill  wind  whizzing  between  the  logs, 
laid  my  friend,  Mrs.  L.,  pale,  weak  and  senseless. 
Bravely  had  she  endured  the  terrible  siege,  but  the  re 
action  came.  The  little  one  soon  passed  away.  Her 
husband  lay  on  a  stretcher,  in  the  same  little  place,  for 
his  wound  was  not  healed.  All  are  to  leave  —  the 
band  of  women  and  children,  whom  a  common  misfor 
tune  had  bound  so  closely,  and  almost  made  friends  of 
uncongenial  spirits.  They  drew  around  her  bunk,  for 
a  last  leave  of  one  who  had  been  a  moving  spirit  in 
their  midst — one  whose  manner  ever  endeared  her  to 
all  hearts,  high  or  low,  rich  or  poor.  She  heeds  it  not. 
She  realizes  not  that  she  is  so  soon  to  be  left,  with 
scarce  a  female  friend, —  and  well  may  it  be  that  she 
does  not.  Yet  an  All- wise  Being  had  "ordained  her 
unto  life,"  even  in  such  surroundings,  and,  in  due  time, 
the  anxious  hearts  of  friends,  who  could  render  no  aid 
in  this  extreme  need,  but  to  wait  and  pray,  was  relieved 
by  her  presence  among  them,  she  quite  satisfied  with 
her  eventful  experience  in  frontier  life. 

Three  weeks  had  they  worked,  watched,  and  waited, 
till,  at  last,  when  the  suffering  need  is  withdrawn,  three 
hundred  men  are  added  to  the  number  already  there. 
These  were  decreased  by  death  but  eight,  since  the 
siege  commenced,  but  several  were  helpless  from 
wounds.  Small  parties  were  sent  out  daily,  to  recon 
noitre,  who,  every  little  while,  would  discover  an 
Indian,  like  a  toad  under  a  mushroom,  his  head 


DAKOTA  WAK  WHOOP.  165 

popping  from  'neath  a  bush,  or  from  amid  the  weeds, 
tempting  a  shot,  and  these  parties  were,  several  times, 
surprised  by  superior  numbers,  when  desperate  fighting 
would  follow ;  but  the  savages  were  always  the  van 
quished  party..  Once,  our  men  effected,  by  strategic 
movement,  a  backward  retreat,  and  though  leaving  two 
dead  on  the  ground,  and  others  were  wounded,  they 
reached  the  goal  in  safety.  One  of  this  party  actually 
died  from  fright,  a  few  hours  after  his  return.  Another 
gave  out,  but  with  encouragement  and  aid,  stood  again 
upon  his  feet,  just  in  time  to  send  a  ball  to  the  heart  of 
an  Indian,  who,  at  the  moment,  aimed  at  the  heart  of 
his  comrade,  though  not  in  time  to  prevent  a  flesh 
wound  in  his  leg. 

The  sad  presentiment  of  the  parents  of  a  young  man, 
in  this  rencontre,  which  was  distinctly  heard  at  the  fort, 
proved  literally  correct.  A  few  days  after,  a  volunteer 
party  went  out  to  find  and  bury  him  and  another,  who 
was  killed  at  the  same  time.  The  body  of  the  last  lay 
on  his  face,  with  his  skull  smashed  in,  and  his  brains 
scattered  about,  with  eighteen  bayonet  thrusts  in  his 
back,  and  on  one  leg,  a  gash,  nearly  to  the  bone,  from 
the  hip  to  the  calf  of  the  leg. 

The  body  of  the  other,  Edgar  Wright,  had  been  rip 
ped  open  to  the  throat,  the  heart  and  liver  taken  out, 
the  lungs  left  on  the  chest,  the  head  cut  off,  scalped, 
and  stuck  in  the  cavity  of  the  abdomen,  with  the  face 
toward  the  feet.  The  hands  were  cut  off,  and  placed 
side  by  side,  two  feet  from  the  body,  but  what  was  indi 
cated  by  this  arrangement  of  these  organs,  was  not  un- 


156  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

der stood.  In  this  case,  as  in  those  of  a  majority  of  the 
sufferers,  the  victim  was  void  of  offense  toward  their  foe, 
and  a  young  man  of  unblemished  reputation,  against 
whom  they  could  have  had  no  memory  of  wrongs  to 
revenge.  They  knew  him  well,  and  ha.d  received  fre 
quent  hospitality  at  his  hand.  This  case  is  not  an  ex 
ception,  for  they  have  been  most  ingenious  in  devices 
of  cruelty  toward  those  who  have  most  befriended  them, 
and  for  whom  they  had  professed  most  friendship. 

We  narrate  these  horrid  facts,  not  because  we  love 
to  dwell  upon  them  —  not  because  we  are  unmoved  by 
the  pen  rehearsals,  and  the  nerves  can  be  quiet  under 
it;  but  we  give  them,  that  the  Indian  sympathizers 
may  see  the  diabolical  natures  of  the  foe  our  State  has 
had  to  meet.  We  think  it  a  mock  philanthropy,  which 
would  screen  these  guilty,  unprovoked  wretches  from 
merited  justica 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

INDIANS    AT    SIOUX    FALLS    CITY. 

Wherever  the  magic  wand  of  civilization  had  passed, 
there  went  the  human  fiends,  intent  on  bloody  work. 
We  have  seen  them  in  the  interior ;  we  have  seen  them 
at  the  extreme  north ;  and  now  to  the  very  south 
western  corner  of  the  State,  and  even  a  few  miles  be 
yond,  in  Dakota  Territory,  we  see  them  as  on  other 
occasions,  watching  for  a  mark  to  shoot  at.  Sioux 
Falls  City  on  the  Big  Sioux  river,  had  just  commenced 
an  existence,  and  eight  families  were  all  its  boast. 
Their  nearest  neighbors  to  the  east  were  at  Lake  She- 
tak,  sixty-five  miles  distant,  and  the  nearest  on  the 
south  at  Yankton,  about  the  same  distance  as  the  for 
mer. 

Fortunately,  on  the  25th  of  August,  a  small  mili 
tary  force  under  Lieut.  Bacon,  was  stationed  here,  else 
doubtless  there  would  have  been  a  general  massacre, 
and  the  world  would  have  been  ignorant  of  the  transac 
tion.  Bright  and  joyous  rose  the  sun  on  that  sadly 
eventful  day,  and  nought  of  earth  or  air  evinced  the 
dark  pall  to  settle  upon  that  little  community,  and  rest 
with  leaden  weight  on  some. 

Mr.  Joseph  B.  Amidon,  who  had  emigrated  from 
St.  Paul  three  years  before,  was,  as  also  his  wife,  a 
former  resident  of  Essex  county,  N".  Y.,  and  they  were 


158  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

among  the  "first  settlers"  of  this  point.  He  resided  on 
a  "claim,"  one  mile  from  the  main  settlement;  and  was 
with  his  son  at  work  in  the  hay  field,  nearly  a  half 
mile  from  his  dwelling.  The  supper  prepared  by  the 
hand  of  his  waiting,  watching  wife,  remained  un 
touched,  for  the  husband  and  son  came  not  from  their 
toil.  Anxiety  filled  her  heart,  strange  suspicions  un  • 
nerved. her,  though  she  knew  not  of  the  Sioux  up 
rising.  The  clock  struck  ten,  and  unable  longer  to 
endure  her  suspense,  she  went  to  the  soldiers'  camp, 
her  nearest  neighbors.  With  soldierly  promptness, 
they  searched  without  avail  the  field  where,  during  the 
day,  they  had  seen  the  missing  ones.  Across  the  road 
was  a  cornfield,  and  thither  how  they  repair,  fearing 
they  may  have  been  decoyed  there,  and  sure  of 'foul 
play  from  savage  source.  Just  as  the  morning  dawned, 
the  cold,  stiffened  bodies  were  found ;  a  ball  had 
pierced  the  father's  heart,  and  earth  had  drank  his 
blood.  The  soft  plowed  earth  where  they  lay,  showed 
very  plainly  Willie's  severe  struggles  with  death. 
Three  balls  had  pierced  his  body,  to  the  effects  of 
which  he  yielded  not  easily  or  soon.  They  are  taken 
to  their  now  desolate  home,  where  the  wife  alone 
awaits  tidings  from  them.  It  is  no  marvel  that  she 
was  well  nigh  paralyzed  with  the  shock  of  sudden 
grief,  and  mechanically  submitted  to  the  bidding  of 
others,  as  they  prepared  to  bury  her  dead. 

Scarcely  was  the  dust  to  dust  consigned,  ere  the  In 
dians  appeared,  menacing  for  a  fight,  which  was  stern 
ly  met  by  the  determined  force.  A  sharp,  brisk  en- 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  159 

gagement  ensued,  in  which  seven  Indians  were  made 
to  "bite  the  dust,"  and  which  prevented  the  further  ex 
ecution  of  their  base  designs  for  that  time. 

In  the  rapid  succession  of  events,  came  the  news  of 
the  outbreak,  and  the  Governor's  order  for  the  people 
to  leave  for  some  point  of  safety.  Government  con 
veyance  and  military  protection  would  be  furnished, 
but  only  one  hour  was  allowed  to  prepare  for  depar 
ture.  What  an  hour  was  that  I  How  much  must  be 
crowded  into  it,  and  it  is  no  wonder  the  brain  should 
reel  or  the  heart  seem  petrified  with  the  sudden  transi 
tion  !  But  there  was  no  alternative,  savage  eyes  were 
even  then  watching  their  movements,  awaiting  the 
withdrawal  of  troops,  for  a  general  conflagration, 
which  ensued  a  few  hours  later.  This  sad-hearted  cor 
tege,  moving  with  the  swiftness  of  ox  and  mule  teams, 
are  pilgrims  and  strangers  in  an  unpopulated  region, 
some  of  whom  are  obliged  to  make  a  circuit  of  a  thou 
sand  miles,  to  reach  a  point  two  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  distant  Such  are  the  dangers  of  the  way  where 
moccasined  feet  stealthily  tread. 

Gt 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE    HEROIC    BOY. 

We  have  seen  Burton  Eastlick  following  the  cap 
tive  party,  and  returning  by  the  urgent  desire  of  his 
mother.  He  had  seen  his  mother  shot,  and  supposed 
her  dead.  Beside  his  dying  brother  he  watched  till 
the  angels  bore  his  spirit  above,  placed  the  dear  little 
form  beside  his  idolized  father,  and  with  a  bravery 
which  would  have  honored  men  of  mature  years,  af 
fectionately  took  his  baby  charge,  and  commenced 
preparations  to  start,  in  obedience  to  his  mother's  dying 
wish.  Mr.  Ireland,  who,  it  will  be  remembered,  was 
left  to  die,  remonstrated.  "He  could  never  carry  out 
the  design,  and  it  was  better  that  they  die  there  to 
gether."  But  the  boy  was  resolute  and  firm.  "Noth 
ing  should  deter  him  from  the  effort,  — he  would  carry 
the  baby  as  long  as  he  could, — they  might  be  saved." 
And  so,  folding  his  arms  close  about  the  child,  he 
started.  Mr.  Ireland  had  given  him  some  directions 
about  his  course,  and  other  matters,  which  proved  of 
use  to  the  boy  when  alone  upon  his  strange  but  holy 
pilgrimage. 

The  heroic  spirit  of  the  boy  incited  Mr.  Ireland  with 
new  hope  of  life,  and  he  said,  "Why  should  I  die  here 
alone,  when  such  a  boy  can  do  so  much.  I,  too,  will 
try  and  get  away."  And  so  he  went,  bleeding  and 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  161 

suffering  as  lie  was,  every  rod  gained  increasing  his 
desire  to  gain  another.  Ah,  there  is  a  Providence  that 
watches  our  course  and  aids  us  in  distress,  and  truly 
man  is  immortal  till  his  work  is  done.  We  have,  in 
more  instances  than  are  recorded  in  this  work,  been 
led  more  than  ever  before  into  a  full,  firm,  unwavering 
belief  in  that  Providential  care  and  guidance  which 
shapes  our  course  in  life  so  minutely  as  to  number 
"the  very  hairs  of  our  head." 

A  n  infidel  world  must  admit  the  hand  to  be  more 
than  chance,  which  spared  so  many  of  this  doomed 
settlement,  protecting  them  in  captivity,  6r  succoring 
them  by  night  and  by  day  in  eiforts  to  reach  the  other 
settlements.  Mr.  Ireland's  body  had  been  the  target 
for  eight  balls,  three  of  which  had  passed  through  his 
lungs.  His  wife  and  two  of  his  children  were  killed, 
and  two  daughters,  Rosanna  and  Ellen,  carried  into 
captivity,  and  compelled  to  walk  the  entire  distance  to 
the  Missouri  river,  being  over  seven  hundred  miles  by 
the  route  they  chose.  This,  and  other  incredible  hard 
ships  which  befell  these  girls,  would  seemingly  have 
overpowered  the  physical  energies,  had  not  Divine  aid 
been  given  them.  He  who  said,  "Call  upon  me  in  the 
day  of  trouble,  and  I  will  deliver  thee,"  did  not  forget 
his  promise,  until  they  felt  themselves  safe  with  their 
rescuers,  though  strangers,  such  as  their  young  hearts 
might  well  appreciate,  and  who  in  due  time  restored 
them  to  the  arms  of  their  father. 

Can  imagination  paint  the  sufferings  of  Mr.  Ireland 
during  his  weary  wanderings  of  fourteen  days,  that 


162  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

followed  his  resolve  for  life  ?  His  wounds  alone,  with 
the  kindest  wifely  care,  and  most  careful  nursing, 
should  have  allowed  many  anxious  fears  for  the  result. 
Weakened  by  the  loss  of  blood,  and  the  want  of  food, 
with  naught  but  the  bracing  breeze,  and  the  pure  spring 
water,  which  none  too  frequently  bubbled  in  his  path, 
it  is  surely  beyond  the  comprehension  of  mortal,  how 
the  frail  fabric  could  continue  to  throb  and  beat  with 
pain,  while  the  fever's  heat  would  nearly  consume  his 
vitals.  How  painful  the  progress,  how  bitter  the 
thoughts  of  the  future,  for  he  knew  not  that  one  of 
his  family  lived,  or  if  alive,  but  that  a  life  fate  worse 
than  death  was  theirs,  with  faint  hope  of  living  to  tell 
the  tale  of  his  horrid  suffering,  or  much  less  to  clasp 
to  his  heart  the  remnant  of  his  once  happy  family. 

Ninety  miles,  thick  with  dangers,  lay  before  him, 
but  our  little  hero,  Burton,  faltered  not.  True,  his 
arms  became  very  tired,  but  then  he  placed  this  pre 
cious  burden  on  his  back,  and  thus  the  first  day  he 
made  sixteen  miles,  and  thus  he  traveled  on,  making 
sixty  miles  in  ten  successive  days.  His  food  was  raw 
corn  and  such  as  he  could  find  in  deserted  houses. 
How  carefully  he  munched  the  coarse,  unpalatable 
fare,  to  relieve  the  baby  cravings  for  its  mother  !  How 
tenderly  he  folded  him  in  his  arms  to  shelter  him  from 
the  chill  night  dews  —  how  lovingly  soothed  his  weary 
wail,  lest  the  very  breeze  should  announce  their  living 
to  those  from  whom  they  fled  —  and  how  spasmodi 
cally  hugged  him  to  his  heart,  at  the  least  real  or  im 
aginary  note  of  alarm !  Brave,  darling  boy !  Did 


DAKOTA   WAK  WHOOP.  163 

angels  ever  before  witness  a  deed  like  thine!  His 
tory's  page  furnishes  nothing  more  noble,  more  deserv 
ing  immortal  fame!  Thy  name  with  the  good  and 
great  shall  live.  We  would  fain  impress  on  thy  young 
brow  the  seal  of  admiring  approval,  and  record  with 
immortal  pen  the  undying  virtue  of  thy  noble  deed  ! 
God  bless  thee,  noble  boy  ! 

The  reader  has  seen  the  resolute  mother,  wounded, 
bruised  and  left  for  dead,  crawling  back  to  the  battle 
field,  finding  her  precious  dead,  and,  with  sublime  pur 
pose  heroically  turn  from  them  for  a  lone,  weary  march 
over  the  now  desolate  prairies.  She  traveled  by  night 
and  hid  in  the  grass  for  several  days,  till  almost  ex 
hausted  from  exertion  and  hunger.  At  the  risk  of 
being  seen  and  murdered,  she  resolved  -on  finding 
something  to  eat.  So  she  crawled  through  the  grass 
to  a  cornfield,  but  her  stomach,  so  long  empty,  rejected 
the  raw  corn,  and  she  became  deathly  sick  and  obliged 
to  lie  by  for  some  time. 

The  friendly  breeze  cooled  the  festering,  undressed 
wounds,  which  were  occasionally  bathed  by  a  cool 
spring,  and  on  she  moved,  an  illustration  of  the  pow 
ers  of  human  endurance.  At  a  deserted  house  she 
stopped  over  night,  killed  a  chicken,  and  with  her 
teeth,  pulled  the  raw,  bleeding  meat  from  its  breast. 
She  continued  very  sick  during  the  night,  but  the  fol 
lowing  morning,  tearing  the  remainder  of  the  chicken 
into  strips  to  be  dried  in  the  sun  as  she  went,  she  pro 
ceeds,  and  this,  with  three  ears  of  raw  corn,  was  all 
she  eat  during  all  those  ten  solitary  days.  Oh !  the 


164  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

lonely  night  wanderings !  — the  anxious,  listening  days, 
when  the  very  silence  was  painful — the  terrible  stom 
ach  cravings  and  the  bitter  heart  throbbings  for  the 
loved  and  slain,  as  also  for  the  living  !  But  guided  by 
an  unseen  hand,  deliverance  is  sure  to  coma  Joy, 
such  as  but  the  mother  heart  knows,  was  soon  to  com 
mingle  with  her  grief,  such  as  for  a  time  to  make  her 
almost  forget  its  woes,  and  her  weary,  wounded  body 
its  pains. 

From  Sioux  Falls  City,  in  Dakota  Territory,  to  New 
Ulm,  August  Garzene,  a  Frenchman,  was  employed  in 
carrying  the  mail.  Lake  Shetak  settlement  lay  on  his 
route.  All  the  little  community  were  known  to  him. 
On  his  return  route  he  meets  Mrs.  Eastlick,  whom  he 
at  first  scarcely  recognizes,  so  jaded  and  changed  is 
she.  By  dint  of  management,  he  gives  her  a  seat  in 
his  single  sulky,  and  at  "Dutch  Charley's",  ere  many 
hours,  she  folds  to  her  heart  her  emaciated  children,  in 
whom  the  reader  will  recognize  the  heroic  boy  and  his 
baby  brother.  We  present  the  reader  the  sad,  happy 
group,  in  their  fugitive  garments. 

There,  too,  was  Mr.  Ireland,  with  eight  balls  in  his 
body,  whom  the  boy's  courage  had  saved,  together 
with  Mrs.  Hurd  and  her  two  children.  These  last  had 
fallen  in  company  several  hours  before  and  continued 
their  less  lonely  course  together.  A  glad  meeting  for 
hearts  so  mangled  and  torn !  A  few  miles  further  they 
continue  their  pedestrian  journey,  where  at  "Brown's" 
they  find  more  comfortable  quarters,  from  whence  Mr. 
Ireland  is  sent  ahead  to  New  Ulm  for  assistance. 


MRS.  EASTLICK  AND  HER  CHILDREN. 
(The  Heroic  Boy  and  his  Baby  Brother.) 


DAKOTA  WAK  WHOOP.  167 

Lieutenant  Koberts,  with  twelve  men  and  a  team, 
was  at  once  dispatched  to  their  relief,  and  reached 
them  about  midnight.  The  following  morning  at  day 
light,  with  an  escort  of  soldiers,  they  were  on  their 
way  to  join  their  neighbors  at  Mankato,  who  supposed 
them  dead,  when  after  fifteen  days  of  intense  suffering 
they  enjoyed  the  luxury  of  food  and  rest,  devoid  of 
present  fear. 

Twelve  bodies  had  fallen  in  death,  at  Lake  Shetak, 
Aug.  20th,  1862.  Twelve  months  and  more,  through 
winter's  snows  and  summer's  heat,  the  angels  watched 
their  unburied  dust,  while  surviving  friends  plead  for 
an  escort  of  soldiers,  to  protect  them,  in  the  last  sad 
burial  rite.  On  the  28th  Oct.,  1863,  they  had  the 
mournful  satisfaction  of  consigning  the  beloved  "dust 
to  dust."  Each  body  had  retained  its  own  living  im 
press  so  distinctly,  that  there  was  no  difficulty  in  mark 
ing  the  grave  of  each. 

The  beautiful  farms  there  lie  in  waste,  and  the  whole 
region  is  depopulated.  Such  is  the  work  of  savage 
hands,  such  the  horrors  of  savage  ire. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

SIEGE     OF    HUTCHINSON. 

The  main  body  of  troops,  as  we  have  seen,  were 
marching  up  the  Minnesota  Valley,  to  the  theatre,  or 
centre  of  hostilities.  Detachments  or  companies  were 
stationed  in  the  most  exposed  localities,  some  of  whom 
had  brisk  skirmishes  with  the  red  foe,  and  others  were 
left  unmolested.  Several  companies  of  mounted  citi 
zens  did  efficient  service,  at  various  endangered  points. 

Captain  Strout,  with  a  company  of  fifty  men,  was 
stationed  at  Cedar  City,  whence  all  the  people  had  fled. 
Here  they  were  unexpectedly  attacked  by  one  hundred 
and  fifty  Indians.  They  fought  like  veteran  heroes, 
until  nearly  overpowered  by  numbers,  they  retreated 
to  Hutchinson,  a  town  well  fortified,  eighty  miles  above 
the  capital,  and  the  first  beyond  the  Big  Woods. 

From  Cedar  City,  this  savage  band  moved  towards 
Forest  City,  making  a  determined  assault,  but  success 
fully  repulsed  by  the  inhabitants,  who  had  fortified  the 
town,  and  made  it  quite  a  stronghold. 

Thwarted  in  their  last  attempt,  they  advanced  on 
Hutchinson,  where  Capt.  Strout  and  his  fifty  men,  to 
whom  the  citizens  of  town  and  vicinity  joined  them 
selves,  valorously  met  the  foe,  and  after  more  or  less 
hard  fighting,  for  two  days,  successfully  repulsed  them. 
Capt.  Strout's  dispatch,  under  date  of  Sept  3d,  says : 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  169 

"I  was  attacked  to-day  by  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  Indians,  about  half  of  them  mounted.  They 
numbered  full  double  my  force,  and  fought  us  for  two 
hours  and  a  half.  I  threw  my  company  into  four  sec 
tions,  and  in  open  order,  pressed  against  them,  as  skirm 
ishers,  after  which,  as  they  so  far  outnumbered  my 
force,  I  made  a  fierce  march  against  their  main  body, 
which  was  still  in  front  Our  loss,  in  the  engagement, 
was  three  killed,  and  fifteen  wounded.  A  number  of 
the  men  were  very  much  injured  by  exhaustion. 

"I  think  I  am  safe  in  saying,  that  the  Indians  lost,  in 
killed  and  wounded,  two  or  three  times  our  number. 

"We  lost  most  of  our  rations,  utensils,  tents,  and 
some  arms,  from  the  excitement.  Some  horses  ran 
away,  others  got  mired,  so  that  we  lost  nine,  in  all,  from 
these  causes. 

"The  Indians  had  excellent  guns.  They  were 
bright,  and  carried  better  than  our  guns.  They  were 
dressed  partly  in  citizen's  dress,  and  many  of  them 
rode  fine  horses.  Their  ponies  would  lie  down  when 
they  dismounted.  Sometimes  the  Indians  would  rush 
up  to  within  one  hundred  yards  of  my  force." 

Near  the  village  of  Hutchinson,  lived  a  Mr.  Adams, 
who,  with  his  wife  and  child,  were  fleeing  for  their 
lives,  to  the  protection  of  the  town,  when  he,  their  nat 
ural  protector,  abandoned  them  to  their  fate.  Finding 
themselves  closely  pursued,  he  threw  the  child,  which 
he  was  carrying,  and  concealing  himself  in  the  grass, 
made  his  escape.  She,  possessed  of  a  true  mother's  feel 
ings,  stopped  to  pick  up  her  child,  and  was  captured. 


170  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

Her  captor  wished  to  take  the  child  upon  his  horse,  but 
she  clung  to  it  with  an  unyielding  grasp.  After  re 
peated  attempts  to  take  it  from  her,  the  Indian  became 
enraged,  forced  it  from  her  grasp,  and  then  shot  it  be 
fore  the  eyes  of  the  agonized  mother.  These  facts,  I 
have  from  Mr.  George  Spencer,  who  had  been  a  captive 
three  weeks,  when  Mrs.  Adams  was  brought  into  the 
Indian  camp.  During  this  time,  he  had  heard  no  news 
from  the  whites,  though  many  captives  had  been 
brought  in.  He  says,  "I  told  my  friend  (Chaska)  that 
I  should  like  to  see  the  white  woman  who  had  just 
been  brought  in,  when  he  immediately  sent  for  her." 

"I  found  her  to  be  a  very  pretty  and  intelligent  little 
woman,  and  from  her  learned  the  latest  news  in  regard 
to  the  preparations  which  were  being  made  by  the 
whites  to  punish  the  Indians." 

"In  relating  to  me  her  history,  when  she  spoke  of  the 
murder  of  her  child,  her  first  born  and  only  child,  she 
wept  bitterly.  Upon  seeing  which,  the  Indians  inquired 
the  cause.  They  then  directed  me  to  explain  to  her 
the  reason  why  her  child  had  been  killed :  that  if  she 
would  have  let  the  Indian  take  it,  he  would  have 
brought  it  along  safely."  A  poor  apology  for  his  bar 
barity,  inhuman  fiend,  that  he  was. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

BATTLE     OF     BIRCH     COOLIE. 

The  citizens  of  Minnesota  had  now  begun  to  realize 
the  horrors  of  a  home  war.  Sorrow  comes  to  their 
hearts,  and  sadness  to  their  homes.  Familiar  faces, 
which  went  forth,  but  a  few  days  agone,  will  be  seen 
there  no  more ! 

The  murdered  dead  remain  unburied,  and  their 
nauseous  effluvia  taints  the  air,  at  Eed  Wood,  and  else 
where.  A  detachment,  composed  of  one  company  of 
cavalry,  under  Capt.  Anderson,  and  another  of  infantry, 
under  Capt.  Grant,  in  command  of  Maj.  J.  R.  Brown, 
were  sent  out,  August  31st,  by  Col.  Sibley,  commission 
ed  with  the  sad  burial  charge  of  these  victims  of  savage 
brutality.  At  night,  they  encamped  opposite  the  Lower 
Agency,  and  on  the  following  morning,  they  find  and 
bury  about  thirty  bodies,  in  every  conceivable  state  of 
mutilation,  and  mostly  the  heroes  of  Capt.  Marsh's 
company.  While  this  was  being  done,  a  detachment, 
having  crossed  the  river  to  the  Agency,  were  engaged 
in  the  same  sad  and  unpleasant  duty  there.  About 
eighty -five  bodies  in  all,  were  buried  by  the  two  com 
panies,  that  day. 

Having  re-united,  they  moved  on,  some  three  miles, 
to  Birch  Coolie,  where  they  encamped  for  the  night. 
There  were  no  traces  of  Indians  having  been  in  the 


172  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

vicinity  for  many  days,  and  a  precaution  against  them 
was  less  in  their  thoughts,  than  personal  comfort,  when 
their  camping  ground  was  selected.  Had  they  appre 
hended  an  attack,  they  would  have  sought  the  protec 
tion  of  the  timber,  not  more  than  two  hundred  yards 
away,  instead  of  the  smooth  prairie,  the  most  unpro- 
pitious  spot  that  could  have  been  found  for  the  ordeal 
which  followed.  Fortunately,  the  camp  was  made  in 
the  usual  way,  with  the  wagons  packed  around,  and  the 
teams  fastened  to  them.  The  horses  of  the  mounted 
men  were  fastened  by  strong  picket  ropes.  A  guard 
of  thirty  men  and  two  non-commissioned  officers,  were 
detailed,  and  ten  sentinels  were  on  constant  duty. 
Around  the  camp  fire,  the  men  talked  over  the  horrid, 
sickening  scenes  of  the  day,  till  drowsiness  settled  upon 
their  eyelids,  when  each,  in  their  own  respective  tents, 
sunk  into  slumbers  profound,  unmindful  of  the  senti 
nel's  monotonous  tread. 

Sept.  2d  was  giving  due  notice  of  its  dawning  morn, 
in  the  sober  gray  which  precedes  its  golden  glimmer 
ings  of  light,  and  an  officer  of  the  guard  was  com 
pleting  his  round  with  a  new  relief  The  sentinel  saw, 
by  the  waving  furrows  of  the  tall  grass,  that  objects 
were  moving  stealthily  along,  in  zigzag  lines,  not  far 
away.  Unwilling  to  give  the  alarm,  without  cause,  he 
recalled  the  officer,  and  pointed  them  out  to  him.  At 
this  moment,  came  deafening  war  whoops  from  all 
sides,  and  the  next,  a  raking  cross  fire  poured  in  upon 
the  unconscious  sleepers.  Most  of  the  guard  fell,  some 
killed,  and  others  wounded.  The  tents  were  riddled 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  173 

with  bullets,  and  many  in  them  were  wounded,  and 
others  received  their  death  shots,  before  aware  of  the 
presence  of  danger.  Not  sixty  seconds  of  time  was 
required  for  all  this,  and  the  utmost  confusion  prevailed, 
for  a  few  minutes,  and  had  the  assailants  charged  into 
camp,  a  general  slaughter  would  have  followed.  The 
panic  and  confusion  of  mind,  which  such  hurried  events 
create,  gave  place,  in  an  almost  incredibly  short  space 
of  time,  to  calm,  deliberate  action.  Every  wounded 
man,  whose  hand  could  clutch  a  rifle,  crawled  from  his 
tent,  and  with  those  uninjured,  ranged  himself  at 
command,  along  the  edges,  behind  the  prostrate  bodies 
of  horses,  wagons,  or  whatever  else  could  answer  for  a 
temporary  barricade.  Thus  on  their  faces,  two  and 
two,  they  worked.  Some  dug  trenches  with  their  bay 
onets,  throwing  up  the  earth  with  their  tin  cups,  while 
others,  loading  as  they  lay,  would  rise  on  one  knee,  fire 
and  fall,  to  repeat  the  process.  Meanwhile,  the  hoarse 
braying  of  the  animals,  in  their  dying  agonies,  mingling 
with  the  groans  of  the  wounded  and  dying  men,  is  be 
yond  the  power  of  pen  to  depict.  The  first  volley  was 
the  most  deadly  of  any,  for  when  the  men  were  thor 
oughly  roused,  they  deported  themselves  with  the  cool 
ness  and  bravery  of  heroes  and  veterans,  though  they 
had  been  scarcely  two  weeks  in  the  field.  Every  man 
was  a  host.  It  is  but  justice,  to  make  some  allusion  to 
the  honored  dead,  who  fell  here,  in  defence  of  our  Min 
nesota  homes. 

Among  the  first  to  enlist  in  the  renowned  company 
of  "Young  Men's  Guards,"  raised  in  St  Paul,  for  na- 


174  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

tional  service,  was  Benjamin  S.  Terry.  When  the 
burial  party  went  forth  from  their  encampment,  at  Fort 
Eidgley,  Sergeant  Terry  volunteered  to  accompany 
them,  though  his  company  was  not  detailed.  His  ob 
ject  was  to  identify  his  bosom  friend,  George  Spencer, 
by  some  specifications  by  which  a  stranger  could  not,  as 
it  would  be  far  advanced  in  decomposition  (for  all  sup 
posed  him  dead.)  This  made  known  to  Capt.  Valen 
tine,  consent  was  given.  No  sooner  was  the  alarm 
given,  than,  rifle  in  hand,  he  sprang  from  the  tent, 
when  a  ball  pierced  his  side  and  he  fell,  mortally 
wounded.  Several  times  after  his  wound  was  dressed, 
he  crawled  from  his  tent,  and  took  unerring  aim  at  the 
head  of  a  grass-hidden  foe.  He  was  perfectly  aware 
of  his  situation,  and  before  the  sun  went  down,  had 
fought  his  first  and  last  battle  with  the  Indians,  and 
closed  the  more  important  life  battle.  He  was  a  mem 
ber,  modest  and  unassuming,  of  the  First  Baptist 
Church,  in  St.  Paul,  and  of  three  brothers,  was  the 
second  who  had  fallen  by  savage  hands ;  the  first  in 
1852,  while  acting  as  their  teacher  and  missionary,  at 
the  north.  His  body  was  afterward  removed  to  St 
Paul,  and  more  than  one  eye  was  dimmed  as  they  saw 
the  friend  for  whom  his  own  life  had  been  given,  with 
tearful  heart  and  sad  face,  acting  as  first  bearer  at  his 
second  burial. 

Corporal  Wm.  M.  Cobb,  of  St.  Paul,  was  a  young 
man  of  many  virtues,  and  the  pride   of  his  father's, 
household.     He  received  four  bullets  at  one  volley 
but  still  bravely  fought  on  for  an  hour,  when,  ex- 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  175 

hausted  from  the  loss  of  blood,  he  walked  to  the  sur 
geon's  tent,  where  his  wounds  were  dressed.  He  lived 
until  the  next  morning,  but  not  to  see  the  end  of  the 
fight  His  dying  injunction  was  "not  to  give  up  the 
camp." 

Sergeant  Wm.  Irvine  was  among  the  bravest  of  the 
brave.  For  thirty  hours  he  lay  upon  his  face  without 
food  or  drink,  discharging  his  gun  as  often  as  he  could 
"sight  an  Indian."  He  had  just  sent  a  message  to 
Capt  Grant  that  he  had  killed  three  or  four,  when  a 
a  ball  pierced  his  head,  rendering  him  senseless.  He 
died  on  his  way  to  the  fort,  after  relief  had  come  to 
that  worn  out  band. 

These,  with  others,  were  afterward  removed  to  St. 
Paul,  and  with  suitable  honors,  buried  in  Oakland 
Cemetery.  "So  rest  the  brava" 

All  that  day  and  all  the  night,  that  bullet  shower 
raged.  The  little  brave  band  was  completely  sur 
rounded,  and  no  possibility  of  sending  for  relief — un 
less  heaven  interpose,  they  must  all  die.  Many  a  one 
lay  soaking  with  his  own  blood,  the  soil  of  the  trench 
he  had  dug  with  his  bayonet  and  tin  cup.  On  the 
morning  of  the  3d,  the  crack  of  the  rifle  is  still 
heard,  and  its  effect  continues  to  tell  upon  our  men. 
With  savage  yells  and  demoniac  war-whoops  the  work 
goes  on  till  nearly  night 

In  Capt  Grant's  force  were  several  half-breeds,  who 
had  fought  valorously  all  the  day  and  night  On 
Wednesday  morning,  the  Sioux  commander  called  out 
in  his  own  language  for  these  to  leave  the  whites,  come 


176  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

over  to  their  side,  and  they  should  have  protection,  as 
suring  them  that  only  the  white  blood  was  sought,  and 
that  they  were  going  to  charge  at  once  and  put  every 
person  to  death.  This  was  understood  by  all  the  half 
breeds,  and  by  Maj.  Brown,  who  translated  it  for  Capt 
Grant 

But  Heaven  interposed  in  the  moment  of  greatest 
peril,  and  sent  the  boom  of  the  approaching  cannon, 
and  at  the  same  moment,  an  Indian  horseman  rode 
rapidly  up  to  their  commander,  and  was  distinctly 
heard  to  say,  that  "two  miles  of  white  men"  were  com 
ing  to  the  relief  of  the  besieged  party,  which  was  fol 
lowed  by  the  quick  command  to  "cut  them  off — anni 
hilate  them  I" 

The  pickets  around  Col.  Sibley's  camp  at  Fort  Kidg- 
ley,  fifteen  miles  distant,  heard  the  firing  early  on 
Tuesday  morning,  and  reported  the  same  at  headquar 
ters,  but  the  echoes  from  the  woods  and  reverberations 
from  the  bluffs,  prevented  them  from  determining  the 
exact  point  of  compass  from  whence  the  sounds  pro 
ceeded.  Convinced  that  the  burial  detachment  was  in 
imminent  peril,  somewhere,  two  companies,  with  a  few 
mounted  men,  with  a  six  pound  howitzer,  under 
Col.  McPhail,  were  ordered  to  their  relief.  As 
by  intuition,  their  march  was  shaped  in  the  right 
direction. 

Bidding  defiance  to  the  men  and  terror  inspiring 
gun,  the  savages  hastened  on  to  meet  and  annihilate 
them,  leaving  a  few  men  around  the  camp,  which  they  '' 
thought  now  almost  defenseless.     Little  Crow  had  pro- 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  177 

claimed  to  his  people  that  Col.  Sibley's  army  was  com 
posed  of  old  men  and  little  boys — hence  but  little  to 
be  dreaded  in  the  conflict.  But  when  they  saw  the 
formidable  array,  with  all  the  modern  paraphernalia 
of  war,  they  deemed  annihilation  less  sure,  and  con 
cluded  to  defer  it  till  the  next  day,  while  they  demon 
strated  their  prowess  by  firing  from  a  distance,  brand 
ishing  their  hatchets,  defiantly  waving  their  blankets 
and  sounding  the  horrid  war  whoop. 

To  the  inexperienced  eye  of  our  men,  the  scattered 
horde  of  savages  seemed  greatly  magnified  in  numbers, 
and  they  fancied  themselves  too  weak  to  cut  their  way 
to  the  relief  of  the  struggling,  suffering  band ;  there 
fore  they  bivouaced  for  the  night,  and  returned  a 
messenger  for  still  greater  re-enforcements.  This  mes 
senger  was  the  brave  and  intrepid  Sheehan,  of  Yellow 
Medicine  and  Fort  Eidgley  renown.  The  Indians  an 
ticipating  the  design,  tried  to  cut  him  off,  chased  him 
some  seven  miles,  sending  more  than  fifty  bullets  at 
him — but  his  work  was  not  yet  done.  Col.  Sibley, 
with  his  entire  remaining  force,  took  up  the  line  of 
march  the  same  evening,  reaching  the  second  detach 
ment  about  midnight.  At  early  dawn  the  column  was 
in  motion.  As  the  sun  rose,  the  sheen  of  bright  mus 
kets,  in  the  hands  of  distant  running  Indians,  was 
seen  all  around  them,  but  quite  out  of  range.  They 
had  delayed  their  attack  for  the  stimulus  of  rest  and 
food,  but  now,  when  they  saw  this  column  twice  the 
length  of  the  previous  evening,  they  were  powerless 
with  wonder ;  unable  to  account  for  its  sudden  growth, 


178  DAKOTA   WAK  WHOOP. 

and  declared  that  "five  miles  of  white  men  and  a  big 
gun  were  too  much  for  them  to  fight." 

A  sufficient  number  of  the  enemy  had  remained  at 
Birch  Coolie  to  keep  up  a  harassing  fire.  The  main 
body  of  the  Indians  continued  to  brandish  their  bur 
nished  weapons,  which  flashed  back  the  sun's  rays, 
and  louder  and  more  defiant  became  the  continuous 
war  whoop. 

Thus  was  each  party  deceived  with  the  number  and 
strength  of  the  other.  Our  force  continued  to  ad 
vance  in  battle  line,  their  fire,  however,  having  but 
little  or  no  effect  on  the  distant  foe,  unless  it  was  to 
impart  an  impression  of  superiority  in  strength  and 
discipline,  and  keep  them  in  the  distance,  till  they 
finally  retired. 

When  first  the  group  of  conical  tents  appeared 
across  the  distant  ravine,  there  were  doubts  whether 
they  were  friends  or  foes.  To  annihilate  them  if  the 
latter,  before  they  have  time  to  remove,  and  to  relieve 
them  if  the  former,  the  march  is  quickened.  Dead 
horses  form  the  barricade,  but  not  a  sign  of  life  ap 
pears.  Had  all  been  slaughtered  and  the  relief  come 
too  late?  Aye,  live  men  were  in  the  trenches  and  joy 
fully  aware  of  the  approach  of  friends,  for  they  knew 
they  could  hold  out  but  a  few  hours  longer.  The 
want  of  water  alone  would  soon  have  made  them  pow 
erless.  Had  the  savage  force  remained  undivided, 
they  would  doubtless  even  then  all  have  been,  found 
slain.  A  strange,  wild,  but  genuine  joy  reigned  in 
camp.  Some  clapped  their  hands  and  laughed,  others 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  179 

danced  in  delight — some  gave  praise  to  God,  and  oth 
ers  were  mute  with  their  real  heart  gratitude. 

There  was  but  little  time  for  congratulation,  for  thir 
teen  dead  comrades  lay  unburied,  and  sixty  more  were 
suffering  from  wounds.  "The  hero  of  a  thousand  bat 
tles"  no  more  deserves  the  laurel  wreath  of  FAME  than 
the  heroes  of  Birch  Coolia  For  thirty-six  hours, 
without  food  or  rest,  they  had  worked  as  none  but  he 
roes  can,  and  had  held  their  camp  against  three  hun 
dred  savage  foes. 

Impromptu  mattrasses  of  prairie  grass,  placed  on  the 
'hard  wagon  bottom,  served  for  ambulances,  and  at  sun 
down  they  commenced  their  return  march.  At  mid 
night,  tired  and  worn  out  with  fighting  and  marching, 
they  entered  camp  at  Fort  Ridgley. 

According  to  facts  afterwards  obtained  from  reliable 
sources,  the  Indian  force  at  Birch  Coolie  was  three 
hundred  and  nineteen  men,  who  had  come  from  their 
encampments  at  Yellow  Medicine,  with  the  design  of 
separating  in  two  columns  and  simultaneously  attack 
ing  Mankato  and  St.  Peter,  in  order  to  mete  to  them 
the  fate  of  New  Ulm,  and  had  no  idea  of  meeting  any 
opposition  by  the  way.  The  event  proved  that  the 
detachment  had  been  started  from  Fort  Eidgley  at  the 
right  time.  Had  these  savages  met  with  no  check, 
they  would  have  laid  those  flourishing  towns  in  ashes, 
and  many  of  the  people  would  have  shared  the  fate  of 
those  of  New  Ulm,  and  the  adjacent  country — and 
then  it  was  their  purpose  to  follow  up  this  success 
(they  never  thought  of  repulse,)  to  St.  Paul,  attack  it 


180  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

in  the  night  time  and  reduce  it  to  ashes,  and  more  se 
verely  afflict  the  people  than  they  had  elsewhere.  But 
Grod  rules,  and  their  designs  were  thwarted. 

Those  whose  graves  were  made  on  the  battle-ground 
were  not  the  only  victims  of  the  Birch  Coolie  battle. 
One  after  another  of  the  brave  wounded  swelled  the 
list  of  dead,  so  that  in  ten  days  they  numbered  twenty- 
three.  Of  these,  Robert  Gibbons  is  worthy  of  special 
mention,  being  a  humble  Christian  and  prominent,  de 
voted  member  of  the  Methodist  Church  in  St.  Paul. 
He  had  given  two  sons  to  the  national  army,  and  when 
a  sudden  home  emergency  arose,  he  joined  a  cavalry 
company  to  die  the  soldier's  honored  death,  and  when  his 
remains  were  removed,  to  receive  the  soldier's  honored 
burial,  amid  bleeding  hearts  and  appreciating  friends. 

Mr.  J.  W.  DeCamp  had  entered  the  ranks  to  fight 
in  retaliation  of  the  supposed  death  of  his  wife  and 
three  children.  But  he  fell  while  fighting  valorously, 
and  though  he  reached  the  fort  alive,  he  did  not  live 
to  know  but  his  worst  fears  were  true. 

Mrs.  DeCamp  was  a  companion  in  captivity  with 
Mr.  Spencer,  and  the  utter  neglect  with  which  she  was 
treated,'  was  almost  as  unendurable  as  the  surplus  of 
of  attention  to  others.  She  was  claimed  by  no  one  in 
particular,  and  consequently,  often  went  to  bed  hun 
gry,  she  and  her  children,  if  indeed  they  were  so  for 
tunate  as  to  find  a  blanket  bed,  on  which  to  sleep. 
Our  informant  has  himself  besought  the  pity  of  the 
inhuman  brutes  and  obtained  something  for  her  to  eat. 

One  dark  rainy  night,  according  to  a  pre-arranged 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  181 

plan,  with  no  one  to  guard  her,  she  found  little  diffi 
culty  in  seeking  the  river,  where  a  flotilla  of  canoes 
awaited  herself  and  children,  together  with  the  family 
of  her  rescuer.  For  three  days  and  nights  they  floated 
or  paddled  down  stream  in  these  open  crafts,  with  the 
discomforts  of  a  cold,  drizzling  rain,  with  insufficient 
clothing  or  food.  But  hope  of  a  re-union  with  her 
husband,  stimulated  her  desire  for  life. 

On  their  way,  they  discovered  a  woman  and  five 
children  lurking  in  the  bushes,  their  clothes  and  flesh 
rent  with  the  briers,  and  they  were  much  emaciated 
from  long  fasting  and  anxious  watching.  This  was 
Mrs.  Eobideaux,  who  was  welcomed  to  their  frail  fleet, 
and  made  as  comfortable  as  circumstances  would  admit. 
These  were  all  brought  safely  into  port  by  Lorenzo 
Laurence,  a  Christian  Indian,  who  jeopardized  his  life 
in  this  and  other  kindred  acts,  and  with  John  Other- 
day,  and  others,  is  entitled  to  the^  gratitude  and  pro 
tection  of  white  people  for  all  time.  These  are  evi 
dences  that  the  missionaries'  labors  have  not  been  en 
tirely  in  vain. 

Simon,  too,  another  Christian  Indian,  and  an  old 
man,  rescued  Mrs.  Newman  and  three  children  from 
the  hands  of  their  captors,  and  rested  not  till  he  had 
placed  them  in  friendly  hands  at  the  Fort.  But  the 
bright  hopes  which  poor  Mrs.  DeCarnp  entertained  of 
meeting  her  husband  went  out  when  she  reached  her 
destination.  Her  brimming  cup  of  sorrow  overflowed 
at  his  grave,  which  had  been  made  several  days  when 
she  reached  the  Fort 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

BATTLE     OF     BIRCH     COOLIE  —  OFFICIAL     EEPOKT     OF 
MAJ.    J.    R.  BROWN,    COMMANDING-  DETACHMENT. 

FORT  EIDGLEY,  Sept.  4,  1862. 

Col.  H.  H.  Sibley,  Commanding  Expedition  in  Sioux  Country : 

SIR  : — In  compliance  with  your  order,  I  left  the  en 
campment  at  this  post,  on  the  morning  of  August  31st, 
1862,  to  visit  the  different  settlements  between  this  post 
and  Beaver  River,  to  search  for  and  bury  all  persons 
that  could  be  found  murdered,  and  at  the  same  time,  to 
examine  the  country  about  the  Lower  Sioux  Agency 
and  Little  Crow's  village,  to  mark  all  indications  of  the 
movement  of  the  Indians,  and  the  course  taken  by 
them  in  their  retreat 

Capt  Grant's  Company  A,  6th  Regiment ;  Capt  An 
derson's  Company  of  mounted  men,  several  volunteers 
from  the  officers  of  the  expedition,  a  fatigue  party  of 
twenty  men,  and  seventeen  teamsters,  with  their  teams, 
formed  the  force  of  the  detachment. 

On  the  31st  of  August,  the  detachment  moved  in  a 
body  and  encamped  on  the  Minnesota  bottom,  at  the 
mouth  of  Birch  Coolie  and  opposite  the  Lower  Sioux 
Agency,  having  found  and  buried  sixteen  corpses  du 
ring  the  day. 

On  the  1st  of  September,  the  detachment  marched 
in  a  body  to  the  river  bank,  when  the  mounted  corn- 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  183 

pany,  with  one  team  and  eight  of  the  fatigue  party, 
accompanied  me  across  the  river,  under  the  protection 
of  the  infantry.  After  searching  around  the  Agency, 
and  becoming  satisfied  there  were  no  Indians  in  the  vi 
cinity,  Capt.  Grant  was  directed  to  remain  with  his 
company,  and  twelve  of  the  fatigue  party,  and  sixteen 
teams,  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  to  bury  what  mur 
dered  persons  could  be  found  at  the  crossing  and  at 
the  settlements,  as  far  as  Beaver  river,  and  from  the 
Beaver  river  to  return  to  the  upper  timber  on  the  Birch 
Coolie,  and  encamp. 

I  proceeded  with  that  portion  of  the  detachment  that 
had  crossed  the  river,  to  bury  the  dead  about  the 
Agency,  and  then  proceeded  to  Little  Crow's  village, 
and  from  there  I  went  alone  to  where  the  road  leading 
to  the  Coteau  de  Prairie  diverges  from  the  Yellow  Me 
dicine  road,  to  ascertain  whether  the  Indians  had  gone 
to  the  Coteau,  or  continued  up  the  Minnesota,  towards 
the  Yellow  Medicine. 

The  road  and  the  camps  about  Little  Crow's  village, 
indicated  that  the  main  body  of  the  Indians  had  an 
immense  baggage  train,  which  had  gone  forward  about 
six  days  previous,  and  a  smaller  baggage  train  coming 
from  the  lower  part  of  the  reservation,  had  gone  forward 
two  days  subsequently,  the  entire  force  keeping  the 
Yellow  Medicine  road. 

In  all  our  examinations,  no  signs  could  be  found 
about  the  village,  along  the  road,  or  at  the  river  cross 
ing,  near  the  village,  that  any  Indians  had  been  in  the 

vicinity  for  the  four  days  previous.     This  was  the  uni- 
Ht    ' 


184  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

ted  opinion  of  Maj.  Galbraith,  Messrs.  Alex.  Faribault, 
Geo.  Faribault,  and  J.  J.  Frazier  (who  were  among  the 
volunteers,)  and  myself;  and,  as  the  Indians,  when 
encamped  near  their  villages,  invariably  visit  them 
frequently,  the  general  supposition  was,  that  upon 
learning  the  approach  of  troops,  the  lower  Indians 
had  gone  up  to  join  the  Yellow  Medicine  Indians, 
that  they  might  subsequently  act  in  concert  in 
their  defense  against  the  troops,  or  in  their  movement 
west 

Having  accomplished  the  object  of  my  visit  to  Little 
Crow's  village,  I  proceeded  to  the  ford,  near  that  village, 
and  re-crossed  the  Minnesota  river,  and  near  sunset, 
reached  the  encampment  selected  by  Capt.  Grant,  near 
the  upper  timber  of  the  Birch  Coolie,  and  about  three 
miles  from  the  Lower  Agency. 

The  two  divisions  of  the  detachment  buried,  during 
this  day,  fifty-four  murdered  persons.  Capt  Grant 
found  a  woman  who  was  still  alive,  although  she  had 
been  almost  entirely  without  sustenance  for  fourteen 
days,  and  was  severely  wounded.  She  escaped  from 
the  massacre  at  Patterson's  Kapids. 

This  camp  was  made  in  the  usual  way,  on  the  smooth 
prairie,  some  two  hundred  yards  from  the  timber  of  • 
Birch  Coolie,  with  the  wagons  packed  around  the  camp, 
and  the  team  horses  fastened  to  the  wagons.  The 
horses  belonging  to  the  mounted  men  were  fastened  to 
a  stout  picket  rope,  between  the  tents  and  wagons, 
around  the  south  half  of  the  camp  —  Capt.  Anderson's 
tents  being  behind  his  horses,  and  Capt  Grant's  tents 


DAKOTA    WAK   WHOOP.  185 

being  inside  the  wagons,  which  formed  the  north  half 
of  the  camp. 

A  guard  of  thirty  men  and  two  non-commissioned 
officers  was  detailed  and  organized — ten  sentinels  be 
ing  stationed  about  thirty  yards  from  the  wagons,  at  in 
tervals,  around  the  camp,  with  instructions  to  keep  a 
good  lookout,  and  report  any  noise  or  other  indications 
of  the  approach  of  Indians. 

Nothing  was  reported  from  the  guard,  until  half  past 
four  o'clock,  on  the  morning  of  September  2d,  when 
one  of  the  guard  called  out,  "Indians,"  and  almost  in 
stantly  afterward,  a  shower  of  balls  fell  upon  the  camp. 
The  firing,  for  probabjy  a  minute,  was  entirely  on  the 
part  of  the  Indians,  during  which  time,  many  of  our 
men  were  either  killed  or  wounded  ;  but  the  mortality 
among  the  men,  at  that  time,  was,  by  no  means,  as  se 
vere  as  might  be  supposed,  owing  to  the  protection 
afforded  by  the  horses. 

Capt  Anderson  and  his  company  promptly  availed 
themselves  of  the  protection  afforded  by  the  wagons 
near  him,  and  opened  fire  upon  the  Indians. 

Capt.  Grant's  company  and  the  fatigue  party  prompt 
ly  seized  their  arms,  and  commenced  firing ;  but  they, 
for  some  minutes,  continued  to  expose  themselves,  im 
prudently,  and,  consequently,  were  very  much  cut  to 
pieces.  After  the  entire  detachment  became  settled 
under  the  shelter  of  the  wagons  and  dead  horses,  but 
few  were  killed  or  wounded,  and  the  close  firing  on 
our  side  soon  caused  the  Indians  to  withdraw  to  the 
shelter  of  the  woods. 


186  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

After  the  withdrawal  of  the  Indians,  the  construc 
tion  of  rifle-pits  was  commenced  in  different  parts  of 
the  camp,  which,  although  the  men  worked  with  a  will, 
progressed  slowly,  owing  to  the  hardness  of  the  soil, 
and  the  want  of  proper  tools.  Three  spades,  one  pick, 
"bayonets,  tin  pans,  etc.,  constituted  our  means  for  ex 
cavation  ;  and  yet  rifle-pits  to  the  extent  of  about  two 
hundred  feet  in  length  were  completed.  From  the  time 
the  first  rifle-pit  was  commenced,  but  one  man  was 
killed  and  two  wounded,  although  the  fire  of  the 
Indians  was  continued  until  the  arrival  of  re-enforce 
ments. 

Although  the  Indians  had  great  advantages  over  us 
in  the  early  part  of  the  engagement,  I  think  that  the 
mortality  on  our  side,  fearful  as  it  was,  did  not  exceed 
that  of  the  Indians,  judging  by  the  numbers  they 
carried  across  the  prairie  from  the  timber  from  which 
they  fired.  Our  men  were  cool,  and  had  orders  to  dis 
charge  their  pieces  only  when  a  prospect  of  hitting  a 
foe  was  presented. 

About  two  o'clock,  on  the  2d  of  September,  the 
report  of  a  cannon,  which  we  were  confident  was  dis 
charged  by  friends  approaching  to  our  relief,  was  hailed 
with  joy,  and  as  we  were  then  in  a  condition  to  laugh  at. 
all  the  attacks  of  Indians  upon  our  position,  we  felt 
confident  that  they  would  be  cheated  of  a  victory 
through  starvation  or  thirst. 

As  the  re-enforcements  advanced,  the  Indians  began 
to  withdraw  from  us,  and  prepare  for  operations  against 
the  approaching  force.  We  could  see  and  hear  the 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  187 

Indians,  and  learned  through  them  that  the  force  was 
not  large,  and  they  hoped  to  cut  it  off.  This  gave  us 
some  uneasiness,  because  we  feared  the  troops  might 
attempt  to  cross  the  Birch  Coolie  about  dark  ;  but  we 
soon  learned  they  were  halted,  and  that  the  Indians 
proposed  to  wait  until  morning  to  make  an  attack 
upon  them.  In  the  morning  of  Sept.  3d,  we  again 
observed  the  the  manoeuvers  of  the  Indians,  and  could 
plainly  hear  their  lamentations  at  the  discovery  that  you 
with  your  entire  force  had  reached  Col.  McPhail's 
camp  during  the  night.  From  that  time,  the  Indians 
had  no  hopes  of  either  capturing  us  or  defeating  the 
re-enforcements.  Still  they  kept  up  a  fire  on  us  until 
your  van  reached  within  two  or  three  hundred  yards 
of  us. 

The  Indian  force  which  attacked  our  camp,  I  esti 
mate  at  from  two  hundred  and  fifty  to  three  hundred, 
all  well  armed  and  many  mounted  on  good  horses. 

Enclosed,  you  will  find  Capt.  Anderson's  report, 
detailing  the  force,  operations,  and  casualties  of  his 
company.  His  officers  and  men  (with  the  exceptions 
he  indicates,)  acted  with  the  utmost  coolness  and  cour 
age.  The  captain,  although  twice  severely  wounded, 
continued  in  active  command  of  his  company  until 
your  re-enforcements  reached  our  camp.  To  the  prompt 
movements  and  energetic  action  of  himself,  and  his 
officers  and  men,  the  early  retreat  of  the  Indians  from 
the  prairie,  is  in  a  great  measure  due. 

Capt.    Grant    rendered    important   service  in  the 
construction   of  the  main   line   of  rifle-pits.     Lieut. 


188  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

Gillam,  of  Capt.  Grant's  company,  with  a  small  party, 
located  themselves  on  the  left  of  Capt.  Anderson  early 
in  the  fight,  and  did  gallant  service.  Lieut.  Baldwin, 
of  the  same  company,  also  acted  with  cool  courage  in 
the  different  portions  of  the  camp  where  his  duties 
called  him.  Lieut.  Swan,  of  the  3d  infantry,  (a  vol 
unteer,)  was  in  charge  of  a  party  near  and  on  the  left 
of  Lieut.  G-illam,  where  he  and  his  party  did  good 
service.  Mr.  Alex.  Faribault,  with  his  son,  J.  Frazier, 
and  other  volunteers,  had  position  on  the  north  por 
tion  of  the  camp,  where  good  service  was  done  during 
the  continuance  of  the  battle.  Major  Galbraith  and 
Capt.  Eedfield,  both  volunteers,  were  wounded  early 
in  the  morning.  Maj.  Galbraith  received  two  wounds, 
but  continued  to  assist  in  the  construction  of  the  rifle 
pits.  Lieut.  Patch,  (volunteer)  and  Sergeant  Pratt,  of 
Capt.  Grant's  company,  also  rendered  valuable  service 
in  the  defense  of  the  western  rifle-pit 

There  were  wounded,  of  the  volunteers,  in  addition 
to  those  mentioned  above,  Daniel  Blair  and  Warren 
DeCamp,  the  latter  very  severely.  Mr.  J.  C.  Dicken- 
son,  of  Henderson,  and  R  Henderson,  of  Beaver  river, 
also  volunteers,  left  the  camp  in  company  with  four 
others  at  the  first  fire,  and  were  probably  killed.  The 
body  of  Mr.  Henderson  was  found  a  short  distance 
from  the  camp. 

Having  received  no  report  from  Capt.  Grant,  I  am 
unable  to  give  the  names  of  the  killed  and  wounded 
of  his  company,  and  the  fatigue  party  attached  to  it 

There  were  a  few  men  who  behaved  badly,  mostly, 


DAKOTA    WAE   WHOOP.  189 

I  think,  teamsters ;  but  with  these  exceptions,  the  entire 
detachment  acted  with  commendable  coolness  and 
courage.  Probably  the  desire  of  Capt.  Grant's  com 
pany  to  charge  upon  the  Indians,  led  to  their  exposure, 
and  consequently  so  many  deaths  and  wounds.  After 
they  took  position  behind  the  wagons,  but  few  casual 
ties  occured. 

It  is  a  singular  fact,  that  the  woman  found  by  Capt. 
Grant  escaped  unhurt,  although  she  lay  in  a  high 
wagon,  exposed  to  the  fire  of  the  Indians,  and  which 
had  several  balls  pass  through  it.  The  killed  and 
wounded  were  reported  to  Yan  on  the  3d  instant,  by 
Dr.  Daniels,  who  accompanied  the  detachment.  That 
report  I  believe  to  be  correct. 

Every  horse  belonging  to  the  detachment  was 
killed,  excepting  six,  which  were  left  at  the  camp, 
being  wounded  and  unable  to  travel 

The  tents  belonging  to  the  detachment  were  perfectly 
riddled,  one  having  one  hundred  and  forty  ball  holes 
through  it.     They  are  unfit  for  service. 
Very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

JOSEPH  E.  BEOWIST, 
Maj.  Gen.,  3d  Division  Minnesota  Volunteer  Mil., 

Com.  Detachment 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

WANDERING    REFUGEES. 

Alone,  in  the  wild  morass,  through  tangled  bottom 
land  thickets,  crawling  in  tall  prairie  grass,  and  subsisting 
on  hazel-nuts  for  eight  days,  a  mother  wandered  with 
her  child.  Her  scant  house  covering  nearly  worn  from 
her  person,  was  poor  protection  from  the  chill  night 
air,  and  the  dew-beaded  grass  added  to  the  discom 
fiture  of  her  midnight  ramblings.  No  Indian  trail, 
even,  marked  the  course  for  her  feet  to  tread ;  but  her 
upturned  eye  marked  the  course  of  the  stars,  and  her 
uplifted  heart  sought  guidance  of  Him  who  "stayeth 
the  rough  wind  in  the  day  of  the  east  wind."  The 
infant  which  nestled  now  quietly  in  her  bosom,  had 
ever  been  fretful,  restless  and  loud  crying.  Often  she 
detected  the  savage  foe  prowling  upon  her  path.  Then 
she  would  kneel  and  pray  for  deliverance,  and  that  the 
pitying  angels  would  keep  quiet  the  babe,  that  its 
wail  reveal  not  her  lurking  place — so  would  the  dan 
ger  pass. 

Incredible  as  it  may  seem,  this  woman,  Mrs.  Almira 
Harrington  of  Leavenworth,  Brown  county,  had  a  se 
vere  bullet  wound  in  the  back.  The  same  ball  had 
killed  a  man  near  her  and  severed  a  finger  from  the 
hand  of  her  infant. 

The  first  night  of  encampment  by  the  sad  New  Ulm 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  191 

cortege,  on  their  mournful  route  to  Mankato,  was  her 
rescue  made.  She  was  cautiously  crawling  through 
the  grass  towards  the  encampment,  when  discovered  by 
a  picket,  who  snapped  two  caps  at  her  before  he  dis 
covered  she  was  a  white  woman,  and  but  for  their  de 
fect  he  would  have  shot  her.  This  mistake  occurred 
from  her  hailing  him  in  the  Sioux  language  —  he  very 
naturally  mistaking  her  for  one  of  the  tribe.  Her 
story  is  a  very  thrilling  and  affecting  one,  and  given 
with  no  ordinary  intelligence,  as  she  is  a  woman  above 
the  ordinary  grade  of  intellect.  Her  escape  and  rescue 
may  be  regarded  almost  a  miracle. 

The  escape  of  Mrs.  Caruthers,  of  Beaver  Creek, 
from  her  captors,  is  hardly  less  remarkable  than  the 
former.  Two  Indians  claimed  her,  both  of  whom  de 
termined  to  make  her  his  squaw.  The  contest  between 
them  became  fierce,  each  unwilling  to  yield  his  right. 
In  the  heat  of  the  quarrel,  one  of  their  squaws,  fearful 
of  being  supplanted  in  the  affections  of  her  lord,  sig 
nified  a  readiness  to  aid  her.  She  accordingly  spirited 
Mrs.  Caruthers  and  her  two  children  off  to  a  cornfield, 
from  whence  she  made  her  escape,  not  waiting  to  know 
the  result  of  the  quarrel. 

After  being  out  two  days  and  nights  with  little  rest, 
she  reached  the  Minnesota  river,  where  she  found  a 
canoe  and  tried  to  paddle  herself  over.  But  "white 
squaw"  having  not  yet  learned  "the  light  canoe  to 
guide,"  found  her  frail  craft  playing  funny  antics,  and 
resigning  herself  to  its  pranks,  she  laid  down  "the 
paddle,"  and  floating  on  with  the  drift-wood  five  or  six 


192  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

miles,  was  providentially  thrown  on  shore  near  the 
Fort  She  rapped  for  entrance,  with  one  child  in  her 
arms  and  another  on  her  back,  and  found  a  safe  asy 
lum  there. 

An  amusing  incident  occurred  with  a  young  lady 
captive  at  the  Lower  Agency.  The  house  of  the 
Episcopal  clergyman,  Mr.  Hinman,  had  been  pillaged, 
and  his  clerical  robes  desecrated  to  savage  use.  With 
the  red  man,  as  with  many  white  men,  it  is  the  dress 
that  makes  the  man  —  hence  their  increased  pomp  and 
stately  bearing  when  new  blankets  are  distributed. 
No  doubt  he  had  looked  in  some  time  at  the  open  door 
when  the  good  man  had  been  ministering  at  the  altar, 
with  an  envious  eye  for  his  priestly  robe.  Now  what 
could  be  more  opportune  ?  It  was  his,  he  had  got  it, 
and  he  would  wear  it — he  would  even  honor  his  fair 
captive  with  the  escort  of  his  dignified  self  in  pontifi 
cal  robes.  In  self-admiration  and  self-congratulation 
he  stalked  around,  vainly  imagining  himself  the  ad 
mired  of  fair  eyes,  when  a  witty  thought  struck  him, 

and  turning  to  Miss ,  he  asked  if  she  "belonged  to 

his  church  ?"  The  ludicrousness  of  the  scene,  despite 
the  sadness,  produced  an  audible  smile,  at  which  the 
poor  fool  was  so  elated,  attributing  it  to  his  witticism 
alone,  that  he  arose  in  ecstatic  rapture,  and  for  the  mo 
ment  forgot  all  but  himself  The  opportunity  was 
seized  for  escape,  and  when  the  pompous  wit  came 
down  to  a  level  with  the  rest  of  mankind,  "his  bird  had 
flown,"  and  no  magic  could  lure  her  from  her  safe  hid 
ing  place. 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  193 

A  young  man  who  escaped  the  murderous  grasp, 
lay  all  that  fearful  Monday  in  his  grassy  concealment 
He  then  moved  on  as  best  he  could,  till,  finding  him 
self  nearly  surrounded,  he  crept  away  in  the  grass, 
barely  avoiding  their  savage  clutches.  Here  he  re 
mained  till  a  heavy  rain  came  on,  when,  from  a  knowl 
edge  of  their  character,  he  felt  he  had  little  to  fear.  So 
he  manceuvers  till  confident  of  eluding  pursuit,  and 
boldly  pushes  forth.  From  a  high  bluff  he  has  sur 
veyed  the  scene,  and  no  signs  of  Indian  for  miles 
around.  Down  the  hill  he  rushes  with  rapid  strides, 
but  at  the  base  is  brought  to  a  dead  halt.  One  hun 
dred  and  fifty  warriors  at  least  are  huddled  together  in 
the  tall  grass,  not  ten  feet  from  him.  The  noise  of  the 
rain  prevented  the  detection  of  his  footsteps,  and  for 
tunately  their  backs  were  toward  him,  blankets  drawn 
over  their  heads,  and  heads  under  their  arms.  Quick 
as  if  a  thunderbolt  had  hit  him,  he  drops  to  the  ground 
and  commences  a  worming  ascent — hunger  and  weari 
ness  creeping  upon  him.  Another  day  and  night  he 
rests,  when  again  he  resorts  to  the  creeping  process,  and 
finally,  succeeds  in  reaching  a  standing  where  erect 
locomotion  is  comparatively  safe,  to  find  not  unfre- 
quently  in  his  path  some  freshly  bleeding  token  of 
their  inhuman  deeds. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

THE    MANIAC. 

When  Captains  Chittenden  and  Northrup,  under 
Col.  McPhail,  passed  up  the  Minnesota  Valley,  to  raise 
the  siege  of  Fort  Ridgley,  they  were  joined  by  Charles 
Nelson,  a  Swede,  whose  home  at  Norwegian  Grove  Set 
tlement  was  burned  the  day  previous  by  the  Indians.  He 
had  seen  the  tomahawk  cleave  the  head  of  his  wife  in  her 
attempt  to  escape.  His  two  little  sons  he  last  saw  run 
ning  for  the  corn,  and  the  Indians  in  close  pursuit. 
He,  with  bleeding  feet,  walked  twenty-five  miles  to 
Henderson,  where  he  met  the  troops,  and  supposing 
himself  the  only  survivor  of  his  family,  joined  them, 
thus  to  avenge  their  fall. 

Passing  the  spot,  so  late  his  happy  home,  he  seemed 
utterly  stupefied  with  grief,  and  mechanically  closing 
the  gate  of  his  garden,  inquired,  "When  it  would  be 
safe  to  return."  His  reason  was  gone  !  This  incident 
incited  the  following  lines  a  few  days  after,  while  their 
writer,  Captain  Chittenden,  was  seated  under  the  Falls 
of  Minne-ha-ha,  which  our  nation's  poet  has  immortal 
ized  in  his  wondrous  (?)  song  of  Hiawatha  : 

Minne-ha-ha,  laughing  water, 

Cease  thy  laughing  now  for  aye, 
Savage  hands  are  red  with  slaughter 

Of  the  innocent  to-day. 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  195 

111  accords  thy  sportive  humor 

With  their  last  despairing  wail ; 
While  thou'rt  dancing  in  the  sunbeam, 

Mangled  corpses  strew  the  vale. 

Change  thy  note,  gay  Minne-ha-ha; 

Let  some  sadder  strain  prevail  — 
Listen,  while  a  maniac  wanderer 

Sighs  to  thee  his  woful  tale : 

"Give  me  back  my  Lela's  tresses, 

Let  me  kiss  them  once  again  1 
She  who  blest  me  with  caresses, 

Lies  unburied  on  the  plain  ! 

"See  yon  smoke ;  there  was  my  dwelling ; 

That  is  all  I  have  of  home  ! 
Hark !  I  hear  their  fiendish  yelling, 

As  I  houseless,  childless  roam ! 

"Have  they  killed  my  Hans  and  Otto? 

Did  they  find  them  in  the  corn  ? 
Go  and  tell  that  savage  monster, 

Not  to  slay  my  youngest  born. 

"Yonder  is  my  new-bought  reaper, 

Standing  'mid  the  ripened  grain, 
E'en  my  cow  asks  why  I  leave  her 

Wand' ring  unmilked  o'er  the  plain  ! 

"Soldier,  bury  here  my  Lela  ; 

Place  me  also  'neath  the  sod ; 
Long  we  lived  and  wrought  together — 

Let  me  die  with  her — O  God ! 

"Faithful  Fido,  you  they've  left  me ; 

Can  you  tell  me,  Fido,  why 
God  at  once  has  thus  bereft  me  ? 

All  I  ask  is  here  to  die. 

"0,  my  daughter  Jenny,  darling ! 
Worse  than  death  is  Jenny's  fate  I" 

Nelson,  as  our  troops  were  leaving, 
Turned  and  shut  his  garden  gate. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

TALES    OF    SUFFERING. 

Before  the  persistent  and  protracted  engagement  of 
Birch  Coolie,  Capt.  Grant,  on  his  route  there,  found  a 
woman  and  four  children  in  the  swamp,  who,  for  three 
weeks  had  subsisted  on  nuts  and  wild  plums.  They 
had  seen  no  fire,  found  no  covering  but  heaven's  can 
opy,  while  rains  had  beat  and  fierce  winds  had  blowed, 
and  their  now  tattered  garments  were  hardly  sufficient 
for  covering,  and  the  chill  autumn  night  air  piercing 
to  their  very  vitals.  During  this  time  she  had  given 
premature  birth  to  an  infant,  which  her  own  hands  had 
buried.  Exhaustion  and  constant  fear  made  her  a 
half  wild  woman,  and  she  endeavored  to  elude  her 
rescuers  when  first  seen,  by  crawling  deeper  into  the 
morass,  and  for  some  time  she  could  not  be  made  to 
understand  that  they  were  really  her  friends. 

Her  story  is  a  heart- thrilling  one.  She  had  seen  her 
husband  and  two  children  butchered,  and  her  own 
back,  incredible  as  it  may  seem,  was  the  receptacle 'of 
seventeen  buck-shot,  which  were  not  removed  till  after 
she  was  brought  to  St.  Paul.  Three  of  these  were 
lodged  in  the  bone,  and  none  had  entered  the  vitals,  it 
having  been  a  side  shot.  By  superhuman  effort  and, 
woman's  dexterous  skill,  she  and  her  two  remaining 
children  eluded  her  pursuers,  and  to  her  own  were 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  197 

added  two  others,  of  a  slain  neighbor,  which  Provi 
dence  threw  in  her  way,  and  now,  day  and  night,  these 
four  helpless  little  ones  clung  to  her,  begging  for  food 
and  shivering  with  cold.  She  had  not  expected  ever 
again  to  see  a  white  person,  believing  herself  the  only 
one  living  in  all  that  region,  and  had  expected  relief 
only  in  death. 

During  the  memorable  thirty-six  hours  while  raged 
the  bullet  shower  of  Birch  Coolie,  this  poor  suffering 
woman,  with  the  children,  was  lying  quietly,  as  if 
fear  and  suffering  had  paralyzed  the  senses,  in  a  wagon, 
protected  only  by  a  tent  canvas.  Several  balls  passed 
through  the  wagon  box.  Gradually  she  came  to  re 
alize  the  change  in  her  condition,  and  well  did  she 
appreciate  the  comparative  comfort  and  kindness  she 
received. 

Soon  after  the  terrible  war  whoop  had  rung  through 
the  State — before  yet  the  people  had  regained  mental 
equilibrium — the  citizens  of  Saint  Paul  were  startled 
by  the  bringing  hither  by  their  parents  for  medical 
treatment,  two  shockingly  mutilated  children,  the  first 
real  exhibition  we  had  here  seen  of  savage  barbarity. 
Four  children  were  alone  in  the  house,  two  of  whom 
were  killed  outright,  and  the  other  two  left,  one  of 
eleven  years,  with  fourteen  frightful  tomahawk  gashes 
about  the  breast,  arms  and  head — the  other,  a  mere 
baby,  had  three  severe  cuts  on  the  head  and  face.  No 
human  skill  could  save  them. 

The  mother  with  four  other  persons,  was  out  of  the 
house  when  the  attack  was  made  on  it.  Those  with 


198  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

her  were  killed,  |ind  she  barely  escaped  with  life,  and 
hid  in  the  woods  till  nightfall.  The  husband  and 
father,  unprepared  for  the  change  in  his  home,  after  a 
day's  absence,  returns  to  find  it  desolate  indeed — his 
mangled  children  lying  upon  the  floor,  and  all  in 
silence,  save  the  groans  of  the  two  in  whom  life  yet  lin 
gered.  In  that  brief  survey,  how  his  agonized  soul 
yearned  for  the  presence  of  her  who  doubled  his  joys 
and  divided  his  sorrows  ;  nor  was  he  long  to  endure  the 
suspense.  She  had  crawled  from  her  concealment,  when 
night  shadows  made  it  safe,  to  endure  the  anguished 
surprise  with  her  other  self  But  there  is  no  time 
for  tears  or  even  the  burial  of  their  dead, —  they  must 
fly  with  the  mangled  living. 

A  detachment  of  soldiers,  sent  up  the  Big  Cotton- 
wood  for  the  purpose,  found  and  buried  nine  bodies, 
all  of  which  were  terribly  decomposed. 

One  man,  evidently  surprised  at  his  meal,  had  fallen 
forward  on  the  table. 

A  woman  was  lying  across  a  wagon-rack,  near 
which  was  the  body  of  a  man,  doubtless  her  husband, 
with  his  head  cut  off  and  several  bullet-holes  in  his 
body. 

A  child  was  found  nailed  through  its  hands  and 
feet  to  a  tree.  Another  literally  skinned !  O,  the 
horrors  of  savage  butchery !  The  world  has  no  record 
of  such  inhuman  acts. 

The  first  process  of  torture  is  usually  to  strip  them 
of  clothes,  and  the  varied  and  cruel  modes  would' 
seem  incredible,  were  they  not  authenticated  beyond 


DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP.  199 

dispute;  but  we  withhold  the  most  saddening,  soul- 
sickening  pictures,  for  the  pen  revolts  at  their  rehearsal ; 
nay,  there  is  no  written  language  that  would  convey 
their  full  import  True  it  is,  as  often  remarked  during 
its  progress,  that  the  most  horrid  features  of  this 
Indian  war  will  never  be  written. 

A  wife  and  several  small  children  were,  in  one  in 
stance,  butchered  before  the  eyes  of  the  husband  and 
father,  he  being  detained  for  the  purpose  of  being  made 
a  witness.  Prematurely  hastening  the  advent  of  her 
infant,  they  threw  it  around  her  neck  as  she  was  bound 
to  the  tree,  and  turning  to  the  husband  said,  "there, 
you  go  to  St  Paul  and  tell  them  we  are  going  to  serve 
all  the  women  there  the  same." 

On  the  27th  of  October,  two  months  after  compara 
tive  quiet  had  been  restored  to  our  borders,  and  troops, 
unmolested,  were  encamped  at  Yellow  Medicine,  the 
recent  stronghold  of  the  red  man,  and  heaven's  dews, 
heavy  and  chill,  were  nightly  drenching  the  earth,  two 
emaciated  figures  of  the  human  form  were  brought 
into  camp.  They  were  Mrs.  Boetler  and  her  child,  of 
three  years  old,  who  had  wandered  since  the  outbreak, 
not  having  seen  a  human  being  till  picked  up  by  the 
soldiers.  There  is  no  power  in  language  to  convey  an 
idea  of  what  she  suffered,  never  seeing  fire,  and  living 
mainly  on  raw  potatoes,  till,  from  extreme  weakness, 
she  could  not  speak  above  a  whisper.  She  made  her 
escape  with  three  children,  two  of  whom  died  from 
starvation.  With  her  own  hands  she  dug  their  graves 
in  the  sand  and  heaped  them  up  with  leaves.  The 
little  girl  who  lived  was  as  weak  and  emaciated  as 


200  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

herself,  but  with  kind  treatment,  medical  attention  and 
good  nursing,  physical  vigor  returned,  but  a  pall  never 
to  be  removed,  rests  upon  their  hearts. 

The  foraging  party  which  brought  Mrs.  Boetler  into 
camp,  buried  forty-seven  bodies,  and  left  elsewhere,  sev 
enteen  unburied.  There  is  little  doubt  but  hundreds 
have  been  left,  unfound,  till  decomposition  has  taken 
place,  and  that  the  number  of  actual  slain  will  swell 
to  a  larger  list  than  we  now  have,  while  houseless,  fire- 
less  wanderers  roamed  here  and  there  till  the  last  shred 
of  clothing  was  gone,  and  cold  weather  upon  them, 
they  lay  them  down  to  die,  having  been  the  severest 
sufferers  of  the  Indian  raid. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

THE    ATHENJEUM. 

So  vigorous  were  the  measures,  so  determined  the 
efforts  of  our  troops,  that  ere  one  month  had  passed, 
the  fast  fevered  pulse  was  quiet,  fears  were  subdued, 
and  midnight  alarms  ceased,  save  in  night-mare  dreams, 
resulting  from  the  daily  developments  of  blood  and 
murder. 

Minnesotians,  with  all  their  fertility  of  imagination, 
had  never  anticipated  the  sad  fate  which  awaited  her 
— that  her  fairest  portions  would,  be  drenched  with  the 
blood  of  the  owners,  or  that  the  most  remote  frontiers 
man  needed  any  stronger  protection  than  his  own 
powerful  arm  and  his  own  resolute  will.  The  Indians, 
we  all  thought,  would  never  dare  molest  a  settler ;  not 
that  they  were  too  good  to  do  it,  but  fear  of  the  pow 
ers  to  whom  they  were  amenable  would  prevent.  But 
too  late  have  they  awakened  to  the  need  of  strong 
frontier  defenses  —  a  cordon  of  military  posts  will  be 
demanded,  to  protect  from  further  incursions,  extend 
ing  from  the  Red  river  of  the  North  to  the  Red  river 
of  the  South. 

The  direct  loss  by  savage  hands  was  not  much  less 
than  that  occasioned  by  the  panic  and  flight.  Many 
of  the  dead  found  on  our  prairies  were  the  victims  of 
starvation,  after  having  fled  the  actual  danger. 

Scarcely  a  town  without  the  range  of  their  savage 


202  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

menace  but  gave  shelter  to  the  homeless;  in  many, 
citizens  opened  their  own  dwellings  to  give  comfort 
and  solace  to  the  stricken  ones.  Societies  were  formed 
for  their  relief,  food  and  clothing  provided  without 
stint,  and  for  many  weeks  large  donations  from  eastern 
cities,  in  money  and  goods,  were  daily  received  by  the 
committees,  and  distributed  to  each  "as  they  had 
need."  The  thanks  of  Minnesotians  are  due,  and 
given  in  no  stinted  measure,  for  the  prompt  and  ready 
co-operation  in  relief  of  these  suffering  thousands. 

Take  one  example  as  a  specimen  of  the  congregating 
points.  The  vast  German  Athenaeum  of  St.  Paul,  was 
given  up  to  the  reception  of  refugees.  Benevolent 
hearts,  beating  in  the  breasts  of  noble  men  and  women, 
were  devoted  to  their  needs.  Through  these  and  her 
own  observation,  the  writer  obtained  an  insight  into 
the  individual  history  of  that  one-roomed  community, 
more  than  one  half  of  whom  were  children.  Arrivals 
and  departures  were  of  daily  occurrence,  and  some 
days,  five  hundred  persons  were  there  to  be  fed,  and 
many  of  them  clothed,  wholly,  or  in  part,  besides  sleep 
ing  arrangements  provided,  and,  as  the  weather  was 
becoming  colder,  there  was  necessarily  a  large  demand 
for  bed  coverings. 

Many  of  these  spoke  only  a  foreign  tongue,  and  a 
striking  characteristic  of  all  was  the  seeming  extreme 
age  —  lines  of  grief  and  care.  Nor  is  it  strange.  Most 
of  these  had  been  reduced  from  competence  to  penury. 
Garners  were  full,  plenty  smiled  at  their  boards  —  the  '" 
family  circle  was  unbroken.  One  day,  and  0 !  how 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  203 

changed !  Farms  are  dreary  wastes,  the  stock  driven 
off  or  roam,  uncared  for,  over  the  prairies,  houses  and 
barns  are  pillaged,  or  a  heap  of  smouldering  ruins,  and 
the  family  ranks  invaded  by  grim  and  ghastly  death. 
The  panorama  is  a  very  sad  one  to  gaze  upon,  and  still 
sadder  is  the  real  life  it  represents.  Dost  wonder,  read 
er,  that  premature  age  is  engraven  on  the  index  of  those 
sad,  weary  hearts  ?  Alas !  we  only  wonder  that  death 
has  not  set  his  signet  there.  Truly,  woman  was  made  to 
suffer  and  endure ! 

Here,  at  the  Athenaeum,  is  one  family,  whose  beauti 
ful  country  home,  just  without  the  village  of  New 
Ulm,  was  the  admiration  of  all.  Their  carriage  and 
elegant  matched  horses  were  conspicuous  objects  during 
the  besieging  of  that  town ;  for  their  buildings  had  all 
been  burned,  and  their  valuables  seized  upon.  Their 
broad  acres,  teeming  with  golden  plenty,  were  now  one 
desolate  waste,  over  which  the  cattle  roamed,  uncared 
for,  and  several  thousands  in  money  and  promissory 
notes,  were  burned  with  the  house.  But  all  was  naught, 
for  the  family  circle  was  unbroken. 

One  little  child,  with  violet  eyes,  of  deep  meaning, 
the  only  living  member  of  its  family,  is  being  kindly 
nursed  by  a  self-constituted  foster-mother,  who  feels 
that  Providence  directed  her  to  its  rescue.  This  woman 
was  fleeing  from  those  whose  war-whoop  was  ringing 
in  her  ears,  when,  stumbling  over  some  object,  conceal 
ed  in  the  grass,  she  fell  prostrate.  Kegaining  her  feet, 
she  involuntarily  cast  her  eyes  backward  for  the  cause 
of  her  downfall.  The  fall,  rise,  and  seizure  of  the  child 


204:  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

was  but  the  work  of  an  instant,  and  with  it  in  her 
arms,  she  soon  eluded  pursuit.  Then,  in  her  covert, 
she  first  looks  upon  the  child  To  her  surprise,  its 
mother,  whom  she  knew  to  have  been  killed,  was  a 
neighbor  and  dear  friend.  The  story  being  told,  this 
darling  baby-boy  elicited  no  little  interest  from  those 
who  visited  the  building,  and  many  of  our  best  citizens 
desired  to  adopt  him.  But  the  foster-mother  said  unay," 
its  grand-parents  were  its  rightful  claimants,  and  her 
care  would  cease  not  till  theirs  commenced. 

Another,  with  an  eye  of  more  than  ordinary  intelli 
gence,  dignity  of  mein  and  lady -like  in  deportment, 
had  opened  her  house  and  larder  to  the  heroic  men 
who  so  nobly  fought'  in  defense  of  New  Ulm,  till  the 
excitement  of  the  terrible  conflict  obliged  her  to  take 
her  couch  in  real  indisposition.  Thus  helpless  she  lay, 
while  the  bullets  whizzed,  and  rattled  upon  the  walls, 
and  at  last,  necessity  forced  the  alternative  of  firing 
the  dwelling  for  better  range  of  the  foe.  Hurried  by 
her  husband,  she  caught  an  ordinary  dress,  which  was  just 
thrown  on  (our  lady  readers  will  understand  this), 
slipped  her  stockingless  feet  into  slippers  and  made 
her  egress  at  the  front  door  as  the  savages  made  in 
gress  at  the  rear.  But  her  bright,  intelligent  boy  of 
ten  years,  and  her  husband  were  saved,  so  she  bore  in 
silence  the  loss  of  all  things  else. 

Here,  too,  is  another ;  her  husband  died  in  her  arms 
from  a  wound,  a  few  hours  after  the  battle.     Her  aged 
mother  and  herself  each  try  in  vain  to  hush  the  plain-  * 
live  cry  of  the  children  in  their  arms,  both  mere  in- 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  205 

fants,  but  recently,  she  says,  "  so  rosy  and  fat,"  now 
so  squalid  and  pale.  Plenty  smiled  in  her  larder  and 
cellar,  and  her  wardrobe  was  rich  and  rare.  The  gar 
ments  they  wore  away  had  become  mere  shreds,  and 
their  place  is  supplied  by  those  of  coarser  texture  than 
ever  worn  before.  Her  home  and  its  contents  are  a 
heap  of  ashes,  and  with  a  bursting  heart  she  sobs,  "all 
would  be  nothing  if  he  were  only  here."  Though 
scarcely  thirty,  she  looked  like  an  aged  grandmother 
of  her  own  children,  so  terrible  is  such  sudden  grief  to 
the  heart 

As  soon  as  possible,  all  who  desired  it,  were  fur 
nished  homes,  either  from  private  bounty  or  public 
resources,  when  a  gradual  improvement  was  apparent 
The  little  squalid  ones  again  smiled  and  crowed  in 
healthful  glee,  and  the  burden  of  their  mother's  grief 
was  lightened  by  the  occupation  of  mind  and  the 
necessity  for  effort 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

THE  CAPTIVE'S  EXPERIENCE   AS  FURTHER  RELATED 

BY   HIMSELF. 

""We  remained  at  Little  Crow's  village  five  days, 
during  which  time  all  the  Indians  who  had  their  vil 
lages  below  that  place,  moved  np  to  our  encampment, 
and  in  those  five  days  the  country  for  miles  around 
was  visited  by  the  warriors,  who  dealt  death  and  de 
struction  to  every  person  or  thing  within  their  reach. 
A  great  many  female  prisoners  were  brought  in  every 
day.  I  was  the  only  white  man  ever  taken  and  spared. 

"There  were  three  or  four  Canadians  who  had  resided 
among  the  Indians  a  great  many  years,  who  had 
married  Indian  women  and  had  children  grown,  who 
re-married  with  them ;  but  they  were  not  considered 
as  prisoners,  as  they  were  allowed  to  retain  their  teams 
and  other  property.  One  of  these  men  is  said  to 
have  made  his  escape  to  the  whites,  but  returned  to 
his  Indian  family  again  after  a  few  days. 

"The  attacks  on  New  Ulm  and  Fort  Eidgley  were 
made  while  we  were  at  this  village,  and  after  being 
convinced  that  they  could  not  reduce  the  Fort,  they 
made  preparations  for  a  move. 

"In  a  short  time  the  lodges  were  all  struck,  and  their 
entire  camp  was  in  motion.  A  great  many  wagons 
were  broken  down  on  the  journey  in  consequence  of. 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  207 

their  being  so  heavily  loaded.  They  supposed,  of 
course,  that  a  white  man's  wagon  could  carry  all  that 
could  be  piled  on  to  it 

"As  I  was  too  badly  hurt  to  walk,  my  friend  got 
me  a  place  to  ride  in  a  small  one  horse  wagon,  while 
he  walked  along  by  my  side.  The  train  of  horses, 
wagons,  etc.,  I  should  judge  was  about  three  miles 
long.  After  crossing  the  Eed  Wood  river  we  had 
proceeded  about  three  miles,  when  the  body  of  a  white 
man  was  pointed  out  to  me,  lying  near  the  side  of  the 
road,  upon  his  face.  I  got  out  to  look  at  it,  but  it  was 
so  much  swollen  I  could  not  have  recognized  it  But 
upon  the  shirt  collar  I  read  the  name  of  'Greo.  H.  Grlea- 
son.'  He  had  then  been  dead  about  a  week.  Poor  fel 
low,  he  had  not  a  personal  enemy  among  the  whole 
tribe,  but  was  universally  beloved  by  all,  both  whites 
and  Indians,  but  those  savage  fiends  had  sworn  to 
spare  none,  not  even  women  nor  helpless  children. 

"About  three  o'clock  of  the  second  day's  march  we 
arrived  at  Yellow  Medicine,  where  a  large  encamp 
ment  in  shape  of  a  circle  was  formed,  wifh  the  'Ti-zo- 
ti,'  or  Soldier's  lodge  in  the  centre. 

"I  would  here  add  that  this  Soldier's  lodge,  being 
composed  of  the  bravest  and  wisest,  governs  the  tribe. 
Their  word  is  law,  and  from  their  decision  there  is  no 
appeal.  To  it  the  chief  must  submit  in  silence. 

"Here  the  Mission  houses,  the  Agency  buildings, 
and  the  house  of  Other  Day  were  fired,  also  some 
other  houses  belonging  to  the  farmer  Indians. 

"We  remained  here  about  two  weeks,  during  which 
It 


208  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

time  the  battle  with  Capt  Strout's  company  was  fought 
and  the  battle  of  Birch  Coolie.  Here,  also,  Gren.  Sibley 
succeeded  in  opening  correspondence  with  Little  Crow. 
It  was  here,  also,  that  Mrs.  Adams  was  brought  in  a 
captive,  some  particulars  of  which  will  be  found  else 
where." 

From  this  point,  two  messengers  were  dispatched 
north,  south,  and  west,  as  spoken  of  elsewhere,  and 
from  here  he  sent  word  to  his  friends  that  he  was  still 
alive,  etc. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

EFFORTS  TO  REGAIN  THE  PRISONERS. 

Until  after  the  battle  of  Birch  Coolie,  the  Sioux  had 
no  doubt  of  final  and  complete  success.  The  spirit  of 
their  leader  had  been  infused  into  the  mass,  and  for  a 
time  his  scepter  of  influence  was  swayed  in  power. 
But  a  reaction  comes.  The  whites  have  not  all  gone 
South,  and  those  that  remained  had  given  occular  dem 
onstrations  of  their  fighting  qualities.  Little  Crow, 
the  wily  warrior  Chief,  feels  his  influence  on  the  wane, 
and  is  often  obliged  to  hide  himself  at  night,  to  escape 
the  fury  of  his  dissatisfied  soldiers,  and  then  in  the 
morning  he  convenes  a  council  and  all  are  ready  to  do 
his  bidding,  after  he  has  feasted  them  to  their  full  con 
tent 

Colonel  Sibley  had  left  a  note  attached  to  a  stake  on 
the  Birch  Coolie  battle  ground,  as  follows : 

"If  Little  Crow  has  any  proposition  to  make  to  me,  let  him  send 
a  half-breed  to  me,  and  he  shall  be  protected  in  and  out  of  my  camp. 

H.  H.  SIBLEY, 
Col.  Commanding  Military  Expedition. 

The  note  was  found  and  given  to  their  male  captive 
to  be  read  to  them.  Little  Crow  desired  him  to  pen 
the  reply  which  he  would  dictate,  but  his  arm,  broken 
by  the  bullet,  was  not  yet  well,  and  he  declined,  but 
sent  by  the  flag  of  truce  which  bore  the  reply,  a  mes- 


210  DAKOTA  WAK  WHOOP. 

sage  to  Ms  friends  "that  lie  was  alive."     The  following 
is  a  verbatim  copy  of  Little  Crow's  letter. 

"YELLOW  MEDICINE,  Sept.  7,  1862. 

"DEAR  SIR: — For  what  reason  we  have  commenced  this  war,  I 
will  tell  you.  It  is  on  account  of  Major  Galbraith,  we  made  a  treaty 
with  the  Government  a  beg  for  what  little  we  do  get  and  then  can't 
get  it  till  our  children  are  dicing  with  hunger.  It  was  with  the  tra 
ders  that  commence.  Mr.  A.  J.  Myrick  told  the  Indians  they  would 
eat  grass  or  their  own  dung,  then  Mr.  Forbes  told  the  lower  Sioux 
that  were  not  men  then  Robert  he  was  making  with  his  friends  how 
to  defraud  us  of  our  money,  if  the  young  braves  have  push  the  white 
man,  I  have  done  this  myself;  So  I  want  you  to  let  the  Governor 
Kamsey  know  this.  I  have  a  great  many  prisoners  women  and  chil 
dren  it  aint  all  our  fault  the  Winnebagoes  was  in  the  engagement, 
two  of  them  was  killed.  I  want  you  to  give  me  answer  by  bearer 
all  at  present. 

Yours  truly, 

his 

LITTLE  M  CROW, 
mark." 

The  following  day  the  truce  bearers  returned  with 
the  following  reply  to  the  foregoing  : 

"LITTLE  CROW  : — You  have  murdered  many  of  our  people  without 
any  sufficient  cause.  Return  me  the  prisoners,  under  a  flag  of  truce, 
and  1  will  talk  to  you  like  a  man. 

H.  H.  SIBLEY, 
Col.  Commanding  Military  Expedition." 

The  above  was  not  in  accordance  with  the  mighty 
warrior  Chieftain's  ideas,  and  the  prisoners  were  still 
"held  in  durance  vile." 

The  soldiers,  the  people  and  the  press  became  im 
patient  for  the  expedition  to  proceed.  Col.  Sibley  was 
charged  with  remissness,  negligence  and  a  desire  to 
favor  the  Indians.  Still  he  kept  his  own  counsels, 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  ,        211 

unmoved  by  calumny  and  trusting  his  own  superior 
judgment  He  knew  his  men  were  undisciplined  re 
cruits,  but  never  an  army  composed  of  better  material. 
Halls  of  science,  business  houses  and  churches  had 
contributed  to  swell  the  enrolled  list  They  must  not 
be  sacrificed,  and  to  rush  unprepared  upon  the  enemy 
was  madness.  Besides,  he  knew  the  Indians  well  — 
habits,  character  and  fighting  proclivities  —  he  knew, 
too,  what  woxild  probably  be  the  fate  of  the  unhappy 
prisoners,  should  he  be  precipitate.  The  Indians  held 
them  for  a  specific  end.  Had  the  attack  on  them  been 
made  before  they  deserted  their  camp,  it  was  their  de 
sign  to  tomahawk  every  captive.  This  was  not  con 
sidered  by  his  impatient  slanderers,  whose  tongues 
were  afterwards  silenced,  when  they  saw  the  wisdom 
of  his  plans  and  his  courage  in  braving  censure. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

CORRESPONDENCE    BETWEEN    COL.    SIBLEY    AND 
LITTLE  CROW. 

It  was  hoped  that  the  checks  which  had  been  given 
the  Sioux,  with  the  practical  knowledge  gained  of  the 
fighting  qualities  of  those  with  whom  they  contended, 
would  cause  the  cessation  of  hostilities  and  the  deliv 
ery  of  the  captors.  But  always,  in  their  mode  of  war 
fare,  the  danger  is  nigh  when  least  expected.  Fair, 
open  field  fight  is  avoided.  Small  guerrilla  squads 
prowl  through  the  country  on  fleet  stolen  horses,  stri 
king  where  they  can  wield  the  most  successful  blow, 
and  before  the  alarm  can  be  raised,  are  beyond  the 
reach  of  punishment 

Coursing  down  the  Minnesota  valley,  we  find  them 
in  Blue  Earth  county  on  the  12th  September,  commit 
ting  depredations  and  murders,  where  comparative  se 
curity  was  being  felt,  and  no  supposition  of  an  Indian 
within  fifty  miles.  Four  men,  after  taking  their  fami 
lies  to  a  place  of  safety,  had  returned  to  secure  their 
crops,  as  many  others  had  done,  and  were  surprised 
and  murdered,  within  one  mile  of  a  military  company, 
stationed  there  for  the  protection  of  the  neighborhood, 
This  circumstance  evinced  the  necessity  of  strong 
armed  forces,  where  there  was  no  apparent  danger. 

On  the  12th  of  Sept,  another  flag  of  truce,  with 


DAKOTA    WAR   WHOOP.  213 

another  communication  from  Little  Crow,  was  received 
at  the  "head-quarters."  The  bearer  of  the  dispatch, 
had  a  secret  for  CoL  Sibley's  ear — a  dissatisfaction  had 
arisen  in  camp,  confirmed  by  a  private  letter,  secretly 
brought  and  delivered,  and  it  was  very  evident  that 
the  war  party  among  the  Indians,  had  determined  on  a 
desperate  stand  against  our  forces.  We  give  below  a 
copy  of  Little  Crow's  second  letter  to  Gen.  Sibley : 

"RED  IRON  VILLAGE,  OR      ) 
WAY-AU-AKAN.          \ 
"To  HON.  H.  H.  SIBLEY  : 

ilwe  have  in  ma-wa-kan-ton  band  one  hundred  and  fifty-five  pres- 
oners — not  included  the  Sisitons  and  warpeton  presoners,  then  we 
are  waiting  for  the  Sisiton  what  we  are  going  to  do  with  the  prison 
ers  they  are  coming  down  —  they  are  at  Lake  quiparle  now,  the 
words  that  I  want  to  the  governel  il  want  to  here  from  him  also,  and 
I  want  to  know  from  you  as  a  friend  what  way  that  il  can  make 
peace  for  my  people — in  regard  to  presoners  they  fair  with  our 
children  or  our  self  just  as  well  as  us. 

"Your  truly  friend, 

"LITTLE  CROW." 

We  append  the  answer. 

HEAD-QUARTERS  MILITARY  EXPEDITION,  ) 
Sept.  12,  1862.  J 

To  LITTLE  CROW,  Sioux  CHIEF: 

I  have  received  your  letter  to-day.  You  have  not  done  as  I 
wished  in  giving  up  the  prisoners  taken  by  your  people.  It  would 
be  better  for  you  to  do  so.  I  told  you  I  had  sent  your  former  letter 
to  Gov.  Ramsey,  but  I  have  not  yet  had  time  to  receive  a  reply. 
You  have  allowed  your  young  men  to  commit  some  murders  since 
you  wrote  your  first  letter.  This  is  not  the  way  to  make  peace. 

H.  H.  SIBLEY, 
Col.  Com.  Mil.  Expedition." 

The  following  is  the  private  letter  named  above,  re 
ceived  at  the  same  time  as  the  other.  The  contrast  of 


214  DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP. 

the  two  will  readily  evince  the  power  of  the  Christian 
over  the  savage  Indian : 

"WAY-AWA-KAN,  Sept.  10,  '62. 
"Cor,.  H.  H.  SIBLKY,  Fort  Ridgley : 

"Dear  Sir : — You  know  that  Little  Crow  has  been  opposed  to  me 
in  everything  that  our  people  have  had  to  do  with  the  whites.  He 
has  been  opposed  to  everything  in  the  form  of  civilization  and  Chris 
tianity.  I  have  always  been  in  favor  of,  and  of  late  years  have  done 
everything  of  the  kind  that  has  been  offered  to  us  by  the  Govern 
ment  and  other  good  white  people  —  he  has  now  got  himself  into 
trouble  that  we  know  he  can  never  get  himself  out  of,  and  he  is  try 
ing  to  involve  those  in  the  murder  of  the  poor  whites  that  have  been 
settled  in  the  border ;  but  I  have  been  kept  back  with  threats  that  I 
should  be  killed  if  I  did  anything  to  help  the  whites.  But  if  you 
will  now  appoint  some  place  for  me  to  meet  you,  myself  and  the  few 
friends  that  I  have  will  get  all  the  prisoners  that  we  can,  and  with 
our  families  go  to  whatever  place  you  will  appoint  for  us  to  meet. 

"I  would  say  further,  that  the  mouth  of  the  Red  Wood,  Candiohi 
on  the  north  side  of  the  Minnesota,  or  the  head  of  the  Cottonwood 
river  —  one  of  these  three  places,  I  think,  would  be  a  good  place  to 
meet. 

"Return  the  messenger  as  quick  as  possible,  we  have  not  much 
time  to  spare. 

"Your  true  friend, 

"WABASHAW, 
"TAOPEE." 

CoL  Sibley  returned  answer,  as  follows  : 

"HEAD-QUARTERS  MIL.  EXPEDITION,  ) 

Sept.  12,  1862.  f  , 

"To  WABASHAW  AND  TAOPEE  : 

"I  have  received  your  private  message.  I  have  come  up  here 
with  a  large  force  to  punish  the  murderers  of  my  people.  It  was  not 
my  purpose  to  injure  any  innocent  person.  If  you  and  others  who 
have  not  been  concerned  in  the  murders  and  expeditions,  will  gather 
yourselves,  with  all  the  prisoners,  on  the  prairie  in  full  sight  of 
my  troopspand  when  the  white  flag  is  displayed  by  you,  a  white  flag 
will  be  hoisted  in  my  camp,  and  then  you  can  come  forward  and 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  215 

place  yourselves  under  my  protection.  My  troops  will  be  all  moun 
ted  in  two  days'  time,  and  in  three  days  from  this  day  I  expect  to 
march.  There  must  be  no  attempt  to  approach  my  column  or  my 
camp,  except  in  open  day,  and  with  a  flag  of  truce  conspicuously 
displayed.  I  shall  be  glad  to  receive  all  true  friends  of  the  whites 
with  as  many  prisoners  as  they  can  bring,  and  I  am  powerful  enough 
to  crush  all  who  attempt  to  oppose  my  march,  and  to  punish  those 
who  have  washed  their  hands  in  innocent  blood. 

"I  sign  myself  the  friend  of  all  who  were  friends  of  your  great 
American  Father. 

"H.  H.  SIBLEY, 
"Col.  Com.  Mil.  Expedition." 

As  soon  as  the  Expedition  was  provided  with  "bread 
and  bullets  for  ten  days  in  advance,"  the  Col.  issued 
his  marching  orders,  and  on  the  18th  of  September 
crossed  the  Minnesota  river,  opposite  the  Fort,  nearly 
two  thousand  strong,  and  in  mud  and  rain,  pushed  on 
eager  for  the  climax. 

On  their  route  the  main  body  found  and  buried  the 
body  of  Philander  Prescott,  an  esteemed  Christian  man, 
who  for  more  than  thirty  years  had  been  employed  as 
interpreter,  and  had  been  one  of  the  first  victims  of 
savage  wrath.  His  history  is  peculiar  and  full  of  in 
terest.  When  a  young  man  he  had  found  his  way  into 
the  heart  of  the  Sioux  country,  where,  throwing  off 
the  restraints  of  civilized  life,  he  adopted  the  habits, 
customs  and  costume  of  the  tribe.  He  had  married  a 
squaw  who  bore  him  several  children,  who  were  grow 
ing  up  in  all  the  ignorance  which  surrounded  them. 
Thus  he  lived  and  thus  he  might  have  died,  had  not  the 
Holy  Spirit  been  commissioned  with  a  message  to  his 
heart,  reviving  in  even  these  dark  surroundings  the  re 
ligious  impressions  of  childhood.  Deep  and  pungent 


216  DAKOTA   WAK  WHOOP. 

conviction  for  sin  was  fastened  "like  a  nail  in  a  sure 
place,"  and  he  found  peace  at  the  feet  of  Jesus  in  the 
surety  of  pardon  through  his  blood.  Now  arose  the 
question  of  duty.  The  now  Christian  man  could  not 
leave  his  wife  and  children  in  heathen  darkness,  and 
therefore  resolved  to  give  them,  with  their  people,  the 
benefit  of  his  new  life.  So  he  came  to  the  frontier  and 
engaged  as  Interpreter,  first  at  Fort  Snelling  and  later 
at  the  new  Agencies.  His  family  had  been  educated 
in  the  walks  of  usefulness,  and  everywhere  commanded 
respect  When  the  trouble  commenced,  his  wife  hid 
him  in  an  oven,  where  he  remained  till  the  danger 
seemed  comparatively  over.  Then  he  started  for  the 
Fort,  a  lone  pedestrian,  shuddering  at  the  fresh  tokens 
of  savage  wrath  which  often  met  his  eye.  But  this 
was  not  long ;  the  savage  hounds  were  upon  his  track, 
and  his  aged  body  is  left  to  decomposition  without 
funeral  rites,  while  his  well-prepared  soul  basks  in  the 
light  of  eternal  day. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

BATTLE    OF    WOOD    LAKE. 

Col.  Sibley's  force  was  camped  on  Wood  Lake,  three 
miles  below  the  Yellow  Medicine  Agency.  Thus  far 
had  they  come  'unmolested  by  the  skulking  foe,  but 
frequent  proofs  of  their  doings  met  the  eye  in  the 
mangled  and  decaying  bodies.  Wherever  their  en 
campments  had  been,  the  ground  was  strewn  with 
empty  trunks,  boxes,  barrels,  fruit  and  oyster  cans, 
and  various  other  indications  of  the  quality  and  kind 
of  spoils. 

A  scouting  party,  among  whom  was  Other-Day,  was 
sent  forward  on  the  21st  Sept.,  who  having  curiosity 
to  gratify,  hitched  their  horses  for  reconnoissance  of  the 
deserted  Indian  houses.  A  horse  of  their  own  party 
galloped  up  riderless,  and  Other-Day  hastened  out  just 
in  time  to  see  an  Indian  riding  off  his  own  horse  at 
full  speed.  His  fire  was  without  effect,  but  his  flash 
ing  eye  gave  promise  of  success  in  a  determination  for 
revenge. 

Where  he  was  murdered,  was  found  the  body  of 
George  Gleason,  whom  it  will  be  recollected  was  one 
of  the  victims  of  the  first  day's  massacre.  There  was 
little  else  than  a  dried  skeleton.  His  skull  was  broken 
in,  and  all  his  clothes  gone,  save  his  drawers  and  shirt 
Some  gold  buttons  with  his  initials,  which  the  savages 


218  DAKOTA   WAK  WHOOP. 

had  overlooked,  were  the  only  means  of  identity. 
Around  him  were  fragments  of  dispatches  he  was  car 
rying  to  the  Lower  Agency,  and  other  papers  of  both 
public  and  private  interest  With  sad  hearts  they 
heaped  the  earth  over  the  remains  of  their  once  jovial, 
warm-hearted  friend,  and  when  all  terror  had  fled  that 
region,  he  was  removed  by  Masonic  friends  to  Shako- 
pee,  where,  at  last,  the  rites  of  a  Christian  burial  were 
given  him. 

A  daring  warrior  of  Little  Crow  came  to  the  oppo- 
posite  shore  the  night  previous  to  battle,  counted  the 
tents  of  Col.  Sibley's  camp,  by  which,  seeing  but  forty- 
eight,  he  estimated  a  force  of  only  three  hundred  men. 
Their  number  was  seven  hundred  and  eighty,  and  so 
they  felt  safe  in  risking  a  battle.  The  "braves,"  more 
honorable  than  their  chief,  overruled  his  intent  of  a 
night  attack,  reminding  him  of  his  boast  that  he  could 
whip  the  white  men,  and  now,  say  they,  "let's  show 
them  by  open  day-light  that  we  can  do  it."  Crow's 
plan  was  to  attack  with  a  small  force  in  front,  suffi 
cient  to  draw  them  from  the  ravine,  and  at  a  signal  to 
be  given,  the  ambushed  Indians  were  to  seize  the  bag 
gage  wagons  and  shoot  the  drivers.  So  confident  was 
he  of  success,  that  their  women  were  brought  down-  to 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river  to  carry  off  the  spoils, 
while  the  men  should  do  the  butchering  and  make  a 
clean  sweep  of  the  camp. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  23d,  a  foraging  party 
was  surprised,  and  conveyed  the  alarm  to  camp,  while 
it  was  breakfasting.  The  Renville  Eangers,  under 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  219 

Lieutenant  Grorman,  were  sent  at  once  to  their  support. 
In  a  few  moments,  the  surrounding  bluffs  were  covered 
with  Indians,  both  on  horse  and  foot,  trying  to  circum 
vent  the  camp.  The  Third  Eegiment  followed  in  sup 
port  of  the  Eangers,  who  now  pushed  on  a  mile  in  ad 
vance,  and  were  nearly  surrounded,  and  barely  effected 
a  retreat.  The  artillery  kept  the  opposite  shore  of  the 
lake,  clear.  Two  companies  of  the  Sixth  had  a  skirm 
ish  on  the  left,  and  the  Seventh  Eegiment,  under  Lieut. 
Col.  Marshall,  made  a  gallant  charge  into  a  ravine  on 
the  right,  and  drove  the  enemy  from  shelter  there. 
This  charge  is  pronounced  by  all,  as  one  of  the  most 
valiant  and  successful  ever  made.  And  when  we  re 
flect  that  it  was  by  an  undisciplined  regiment,  not  two 
months  from  the  quiet  of  home  life,  and  most  of  them 
in  their  first  fight,  with  those  who  had  drank  in  the 
war-spirit  with  their  earliest  breath,  we  marvel  that 
the  brave  Col.  Marshall,  with  his  young  heroes,  had 
not  all  been  left  in  ghastly  death,  instead  of  driving 
the  foe  and  leading  his  men  out  of  that  ravine,  glori 
ously  victorious. 

Other-Day,  too,  proved  himself  on  this  occasion  true 
as  steel,  and  of  great  courage.  He  pushed  forward  of 
the  lines,  rushed  in  amongst  the  Indians,  exposing 
himself  to  the  fire  of  both  sides,  and  several  times 
being  mistaken  for  an  enemy,  was  fired  at  by  our  men. 
Finally,  after  he  had  shot  three  Indians,  he  was  sur 
rounded  and  led  triumphantly  into  camp  with  two  cap 
tured  ponies,  which  more  than  squared  up  his  account 
for  the  loss  of  his  own  horse. 


220  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

During  the  fight,  Little  Crow  was  seen  in  the  dis 
tance,  riding  a  black  horse,  with  a  spy  glass  in  his 
hand,  which  he  used  ever  and  anon,  to  see  how 
the  war  was  waging.  It  was  a  complete  repulse 
to  the  Sioux,  and  from  this  time  they  were  thoroughly 
convinced  that  the  despised  whites  were  more  than  a 
match  for  them. 

Had  the  cavalry  force  been  sufficient  to  follow  up 
this  repulse,  the  whole  band  might  have  been  de 
stroyed  or  made  prisoners.  But  they  being  nearly 
naked,  with  no  incumbrance  but  their  guns  and  pow 
der  flasks,  soon  outdistanced  the  infantry  and  rendered 
further  pursuit  futile.  But  the  back  bone  of  the  out 
break  was  broken — the  power  of  Little  Crow  vanished 
as  in  air,  and  they  sought  their  own  safety  by  flight. 

The  aspect  of  affairs,  as  Col.  Sibley  moved  up  the 
Minnesota  valley,  was  extremely  threatening,  and  the 
difficulties  under  which  he  labored  of  no  ordinary  na 
ture.  Had  he  yielded  to  the  almost  unanimous  desire 
of  the  people  to  advance,  before  being  fully  prepared, 
and  his  command  been  defeated  or  even  temporarily 
repulsed,  it  is  a  fact  which  does  not  now  admit  of 
question,  that  there  would  have  been  a  general  upris 
ing  of  all  the  savages  on  our  border,  embracing  not 
only  the  entire  Dakota  bands,  but  the  Chippewas  and 
Winnebagoes  also,  which  would  have  resulted  in  a 
repetition,  upon  a  larger  scale,  of  the  murders  and  out 
rages  committed  by  the  lower  bands  of  Dakotas.  The, 
imminent  peril  to  the  whole  State  of  a  premature  move 
ment,  was  constantly  present  to  his  mind,  and  con 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  221 

trolled  every  action  throughout,  notwithstanding  the 
immense  outward  pressure  brought  to  bear  from  every 
quarter.  The  obstinately  contested  but  successful  bat 
tle  of  Wood  Lake,  broke  the  power  of  the  savage, 
completely  demoralized  the  hostile  bands,  and  relieved 
the  entire  frontier,  teaching  the  savages  a  lesson  they 
are  not  soon  to  forget. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

COL.  SIBLEY'S  DISPATCH  TO  GOV.  RAMSEY. 

WOOD  LAKE,  NEAR  YELLOW  MEDICINE,  > 
September  23,  1862.  $ 

To  His  Excellency,  Gov.  Kamsej : 

Sir :  I  left  the  camp  at  Fort  Ridgley  on  the  12th 
inst,  with  my  command,  and  reached  this  point  early 
in  the  afternoon  of  the  22d.  There  have  been  small 
parties  of  Indians  each  day  in  plain  sight,  evidently 
acting  as  scouts  for  the  main  body.  This  morning  I 
had  determined  to  cross  the  Yellow  Medicine  river, 
about  three  miles  distant,  and  there  await  the  arrival 
of  Capt.  Rogers'  company,  of  the  Seventh  Regiment, 
which  was  ordered  by  me  from  New  Ulm,  to  join  rne 
by  a  forced  march,  the  presence  of  the  company  there 
being  unnecessary  by  the  arrival  there  of  another  com 
pany,  a  few  days  previous. 

About  seven  o'clock  this  morning,  the  camp  was 
attacked  by  about  three  hundred  Indians,  who  sudden 
ly  made  their  appearance  and  dashed  down  toward  us, 
whooping  and  yelling  in  their  usual  style,  and  firing 
with  great  rapidity. 

The  Renville  Guards,  under  Lieutenant  Gorman, 
were  sent  by  me  to  check  them,  and  Major  Welch,  o£ 
the  Third  Regiment,  was  instantly  in  line  with  his  com 
mand,  with  his  skirmishers  in  the  advance,  by  whom 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  223 

the  savages  were  gallantly  met,  and  after  a  conflict 
of  a  serious  nature,  repulsed 

Meanwhile  another  portion  of  the  Indian  force 
passed  down  a  ravine  on  the  right,  with  a  view  to 
outflank  the  Third  regiment,  and  I  ordered  Lieut 
Colonel  Marshall,  with  five  companies  of  the  Seventh 
Regiment  and  who  was  ably  seconded  by  Major  Brad 
ley,  to  advance  to  its  support,  with  one  six-pounder  un 
der  the  command  of  Capt.  Hendricks,  and  I  also  or 
dered  two  companies  of  the  Sixth  Regiment  to  re-en 
force  him. 

Lieut  CoL  Marshall  advanced  at  a  double-quick, 
amidst  a  shower  of  balls  from  the  enemy,  which  for 
tunately,  did  little  damage  to  his  command ;  and  after 
a  few  volleys,  he  led  his  men  to  a  charge,  and  cleared 
the  ravine  of  the  savages. 

Major  McLaren,  with  Capt  Wilson's  company,  took 
position  on  the  extreme  left  of  the  camp,  where  he 
kept  at  bay  a  party  of  the  enemy  who  were  endeavor 
ing  to  gain  the  rear  of  the  camp,  and  finally  drove 
them  back. 

The  battle  raged  for  about  two  hours,  the  six-pound 
er  and  mountain-howitzer  being  used  with  great  effect, 
when  the  Indians  —  repulsed  at  all  points  with  great 
loss,  — retired  with  great  precipitation. 

I  regret  to  state  that  many  casualties  occurred  on 
our  side.  -The  gallant  Major  Welch  was  badly  wound 
ed  in  the  leg,  and  Capt.  Wilson,  of  the  Sixth  Regiment, 
was  severely  bruised  by  a  nearly  spent  ball  in  the 
shoulder.  Four  of  our  men  were  killed,  and  between 
J 


224  DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP. 

thirty  and  forty  wounded,  most  of  them,  I  am  rejoiced, 
to  say,  not  severely. 

The  loss  of  the  enemy,  according  to  the  statement 
of  a  half-breed,  named  Jos.  Campbell,  who  visited  the 
camp  under  a  flag  of  truce,  was  thirty  killed  and  a 
large  number  wounded.  We  found  and  buried  four 
teen  of  the  bodies,  and  as  the  habit  of  the  Indians  is 
to  carry  off  the  bodies  of  their  slain,  it  is  not  probable 
that  the  sum  told  by  Campbell  was  exaggerated. 

The  severe  chastisement  inflicted  upon  them  has  so 
far  subdued  their  ardor  that  they  sent  a  flag  of  truce 
into  the  camp  to  express  the  sentiment  of  the  Wahpe- 
tons,  composing  a  part  of  the  attacking  force,  and  to 
state  that  they  were  not  strong  enough  to  fight  us,  and 
desired  peace,  with  permission  to  take  away  their  dead 
and  wounded.  I  replied  that  when  the  prisoners  were 
delivered  up,  it  would  be  time  enough  to  talk  of  peace, 
and  that  I  would  not  grant  them  permission  either  to 
take  their  dead  or  wounded. 

I  am  assured  by  Campbell  that  there  is  serious  de 
pression  in  the  Indian  camp — many  having  been  op 
posed  to  the  war,  but  driven  into  the  field  by  the  more 
violent.  He  further  stated  that  eight  hundred  Indians 
were  assembled  at  the  Yellow  Medicine,  within  two 
miles  of  the  camp,  but  that  the  greater  part  took  no 
part  in  the  fight.  The  intention  of  Little  Crow  was 
to  attack  us  last  night,  but  he  was  overruled  by  oth 
ers,  who  told  him  if  he  was  a  brave  man,  he  ought  tp 
fight  the  white  man  by  daylight.  I  am  fully  prepared 
against  night  attack,  should  it  be  attempted,  although 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  225 

I  think  the  lesson  received  by  them  to-day,  will  make 
them  very  cautious  for  the  future. 

I  have  already  adverted  to  the  courage  and  skill  of 
Lieut.  Col.  Marshall,  and  Majors  Welch  and  Bradley, 
to  which  I  beg  leave  to  add  those  of  the  officers  and 
men  under  their  respective  commands.  Lieut.  Col. 
Averill  and  Major  McLaren  were  equally  prompt  in 
their  movements  in  preparing  the  Sixth  Kegiment  for 
action,  and  were  both  under  fire  for  some  time.  Capts. 
Grant  and  Bromley  shared  the  dangers  of  the  field 
with  Lieut.  Col.  Marshall's  command,  while  Capt.  Wil 
son,  with  his  command,  rendered  efficient  service. 
The  other  companies  of  the  Sixth  Eegiment  were  not 
engaged,  having  been  held  in  position  to  defend  the 
rear  of  the  camp,  but  it  was  difficult  to  restrain  their 
ardor,  so  anxious  were  officers  and  men  to  share  with 
their  comrades  the  perils  of  the  field.  To  Lieut.  Col. 
Fowler,  my  A.  A.  A.  G.,  I  have  been  greatly  indebted 
for  aid  in  all  my  movements — his  military  knowledge 
and  ability  being  invaluable  to  me,  and  his  assistance 
in  to-day's  affair  particularly  so.  To  Major  Forbes, 
Messrs.  Patch,  Greig,  and  McLeod,  of  my  staff,  who 
carried  my  orders,  I  must  also  acknowledge  myself 
under  obligations  for  their  activity  and  zeal,  while  to 
Major  Brown,  also  of  my  staff,  though  suffering  from 
illness,  it  would  be  injustice  not  to  state  that  he  aided 
me  materially  by  his  exertions  and  advice.  The  med 
ical  staff  of  the  several  regiments  were  cool  and  ex 
pert  in  rendering  their  professional  aid  to  the  wounded. 
Assistant  Surgeon  Seigneuret,  attached  to  my  staff,  is 
to  be  commended  for  his  skill  and  diligence. 


226  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

I  am  very  much,  in  want  of  bread  rations,  six-pounder 
ammunition,  and  shells  for  the  howitzer,  and  unless 
soon  supplied,  I  shall  be  compelled  to  fall  back,  which, 
under  present  circumstances,  would  be  a  calamity,  as 
it  would  afford  time  for  the  escape  of  the  Indians  with 
their  captives.  I  hope  a  large  body  of  cavalry  is,  be 
fore  this,  on  their  way  to  join  us.  If  I  had  been  pro 
vided  with  five  hundred  of  this  description  of  force 
to-day,  I  venture  the  assertion  that  I  could  have  killed 
the  greater  part  of  the  Indians,  and  brought  the  cam 
paign  to  a  successful  close. 

Kev.  Mr.  Kiggs,  chaplain  of  the  expedition,  so  well 
known  for  his  knowledge  of  the  character  and  lan 
guage  of  the  Indians,  has  been  of  great  service  to  me 
since  he  joined  my  command. 

I  enclose  the  official  report  of  Lieut.  Col.  Marshall 
I  omitted  to  mention  Lieut.  Gorman  and  his  corps  of 
Eenville  Eangers.  They  have  been  extremely  useful 
to  me  by  their  courage  and  skill  as  skirmishers.  Cap 
tain  Hendricks  and  his  artillerists  won  deserved  praise 
to-day,  and  Capt.  Sterrett,  with  his  small  but  gallant 
corps  of  cavalry,  twenty-seven  in  number,  did  good 
service  also. 

I  send  reports  of  the  several  Surgeons,  embracing 
lists  of  the  killed  and  wounded. 

Yery  respectfully,  your  ob't  serv't, 

H.  H.  SIBLBY, 
Col.  Commanding. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

THE     CHIPPEWAS. 

While  these  barbarities  were  being  enacted  in  the 
west  and  southwest,  "tidings  out  of  the  north"  troubled 
the  political  elements  at  the  Capital.  Indeed,  all  the 
surrounding  counties  are  astir,  for  there  are  rumors  of 
a  Chippewa  uprising.  A  dark,  portentous  storm  seems 
about  to  increase  the  fury  of  the  one  already  raging. 
Aye,  rumor  says,  the  Chippewas  have  joined  hands 
with  their  hated  enemies,  the  Sioux,  and,  henceforth, 
they  will  do  battle  together  for  the  extermination  of 
the  whites, — that  Agent  Walker,  they  claim,  has 
wronged  them,  and  they  will  have  redress.  All  this  is 
not  without  foundation,  and  ere  the  excitement  has 
reached  its  acme,  Agent  Walker  shoots  himself,  some 
say,  under  the  excitement  of  an  insane  mind,  and  more 
uncharitable  ones  say,  from  fear  of  his  doings  with 
them  being  fathomed. 

At  this  juncture,  Hole-in- the-day,  the  nation's  head 
Chief,  issued  a  proclamation,  to  the  effect  that  he  would 
not  be  responsible  for  the  conduct  of  his  people,  after 
ten  days,  and  desired  all  white  settlers  to  leave  the 
country,  before  the  time  specified.  The  Sioux  raid  had 
already  depopulated  many  of  the  fairest  portions  of 
the  upper  country,  and  now,  the  few  remaining  and 
dwelling  011  the  Chippewa  reservation,  fled  to  Fort  Eip 


228  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

ley  or  Abercrombie  for  protection,  which  were  even 
then  crowded  with  refugees,  whom  the  Sioux  had  driv 
en  there. 

A  messenger  came  from  Hole-in-the-day  to  Commis 
sioner  Dole,  asking  him  to  come  with  Judge  Cooper, 
and  make  a  treaty.  These,  with  Senator  Wilkinson 
and  Paymaster  Thompson,  went  at  once  on  their  mis 
sion  of  peace.  It  was  said  that  Hole-in-the-day  had 
assured  his  people  that  "we  had  all  we  could  manage, 
with  our  brethren  the  South,  and  if  they  pleased  to 
combine  with  the  Sioux,  their  power  would  not  be  re 
sisted.  There  surely  was  cause  for  alarm — alarm  for 
the  safety  of  the  State,  alarm  for  the  fleeing  inhab 
itant. 

In  due  time,  with  a  strong  armed  force,  threatening 
in  its  aspect,  the  embassy  seat  themselves  in  council, 
when  these  are  at  once  surrounded  by  a  still  stronger 
force  of  Chippewas,  sending  terror  to  the  heart ;  and  to 
their  minds,  bidding  defiance  to  all  treaty  efforts.  Two 
or  three  days  were  consumed  in  this  way,  each  retain 
ing  their  own  military  force  on  the  ground,  and  refusing 
to  be  first  to  withdraw.  There  was  no  avenue  of  hope 
under  such  threatening  skies,  and  a  messenger  was  dis 
patched  to  Grov.  Ramsey,  to  make  all  haste  to  be  at  the 
council.  He  lost  no  time,  and  with  two  or  three  oth 
ers,  was  soon  under  way,  and  met  Commissioner  Dole, 
who  considered  himself  fortunate  in  having  escaped 
with  his  life,  but  deemed  him  hazardous  in  the  extreme, 
in  going,  without  a  military  escort.  Therein  was  the' 
trouble,  but  the  Commissioner  comprehended  it  not; 


DAKOTA    WAR   WHOOP.  229 

so  giving  all  power  into  the  Ijands  of  the  far-seeing 
Governor,  the  two  parted. 

After  an  absence  of  three  days  from  the  Capital,  the 
second  corps  of  commissioners  returned  from  a  success 
ful  conference  with  the  Chippewas.  On  the  15th  Sept., 
all  pending  -difficulties  were  declared  settled,  and  they 
shook  hands,  in  taking  leave,  more  cordially  than  when 
they  met,  leaving  them  in  a  better  state  of  mind  than  had 
existed  for  years.  The  public  mind  was  relieved.  This 
was  the  first  rift  in  the  savage  war  clouds.  "Fair  weath 
er,"  saith  the  prophet,  "cometh  out  of  the  north."  This 
seemed  a  precursor  of  hope  for  the  dying  echoes  of  the 
war-whoop,  on  the  other  hand.  Nearly  every  Chief 
of  the  nation  was  present,  and  appended  their  signature 
to  a  treaty  of  peace,  involving  perpetual  friendship, 
made  and  signed  at  Crow  Wing,  Sept.  15,  1862,  and 
in  presence  of  the  several  bands  over  which  each  Chief 
bore  rula  All  hostile  demonstrations  now  cease,  and 
all  return,  in  quiet,  to  their  rude  village  homes. 

Not  months  had  passed  since  the  painted  savage,  in 
our  streets,  or  even  any  number  of  them,  was  no  cause 
for  alarm.  Children  followed  them  from  street  to  street, 
and  old  men  and  maidens,  last  initiated  into  western 
life,  were  eager  for  an  eligible  position  to  witness  the 
celebrated  performance  of  the  begging  or  scalp  dance. 
To  the  ungratified  eye,  it  was  a  coveted  scene,  and  even 
those  to  whom  it  was  no  more  a  novelty,  never  lost  the 
opportunity.  But  we  have  shown  how  vast  a  change  a 
little  time  worketh.  A  red  skin  becomes  a  rare  sight, 
and  no  more  thought  of,  but  in  connection  with  rapine 


230  DAKOTA   WAE  WHOOP. 

and  murder.  Women .  turn  pale  in  affright,  children 
scream  in  terror,  and  men  involuntarily  elevate  the  hand 
to  the  cranium,  as  if  to  hold  fast  their  scalp,  for  a  band  of 
some  forty  Indians  suddenly  appear  in  front  of  the  Capi 
tol,  on  the  morning  of  Sept.  22,  demanding  an  interview 
with  the  Governor.  The  practiced  eye  could  see  they 
were  not  Sioux,  whose  bloody  knives  were  still  un 
sheathed  ;  hence  the  alarm  soon  subsided,  for  policy 
forbade  the  violation  of  a  peace  treaty,  not  yet  one 
month  old 

This  delegation  represented  twenty -one  bands,  each 
of  which  was  accompanied  by  its  Chief,  tendering  the 
service  of  the  Chippewa  nation  to  Gen.  Pope,  who  was 
in  command  of  the  Department  of  the  north-west,  hav 
ing  its  head  quarters  in  St.  Paul,  to  become  our  allies 
in  fighting  the  Sioux.  After  trailing  the  "stars  and 
stripes"  through  the  streets,  for  an  hour  or  two,  while 
the  people,  in  various  humors,  looked  on  its  desecra 
tion,  preliminaries  for  a  formal  reception  and  "talk," 
on  the  following  morning,  was  being  made. 

The  time  designated  being  made  known  to  them, 
they,  prompt  to  the  hour,  were  seated  on  the  ground, 
their  feet  underneath  them,  in  the  usual  manner,  await 
ing  the  best  bow  of  the  Governor,  when  he  gave  his 
"talk"  in  his  usual  felicitous  humor.  He  welcomed 
them  to  the  city,  forgave  past  indiscretions  of  some  of 
their  young  men,  in  taking  property  of  the  whites, 
which  he  was  sure  they  all  now  regretted,  and  was^ 
happy  that  the  Chippewas  had  never  shed  the  blood  of 
the  white  man,  as  their  bad  brothers,  the  Sioux,  had 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  231 

done.  He  said  that  Gen.  Pope,  the  great  war  chief, 
who  had  lately  come  to  fight  these  bad  Indians,  was 
not  ready  for  them  now,  but  would  send  them  word 
when  he  wanted  them  to  go  upon  their  war-path.  He 
regretted  that  they  were  not  here  an  hour  earlier,  as 
they  then  could  have  witnessed  the  deliberations  of  the 
great  council  of  the  State.*  He  wished  them  a  happy 
journey  home,  promised  them  a  good  supper  that  night, 
and  a  ride  on  the  fire  wagonf  to  St.  Anthony. 

The  above  brief  speech  was  responded  to  with  the 
usual  grunts  and  "ho,  hos,"  and  being  concluded,  the 
Chief,  Berry  Hunter,  assured  the  Governor  that  the 
words  he  spoke  "went  right  into  his  ears,  and  they  were 
good,  and  though  he  was  an  old  man,  he  had  not  lost 
his  reason.  That  they  had  come  down  to  show  their 
white  brothers  they  felt  very  friendly,  and  never  de 
sired  to  have  any  other  feeling  toward  them/' 

Big  Dog,  another  Chief,  desiring  to  display  his  ora 
torical  powers,  as  also  his  warrior  prowess,  came  for 
ward  and  said  "his  hands  were  very  red  —  he  had  paint 
ed  them  on  purpose,  so  that  when  he  came  to  imbrue 
them  in  the  blood  of  the  Sioux,  they  would  show  no 
stain." 

After  some  more  like  unimportant  speeches,  of  which 
these  are  samples,  the  council  broke  up  in  seeming  sat 
isfaction,  but,  doubtless,  as  much  from  the  promised 
feast,  as  any  other  cause,  to  which,  at  the  appointed 
hour,  they  did  ample  justice.  And  the  following 

*  An  extra  session  of  the  Legislature  had  just  adjourned, 
t  Cars. 

Jt 


282  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

morning  opened  their  eyes  in  wondering  pleasure,  as 
they  swiftly  rode  over  the  prairie,  but  dodging,  in 
alarm,  at  the  shrill  notes  of  the  engine  whistle. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

THE  CAPTIVE'S  PERIL. 

Perhaps  it  was  the  power  of  the  whites,  and  the  fear 
of  merited  punishment,  or  the  influence  of  Chaska, 
whom  his  white  friend  had  impressed  with  the  evil  of 
their  doings,  which  made  dissatisfaction  apparent  in 
the  Indian  camp,  and  incited  the  resolve  for  a  separa 
tion.  "The  leaven"  was  surely  "hid  in  the  meal,"  and 
was  working  with  its  own  hidden  effect  for  the  forma 
tion  of  a  friendly  camp.  Believing  this  to  be  the  case, 
Little  Crow  and  Ms  adherents,  daily  threatened  the 
life  of  the  captive,  Spencer.  Chaska  was  the  "head 
soldier"  of  his  chief  when  the  work  began,  who  had 
relied  on  him  to  carry  out  his  monster  plans  of  ruin 
and  death,  but  against  the  whites  he  would  not  "move 
so  much  as  one  of  his  fingers."  Threats  were  made, 
hard  quarrels  resulted  from  his  pacific  course,  and  the 
disposition  to  be  made  of  the  "white  man."  Armed 
and  mounted  men  almost  daily  rode  to  the  door  of  the 
lodge  demanding  "the  white  man  to  be  brought  out." 
And  this,  when  he  was  too  weak  to  stand  alone,  sup 
ported  by  the  strong  arm  of  his  red  friend,  with  the 
hostile  guns  aimed  at  his  heart  Then  Chaska,  brave 
and  fearless,  would  aim  his  double-shooter,  with  " Shoot 
if  you  like ;  kill  him  if  you  will ;  but  two  of  you  will 
come  out  of  your  saddles  if  you  do."  They  knew  his 


234  DAKOTA   WAK  WHOOP. 

spirit,  and  did  not  care  to  risk  a  test  of  his  steel  on 
their  own  person ;  so  for  that  time  the  danger  would 
pass,  to  be  repeated  in  a  few  hours.  Their  tent  had  a 
large  hole  dug  in  the  center,  where  he  was  concealed 
when  danger  was  known  to  be  near. 

"For  the  most  part  of  the  time,"  (we  quote  his  own 
language,)  "for  ten  days  previous  to  the  arrival  of  our 
forces,  I  was  kept  concealed,  in  consequence  of  nume 
rous  threats  made,  and  an  order  issued  by  Little  Crow 
that  Ta-o-pi,  my  friend,  and  myself,  should  be  put  to 
death. 

"The  friendly  Indians,  however,  guarded  me  faith 
fully,  notwithstanding  I  was  considered  by  many  as 
the  cause  of  placing  their  lives  in  danger.  The  night 
before  the  battle  of  Wood  Lake,  I  was  disguised  and 
sent  to  a  lodge  in  a  different  part  of  the  camp,  in  con 
sequence  of  two  or  three  armed  Indians  who  had  been 
discovered  lurking  round  the  lodge  in  which  I  usually 
staid,  evidently  with  the  intention  of  trying  to  get  a 
shot  at  me. 

"Another  time  a  squaw  came  in  and  whispered  some 
thing  to  my  friend,  who  instantly  seized  his  gun,  and 
bade  me  put  on  my  blanket  and  follow  him.  As  I 
followed,  he  hurriedly  told  me  that  Little  Crow  and  two 
others  were  prowling  around,  and  intended  to  fire  into 
the  lodge  where  I  was.  I  was  taken  to  a  neighboring 
lodge  and  placed  in  the  hole  already  dug,  and  care 
fully  concealed,  where  I  passed  a  long  and  sleepless 
night,  with  a  guard  of  ten  or  twelve  Indians  around 
on  the  outside.  These  and  similar  occurrences  hap- 


DAKOTA   \VAK   WHOOP.  235 

pened  so  frequently,  that  I  at  length  became  in 
different,  and  did  not  care  how  soon  death  might 
come. 

"My  bodily  sufferings  were  very  great,  but  nothing 
when  compared  with  my  mental  anxiety.  Being 
threatened  with  death  so  often,  sometimes  I  almost 
prayed  that  some  of  their  attempts  to  kill  me  might 
prove  successful.  I  thought  that  death  would  be  a  re 
lief  to  me. 

"Being  constantly  with  my  friend,  I  received  the 
best  of  treatment  from  him  and  his  wife.  But  the  fe 
male  captives  were,  with  very  few  exceptions,  subjec 
ted  to  the  most  horrible  treatment.  In  some  cases,  a 
woman  would  be  taken  out  into  the  woods,  and  her 
person  violated  by  six,  seven,  and  as  many  as  ten  or 
twelve  of  these  fiends  at  one  time.  There  was,  I  be 
lieve,  but  one  captive  killed ;  that  was  a  boy,  who  had 
in  some  way  offended  his  captor,  who  deliberately  shot 
him  dead. 

"With  the  exception  of  being  almost  devoured  by 
fleas  and  other  vermin,  which  always  infest  the  In 
dian  lodge,  my  situation  was  as  comfortable  as  it 
could  be  under  the  circumstances.  Before  leaving  the 
Indian  camp,  my  friend  restored  to  me  my  ring,  pin, 
watch,  money,  clothes,  and,  in  fact,  every  thing  I  had 
about  my  person  when  I  was  taken. 

"I  oftentimes  contemplated  making  my  escape,  or 
at  least  attempting  it ;  but  my  wounds  were  not  sufn- 
ciently  healed  to  allow  me  to  undertake  it.  I  am  sat 
isfied  that,  had  I  been  perfectly  well,  I  could  very 
easily  have  stolen  a  pony  and  gun,  and  knowing  the 


236  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

country  well,  I  should  not  have  had  much  difficulty  in 
escaping. 

"The  battle  of  Wood  Lake  was  fought,  and  the  In 
dians  were  thoroughly  convinced  that  the  whites  were 
more  than  they  could  successfully  contend  against,  and 
sought  safety  in  flight 


CHAPTER  XLI. 

THE    FKIENDLY    CAMP. 

The  day  of  redemption  was  drawing  nigh ;  hearts 
were  to  be  relieved  of  the  bitter  anxiety,  and  the  suf 
ferings  of  the  captives  in  the  Indian  lodges,  to  end. 
Of  the  formation  of  the  friendly  camp,  Mr.  Spencer 
gives  the  following  particulars : 

"While  yet  at  Bed  Iron's  village,  Ta-o-pi,  Ma-za-ku- 
ta,  Wa-kin-yan-wash-te,  my  friend,  in  accordance  with 
the  instructions  received  secretly  from  Gen.  Sibley, 
attempted  to  form  the  friendly  camp,  or  in  other  words, 
to  form  a  separate  encampment  from  the  main  camp, 
and  to  get  as  many  of  the  captives  as  they  possibly 
could  into  their  possession,  and  remain  firm,  and  when 
the  whites  came  up,  to  deliver  themselves  and  the  cap 
tives  up  to  Col.  Sibley. 

"Several  attempts  were  made  to  establish  this  camp, 
but  no  sooner  would  the  lodges  be  set  up,  than  hun 
dreds  of  armed  Indians  from  Little  Crow's  camp  would 
come  over  and  push  down  the  lodges  and  force  them 
back  into  the  main  encampment.  Some  few  friendly 
Indians  made  their  escape,  taking  captives  with  them, 
and  succeeded  in  getting  into  Fort  Bidgley. 

"White  Lodge  left  us  at  this  place  with  his  entire 
band,  taking  away  with  him  about  fifteen  captives. 
They  went  over  toward  the  Missouri  river.  One  day, 
when  most  of  the  warriors  were  absent,  a  party  of 


238  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

about  twenty-five  lodges  made  another  attempt  to 
camp  by  themselves.  They  were  this  time  successful. 
They  pitched  their  lodges  in  a  small  hollow,  and  de 
termined  to  intrench  themselves  and  fight  rather  than 
to  again  be  forced  back  with  Little  Crow's  party. 
They  accordingly  dug  large  square  holes  in  the  centre 
of  the  lodges,  in  which  to  place  the  women  and  chil 
dren  in  case  of  an  attack ;  so  that  the  little  camp  was 
in  quite  a  defensible  condition.  After  it  was  thus 
fortified,  several  other  Indians  who  had  not  the  courage 
to  join  in  at  first,  came  in,  and  in  a  few  days  our  camp 
numbered  about  one  hundred  and  twenty -five  lodges, 
and  fighting  men  enough  to  hold  it  against  all  the 
warriors  that  the  opposite  party  could  bring  against 
it. 

"Standing  Buffalo,  the  Sissiton  Chief,  and  Wa-a-na- 
tan,  the  chief  of  the  Cut  Heads,  came  down  while  we 
were  at  this  place  and  held  council  with  Little  Crow, 
and  determined  not  to  take  any  part  in  the  war  against 
the  whites. 

"A  great  deal  of  credit  has  been  given  to  Wa-ba- 
shaw,  a  well  known  chief,  for  assisting  in  the  formation 
of  the  friendly  camp.  But  I  can  see  no  just  cause 
why  he  should  have  the  credit  of  doing  an  action 
which  justly  belongs  to  others.  After  the  battle  of 
Wood  Lake  had  been  fought,  and  upon  the  .return  of 
the -Indians;  hastily  holding  a  council,  Crow  and  his 
followers  determined  to  flee  to  the  plains.  Wa-ba-shaw 
started  off  with  them,  and  returned  and  joined  the 
friendly  camp  only  the  day  before  our  forces  came  in 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  239 

sight  His  conduct  was  most  cowardly  all  through 
the  whole  trouble. 

"Our  camp  remained  firm,  and  two  days  after  we 
had  the  most  welcome  news  that  the  'Long  Trader' 
(the  name  by  which  Gen.  Sibley  is  known  among  the 
Indians,)  with  his  troops,  was  in  sight. 

"It  was  to  me  a  glorious  sight.  I  had  been  in  cap 
tivity  forty  days,  and  during  most  of  that  time  my 
life  had  been  in  imminent  danger  almost  every  hour. 
When  I  rolled  myself  in  my  blanket  to  take  a  little 
rest,  I  knew  not  whether  I  should  awake  in  this  world 
or  the  next  I  was  now  about  to  be  released,  and  take 
my  friends  by  the  hand.  Could  it  be  a  reality,  or  was 
it  only  a  pleasant  dream,  such  as  I  had  often  had,  to 
be  again  dispelled  by  sounds  of  the  well  known  war- 
whoop,  which  would  warn  me  to  betake  myself  to  my 
place  of  concealment?  The  gleaming  of  the  bright 
bayonets  in  the  sun,  the  sound  of  the  ear-piercing  fife, 
and  the  rattling  drums,  were  sufficient  to  convince  me 
that  it  was  not  a  dream,  but  that  I  was  saved. 

"Too  much  praise  cannot  be  awarded  to  Colonel  Sib- 
ley,  whose  thorough  knowledge  of  Indian  character 
has  so  successfully  enabled  him  to  accomplish  the  ob 
jects  of  the  expedition. 

"The  rescue  of  his  unfortunate  countrymen,  who 
were  held  as  captives,  by  a  savage  foe,  was  ever  upper 
most  in  his  thoughts,  and  though  others  may  censure 
him  for  not  coming  up  to  their  expectations,  we,  who 
have  been  rescued,  will  ever  hold  the  name  of  Henry 
H.  Sibley  dear  in  our  hearts." 


CHAPTER 

CAMP    KELEASE. 

Two  hundred  and  twenty  captives  had  been  aided 
into  the  friendly  camp,  and  now  hearts  beat  with 
exultant  hope  of  no  distant  release.  To  what  bru 
tal  indignities  had  they  been  obliged  to  submit !  How 
the  heart  revolted  at  the  loathsome  retrospect !  — wives, 
mothers,  young  ladies,  and  young  girls,  almost  chil 
dren,  had  met  the  same  fate. 

The  fairest,  most  cultivated,  and  most  attractive 
of  the  youthful  women,  was  Miss  Mattie  Williams, 
of  Painesville,  Ohio,  who,  at  the  time  of  the  out 
break,  was  residing  with  an  uncle,  seven  miles  up  the 
Yellow  Medicine  river.  Each  sought  their  own  safety, 
in  whatever  direction  circumstances  seemed  best  to  in 
dicate,  neither  person  or  company  waiting  to  see  the 
course  of  the  other.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eeynolds,  the  uncle 
and  aunt  of -Miss  Mattie,  were  nearing  a  place  of  safety, 
when  a  party  of  armed  Indians  were  seen  making  to 
ward  them.  What  was  to  be  done?  The  reeking, 
jaded  horse,  just  ready  to  fall,  could  not  be  urged  out 
of  a  walk,  and  the  first  thought  was  to  abandon  the 
buggy  and  trust  their  own  locomotion  for  safety.  But 
he  being  a  large  man,  was  dissuaded  by  his  wife,  who 
suggested  the  strategy  of  playing  Indian.  By  the  time 
they  had  their  blankets  adjusted  in  the  most  approved 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  241 

Indian  style,  the  savages  were  sufficiently  near  to  sup 
pose  them  of  their  own  people,  and  so  made  off  in  an 
other  direction,  leaving  them  to  a  safe  terminus  of  their 
route.  Miss  Williams,  with  a  German  servant  girl,  was 
in  an  open  buggy,  with  a  Mr.  Patwell,  and  they  had 
begun  to  feel  safe  from  pursuit,  when  set  on  by  a  gang 
of  these  worse  than  blood  hounds  ;  the  man  was  killed, 
the  Grerman  girl  was  wounded,  so  that  from  the  wound 
and  other  brutal  treatment,  she  died  in  four  days. 
Miss  "W.  was  hit  by  a  spent  ball  in  the  shoulder,  but 
its  pain  was  forgotten,  in  the  terrible  anguish  that  fol 
lowed,  in  the  experience  of  forty  days'  captivity.  Oc 
casionally,  she  would  find  the  fragment  of  a  book,  or 
some  coarse  needle  work,  with  which  to  kill  time,  else 
it  was  all  given  to  bitter  reflections  on  the  sad  reality 
of  her  lot  0  !  how  my  heart  yearned  toward  her,  as 
she  modestly  alluded  to  the  indignities,  the  cruel,  brutal 
treatment  which  may  not  be  penned,  and  I  felt,  and. I 
still  feel,  that  the  man  or  woman  who  would  stoop  to 
calumniate  the  fair  fame,  for  such  a  cause,  of  one  who 
has  thus  suffered,  deserves  to  be  branded  a  coward  and 
a  brute. 

Forty  nervous,  anxious  days,  forty  restless,  sleepless 
nights,  suffering  from  cold  and  leaking  tents,  though 
never  from  hunger,  forty  days  .clad  in  Indian  costume, 
suffering  in  every  way  that  savage  passion  could  de 
vise  !  A .  soft,  dewy  mistiness  creeps  from  the  heart 
to  the  eyes  as  we  contemplate  the  horrors  of  that  life, 
which  time  and  again  she  prayed  might  end.  But  the 
hour  of  release  drew  near.  A  giant  mind  with  strong 


242  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

will,  had  every  energy  of  soul  bent  to  this  one  object, 
and  its  accomplishment  was  sure.  With  nervous  joy 
she  wrapped  her  blanket  around  her  on  the  night  of 
the  25th  September,  for  the  last  time  in  that  Indian 
camp,  and  laid  her  down,  not  to  pleasant  dreams,  but 
to  blissful  waking  visions  of  release. 

How  her  heart  fluttered  and  beat  in  turn,  lest  the 
hope  should  be  thwarted  !  Nor  was  she  alone  in  her 
night  vigils.  In  every  tent  in  that  encampment  "eyes 
were  holden"  from  sleep.  Only  the  infants  slept  un 
consciously,  as  if  fear,  care  or  pain  had  never  visited 
the  earth.  Were  those  weary  days,  those  anxious 
restless  nights  indeed  to  end  ?  was  the  one  absorbing 
thought,  —  and  memorable  for  this  will  be  that  last  night 
in  Indian  camp.  At  the  first  dawnings  of  day  on  the 
morning  of  the  26th,  the  camp  was  astir,  and  prepara 
tions  went  forward  for  the  reception  of  their  dis 
tinguished  guests.  Personal  decoration  was  the  absorb 
ing  theme  of  the  "Master  of  Ceremonies."  Paint  of 
every  hue  was  in  active  demand,  together  with  eagle's 
feathers,  beads,  and  wampum,  and  white  flags  were 
displayed  all  through  their  village. 

At  noon,  a  flag  of  truce,  consisting  of  a  stolen  bed 
sheet,  tied  to  the  end  of  a  pole,  went  forth  to  meet  the 
approaching  "Expedition."  Great  indeed  was  the  cap 
tive's  joy  on  the  sound  of  the  martial  music,  and  at 
the  sight  of  the  bright  gleaming  bayonets  in  friendly 
hands !  The  Indians,  squaws  and  pappooses,  were 
arranged  in  a  circling  wall  around  the  camp  for  the' 
reception  of  their  guests,  or  in  awe  at  the  strange  and 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  243 

imposing  display.  Col.  Sibley  marched  his  column 
partly  around  their  encampment  and  went  into  camp 
near  the  river.  Some  of  the  men  whose  families  were 
held  captives  were  allowed  to  go  at  once  to  them, 
and  O  !  the  joy  of  such  meetings  !  Who  shall  paint 
the  scene?  In  due  time,  Col.  Sibley  and  staff  went 
over  to  take  formal  possession  of  the  camp.  Around 
him  crowded  those  from  whom  the  blood-stains 
were  scarcely  washed,  with  every  protestation  of 
friendship  and  the  constant  declaration  of  "me  good 
Ingian." 

Col.  Sibley,  from  his  great  magnanimous  heart 
assured  them,  that  the  really  innocent  had  nothing  to 
fear,  while  the  guilty  ones  would  meet  the  punishment 
their  deeds  merited.  He  now  demanded  the  uncon 
ditional  and  unreserved  surrender  of  all  the  prisoners. 
The  preliminaries  being  concluded,  the  waiting,  trem 
bling  captives  were  brought  forth  and  delivered  up  to 
him  who  had  spent  anxious  days  and  sleepless  nights 
devising  for  the  accomplishment  of  this  object.  He 
says  of  it :  "I  conducted  the  poor  captives  to  my 
camp,  where  I  had  prepared  tents  for  their  accommo 
dation.  There  were  some  instances  of  stolidity  among 
them,  but  for  the  most  part,  the  poor  creatures,  relieved 
of  the  horrible  suspense  in  which  they  had  been  kept, 
and  some  of  the  young  women  freed  from  the  loath 
some  attentions  to  which  they  have  been  subjected  by 
their  brutal  captors,  were  fairly  overwhelmed  with 
joy."  This  camp  very  properly  took  the  name  of 
"Camp  Eelease." 


244  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

Another,  in  speaking  of  the  circumstances,  and  the 
profound  joy  which  made  them  speechless,  says : 

"We  brought  them  into  camp  and  did  all  we  could 
to  make  them  comfortable,  for  every  heart  was  moved 
at  the  recital  of  what  they  had  suffered." 

Many  of  these  were  so  overwhelmed  with  gratitude 
they  could  have  fallen  to  the  ground,  doing  reverence 
to  their  rescuer.  One  of  his  officers  said  to  him  — 
"Col.  Sibley,  /  would  sooner  have  the  glory  of  your 
achievement  to-day,  than  the  proudest  victory  ever  won  in 
battle"  There  was  no  audible  reply,  but  his  manhood 
was  stirred  within  him,  and  his  soul-fall  eye  was  far 
more  emphatic  than  words  could  have  been.  He  had 
accomplished  the  sublime  purpose  of  his  heart,  this 
great  good  to  more  than  two  hundred  helpless  beings. 
What  mattered  to  him  the  vile  reproach  of  envy,  or 
the  clamorous  tongue  bidding  him  rush  on  to  mad  ex 
termination,  which  would  have  brought  inevitable 
death  to  every  captive.  He  had  the  proud  triumph 
resulting  from  a  fearless  discharge  of  duty,  and  to  his 
own  quarters  he  took  the  only  adult  male  captive, 
caring  for  him  as  a  "father  careth  for  a  son  whom  he 
loveth." 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 

INDIAN    PKISONEKS. 

After  proper  attention  to  the  rescued,  the  next 
"order"  in  the  military  programme  was  the  erection  of 
a  jail  in  the  centre  of  Camp  Eelease.  Some  were  de 
tailed  to  cut  the  logs,  others  to  haul  them  in,  and  oth 
ers  to  throw  them  up  and  firmly  bolt  their  corners ; 
and  before  nightfall,  the  huge  pen  was  completed,  ready 
for  occupants.  These  were  brought  in 'by  Col.  Crooks, 
with  an  adequate  armed  force.  Those  absolutely  free 
from  suspicion  were  unmolested.  The  prisoners  were 
put  in  chains,  and  a  strong  guard  set  around  the  jail. 
A  military  commission,  composed  of  Col.  Crooks, 
Lieut.  Col.  Marshall,  and  Capts.  Grant,  Bailey,  and 
Lieut.  Olin,  to  which  two  or  three  others  were  after 
wards  added,  was  convened  for  the  trial  of  the  guilty. 

No  more  formidable  Calendar  was  ever  brought  be 
fore  human  tribunal.  Four  hundred  and  twenty -five 
men  arraigned  for  criminal  trial!  Every  precaution 
was  taken  that  no  injustice  should  be  shown,  and  all 
testimony  was  required  to  be  written  down,  that  it 
might  be  easily  recurred  to,  in  case  of  any  after  ques 
tioning  of  their  innocence.  Those  who  plead  "guilty'' 
to  charges,  had  their  cases  soon  disposed  of.  The 
equivocation  of  the  guilty  parties,  who  were  allowed 
to  testify  in  their  own  case,  was  often,  to  say  the  least. 


246  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

very  amusing,  and  their  statements  devoid  of  all  reason 
and  good  sense.  Many  would  admit  they  fired  in  bat 
tle,  but  generally  insisted  it  was  at  random,  and 
nobody  was  hurt !  A  plea  supposed  to  be  valid  by 
the  one  who  rendered  it,  was  that  the  horse  he  stole 
was  a  very  little  one,  and,  of  course,  his  crime  not  very 
great,  and  that  the  oxen  he  took  were  for  the  gratifica 
tion  of  his  wife. 

A  man  in  the  vigor  and  prime  of  life  declared  that 
his  gray  hairs  should  attest  his  innocence,  and  some 
young  men,  that  their  hearts  were  too  weak  to  face  fire. 
A  strange  admission  for  an  Indian.  Another  batch 
would  insist  that  when  the  battle  raged,  they  were 
lying  flat  on  their  faces,  writhing  in  physical  tortures, 
such  as  in  babyhood  would  have  been  relieved  by  a 
dose  of  catnip  tea. 

A  small  army  of  culprits  vowed  they  had  crept 
under  a  wonderfully  capacious  stone  (which  nobody 
ever  saw  there,)  during  the  battle  at  Fort  Bidgley,  and 
did  not  emerge  therefrom  till  all  was  quiet.  A  still 
larger  number  averred  that  an  unsocial  spirit  kept 
them  from  fighting,  and  then  again  that  they  were  in 
the  rear  of  the  several  battles ;  feasting  on  roast  beef 
and  green  corn,  and  for  the  truth  of  the  last  assertion 
they  called  on  the  Great  Spirit,  Heaven  and  Earth  to 
witness.  One  had  his  tender  sympathies  so  wrought 
upon  to  see  his  kin  killing  the  whites,  that  he  lay  down 
to  sleep  and  did  not  wake  till  the  battle  was  over. 

Cut-Nose,  whose  bloody  deeds  are  before  recorded', 
was  condemned  for  the  same,  and  a  companion  in  crime 


\xea-c 

CUT  NOSE. 
(  The  \Yholesale  Butcherer. ) 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  249 

for  having  butchered  nineteen  persons,  both  made  most 
solemn  protestations  of  "me  good  Indian,"  with  strong 
est  avowals  of  friendship  for  their  accusers,  proving, 
very  conclusively,  that  many,  in  the  friendly  camp, 
were  as  black  in  crime,  as  any  who  went  at  large,  un- 
whipt  of  justice. 

All  ages,  from  boys  of  fifteen  to  infirm  old  men, 
were  represented  by  these  criminals.  One  said,  he 
4 'was  fifty  a  great  many  years  ago,  when  he  quit  count 
ing."  The  characters  were  as  diverse,  if  the  physiog 
nomy  was  a  criterion,  as  the  persons  represented  by 
them. 

The  party  engaged  in  the  captivity  of  Mattie  Will 
iams  and  the  murder  of  Mr.  Patwell,  were  doomed  to 
the  punishment  their  deeds  merited.  A  very  old  man 
was  identified  by  two  boys,  one  of  more  than  usual 
intelligence.  Their  families  had  escaped  from  the 
vicinity  of  Beaver  Creek,  and  arrived  almost  within 
hailing  distance  of  the  fort,  when  met  by  the  Indians, 
who  told  them,  if  they  would  return  to  their  homes, 
and  give  them  their  teams,  they  should  not  be  injured. 
They  accepted  the  alternative,  but  when  nearly  home, 
the  Indians  suddenly  fired  into  the  party,  killing  seve 
ral,  and  then  took  the  uninjured  women  and  children 
prisoners.  The  stolid  old  wretch  was  made  to  confront 
the  witnesses,  who  identified  him  as  having  taken  un 
erring  aim  at  more  than  one  of  the  party.  It  was  a 
thrilling  scene,  the  boy  hearts  swelling  with  emotions 
unutterable.  "I  saw  that  man  shoot  my  mother,"  burst 
forth  from  one  of  the  boys  ;  and  "I  saw  him,"  said  the 


250  DAKOTA    WAIi   WHOOP. 

other,  "shoot  a  man  who  had  kneeled  down  to  pray." 
Another  was  recognized  by  Mrs.  Hunter,  as  having  shot 
her  husband,  and  taken  her  into  captivity. 

Several  of  the  Eenville  Eangers,  who,  it  will  be  re 
membered,  had  deserted,  were  brought  before  this  tri 
bunal.  They  had  been  in  all  the  battles,  and  fought 
with  a  determined  daring,  equal  to  the  fiercest  of  the 
full  bloods.  Of  these,  particular  attention  was  drawn 
to  a  young  Hercules,  about  eighteen,  bright,  intelligent ; 
and  competent  for  a  vast  amount  of  evil.  He  declared 
he  was  outside  the  fort,  when  the  Indians  surrounded 
it,  and  was  thus  unintentionally  thrown  into  their 
ranks,  and  that  his  hands  were  as  free  from  blood  as 
his  heart  from  guile.  The  evidence,  however,  proved 
him  to  have  taken  the  first  scalp  at  Wood  Lake,  from 
an  old  grey-headed  man  and  former  comrade,  and  re 
ceived  therefor  one  of  the  two  belts  of  wampum,  which 
had  been  promised  by  Little  Crow,  as  a  reward  for  kill 
ing  the  first  white  man.  One  greatly  amused  the  Court 
by  asserting  that  he  was  the  sole  cause  of  the  war. 
He  was  an  old  sore-eyed  man,  of  lymphatic  tempera 
ment,  and  had  been  living,  he  said,  near  New  Ulm. 
The  benevolent  whites  had  supported  him,  and  their 
lavished  kindness  incited  the  jealousy  of  the  other  In 
dians,  —  hence  the  war. 

Thus  might  we  multiply  instances  of  strange  fabri 
cations  and  flimsy  subterfuge  of  falsehoods,  which,  in 
detail,  would  crowd  a  larger  volume  than  this.  Bu*t 
enough  has  been  given  to  show  their  duplicity  and 
their  guilt.  Three  weeks  of  patient,  unremitting  labor, 


DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP.  251 

was  given  to  this  business,  ere  Camp  Kelease  was  bro 
ken  up,  and  still  it  remained  unfinished.  The  troops 
were  ordered  "below,"  and  the  Court  adjourned  to  the 
Lower  Agency,  where  the  work  of  death  had  first 
commenced.  Surely,  no  more  appropriate  place  could 
have  been  found. 

While  at  Camp  Release,  Col.  Sibley  was  very  justly 
promoted  to  "BRIGADIER  GENERAL  OF  VOLUNTEERS," 
and  the  same  was  confirmed  by  the  U.  S.  Senate,  one 
year  after. 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

CAPTIVITY   OF   MRS.  SOPHIA   JOSEPHINE   HUGGINS. 

Driven  away  from  her  husband,  as  the  reader  has 
seen  in  a  former  chapter,  it  was  very  natural  that  Mrs. 
Huggins  should  look  to  the  one  for  protection  who  had 
evinced  a  kindly  spirit  toward  her,  and  believing  they 
would  be  more  safe  with  the  Chief  than  elsewhere,  she, 
with  Julia  and  her  children,  went  to  his  house  the  same 
evening. 

As  they  passed  through  the  village,  many  squaws 
came  oat,  with  a  show  of  grief,  in  the  usual  way  of 
laying  the  hand  over  the  mouth,  groaning,  &c.  The 
men  loafed  at  their  tent  doors,  smoked  their  pipes  and 
said  nothing,  pretending  not  to  see  them.  They  were 
kindly  received  by  the  Chief's  wife  and  other  mem 
bers  of  the  lodge,  her  mother,  and  their  son,  Na-ho- 
ton-mana,  a  lad  of  fifteen  years.  A  buffalo  robe  was 
spread  for  them  at  the  further  end  of  the  lodge,  and 
this  "seat  of  honor"  was  always  reserved  for  her,  so 
long  as  she  remained  a  member  of  the  family.  On 
one  of  her  own  pillows,  at  night  she  rested  her  throb 
bing  head* and  many  other  articles  from  her  own  house 
were  around  her,  reminders  of  the  day's  experience. 

That  was  a  dreadful  night.  Men  went  and  came  to 
consult  their  Chief,  and  loud  talking  was  heard  aH 
over  the  village.  Only  the  children  slept  sweetly  and 
soundly,  as  if  in  their  own  little  crib  at  home,  with  a 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  258 

loving  father  near.  So  hurried  and  stunning  had  been 
the  events  of  the  previous  evening,  that  all  seemed 
more .  the  result  of  some  mental  hallucination  than 
actual  reality. 

The  choicest  cut  from  her  husband's  oxen  was  set 
before  them  for  breakfast,  but  when  she  thought  that 
he  slept  his  last  sleep,  she  wept  but  could  not  eat 
The  pent  up  waters  of  the  heart  had  happily  found 
vent.  Thank  God  for  tears  !  without  them,  grief's  con 
suming  fires  would  soon  destroy  the  powers  for  intelli 
gent  action. 

News  of  their  captivity  having  reached  the  ears  of 
Mr.  John  Lagree,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river, 
some  distance  away,  he  came  with  kindly  proffers  of  a 
home  to  these  women,  promising,  as  he  thought,  greater 
security.  Walking  Spirit  left  them  to  their  own  choice. 
Their  route  lay  through  Lame  Bear's  village,  where 
they  saw  many  reminders  of  the  past  —  Indian  chil 
dren  dressed  in  their  own  children's  clothes — her  hus 
band's  writing  desk  and  their  own  chairs,  besides  evi 
dences  that  they  were  not  the  only  sufferers.  This 
was  on  Wednesday,  the  20th  August,  the  day  of  first 
attack  on  Fort  Kidgley,  about  eighty  miles  away. 

The  hearts  of  these  women  were  sad  and  lonely  in 
the  extreme,  and  their  anxiety  none  the  less  from  an 
ignorance  of  the  extent  of  the  trouble,  and  the  fact 
that  Lagree  and  a  Frenchman  who  staid  with  him, 
were  in  -turn  watching  without,  or  sleeping  with  a 
loaded  gun  at  their  side.  On  Thursday,  dreadful  ti 
dings  came  from  the  seat  of  Indian  war.  All  the  Mis 
sionaries  and  Government  officials,  it  was  said,  were 


254  DAKOTA    WAR   WHOOP. 

killed,  and  so  for  more  than  one  long  anxious  week 
had  everybody  believed.  How  precious  the  promises 
of  holy  writ,  when  grief  was  so  poignant  and  anxiety 
so  distressing.  And  now,  Mrs.  Huggins  must  be 
robbed  of  her  only  earthly  comforter  and  counsellor. 
Julia's  brother,  hearing  of  her  fate,  had  come  disguised 
as  an  Indian,  to  take  her  to  his  home  at  Yellow  Medi 
cine.  It  would  not  be  safe  for  the  mother  and  chil 
dren  to  go  with  them,  and  therefore  she  must  abide 
her  time  of  release,  and  suffer  all  her  FATHER'S  will. 
That  night  Mr.  Manderfield,  who  had  escaped  from 
Big  Stone  Lake,  came  in.  The  women  bound  up  his 
bleeding  feet,  and  for  the  time  forgot  their  own  sor 
rows  in  efforts  to  relieve  his  sufferings  and  preparing 
him  with  comforts  for  the  remainder  of  his  way.  He 
bore  the  first  tidings  of  their  fate  and  whereabouts  to 
white  friends  below,  who  from  that  time  were  busy 
with  thoughts  and  devising  plans  for  her  release.  On 
Friday  morning,  Julia  bade  her  companion  in  captiv 
ity  adieu,  and  in  Indian  costume  went  forth  by  the 
side  of  her  brave  brother,  on  their  tedious  and  perilous 
journey. 

An  invitation  at  this  juncture  was  received  from 
De  Cota,  to  return  and  make  her  permanent  abode  with 
him  at  Walking  Spirit's  village.  So  after  the  sad 
leave-taking  of  Julia,  attended  by  Lagree,  she  and  her 
children  set  out  on  horseback.  As  they  trotted  on 
through  the  woods,  she  imagined  every  tree  hid  a  lurk 
ing  foe,  ready  to  spring  out  and  shoot  them,  for  she 
had  now  become  very  nervous  from  continued  excite '* 
ment  and  suspense.  At  Lame  Bear's  village,  Lagree, 


DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP.  255 

who  was  a  Chippewa  half-breed,  seeing  many  Sioux 
about,  feared  to  go  further,  so  getting  an  Indian  woman 
to  "pack"  Letta,  she  took  little  Charlie  in  her  own 
arms,  sick  and  weak  though  she  was  from  having  eaten 
nothing  that  day.  Presently  an  old  squaw  came  run 
ning  after  her,  signifying  a  desire  to  relieve  her  of  the 
physical  burden.  So  she  put  him  on  her  back,  pap- 
poose  fashion,  with  which  the  little  fellow  seemed  quite 
content 

Her  fears  were  destined  to  no  abatement,  for  but  a 
little  out  of  the  village  four  hideously  painted  warriors 
were  lounging  by  the  roadside ;  but  she  hid  herself 
behind  the  women  as  best  she  could,  and  passed  un 
molested,  probably  they  not  detecting  her  nationality. 
Again,  in  passing  through  a  piece  of  woods,  she  was 
desired  to  go  ahead,  but  trembling  with  fear,  while  the 
women  manifested  even  greater  alarm,  the  cause  of 
which  she  could  not  understand. 

Now  came  another  sore  trial  for  this  "bruised  reed." 
Faint,  sick,  tired  and  hungry,  she  came  to  the  door 
where  she  expected  a  friendly  welcome,  and  in  re 
sponse  to  their  invitation  she  had  made  this  weary 
day's  journey.  Mr.  De  Cota,  her  recent  neighbor, 
silently  smoked  his  pipe  without  the  door  of  his  lodge, 
deigning  her  never  a  look,  while  his  squaw  wife,  cold 
ly,  though  not  unkindly,  motioned  her  on  to  the  chief's 
house.  Her  sensitive,  sore  heart  well  nigh  sank  within 
her.  What  would  be  her  next  step,  if  thus  coldly  re 
ceived  at  Walking  Spirit's  ?  The  old  chief  was  away, 
but  his  wife,  anticipating  the  wants  of  the  exhausted 
woman,  brought  her  water  and  food,  and  arranged  for 
Kt 


256  DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP. 

her  to  rest,  almost  tenderly  looking  after  her  com 
fort, 

We  are  glad  that  we  have  comparatively  small 
record  to  make  of  women  being  the  aiders  and  abet 
tors  of  the  transactions  which  brought  such  dismay  to 
our  frontier.  As  a  general  thing,  they  have  "fed  the 
hungry  and  clothed  the  naked"  when  in  their  power 
to  do  so.  True,  they  have  been  subject  to  their  liege 
lords,  and  obliged  to  do  their  bidding ;  but  whenever  left 
to  themselves,  we  are  convinced  that  the  fundamental 
elements  of  true  womanhood  live  in  the  hearts  which 
beat  beneath  their  dirty  short  gowns  and  rusty  old 
blankets.  Keiaove  the  shackles  which  the  men  inflict 
upon  them,  and  they  would  soon  arrive  to  the  dignity 
of  white  women. 

It  is  but  justice  to  De  Cota  to  say  that  he  was  loyal 
to  the  whites,  and  would  have  received  Mrs.  Huggins 
according  to  his  invitation,  had  his  courage  been  ade 
quate  to  the  occasion.  But  he  knew  his  own  scalp 
was  in  danger,  and  the  least  provocation  would  jeop 
ardize  his  life  yet  more.  Things  around  him  looked 
stormy  enough,  and  his  Sioux  wife  could  not  save  his 
scalp  to  the  rightful  owner,  should  any  act  of  his  ex 
cite  their  displeasure.  Not  long  after  he  took  his  wife 
and  went  to  his  own  people,  and  for  several  months 
thereafter  was  in  government  employ,  carrying  the 
mail  through  the  trackless  region  from  Pembina  to 
Fort  Kandall. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 

MRS.     HUGGINS    IN    CAEE    OF    WALKING    SPIRIT. 

The  old  chief  was  from  home,  trying  to  quell  the 
war-spirit  of  the  young  braves,  and  did  not  return  till 
Mrs.  Huggins  had  been  several  days  domiciled  in  his 
lodge.  The  usual  gutteral  salute  —  "ho-ho-ho-,"  sound 
ed  very  cheerily  and  pleasant,  as  he  extended  his  hard 
brawney  hand,  by  which  she  understood  she  was  very 
welcome.  This  increased  her  confidence,  which  he 
seeing,  made  still  greater  efforts  that  she  should  not  feel 
it  misplaced.  The  language  of  his  actions  she  knew 
was  very  kind,  though  she  understood  little  of  his 
spoken  vernacular.  In  this  assurance,  she  says  her 
"poor,  weary,  anxious  heart  felt  comforted.  This  old 
man  was  my  friend  and  protector,  I  could  here  find 
something  like  rest,  quiet  and  security." 

For  the  six  successive  weeks  she  remained  a  mem 
ber  of  the  chief's  family,  regarded  more  as  a  distin 
guished  guest  than  a  powerless  captive.  We  rejoice 
that  there  are  some  alleviating  features  in  the  wretched 
Dakota  character — something  to  evince  them  not 
hopelessly  "the  children  of-  wrath."  We  believe  them, 
bad  as  they  are,  the  creatures  of  God,  objects  of  his 
care  and  government,  but  0  how  fallen,  how  totally 
depraved.  Under  like  influence,  with  the  same 
Heaven-born  privileges  as  the  white  race  through  gen- 


258  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

erations  past,  the  results  would  be  equal.  Even  worse 
savages  than  the  North  American  Indians  —  those 
whose  richest  feasts  were  upon  the  putrid  bodies  of 
their  slain  enemies,  have  been  brought  under  the  teach 
ings  of  the  holy  influences  of  Christianity.  "Christ  has 
been  formed"  in  their  hearts  the  hope  of  glory,  and 
"the  wrath  of  man  has  been  made  to  praise  him."  So 
it  may  be,  so  it  will  be  with  these.  All  nations  "shall 
call  Him  blessed,"  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath 
spoken  it,  and  we  are  no  ways  sure  but  the  Lord  will 
overrule  this  initiatory  step  for  their  elevation  to  the 
great  platform  of  religious,  Christian  nations. 

For  ages,  the  Indian  has  known  naught  but  his 
present  life,  and  from  infancy,  has  been  taught  that 
his  highest  achievement  was  to  take  the  scalp  of  an 
enemy.  Hence  their  glory  in  the  number  of  scalp- 
feathers  they  are  entitled  to  wear. 

Not  from  Walking  Spirit  and  his  family  alone,  was 
this  lone  captive  the  recipient  of  favors.  All  the 
women  of  the  village  seemed  desirous  to  outvie  each 
other  in  this  regard,  and  invariably  addressed  her  in 
the  language  of  kindness  and  respect.  They  would 
often  say,  "white  woman  feel  sad ;  I  want  to  shake 
hands  with  her."  But  their  style  of  living  soon  began 
to  tell  seriously  on  little  Charlie's  health,  then  the 
women  sent  milk  for  him,  and  would  come  and  take 
him  out  for  the  air.  For  days  they  lived  only  on 
potatoes  and  corn,  and  then  occasionally  beef  or  dog 
meat,  and  once  in  a  while  they  had  coffee  and  sugar «>, 
Those  who  were  well  provided  with  food  for  the  day, 


DAKOTA    WAR   WHOOP.  259 

often  sent  for  her  "to  come  and  eat"  with  them.  She 
had  learned  to  make  a  virtue  of  necessity,  and  the 
practical  illustration  of  the  adage,  "when  in  Eome  do 
as  Eomans  do,"  and  a  cheerful,  pleasant  conformity  to 
the  society  in  which  she  lived,  conciliated  her  into 
favor.  Once  she  was  sent  for  at  bed  time,  to  "come 
and  eat."  Though  not  hungry,  she  went,  as  it  was  not 
policy  to  refuse.  A  piece  of  nice  carpet  was  spread 
for  her  to  sit  on,  and  a  white  towel  for  her  plate, 
which  was  one  of  her  own,  and  one  of  her  own  dishes 
to  drink  from ;  the  bill  of  fare,  consisting  of  potatoes, 
rice,  dried  apples  and  cold  water.  She  says  of  the 
culinary  department,  sometimes,  when  she  thought 
of  the  dirty  dishes  her  food  was  on,  the  dirty  kettles 
it  was  cooked  in,  and  the  dirty  hands  which  prepared 
it,  her  stomach  rebelled.  But  she  tried  to  keep  away 
such  troublesome  thoughts,  and  make  the  best  of  what 
she  had.  She  well  appreciated  the  kindness  which 
sent  one  of  the  women  to  Yellow  Medicine  to  bring  up 
flour  and  other  articles  for  her  use,  and  one  cold  frosty 
morning,  another  came  cautiously  behind  her  and 
threw  a  warm  shawl  over  her  shoulders ;  though  part 
of  the  stolen  booty,  we  credit  the  kindly  spirit  which 
evoked  the  act. 

One  of  her  great  perplexities  was  the  means  of  ab 
lution,  which  Mrs.  Walking  Spirit  remedied  by  ob 
taining  from  a  neighbor  a  half  powder  keg.  She  had 
no  other  convenience  for  washing  clothes  than  an  old 
iron  heater,  which  had  been  used  for  a  dog  dish. 
This  she  cleaned,  and  made  subserve  her  purpose. 


260  DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP. 

Once  or  twice  she  was  privileged  with  a  tub  and  wash 
board,  which  had  been  her  own  property.  She  was 
thankful  to  get  clean  clothes,  though  they  went  un- 
ironed. 

All  this  time,  not  one  of  the  young  men  of  the 
village  was  allowed  to  speak  to  her,  and  there  was  a 
commendable  pride,  as  they  expressed  it,  'in  keeping 
her  very  carfully."  No  work  was  ever  demanded,  or 
even  expected  of  her ;  yet  occupation  lightened  the 
burden  of  grief,  and  so  she  would  assist  her  hostess  in 
sewing,  cooking,  and  even  at  times  brought  water  from 
the  brook.  Many  of  her  own  articles  of  dress  were 
returned  to  her,  and  she  was  permitted  to  wear  her 
own  costume ;  but  it  was  hard  to  see  her  children's 
clothes,  of  which  they  were  in  real  need,  worn  by 
Indian  children,  and  very  painful  to  see  the  clothes  of 
her  murdered  husband  on  the  persons  of  those,  if  not 
his  actual  murderers,  who  had  "consented  unto  his 
death." 

The  children  became  great  favorites,  were  petted  and 
caressed,  and  afraid  of  no  one,  and  this  partiality  came 
near  causing  her  the  severest  heart-pang  she  had 
known.  The  chief's  wife  had  a  brother  who  lived 
far  to  the  north,  and  had  no  children,  and  whom  she 
had  induced  to  think  could  get  Mrs.  Huggins  to  give 
to  him  her  little  girl.  The  proposition  was  made 
through  a  French  interpreter,  but  her  decided  ano" 
gave  no  little  offense,  especially  to  the  old  woman,  the 
man's  mother.  He  was  very  angry,  but  the  presence 
of  the  chief  awed  him,  for  he  would  not  suffer  the 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  261 

child  to  be  taken  without  her  consent ;  but  the  offense 
was  never  forgiven,  nor  could  she  feel  the  same  meas 
ure  of  confidence  in  the  offended  party  as  before. 
The  former  fondness  of  the  old  woman  for  the  children 
was  changed  to  indifference  or  hate,  and  she  was  ever 
afterward  very  cross  to  them.  This,  however,  Mrs.  H. 
allowed  to  pass  unnoticed,  and  thereby  prevented  any 
serious  quarrels ;  yet  she  lived  in  constant  fear  of 
their  being  taken  by  stealth,  and  would  never  again 
trust  them  alone  in  her  care.  She  now  watched  them 
closely  when  they  were  packed  around  the  village  by  the 
squaws,  who  had  before  done  it,  eliciting  no  special 
anxiety  from  the  mother,  and  at  night  folded  them  in 
her  arms,  while  she  dreamed  of  a  horrid  waking  to 
find  them  gone. 

With  nothing  to  distinguish  one  day  from  another, 
Mrs.  H.  soon  lost  the  days  of  the  week,  and  afterward 
learned  that  several  Mondays  had  been  kept  by  her  as 
the  holy  Sabbath  day.  0,  how  the  Christian  woman 
longed  for  the  privileges  of  the  sanctuary,  or  even  th^ 
quiet  of  home  retirement,  where  slie  could  worship 
God,  with  "none  to  molest  or  make  afraid."  But  the 
time  for  her  removal  from  the  red-heated  furnace  had 
not  yet  come,  but  the  "form  of  the  FOURTH"  was  with 
her.  The  refining,  purifying  process  was  not  yet  com 
plete,  and  she  girded  her  soul  with  patience  to  endure 
all  her  Father's  will. 


CHAPTER  XLVI. 

THE     ALARMS. 

There  was  a  mighty  host  of  "Northerners"  coming 
directly  through  the  village.  They  had  many  carts, 
and  some  of  the  warriors  were  on  foot  and  some  on 
horse.  The  village  was  in  great  alarm. 

Mrs.  Huggins  was  hurried  out  to  look  at  them,  in 
the  distance,  and  then  to  a  tent,  with  orders  to  suffer 
no  noise  from  the  children,  until  these  were  entirely 
passed.  The  caravan  halted  just  past  her  tent,  and 
their  tumult  so  excited  the  children,  that  they  cried  to 
go  out,  and  it  was  some  time  before  they  were  fright 
ened  into  silence.  There  were,  at  least,  six  men  to  a 
woman,  in  the  crowd.  The  excitement  was  intense. 
Men,  women  and  children  were  running  about,  as  if 
frightened  out  of  their  wits,  all  of  which  the  hidden 
woman  could  see  through  a  hole  in  the  tent.  But  for 
midable  and  unwelcome  as  were  these  visitors,  they 
must  be  fed.  This  was  the  only  hope  of  a  pacific  turn 
in  affairs,  had  they  come  for  evil.  The  young  warriors, 
eager  for  display,  galloped  around,  firing  off  guns,  and 
making  other  demonstrations  of  their  prowess.  Then 
rang  forth  on  the  serene  air,  the  stentorian  voice  of  a 
would-be  mighty  chief.  With  a  high  head,  proud  look 
and  stately  tread,  he  stalked  back  and  forth,  as  he  de 
livered  himself  of  the  eloquent  speech  which  was  burn- 


DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP.  263 

ing  in  his  soul,  threatening  to  consume  him.  For  sev 
eral  hours,  our  heroine  lay  in  her  concealment,  when 
all  was  again  quiet. 

Now  came  a  time  when  the  village  was  deserted,  and 
Mrs.  Huggins  was  alone,  with  the  nameless  old  woman, 
for  many  days.  From  night  till  morning,  and  from 
morning  till  night,  she  trembled  with  fear,  and  closely 
hugged  her  children  to  her  heart,  lest,  in  an  unexpect 
ed  moment,  they  should  be  torn  from  her,  but,  guard 
ed  by  the  divine  hand,  she  was  safe. 

A  week  or  two  after  the  advent  of  the  "Northern 
ers,"  a  detachment  of  the  band  returned.  "Walking 
Spirit  invited  them  to  his  lodge  for  a  feast,  more  to  con- 
cilitate  peace  than  from  any  real  friendship.  He  guar 
anteed  protection  to  his  captive,  and  directed  her  to  sit 
behind  him  at  the  door,  doubtless  for  quick  egress,  in 
case  of  trouble,  while  his  guests  would  fill  the  lodge. 
With  two  loaded  guns  beside,  him,  they  sat  down  to 
the  feast,  no  other  woman  being  allowed  inside,  only 
to  bring  the  food,  which  was  fried  bread  and  coffee,  to 
the  door.  Several  of  the  guests  were  attentive  to  the 
children,  feeding  and  allowing  them  to  drink  from  their 
own  cups.  After  considerable  speechifying  and  mean 
ingless  parade,  the  crowd  dispersed,  much  to  her  relief. 

One  day,  the  chief  handed  her  a  nice  looking  letter, 
written  in  Dakota  language.  She  was  unable  to  read 
it  for  him,,  but  waited,  with  anxious  forebodings,  the 
imparting  of  its  contents,  and  yet  with  faint  hopes  of 
some  feeble  glimmer  of  light  for  herself  and  children. 
But  instead,  the  contents  were  such  as  to  make  the 


264  DAKOTA   WAK  WHOOP. 

friendly  chief  declare  himself  'Very  angry,"  so  angry 
that  he  threw  the  letter  into  the  fire,  in  retaliation  of 
the  base  insult  Good  Day,  its  author,  had  proposed 
to  buy  the  captive  for  a  wife,  and  hence  her  protector's 
rage. 

On  another  day,  she  was  told  to  stay  very  closely  in 
doors,  that  a  "bad  man  was  in  the  village,  and  would 
kill  her."  She  was  alone  with  the  children,  and  wholly 
engrossed  with  her  sewing,  when,  of  a  sudden,  the 
blanket  door  was  thrown  up,  and  a  fierce  looking,  hid 
eously  painted  young  man,  with  an  elevated  drawn 
sword,  stood  before  her.  A  child  from  a  neighboring 
lodge,  followed  him  in,  eyeing  first  one  and  then  the 
other,  with  a  look  of  terror.  With  great  self-command, 
after  the  first  moment  of  surprise  was  over,  she  bent 
her  face  to  her  sewing,  yet  trembling  so  violently,  she 
could  scarcely  hold  her  needle.  But  his  scrutinizing 
gaze  over,  he  went  away,  without  speaking.  Then  she 
drew  a  long  breath,  and  thanked  God,  that  she  and  her 
children  were  alive.  A  moment  after  his  leave-taking, 
the  chief,  panting  and  blowing,  sprang  through  the 
opening.  Her's  was  no  feigned  j  oy  at  seeing  him,  as  she 
smilingly  said,  "You  frighten  me,  coming  in  such  haste." 

"You  frighten  me,"  he  replied,  as  he  sat  down  to  rest. 
"I  was  afraid  you  would  be  killed  before  I  got  here." 

Some  women  then  came  in,  and  told  her  about  the 
angry  man.  His  wife,  for  whom  he  was  in  search,  had 
run  away  from  him,  and  therefore  had  he  come  to  the 
chief's  house.  Thus  was  she  in  constant  alarm  —  hef 
nervous  system  agitated  with  the  most  harrowing  fear, 


DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP.  265 

and  was  often  hid,  by  her  protector,  from  threatening 
dangers. 

News  from  below  became  more  and  more  exciting, 
and,  finally,  the  battle  of  Wood  Lake  determined  the 
terror-stricken  Indians  on  flight.  "To  go  or  not  to  go," 
was  left  optional  with  the  captive.  She  could  not  go 
alone  to  her  friends  below,  nor  could  Walking  Spirit 
now  go  with  her,  as  he  had  hoped  to  do,  as  all  the  re 
gion  was  filled  with  the  hostile,  fleeing  foe.  So  she 
committed  herself  to  the  guidance  of  Providence,  know 
ing  thereby  she  should  not  be  led  wrong. 

All  was  now  the  bustle  of  preparation.  Corn  and 
potatoes  were  to  be  gathered  and  prepared  for  the  jour 
ney,  or  buried.  One,  acquainted  with  their  life  habits, 
and  unacquainted  with  present  incentives,  would  have 
thought  them  suddenly  metamorphosed  into  a  provi 
dent,  working  people.  Some  pounded  corn  from  the 
cob,  others  parched  it  or  bagged  it  up  for  the  journey, 
and  others  were  packing  the  household  goods.  Our 
heroine  was  no  idler,  and,  therefore,  made  herself  as 
useful  as  she  could.  She  assisted  to  put  up  five  sacks 
of  corn  and  potatoes,  for  family  provisions  by  the  way. 

All  being  in  readiness  to  depart,  the  story  was  circu 
lated,  that  all  the  white  prisoners  were  killed,  and  that 
retributive  justice  would  soon  fall  upon  the  Indians. 
Walking  Spirit  would  have  remained,  had  he  dared, 
but  discrimination  between  the  friendly  and  unfriendly 
Indians,  he  thought,  would  not  be  made  in  the  swift 
winged  justice  upon  their  track.  The  innocent  wjis 
liable  to  suffer  with  the  guilty. 


266  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

Hosts  of  Sioux  were  daily  arriving  from  below,  with 
whom  many  of  the  villagers  "fell  in,"  swelling  each  ar 
rival  to  quite  a  caravan. 


CHAPTER  XLVIL 

LEAVING  FOR  THE  PLAINS. 

The  chief's  family,  still  reluctant,  were  the  last  to  go. 
Mrs.  Huggins  had  not  yet  made  her  decision  known. 
She  was  perplexed,  if  not  in  despair,  but  she  still 
trusted  Him  who  said,  "call  upon  me  in  the  day  of 
trouble  and  I  will  deliver  thee."  When  all  was  ready, 
the  question  to  go  or  stay  was  again  submitted,  and  her 
answer  "I  will  go,"  pleased  her  protector,  and  prompted 
a  renewal  of  "faithful  care."  To  her  and  her  children 
was  accorded  the  privilege  of  riding  on  the  rear  top 
of  the  load,  while  Mrs.  Walking  Spirit,  on  foot,  led 
the  old  horse  which  dragged  the  load  on  poles  —  her 
mother  carried  a  large  pack,  and  his  son  led  the  colt, 
while  he  himself  drove  the  oxen.  The  cow,  by  espe 
cial  request  of  her  hostess,  was  led  by  Mrs.  Huggins. 

Methinks  I  see  them  now  filing  across  prairies ; 
through  dark  ravines ;  up  beetling  bluffs  and  in  the 
forest  shade ;  while,  with  mighty  force  of  will,  her 
severe  heart-struggles  are  forbidden  vent  To  lighten 
the  load,  in  the  ascent  of 'hills  and  through  mud-holes, 
our  heroine,  often,  with  a  child  on  her  hip,  and  fast 
hold  of  the  rope  which  was  attached  to  the  cow's  horns, 
performed  the  unromantic  trip  of  wading  ankle  deep 
in  mud,  and  then  sat  down  in  the  grateful  shade  of 
some  ancient  tree,  panting  for  breath. 

The  first  day  of  the  journey,  these  were  exclusives, 


268  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

though  in  sight  of  the  main  caravan.  At  night  their 
tent  was  pitched  in  a  beautiful  valley,  and  when  the 
horses  were  "staked"  and  all  other  matters  properly 
attended  to,  as  in  well  regulated  families,  they  drew 
around  a  sumptuous  board  "groaning"  with  skunk  meat 
and  potatoes. 

The  calm  quiet,  the  sublime  silence  of  the  night  was 
a  real  luxury  to  the  ardent  soul  of  Mrs.  Huggins.  It 
was  sweet  to  reflect  on  the  constant  care  of  Him  whose 
presence  fills  the  universe.  Nature  had  spread  around, 
her  sweetest  charms,  in  which  a  heart  like  hers  might 
revel  both  day  and  night.  Early  next  morning,  before 
the  family  had  breakfasted,  an  excited  horseman  rode 
up  with  tidings  which  brought  all  who  understood  it 
to  their  feet,  followed  by  hasty  arrangements  to  go. 
Falling  in  with  another  company,  the  greatest  haste  con 
tinued  till  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  they,  meanwhile, 
eating  nothing,  and  with  only  a  little  parched  corn  for 
the  children,  who  became  tired,  sick  and  fretful.  For 
four  successive  days  they  continued  the  same  haste, 
the  little  boy  daily  growing  weaker  and  weaker,  and  it 
was  so  hard  to  see  him  droop  thus,  with  no  means  to 
relieve  him,  and  to  feel  that  very  soon  this  precious 
comfort  might  be  taken  from  her.  Then  there  was  the 
fear  of  starvation  haunting  her,  or  that  Walking  Spirit 
might  be  overpowered  by  Little  Crow  or  some  of  the 
Northerners,  and  she  be  taken  away  from  him.  While 
her  only  employment  was  to  think,  it  is  not  strange, 
that,  with  all  her  firm  and  steadfast  faith,  she  was  thus 
in  soul  perplexed.  Then  again,  buoyant  hope  would 
cheer  her  heart,  for  she  knew  that  friends  were  earnest- 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  269 

ly  praying  for  her  safety  and  release,  and  she  believed 
that  when  the  divine  end  was  accomplished,  the  severe 
discipline  would  cease.  In  the  presence  of  danger  she 
ever  relied  on  the  judgment  of  others,  to  "lie  down 
and  cover  up,"  without  inquiring  as  to  the  why  or 
wherefore  —  trusting  the  promise  "He  shall  cover  thee 
with  his  feathers,  and  under  his  wing  shalt  thou  trust," 
and  so  was  she  "not  afraid  of  the  terror  by  night  nor  the 
arrow  that  flieth  by  noon-day." 


CHAPTER  XLVIII. 

RELEASE    AND    RETURN. 

The  reader  has  seen  the  main  body  of  troops  at 
Camp  Eelease,  from  whence,  on  the  day  following  their 
arrival,  General  Sibley  dispatched  four  of  the  most 
trustworthy  half-breeds  and  Indians,  with  instructions 
to  follow  up  the  fleeing  Indians,  and  bring  back  Mrs. 
Huggins  and  children,  with  as  much  expedition  as 
possible. 

The  fourth  and  last  outward  bound  night,  Mrs.  Hug- 
gins  was  made  to  understand  that  many  bad  Indians 
were  in  the  very  large  encampment.  They  had  many 
cattle,  horses  and  wagons,  and  she  counted  eighty 
yoke  of  oxen,  and  knew  that  all  were  the  trophies  of 
their  raid  upon  the  whites.  Hope  now  well  nigh  died 
from  her  heart,  for  in  the  midst  of  the  great  darkness, 
how  could  she  think  of  deliverance  as  near  ?  So  in 
the  physical  as  moral  world,  often  when  least  expected, 
the  greatest  blessings  come.  The  following  morning, 
a  message  was  brought  to  the  chief,  which  produced  a 
counter  movement  on  the  part  of  his  family.  The 
white  lady  was  not  made  to  understand  the  reason ; 
perhaps  they  designed  a  joyful  surprise,  but  she  dare 
not  hope  it  augured  any  good  to  her,  and  the  suspense 
threw  her  into  a  feverish  anxiety,  from  which  she  did 
not  recover  till  it  was  practically  demonstrated.  When 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  271 

at  noon  they  camped,  the  family  bustled  about  in 
preparation  for  visitors,  —  thus  much  she  knew. 

While  wondering  and  waiting  for  the  strange  arrival, 
her  heart  gave  a  sudden  bound  of  joy,  for  the  familiar 
faces  of  her  rescuers  were  before  her.  Intuitively  she 
understood  their  mission.  Two  letters  from  General 
Sibley  to  Walking  Spirit  and  herself  were  read,  and  he 
declared  at  once  his  intention  of  strengthening  the  es 
cort  by  returning  with  her  to  Camp  Eelease.  Such 
was  the  joy  of  her  heart  that  sleep  came  not  that  night 
to  her  eyes.  The  mind  was  active  in  the  past,  present 
and  future. 

While  Mrs.  Walking  Spirit  got  the  breakfast,  Mrs. 
Huggins  repaired  the  wardrobe  of  her  husband,  that 
he  might  appear  as  respectable  as  possible  in  the  pres 
ence  of  superiors.  When  she  finished,  she  returned 
the  thread  and  scissors  to  his  wife,  who  pressed  her  to 
retain  the  latter,  as  a  parting  gift  and  a  memento  of  her 
love. 

We  will  note  at  this  point,  the  release  of  two  little 
German  girls  and  a  half-breed  boy,  who  were  in  the 
main  encampment.  This,  to  their  honor  be  it  said, 
was  more  than  the  duty  assigned  their  rescuers.  One 
of  the  girls  was  very  beautiful,  whose  mother  was  at 
Camp  Eelease  when  she  arrived  there,  and  after  clasp 
ing  her  to  her  heart  in  wild  joy,  she  looked  to  Mr. 
Kiggs,  and  emphatically  asked,  "Where  is  the  other  ?" 
He  could  not  tell  her, 

The  first  night  they  camped  at  Big  Stone  Lake. 
Lame  Bear  and  some  of  his  people  were  there,  who 
extended  to  them  the  hospitalities  of  their  camp.  The 


272  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

excitement  of  joy  and  its  reaction,  after  all  she  had 
passed  through,  had  nearly  prostrated  Mrs.  Huggins' 
nervous  energies,  and  with  a  thankful  heart  she  that 
night  sank  upon  the  comfortable  bed  which  was  made 
for  her,  and  awoke  refreshed,  ready  to  go  on  her  way 
rejoicing. 

Passing  over  the  same  ground  she  had  in  going  out, 
with  no  incidents  worthy  of  note  but  a  satisfaction  of 
daily  drawing  nearer  home,  we  find  them,  in  less  time 
than  when  outward  bound,  approaching  Camp  Eelease. 
When  but  a  few  miles  out,  they  passed  twelve  war 
riors,  savagely  painted,  smoking  on  the  grass.  Murder 
flashed  from  their  eyes,  and  there  was  evident  cause 
for  alarm,  though  some  of  the  men  halted  to  shake 
hands  and  smoke  with  them.  But  as  they  drove  rap 
idly  away,  a  close  watch  was  kept  over  the  shoulder, 
till  fairly  away  from  any  danger  of  their  following. 
That  night  the  camp  was  in  sight  of  Lac-qui-parle. 
They  resorted  to  Sioux  stratagem  as  a  precaution 
against  enemies,  by  leaving  their  wagons  and  camping 
some  distance  from  the  road.  There  was  little  sleep ; 
every  ear  was  alert  for  sounds  of  a  wily  foe,  and  they 
suffered  much  from  cold,  as  autumn  frosts  had  come, 
and  the  night  winds  were  very  chill. 

With  kind  consideration,  they  halted  on  the  follow 
ing  morning  for  Mrs.  Huggins  to  visit  the  grave  of 
her  husband,  around  which  they  drove  stakes  by  her 
request,  to  protect  it  from  careless  intruders.  They 
allowed  her  time  to  linger  over  every  familiar  spot  as 
sociated  so  closely  with  him  who  slept  near.  How 
desolate  all  appeared,  —  and  with  heart  even  more  des 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  273 

olate  than  all,  she  turned  away,  and  for  her  children's 
sake,  nerving  her  soul  with  energy  to  battle  a  little 
longer  with  life. 

Eight  miles  farther,  and  they  entered  Camp  Eelease, 
which  is  to  be  memorable  for  all  time  in  the  history  of 
Minnesota.  The  reaction,  of  a  system  wrought  up  so 
long  to  the  highest  tension,  had  come ;  but  with  the 
kind  care  and  sympathy  there  bestowed,  she  and  pin 
ing  little  Charlie  rallied  wonderfully  during  the  two 
weeks  in  which  the  trials  of  guilty  Indians  still  pro 
gressed,  before  being  sent  down  to  the  anxious  hearts 
awaiting  her.  To  one  who  has  thus  suffered,  —  to  one 
who  has  thus  been  released,  nought  but  gratitude  the 
most  profound  could  ever  arise  toward  her  temporal 
deliverer,  and  to  Him  who  disposes  the  hearts  of  men 
to  do  His  will,  and  brings  out  all  things  according  to 
His  own  hidden  plans. 


CHAPTER  XLIX. 

REMOVAL    TO    CAMP    SIBLEY. 

On  the  23d  of  October,  the  condemned  and  uncon- 
demned  prisoners,  chained  two  and  two,  were  loaded 
into  wagons,  twelve  or  fifteen  in  each,  and  under  a 
military  escort  started  for  Camp  Sibley.  Here  the 
trial  was  resumed  in  a  log  house,  formerly  owned  and 
occupied  by  a  half-breed  named  LaBatte,  "for  unro- 
mantic  kitchen  purposes,  but  from  hence  to  pass  into 
history  and  be  immortalized."  The  main  building 
separate  from  this,  had  been  deeply  stained  with  the 
blood  of  the  owner,  whose  native  affinity  did  not  save 
him  from  the  murderous  scalping  knife.  From  the 
ashes  of  his  dwelling  in  which  he  was  burned,  after 
having  been  shot,  the  soldiers  drew  forth  his  charred 
remains.  But  a  few  steps  away  was  the  store  of 
Nathan  Myrick,  where  Lynde,  the  first  victim,  DeVill 
and  Andrew  Myrick  were  killed.  With  such  remind 
ers  of  their  guilt  before  them,  how  could  they  hope 
for  pardon  ?  We  wonder  that  fair  and  impartial  trials 
were  given  —  we  wonder  at  the  staying  hand  which 
prevented  their  execution  en  masse — and  we  wonder 
at  the  patience  of  the  commission  in  the  long,  tedious 
trial! 

But  this  heavy  criminal  calendar  was  at  last  cleared, 
and  of  the  men  arraigned  for  trial,  three  hundred  and 
three  were  sentenced  to  be  hung,  and  twenty  to  im- 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  275 

prisonment.  They  were  removed  to  Mankato,  where 
an  immense  jail  had  been  prepared,  there  to  await  the 
execution  of  their  sentence. 

As  the  train  of  guarded  prisoners  neared  New  Ulm, 
the  citizens  who  had  returned  to  their  homes  came  out 
pell  mell  —  the  women  leading  the  van,  assailing  them 
with  axes,  stones  and  clubs,  in  retaliation  for  murdered 
husbands  and  children.  Even  at  the  point  of  the 
bayonet  the  infuriated  mass  rushed  into  the  midst  of 
the  soldiers,  determined  to  return  an  equivalent  for  the 
past.  In  several  instances  the  guns  were  turned  aside, 
or  the  axe  warded  off  as  the  fatal  blow  was  about  to 
descend.  One  woman  actually  cleft  the  jaw  of  an  In 
dian  with  a  hatchet,  and  another  fractured  a  skull,  so 
that  the  victim  died  in  a  few  days.  Some  eight  or  ten 
were  badly  wounded  before  the  assailants  could  be 
driven  off.  We  regret  to  have  this  retaliatory  act  to 
record,  but  we  aim  to  give  a  true  and  impartial  history 
of  the  main  events.  Still  we  will  not  too  harshly  con 
demn.  They  had  suffered  much,  and  were  still  smarting 
under  the  terrible  blow,  and  a  half  frenzy  seized  them 
when  they  saw  the  authors  of  their  misery.  Doubt 
less,  more  serious  would  have  been  the  results,  had 
they  foreseen  that  in  fixing  the  day  for  their  execution, 
the  Chief  Executive  would  have  been  moved  with  pity 
for  the  guilty  wretches,  and  ordered  the  punishment 
of  all  but  thirty-nine  suspended. 

This  fact  becoming  known,  some  two  hundred  men, 
whom  suffering  and  bereavement  by  savage  hands  had 
made  desperate,  armed  with  hatchets,  knives,  and  other 
death-dealing  implements,  on  the  8th  of  December, 


276  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

forced  their  way  through  the  guard  at  Camp  Lincoln, 
near  Mankato,  with  the  avowed  intention  of  dealing  to 
the  murderers  the  merit  of  their  crimes.  Col.  Miller, 
prompt  and  resolute  in  the  discharge  of  duty,  had 
them  surrounded  and  prisoners,  before  they  could  effect 
anything,  but  released  them  on  a  pledge  to  abstain 
from  further  attempt  at  violence.  Gov.  Eamsey  issued 
a  proclamation,  urging  upon  the  citizens  not  to  throw 
away  the  good  name  Minnesota  had  hitherto  sustained, 
by  any  rash  acts  of  lawlessness  which  were  not  neces 
sary  to  the  ends  of  justice,  of  personal  security,  or 
even  private  vengeance.  "Our  people,"  he  says,  "have 
had  just  cause  to  complain  of  the  tardiness  of  execu 
tive  action  in  the  premises,  but  they  ought  to  find  some 
reason  for  forbearance  in  the  absorbing  cares  which 
weigh  upon  the  President.  If  he  should  decline  to 
punish  them,  the  case  will  then  come  clearly  within 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  civil  authorities." 


CHAPTER  L. 

REMOVAL  OF  THE  GOOD  INDIANS  TO  FOET  SNELLING-. 

The  army  of  "good  Indians,"  men,  women,  children 
and  half-breeds  numbered  some  eighteen  hundred. 
On  the  7th  of  November  these  took  up  their  line  of 
march  for  Fort  Snelling,  under  escort  of  Lieut.  Col. 
Marshall's  command,  all  of  which  made  a  train  of 
four  miles  in  length. 

The  "winter  quarters,"  previously  prepared,  was  an 
immense  pen  in  which  their  teepees  were  set  according 
to  latest  approved  city  surveys  —  with  streets,  alleys 
and  public  square.  Around  and  without,  armed  sol 
diers  paraded  day  and  night  for  six  successive  months, 
and  the  Government  outlay  for  their  support  was  little 
less  than  $2,000  per  month ;  while  the  hundreds  of 
worthy  women  and  children  whom  their  own  tribe  had 
made  widows  and  orphans,  were  mainly  dependent  on 
their  own  exertions,  or  the  benevolence  of  a  sympa 
thizing  public.  Visitors  daily  thronged  the  enclosure 
with  "passes"  from  the  post  commander,  and  when  ad 
mitted,  a  disgustingly  filthy  sight  met  the  eye.  The 
streets  were  the  receptacles  of  all  the  offal  of  the 
lodges,  where  barefooted  women  and  children  splashed 
around  in  the  filthy  snow  slush,  as  much  at  home  as 
my  reader  on  .a  velvet  carpet  with  neatly  slippered 
feet 


278  DAKOTA"  WAR  WHOOP. 

Here  we  saw  old  Betsey,  whom  we  knew  before  the 
State  was  a  State,  or  the  Territory  had  a  name,  and 
without  whom  its  history  would  be  incomplete,  so 
identified  is  she  with  frontier  life  and  pioneer  experi 
ence.  Her  ugly  old  phiz  is  seen  in  every  Photograph 
gallery  in  the  land,  and  readily  recognized  by  every 
street  urchin.  Everywhere  she  has  warm  personal 
friends,  and  it  is  her  proud  boast  that  none  of  her 
family  have  taken  part  in  the  raid  against  the  whites. 
Even  she,  old  as  she  is,  was  pattering  around  barefoot 
ed,  as  lithe  as  a  girl  of  sixteen.  Then  we  bade  her 
good-bye,  supposing  it  the  last  time,  and  she  actually 
kissed  our  hand  at  parting.  But  when  the  encamp 
ment  was  broken  up  to  go  to  the  new  "hunting 
grounds,"  by  the  earnest  desire  of  her  farmer  son,  Ta- 
o-pee,  old  Betsey  was  permitted  to  remain  with  him, 
so  we  may  have  a  chance  for  another  parting  kiss. 

It  will  be  recollected  that  Ta-o-pee  was  very  active 
in  the  formation  of  the  friendly  camp,  and  for  the  re 
lease  of  the  prisoners,  and  made  the  first  move  in  that 
direction.  Wabashaw,  too,  was  there.  These  had 
kept  aloof  from  crime,  using  every  means  to  subdue 
the  rage  of  their  red  brothers.  When  an  answer  came 
from  their  letter  to  Col.  Sibley,  the  utmost  caution  was 
requisite  to  conceal  the  fact  from  others.  Great  excite 
ment  that  night  prevailed,  in  their  camp,  on  account 
of  the  letter  Little  Crow  had  received,  the  contents  of 
which,  when  interpreted  by  Spencer,  was  proclaimed 
by  Little  Crow,  in  thunder  tones,  to  the  clamorous 
throng,  which  crowded  around  his  tent.  Ta-o-pee  had 


DAKOTA  WAK  WHOOP.  279 

a  secret  for  the  white  man's  ear,  which  he  managed  to 
communicate.  There  was  an  assenting  nod  to  the  re 
quest  that  he  be  in  readiness  to  read  the  letter,  the  first 
favorable  moment.  Excitement  run  high,  and  the  tent 
was  full,  till  far  into  the  small  hours  of  morning  —  Ta- 
o-pee,  with  nervous  anxiety,  hidden  beneath  a  calm  ex 
terior,  frequently  coming  in  and  going  out  again.  At 
three  o'clock,  all  was  quiet ;  now  was  the  time ;  the 
moment  was  an  important  one.  They  knew  that  evil, 
designing  ones  were  prowling  around,  suspicious  of 
everything ;  so,  throwing  a  blanket  over  their  heads, 
that  the  light  might  not  be  seen  from  without,  they, 
underneath  it,  struck  a  match,  lighted  a  candle,  and  in 
a  soft  whisper,  read  the  important  missive,  which  the 
reader  has  before  read,  and  which  was  the  first  hope- 
inspiring  note  of  a  temporal  salvation. 

Chaska,  too,  with  whom  the  reader  is  so  well  ac 
quainted,  came  also  with  the  train.  While,  in  various 
ways,  making  himself  useful  to  our  people,  he  was 
charged,  by  envious  ones,  as  having  taken  life  before 
he  rescued  his  friend,  for  which  charge,  he  was  a  long 
time  under  guard,  awaiting  trial.  He  was  honorably 
acquitted,  and  engaged  as  scout  to  the  expedition,  the 
following  spring.  Having  renounced  his  tribal  birth 
right,  he  was,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  a  white  man, 
faithfully  doing  his  duty,  whatever  and  wherever  it 
might  be. 


CHAPTER  LI. 

PKOTEST  OF    SENATOR    WILKINSON"    AND    OTHERS. 

With  the  groans  of  the  wounded  still  deadening  our 
ears,  and  while  the  echoed  shrieks  of  the  already  dead, 
still  reverberate  from  bluff  to  bluff,  and  while  he  still 
lies  in  wait  for  our  heart's  blood,  sympathy  for  the 
"poor,  wronged  red  man,"  is  being  roused,  in  some 
parts  of  our  nation.  We  love  the  EAST — the  soil 
which  our  infant  feet  trod — we  love  its  people  and  its 
lofty  principles  of  right,  but  we  ignore  their  argument 
of  the  Indians'  wrongs.  Our  nation's  pampered  proteges 
instead. 

In  discussing  the  removal  of  the  "good  Indians"  we 
confess  to  a  desire  to  see  them  turned  loose  on  Boston 
common,  as  Congress  was  memorialized  to  do  by  seve 
ral  thousand  citizens  of  Minnesota.  Had  the  tragic 
scenes,  of  which  we  have  given  but  a  faint  outline, 
been  concentrated  for  one  stereoscopic  view,  in  any 
Eastern  city,  had  their  streets  been  drenched  with 
blood,  as  were  our  prairies,  had  fire  and  ravishment 
come  to  their  homes,  as  to  ours,  we  think  we  know  the 
New  England  heart  well  enough  to  say,  that  quite  as 
little  leniency  would  have  been  desired  for  the  perpe 
trators,  as  by  us. 

We  think  the  protest  against  Presidential  clemency, 
from  Senator  Wilkinson  and  Representatives  Aldrich 


DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP.  281 

and  Windham,  worthy  of  immortal  record,  and  here 
re-produce  it  for  the  benefit  of  our  readers,  yet  to  be. 
"To  the  President  of  the  United  States: 

"SiR :  — We  have  learned,  indirectly,  that  you  intend 
to  pardon  or  reprieve  a  large  majority  of  the  Indians 
in  Minnesota,  who  have  been  formally  condemned  for 
their  participation  in  the  brutal  massacre  of  our  people, 
in  the  months  of  August  and  September  last.  If  this 
be  your  purpose,  as  representatives  from  that  State,  we 
beg  leave,  most  respectfully,  to  protest  against  it,  and 
we  do  so,  for  the  following  reasons  : 

"These  Indians  were  condemned,  most  of  them,  upon 
the  testimony  of  women,  whom  they  had  carried  into 
captivity,  after  having  murdered  their  fathers,  hus 
bands  and  brothers,  and  who  were  treated,  by  these  In 
dians,  with  a  brutality  never  known  before,  in  this 
country,  nor  equaled  in  the  practice  of  the  most  bar 
barous  nations.  There  were  nearly  ninety  captives, 
who  were  wives  and  daughters  of  our  neighbors  and 
friends.  [This  does  not  include  the  children.]  They 
were  intelligent  and  virtuous  women  —  some  of  them 
were  wives  and  mothers  —  others  were  young  and  in 
teresting  girls. 

"These  savages,  to  whom  you  propose  to  extend 
your  Executive  clemency,  when  the  whole  country  was 
quiet,  and  the  farmers  were  busily  engaged  in  gather 
ing  their  crops,  arose  with  fearful  violence,  and  travel 
ling  from  one  farm  to  another,  indiscriminately  mur 
dered  all  the  men,  boys  and  little  children  they  came ' 
to,  and  although  they  sometimes  spared  the  lives  of 


282  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

the  mothers  and  daughters,  they  did  so  only  to  take 
them  into  captivity,  which  was  infinitely  worse  than 
death. 

"Mr.  President,  let  us  relate  to  you  some  facts  with 
which  we  fear  you  have  not  heretofore  been  made  ac 
quainted. 

"These  Indians,  whom  (as  we  understand,)  you  pro 
pose  to  pardon  and  set  free,  have  murdered,  in  cold 
blood,  nearly  or  quite  one  thousand  of  our  people, 
ravaged  our  frontier  for  more  than  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  north  and  south,  burned  the  houses  of  the 
settlers,  and  driven  from  their  homes  more  than  ten 
thousand  of  our  people.  They  seized  and  carried  into 
captivity  more  than  one  hundred  women  and  girls,  and 
in  nearly  every  instance  treated  them  with  the  most 
fiendish  brutality. 

"To  show  you,  sir,  the  enormity  of  these  outrages, 
we  beg  leave  to  state  a  few  facts,  which  are  well  known 
to  our  people,  but  delicacy  forbids  that  we  should 
mention  the  names  of  the  parties  to  whom  we  refer. 

"In  one  instance,  some  ten  or  twelve  of  these  Indians 
visited  the  house  of  a  worthy  farmer,  who  at  the  time 
was  engaged  with  his  sons  staking  wheat  They 
stealthily  approached  the  place  where  the  honest  far-- 
mer  was  at  work,  and  seizing  the  opportunity,  shot  the 
father  and  two  sons  at  the  stack.  They  then  went  to 
the  house,  killed  two  little  children  in  the  presence  of 
their  mother,  who  was  quite  ill  of  consumption,  and 
then  took  the  sick  mother  and  a  beautiful  little 
daughter,  thirteen  years  of  age,  into  captivity.  But 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  283 

this  is  not  all,  nor  is  it  the  most  appalling  feature  'of 
this  awful  tragedy.  Its  horror  is  yet  to  be  revealed. 
After  removing  these  unhappy  prisoners  to  a  lodge 
some  two  miles  away,  these  fiends  incarnate,  after 
placing  a  guard  over  the  weary  and  exhausted  moth 
er,  took  her  little  one  outside  the  lodge,  removed 
all  her  clothes,  and  fastened  her  back  on  the  ground. 
Then  they  commenced  their  work  of  brutality  on 
this  young  girl.  One  by  one  they  violated  her 
person,  unmoved  by  her  cries,  and  unchecked  by  the 
evident  signs  of  approaching  dissolution.  This  work 
was  continued  until  the  Heavenly  Father  relieved  her 
from  suffering.  They  left  her  dead  upon  the  ground. 
This  outrage  was  committed  within  a  few  feet  of  the 
sick  and  dying  mother. 

"There  is  another  instance  of  a  girl  eighteen  years 
of  age.  We  knew  her  well  before  and  at  the  time  of 
her  capture.  She  was  as  refined  and  beautiful  a  girl 
as  we  had  in  the  State.  None  had  more  or  better 
friends ;  no  one  was  more  worthy  of  them  than  she. 
She  was  taken  captive  by  these  Indians,  her  arms  were 
tied  behind  her  and  she  was  tied  fast  to  the  ground 
and  ravished  by  som;<*.  eight  or  ten  of  these  convicts 
before  the  cords  were  unloosed  from  her  limbs.  The 
girl,  fortunately,  lived  to  testify  against  the  wretches 
who  had  thus  violated  her.  Without  being  more 
specific, .we  will  state  that  nearly  all  the  women  who 
were  captured  were  violated  in  this  way. 

"Again  there  was  a  little  boy  brought  to  St.  Paul 
(whose  father  and  mother  had  been  murdered,)  whose 


284  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

life  was  spared  as  a  witness  of  the  horrid  nature  of 
this  massacre.  His  right  eye  was  cut  completely  out, 
it  had  fallen  from  its  socket  and  perished  on  his  cheek. 
His  two  little  sisters,  aged  respectively  six  and  four 
years,  were  also  saved,  but  in  an  awfully  mutilated  con 
dition.  Their  tender  arms  had  been  mangled  with  the 
savages'  knives,  and  otherwise  fearfully  wounded  and 
left  on  the  ground  for  dead. 

"Mr.  President,  there  was  no  justification  or  pretext 
even  for  these  brutalities.  We  state  what  we  know, 
when  we  say  that  the  Sioux  Agent,  Mr.  Galbraith,  has 
labored  faithfully  and  efficiently  for  the  welfare  of 
these  Indians.  The  Government,  as  you  know,  has 
built  a  house  and  opened  a  farm  for  every  one  of  these 
Indians  who  would  reside  upon  and  cultivate  it. 
Missionaries  have  labored  zealously  among  them  for 
their  spiritual  welfare.  There  has  been  paid  to  them 
yearly  the  interest  upon  $2,000,000.  Farming  imple 
ments  have  been  purchased,  and  farmers  have  been  em 
ployed  by  the  Government  to  improve  and  cultivate 
their  lands. 

"These  Indians  have  been  called  by  some,  prisoners 
of  war.  There  was  no  war  about  it  It  was  a  whole 
sale  robbery,  rape  and  murder.  These  Indians  were  not 
at  war  with  their  murdered  victims. 

"The  people  of  Minnesota,  Mr.  President,  have 
stood  firm  by  you  and  your  administration.  They 
have  given  both  it  and  you  thei  r  cordial  support.  They 
have  not  violated  law.  They  have  borne  these  suffer 
ings  with  a  patience  such  as  but  few  people  ever  ex- 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  286 

hibited  under  such  extreme  trial.  These  Indians  are 
now  at  their  mercy ;  but  our  people  have  not  risen  up 
to  slaughter  them,  because  they  believed  that  their 
President  would  deal  with  them  justly. 

"We  are  told,  Mr.  President,  that  a  committee  from 
Pennsylvania,  whose  families  are  living  happily  in 
their  pleasant  homes  in  that  State,  have  called  upon 
you  and  petitioned  you  to  pardon  the  Indians.  We 
have  a  high  respect  for  the  religious  sentiment  of  your 
petitioners ;  but  we  submit  that  is  a  bad  taste,  indeed, 
that  it  is  entirely  unbecoming  them  to  interfere  in 
matters  with  which  they  are  so  little  acquainted, 
and  which  relate  entirely  to  the  security  of  our  own 
people. 

"We  protest  against  the  pardon  of  these  Indians,  be 
cause,  if  it  is  done,  the  Indians  will  become  more  in 
solent  and  cruel  than  they  ever  were  before,  believing, 
as  they  certainly  will  believe,  that  their  great  father 
at  Washington  either  justifies  their  acts  or  is  afraid  to 
punish  them  for  their  crimes. 

"  We  protest  against  it,  because  if  the  President  does 
not  permit  these  executions  to  take  place  under  the 
forms  of  law,"  the  outraged  people  of  Minnesota  will 
dispose  of  these  wretches  without  law.  These  two 
people  cannot  live  together. 

"We  do  not  wish  to  see  mob  law  inaugurated  in 
Minnesota,  as  it  certainly  will  be,  if  you  force  the  peo 
ple  to  it.  We  tremble  at  the  approach  of  such  a  con 
dition  of  things  in  our  STATE. 


286  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

"You  can  give  us  peace,  or  you  can  give  us  lawless 
violence.  We  pray  you,  sir,  in  view  of  all  that  we 
have  suffered,  and  of  the  danger  that  still  awaits  us, 
let  the  law  be  excuted —  let  justice  be  done  our  people." 


CHAPTER  ML 

CAUSE    OF    THE    DAKOTA    UPKISING. 

Hitherto  we  have  scarcely  hinted  at  the  cause  of  the 
strange  and  sudden  uprising  of  this  powerful  tribe; 
but  such  effects  have  had  their  birth  in  design.  Mr. 
Spencer  said  to  the  writer,  that  had  he  been  less  a  suf 
ferer  while  a  wounded  captive  in  their  hands,  had  not 
his  life  been  daily  threatened  so  that  he  had  little  hope 
of  living  to  transmit  the  truth  to  the  world ;  in  short, 
had  he  foreseen  what  he  now  sees,  he  might  have 
probed  the  whole  matter,  and  the  moving  impulse 
would  have  been  made  known  to  him.  He  heard 
nothing  from  them  to  confirm  the  view  we  here  present, 
or  by  which  he  would  feel  justified  in  declaring  it  to 
be  an  offshoot  of  the  rebellion.  This  is,  however,  a 
synopsis  from  reliable  sources,  to  which  he  had  no  ac 
cess  at  the  time,  and  we  shall  leave  the  reader  to  de 
duce  his  own  conclusions. 

However  deep  and  long  they  slumber  beneath  the 
rubbish  of  sloth  or  fear,  the  fires  of  discontent,  of 
envy  and  hate,  are  ever  burning  in  the  savage  heart. 
Sooner  or  later  they  will  burst  forth  in  wild  volcanic 
throes,  when  peace  treaties  are  forgotten,  the  buried 
tomahawk  exhumed,  and  woe  to  the  defenseless  victim 
over  whose  head  the  scalping-knife  is  flourished.  In 
every  normal  savage  heart  exists  a  principle  of  reck 
less  hate  towards  the  whites,  which,  stimulated  by  real 


288  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

or  imaginary  wrongs,  needs  no  avalanche  of  argument 
to  start  the  missiles  of  death.  Like  a  spark  of  fire  in 
a  magazine  of  powder,  the  ignition  is  as  sudden,  the  re 
sults  as  terrible.  That  the  great  Sioux  raid  of  '62  was 
somewhere  premeditated,  plans  intelligently  matured 
and  admirably  arranged  for  secrecy,  is  beyond  a  doubt 
Strategy  is  the  art  of  savage  warfare,  secrecy  the  guar 
anty  of  success. 

We  have  seen  squads  of  daring,  determined  war 
riors,  all  over  the  counties  of  the  north,  west,  and 
south-west,  striking  a  simultaneous  blow  on  the  settle 
ments,  desolating  an  area  of  four  hundred  miles  in 
extremes,  filling  the  woods  and  marshes  with  starved, 
panic-stricken  women  and  children,  bestrewing  the  fair 
prairies  with  corpses  of  men,  and  desolating  the  fields 
of  ripened  plenty.  No  magic  pen  could  portray,  no 
master  pencil  paint  the  horrid,  sublimely  tragical 
events  of  the  horror-stricken  plains.  The  reaper  lying 
dead  in  his  swath,  with  his  sickle  in  his  hand  ;  cattle 
roaming  at  large,  and  bellowing  in  inquiry  of  the  mid 
night  that  has  suddenly  fallen  upon  their  noon ;  while 
the  huge,  swollen  bodies  of  others,  were  mingling 
their  nauseous  affluvia  with  the  headless  bodies  of 
men ;  hogs  were  rooting  in  the  long  ringlets,  or  feeding 
on  the  fair  cheek  of  beauty,  and  dogs  going  mad  from 
the  same,  — in  short  the  tide  of  desolation  was  sweep 
ing  over  all. 

Some  hidden  leaven  has  been  at  work  —  from  fur- 
clad  Pembina  to  blood-dyed  Secessia  had  the  lump 
been  leavened,  till  it  became  a  risen  mass  of  duplicate 
rebellion.  Investigation  shows  conclusively  that  Se- 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  289 

cessia  had  sent  her  emissaries  not  only  to  the  Dakotas, 
but  all  other  tribes  of  the  north-west — fostering  a 
spirit  of  unrest,  magnifying  mole-hill  grievances  into 
mountain  realities,  —  inciting  the  barbarous  war-spirit 
dormant  in  their  hearts,  and  infusing  a  death-dealing 
fury  wherever  the  war-king  should  stride.  The  hope 
of  a  savage  menace  to  the  frontier,  involved  the  one 
that  the  north-western  troops,  everywhere  noted  for 
their  valor,  would  be  retained  and  recalled  from  the 
national  field  to  subdue  a  savage  foe.  Hence  they 
prated  of  wrongs,  and  encouraged  a  hope  of  a  re-pos 
session  of  garden  Minnesota,  glittering  in  wealth  and 
happy  in  the  quiet  of  well-earned  homes.  That  the 
task  was  no  difficult  one,  the  double  subtlety  of  rebel 
lion  taught,  for  it  assured  them  that  all  the  fighting 
powers  were  engaged  with  a  southern  foe.  Thus 
the  whole  gear  was  in  complete  running  order,  before 
the  war  horse  was  bid  to  move. 

It  has  been  conclusively  proven,  that  runners,  ever 
after  the  great  rebellion  began,  were  going  back  and 
forth  among  the  various  tribes,  and  .particularly  to 
effect  their  object  with  the  Minominees,  who  utterly  re 
fused  complicity.  God  was  on  the  throne  of  heaven, 
and  thwarted  much  of  the  base  design. 

In  one  of  their  grand  councils,  convened  in  Wiscon 
sin,  for  the  purpose  of  discussing  the  war  theme,  it  was 
emphatically  stated,  on  the  authority  of  a  head  chief, 
that  all  the  western  tribes  were  going  to  join  the  South, 
and  that  there  would  be  a  general  uprising  among  the 
Indians,  in  the  summer,  1862. 


290  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

There  is  no  doubt  but  the  Chippewas  did  seriously 
contemplate  an  alliance  with  the  Sioux,  at  one  time, 
but  being  discountenanced,  by  the  prudent  foresight  of 
some  of  their  own  number,  it  was  timely  nipped  in  the 
bud,  by  the  wise  policy  of  Gov.  Eamsey. 

A  Lieut.  Colonel,  in  Ashby's  rebel  cavalry,  wrote 
from  Virginia,  under  date  of  Aug.  20,  1862,  to  his 
brother-in-law,  of  Columbus,  Wisconsin,  advising  him, 
and  denning  ways  and  means  for  so  doing,  to  haste  to 
the  Confederate  lines  for  safety.  But  if  he  failed  in 
this,  to  seek  an  asylum  in  Illinois,  giving,  as  a  reason 
for  the  warning,  "a  general  uprising  of  all  the  Indian 
tribes  in  the  north-west,  about  the  first  of  September." 
Even  then  it  had  commenced,  but  the  Divine  hand  had 
held  in  check  all  but  the  wrathful  Sioux,  and  Little 
Crow  had  dared  to  attempt  what  some  of  the  nations 
of  Europe  dare  not  risk 

What  fearful  guilt  rests  upon  the  murder  plotters  — 
the  proxy  desolaters  of  the  fair  land  and  domestic 
peace,  for  that  secession  is  the  root  and  base  of  the 
wide-spread  ruin,  we  think  the  evidence  admits  scarce 
a  doubt,  but  so  secretly,  so  adroitly  manceuvered,  that 
scarcely  can  the  horns  of  the  beast  be  seen,  pushing 
this  way  and  that,  like  the  one  of  which  the  prophet 
speaks,  and  like  it,  destined  to  a  final  overthrow.  The 
enormity  and  magnitude  of  the  desolation,  can  be  some 
what  comprehended,  by  the  figures  on  which  we  rely 
for  data. 

It  will  be  recollected  that  30,000  persons  were  actual 
sufferers,  in  flight,  loss  of  property,  and  loss  of  life. 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  291 

Two  thousand,  nine  hundred  and  forty  persons  claimed 
redress  from  Government,  for  the  loss  of  their  earthly 
all.  The  total  amount  of  claims  for  losses  sustained 
by  the  above,  is  $2,600,000.  For  the  disbursement  of 
these  claims,  the  annuities,  which  are  forever  forfeited, 
are  appropriated,  an  arrangement,  than  which  none 
could  be  more  just  or  equitable. 

May  God  yet  make  the  wrath  of  these  Sioux  to 
praise  him,  and  so  overrule  all  these  trying  events,  as 
to  result  in  both  individual  and  national  good,  tempo 
rally,  spiritually  and  eternally. 


CHAPTER  Lin. 

PREPARATIONS     FOR     THE    EXECUTION    OF    THE    CON- 
-.- •/  DEMNED    INDIANS. 

As  soon  as  the  President's  order,  postponing  the  day 
of  execution,  from  the  19th  to  the  26th  Dec.,  was  re 
ceived,  the  military  authorities  at  Mankato  commenced 
preparations  for  the  execution.  The  gallows,  twenty- 
four  feet  square,  so  arranged  as  to  afford  room  for  the 
hanging  of  ten,  on  each  side,  was  erected  on  the  levee, 
opposite  the  "winter  quarters"  of  the  condemned.  The 
people  felt  that  justice  was  being  defrauded  of  its  dues, 
and  that  the  gallows  might  have  been  of  more  extend 
ed  capacity,  had  the  President  been  less  squeamish. 

On  Monday,  the  22d  of  December,  the  condemned 
prisoners,  were  separated  from  the  "suspended"  ones, 
and  removed  to  a  strong  stone  building,  where  every 
precaution  was  taken  to  secure  their  safe  keeping  from 
the  hands  of  violence,  which  was  feared  from  excited, 
misguided,  but  injured  men, 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  Col.  Miller,  the 
officer  in  command,  through  his  interpreter,  Rev.  Mr. 
Riggs,  announced  to  the  prisoners,-  the  decision  of  their 
"Great  Father"  at  Washington,  in  these  words  : 

"Tell  these  thirty-nine*  condemned  men,  that  the* 

*The  death  sentence  of  one  of  this  number  was  afterward  suspended. 


GQVEKN"0]rj  OF  MLAiNK 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  295 

commanding  officer  of  this  place  has  called  to  speak  to 
them  upon  a  very  serious  subject,  this  afternoon. 

"Their  Great  Father  at  Washington,  aftfcr  carefully 
reading  what  the  witnesses  testified  in  their  several 
trials,  has  come  to  the  conclusion,  that  they  have  each 
been  guilty  of  wantonly  and  wickedly  murdering  his 
white  children.  And  for  this  reason,  he  has  directed 
that  each  be  hanged  by  the  neck  until  they  are  dead, 
on  next  Friday.  That  order  will  be  carried  into  effect 
on  that  day,  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon. 

"That  good  ministers  are  here,  both  Catholic  and 
Protestant,  from  amongst  whom  each  one  can  select  a 
spiritual  adviser,  who  will  be  permitted  to  commune 
with  them  constantly,  during  the  four  days  that  they 
are  to  live. 

"That  I  will  now  cause  to  be  read  the  letter  from 
their  Great  Father  at  Washington,  first  in  English,  and 
then  in  their  own  language."  (The  President's  order 
was  now  read.) 

"Say  to  them  now,  that  they  have  so  sinned  against 
their  fellow  men,  that  there  is  no  hope  for  clemency, 
except  in  the  mercy  of  God,  through  the  merits  of  the 
blessed  Redeemer ;  and  that  I  earnestly  exhort  them  to 
apply  to  that  as  their  only  remaining  source  of  comfort 
and  consolation." 

The  prisoners  received  their  sentence  very  coolly, 
some  smoking  their  pipes,  composedly,  during  the  ad 
dress  ;  and  one,  apparently  more  hardened  than  his  fel 
lows,  when  the  time  for  execution  was  designated,  qui 
etly  knocked  the  ashes  from  his  pipe,  and  re-filled  it; 


296  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

while  another  slowly  rubbed  a  handful  of  kinnekinnick, 
preparatory  to  a  good  smoke. 

The  preference  of  clergymen  being  signified,  the  Col 
onel  and  spectators  withdrew,  leaving  them  in  consult 
ation  with  those  selected. 

During  the  four  days  which  intervened,  before  the 
sentence  was  to  be  executed,  nearly  all  had  made  con 
fession  of  their  guilt,  to  their  spiritual  advisers,  but  felt 
it  "a  shame"  for  them  to  suffer  the  penalty  of  their 
crimes,  while  others,  equally  as  guilty,  went  unhung. 
Their  confessions,  made  to  and  written  out  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Riggs,  were  generally  done  in  a  cool,  truthful  manner, 
though  with  some  exceptions,  and  these  were  checked 
by  the  others,  and  told  that  they  were  all  dead  men, 
and  that  there  was  no  reason  why  they  should  depart 
from  the  truth.  They  dictated  letters  to  their  families 
or  friends,  expressing  the  hope  that  they  would  join 
them  in  the  world  of  the  Good  Spirit 

On  Tuesday  evening,  they  extemporized  a  dance, 
with  a  wild  Indian  song.  It  was  feared  this  was  a  pre 
lude  to  something  else  which  they  might  attempt,  so 
their  chains  were  thereafter  fastened  to  the  floor.  Mr. 
Riggs  says  it  was  probably  their  death  song  which  they 
sang.  Those  who  had  friends  in  the  main  prison  we're 
allowed  to  receive  a  visit  from  them,  and  then  they 
parted,  to  meet  no  more  till  in  the  spirit  world.  These 
partings,  with  the  messages  conveyed  to  absent  wives 
and  children,  were  sad  and  affecting,  and  many  tears, 
were  shed.  Good  counsel  was  invariably  sent  to  their 
children,  and  in  many  cases  they  were  exhorted  to  a 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  297 

life  of  Christianity,  and  good  feeling  toward  the 
whites. 

Several  of  the  prisoners  were  completely  overcome 
during  this  leave-taking,  so  that  they  were  obliged  to 
suspend  conversation.  Others  laughed  and  joked,  un 
moved  and  unconcerned  as  if  they  had  been  sitting 
around  a  camp  fire  smoking  their  pipes.  One  said  he 
was  old,  and  even  though  uncondemned,  he  could  not 
hav  3  hoped  to  live  long,  and  that  he  was  dying  inno 
cent  of  white  man's  blood,  and  he  hoped  thereby  his 
chances  would  be  better  to  be  saved  —  that  he  had  every 
hope  of  going  "direct  to  the  abode  of  the  Great  Spirit, 
where  he  would  be  always  happy." 

As  the  last  remark  reached  the  ears  of  another,  who 
was  also  speaking  with  his  friends,  he  said,  "Yes, 
tell  our  friends  that  we  are  being  removed  from  this 
world  over  the  same  path  they  must  shortly  travel. 
We  go  first,  but  many  of  our  friends  will  follow  us  in 
a  very  short  time.  I  expect  to  go  direct  to  the  abode 
of  the  Great  Spirit,  and  to  be  happy  when  I  get  there  ; 
but  we  are  told  that  the  road  is  long  and  the  distance 
great,  therefore,  as  I  am  slow  in  all  my  movements,  it 
will  probably  take  me  a  long  time  to  reach  the  end  of 
my  journey,  and  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  some 
of  the  young  active  men  we  will  leave  behind  us,  will 
pass  me  on  the  road  before  I  reach  my  destination." 

In  shaking  hands  with  Eed  Iron  and  another  Indian, 
this  same  man  said,  "Friends,  last  summer  you  were 
opposed  to  us.  You  were  living  in  continual  appre 
hension  of  an  attack  from  those  who  were  determined 
M 


298  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

to  exterminate  the  whites.  You  and  your  families 
were  subject  to  many  insults,  taunts  and  threats.  Still 
you  stood  firm  in  your  friendship  for  the  whites,  and 
continually  counselled  the  Indians  to  abandon  their 
raid  against  them.  Your  course  was  condemned  at 
the  time,  but  now  we  see  your  wisdom.  You  were 
right  when  you  said  the  whites  could  not  be  extermi 
nated,  and  the  attempt  indicated  folly.  You  and  your 
families  were  prisoners,  and  the  lives  of  all  in  dan 
ger.  To-day  you  are  at  liberty,  assisting  in  feeding 
and  guarding  us,  and  we  shall  die  in  two  days  because 
we  did  not  follow  your  advice." 

The  night  before  the  execution,  Col.  Miller  received 
an  order  from  the  President,  postponing  the  execution 
of  Ta-ti-mi-ma,  the  Sioux  name  for  David  Faribault,  a 
half-breed,  and  a  former  pupil  of  the  writer.  He  was 
convicted  for  murder,  and  the  capture  of  women  and 
children ;  but  there  were  strong  doubts  among  those 
best  acquainted  with  the  subject,  of  his  guilt  of  mur 
der,  and  this  belief  was  daily  strengthened  by  new 
evidence.  Hence  the  respite.* 

The  last  night  allotted  them  on  earth,  they  smoked 
and  chatted,  or  slept  as  unconcerned  as  usual,  and 
seemed  scarcely  to  reflect  on  the  certain  doom  awaiting 
them.  "As  we  gazed  on  them,"  says  one  who  visited 
the  prison  at  a  late  hour  that  night,  "the  recollections 
of  how  short  a  time  since  they  had  been  engaged  in 
the  diabolical  work  of  murdering  indiscriminately  both 
old  and  young,  sparing  neither  sex  nor  condition,  sent' 

*He  has  since  been  unconditionally  pardoned . 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  299 

a  thrill  of  horror  through  our  veins.  Now  they  are 
perfectly  harmless  and  look  as  innocent  as  children. 
They  smile  at  your  entrance  and  hold  out  their  hands 
to  be  shaken,  which  appear  to  be  yet  gory  with  the 
blood  of  babes.  Oh !  treachery,  thy  name  is  Dakota !" 
The  Catholic  priest  spent  the  entire  night  with  them, 
endeavoring  to  impress  upon  them  a  serious  view  of 
their  condition,  and  before  morning  dawned,  his 
efforts  were  rewarded  by  the  privilege  of  baptising 
several,  who  also  partook  of  the  communion  of  that 
church,  before  leaving  the  world.  They  wished  their 
friends  to  know  how  cheerfully  and  happily  they  met 
their  fate,  devoid  of  all  fear  or  dread. 


CHAPTER  LIV. 

THE    EXECUTION. 

The  spiritual  advisers  of  the  condemned  Indians 
were  all  with  them,  early  on  the  morning  of  the  26th 
December,  and  were  now  listened  to  with  marked  at 
tention.  They  had  gaily  painted  their  faces,  as  if  for 
grand  display  in  the  begging  dance,  and,  frequently, 
their  small  pocket  mirror  was  brought  before  the  face, 
to  see  if  they  still  retained  the  proper  modicum  of  paint. 
They  shook  hands  with  the  officers,  bidding  each  a 
cheerful  good  bye,  as  if  going  on  an  ordinary  journey. 
Then  they- chanted  their  monotonous,  but  very  exci 
ting  death  song. 

The  irons  being  knocked  off,  one  by  one,  their  arms 
were  pinioned  with  small  cords,  and  the  wrists  fastened 
in  front,  leaving  the  hands  free.  Songs  and  conversa 
tion  gave  a  cheerful  appearance  to  the  scene,  while 
they  moved  around,  shaking  hands  with  each  other, 
the  soldiers  and  reporters  bidding  the  frequent  "good 
bye."  This  over,  they  arranged  themselves  in  a  row, 
and  again  sang  the  death  song,  after  which  they  sat 
down  for  a  last  general  smoke. 

Father  Eavoux,  the  Catholic  priest,  now  addressed 
them,  and  then  knelt  in  prayer,  some  of  them  respond- ^ 
ing,  while  they  were  even  affected  to  tears.  The  long 
white  caps,  made  from  cloth,  which  had  formed  part  of 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  801 

the  spoils  taken  from  murdered  traders,  were  placed 
upon  their  heads,  leaving  their  painted  faces  still  visi 
ble.  Their  repugnance  to  this  was  very  evident 
Shame  covered  their  faces,  and  they  were  humiliated 
by  it,  as  chains  and  cords  could  not  do.  The  singing 
ceased,  and  there  was  little  smoking  or  talking  now. 
The  three  half-breeds  seemed  most  affected,  and  their 
sad  countenances  were  pitiable  to  behold. 

Crouched  on  the  floor,  they  all  awaited  their  doom, 
till  precisely  ten  o'clock,  when  they  were  marched  in 
procession,  through  a  file  of  soldiers  to  the  scaffold, 
crowding  and  jostling  each  other  to  get  ahead,  as  a  lot 
of  hungry  boarders  rush  to  the  dinner  table  in  a  hotel. 
At  the  scaffold  they  were  delivered  to  the  officer  of  the 
day,  Capt.  Burt. 

As  they  commenced  their  ascent  to  the  gallows,  the 
air  was  made  hideous  by  the  repetition  of  their  death 
song.  It  was  a  moment  of  most  intense  suspense  — 
every  breath  in  that  immense  throng  seemed  suspended, 
when  one  of  the  baser  sort  improvised  an  exhibition 
of  his  contempt  of  death,  and  the  lookers  on,  in  the 
most  vile  and  indecent  manner,  accompanied  by  foul 
impromptu  song,  insulting  to  the  spectators,  and  such 
only  as  the  vilest  could  conceive  or  execute  —  a  mock 
ery  to  the  triumph  of  that  justice  whose  sword  was 
suspended  by  a  hair  over  his  guilty  head.  One  young 
fellow  smoked  a  cigar  after  the  cap  was  drawn  over 
his  face,  he  managing  to  keep  his  mouth  uncovered. 
Another  smoked  a  pipe  till  the  noose  was  adjusted 
over  his  neck. 


302  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

The  general  aspect  of  the  scene  was  intensely  solemn, 
though  there  were  many  little  incidents  which,  under 
other  circumstances,  would  have  been  ludicrous  in 
the  extreme.  Thirty-eight  men  awaiting  the  moment 
when  one  blow  would  launch  them  into  eternity !  Did 
civilized  world  ever  look  upon  the  like  before  ?  All 
who  looked,  approved  the  sentence,  and  would,  had  it 
been  ten  times  as  large. 

The  silence  was  awfully  intense — then  came  three, 
slow,  measured  and  distinct  beats  on  the  drum,  by  the 
signal  officer,  Major  J.  R  Brown,  when  each  of  the 
condemned  clasped  hands  with  his  next  neighbor, 
which  remained  in  firm  grasp  till  taken  down,  and 
then  the  rope  was  cut  by  Mr.  Dooley,  who,  with  his 
family,  were  among  the  Lake  Shetak  sufferers. 

One  loud  and  prolonged  cheer  went  up  as  the  plat 
form  fell,  and  then  all  relapsed  into  silent  gaze  at  the 
thirty -seven  bodies  which  hung  dangling  in  the  air. 
One  rope  had  broken,  and  the  body  it  held  was  upon 
the  ground.  This  incident  created  a  nervous  horror  in 
.  the  vast  assemblage  and  complete  satisfaction  to  the 
morbid  curiosity  which  led  them  to  be  eye  witnesses 
to  such  a  spectacle.  Though  there  was  no  sign  of  life 
remaining,  the  body  was  again  suspended.  There 
seemed  to  be  but  little  suffering  —  the  necks  of  nearly 
all  were  dislocated  by  the  fall,  and  in  just  twenty 
minutes,  life  was  declared  extinct 

The  bodies  were  placed  in  four  army  wagons,  andr 
with  Company  K,  under  Lieutenant  Colonel  Marshall, 
of  the  Seventh,  for  a  burial  party,  were  deposited  in 


DAKOTA   WAK  WHOOP.  303 

the  one  grave,  prepared  for  them,  on  the  sand  bar, 
nearly  in  front  of  the  town. 

The  other  condemned  Indians  were  chained  in  their 
quarters,  that  they  might  not  witness  the  execution, 
and  when  the  death  song  of  their  associates  in  crime 
fell  upon  their  ears,  they  crouched  themselves  down, 
with  their  blankets  over  their  heads,  and  kept  per 
fect  silence,  seeming  to  feel  all  the  horrors  of  their 
situation,  and  that  a  like  retribution  to  them  was  not 
long  to  be  delayed.  All  day  they  were  much  dejected. 

The  disposition  of  the  military  force,  amounting 
to  1,419  men,  as  also  the  entire  arrangements  for  the 
execution,  were  most  perfect  and  complete.  Great 
credit  is  due  Col.  Miller  for  devising  and  carrying  out 
so  successfully  his  well  directed  plans,  and  for  pre 
serving  the  quiet,  order  and  discipline  which  distin 
guished  the  day. 


CHAPTER  LV. 

THE   CONDEMNED. 

During  the  winter,  those  whose  death  sentence  had 
been  postponed,  continued  to  receive  spiritual  advice, 
as  before  the  execution. 

Those  who,  from  daily  intercourse  with  them,  were 
best  prepared  to  judge,  felt  that  the  Spirit  of  God  came 
into  that  jail  of  guilty  ones,  for  whom  Christ  died, 
with  mighty  and  convincing  power, — that  darkened 
understandings  were  opened  to  receive  the  truth,  and 
hearts,  all  stained  and  blackened  by  crime,  were  re 
generated  by  His  blood.  Others  hardened  themselves 
against  the  truth,  and  would  none  of  "the  reproofs  of 
the  Spirit." 

As  a  fruit  of  the  change,  one  hundred  and  fifty  be 
came  earnest  scholars,  and  soon  learned  to  read  the 
Bible  and  Hymn  Book,  in  which  they  took  great  de 
light,  and  often  held  religious  service  among  them 
selves.  Whether,  indeed,  these  were  true  converts  to 
the  Christian  faith,  we  leave  it  for  a  religious  world  to 
judge,  and  the  day  of  final  account  to  decide.  But 
this  we  do  know,  that  they  were  never  in  so  favorable 
circumstances  for  thought  and  for  the  mind  to  receive 
lasting  impressions.  Their  roving,  unsettled  life  has 
been  the  greatest  drawback  with  which  the  Missionary 
has  to  contend.  They  would  not  stop  to  think.  Now 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  305 

they  had  no  other  employ,  and  the  time  for  instructing 
them  was  well  improved  by  those  who  had  long 
sought  their  souls'  good.  If  "Christ  died  for  the  chief 
of  sinners"  surely  he  died  for  them,  and  great  sinners, 
with  enlightened  consciences,  have  been  pardoned. 

During  the  winter,  several  deaths  occurred  in  the  jail, 
so  that  when  those  whose  sentence  was  suspended, 
were  removed  to  Davenport,  Iowa,  they  numbered  but 
two  hundred  and  sixty-three  men,  with  whom  went 
sixteen  women  for  cooks  and  laundresses.  The 
quarters  there  provided  for  them  was  an  immense 
prison  pen  of  boards,  inclosing  four  large  shanties 
clustered  in  the  center. 

A  decided  improvement  is  noticed  by  those  who 
visited  them  there,  and  before  they  left  the  State. 
Instead  of  dozing  and  idling  away  their  time,  as  was 
their  wont,  they  were  often  seen  reading,  writing  or 
solving  the  first  lessons  on  the  slate.  Habits  of  indus 
try,  too,  were  formed ;  it  may  be  because  compelled  to  do 
so,  but  cheerfully  they  set  about  cleaning  camp,  digging 
wells,  or  whatever  work  assigned  them.  Thus  are  we 
led  to  conclude  that  a  transforming  power  has  been  at 
work,  and  though  those  who,  when  they  visited  them, 
and  looked,  for  the  first  time,  upon  an  Indian,  went 
away  disgusted,  it  argued  not  that  a  decided  change 
for  the  better  had  not  taken  place. 

'    -v  Mt 


CHAPTER  LVI. 

THE    WINNEBAGOES  DECLAKE  WAR  WITH  THE  SIOUX. 

An  Indian,  a  savage,  untamed,  unchristianized  In 
dian,  be  he  Sioux,  Chippewa  or  Winnebago,  is  an  In 
dian,  wherever  you  find  him.  They  delight  in  cruel 
deeds,  and  are  ready  to  join  any  tribe  with  whom  they 
are  at  peace,  in  war  against  a  weaker  party. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  outbreak,  the  Winne- 
bagoes,  not  as  a  tribe  or  band,  but  many  individuals 
distinguished  themselves  with  their  allies  for"  bravery 
and  daring,  entering  as  vigorously  into  the  battles  as 
the  aggressors  themselves.  But  the  tables  are  turned. 
The  Sioux  are  driven  away,  and  now  war  is  declared 
upon  them  by  the  Winnebagoes,  and  more  to  curry  favor 
with  the  victorious  whites,  than  for  any  other  cause, 
probably  hoping  the  removal  of  their  families  deferred, 
while  the  men  take  the  "war-path"  against  their  ene 
mies.  Certain  it  is,  that  some  other  motive  than  pre 
tense  of  friendship  for  the  whites,  has  instigated  so 
small  a  tribe  as  the  Winnebagoes  to  take  up  arms 
against  so  powerful  a  nation  as  their  Sioux  neighbors, 
with  whom  they  have  heretofore  been  on  friendly 
terms. 

The  scouting  Sioux,  left  behind,  are  hunted  out,  and 
no  opportunity  for  a  good  shot  is  allowed  to  pass  un- 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  307 

improved.  Instances  occurred,  where  as  brutal,  bar 
barous  treatment  was  given  the  Sioux,  by  these  ene 
mies,  as  they  were  ever  guilty  of  towards  the  whites. 
The  bodies  of  their  victims  would  be  mutilated,  hearts 
would  be  torn  out,  large  knives  run  through  their  cen 
tre,  and  then  hung  upon  poles. 

A  scalp  dance  was  even  improvised  in  the  streets  of 
Mankato,  in  which  all  the  warriors,  squaws  and  chil 
dren,  joined.  One  young  Winnebago  brave  paraded 
the  main  street,  with  the  tongue  of  a  Sioux  warrior, 
recently  murdered,  apparently  torn  from  his  mouth, 
and  swollen  very  thick,  stopping,  as  occasion  occurred, 
to  gratify  the  morbid  curiosity  of  passers-by. 

The  Indian,  whose  tongue  had  given  such  mortal 
offense,  had  a  wife  of  their  own  tribe,  with  whom  he 
had  lived,  during  the  winter,  among  her  own  people. 
Hearing  of  the  murder  of  two  of  his  own  people,  by 
them,  his  Sioux  blood  was  aroused,  and  he  declared 
his  intention  of  imparting  the  information  to  the  tribe ; 
only  his  wife  knew  of  his  design,  when  he  left,  but  he 
was  overtaken  and  murdered  before  he  left  the  reserva 
tion,  hence  the  exhibition  we  have  seen. 

But  not  serious  or  of  long  continuance  were  the  fron 
tier  troubles  with  these  two  tribes.  One  fled  beyond 
the  reach  of  harm  for  the  winter,  and  it  was  only  with 
skulking  parties  that  they  could  deal,  while  they  re 
mained.  .  The  return  of  spring  brought  a  change.  The 
Winnebagoes  no  longer  held  their  Eeservation  in  the 
very  Eden  of  the  Minnesota  Valley.  Far  up  the  Mis 
souri  river,  their  home  is  now  where  they  could  "worry 


308  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

and  devour  each  other,"  with  less  molestation  than  be 
fore,  was  it  not  for  the  vigilant  care  of  the  Agents  and 
the  watchful  eye  of  Government 


CHAPTER  LVH. 

AN    ALAKM. 

During  the  winter  of  1862-3,  comparative  quiet  was 
upon  the  borders  and  throughout  the  State.  Military 
forces  were  stationed  all  along  the  frontier,  to  protect 
the  most  exposed  portions,  and  prevent  further  incur 
sions.  Marauding  parties  of  savages  lurked  in  the  Big 
"Woods,  and,  as  often  as  opportunity  offered,  murdered 
those  in  the  most  depopulated  districts,  stole  the  horses, 
and  committed  various  depredations,  in  the  more  dis 
tant  settlements. 

As  winter  advanced  into  spring,  they  became  still 
more  daring,  and  horse  thieving  more  general.  Little 
Crow  had  sent  thieving  parties  all  over  the  State,  and 
things  again  assumed  an  alarming  aspect,  though  by  no 
means  so  formidable  as  before. 

Col.  Miller,  still  at  Mankato,  was  early  awakened, 
one  morning,  to  read  and  act  upon  the  following  alarm 
ing  dispatch : 

MEDALIA,  April  17,  1863. 
COL.  STEPHEN  MILLER  : 

DEAR  SIR  : — This  morning,  at  two  o'clock,  two  men  from  a  de 
tached  post,  on  the  south  bend  of  the  "Watonwan,  reported  here,  with 
the  information  that  the  settlement  was  attacked  yesterday  morning, 
by  a  large  party  of  Indians,  estimated  by  the  Lieutenant  in  com 
mand,  at  not  less  than  fifty.  We  have  but  one  man  killed  and  three 
wounded,  and  one  boy,  ten  years  of  age,  was  killed.  The  Indians 


310  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

have  taken  all  the  horses  they  could  get  hold  of — one  belonging  to 
Government.  Lieutenant  Hardy  writes,  that  he  thinks  the  Indians 
will  renew  the  attack  this  morning.  I  shall  start  re-enforcements  at 
four  o'clock,  and  send  for  the  wounded.  We  will  need  a  surgeon  to 
attend  to  the  wounded,  also  a  force  of  cavalry,  with  which  to  pursue 
the  Indians.  Your  ob't  servant, 

T.  G.  HALL, 
Capt  Co.  E,  7th  Reg't  Volunteers. 

The  settlement  attacked,  after  this  long  quiet,  was 
distant,  to  the  south-west  of  Medalia,  about  twenty 
miles,  and  from  Mankato  forty-eight  miles.  A  detach 
ment  of  twenty-one  men,  from  Company  E,  of  the 
Seventh  Kegiment,  under  Lieut  Hardy,  was  engaged 
in  building  a  stockade,  which  was  unfinished  when  the 
attack  was  made.  This  was  at  dawn,  on  the  morn  of 
the  16th  of  April. 

As  soon  as  the  alarm  was  given,  messengers  were 
sent  to  collect  the  settlers  in  the  stockade,  and  the 
force  was  deployed  so  as  to  cover  their  flight  as 
well  as  possible.  One  woman,  Mrs.  Targerson,  was 
wounded  in  the  thigh,  before  she  left  her  house,  where 
one  man  was  killed,  and  another  severely  wounded 
with  arrows.  The  wounded  man  grappled  with  the 
foremost  Indian,  broke  two  arrows,  grasped  his  gun, 
and  fired  at  them,  when  they  fled.  Mrs.  T.'s  wounds' 
retarded  her  running,  so  that  the  Indians  soon  overtook 
her,  when  they  beat  her  over  the  head,  in  a  most  cruel 
manner,  with  the  butts  ,of  their  guns.  This  act  was 
seen  by  some  soldiers,  who  started  for  her  relief,  when 
the  Indians  fled,  and  she  reached  the  stockade,  without 
further  molestation. 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  311 

The  Indians  appeared  to  be  well  armed,  but  had  no 
horses,  except  what  they  stole  in  that  neighborhood. 
They  also  drove  off  cattle  belonging  to  the  settlement. 

As  soon  as  orders  could  be  given,  one  company  of 
cavalry  and  two  of  infantry,  under  command  of  Lieut. 
Col.  Marshall,  were  on  the  way  to  the  theatre  of  dan 
ger,  and  reached  Medalia,  the  same  night,  from  whence, 
the  following  morning,  they  proceeded,  meeting  the 
wounded  party,  in  charge  of  Lieut.  Hardy,  for  whom 
he  was  seeking  a  place  of  more  safety  and  comfort. 

Upon  the  receipt  of  the  same  intelligence  at  Fort 
Eidgley,  Lieut.  Col.  Pfender,  commanding  there,  start 
ed  a  cavalry  company,  of  fifty  well  armed  men,  to 
unite  with  Col.  Marshall's  command.  This  swelled  the 
cavalry  to  one  hundred,  which,  with  several  teams, 
with  forage  and  ammunition,  started,  on  Sunday  morn 
ing,  the  19th  of  April,  in  pursuit  of  the  Indians.  The 
infantry  companies  were  left  at  Medalia  and  the  stock 
ade,  deeming  a  strong  force  essential  to  guard  against 
another  attack. 

The  companies  in  charge  of  Col.  Marshall,  scoured 
the  country  as  far  as  Lake  Shetak,  and,  though  often 
finding  traces  of  where  they  had  camped,  but  a  day  or 
two  previous,  they  were  always  a  little  in  advance,  and 
the  men  returned  to  head-quarters,  without  having  seen 
an  Indian. 


CHAPTER  LVIH. 

OF    THE    "GOOD 

Daring  the  session  of  Congress,  in  the  winter  of  1863, 
a  new  reservation  was  appropriated  in  the  vicinity  of 
Fort  Randall,  in  Dakota  Territory,  instead  of  Boston 
Common,  for  the  occupancy  of  the  guiltless  ones,  taken 
in  charge  at  Camp  Release,  in  September,  1862. 

All  winter,  we  had  seen  their  uninviting  camp,  the 
curling  smoke  from  the  top  of  their  tepees,  and  their 
filthy  or  gaily  painted  faces  peeping  from  'neath  the 
folds  of  their  blankets,  on  the  flat,  at  Fort  Snelling, 
where  the  waters  of  the  Minnesota  and  Mississippi 
meet 

Just  before  their  departure,  a  cargo  of  several  hun 
dred  contrabands  was  landed  and  encamped  near  the 
same  spot.  It  was  a  novel  sight,  and  quite  amusing  to 
the  beholder,  to  see  them  open  their  eyes  in  wild 
amazement,  as  each  party  gazed  at  the  other,  in  mutual 
seeming  wonder.  The  blacks  had  thought  that  no 
mortals  were  as  degraded  as  themselves,  but  had  found- 
themselves  outdone.  The  Indians  had  thought  them 
selves  the  blackest  of  the  human  race,  but  now  looked 
upon  those  of  a  deeper  dye.  And  so  they  looked,  and 
gazed,  and  talked,  the  few  days  they  were  privileged 
to  remain  as  neighbors. 

But  the  steamer  has  "rounded  too,"  to  convey  away 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  313 

from  our  sight,  those  government  pets.  Lodges  are 
struck  and  packed  with  all  their  worldly  goods,  and 
with  a  strap  passing  round  the  forehead,  slung  over  the 
backs  of  the  squaws,  as  they  move  into  their,  for  the 
present,  moving  quarters. 

In  military  order,  the  bands  were  marched  on  board, 
the  celebrated  chief,  Wabashaw,  taking  the  lead,  and 
counted  and  tallied  to  see  that  none  were  missing. 
They  were  followed  by  the  bands  of  Good  Eoad,  Wa- 
couta,  Passing  Hail,  and  Ked  Legs.  The  greater  por 
tion  of  these  were  women  and  children.  Many  of  the 
trust- worthy  Indians  remained  for  scouts  in  Gen.  Sib- 
ley's  expedition,  their  families  encamped  on  the  prairie, 
in  rear  of  the  fort,  and  very  properly  provided  for  at 
public  expense,  and  guarded,  day  and  night,  by  armed 
men.  In  this  company  of  some  fifteen  or  twenty 
tepees,  were  some  quite  intelligent  and  cultivated  wo 
men.  Though  most  of  them  retained  their  native  cos 
tume,  some  'wore  dresses  and  crinoline,  like  white  wo 
men.  One  was  pointed  out  to  us  as  a  teacher,  acting 
in  that  capacity  to  the  juveniles  of  the  encampment 
Industry  in  the  domestic  department  prevailed,  and  we 
were  struck  with  the  evidences  of  improvement  in  per 
sonal  cleanliness.  But  we  digress. 

To  their  shame  be  it  said,  that  when  the  boat  having 
the  "good  Indians"  on  board,  landed  at  St  Paul,  a 
crowd  of  soldiers,  led  on  by  one  who  had  been  wound 
ed  at  Birch  Coolie,  commenced  throwing  stones  and 
other  missiles  into  the  crowd  of  Indians  on  the  boat, 
which  it  was  impossible  for  them  to  avoid,  as  they  were 


314  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

so  closely  packed  on  the  boiler  deck.  Several  squaws 
were  hit  upon  the  head,  and  quite  severely  injured 
A  threat  by  the  commanding  officer,  who  had  their  re 
moval  in  charge,  to  charge  bayonets  on  the  offending 
crowd,  soon  dispersed  them,  and  no  further  disturbance 
occurred.  Such  a  gross  outrage  was  strongly  condemn 
ed  by  all  good  citizens,  though  they  might  have  no 
fond  partiality  for  the  Indians.  These  were  not  the 
actual  murderers,  and  hence  no  apology  for  such  an 
act,  than  which  nothing  could  have  been  more  wanton. 

While  the  boat  "lay  to,"  many  of  the  Indians 
were  engaged  in  prayer  and  singing,  in  which  last  ex 
ercise  they  took  great  delight,  but  whether  with  devout 
hearts,  it  is  not  ours  to  say. 

From  Hannibal,  Missouri,  these  Indians  were  taken, 
by  cars,  to  St.  Joseph,  and  again  embarked  on  the  Mis 
souri,  for  their  new  Reservation. 

The  new  Winnebago  Reservation  is  contiguous  to 
the  above,  divided  only  by  a  small  creek.  Here,  under 
the  supervision  of  Col.  Thompson,  the  Agent,  they 
soon  began  to  thrive,  even  in  a  desolated  region,  with 
scarcely  a  sign  of  cultivation. 

"The  Colonel's  improvements,"  says  one  who  writes 
from  there  so  early  as  July  15,  "are  certainly  a  striking 
and  cheering  sight  In  the  foreground  was  a  small 
camp  of  soldiers ;  to  the  right,  a  steam  saw-mill,  in  full 
operation ;  to  the  left,  a  large,  two  story  frame  house,  in 
course  of  erection ;  while  temporary  buildings  and  tents, 
were  scattered  around,  occupied  by  the  workmen ;  and 
prominent  in  the  centre,  a  temporary  breastwork,  con- 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  315 

structed  of  supplies,  brought  for  the  workmen  and  for 
the  Indians,  in  the  centre  of  which  stood  a  temporary 
building,  used  as  an  office  and  kitchen,  the  latter  de 
partment  presided  over  by  "Bill,"  a  darkey  from  St. 
Louis. 

"The  Colonel  was  pushing  on  the  work,  superin 
tending  everything  himself.  Buildings  are  rising  as 
if  by  magic,  and  by  autumn,  if  nothing  untoward 
transpires,  a  model  Agency  will  be  nearly  completed. 
It  is  laid  out  four  hundred  feet  square,  to  be  enclosed 
by  a  stockade  fifteen  feet  high,  inside  of  which  all  the 
buildings,  of  both  Agencies,  will  be  located.  It  will 
be  more  impregnable  to  Indian  attacks  than  any  I 
have  ever  seen. 

"He  is  also  making  preparations  for  the  erection  of 
fifty  houses  for  the  Indians,  to  be  finished  before  win 
ter.  For  the  short  time  the  work  has  been  in  pro 
gress  (only  about  six  weeks,)  it  is  astonishing  that  so 
much  could  be  accomplished,  and  no  one  but  a  western 
man  would  believe  it,  if  told  the  amount  of  work  that 
has  been  done.  Several  of  the  buildings  are  finished 
and  occupied.  The  saw  mill  is  turning  out  lumber 
and  shingles  daily.  The  Indians  are  killing  both 
deer  and  buffalo  only  a  few  miles  away." 

A  company  of  captive  Sioux  from  White  Lodge's 
band  were  sometime  confined  at  Fort  Eandall ;  with 
them  was  a  man  sent  there  by  Col.  Thompson  for  cut 
ting  and  abusing  his  wife,  who  afterward  hung  herself 
in  retaliation  of  the  abuse.  He  made  his  way  to  the 
Agency,  and  was  informed  on  by  an  Indian,  and  again 


316  DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP. 

sent  back  to  prison.  Two  weeks  later  he  was  given 
over  to  the  Indians,  as  the  offense  was  against  one  of 
their  own  people,  when  a  council  was  called  and  re 
sulted  in  a  decision  for  death.  The  uncle  of  his  in- 
injured  wife  was  appointed  his  executioner.  The 
prisoner,  unaware  of  his  fate,  went  forth  to  the  execu 
tion,  of  which  he  was  informed  on  the  way.  He  was 
cool  and  collected,  and  evinced  no  alarm.  His  hands 
were  left  unbound,  and  in  the  brief  interim  between 
the  arrival  at  the  ground  and  the  fatal  shot  he  bounded 
upon  his  executioner  and  stabbed  him  thrice  before  he 
could  be  interfered  with.  Throwing  away  his  knife, 
he  expressed  a  readiness  to  die,  and  calmly  waited  till 
the  son  of  the  man  he  had  stabbed  was  sent  for  to 
shoot  him,  according  to  the  custom  that  the  nearest 
kin  must  avenge  the  death.  The  boy  came,  but  had 
not  the  courage  to  do  the  deed,  when  an  Indian  from 
the  crowd  volunteered  to  do  it  for  him. 


CHAPTER  LIX. 

HORSE    STEALING. 

As  the  season  advanced,  horse  stealing  became  the 
order  of  the  day,  or  rather  the  business  of  the  night. 
Imaginary  Indians  were  often  seen,  real  ones  occasion 
ally,  and  then  perhaps,  as  they  were  just  mounting  the 
favorite  horse  of  the  owner,  and  leading  another, 
would  gallop  off  so  rapidly  that  if  a  shot  were  fired, 
it  would  be  without  effect. 

On  the  night  of  the  7th  of  June,  a  span  of  horses 
was  stolen  from  a  stable  near  Silver  Creek,  in  Wright 
county^  The  following  morning  a  party  started  to 
track  the  thieves,  and  if  white  or  red  men,  regain  their 
property.  The  trail  led  through  many  difficult  wind 
ings  in  marsh  and  timber,  giving  the  assurance  that 
Indians  were  really  the  thieves.  All  day  they  wan 
dered  thus,  when  at  night  fall  they  saw  the  objects  of 
their  pursuit,  not  forty  rods  in  front  Where  was 
their  courage  now  ?  where  their  determination  to  re 
gain  their  stolen  property  ?  In  less  time  than  I  am 
writing  it,  their  horses'  heads  were  wheeled,  not  so 
soon,  however,  but  they  heard  the  sharp  crack  of  a 
cap  and  saw  the  emitted  light.  Indians  and  horses 
were  left  in  the  rear  at  a  quick  pace.  Such  was  the 
dread  which  everywhere  prevailed  at  the  sight  of  one. 
His  name  even,  had  become  a  terror,  and  frightened 


318  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

men  into  leaving,  sooner  than  by  it  the  rollicksome 
pranks  of  boyhood  were  frightened  into  quiet.  After 
investigation  proved  that  the  pursued  had  skedaddled 
with  quite  as  much  haste  as  the  pursuers,  leaving  two 
packs  of  useful  and  indispensable  articles  on  the 
ground,  and  many  other  things  were  scattered  around, 
which  nothing  but  fright  and  a  desire  for  flight  would 
have  prevented  their  taking. 

Emboldened  by  success  and  the  probable  knowledge 
of  the  fear  their  presence  created,  this  increased  gang 
of  stealing,  murdering  desperadoes  were  encroaching 
further  and  still  further  into  the  settlements,  threaten 
ing  to  overrun  every  part  of  the  State. 

A  young  man  was  found  murdered  in  Pine  county, 
under  circumstances  to  incite  suspicion  against  another, 
with  whom  he  was  in  company.  Nothing  being  known 
of  the  whereabouts  of  the  latter,  it  was  supposed  he 
had  made  for  parts  unknown :  and  as  the  former  was 
robbed  of  all  valuables  about  his  person,  that  he  had 
appropriated  it  to  his  own  personal  use. 

The  body  of  the  murdered  man  bore  unmistakable 
evidence  of  severe  treatment,  with  both  club  and 
knife.  After  evidence  developed  the  fact  that  Indians 
were  his  murderers,  and  that  the  suspected  one  escaped 
only  to  share  a  like  fate.  What  a  theatre  for  tragic 
events  had  the  State  become  !  Everywhere  the  blood 
of  human  beings  drenched  the  soil  —  everywhere  de 
cayed  bodies  were  found — everywhere  these  nightly, 
depredations  were  going  on. 

On  the  14th  of  May,  a  man  was  killed  near  New 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  319 

Ulm,  and  four  liorses  with  which  he  was  plowing, 
made  off  with,  and  this,  where  one  or  two  companies 
of  troops  were  stationed.  So  sly  and  so  hasty  are 
their  movements  that  they  come,  do  whatever  they 
list,  and  are  gone,  ere  any  are  aware  of  their  presence. 
An  order  embodying  a  bounty  of  twenty -five  dollars, 
which  was  afterward  increased  to  two  hundred,  was 
issued  by  the  Adjutant  General  for  every  Sioux  scalp, 
and  otherwise  high  inducements  offered  volunteers,  to 
scour  the  Big  Woods,  search  out  the  lion  in  his  lair 
and  lay  the  trophy  of  their  achievements  at  the  feet  of 
the  Historical  Society  —  a  relic  of  the  unparalleled 
tragedies  to  which  our  State  has  been  subjected. 


CHAPTER  LX. 

MUKDEB    OF    THE    DUSTIN    FAMILY. 

Hennepin  county,  west  of  the  Mississippi,  and  north 
of  the  Minnesota  rivers,  and  lying  on  both,  is  one  of 
the  best  populated  in  the  State.  Nearly  every  quarter 
section  is  occupied  and  improved  by  industrious  and 
thriving  farmers. 

Minneapolis,  the  county  seat  of  this  county,  is  loca 
ted  on  the  west  side  of  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  hav 
ing  a  population  of  five  or  six  thousand.  Within  six 
miles  of  this  place  the  Indians  came,  bold  in  the  exe 
cution  of  evil  designs,  yet  cat-like  in  the  manner. 
"Pis  ever  so ;  they  are  always  where  least  expected. 
When  their  presence  excited  no  alarm,  —  when  a  score 
of  Indians  was  seen  to  every  white  man,  many  a  time 
has  the  writer  been  startled  from  a  reverie  by  a  slight 
rustle  at  her  side,  or  a  heavy  breathing,  to  find  herself 
in  the  presence  of  a  great  stalwart  Indian.  Once, 
in  coming  down  Third  street,  in  St  Paul,  though 
grass-grown  then,  never  dreaming  of  human  presence, 
a  sound  somewhat  like  a  high  pressure  steam  engine 
on  a  Mississippi  sand  bar  in  low  water,  came  to  my 
ear,  distant  therefrom  only  the  thickness  of  my  bon 
net,  and  half  turning  my  head,  I  encountered  a  mon- , 
ster  Indian,  with  gaily  painted  face,  evidently  de 
lighted  with  my  embarrassment,  or  his  suggestive  wit, 


DAKOTA   WAB  WHOOP.  321 

thus  to  exhibit  himself  for  approval,  though  "never  a 
word  he  spoke,"  but  with  the  usual  grunt  passed  on. 

This  quality,  be  it  what  it  may,  is  wonderfully  ad 
vantageous  to  them  in  carrying  out  their  present  evil 
devices;  and  though  to  those  far  away,  and  unac 
quainted  with  their  character  and  habits,  it  may  seem 
strange  that  they  should  come  and  go  and  none  be 
aware  of  their  presence  till  the  "fruit  of  their  doings" 
is  seen.  "Were  it  not  so,  an  Indian  would  have  lost 
his  native  character ;  in  short,  would  cease  to  be  an 
Indian,  save  in  name. 

Eight  miles  from  Minneapolis,  a  farmer  with  his  son 
was  at  work  in  the  field,  when  a  party  of  seven  In 
dians  came  suddenly  in  view.  As  soon  as  they  saw 
they  were  discovered,  they  fled  to  the  bushes.  The 
farmer  hastened  to  collect  his  neighbors,  of  whom 
twelve  or  fifteen  returned  to  the  spot,  found  their  trail 
which  led  them  round  Madison  Lake,  two  miles  nearer 
town,  when  they  lost  the  trail  and  abandoned  the 
search. 

On  Monday,  the  29th  of  June,  the  day  before  this 
skulking  party  was  seen,  as  above,  in  a  more  sparsely 
populated  region,  a  few  miles  away,  Mr.  Amos  Dustin, 
and  his  family  of  five  persons,  was  passing  over  the 
prairie  in  an  open  lumber  box  wagon.  When  found 
on  Wednesday  following,  Mr.  Dustin  was  in  the  front 
of  the  wagon  —  dead.  An  arrow  was  sticking  in  his 
body,  and  a  deep  tomahawk  wound  was  in  his  breast. 
His  left  hand  had  been  cut  off  and  carried  away  by 
the  Indians.  N 


322  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

Beneath  his  seat  crouched  a  little  girl  of  six  years ; 
her  hair  matted,  her  garments  saturated,  her  face  cov 
ered,  and  her  shoes  literally  filled  with  the  blood  which, 
had  trickled  from  the  mangled  body  of  her  father. 
She  was  the  only  uninjured  member  of  the  family, 
and  in  her  fears  thought,  as  she  said,  that  "the  Indians 
looked  very  sharply  at  her,  and  supposed  they  would 
kill  her  too,"  but  not  a  hand  was  laid  upon  her. 

The  mother,  and  another  child  twelve  years  old, 
were  alive  when  found,  but  mortally  wounded.  For 
two  days  and  nights  they  had  lain  thus  beside  the 
dead  bodies  of  their  loved  ones,  unable  to  procure  sus 
tenance  or  assistance. 

The  mother  of  Mr.  Dustin  lay  with  her  head  hang 
ing  over  the  wagon,  her  long  silvery  hair  matted  with 
blood  waving  in  the  wind.  An  arrow  in  her  body 
had  done  the  work  of  death.  Was  there  ever  a  pic 
ture  more  horrid  ?  The  horses,  of  course,  were  gone 
far  away,  conveying  the  perpetrators  from  the  scene 
which  they  had  enacted. 

More  vigorous  measures  for  home  defense  were  at 
once  taken.  Seventy  stand  of  arms  were  issued  to 
Hennepin  county.  No  means  were  spared  by  State 
and  military  authorities  to  prevent  future  outrages. 


CHAPTER  LXI. 

LITTLE     CKOW'S     WHEREABOUTS. 

Where  now  was  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the 
mighty  Sioux  forces,  whose  scouting  parties  were  do 
ing  so  much  evil  in  the  land  ?  Five  hundred  miles  to 
the  northwest,  on  the  bleak  shores  of  Devil's  lake,  had 
been  their  winter  quarters.  But  he  had  not  idled  away 
the  winter  in  camp  life  luxury.  Wherever  he  might 
find  .a  British  subject,  with  the  hope  of  aid  from  him, 
hither  he  went,  setting  forth  his  grievances  in  a  mock 
pathetic  manner,  and  begging  his  alliance  in  driving 
off  the  Americans.  At  Fort  Garry,  in  British  Ameri 
ca,  whither  he  went  with  sixty  warriors,  he  made  strong 
efforts  to  form  a  peace  treaty.  After  impressing  them 
with  the  glory  of  the  scalp  dance,  Little  Crow  made  a 
speech,  in  which  he  spoke  of  the  efforts  the  "Big 
Knives"  were  making  to  catch  him,  in  very  desponding 
tones,  though  he  boastfully  asserted  the  power  of  his 
warriors,  on  whom  he  relied,  and  said,  though  "he 
considered  himself  as  good  as  a  dead  man,  they  should 
fight  awhile  yet"  He  spoke  of  all  the  Government 
proceedings  against  himself  and  the  condemned  Sioux. 
He  did  "not  complain  that  they  were  refused  a  tract  of 
land  on  which  to  settle,  which  would  place  them  under 
British  protection,"  but  he  would  "be  glad  of  a  little 
ammunition  to  kill  Americans  with."  This,  Governor 


324  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

Dallas  decidedly  and  promptly  refused ;  to  which  he 
boastfully  replied,  "it  made  no  difference,  he  had  plen 
ty."  The  people  becoming  tired  of  his  insolence,  beg 
ging  and  daring,  Gov.  Dallas  politely  ordered  him  and 
his  followers  to  leave,  and  to  trouble  them  no  more 
with  their  presence. 

Again,  they  are  back  to  their  "winter  quarters,"  dis 
sensions  arising  among  themselves.  Many  are  sick  of 
the  war — some  never  having  been  engaged  in  it,  but 
having  gone  off  with  them  because  they  were  Indians, 
and  supposed  all  Indians  were  death-doomed,  if  caught. 
Standing  Buffalo  had  never  favored  the  war,  neither  had 
Sweet  Corn ;  they  wanted  to  make  peace,  and  were  de 
termined,  any  way,  to  deliver  themselves  up  as  soon 
as  assured  by  the  President  that  no  harm  should  come 
to  them. 

The  return  of  thieving  parties  elated  Little  Crow, 
for  they  had  been  very  successful ;  and,  failing  to  put 
a  quietus  to  the  dissatisfaction  in  camp,  he  resolved  to 
redeem  his  fallen  influence  and  fortunes  in  personal 
efforts  in  that  direction.  Ten  months  before,  and  a 
mighty  nation  bowed  to  his  nod,  he  was  rich  in  booty, 
and  his  soul  feasting  on  the  blood  of  the  slain.  Now, 
taking  his  little  son,  he  descends  to  petty  horse  steal 
ing,  accompanied  by  less  than  twenty  followers.  We 
know  naught  of  his  wanderings,  of  his  fastings  and 
weariness,  of  his  heart  despondency  and  his  howlings 
over  his  sad  prospects,  as  his  fleet  foot  passes  over  the, 
intervening  distance  to  the  seat  of  his  former  raid ! 
But  the  veritable  Little  Crow,  who,  one  year  before, 


DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP.  325 

was  boasting  of  Ms  prowess  and  might,  is  really  and 
actually  almost  alone,  a  coward  wanderer,  avoiding  the 
presence  of  those  whose  life  he  so  lately  sought ;  with 
retribution  upon  his  track. 


CHAPTER  LXII. 

THE      RANSOMED. 

More  than  two  months  of  weary,  death-inviting 
marches  —  of  sleepless  nights  and  terrible  anxiety — 
from  being  constantly  watched  by  their  weasel-eyed 
captors,  of  savage  abuse  from  which  their  women  hearts 
recoiled  with  shuddering  horror  —  of  hunger  and  cold, 
and  the  wan  and  worn  captives  of  Shetak  memory 
reached  the  banks  of  the  Missouri  river,  far  to  the 
southwest.  The  little  girls  had  been  allowed,  some 
times,  to  ride  on  the  two  poles  dragged  behind  the 
horse,  but  otherwise  had  received  the  most  brutal  and 
inhuman  treatment.  Little  Tilla  Everett,  only  eight 
years  old,  was  one  time  struck  on  the  head  by  a  squaw 
with  a  heavy  stake,  from  the  effects  of  which  she  was 
for  a  long  time  insensible,  and  none  expected  or 
scarcely  hoped  her  to  recover,  for  they  had  then  little 
hope  of  improved  fortunes,  or  that  she  would  ever  find 
her  father,  if  he  still  lived. 

All  the  hellish  ingenuity  of  their  savage  nature 
seemed  taxed  to  invent  some  new  phase  of  torture,  the 
details  of  which  would  make  the  blood  curdle  with 
horror.  Both  the  women  were  enciente  when  taken 
captives,  and  now  were  obliguvl  to  submit  to  the  vile- 
embraces,  one  of  five  and  the  other  of  three  of  these 
brutal  monsters,  till  abortion  followed ;  and  even  then 


DAKOTA   WAK  WHOOP.  327 

there  was  scarce  a  suspension  of  suffering  in  this  re 
gard.  Mrs.  Dooley  was  four  times  sold — once  for  a 
horse,  again  for  a  blanket,  and  once  for  a  bag  of  shot 
Her  little  girl,  six  years  old,  was  once  sold  for  a  gold 
watch,  and  again  for  two  yards  of  cloth. 

The  most  menial  service  was  exacted,  and  severe 
abuse  meted  to  the  mothers,  who  endeavored  to  keep 
their  helpless  ones  constantly  beside  them,  and  receive 
the  blows  instead  of  them.  But  there  came  a  time 
when  even  this  was  forbidden.  Mrs.  Wright  was  or 
dered  to  go  for  water.  The  child  of  two  years  cried 
for  its  mother,  when  it  was  beaten  by  a  squaw,  till  near 
ly  dead,  and  then  turned  over  to  a  male  brute,  who 
went  out  behind  the  tent  and  killed  it,  before  the  moth 
er's  return. 

One  Indian  often  boasted  of  going  to  a  house  where 
a  woman  was  making  bread  —  the  mother  of  a  small 
child,  which  lay  in  the  cradle  —  that  he  split  the  wo 
man's  head  open  with  a  tomahawk,  and  then  placed 
the  babe  in  the  hot  oven,  keeping  it  there  till  it  was 
baked  to  death,  when,  not  satisfied,  he  beat  its  brains 
out  against  the  wall.  This  is  corroborated  by  whites, 
who  have  been  at  the  house  where  it  happened,  and 
from  the  appearance  of  the  bodies,  had  no  doubt  but 
the  "boast"  was  literally  true. 

When  we  reflect  that  these  women  and  children  fell 
into  the  hands  of  such  monsters,  we  wonder  at  their 
final  escape,  or  at  their  enduring  powers,  under  such 
vile  treatment.  Thank  heaven  for  the  rescue  ! 

On  the  last  day  of  October,  1862,  when  love  of  life 


328  DAKOTA   WAIl   WHOOP. 

had  fled — their  worn  and  emaciated  bodies  scarcely 
covered  by  the  mere  shreds  of  clothing  left  them  — 
their  first  real  joy  since  their  captivity  was  in  seeing  a 
party  of  white  men  floating  down  the  river.  The 
Indians,  finding  they  could  not  inveigle  them  on  shore, 
commenced  hostile  demonstrations,  when  the  hopes  of 
the  women  sank  as  rapidly  as  they  had  risen.  At  the 
risk  of  life,  however,  they  made  themselves  seen  and 
heard  enough  to  make  known  their  condition.  Upon 
this  was  based  their  final  release.  Major  Galpin,  for 
it  was  he  with  a  small  party  of  men,  returning  to  his 
trading  post,  from  this  day  devoted  all  the  energies  of 
his  noble  soul  to  this  object,  and  directed,  on  his  own 
responsibility,  that  no  effort  or  expense  should  be 
spared  for  their  ransom.  The  persons  whose  hearts 
were  thus  filled  with  gratitude  to  him  who  had  secured 
them  shelter  and  protection  at  Fort  Eandall,  were  Mrs. 
Wright  and  daughter,  Mrs.  Dooley  and  daughter, 
Misses  Eosanna  and  Ellen  Ireland,  and  Tilla  Everett, 
the  only  living  member  of  her  family  spared  to  her 
wounded,  sorrow-stricken  father.  Of  this,  Mr.  Everett 
remained  for  months  in  ignorance,  himself  suffering 
from  wounds  in  the  hospital  at  Mankato.  When  the 
public  press  announced  the  ransom  of  his  child,  lie 
forgot  the  pain  of  his  healing  wounds,  and  started,  to 
find  his  lost  one.  At  last  they  met  She  rushed  to 
his  wide  open  arms,  and  was,  in  tearless  silence,  folded 
to  his  great  throbbing  heart.  They  who  saw  it  wept, 
but  the  scene  was  too  sacred  for  words.  Like  a  tiny 
skiff  and  mighty  ship  in  tempest  swayed  these  two' 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  329 

bodies  with  strong  emotion,  and  when  seemingly  the 
heart  chords  must  snap  with  the  severe  tension,  the 
angel  of  relief  came.  The  flood  gates  of  the  soul 
were  opened,  unsealing  the  surging,  pent-up  waters  of 
the  heart,  and  in  the  moment  of  almost  delirious  joy 
they  half  forgot  what  heart  and  flesh  had  suffered  in 
the  anxious  past  But  the  billows  of  sorrow  again 
swept  over  the  soul,  as  the  only  antidote  for  the  vacu 
um  the  lost  and  slain  had  made.  May  the  world  deal 
gently  by  all  these  sufferers,  and  as  much  as  may  be, 
smooth  life's  rugged  pathway  for  their  thorn-piereed 
feet  and  lacerated  hearts. 

HI 


CHAPTER  LXIII. 

THE   INDIAN  EXPEDITION. 

Camp  Pope,  where  the  troops  to  compose  the  ex 
pedition  under  command  of  Brig.  Gen.  Sibley,  were 
ordered  to  report,  was  at  the  mouth  of  Red  Wood 
river,  so  late  the  theatre  of  the  terrible  massacres 
which  inaugurated  the  war  in  Minnesota. 

For  weeks,  activity  and  bustle  prevailed  here,  in  an 
ticipation  of  a  three  months'  campaign — and  this  was 
no  small  undertaking.  The  Brigade  Commissary, 
Capt.  Wm.  H.  Forbes,  who  had  suffered  the  loss  of 
some  forty  thousand  dollars  in  the  great  raid,  evinced 
his  usual  energy,  ability  and  good  sense  in  the  man 
agement  of  this  department ;  and  that  no  want  of  cal 
culation  in  him  would  bring  failure  to  the  expedition. 
Two  hundred  and  twenty-five  wagons  were  at  last 
loaded  with  well  packed  provisions,  and  in  due  time, 
all  was  ready. 

On  the  ninth  day  of  June,  the  monotony  of  camp 
life  was  interrupted  by  the  arrival  of  Gen.  Sibley  in  a 
grand  military  reception.  All  were  anxious  to  be  on 
the  move,  and  this  argued  favorably  for  a  start.  Every 
domestic  circle  in  the  State  was  more  or  less  personally 
interested  in  the  success  of  the  expedition.  Its  officers, 
from  the  Lieutenants  to  the  General  commanding,  were 
from  our  own  hearth  stones.  The  troops  were  our  own, 


CAPT.  WM.  H.  FORBES. 


DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP.  383 

fathers,  brothers  and  sons  of  Minnesota,  and  were 
walled  in  by  a  cordon  of  prayer  from  "loved  ones  at 
home,"  which  must  secure  the  blessings  of  God  upon 
the  enterprise,  whatever  of  danger  or  defeat  lay  in  their 
path,  and  whatever  doubts  might  arise  with  envious 
evil-thinkers  and  evil-speakers. 

Gen.  Sibley,  with  the  great  energy  of  purpose  which 
had  characterized  his  life  and  insured  its  success,  now 
bent  all  these  powers  to  this  one  purpose — to  forever 
free  the  beautiful  northwest  from  the  assassins  against 
whom  this  expedition  was  planned. 

Scarcely  had  the  excitement  attendant  on  the  oc 
casion  of  his  arrival,  subsided,  when  the  strong  man 
"bows  himself  and  weeps,"  as  only  a  bereaved  father 
can.  The  first  tidings  from  home  brings  the  sad  mes 
sage  of  a  beloved  daughter's  death,  smitten  down  by 
sudden  disease.  O,  how  vain  seemed  all  earthly  glory 
then,  how  brittle  the  cords  that  bind  us  to  our  dearest 
earthly  loves  I  But  there  was  no  time  for  communion 
with  grief  All  things  in  camp  reminded  him  of  the 
responsibility  of  his  position,  and  he  must  needs  gird 
him  for  the  duty. 

On  the  16th  of  June,  1863,  all  things  being  in 
readiness,  the  forward  order  was  given,  and  the  expe 
dition  took  up  the  line  of  march  for  the  almost  unex 
plored  region  of  Dakota  territory.  The  entire  force 
numbered  about  four  thousand  men,  distributed  as  fol 
lows  :  Sixth  Kegiment,  CoL  Crooks,  eight  hundred  and 
sixty  men;  Seventh  Kegiment,  Col.  Marshall,  seven 
hundred  and  forty  men ;  Tenth  Regiment,  Col.  Baker, 


334  DAKOTA   WAK  WHOOP. 

five  hundred  and  seventy-eight  men,  (three  companies 
had  been  detailed  for  special  duty) ;  Cavalry,  Col.  Me- 
Phail,  eight  hundred  and  six  men ;  and  Capt.  Jones' 
Battery,  one  hundred  and  forty  men  and  eight  guns. 

Gen.  Sibley's  Staff  was  organized  as  follows ; 

Capt.  R.  C.  Olin,  Acting  Adjutant  General. 

Capt  C.  B.  Atchinson,  Assistant  Commissary  of 
musters,  and  Acting  Ordnance  officer. 

Captain  Douglas  Pope,  Aid-de-Camp. 

Captain  Edward  Corning,  Quartermaster. 

Captain  Wm.  H.  Forbes,  Commissary.     ^ 

George  H.  Spencer,  Chief  Clerk  of  Commissary 
Department 

Captain  Wm.  H.  Kimball,  Quartermaster's  Assist 
ant,  assigned  to  special  duty  as  pioneer  in  charge  of 
pontoon  trains. 

Lieutenant  Joseph  R.  Putnam,  Aid-de-Camp. 

F.  J.  Holt  Beever,  A.  St.  Clair  Flandrau,  and  Ar 
chibald  Hawthorne,  Aid-de-Camps,  with  rank  of  Sec 
ond  Lieutenant 

Seventy  scouts,  half  of  whom  were  volunteer  In 
dians,  and  a  majority  of  the  balance  half-breeds,  were 
numbered  with  the  expedition.  These  were  in  com 
mand  of  Major  J.  R  Brown,  J.  McCleod,  and  Wm.  J. 
Dooley,  who  were  to  act  as  chief  of  scouts,  each  half 
to  serve  on  alternate  days,  and  precede  the  expedition 
in  all  its  movements.  The  position  of  Rev.  S.  R. 
Riggs  was  changed  from  chaplain  to  interpreter,  and 
yet  he  acted  in  the  first  with  quite  as  much  acceptance 
as  before,  and  with  all  the  temptations  around  him 


DAKOTA   WAK   WHOOP.  335 

which,  tended  to  so  demoralize  the  army,  he  proved 
his  trust  in  that  Being  who  alone  can  deliver  from  the 
evils  of  vice,  and  that  his  soul  was  safe  in  that 
fortress. 

For  transportation  of  commissary  stores,  there  were 
two  hundred  and  twenty -five  wagons;  for  ordnance, 
twenty ;  pontoons,  eleven  ;  and  battery,  two ;  —  for 
camp  equipage  of  thirty-eight  companies,  nineteen; 
quartermaster's  department  and  medical  supplies,  seven 
teen  ;  regimental  head-quarters,  eight ;  head-quarters  of 
the  expedition,  two.  Surgeon  Wharton  received  the 
appointment  of  medical  director. 

The  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  was  prohibited  by 
general  order,  to  remain  in  force  during  the  expedi 
tion  ;  notwithstanding,  those  who  so  desired,  by  the 
working  of  some  magic  wand,  always  found  their  can 
teens  re-filled  whenever  they  had  been  emptied. — 
Strange  and  mysterious  are  the  genii  of  this  prince  of 
evil,  and  the  working  out  of  his  secret  plottings  none 
but  his  leagued  hosts  can  fathom  ! 

Thus  the  efficient  and  well  organized  force  was  on 
the  move,  making  a  train  of  five  miles  in  length,  for 
midable  enough  in  appearance  alone  to  awe  the  whole 
Sioux  nation,  and  of  courage  and  daring  equal  to  any 
danger  or  effort. 

The  setting  out  of  such  an  expedition  was  most  un- 
propitious.  Such  a  season  of  drouth  was  never  known 
in  all  the  West.  The  prairies  were  literally  parched 
with  heat,  and  all  the  sloughs  and  little  streams  dry. 
The  fierce  prairie  winds  were  like  the  hot  siroccos  of 


336  DAKOTA  WAE  WHOOP. 

the  desert,  withering  every  green  thing.  Clouds  of 
dust,  raised  by  this  immense  column,  would  blind  the 
eyes,  choke  the  throat  and  blacken  the  faces  of  the 
men,  so  that  they  looked  more  like  colliers  than  sol 
diers.  In  time,  serious  effects  began  to  tell  upon  the 
wagons  and  provision  boxes,  some  of  which  fell  in 
pieces,  and  much  time  was  spent  in  making  secure 
those  uninjured.  Both  men  and  animals  suffered  for 
water,  but  the  health  of  the  men  was  not  seriously  af 
fected,  and,  therefore,  the  spirits  did  not  yield  to  cir 
cumstances.  On  the  19th,  Mr.  Biggs,  writing  from 
Camp  Baker,  one  mile  above  the  ruins  of  Hazlewood 
Mission  Station,  says : 

"We  have  travelled  three  days,  and  have  made  about 
thirty  miles  from  Camp  Pope.  The  teams  are  all  very 
heavily  loaded,  so  heavy,  indeed,  that  although  we  all 
wish  for  rain  to  make  the  earth  rejoice,  yet  if  that  rain 
should  come,  it  might  very  seriously  affect  the  progress 
of  this  command  at  present.  But  the  green  grass  is  so 
dried  up  that  fires  run  on  the  prairie  wherever  it  was 
not  burned  last  fall.  And  the  streams  of  water  too, 
are  falling,  so  that  we  shall  be  obliged  to  keep  near  to 
the  larger  rivers  or  lakes,  to  obtain  a  supply  of  water 
for  these  4,000  men,  and  as  many  animals." 

"Our  soldiers  have  marched,  carrying  their  knap 
sacks,  their  blankets  and  their  guns,  an  average  of  ten 
miles  a  day,  which,  with  the  immense  train  we  have, 
in  its  present  state,  is  thought  as  much  as  can  reason 
ably  be  calculated  upon.  Yesterday  morning,  while 
the  train  was  crossing  the  Yellow  Medicine,  I  obtained 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  337 

from  the  General  a  squad  of  scouts  and  orderlies  and 
came  on  to  gather  currants  in  the  deserted  gardens  of 
the  Missions.  We  found,  and  brought  away  with  us 
a  quantity  of  the  pie-plant.  These  are  the  last  rem 
nants  of  civilization  to  be  found  in  this  direction.  I 
gathered  a  few  pinks  and  other  flowers  from  my  own 
garden  at  Hazlewood.  Some  of  the  men  brought 
in  lettuce,  which  they  found  in  the  gardens  of  the 
Agency. 

"It  is  to  me  quite  saddening  to  look  on  the  desola 
tion  which  the  outbreak  has  made  in  the  land.  Seeing 
them  again,  has  more  deeply  impressed  me  with  the 
exceeding  folly  as  well  as  sin  of  the  Dakotas.  By 
that  one  wicked  act  they  have  forever  deprived  them 
selves  of  homes  in  this  beautiful  land.  But  there  is  a 
Providence  that  shapes  the  destinies  of  people  as  well 
as  individuals,  brings  good  out  of  evil,  and  makes  the ' 
wrath  of  man  to  praise  HIM." 

On  the  holy  Sabbath  day  the  standard  rested  from 
its  march.  This  arrangement  was,  on  the  first  Sab 
bath,  made  known  to  the  campaign  by  the  Command 
ing  General,  unless  in  cases  of  extreme  and  urgent 
necessity.  Here  again  we  endorse  the  sentiment  of 
Mr.  Riggs,  that  on  the  low  ground  of  temporal  economy 
they  would  find  it  profitable.  "We  shall  march  fur 
ther,"  he  says,  "week  after  week,  by  resting  on  God's 
day,  than  we  should  by  marching  through  the  seven. 
But  there  is  a  higher  view  of  this  subject :  If  God  be 
with  us  in  this  campaign,  we  shall  make  it  a  success ; 
if  God  be  not  with  us,  we  shall  fail  of  accomplishing 


388  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

the  desired  objects.  And  one  way  to  secure  the  pres 
ence  and  assistance  of  God,  is  to  '  remember  the  Sab 
bath  day,  to  keep  it  holy.'  " 


CHAPTER  LXIV. 

DEATH   OF   GENERAL   LITTLE   GROW. 

On  the  third  of  July,  1863,  when  all  the  boys  in  the 
land,  and  many  of  the  men  were  preluding  the  morrow 
with  fire  crackers,  and  preparations  for  big  sounds  and 
grand  display  of  fire  works,  a  boy  and  his  father,  "way 
out  in  Minnesota,"  were  ignorantly  performing  a  far 
more  important  service  to  their  country  —  a  service 
which  will  immortalize  the  name  of  Lampson,  and 
render  the  two  famous  on  historic  page.  They  lived 
for  an  important  end  and  have  not  lived  in  vain. 

Mr  Lampson  lived  at  Hutchinson,  a  town  which 
suffered  much,  you  will  remember,  early  in  the  troubles 
of  1862,  since  which  siege  everybody  had  been  on  watch 
ful  lookout  for  "a  shot"  in  retaliation,  and  seldom  went 
unarmed  any  distance  from  town.  Mr.  L.  and  his  son 
Chauncey,  were  six  miles  in  the  country  on  this  event 
ful  day,  when  they  discovered  two  Indians  picking 
berries  in  an  "opening"  in  the  woods.  Bushes  and 
scattering  poplars  were  interspersed,  so  that  the  Indians 
did  not  discover  the  two  pair  of  eyes  and  the  sure  aim 
upon  them.  With  commendable  forethought,  Mr.  L. 
determined  to  make  sure  of  his  game  before  announc 
ing  his  presence,  so  he  crept  cautiously  forward  among 
the  vines  and  rested  his  gun  against  the  tree  which 
they  climed.  He  fired,  his  shot  taking  effect,  but  not 


340  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

a  deadly  one,  as  evinced  by  the  loud  yell  and  sudden 
movement  backward.  His  victim,  however,  fell  to  the 
ground,  severely  wounded.  With  the  prudence  and 
caution  which  characterized  his  first  movement,  not 
knowing  the  number  of  Indians,  Mr.  L.  thought  best 
to  retreat  a  little,  where  he  could  obtain  the  shelter  of 
some  bushes. 

The  wounded  Indian  was  not  to  be  foiled  in  a  shot 
at  his  antagonist,  and  so  crept  after  him,  and  thus  each 
were  brought  into  distinct  view  of  the  other,  when  the 
two  Indians  they  had  first  seen,  and  Chauncey  Lampson 
who  was  concealed  from  their  view,  fired  simulta 
neously.  Chauncey 's  ball  killed  the  wounded  Indian, 
and  the  other  one  instantly  sprang  to  his  horse  and 
rode  away.  A  ball  from  the  Indian's  rifle  whistled 
close  to  his  cheek,  while  one  from  the  other's  gun 
struck  his  father  on  the  left  shoulder  blade,  making 
only  a  slight  flesh  wound. 

Mr.  Lampson  dropped  when  the  shot  struck  him,  and 
his  son,  supposing  him  killed,  and  fearing  a  large  force 
of  Indians  were  near,  having  no  more  ammunition, 
and  not  daring  to  approach  his  father,  who  was  some 
distance  away,  to  obtain  more,  lest  he  should  share  the 
same  fate,  beat  a  hasty  retreat  for  town. 

He  arrived  home  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening,  when 
the  exciting  news  flew  like  wild  fire  on  the  prairie  in 
a  windy  day.  An  army  squad  from  the  company  sta 
tioned  there,  with  a  number  of  the  citizens,  were  soon 
marching  rapidly  to  the  scene  of  conflict,  while  others 
started  in  other  directions  to  warn  the  citizens,  and 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  341 

others  still,  went  to  Lake  Preston  for  a  squad  of  cav 
alry,  who,  acting  with  promptness,  were  guided  to  the 
spot  before  daylight,  and  relieved  "Mr.  Injun"  of  his 
scalp,  and  mark  this,  reader,  this  zvas  the  first  scalp  for 
which  the  twenty-Jive  dollars  reward  was  claimed,  the  first 
Sioux  scalp  taken  by  white  man  in  1863. 

When  found  by  the  company  who  had  been  first 
guided  to  the  spot  by  young  Lampson,  the  body  of  the 
Indian  had  been  straightened,  new  moccasins  put  upon 
his  feet,  and  his  blanket  carefully  adjusted,  as  no  dead 
"Injun"  could  do  it.  This  led  to  the  conviction  that 
these  were  not  alone  in  their  evil  designs  and  purposes. 

But  we  will  not  leave  the  reader  to  suppose  that  the 
elder  Lampson  "laid  him  down  to  die,"  from  the  slight 
though  unpleasant  wound  he  had  received.  With  the 
determined  courage  which  characterized  his  first  move 
ment,  he  crawled  into  the  bush'es,  reloaded  his  gun, 
drew  his  revolver,  and  waited  for  the  re-appearance 
of  the  foe.  Thus  he  waited,  and  none  coming,  he 
profited  by  the  cover  of  night  to  come  forth  from  his 
concealment.  Divesting  himself  of  his  white  garments, 
that  they  might  not  prove  a  fatal  mark  for  prowling 
Indians,  and  taking  a  circuitous  route,  he  reached 
home  about  two  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the 

"FOURTH." 

On  the  return  of  the  military  squad  with  the  citizen's 
coat,  moccasins,  and  a  number  of  trinkets  found  on  the 
person  of  the  dead  Indian,  the  programme  of  the  daj> 
was  changed,  by  sending  out  a  detachment  for  the  body 
which  was  brought  in  about  three  o'clock  in  the  after 


342  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

noon.  For  two  or  three  hours  it  was  the  common  cen 
tre  of  attraction,  and  all  professed  to  have  known  him 
well  in  life.  The  coat  he  wore  was  identified  as  the 
one  taken  from  the  man  murdered  some  distance  from 
there,  of  which  mention  has  been  heretofore  made.  All 
who  beheld,  declared  a  striking  resemblance  between 
this  Indian  and  Little  Crow,  only  this  one  a  shade 
lighter,  —  the  age  about  fifty.  Both  arms  were  wither 
ed  and  deformed  by  breaking  and  permanent  displace 
ment  of  the  bones,  ths  palpable  result  of  rough  hand 
ling  in  past  tima  A  strange  coincidence  they  thought, 
as  this  was  the  case  with  Little  Crow,  and  so,  as  the 
body  was  becoming  offensive,  they  "dumped"  him  into 
a  hole  and  left  him  -there,  no  tears  of  regret  having 
fallen  upon  his  unhonored  grave ;  and  the  Lampsons 
little  dreaming  the  service  they  had  rendered  the  State 
in  ridding  it  of  one  for  whom  a  government  train 
five  miles  long  was  in  pursuit 

The  press  published  the  facts  as  here  in  substance 
related.  In  two  weeks  it  reached  the  camp  of  General 
Sibley,  then  far  on  his  route  to  catch  the  wily  chief. 
The  striking  coincidence,  the  minute  description  of  the 
body,  its  resemblance  to  Little  Crow,  attracted  the  at 
tention  of  the  Commanding  General,  who  had  known 
him  well  for  years,  and  he  declared  it  to  be  none  other 
than  the  arch-enemy  himself  In  this  opinion  Major 
Brown  and  Capt  Forbes,  who  knew  him  equally  well, 
concurred.  Calling  to  the  aid  of  their  memories  the' 
Indian  scouts  and  half-breeds,  not  one  was  known  in 
the  whole  tribe  who  bore  this  resemblance  in  all  the 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  343 

minutiae  to  Little  Crow.  It  was  considered,  too,  a 
strongly  corroborative  circumstance,  that  the  citizens 
of  Hutchinson,  who  knew  him,  should  detect  this  re 
semblance.  This  opinion  was  returned  to  the  press, 
when  investigation  commenced,  and  every  evidence 
adduced  confirmed  the  fact  that  the  scalp  of  the  terror- 
inspiring  LITTLE  CROW  was  a  trophy  at  the  historical 
rooms  in  the  State  Capital. 

A  more  marked  instance  of  Providential  retribution, 
history  probably  does  not  record.  The  leader  of  the 
bloody  insurrection  and  the  first  Indian  war  which  has 
scourged  our  State,  in  which,  for  the  first  time,  white 
men  felt  the  scalping-knife  of  the  savage,  now  his 
own  head,  in  turn,  paying  the  forfeit,  furnishing  the 
first  scalp  which  white  man  has  ever  taken ! 

The  grave  of  Little  Crow,  which  was  only  a  hole 
dug  for  the  receptacle  of  the  offals  of  slaughtered 
cattle,  being  lightly  covered,  his  head  was  soon  exposed 
to  view,  and  with  a  stick  was  sloughed  from  the  body, 
where  for  several  days  it  remained,  the  brains  oozing 
out  in  the  hot  sun,  till  evidences  of  its  identity  began 
to  accumulate,  when  a  more  critical  investigation  was 
made.  The  teeth  were  found  to  be  double  set  around 
the  mouth,  which  was  known  to  be  the  case  with  Little 
Crow ;  and  now  the  offensive,  worthless  thing,  sud 
denly  magnified  into  importance,  was  carefully  pre 
pared  in  a  strong  solution  of  lime.  The  putrid,  decay 
ing  body,  almost  devoid  of  flesh,  was  exhumed,  placed 
in  a  box,  and  sunk  in  the  river,  a  cleansing  preparation 
before  passing  into  the  anatomist's  hands. 


CHAPTER  LXV. 

CAPTURE  OF  WO-WI-NAP-A,  SON  OF  LITTLE  CROW. 

Five  hundred  miles  to  the  north-west,  at  Camp  Atch- 
inson,  not  forty  miles  from  the  shores  of  Devil's  lake, 
the  expedition  train  was  divided,  a  portion  remaining 
in  camp,  with  orders  to  explore  and  root  out  the  In 
dians,  if  any  remained  in  that  region.  The  other  di 
vision,  with  General  Sibley  at  its  head,  had  moved  in 
a  south-western  direction,  for  the  Missouri  river,  where 
the  main  body  of  the  hostile  foe  had  fled. 

Three  companies,  in  command  of  Capt  Burt,  went 
out  from  Camp  Atchinson,  on  the  28th  of  June,  to 
scour  the  region  for  a  trail,  which  the  scouts  had  re 
ported  as  having  seen  the  day  before.  Nearing  the 
shores  of  Devil's  lake,  they  crossed  the  trail,  which  was 
lost  in  a  dried-up  slough.  In  their  search  to  regain 
the  trail,  the  head  of  an  Indian  was  discovered  instead, 
protruding  from  a  clump  of  bushes. 

One  of  the  scouts  approached  him  and  demanded  his 
surrender.  He  threw  down  his  gun,  glad,  in  his  half 
starved  condition,  of  the  prospect  of  getting  something 
to  eat  on  any  terms.  The  remains  of  a  lean  wolf  were 
beside  him,  which  he  had  before  killed  with  his  last 
charge  of  ammunition,  and  cooked  for  his  last  rations. 
He  very  soon  recognized  and  spoke  to  William  Quinn,'- 
the  half-breed  interpreter,  by  whom,  and  several  oth- 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  345 

ers,  lie  was  at  once  recognized  as  the  son  of  Little 
Crow.  He  was  very  much  emaciated  by  his  fastings 
and  wanderings,  and  was  moreover  in  great  straits,  not 
knowing  whither  to  go  or  what  to  do.  He  had  expect 
ed  to  find  his  own  people  still  there,  but  instead,  not 
an  Indian  had  he  seen,  and  he  would,  doubtless, 
soon  have  starved  to  death.  His  head  was  full  of  ver 
min,  and  was  at  once  shaven,  and  he  was  taken 
into  camp  to  await  the  order  of  the  Commanding  Gen 
eral.  We  subjoin  his  own  statement,  rather  than  our 
own  version  of  his  story,  that  the  reader  may  compare 
it  with  the  afore  given  circumstances  at  Hutchinson, 
which  this  statement  fully  corroborates : 

"I  am  the  son  of  Little  Crow ;  my  name  is  Wo-wi- 
nap-a;  I  am  sixteen  years  old;  my  father  had  two 
wives  before  he  took  my  mother ;  the  first  one  had  one 
son,  the  second  one  a  son  and  daughter.  The  third 
wife  was  my  mother.  After  taking  my  mother,  he  put 
away  the  first  two.  He  had  seven  children  by  my 
mother,  six  of  whom  are  dead,  I  am  the  only  one  liv 
ing  now.  The  fourth  wife  had  five  children  born  ;  do 
not  know  whether  they  died  or  not ;  two  were  boys 
and  three  were  girls.  The  fifth  wife  had  five  children, 
three  of  whom  are  dead,  two  are  living.  The  sixth 
wife  had  three  children,  all  of  them  are  dead,  the  old 
est  was  a  boy,  the  other  two  were  girls.  The  last  four 
wives  were  sisters. 

"Father  went  to  St.  Joseph  last  spring.  When  we 
were  coming  back,  he  said  he  could  not  fight  the  white 
men,  but  would  go  below  and  steal  horses  from  them 
0 


346  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

and  give  them  to  his  children,  so  that  they  could  be 
comfortable,  and  then  he  would  go  away  off. 

"Father  also  told  me  that  he  was  getting  old,  and 
wanted  me  to  go  with  him  to  carry  his  bundles.  He 
left  his  wives  and  other  children  behind.  There  were 
sixteen  men  and  one  squaw  in  the  party  that  went  be 
low  with  us.  We  had  no  horses,  but  walked  all  the 
way  down  to  the  settlement.  Father  and  I  were  pick 
ing  redberries  near  Scattered  lake,  at  the  time  he  was 
shot.  It  was  near  night.  He  was  hit  the  first  time  in 
the  side,  just  above  the  hip.  His  gun  and  mine  were 
lying  on  the  ground.  He  took  up  my  gun  and  fired 
it  first  and  then  fired  his  own.  He  was  shot  the  sec 
ond  time  while  firing  his  own  gun.  The  ball  struck 
the  stock  of  his  gun  and  then  hit  him  in  the  side,  near 
the  shoulders.  This  was  the  shot  that  killed  him.  He 
told  me  that  he  was  killed,  and  asked  me  for  water, 
which  I  gave  him.  He  died  immediately  after.  When 
I  heard  the  first  shot  fired  I  laid  down,  and  the  man  did 
not  see  me  before  father  was  killed. 

"A  short  time  before  father  was  killed,  an  Indian 
named  Hi-a-ka,  who  married  the  daughter  of  my 
father's  second  wife,  came  to  him.  He  had  a  horse 
with  him,  also  a  gray  colored  coat,  that  he  had  taken 
from  a  man  whom  he  had  killed,  to  the  north  of  where 
father  was  killed.  He  gave  the  coat  to  father,  telling 
him  he  would  need  it  when  it  rained,  as  he  had  no 
coat  with  him.  Hi-a-ka  said  he  had  a  horse  now,  and 
was  going  back  to  the  Indian  country. 

"The  Indians  who  went  down  with  us,  separated. 


DAKOTA   WAK   WHOOP.  347 

Eight  of  them  and  the  squaw  went  north ;  the  other 
eight  went  further  down.  I  have  not  seen  any  of  them 
since.  After  father  was  killed,  I  took  both  guns  and 
the  ammunition,  and  started  for  Devil's  lake,  where  I 
expected  to  find  some  of  my  friends.  When  I  got  to 
Beaver  Creek,  I  saw  the  tracks  of  two  Indians,  and  at 
Standing  Buffalo's  village  saw  where  the  eight  Indians 
who  had  gone  first  had  crossed. 

"I  carried  both  guns  as  far  as  Shayenne  river,  where 
I  saw  two  men.  I  was  scared,  and  threw  my  gun  and 
ammunition  down.  After  that,  I  travelled  only  in  the 
night,  and  as  I  had  no  ammunition  to  kill  anything  to 
eat,  I  had  not  strength  enough  to  travel  fast.  I  went 
on  until  I  arrived  near  Devil's  lake,  when  I  stayed  in 
one  place  three  days,  being  so  weak  and  hungry  that  I 
could  go  no  farther.  I  had  picked  up  a  cartridge  near 
Big  Stone  lake,  which  I  still  had  with  me,  and  loaded 
father's  gun  with  it,  cutting  the  ball  into  slugs.  With 
this  charge,  I  shot  a  wolf,  ate  some  of  it,  which  gave 
me  strength  to  travel,  and  I  went  on  up  the  lake,  until 
the  day  I  was  captured,  which  was  twenty-six  days 
from  the  day  my  father  was  killed." 

Sixteen  years  before  the  capture  of  Wo-wi-nap-a,  the 
writer  had  been,  for  many  days,  a  guest  at  the  house 
of  Doctor  Williamson,  then,  as  in  latter  years,  the 
Sioux  missionary  at  Little  Crow's  village,  before  its  re 
moval  up  the  Minnesota  Valley.  When  the  novelty 
of  a  white  woman's  landing  from  a  "fire  canoe"  had  a 
little  subsided,  this,  then  baby  Chief,  with  others,  was 
held  up,  that  my  unsophisticated  admiration  might  be 


348  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

sealed  with  a  kiss,  an  accorded  honor  with  which  I 
feared  not  to  comply — the  same  pappoose  which  I 
sometimes  saw  affectionately  caressed  by  his  father,  but 
a  weakness  on  his  part,  which  he  would  prefer  should 
have  passed  unnoticed.  Like  Joseph,  he  was  the  fa 
vorite  son  of  his  father,  because  his  mother  was  loved 
more  than  all  his  wives.  Wo-wi-nap-a  returned  with 
the  expedition,  and  has  since  been  in  the  guard  house, 
awaiting  military  disposal. 


CHAPTER  LXVI. 

TWO    CAPTIVE    BOYS. 

In  the  month  of  June,  1863,  considerable  sympathy 
was  elicited  in  St.  Paul,  by  the  arrival  of  two  little  ran 
somed  boys,  who  had  been,  since  the  outbreak,  in  sav 
ages'  hands.  Their  ages  were  six  and  nine  years,  and 
to  the  good  Catholic  priest  of  St.  Joe,  they  owed  their 
release  from  captivity.  He  had  parted  with  all  his 
worldly  goods  to  effect  this,  and  then  even  rob 
bed  himself  of  his  own  needful  apparel,  to  clothe 
them  decently  and  comfortably  for  their  jour 
ney. 

George  Ingalls,  the  eldest  of  these  boys,  was,  when 
the  trouble  commenced,  living  near  Yellow  Medicine. 
Like  others,  the  family  fled  for  the  fort,  but  before 
reaching  there,  were  seized  upon  by  Indians,  who 
sprang  from  a  hole  in  the  earth.  Mr.  Ingalls  was  kill 
ed,  and  the  rest  of  his  family  made  prisoners.  His 
three  daughters,  sisters  of  young  George,  were  carried 
off  to  the  plains,  suffering  incredible  hardships,  till 
finally  ransomed  at  the  Agency,  on  the  Missouri 
river. 

George  was  sometimes  at  Big  Stone  lake,  and  in  the 
same  camp  with  a  boy  who  forms  the  subject  of  anoth 
er  chapter.  Finally,  they  moved  on  to  the  north-west, 


850  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

towards  Devil's  lake,  where  the  main  Indian  forces 
were  to  concentrate  for  the  winter. 

My  reader  will  recollect  the  little  Jimmy  Scottv  of 
Old  Crossing,  who  submitted  to  go  with  his  captors,  as 
his  grandmother  bade  him,  whom  we  now  again  intro 
duce  as  the  veritable  boy,  but  having  passed  through 
such  suffering  and  hardship  as  to  remember  little  else, 
and  having  even  forgotten  the  name  of  his  grandmother. 
The  poor  child  would  cry  most  piteously,  when  ques 
tioned  relative  to  his  adventures.  Both  physical  and 
mental  powers  seemed  seriously  affected  by  the  terrible 
ordeal  through  which  he  had  passed,  for  a  child  of  such 
tender  years. 

The  boys  say  they  never  suffered  for  food  in  quan 
tity,  but  the  quality,  with  little  variation,  was  not  the 
most  desirable,  much  of  the  time  having  only  buffalo 
meat.  They  suffered  much  from  intense  cold  during 
the  long  tedious  winter,  in  the  bleak  winds  from  the 
lake  which  visited  them  very  roughly,  and  there  was 
much  of  human  misery  in  the  severe  drudgery  put 
upon  boys  so  young.  What  mother's  heart  but  bleeds 
at  their  woes  and  rejoices  in  their  release !  The  Indian 
women  who  had  played  mother  to  them,  were  sad  to 
part  with  them,  and  seemed  unwilling  to  do  so,  until 
plead  with  most  earnestly  in  the  eloquence  of  tears  by 
the  boys  themselves.  Little  Jimmy  cried  bitterly  on 
the  neck  of  his  Indian  mother,  when  he  "kissed  her 
good-bye." 

May  friends  be  so  kind, — the  healing  balm  be  so' 
gently  applied  to  childhood's  bitter  memories,  that  this 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  351 

eventful  experience  be  no  serious  drawback  on  their 
future  lives,  whose  history  will  be  marked  with  intense 
interest  by  those  who  have  sympathized  with  them  in 
these  dark  hours. 


CHAPTER  LXYII. 

THRILLING     ADVENTURES     OF     MR      BRACKETT      AND 

DEATH  OP  'LIEUTENANT  FREEMAN. 

The  monotony  of  Camp  Atchinson  was  interrupted 
on  the  evening  of  August  2d,  by  the  appearance  on 
the  outskirts,  of  an  emaciated  human  figure,  who  at 
once  fell  to  the  ground,  in  sheer  weakness  and  exhaus 
tion.  He  was  picked  up  and  carried  into  a  tent,  and 
was  at  once  recognized  as  George  E.  Brackett,  of  Min 
neapolis,  beef  contractor  of  the  expedition,  who  had 
gone  with  the  main  body,  and  was  now  nearly  dead 
from  hunger  and  fatigue. 

He  had,  in  company  with  Lieutenant  Freeman,  of 
St.  Cloud,  when  about  sixty  miles  out,  left  the  main 
column  and  flanked  off  to  the  left  for  a  day's  adven 
ture,  with  little  thought  of  its  sad  ending.  Five  miles 
away,  having  met  nothing  worthy  of  note,  they  over 
looked  the  country  from  the  summit  of  a  range  of 
hills,  when  they  saw  several  of  the  scouts  not  very  far 
away.  Passing  a  fairy -like  lake,  three  graceful  ante 
lopes  tempted  a  shot,  one  only  was  wounded,  which 
Lieut.  Freeman  followed,  giving  his  horse  in  charge  of 
Mr.  Brackett.  This  drew  them  from  their  course, 
though  the  train  was  in  sight  several  miles  distant. 
Seeing  the  scouts  on  the  other  side  of  the  lake,  curi- 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  353 

osity  led  them  on,  through  fresh  evidences  of  Indians 
near. 

These  dangers  passed,  they  shaped  their  course 
towards  the  train,  or  to  strike  its  trail.  On  the  look 
out  for  the  enemy,  they  discovered  three  objects  be 
tween  themselves  and  the  train,  who  they  soon  decide 
to  be  real  Indians,  following  up  the  train.  Each  made 
preparations  to  meet  the  other,  and  with  all  the  cau 
tion  at  command,  crept  forward  around  the  bluff.  A 
mutual  surprise  ensues,  when  they  recognize  in  each 
other  friends  of  the  same  party.  One  of  these  scouts 
was  Chaska,  who  is  already  well  known. 

Just  at  this  time  a  large  squad  of  men  were  noticed 
on  the  bluff,  nearly  three  miles  away,  at  the  same  time 
a  squad  of  cavalry,  as  they  supposed,  started  toward 
them.  The  scouts  turned  off  to  the  lake  to  water 
their  horses,  and  the  cavalry  and  themselves  in  motion, 
perceptibly  lessened  the  distance  between  them,  and 
no  doubt  existed  but  that  Gen.  Sibley's  full  command 
was  on  the  other  side  of  the  hill,  and  so  sure,  that 
while  they  almost  counted  the  horses,  they  gave  no 
heed  to  the  men.  But  suddenly  they  disappeared, 
they  could  not  have  sunk  into  the  earth,  and,  there 
fore,  must  have  turned  back.  So  said  these  men  as 
they  rode  carelessly  along. 

Judge  of  the  surprise  when,  instead  of  their  own 
cavalry,  fifteen  Indians,  deceptively  bearing  a  flag  of 
truce,  suddenly  charged  upon  them.  They  yelled  to 
the  scouts  and  rode  toward  them,  but  before  they 
reached  them,  Lieut  Freeman  was  shot,  with  an  arrow, 
Ot 


354  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

through  the  back,  and  at  the  same  time,  another  In 
dian  fired  at  Mr.  Brackett,  who  escaped  the  ball  by 
clinging  to  the  neck  of  his  horse,  and  at  the  same 
time  Chaska,  from  the  top  of  a  knoll,  let  fly  at  the  In 
dians.  Lieut.  Freeman  sat  on  his  horse  till  they  had 
passed  in  the  rear  of  the  scouts,  when  he  remarked, 
"I  am  gone,"  and  fell.  He  asked  for  the  string  to  be 
cut  from  his  neck,  to  which  was  attached  a  piece  of 
the  slain  antelope,  for  water  which  was  given,  then 
slightly  changed  his  position,  and  was  gone. 

The  Indians  were  now  all  around  them,  but  were 
held  in  check  by  an  invisible  power,  and  fell  back  as 
the  daring  scouts  rode  rapidly  toward  them,  ready  to 
fire.  This  brief  respite  gave  Mr.  Brackett  a  chance  to 
get  the  Lieutenant's  rifle  and  revolver  before  he  fol 
lowed  the  scouts,  and  to  overtake  them  while  his  pur 
suers  waited  to  catch  the  horse  from  which  his  com 
rade  had  just  fallen.  This  done,  with  loud  and  trium 
phant  yells,  they  start  on  again,  and  after  a  race  of 
four  miles,  the  fleeing  party  are  completely  surrounded. 
All  jumped  from  their  horses,  and  the  faithful  Chaska, 
more  intent  on  the  safety  of  his  friend  than  his  own, 
first  saw  him  safely  hid  in  the  bushes,  and  then  went 
forward  to  meet  his  red  brethren.  This  was  the  last 
Mr.  Brackett  saw  of  the  scouts,  but  lay  in  his  conceal 
ment  with  his  rifle  cocked,  while  the  Indians  quar 
reled  which  should  have  his  horse.  But  for  this  they 
would  doubtless  have  searched  out  his  hiding  place. 

The  afternoon  was  now  far  spent,  and  in  a  halfr 
hour  after  the  Indians  had  left  in  a  circuitous  course 


DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP.  355 

round  a  marsh,  probably  to  avoid  pursuit  by  Gen. 
Sibley's  forces.  Mr.  Brackett  crawled  out  from  the 
rushes,  and  with  the  sun  to  his  back,  travelled  for 
two  hours,  and  thus  he  did  for  two  days,  and  when 
the  sun  had  set,  hid  in  a  marsh,  where  he  slept  at 
night.  After  the  third  day  he  began  diligent  search 
for  the  trail,  which  he  struck  on  the  afternoon  of  the 
fifth  day,  about  twelve  miles  from  where  they  en 
camped  the  night  before  he  left  the  train,  and  about 
seventy  miles  from  Camp  Atchinson.  So  little  ad 
vance  had  been  made,  that  a  man  of  ordinary  caliber 
would  have  yielded  to  despondency,  and  there  have 
died.  Not  so  with  the  hero  of  this  adventure. — 
Though  subsisting  on  frogs,  birds  and  cherries,  and 
these  in  limited  quantities,  for  five  days,  his  feet  worn 
and  blistered  with  constant  travel,  his  forehead  blis 
tered  by  the  scorching  sun,  and  sleeping  every  night 
with  only  the  upper  region  of  his  nether  garment  for 
a  covering,  his  indomitable  energy  enabled  him  to  go 
on,  though  when  he  reached  the  camp,  he  could  not 
have  held  out  another  day.  The  remainder  of  this 
perilous  adventure  we  give  in  Mr.  Brackett's  own 
words : 

"About  ten  miles  before  reaching  Camp  A,  I  sat 
down  to  rest,  and  had  such  difficulty  in  getting  under 
weigh  again,  that  I  determined  to  stop  no  more,  feel 
ing  sure  that  once  again  down,  I  should  never  be  able 
to  regain  my  feet  unaided.  I  entered  the  camp  near 
the  camp  fire  of  a  detachment  of  the  "Pioneers," 
(Capt.  Chase's  Company  of  the  Ninth  Minnesota  In- 


356  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

fantry,)  and  fell  to  the  ground,  unable  to  raise  again. 
But,  thank  God!  around  that  fire  were  sitting  some 
St.  Anthony  friends,  among  whom  were  Messrs.  Mc- 
Mullen  and  Whittier,  attached  to  that  company,  who 
kindly  picked  me  up,  and  carried  me  to  my  tent. 

"I  lost  my  coat,  hat  and  knife  in  the  fight  on  the 
first  day.  I  took  Lieut  F.'s  knife,  and  with  it  made 
moccasins  of  my  boot-legs,  my  boots  so  chafing  my 
feet  in  walking  that  I  could  not  wear  them.  These 
moccasins  were  constantly  getting  out  of  repair,  and 
my  knife  was  as  much  needed  to  keep  them  in  order 
for  use,  as  to  make  them  in  the  first  place.  But  just 
before  reaching  the  trail  of  the  expedition  on  the  fifth 
day,  I  lost  Lieut  F.'s  knife.  This  loss  I  felt  at  the 
time  decided  my  fate,  if  I  had  much  farther  to  go,  but 
kind  Providence  was  in  my  favor,  for  almost  the  first 
object  that  greeted  my  eyes  upon  reaching  the  trail, 
was  a  knife,  old  and  worn  to  be  sure,  but  priceless  to 
me.  This  incident  some  may  deem  a  mere  accident, 
but  let  such  an  one  be  placed  in  my  situation  at  that 
time,  and  he  would  feel  with  me,  that  it  was  a  boon 
granted  by  the  Great  Giver  of  good.  On  the  third 
day,  about  ten  miles  from  the  river  spoken  of,  I  left 
Lieut  F.'s  rifle  on  the  prairie,  becoming  too  weak  to 
carry  it  longer,  besides  it  had  already  been  so  damaged 
by  rain  that  I  could  not  use  it  I  wrote  upon  it  that 
Lieut.  F.  had  been  killed,  and  named  the  course  I  was 
then  pursuing.  I  brought  the  pistol  into  Camp  At- 
chinson. 

"  While  wandering,  I  lived  on  cherries,  roots,  birds 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  357 

eggs,  young  birds  and  frogs,  caught  by  hand,  all  my 
ammunition  but  one  cartridge  having  been  spoiled  by 
the  rain  on  the  first  day.  That  cartridge  was  one  for 
Smith's  breech  loading  carbine,  and  had  a  gutta  percha 
case.  I  had  also  some  waterproof  percussion  caps  in 
my  portmonaie.  I  took  one-half  the  powder  in  the 
cartridge,  and  a  percussion  cap,  and  with  the  pistol 
and  some  dry  grass,  started  a  nice  fire,  at  which  I 
cooked  a  young  bird,  something  like  a  loon,  and  about 
the  size.  This  was  on  the  second  night.  On  the 
fourth,  I  used  the  remainder  of  the  cartridge  in  the 
same  way,  and  for  a  like  purpose.  The  rest  of  the 
time  I  ate  my  food  uncooked,  except  some  hard  bread 
(found  at  the  fourth  camp  mentioned  above,)  which 
had  been  fried  and  then  thrown  into  the  ashes.  I 
have  forgotten  one  sweet  morsel,  (and  all  were  sweet 
and  very  palatable  to  me,)  viz  :  some  sinews  spared  by 
the  wolves  from  a  buffalo  carcass.  As  near  as  I  am 
able  to  judge,  I  travelled  in  seven  days  at  least  two 
hundred  miles.  I  had  ample  means  for  a  like  journey 
in  civilized  localities,  but  for  thp  first  time  in  my  life, 
found  gold  and  silver  coin  a  useless  thing.  My  boot 
leg  moccasins  saved  me  ;  for  a  walk  of  ten  miles  upon 
such  a  prairie,  barefooted,  would  stop  all  further  pro 
gress  of  any  person  accustomed  to  wear  covering  upon 
the  feet  The  exposure  at  night,  caused,  more  partic 
ularly,  by  lying  in  low  and  wet  places  in  order  to  hide 
myself,  was  more  prostrating  to  me  than  scarcity  of 
food.  The  loneliness  of  the  prairies,  would  have  been 
terrible  in  itself,  without  the  drove  of  wolves  that, 


358  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

after  the  first  day,  hovered,  in  the  day-time,  at  a  re 
spectable  distance,  and  in  the  night  time  howled  close 
ly  around  me,  seemingly  sure  that  my  failing  strength 
would  soon  render  me  an  easy  prey.  But  a  merciful 
Providence  has  spared  my  life,  by  what  seems  now, 
even  to  myself,  almost  a  miracle." 

Mr.  Brackett  speaks  in  the  highest  terms  of  Chaska, 
his  courage  and  devotion  to  the  cause  in  which  he  was 
enlisted  being  unsurpassed  in  Indian  life.  He  feels 
that  he  owes  his  life  to  him,  by  his  firing  in  the  first 
encounter,  and  rushing  toward  him  in  the  second, 
which  enabled  him  to  hide  as  he  suggested. 

Lieutenant  Ambrose  Freeman,  who  fell  as  above  re 
lated,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  for  seven  years  a 
a  resident  of  St.  Cloud,  Minnesota,  where  his  wife  and 
five  children  waited  his  return,  when  he  should  recount 
to  them  the  adventures  and  perils  of  the  way.  He 
bore  an  unblemished  character,  and  was  best  loved  and 
respected  where  best  and  longest  known.  His  char 
acter  in  civil,  accompanied  him  in  military  life,  and 
no  man  in  the  expedition  could  have  been  more  gen 
erally  regretted  He  enlisted  for  frontier  defense  of 
our  Minnesota  homes.  His  body  was  promptly  re 
covered  and  buried  with  honors  due,  at  Camp  Sib- 
ly,  near  the  Big  Mound,  where  a  great  battle  with  the 
Indians  was  fought  soon  after  his  fall. 

The  scouts  came  safely  into  camp,  minus  horses. 


CHAPTER  LXVIH. 

• 

THE   CAPTIVE  JOHN  JULIEN. 

The  subject  of  this  chapter  was  one  of  the  three 
boys  who  were  ransomed  by  the  kind-hearted  Catholic 
priest  at  St.  Joe.  His  captivity  was  of  ten  months'  du 
ration,  but  there  is  less  of  real  bitter  misery  in  it  than 
of  the  other  boys.  John  Julien  was  cook  for  the  gov 
ernment  laborers  at  Big  Stone  lake  at  the  time  of  the 
savage  onset  there.  He  escaped  and  hid  in  the  woods 
until  he  supposed  the  danger  passed,  and  then  thought 
he  would  return  to  the  tent  and  find  out  if  possible  the 
fate  of  his  employers,  when  he  was  made  prisoner  by 
an  Indian  who  lived  near,  with  the  humane  intent  of 
protecting  till  he  could  set  him  at  liberty.  His  name, 
which  deserves  historic  record,  is  Bu-kosh-nu,  meaning 
the  "man  with  short  hair."  He  took  no  part  in  the 
massacres,  and  taking  the  boy  across  the  lake,  with 
some  valuable  suggestions  to  guide  him,  sent  him  off 
alone.  No  sooner  had  he  turned  back,  than  he  found 
the  enemy  were  on  his  track,  and  running  after,  brought 
him  back,  and  for  several  days  kept  him  concealed  at 
his  own  lodge. 

Then  he  allowed  him  to  go  with  his  own  son  to  the 
lake,  but  no  sooner  was  he  seen,  than  a  vicious  Indian, 
one  who  had  deeply  drank  of  the  extermination  spirit, 
and  vowed  that  no  white  blood  should  be  left  unspilled, 


360  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

took  aim  at  his  heart,  and  then  ran  off,  not  waiting 
to  know  the  result,  but  supposing  his  pistol  had  per 
formed  its  intent. 

His  little  Indian  companion  ran  and  told  his  father 
of  the  cruel  act,  who  came  at  once,  took  him  kindly  in 
his  arms,  carried  him  to  his  house,  washed  and  dressed 
his  wounds,  and  made  him  as  comfortable  as  he  could 
in  his  comfortless  tepee.  Then  he  took  down  his  gun, 
his  eye  flashing  vengeance,  declaring  he  would  shoot 
Hut-te-ste-mi,  who  had  shot  the  white  boy.  This, 
John,  in  his  forgiving  spirit,  overruled ;  so  he  put  up 
his  gun  and  went  forth,  hatchet  in  hand,  to  avenge  the 
deed  by  a  demand  of  the  pistol,  which  he  smashed 
upon  a  stone,  thus  inciting  the  anger  of  the  would-be 
boy  murderer,  and  endangering  his  own  life. 

Eu-kosh-nu  dare  not  be  found  at  his  own  house,  and 
to  protect  his  captive,  whose  life  was  now  more  than 
before  in  danger,  had  him  taken  to  his  cousin's,  about 
half  a  mile  distant.  Good  care  was  given  to  his  wound 
during  the  five  days  he  remained  there,  and  the  ball 
extracted  from  his  side. 

One  month  later,  thirty  lodges  of  the  vicinity  were 
struck,  and  the  occupants  fell  in  with  Little  Crow's 
party,  who  having  beeji  ousted  in  battles,  had  started 
for  Devil's  lake,  in  the  north  of  Dakota  Territory, 
where  it  was  their  intent  to  mass  their  forces,  after  re 
ceiving  all  the  pledges  of  assistance  from  other  tribes 
they  could  get. 

The  wounded,  suffering  captive  must  go  with  them 
on  this  long,  wearisome  journey.  He  walked  the  first 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  361 

day,  as  Ms  captor  had  no  way  for  him.  to  ride,  who 
seeing  he  could  not  hold  out  thus  another  day,  gave 
him  to  his  relative,  who  protected  him  at  Big  Stone 
lake.  He  rode  in  the  wagon  of  his  new  owner  the 
rest  of  the  way,  and  was  with  him  during  the  remain 
der  of  his  captivity. 

Instead  of  remaining  at  Devil's  lake,  a  portion  of 
this  party  passed  on  to  the  Missouri  river,  among 
whom  was  John  Julien.  The  cold  had  now  become 
intense,  and  the  snow  was  deep;  still  these  savage 
wanderers  continue  to  move  on,  following  up  the  wind 
ings  of  the  river,  till,  after  an  abundance  of  sameness 
in  experience,  an  encampment  of  Yanktons,  five  hun 
dred  lodges  strong,  falls  in  their  way.  Here  they 
rested  and  feasted  on  buffalo  meat  for  five  days,  when 
they  were  joined  by  Little  Crow  with  sixty  lodges, 
with  whom  they  remained  .during  the  rest  of  the 
winter. 

None  of  these  were  stationary.  The  Yanktons 
broke  camp  and  went  in  one  direction,  Little  Crow's 
camp  in  another.  The  latter  was  very  desirous  to 
make  peace  with  the  Arickarees,  (commonly  known 
as  the  Rees,)  and  obtain  their  assistance  in  his  anticipa 
ted  campaign  against  the  whites  in  the  spring.  Little 
Crow  compelled  the  captive  boy  to  go  in  front,  when 
his  delegation  went  forward  to  meet  the  delegation  of 
Rees,  that  if  trouble  ensued  he  might  be  first  to  suffer. 
The  object  of  the  embassy  being  known,  there  follow 
ed  an  assent,  a  shaking  of  hands,  and  the  smoking  of 
pipes.  But  scarcely  had  the  Rees  reached  the  protec- 


362  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

tion  of  their  own  people,  when  they  commenced  firing. 
There  was  among  them  a  peace  and  an  anti-peace 
party,  the  latter  the  strongest,  and  of  course  over 
ruling  the  former.  Our  little  hero  was  again  wounded 
in  the  fleshy  part  of  his  leg.  Eight  Sioux  were  killed 
and  one  squaw,  during  the  battle,  which  lasted  from 
noon  till  sundown.  Little  Crow  was  completely  routed, 
and  retreated  for  the  camp  where  he  had  wintered, 
forty  miles  distant.  This  was  the  last  of  April. 

The  wounded  boy  tried  hard  to  keep  up  with  the 
retreating  party,  and  after  running  five  miles,  his  leg 
became  too  painful  to  proceed,  and  he  hid  himself 
to  avoid  the  enemy  in  pursuit.  At  dark,  however,  he 
followed  in  their  trail,  and  after  travelling  all  night  and 
the  following  day,  reached  the  Sioux  camp,  where 
they  were  safe  from  their  pursuers. 

Little  Crow  again  bends  his  steps  towards  Devil's 
lake,  and  for  the  first  five  days  they  are  entirely  desti 
tute  of  food.  Fifty  miles  above  Devil's  lake, 

the  trader  from  St  Joseph,  met  them  with  a  parley 
for  their  furs,  for  which  they  received  provisions  and 
blankets.  We  mention  this  because  it  is  an  impor 
tant  link  in  the  chain  of  circumstances  which  led  to 
the  boy's  release.  This  trader  carried  the  tidings  of 
this  boy's  captivity,  as  also,  the  two  others  then  at 
other  points,  to  St.  Joe,  when  the  kind  hearted  priest 
arranged  for  him  to  buy  them. 

The  owner  of  the  boy  was  reluctant  to  sell  him,  he 
preferred  rather  to  take  him  to  the  settlement  and  de-« 
liver  him  up,  in  proof  of  his  friendship  for  the  whites, 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  363 

combined  with  the  testimony  of  the  treatment  he  had 
received  while  in  his  care.  He  ^ad  exacted  nothing 
unreasonable,  had  not  required  him  to  work,  and  when 
he  sold  a  pony  for  a  cap,  coat,  vest,  pants,  three  shirts, 
a  pair  of  stockings  aud  a  blanket,  he  clothed  his  cap 
tive  with  them  instead  of  himself.  The  other  Indians 
would  not  accede  to  his  wish  to  go  to  the  settlement, 
and  thinking  that  Gren.  Sibley,  to  whom  he  had  hoped 
to  deliver  him,  would  not  come  into  the  neighborhood, 
he  finally  consented  to  sell  him ;  and  on  the  13th  of 
June  he  reached  St.  Joseph,  where  he  was  received  by 
the  priest  and  kindly  cared  for  while  he  remained,  and 
was  sent  to  St.  Paul,  where  he  arrived  the  17th  of  Sep 
tember,  glad  to  be  once  more  in  civilized  life,  with  the 
hope  of  a  speedy  reunion  with  the  remnant  of  his 
father's  family. 


CHAPTER  LXIX. 

PROGRESS    OF    THE    EXPEDITION. 

Slowly,  but  surely,  plodded  on  the  gigantic  train, 
with  all  the  drawbacks  which  beset  its  course.  Little 
or  no  rain  had  visited  them,  and  there  fell  scarcely  a 
drop  of  dew  to  relieve  the  aridity  of  the  earth,  while 
the  heat  was  much  of  the  time  one  hundred  degrees  or 
more,  and  the  hot  sirocco  air,  when  filled  with  dust, 
was  almost  unendurable.  The  true  man  may  die,  but 
he  never  fails.  Whatever  the  discouragements,  he  is 
true  to  his  purpose,  and  if  he  dies,  it  is  with  the  harness 
on,  and  his  mantle  falls  on  another,  as  true  as  himself. 
Clouds  may  be  around  him,  but,  eagle-like,  he  soars 
above  them,  and  heeds  not  the  muttering  thunders,  or 
the  tongue  of  calumny.  The  same  rear  fire  which  follow 
ed  the  expedition  now,  was  kept  up  all  through  the 
campaign  of  the  previous  fall.  It  is  an  easy  matter  to 
find  fault,  while  reclining  at  ease  in  one's  office  or 
home ;  but  not  so  easy  to  perform,  successfully,  a  great 
and  important  work,  and  meet,  at  the  same  time,  the 
impatient  demand  of  the  public. 

The  objects  of  the  expedition  were  kept  constantly 
in  view,  from  the  first  The  release  of  the  prisoners 
was  successfully  accomplished.  The  punishment  of 
guilty  parties  followed,  so  far  as  the  action  of  the  Gen-, 
eral  commanding  was  concerned,  and  over  three  hun- 


COL.  WM.  R.  MARSHALL. 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  367 

died  guilty  warriors  and  murderers  were  condemned  to 
death.  That  they  were  not  executed,  was  no  fault  of 
his.  The  supreme  law  of  the  army  forbids  the  execution 
of  any  sentence  of  court  martial,  without  the  sanction  of 
the  President  of  the  United  States.  Where,  then,  rests 
the  blame  ? 

Still,  unmoved  by  the  clamor  of  fault-finders,  the 
expedition  was  pushing  on  to  the  desired  end,  though 
never  an  Indian  had  they  seen.  At  last  they  come 
upon  their  trail  —  tent  poles  and  camp  fire  remains, 
where  game  had  been  cooked,  and  other  signs  evince 
their  nearness  —  as  they  advance  toward  the  Missouri. 

Days  —  weeks  had  passed,  and  no  tidings  came  from 
the  main  column  to  the  anxious  outer  world ;  and 
nothing  was  known  of  them  at  Camp  Atchinson.  But 
they  were  far  from  being  idlers  or  laggards  in  the  field, 
and  were  far  in  the  heart  of  the  enemy's  country, 
away  from  civilization  and  refinement,  amid  scenery 
though  beautiful  to  the  eye,  devoid  of  all  other  at 
tractions — the  country  poor,  in  the  extreme  —  fully 
determined  to  mete  to  the  foe  the  justice  they  merited. 
JSTor  was  it  a  boy's  play  to  bring  about  this  grand  re 
sult  Every  man  felt  the  responsibility  of  his  position, 
and  worked  as  if  success  depended  alone  on  him. 
Time  was  flying  fast  and  events  were  hastening  to 
their  final  issue. 

At  last  it  is  known,  for  CoL  Marshall  brings  the  tid 
ings  that  three  several  engagements  have  taken  place, 
in  which  the  enemy,  more  than  two  thousand  strong, 
the  largest  Indian  force  ever  giving  battle,  had  been 


368  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

completely  routed,  with  heavy  loss,  and  driven  in  ter 
ror  and  confusion  across  the  Missouri  river. 

Col.  Marshall  left  the  expedition  after  one  day  on 
the  return  march,  and  performed  the  hazardous  trip  of 
nearly  four  hundred  miles  in  seven  days,  and  much 
of  the  way  without  an  escort  and  only  two  scouts. 
The  main  features  of  the  battles  we  leave  the  reader 
to  get  from  the  official  report  of  the  commanding  offi 
cer.  Some  items,  however,  not  therein  mentioned, 
may  not  be  uninteresting. 

The  great  Sioux  camp,  when  discovered  by  our  for 
ces,  were  in  consultation  for  proposing  terms  of  peace, 
instigated  to  this  by  Standing  Buffalo,  who  had  long 
since  declared  his  intention  to  deliver  himself  up, 
whenever  opportunity  offered  to  do  so.  To  this  prop 
osition  all  but  eight  daring,  reckless  young  braves  con 
sented,  who  mounted  their  horses  and  rode  swiftly 
away.  A  party  followed  to  bring  them  in,  and  had 
just  come  up  with  them  on  the  hill  overlooking  the 
camp  of  white  men.  The  scouts  went  up  to  parley, 
and  several  messages  were  returned  from  them  to  in 
dividuals,  among  which  was  a  special  request  from 
Standing  Buffalo  to  George  Spencer,  to  "come  over 
and  see  him."  George  lacked  no  confidence  in  the 
friendly  chief,  but  something  whispered  him,  "go  not 
up,"  and  fortunately  he  obeyed  the  monitory  voice. 
Several  of  the  men  followed  the  scouts,  and  even 
shook  hands  with  several  Indian  acquaintances.  — 
Among  these  was  Doct.  Weiser,  from  Shakopee,  Sur-. 
geon  of  the  Mounted  Rangers ;  but  scarcely  had  he 
spoken  to  one,  when  one  of  the  determined  eight  came 


STANDING  BUFFALO. 
(The  Friendly  Chief.) 


DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP.  371 

behind  and  shot  him  through  the  heart.  He  fell  from 
his  horse  and  never  spoke  again.  The  scouts  returned 
the  fire,  when  the  Indians  fell  back  behind  the  ridge, 
firing  as  they  went  One  of  them  was  slightly  wounded 
by  a  spent  ball,  which  had  passed  through  a  rubber 
blanket  rolled  up  on  his  saddle.  All  peace  overtures 
were  now  at  an  end.  Those  who  had  encouraged  a 
surrender  "fell  in"  to  save  themselves  from  their  own 
people.  Standing  Buffalo,  still  persistent  in  his  peace 
principles,  ran  away  to  the  north,  where  he  remained 
many  weeks  afterwards. 

The  fighting  propensities  of  the  savages  were  roused 
to  their  full  tension,  and  their  awful  war-whoop  rang 
through  all  the  prairie  air.  It  was  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  of  July  24th,  1863,  when  Gen.  Sibley 
ordered  his  troops  forward  to  meet  the  foe.  Then 
arose  a  terrible  thunder  storm,  which  shook  the  earth, 
and  sent  a  bolt  of  lightning  into  their  midst,  killing 
one  man  and  his  horse  instantly.  For  three  full  hours 
the  contest  raged,  when  the  savages  fled  in  wild  confu 
sion.  The  mounted  regiment  of  Col.  McPhail  pressed 
on  in  pursuit,  while  the  main  body  of  the  infantry, 
having  marched  from  early  morn  till  three  o'clock  be 
fore  engaging  the  enemy,  went  into  camp. 

An  unhappy  mistake,  (for  such  will  occur  in  mili 
tary  circles  as  well  as  in  well  regulated  families,)  oc 
curring  at  this  time,  has  furnished  food  for  the  the  ca 
pacious,  craving  stomach  of  calumny.  But  we  think 
it  due  to  the  General  commanding,  to  set  the  facts  be 
fore  the  world  in  their  true  light,  and  as  we  obtained 
them  from  one  who  heard  the  order,  and  received  and 


372  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

executed  an  auxiliary  —  whose  statements  are  above 
suspicion  of  cavil,  we  vouch  for  their  correctness. 

Why  was  not  the  advantage  gained  at  the  first  bat 
tle  followed  up,  and  the  Indians  more  severely  pun 
ished  ?  is  the  query  of  dissatisfaction.  We  reply,  such 
was  the  design.  We  have  seen  Col.  McPhail's  cavalry, 
supported  by  the  Seventh  of  infantry,  under  Lieut 
Col.  Marshall,  in  pursuit  of  the  fleeing  foe,  to  be  fol 
lowed  by  the  main  column.  But  no  man  or  body  of 
men  can  accomplish  impossibilities.  It  will  be  recol 
lected  that  they  had  marched  that  day  forty  miles,  be 
fore  engaging  the  enemy.  The  advance  scouts  had 
just  reported  at  head-quarters,  the  finding  of  the  ene 
my's  trail,  when  Captain  Forbes,  of  the  Commissary 
Department,  rode  to  the  front  to  say  that  the  teams 
were  giving  out,  and  they  were  near  the  only  water 
reported  for  several  miles.  Accordingly  they  went 
into  camp. 

"You  ride  to  Col.  McPhail — tell  him  not  to  pursue 
the  enemy  after  dark,  but  to  act  discretionary  as  to  a 
bivouac  on  the  prairie,"  was  the  verbal  and  definite 
order  given  by  Gen.  Sibley  to  Lieut.  Beever,  who  vol 
unteered  to  deliver  it.  This  was  followed  by  another 
to  the  Chief  Clerk  of  the  Commissary  Department  "to 
start  three  days'  rations  to  reach  the  advancing  force 
early  in  the  morning.  Promptly  the  last  order  was 
executed,  and  five  loaded  teams  were  on  the  way  by 
eleven  o'clock  that  night,  but  when  one  mile  out 
stragglers  were  met,  and  finally  the  entire  pursuing  force. 
The  order  had  been  strangely  misunderstood,  and  its 
most  important  phraseology  delivered  in  a  positive  "re- 


COL.  WM-.  CROOKS. 


' 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  375 

turn  to  camp."  The  regret  of  its  bearer  was  too  poign 
ant  for  censure  when  he  awoke  to  this  serious  blunder. 
But  his  was  too  noble  a  nature  not  to  acquit  the  inno 
cent  of  all  blame,  even  though  his  own  name  would  be 
branded  on  historic  page,  and  he  frankly  admitted  the 
mistake  to  his  comrades,  and  awaited  his  opportunity 
to  do  so  before  the  world.  He  sleeps  in  the  shadow 
of  the  woods  in  which  he  met  his  untimely  fate,  and 
his  living  testimony  cannot  exonerate  the  man  on 
whom  an  envious  world  throws  the  blame,  and  who 
nobly  suffers  the  tongue  of  calumny  to  declare  his  un- 
fitness  for  the  command,  rather  than  cast  it  on  a  worthy, 
defenseless  dead  man.  And  thus  it  rests. 

At  last  they  have  repulsed  the  enemy  in  three  suc 
cessive  battles,  killing  a  large  number,  and  driving  him, 
in  large  force,  across  the  Missouri  river,  between  which 
and  the  expedition's  encampment,  was  a  mile  of  dense 
forest,  interspersed  with  a  heavy  growth  of  prickly  ash, 
the  most  impenetrable  of  all  northern  undergrowth. 
Imperfect  Indian  trails  ran  through  them  to  the  river, 
but,  forbidding  as  were  the  circumstances,  CoL  Crooks, 
as  valorous  a  man  as  ever  led  a  regiment,  called  for 
volunteers  to  follow  him  there.  After  thoroughly 
shelling  the  woods,  and  scouring  the  "bottom,"  they 
drew  rein  at  its  shore,  and  drank  themselves  and  their 
horses  fi-om  the  sweet  though  turbid  stream,  which  was 
truly  refreshing,  after  having  drank  naught,  for  many 
days,  but  brackish  water.  While  here,  they  were  fired 
on  from  the  opposite  shore,  but  the  balls  fell  harmless 
ly  into  the  river,  a  warning,  however,  for  them  to 
make  quick  time  in  return  to  camp. 


376  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

Again  it  is  inquired,  why  this  last  engagement  was 
not  the  finale  of  the  Indian  war,  and  why  they  were 
not  followed  across  the  river  ? 

We  have  shown  the  nature  of  the  ground  between 
them  and  the  river.  In  the  language  of  another, 
"white  men  cannot  fight  naked,  and  draw  their  subsis 
tence  from  the  lakes,  woods  and  prairies,  as  the  Indians 
can."  They  must  have  their  baggage  wagon  and  pro 
vision  train,  otherwise  they  cannot  carry  on  an  offen 
sive  war.  Men  and  animals  were  well  nigh  exhausted 
when  they  reached  the  Missouri :  besides  the  commis 
sary  stores  were  scarcely  sufficient  for  return  rations. 
They  would  have  had  great  difficulty  in  getting  the 
teams  through  the  dense  forest,  and  then  three  days' 
time  would  have  been  consumed  in  crossing,  which 
would  have  given  the  enemy  three  days'  start,  else 
they  would  have  been  all  this  time  exposed  to  their 
fire. 

"White  people,"  says  Mr.  Riggs,  "are  superior  to  an 
Indian  in  a  thousand  things,  but  fighting  is  not  one  of 
them.  Our  big  guns,  and  our  long  range  muskets 
and  our  better  drills,  give  us  an  advantage  over  them. 
But  in  fleeing  and  fighting,  fighting  and  fleeing,  they 
are  our  superiors.  Moreover;  they  cover  a  retreat 
most  beautifully.  If  any  one  supposes  it  is  an  easy 
matter  to  annihilate  these  Arabs  of  the  desert,  let  him 
try  it.  Perhaps  he  will  come  back  a  wise  man." 
Some  ask,  he  says,  "why  Gen.  Sibley  did  not  kill  more 
Indians  ?  We  reply,  "they  would  not  stay  to  be  kill- 
ecL"  He  might  have  disgraced  his  humanity  and 


DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP.  377 

killed  the  Teton  boy — lie  might  have  killed  an  old 
woman  brought  in  by  the  scouts,  and  in  one  or  two 
other  instances  he  might  have  performed  like  humane 
acts,  had  he  been  a  brute,  but  manhood  triumphed, 
and  aside  from  these,  not  an  Indian  escaped  that  could 
be  reached  by  hand  or  bullet. 

Every  man,  whether  he  has  been  in  a  campaign  or 
not,  claims  the  privilege  of  deciding  how  a  campaign 
should  be  conducted,  and  the  qualification  of  its  Gen 
eral.  A  free  country  guarantees  to  them  this  right, 
however  great  the  injustice  of  that  decision. 

If  we  look  to  historic  facts,  we  find  no  more  success 
ful  campaigns  against  the  Indians,  than  have  been  those 
of  Gen.  Sibley  ;  and  all  in  it,  with  whom  we  have  con 
versed,  agree  that  all  was  done  which  human  wisdom 
and  human  energy  could  do.  Let  us  not  forget  the 
vast  army  power,  and  the  forty  millions  of  money  ex 
pended  in  unsuccessful  attempts  to  drive  the  Seminoles 
from  their  swamp  retreats,  in  Florida,  A  fish,  thrown 
from  its  native  element,  will  flounce  about  for  a  little 
while,  and  die  of  itself.  So  with  the  envious  tongue. 
As  sure  as  water  finds  its  level,  time  and  an  overruling 
Providence  will  work  all  right.  The  name  of  Henry 
H.  Sibley  will  live  on  history's  unsullied  page.  Pos 
terity  will  laud  him,  when  those  of  his  calumniators 
will  be  lost  in  the  great  whirlpool  of  oblivion. 

We  ignore  any  claim,  in  the  military  line,  from  po 
litical  preference.  The  right  man  in  the  right  place,  is 
our  motto.  Gen.  Sibley  is  a  Democrat  —  a  loyal,  con 
scientious  one,  we  have  no  doubt ;  while  the  writer  is 
Pt 


378  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

a  wool-dyed  Kepublican,  (if  expression  on  this  point  is 
admissible,)  and  when  WOMAN'S  RIGHTS  (?)  prevail, 
shall  vote  that  ticket,  strong,  but,  then,  as  now,  will  ac 
cord  to  every  man  his  due. 


CHAPTER  LXX. 

THE    CAPTURE    OF    A    TETON. 

On  the  morning  of  the  28th  of  July,  just  as  Gen. 
Sibley's  command  was  breaking  camp  at  Stony  lake, 
they  were  attacked  by  Indians,  in  full  force,  and  after 
three  hours  of  sharp  fighting,  repulsed  the  foe,  who 
fled  toward  the  Missouri,  and  moved  on  in  pursuit. 
Mr.  Spencer,  under  the  escort  of  scouts,  fall  of  the 
spirit  of  adventure,  left  the  main  column  in  the  dim 
distance,  and  discovered  a  solitary  pony,  quietly  gra 
zing,  about  a  mile  to  the  left.  Putting  spurs  to  their 
horses,  they  started  for  its  capture.  As  they  approach 
ed  it,  a  dark,  motionless  object  was  seen  lying  upon 
the  ground.  Coming  nearer,  some  one  cried  out,  "It's 
an  old  buffalo  robe ;"  but  as  one  stooped  to  pick  it  up, 
it  sprang  from  the  earth,  and  bounded  off  like  a  deer, 
being  extended  to  full  size,  and  flying  swiftly,  in  a  zig 
zag  manner.  It  was  a  broad  mark  for  the  carbines,  but 
where  in  it  was  the  motive  power  ?  It  was  impossible 
to  tell.  Some  thirty  shots  were  fired,  all  hitting  the 
robe,  but  still  he  kept  on  with  the  same  zigzag  course, 
and  a  constant  motion,  from  side  to  side,  of  the  robe, 
so  that  it  seemed  impossible  to  hit  him. 

At  last,  Bottineau,  the  chief  guide,  reined  up  to  him, 
put  a  revolver  to  his  head,  and  fired,  but  he  dodged 
the  ball.  He  now  stopped,  dropped  the  robe,  and 


380  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

threw  up  both  hands,  in  token  of  surrender.  The 
robe  was  literally  riddled  with  balls,  but  not  a  scratch 
was  on  his  person,  and  he  had  enlisted  the  sympathy 
and  admiration  of  his  captors,  for  his  brave  and  gallant 
bearing.  He  was  unarmed,  save  with  a  knife,  stuck  in 
his  belt,  which  he  silently  threw  away,  on  being  order 
ed  to  do  so.  He  was  placed  behind  one  of  the  scouts, 
and  brought  before  General  Sibley,  to  whom  he  ex 
tended  his  hand  in  friendly  salute,  which  was  not  ta 
ken  ;  but  with  stern  eye  upon  him,  the  General  ques 
tioned  him  closely,  till  well  satisfied  with  the  truth  of 
his  statement,  when  they  shook  hands,  and  were  friends. 
He  belonged  to  the  Teton  band,  one  of  the  largest  di 
visions  of  the  Dakota  nation,  living  west  of  the  Mis 
souri  river,  taking  no  part  in  the  war.  His  father  was 
one  of  the  head  chiefs,  and  the  son  had  come  out  on  a 
visit  to  the  Yanktonians,  and  learning  they  were  soon 
to  have  a  fight  with  the  "Long  Knives,"  curiosity  led 
him  on  to  see  it.  He  retired  with  the  repulsed  Indians, 
but  coming  to  a  little  valley  of  good  grass,  stopped  to 
let  his  pony  graze,  and,  wrapping  himself  in  his  robe, 
laid  down  to  rest,  and  was  fast  asleep,  before  he  knew 
it,  and  thus  the  scouts  had  come  upon  him. 

For  the  five  days  that  he  remained  prisoner,  General 
Sibley  caused  him  to  be  treated  according  to  the  dig 
nity  of  his  rank,  as  heir-apparent  to  the  chieftainship. 
He  became  strongly  attache^  to  Mr.  Riggs,  and  seldom 
left  his  side.  Mr.  Spencer  says,  "he  was  not  more  than 
twenty  years  old,  and  his  was  as  fine  a  specimen  of  the 
human  form,  as  he  ever  beheld," 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  381 

When  the  return  order  was  given,  General  Sibley 
wrote  a  letter  to  his  father,  commending  the  wisdom  of 
his  course,  in  refusing  to  take  up  the  tomahawk  against 
the  whites,  saying  he  wished  them  to  know  that  the 
whites  were  a  merciful  people,  and  though  his  son 
had  been  captured  among  the  hostile  Indians,  he  had 
spared  his  life,  and  permitted  him  to  return  to  his  own 
people.  This  was,  no  doubt,  a  stroke  of  good  policy, 
as  the  death  of  this  young  Teton  would  have  exasper 
ated  his  tribe,  and  rendered  the  Indian  war  much  more 
formidable  than  otherwise. 

A  few  days  after  the  dismissal  of  the  young  Teton, 
a  party  of  miners,  rich  in  gold  dust,  washed  from  the 
deposits  of  Idaho,  were  descending  the  Missouri,  at  the 
very  spot  where  our  men  went  down  to  drink.  Indians 
were  all  around,  ready  to  spring  from  the  weeds  and 
bushes,  and  the  young  Teuton,  desiring  peace,  rushed 
toward  them,  holding  the  letter  to  his  father,  over  his 
head.  But  they  understood  not  the  signal,  and  shot  him 
dead,  when  they  were  at  once  surrounded,  and,  though 
fighting  desperately,  and  killing  more  than  twice  their 
number,  every  man  of  them  was  killed,  and  all  the  rich 
avails  of  toil  fell  into  the  spoiler's  hands. 


CHAPTER  LXXI. 

DEATH    OF    LIEUT.    BEEVEE. 

While  Col.  Crooks  and  his  regiment  were  at  the  river, 
General  Sibley,  becoming  aware  of  the  proximity  of 
Indians,  and  the  dangers  which  surrounded  them,  exe 
cuted  an  order  for  their  return  to  camp,  which  the  bold 
and  daring  Lieutenant  Beever  volunteered  to  deliver. 
He  was  unmolested  by  the  way,  and  though  desired  by 
Col.  Crooks  to  remain  until  the  men  should  be  formed, 
and  return  under  their  protection,  he  was  too  true  a 
soldier  to  disregard  the  discretio'nary  order  of  a  supe 
rior  officer.  Midway  in  the  forest,  the  trail  forked  in 
several  directions  —  unfortunately,  he  took  the  wrong 
one,  though  it  would  just  as  soon  have  brought  him 
into  camp. 

Col.  Crooks  returned,  and  though  Lieut.  Beever 
messed  with  him,  his  tent  was  at  Gen.  Sibley's  head 
quarters,  and  for  several  hours  his  absence  was  not  no 
ticed,  each  party  supposing  him  with  the  other.  Night 
shadows  had  fallen  upon  the  encampment  before  in 
quiry  arose  in  relation  to  him,  and  no  little  alarm  was 
created  when  it  was  known  that  he  had  not  been  seen 
since  receiving  the  message  from  Col.  Crooks. 

The  sudden  disappearance  of  one  in  universal  favor, 
cast  a  gloom  over  the  camp.     Thursday,  July  30th, 
Gen.  Sibley  sent  out  a  command  of  eleven  companies*' 
under  Col.  Crooks,  to  make  thorough  reconnoissance  of 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  383 

the  woods,  and  if  possible,  find  his  body,  and  that  of 
private  Miller,  who  was  missed  the  same  day.  The 
latter  had  said,  before  going  out,  that  uhe  wanted  a  shot" 
He  received  a  shot,  but  whether  he  gave  one  or  not,  is 
unknown.  He  was  found  scalped,  not  far  from  Lieut. 
Beever,  but  whether  the  same  rencounter  terminated 
both  lives,  of  course  will  ever  be  unknown,  unless  the 
facts  be  imparted  by  some  friendly  Indian. 

But  a  short  distance  from  where  Lieut.  Beever  lay, 
were  two  pools  of  blood,  proving  pretty  conclusively 
that  he  had  not  yielded  his  life  without  a  recompense. 
His  horse  had  been  shot  through  the  head,  and  three 
arrows  were  in  his  back,  and  a  ball  had  passed  through 
his  body,  but  the  finale  had  been  the  blow  from  a  tom 
ahawk.  He  was  a  "good  shot" — had  with  him  two  re 
volvers,  carrying  eleven  balls,  which  had  doubtless, 
found  sure  lodgment,  the  dead  or  wounded  Indians 
having  been  carried  off  by  their  comrades. 

The  remains  were  duly  prepared  and  deposited  in 
as  good  a  coffin  as  could  be  obtained,  and  with  his 
body  servant  (between  whom  and  himself  there  was  a 
mutual  attachment,)  as  chief  mourner,  followed  by  al 
most  the  entire  command,  was  placed  in  his  prairie 
grave,  near  that  of  Docter  Weiser,  there  to  rest  till  the 
"graves  give  up  their  dead." 

This  event  was  one  of  the  saddest  connected  with 
the  campaign.  Frederick  J.  Holt  Beever  was  an  En 
glish  gentleman  of  means  and  education,  travelling  for 
his  health  and  improvement.  His  love  of  romance 
and  adventure  led  him  to  embrace  the  opportunity  of 
fered  by  the  expedition,  for  seeing  the  western  prairies, 


384  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

and  he  was  attached  to  General  Sibley's  staff,  as  vol 
unteer  Aid-de-camp.  He  was  a  jovial,  social  man, 
brave,  energetic  and  reliable,  and  after  "life's  fitful 
fever,"  in  his  lone  and  lowly  bed  he  rests  well. 


CHAPTER  LXXH. 

TERMINUS   OF  THE   CAMPAIGN. 

In  obedience  to  the  order  given  below,  the  campaign 
was  ended,  and  on  Saturday  morning,  Aug.  1st,  com 
menced  retracing  their  steps  towards  civilization  and 
friends : 
11  To  the  Officers  and  Soldiers  of  the  Expeditionary  forces  in  camp  : 

"It  is  proper  for  the  Brigadier-General  commanding 
to  announce  to  you  that  the  march  to  the  west  and 
south  is  completed,  and  that  on  to-morrow  the  column 
will  move  homewards,  to  discharge  such  other  duties 
connected  with  the  objects  of  the  expedition,  on  the 
way,  as  may  from  time  to  time  present  themselves. 

"In  making  this  announcement,  Gen.  Sibley  express 
es  also  his  high  gratification  that  the  campaign  has  been  a 
complete  success.  The  design  of  the  Government  in 
chastising  the  savages,  and  thereby  preventing,  for  the 
future,  the  raids  upon  the  frontier,  has  been  accomplish 
ed.  You  have  routed  the  miscreants  who  murdered  our 
people  last  year,  banded,  as  they  were,  with  the  pow 
erful  Upper  Sioux,  to  the  number  of  nearly  2,000  war 
riors,  in  three  successful  engagements,  with  heavy  loss, 
and  driven  them,  in  confusion  and  dismay,  across  the 
Missouri  river,  leaving  behind  them  all  their  vehicles, 
provisions  and  skins  designed  for  clothing,  which  have 
been  destroyed.  Forty-four  bodies  of  warriors  have 


386  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

been  found,  and  many  others  concealed  or  taken  away, 
according  to  the  custom  of  these  savages,  so  that  it 
is  certain  they  lost  in  killed  and  wounded,  not  less 
than  from  one  hundred  and  twenty  to  one  hundred 
and  fifty  men.  All  this  has  been  accomplished  with 
the  comparatively  trifling  loss  on  our  part  of  three 
killed  and  as  many  wounded.  You  have  marched 
nearly  six  hundred  miles  from  St.  Paul,  and  the 
powerful  bands  of  the  Dakotas,  who  have  hitherto  held 
undisputed  possession  of  the  great  prairies,  have  suc 
cumbed  to  your  valor  and  discipline,  and  sought  safe 
ty  in  flight.  The  intense  heat  and  drought  have 
caused  much  suffering,  which  you  have  endured  with 
out  a  murmur.  The  companies  of  the  6th,  7th,  9th 
and  10th  regiments  of  Minnesota  Volunteers,  and  of 
the  1st  regiment  Minnesota  Mounted  Rangers,  and  the 
scouts  of  the  battery,  have  amply  sustained  the  repu 
tation  of  the  State  by  their  bravery  and  endurance, 
amidst  unknown  dangers  and  great  hardships.  Each 
has  had  the  opportunity  to  distinguish  itself  against  a 
foe  at  least  equal  in  numbers  to  itself. 

"It  would  be  a  gratification  if  these  remorseless 
savages  could  have  been  pursued  and  literally  extirpa 
ted,  for  their  crimes  and  barbarities  merited  such  a  full 
measure  of  punishment;  but  men  and  animals  are 
alike  exhausted  after  so  long  a  march,  and  a  further 
pursuit  would  only  be  futile  and  hopeless.  The  mil 
itary  results  of  the  campaign  have  been  completely 
accomplished,  for  the  savages  have  not  only  been  des-. 
troyed  in  great  numbers,  and  their  main  strength 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  387 

broken,  but  their  prospects  for  the  future  are  hopeless 
indeed,  for  they  can  scarcely  escape  starvation  during 
the  approaching  winter. 

"It  is  peculiarly  gratifying  to  the  Brigadier-General 
commanding,  to  know  that  the  tremendous  fatigues 
and  manifold  dangers  of  the  expedition  thus  far,  have 
entailed  so  small  a  loss  of  life  in  his  command.  A  less 
careful  policy  than  that  adopted,  might  have  effected 
the  destruction  of  more  of  the  enemy,. but  that  could 
only  have  been  done  by  a  proportional  exposure  on  our 
part  and  the  consequent  loss  of  many  more  lives,  bring 
ing  sorrow  and  mourning  to  our  homes.  Let  us,  there 
fore,  return  thanks  to  a  merciful  God  for  his  manifest 
interposition  in  our  favor,  and  for  the  success  attendant 
upon  our  efforts  to  secure  peace  to  the  borders  of  our 
own  State,  and  of  our  neighbors  and  friends  in  Dakota 
Territory,  and  as  we  proceed  on  our  march  toward 
those  most  near  and  dear  to  us,  let  us  be  prepared  to 
discharge  other  duties  which  may  be  imposed  upon 
us  during  our  journey,  with  cheerful  and  willing 
hearts. 

"To  the  Kegimental  and  company  officers  of  his 
command,  the  Brigadier-General  commanding  tenders 
his  warmest  thanks  for  their  co-operation  and  aid  on 
every  occasion  during  the  progress  of  the  column 
through  the  heart  of  an  unknown  region,  inhabited  by 
a  subtle  and  merciless  foe. 

"For  the  friends  and  families  of  our  fallen  comrades 
we  have  our  warmest  sympathies  to  offer  in  their  be 
reavement. 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

"General  Sibley  takes  this  occasion  to  express  his 
appreciation  of  the  activity  and  zeal  displayed  by  the 
members  of  his  staff,  one  and  all 

"By  command  of 

"BRIGADIER-GENERAL  SIBLEY." 

The  night  previous  to  leaving,  several  shots  were 
fired  into  camp  by  prowling  Indians,  who  on  the  fol 
lowing  morning  made  their  appearance  to  the  number 
of  thirty  or  forty,  determined  to  annoy  where  they 
could  do  nothing  more. 


CHAPTER  LXXIII. 

OFFICIAL  EEPORT  OF  BRIGADIER  GENERAL  HENRY  H. 
SIBLEY  TO  MAJ.    GEN.   POPE. 

MAJOR: — My  last  dispatch  was  dated  21st  ultimo, 
from  Camp  Olin,  in  which  I  had  the  honor  to  inform 
Major  General  Pope,  that  I  had  left  one-third  of  my 
force  in  an  intrenched  position  at  Camp  Atchinson, 
and  was  then  one  day's  march  in  advance,  with  1,400 
infantry  and  500  cavalry,  in  the  direction  where  the 
main  body  of  the  Indians  were  supposed  to  be.  Dur 
ing  the  three  following  days,  I  pursued  a  course  some 
what  west  of  south,  making  fifty  miles,  having  crossed 
the  James  river  and  the  great  coteau  of  the  Missouri. 
On  the  24th,  about  1  P.  M.,  being  considerably  in  ad 
vance  of  the  main  column,  with  some  of  the  officers 
of  my  staff,  engaged  in  looking  out  for  a  suitable 
camping  ground,  the  command  having  marched  stead 
ily  from  5  A.  M.,  some  of  my  scouts  came  to  me  at  full 
speed,  and  reported  that  a  large  camp  of  Indians  had 
just  before  passed,  and  great  numbers  of  warriors 
could  be  seen  upon  the  prairie  two  or  three  miles  dis 
tant  I  immediately  corralled  my  train  upon  the 
shore  of  a  salt  lake  near  by,  and  established  my  camp, 
which  was  rapidly  intrenched  by  Col.  Crooks,  to  whom 
was  entrusted  that  duty,  for  the  security  of  the  trans 
portation  in  case  of  attack,  a  precaution  I  had  taken 


390  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

whenever  we  encamped  for  many  days  previous. — 
While  the  earthworks  were  being  pushed  forward,  par 
ties  of  Indians,  more  or  less  numerous,  appeared  upon 
the  hills  around  us,  and  one  of  my  half-breed  scouts, 
a  relative  of  "Ked  Plume,"  a  Sissiton  chief,  hitherto 
opposed  to  the  war,  approached  sufficiently  near  to 
converse  with  him.  "Ked  Plume"  told  him  to  warn 
me  that  the  plan  was  formed  to  invite  me  to  a  council 
with  some  of  my  superior  officers,  to  shoot  us  without 
ceremony,  and  then  attack  my  command  in  great  force, 
trusting  to  destroy  the  whole  of  it. 

The  Indians  ventured  near  the  spot  where  a  portion 
of  my  scouts  had  taken  position,  three  or  four  hundred 
yards  from  our  camp,  and  conversed  with  them  in  an 
apparently  friendly  manner,  some  of  them  professing 
a  desire  for  peace.  Surgeon  Joseph  Weiser,  of  the 
First  Minnesota  Mounted  Hangers,  incautiously  joined 
the  group  of  scouts,  when  a  young  savage,  doubtless 
supposing  from  his  uniform  and  horse  equipments  that* 
he  was  an  officer  of  rank,  pretended  great  friendship 
and  delight  at  seeing  him  ;  but  when  within  a  few  feet, 
treacherously  shot  him  through  the  heart.  The  scouts 
discharged  their  pieces  at  the  murderer,  but  he  escaped, 
leaving  his  horse  behind.  The  body  of  Dr.  Weiser 
was  immediately  brought  into  camp,  unmutilated,  save 
by  the  ball  that  killed  him.  Dr.  Weiser  was  univer 
sally  esteemed,  being  skillful  in  his  profession,  and  a 
kind  and  courteous  gentleman. 

This  outrage  precipitated  an  immediate  engagement. 
The  savages  in  great  numbers,  concealed  by  the  ridges, 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  391 

had  encircled  those  portions  of  the  camp  not  flanked 
by  the  lake  referred  to,  and  commenced  an  attack. 

Col.  McPhail,  with  two  companies,  subsequently  re- 
enforced  by  others  as  they  could  be  spared  from  other 
points,  was  directed  to  drive  the  enemy  from  the  vi 
cinity  of  the  hill  where  Dr.  Weiser  was  shot,  while 
those  companies  of  the  7th  Regiment  under  Lieut.  Col. 
Marshall  and  Major  Bradley,  and  one  company  of  the 
10th  Kegiment,  under  Capt.  Edgerton,  was  dispatched 
to  support  them.  Taking  with  me  a  six-pounder  under 
the  command  of  Lieut.  Whipple,  I  ascended  the  hill 
towards  "Big  Mound,"  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  ra 
vine,  and  opened  fire  with  spherical  case  shot  upon  the 
Indians  who  had  obtained  possession  of  the  upper  part 
of  the  large  ravine,  and  of  the  smaller  ones  tributary 
to  it,  under  the  protection  of  which  they  could  annoy 
the  infantry  and  cavalry  without  exposure  on  their 
part. 

This  flank  and  raking  fire  of  artillery  drove  them 
from  these  hiding  places  into  the  broken  prairie,  where 
they  were  successively  dislodged  from  the  ridges,  being 
utterly  unable  to  resist  the  steady  advance  of  the  7th 
Kegiment  and  the  Eangers,  but  fled  before  them  in 
confusion.  While  these  events  were  occurring  on  the 
right,  the  left  of  the  camp  was  also  threatened  by  a 
formidable  body  of  warriors.  Col.  Crooks,  whose  reg 
iment  (the  6th,)  was  posted  on  that  side,  was  ordered 
to  deploy  part  of  his  command  as  skirmishers  and  to 
dislodge  the  enemy.  This  was  gaflantly  done,  the  Col. 
directing  in  person  the  movements  of  one  part  of  his 


392  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

detached  force,  and  Lieut  Col.  Averill  of  the  other, 
Major  McLaren  remaining  in  command  of  that  portion 
of  the  regiment  required  as  part  of  the  camp  guard. 

The  savages  were  steadily  driven  from  one  strong 
position  after  another,  under  a  severe  fire,  until,  feeling 
their  utter  inability  to  contend  longer  with  our  soldiers 
in  the  open  field,  they  joined  their  brethren  in  one  com 
mon  flight  Upon  moving  forward  with  my  staff,  to  a 
commanding  point  which  overlooked  the  field,  I  dis 
covered  the  whole  body  of  Indians,  numbering  from 
one  thousand  to  fifteen  hundred,  retiring  in  confusion 
from  the  combat,  while  a  dark  line  of  moving  objects 
on  the  distant  hills  indicated  the  locality  of  their  fam 
ilies.  I  immediately  dispatched  orders  to  Col.  Mc- 
Phail,  who  had  now  received  an  accession  of  force 
from  other  companies  of  his  Mounted  Regiment,  to 
press  on  with  all  expedition  and  fall  upon  the  rear  of 
the  enemy,  but  not  to  continue  the  pursuit  after  night 
fall,  and  Lieut.  Col.  Marshall  was  directed  to  follow 
and  support  him  with  the  companies  of  the  7th,  and 
Captain  Edgerton's  company  of  the  10th,  accompanied 
by  one  six-pounder,  and  one  section  of  Minnesota  how 
itzers  under  Captain  Jones. 

At  the  same  time,  all  the  companies  of  the  6th  and 
10th  regiments,  except  two  from  each  which  were  left 
as  a  camp  guard,  were  ordered  to  rendezvous,  and  to 
proceed  in  the  same  direction,  but  they  had  so  far  to 
march  from  their  respective  posts,  before  arriving  at 
the  point  occupied  "by  myself  and  staff,  that  I  felt  con 
vinced  of  the  uselessness  of  their  proceeding  farther/ 


DAKOTA    WAK   WHOOP.  393 

the  other  portions  of  the  pursuing  force  being  some 
miles  in  the  advance,  and  I  accordingly  directed  their 
return  to  camp. 

The  cavalry  gallantly  followed  the  Indians,  and  kept 
up  a  running  fight  until  nearly  dark,  killing  and 
wounding  many  of  their  warriors,  the  infantry 
under  Lieut  CoL  Marshall  being  kept  at  a  double 
quick  in  their  rear.  The  order  to  CoL  McPhail  was 
improperly  delivered,  as  requiring  him  to  return  to 
camp,  instead  of 'leaving  it  discretionary  with  him  to 
bivouac  in  the  prairie.  Consequently  he  retraced  his 
way  with  his  weary  men  and  horses,  followed  by  the 
still  more  wearied  infantry,  and  arrived  at  the  camp 
early  the  next  morning,  as  I  was  about  to  move  for 
ward  with  the  main  column.  Thus  ended  the  battle 
of  the  Big  Mound. 

The  severity  of  the  labor  of  the  entire  command 
may  be  appreciated,  when  it  is  considered  that  the  en 
gagement  only  commenced  after  the  day's  march  was 
nearly  completed,  and  that  the  Indians  were  chased  at 
least  twelve  miles,  making  altogether  full  forty  miles 
performed  without  rest. 

The  march  of  the  cavalry,  of  the  7th  regiment,  and 
of  "B"  company  of  the  10th  regiment,  in  returning  to 
camp  after  the  tremendous  efforts  of  the  day,  is  almost 
unparalleled,  and  it  told  so  fearfully  upon  men  and 
animals  that  a  forward  movement  could  not  take  place 
until  the  26th,  when  I  marched,  at  an  early  hour. 
Colonel  Baker  had  been  left  in  command  of  the  camp 
(named  by  the  officers  Camp  Sibley,)  during  the  en- 


394  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

gagement  of  the  previous  day,  and  all  the  arrange 
ments  for  its  security  were  actively  and  judiciously 
made,  aided  as  he  was  by  that  excellent  officer,  Lieut. 
Colonel  Jennison,  of  the  same  regiment. 

Upon  arriving  at  the  camp  from  which  the  Indians 
had  been  driven  in  such  hot  haste,  vast  quantities  of 
dried  meat,  tallow  and  buffalo  robes,  cooking  utensils, 
and  other  indispensable  articles  were  found  concealed 
in  the  long  reeds  around  the  lake,  all  of  which  were, 
by  my  direction,  collected  and  destroyed.  For  miles 
along  the  route,  the  prairie  was  strewn  with  like  evi 
dences  of  a  hasty  flight  Col.  McPhail  had  previous 
ly  advised  me  that  beyond  Dead  Buffalo  lake,  as  far 
as  the  pursuit  of  the  Indians  had  continued,  I  would 
find  neither  wood  nor  water.  I  consequently  establish 
ed  my  camp  on  the  border  of  that  lake,  and  very  soon 
afterwards  parties  of  Indians  made  their  appearance, 
threatening  an  attack.  I  directed  Capt.  Jones  to  re 
pair  with  his  section  of  six-pounders,  supported  by 
Capt.  Chase,  with  his  company  of  pioneers,  to  a  com 
manding  point,  about  six  hundred  yards  in  advance, 
and  I  proceeded  there  in  person.  I  found  that  Col. 
Crooks  had  taken  position  with  two  companies  of  his 
regiment,  commanded  by  Captain  and  Lieut.  Grant,  to 
check  the  advance  of  the  Indians  in  that  quarter. 
An  engagement  ensued  at  long  range,  the  Indians 
being  too  wary  to  attempt  to  close,  although  greatly 
superior  in  numbers.  The  spherical  case  from  the 
six-pounders  soon  caused  a  hasty  retreat  from  that  lo- 
pality,  but  perceiving  it  to  be  their  intention  to  make' 


DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP.  395 

a  flank  movement  on  the  left  of  the  camp,  in  force, 
Capt.  Taylor,  with  his  company  of  Mounted  Rangers, 
was  dispatched  to  retard  their  progress  in  that  quarter. 
He  was  attacked  by  the  enemy  in  large  numbers,  but 
manfully  held  his  ground  until  recalled,  and  ordered 
to  support  Lieut.  Colonel  Averill,  who,  with  two. com 
panies  of  the  6th  regiment,  deployed  as  skirmishers, 
had  been  ordered  to  hold  the  savages  in  check. 

The  whole  affair  was  ably  conducted  by  these  offi 
cers,  but  the  increasing  numbers  of  the  Indians,  who 
were  well  mounted,  enabled  them,  by  a  circuitous 
route,  to  dash  towards  the  extreme  left  of  the  camp, 
evidently  with  a  view  to  stampede  the  mules  herded 
on  the  shore  of  the  lake. 

This  daring  attempt  was  frustrated  by  the  rapid  mo 
tions  of  the  companies  of  Mounted  Rangers,  command 
ed  by  Captains  Wilson  and  Davy,  who  met  the  enemy 
and  repulsed  them  with  loss,  while  Maj.  McLaren, 
with  equal  promptitude,  threw  out  along  an  extended 
line,  the  six  companies  of  the  6th  regiment,  under  his 
immediate  command,  thus  entirely  securing  that  flank 
of  the  camp  from  further  attacks.  The  savages,  again 
foiled  in  their  designs,  fled  with  precipitation,  leaving 
a  number  of  their  dead  upon  the  prairie  —  and  the 
battle  of  Dead  Buffalo  lake  was  ended. 

On  the  27th,  I  resumed  the  march,  following  the 
trail  of  the  retreating  Indians  until  I  reached  Stony 
lake,  where  the  exhaustion  of  the  animals  required 
me  to  encamp,  although  grass  was  very  scarce. 

The  next  day,  the  28th,  took  place  the  greatest  con- 


396  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

flict  between  our  troops  and  the  Indians,  so  far  as  num 
bers  were  concerned,  which  I  have  named  the  battle 
of  "Stony  Lake."  Kegularly  alternating  each  day, 
the  10th  regiment,  under  Col.  Baker,  was  in  the 
advance  and  leading  the  column,  as  the  train  toiled  up 
the  long  hill.  As  I  passed  Col.  Baker,  I  directed  him  to 
deploy  two  companies  of  the  10th  as  skirmishers.  Part 
of  the  wagons  were  still  in  the  camp  under  the  guard 
of  the  7th  regiment,  when,  as  I  reached  the  top  of  the 
ridge  in  advance  of  the  10th  regiment,  I  perceived  a 
large  force  of  mounted  Indians  moving  rapidly  upon 
us.  I  immediately  sent  orders  to  the  several  com 
mands  promptly  to  assume  their  positions,  in  accordance 
with  the  programme  of  the  line  of  march ;  but  this 
was  done,  and  the  whole  long  train,  completely  guard 
ed  at  every  point,  by  the  vigilant  and  able  command 
ers  of  the  regiments,  and  of  corps,  before  the  order 
reached  them.  The  10th  gallantly  checked  the  ad 
vance  of  the  enemy  in  front,  the  6th  and  cavalry  on 
the  right,  and  the  7th  and  cavalry  on  the  left,  while 
the  six-pounders  and  two  sections  of  mountain  howitz 
ers,  under  the  efficient  direction  of  their  respective 
chiefs,  poured  as  rapid  and  destructive  fire  from  as 
many  different  points.  The  vast  number  of  Indians 
enabled  them  to  form  two-thirds  of  a  circle,  five  or 
six  miles  in  extent,  along  the  whole  line  of  which 
they  were  seeking  for  some  weak  point  upon  which  to 
precipitate  themselves.  The  firing  was  incessant  and 
rapid  from  each  side,  but  so  soon  as  I  had  completed 
the  details  of  the  designated  order  of  march,  and 


DAKOTA    WAR   WHOOP.  397 

closed  up  the  train,  the  column  issued  in  line  of  battle 
upon  the  prairie,  in  the  face  of  the  immense  force  op 
posed  to  it,  and  I  resumed  my  march  without  any 
delay.  This  proof  of  confidence  in  our  own  strength 
completely  destroyed  the  hopes  of  the  savages  and  com 
pleted  their  discomfiture.  With  yells  of  disappoint 
ment  and  rage,  they  fired  a  few  parting  volleys,  and 
then  retreated  with  all  expedition.  It  was  not  possi 
ble,  with  our  jaded  horses,  to  overtake  their  fleet  and 
comparatively  fresh  ponies. 

This  was  the  last  desperate  effort  of  the  combined 
Dakota  bands,  to  prevent  a  farther  advance,  on  our  part, 
towards  their  families.  It  would  be  difficult  to  esti 
mate  the  number  of  warriors,  but  no  cool  and  dispas 
sionate  observer  would  probably  have  placed  it  at  a 
less  figure  than  from  2,200  to  2,500.  No  such  concen 
tration  of  force  has,  so  far  as  my  information  extends, 
ever  been  made  by  the  savages  of  the  American  Con 
tinent. 

It  is  rendered  certain,  from  information  received  from 
various  sources,  (including  that  obtained  from  the  sav 
ages  themselves,  in  their  conversations  with  our  half- 
breed  scouts,)  that  the  remnant  of  the  bands  who  es 
caped  with  Little  Crow,  had  successively  joined  the 
Sissitons,  the  Cut  Heads,  and  finally  the  "Yank-ton- 
ais,"  the  most  powerful  single  band  of  the  Dakotas, 
and  together  with  all  these,  had  formed  one  enormous 
camp,  of  nearly,  or  quite,  ten  thousand  souls. 

To  assert  that  the  courage  and  discipline  displayed 
by  officers  and  men,  in  the  successive  engagements  with 


S98  DAKOTA   WAK  WHOOP. 

this  formidable  and  hitherto  untried  enemy,  were  sig 
nally  displayed,  would  but  ill  express  the  admiration 
I  feel  for  the  perfect  steadiness  and  the  alacrity  with, 
which  they  courted  an  encounter  with  the  savage  foe. 
No  one,  for  a  moment,  seemed  to  doubt  the  result, 
however  great  the  preponderance  against  us  in  numer 
ical  force.  These  wild  warriors  of  the  plain  had  never 
been  met  in  battle,  by  American  troops,  and  they  have 
ever  boasted  that  no  hostile  army,  however  numerous, 
would  dare  to  set  foot  upon  the  soil  of  which  they 
claim  to  be  the  undisputed  masters.  Now  that  they  have 
been  thus  met,  and  their  utmost  force  defied,  resisted, 
and  utterly  broken  and  routed,  the  lesson  will  be  a 
valuable  one,  not  only  in  its  effect  upon  these  par 
ticular  bands,  but  upon  all  the  tribes  of  the  North 
west 

When  we  went  into  camp,  on  the  banks  of  Apple 
river,  a  few  mounted  Indians  could  alone  be  seen. 
Early  next  morning,  I  dispatched  Col.  McPhail  with 
the  companies  of  the  Mounted  Hangers,  and  the  two 
six-pounders,  to  harass  and  retard  the  retreat  of  the 
Indians  across  the  Missouri  river,  and  followed  with 
the  main  column,  as  rapidly  as  possible ;  we  reached 
the  woods,  on  the  border  of  that  stream,  shortly  after 
noon,  on  the  28th ;  but  the  Indians  had  crossed  their 
families,  during  the  preceding  night,  and  it  took  but  a 
short  time  for  the  men  to  follow  them,  on  their  ponies. 
The  hills,  on  the  opposite  side,  were  covered  with  the 
men,  and  they  had  probably  formed  the  determination 
to  oppose  our  passage  of  the  river,  both  sides  of  which 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP  399 

were  here  covered  with  a  dense  growth  of  underbrush 
and  timber,  for  a  space  of  more  than  a  mila 

I  dispatched  Col.  Crooks,  with  his  regiment,  which 
was,  in  turn,  in  the  advance,  to  clear  the  river  of  In 
dians,  which  he  successfully  accomplished,  without  loss, 
although  fired  upon,  fiercely,  from  the  opposite  side. 
He  reported  to  me  that  a  large  quantity  of  transporta 
tion,  including  carts,  wagons,  and  other  vehicles,  had 
been  left  behind  in  the  woods. 

I  transmitted,  through  Mr.  Beever,  a  volunteer  Aid 
on  my  Staff,  an  order  to  Col.  Crooks,  to  return  to  the 
main  column,  with  his  regiment,  the  object  I  had  in 
view,  in  detaching  him,  being  fully  attained.  The  or 
der  was  received,  and  Mr.  Beever  was  entrusted  with 
a  message,  in  return,  containing  information  desired  by 
me,  when,  on  his  way  to  headquarters,  he  unfortunately 
took  the  wrong  trail,  and  was,  the  next  day,  found 
where  he  had  been  set  upon  and  killed  by  an  outlaying 
party  of  the  enemy.  His  death  occasioned  much  re 
gret  to  the  command,  for  he  was  esteemed  by  all  for 
his  devotion  to  duty,  and  for  his  modest  and  gentle 
manly  deportment 

A  private  of  the  6th  regiment,  who  had  taken  the 
same  trail,  was  also  shot  to  death  with  arrows,  probably 
by  the  same  party. 

There  being  no  water  to  be  found  on  the  prairie,  I 
proceeded  down  the  Missouri  to  the  nearest  point  on 
Apple  river,  opposite  Burnt  Boat  Island,  and  made 
my  camp.  The  following  day,  Col.  Crooks,  with  a 
strong  detachment  of  eleven  companies  of  infantry  and 


400  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

dismounted  cavalry,  and  three  guns,  under  the  com 
mand  of  Capt  Jones,  was  dispatched  to  destroy  the 
property  left  in  the  woods,  which  was  thoroughly  per 
formed,  with  the  aid  of  Lieut.  Jones,  and  a  portion  of 
the  Pioneer  Corps.  From  one  hundred  and  twenty  to 
one  hundred  and  fifty  wagons  arid  carts  were  thus  dis 
posed  of  During  this  time,  the  savages  lay  concealed 
in  the  grass,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  ex 
changing  occasional  volleys  with  our  men.  Some  ex 
ecution  was  done  upon  them,  by  the  long  range  arms  of 
the  infantry  and  cavalry,  without  injury  to  any  one  of 
my  command. 

I  waited  two  days  in  campT  hoping  to  open  commu 
nication  with  General  Sully,  who,  with  his  compara 
tively  fresh  mounted  force,  could  easily  have  followed 
up  and  destroyed  the  enemy  we  had  so  persistently 
hunted. 

The  long  and  rapid  marches  had  very  much  debili 
tated  the  infantry,  and  as  for  the  horses  of  the  cavalry, 
and  the  mules  employed  in  the  transportation,  they 
were  utterly  exhausted. 

Under  the  circumstances,  I  felt  that  this  column  had 
done  everything  possible,  within  the  limits  of  human 
and  animal  endurance,  and  that  a  further  pursuit  would 
not  only  be  useless,  as  the  Indians  could  cross  and  re- 
cross  the  river  in  much  less  time  than  could  my  com 
mand,  and  thus  evade  me,  but  would  necessarily  be  at 
tended  with  the  loss  of  many  valuable  lives. 

For  three  successive  evenings,  I  caused  the  cannon 
to  be  fired,  and  signal  rockets  sent  up,  but  all  these 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  401 

elicited  no  reply  from  General  Sully,  and  I  am  appre 
hensive  he  has  been  detained  by  insurmountable  obsta 
cles.*  The  point  struck  by  me  on  the  Missouri,  is 
about  forty  miles,  by  land,  below  Fort  Clark,  in  lati 
tude  forty-six  degrees  forty-two  minutes  —  longitude, 
one  hundred  degrees  thirty-five  minutes. 

The  military  results  of  the  expedition  have  been 
highly  satisfactory.  A  march  of  nearly  six  hundred 
miles  from  St.  Paul  has  been  made,  in  a  season  of 
fierce  heats  and  unprecedented  drouth,  when  even  the 
most  experienced  voyageurs  predicted  the  impossibil 
ity  of  such  a  movement ;  a  vigilant  and  powerful,  as 
well  as  confident,  enemy  was  found,  successively  routed 
in  three  different  engagements,  with  a  loss  of  at  least 
one  hundred  and  fifty  killed  and  wounded  of  his 
best  and  bravest  warriors,  and  his  beaten  forces  driven 
in  confusion  and  dismay,  with  the  sacrifice  of  vast 
quantities  of  subsistence,  clothing,  and  means  of  trans 
portation,  across  the  Missouri  river,  many,  perhaps 
most  of  them,  to  perish  miserably  in  their  utter  desti 
tution,  during  the  coming  fall  and  winter. 

These  fierce  warriors  of  the  prairie  have  been  taught 
by  dear  bought  experience,  that  the  long  arm  of  the 
government  can  reach  them  in  their  most  distant 
haunts,  and  punish  them  for  their  misdeeds  ;  that  they 
are  utterly  powerless  to  resist  the  attacks  of  a  disci- 


**While  Gen.  Sibley  was  pushing  his  forces  to  the  South-west,  General  Sully 
was  moving  up  the  Missouri,  in  the  opposite  direction,  to  cut  off  the  retreat  of  the 
fleeing  foe  ;  and  on  the  4th  of  September,  surprised  four  hundred  of  their  lodges, 
fought  and  dispersed  them  with  a  loss  of  fifty  men,  and  killing  more  than  twice 
that  number  of  the  enemy, —  capturing  provisions,  furs,  horses,  and  ammunition, 
and  regaining  a  large  amount  of  property,  taken  in  the  raid  of  the  previous  year. 

Qt 


402  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

plined  force,  and  that  but  for  the  interposition  of  a 
mighty  stream  between  us  and  them,  the  utter  destruc 
tion  of  the  great  camp  containing  all  their  strength 
was  certain.  It  would  have  been  gratifying  to  us  all, 
if  the  murdering  remnant  of  the  Meda-wakanton  and 
Wak-paton  bands  could  have  been  extirpated,  root 
and  branch,  but  as  it  is,  the  bodies  of  many  of  the 
most  guilty  have  been  left  on  the  prairie,  to  be  de 
voured  by  wolves  and  foxes. 

I  am  gratified  to  be  able  to  state  that  the  loss  sus 
tained  by  my  column  in  actual  combat  was  very  small. 
Four  men  of  the  cavalry  were  killed,  and  four  wounded, 
one,  I  fear,  fatally.  One  private  of  the  same  regiment 
was  killed  by  lightning,  during  the  first  engagement, 
and  Lieut  Freeman  of  company  "D"  also  of  the 
Mounted  Kangers,  a  valuable  officer,  was  pierced  to 
death  by  arrows,  on  the  same  day,  by  a  party  of  hos 
tile  Indians,  while,  without  my  knowledge,  he  was  en 
gaged  in  hunting  at  a  distance  from  the  main  column. 
The  bodies  of  the  dead  were  interred  with  funeral 
honors,  and  the  graves  secured  from  desecration  by 
making  them  in  the  semblance  of  ordinary  rifle  pits. 

It  would  give  me  pleasure  to  designate  by  name  all 
those  of  the  splendid  regiments  and  corps  of  my  com 
mand  who  have  signalized  themselves  by  their  gallant 
conduct,  but  as  that  would  really  embrace  officers  and 
men,  I  must  content  myself  by  bringing  to  the  notice 
of  the  Major  General  commanding,  such  as  came  im 
mediately  under  my  observation. 

I  cannot  speak  too  highly  of  Colonels  Crooks  and 
Baker,  and  Lieut  Colonel  Marshall,  commanding  re- 


DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP.  403 

spectively  the  6th,  10th  and  7th  regiments,  Minnesota 
Volunteers,  and  of  Lieut.  Colonels  Averill  and  Jenni- 
son,  and  Majors  McLaren  and  Bradley,  and  of  the  line 
officers  and  men  of  these  regiments.  They  have  de 
served  well  of  their  country  and  of  their  State.  They 
were  ever  on  hand  to  assist  me  in  my  labors,  and 
active,  zealous,  and  brave  in  the  performance  of  duty. 

Of  GoL  McPhail,  commanding  the  Mounted  Ean- 
gers,  and  of  Majors  Parker  and  Hayes,  and  the  com 
pany  officers  and  men  generally,  I  have  the  honor  to 
state,  that  as  the  cavalry  was  necessarily  more  exposed 
and  nearer  the  enemy  than  the  other  portions  of  the 
command,  so  they  alike  distinguished  themselves  by 
unwavering  courage  and  splendid  fighting  qualities. 

The  great  destruction  dealt  out  to  the  Indians  is 
mostly  attributable  to  this  branch  of  the  service,  al 
though  many  were  killed  or  disabled  by  the  Artillery 
and  Infantry  also. 

Captain  Jones  and  his  officers  and  men  were  ever  at 
their  posts,  and  their  pieces  were  served  with  much 
skill  and  effect 

To  Captain  Chase  of  the  Pioneers  and  his  invalua 
ble  company,  the  expedition  has  been  greatly  indebted 
for  service  in  the  peculiar  line  for  which  they  were  de 
tailed. 

Captain  Baxter's  company  H,  of  the  9th  regiment, 
having  been  attached  to  the  10th  regiment,  as  a  part 
of  its  organization  temporarily,  upheld  its  high  repu 
tation  for  efficiency,  being  the  equal  in  that  regard  of 
any  other  company. 


404  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

The  Surgical  Department  of  the  expedition  was 
placed  by  me  in  charge  of  Surgeon  Wharton,  as  Med 
ical  Director,  who  has  devoted  himself  zealously  and 
efficiently  to  his  duties. 

In  his  official  report  to  these  head-quarters,  he  ac 
cords  due  credit  to  the  Surgeons  and  Assistants  of  the 
several  regiments  present  with  them.  Of  the  mem 
bers  of  my  own  staff  I  can  affirm  that  they  have  been 
equal  to  the  discharge  of  the  arduous  duties  imposed 
upon  them. 

Captain  Olinr  my  Assistant  Adjutant  General,  has 
afforded  me  great  assistance,  and  for  their  equal  gal 
lantry  and  zeal  may  be  mentioned  Captains  Pope  and 
Atchinson,  Lieutenants  Pratt  and  Hawthorn,  and  Cap 
tain  Fox,  temporarily  attached  to  my  staff,  his  com 
pany  having  been  left  at  Camp  Atchinson. 

The  Quartermaster  of  the  expedition,  Captain  Corn 
ing,  and  Captain  Kimball,  Assistant  Quartermaster,  in 
charge  of  the  pontoon  train,  have  discharged  their  la 
borious  duties  faithfully  and  satisfactorily;  and  for 
Captain  Forbes,  Commissary  of  Subsistence,  I  can  bear 
witness  that  but  for  his  activity,  attention,  and  busi 
ness  capacity,  the  interests  of  the  Government  would 
have  suffered  much  more  than  they  did,  by  the  mise 
rable  state  in  which  many  of  the  packages  containing 
subsistence  stores,  were  found. 

Chief  Guides,  Major  J.  R  Brown  and  Pierre  Bot- 
tineau,  have  been  of  the  greatest  service  by  their  ex 
perience  and  knowledge  of  the  country ;  and  the  In 
terpreter,  Eev.  Mr.  Eiggs,  has  also  rendered  much  as 
sistance  in  the  management  of  the  scouts.  The  scouts 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  405 

generally,  including  the  Chiefs  McLeod  and  Duly,  have 
made  themselves  very  useful  to  the  expedition,  and 
have  proved  themselves  faithful,  intrepid  and  intelli 
gent 

I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  the  reports  of 
Colonels  Crooks,  Baker,  and  Lieut.  Colonel  Marshall, 
commanding  respectively  the  6th,  10th  and  7th  regi 
ments  of  Minnesota  Volunteers,  and  of  Colonel  Mc- 
Phail,  commanding  1st  regiment  Minnesota  Mounted 
Rangers. 

I  am,  Major,  very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

H.  H.  SIBLEY, 
Brig.  General  Commanding. 


CHAPTER  LXXIV. 

OFFICIAL      REPORTOF      BRIGADIER      GENE 
RAL     ALFRED     SULLY. 

HEAD-QUARTERS   INDIAN   EXPEDITION,  CAMP  AT  1 
MOUTH  OF  LITTLE  SHEYENNE  RIVER, 

Sept.  llth,  1863.  ) 

MAJOR  :  The  last  report  I  had  the  honor  to  send 
you  was  from  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Sheyenne 
river,  bearing  date  August  16,  1863 ;  since  which 
time  my  movements  have  been  too  rapid  and  the 
danger  of  sending  any  communication  such  that  it 
has  been  impossible  for  me  to  do  so.  I  therefore  have 
the  honor  to  report  my  movements  from  last  report  up 
to  date. 

On  the  morning  of  the  19th,  the  steamer  I  was  wait 
ing  for  with  supplies  finally  arrived.  She  was  imme 
diately  unloaded,  and  all  the  baggage  of  the  officers 
and  men  of  the  command  was  sent  down  by  her  to 
the  depot  at  Ft.  Pierre,  together  with  every  man 
who  was  in  the  least  sick  or  not  well  mounted.  By 
this  I  reduced  my  force  considerably,  and  was  enabled 
to  transport,  with  the  wretched  mule  that  had  been 
furnished  me,  about  three  days'  rations  and  forage 
enough  to  keep  these  transportation  animals  alive, 
depending  on  grass  I  might  find,  to  feed  the  cavalry 
and  artillery  horses.  Luckily  for  me,  I  found  the 
grazing  north  much  better  than  I  had  dared  to  hope  for. 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  407 

On  the  20th,  were  visited  by  one  of  the  most  terrific 
rain  and  hail  storms  I  have  seen.  This  stampeded 
some  of  my  animals  and  a  few  were  lost  —  they  swam 
across  the  Missouri  —  and  it  also  destroyed  a  quantity 
of  my  rations  in  the  wagons,  thereby  causing  me  some 
delay  in  the  march ;  but  I  succeeded  in  getting  off  the 
afternoon  of  the  21st,  and  marched  up  the  Little 
Sheyenne  about  eleven  miles,  the  road  being  very 
heavy.  The  next  day  we  marched  only  seven  miles, 
camping  on  a  slough  on  the  prairie  without  wood. 
The  next  day  we  marched  in  a  north-westerly  direction 
to  the  outlet  of  Swan  lake.  On  the  24th,  we  march 
ed  due  north,  eighteen  miles,  and  encamped  on  a 
small  creek,  called  Bois  Cache.  Here  we  came 
into  the  buffalo  country,  and  I  formed  a  hunting 
party  for  the  command,  which  I  had  soon  to  disband, 
as  they  disabled  more  horses  than  buffalo.  We  con 
tinued  our  march  north  about  twenty-two  miles  and 
reached  a  small  stream  called  Bird  Archie  creek. 
This  day  the  hunters  succeeded  in  killing  many  buffalo, 
and  reported  that  they  saw  Indians  near  the  Missouri. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  28th,  I  sent  out  a 
small  scouting  party,  who  captured  two  squaws  and 
some  children  and  brought  them  into  me.  These  In 
dians  reported  that  Gen.  Sibley  had  had  a  fight  near 
the  head  of  Long  lake,  and  that  they  were  on  their 
way  to  the  Agency  at  Crow  creek,  but  were  lost,  and 
were  alone ;  but  the  scouts  found  tracks  of  lodges 
going  up  the  Missouri.  I  therefore  immediately  de 
tailed  companaies  F  and  K  of  the  2d  Nebraska  caval 
ry,  under  command  of  Captain  La  Boo,  ordering  them 


408  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

to  go  to  the  Missouri,  and  follow  up  the  trail,  with 
orders  to  capture  some  Indians  if  possible  and  bring 
them  in,  so  that  I  might  get  information ;  if  they  could 
not  do  that,  to  kill  them  and  destroy  the  camps.  I 
continued  the-  march  with  the  rest  of  the  command 
that  day,  passing  through  large  herds  of  buffalo,  and 
was  obliged  to  make  a  march  of  thirty -five  miles  before 
I  could  reach  water.  The  weather  was  very  hot,  and 
it  was  night  before  we  reached  camp  on  the  Beaver 
river. 

On  the  27th,  I  started  late,  having  had  some  diffi 
culty  in  crossing  the  river,  making  a  march  of  five 
miles  still  in  a  northerly  direction,  and  encamped  on 
another  branch  of  the  same  river.  Company  K  of  the 
2d  Nebraska  joined  me  this  day,  having  been  separated 
from  the  other  company.  The  next  day  we  had  to 
make  some  deviations  to  the  west,  on  account  of  hills 
and  sloughs,  and  made  the  outlet  of  Long  lake,  a 
march  of  about  twenty  miles.  On  the  way  we  saw 
numerous  signs  of  Indians  in  large  numbers  having 
been  recently  there,  and  found  an  old  lame  Indian 
concealed  in  the  bushes,  who  was  well  known  by  many 
of  the  men  of  the  command  as  having  for  some  years 
resided  near  Sioux  city.  He  had  the  reputation  of 
being  what  is  called  a  "good  Indian."  He  stated  that 
"his  horse  had  been  taken  away  from  him  and  that  he 
had  been  left  there."  He  looked  almost  starved  to 
death.  He  gave  me  the  following  details,  which  have 
since  mostly  turned  out  to  be  correct :  he  stated  "Gen. 
Sibley  had  fought  the  Indians  at  the  head  of  Long 


DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP.        \  409 

lake,  fifty  miles  north-east  from  me,  some  weeks  ago ; 
that  he  followed  them  down  to  the  mouth  of  Apple 
creek  ;  that  the  Indians  attacked  him  on  the  way,  and 
that  there  was  some  skirmishing. 

"At  Apple  creek,  Sibley  had  another  fight,  and  that 
in  all  the  fights,  about  fifty-eight  Indians  were  killed ; 
that  Gen.  Sibley  fortified  his  camp  at  Apple  creek, 
and  after  a  while  returned  to  James  river ;  that  a  few 
days  after  Gen.  Sibley  left,  the  Indians,  who  had  their 
scouts  out  watching,  recrossed  the  Missouri,  and  while 
doing  so,  discovered  a  Mackinaw  boat  on  its  way  down. 
They  attacked  the  boat,  fought  the  entire  day  until 
sundown,  sunk  her,  and  killed  all  on  board  —  twenty- 
one  men,  three  women  and  some  children ;  that  before 
she  was  sunk,  the  fire  from  the  boat  killed  ninety-one 
Indians,  and  wounded  many  more ;  that  a  small  war 
party  followed  Sibley  some  days,  returned  with  the 
report  that  he  had  crossed  the  James  river ;  then  some 
of  the  Indians  went  north ;  the  larger  portion,  however, 
went  towards  the  head  of  Long  lake ;  and  that  he 
thought  a  portion  of  them  were  encamped  on  the  Mis 
souri  river  west  of  me." 

The  report  was  so  much  in  keeping  with  the  Indian 
mode  of  warfare,  that  though  it  came  from  an  Indian, 
I  was  led  to  give  it  some  consideration,  particularly 
the  part  that  stated  the  Indians,  after  watching  Sibley's 
return,  recrossed,  when  all  danger  was  over,  and  went 
back  to  their  old  hunting  grounds.  Besides,  the 
guides  who  were  acquainted  with  the  country,  stated 
that  "a  large  body  of  Indians  could  not  live  on  the 


410  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

other  side  long,  without  going  a  great  distance  west ; 
that  always  at  this  season  of  the  year  the  Indians 
camped  on  the  Octeau,  near  the  tributaries  of  the 
James,  where  the  numerous  lakes  or  springs  kept  the 
grass  fresh ;  here  the  buffalo  were  plenty,  and  the  lakes 
and  streams  full  of  fish ;  and  that  here  they  prepared 
their  meat  for  the  winter,  moving  to  the  Missouri 
where  the  fuel  was  plenty  to  winter."  I  therefore  de 
termined  to  change  my  course  towards  the  east,  to 
move  rapidly,  and  go  as  far  as  my  rations  would  allow. 

I  felt  serious  alarm  for  the  safety  of  Capt.  LaBoo, 
who  had  but  fifty  men  with  him,  and  who  had  already 
been  out  over  two  days  without  rations.  I  encamped 
here  for  the  next  day,  and  sent  out  four  companies  of 
the  2d  Nebraska  and  of  the  6th  Iowa,  under  command 
of  Major  Pearman,  2d  Nebraska,  to  hunt  him  up, 
and  see  if  there  were  any  Indians  on  the  Missouri 
The  next  day,  however,  Capt.  LaBoo's  company  re 
turned,  having  made  a  march  of  one  hundred  and 
eighty-seven  miles,  living  upon  what  buffalo  and  game 
they  could  kill,  scouring  the  country  to  my  left,  over 
taking  the  camp  of  ten  lodges  he  was  sent  after,  des 
troying  them,  but  seeing  no  Indians. 

This  same  day,  (29th,)  I  sent  two  companies  of  the 
6th  Iowa  to  the  mouth  of  Apple  creek.  They  report-' 
ed,  on  their  return,  that  they  found  the  fortified  camp 
of  Gen.  Sibley,  his  trail,  and  his  return  trail  towards 
the  east ;  that  they  could  see  no  signs  of  there  having 
been  any  fight  there,  nor  could  they  see  the  Mackinaw 
boat  reported  by  the  old  Indian.  This  detachment  was 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  411 

under  command  of  Captain  Cram,  6th  Iowa.  The  bat 
talion  of  Major  Pearman  joined  me  before  starting, 
having  seen  nothing,  and,  after  a  march  of  above  nine 
ty  miles,  through  a  country  with  no  wood  whatever, 
but  with  good  grass  and  plenty  of  lakes,  of  the  most 
abominable  water.  On  the  3d  of  September,  we  reach 
ed  a  lake,  where,  on  the  plains  near  by,  were  the  re 
mains  of  a  very  large  number  of  buffalo  killed,  some 
quite  recently.  Here  I  encamped,  to  wait  the  reports 
of  the  commands  I  had  out,  during  the  march,  who, 
every  day,  discovered  fresh  signs  of  Indians,  their 
lodge  trails  spread  over  the  country,  but  all  moving 
towards  a  point  known  to  be  a  favorite  haunt  of  the 
Indians.  I  had  this  day  detailed  one  battalion  of  the 
6th  Iowa,  Maj.  House  commanding,  and  Mr.  F.  La 
Framboise,  as  guide,  to  keep  ahead  of  me  five  miles, 
and,  in  case  they  saw  a  small  band  of  Indians,  to  attack 
them,  or  take  them  prisoners.  If  they  should  find  a 
large  band,  too  large  to  successfully  cope  with,  to  watch 
the  camp  at  a  distance,  and  send  back  word  to  me,  my 
intention  being  to  leave  my  train  under  charge  of  a 
heavy  guard,  move  up  in  the  night  time,  so  as  to  sur 
round  them,  and  attack  them  at  daybreak.  But,  for 
some  reason,  satisfactory  to  the  guide,  he  bore  off  much 
to  my  left,  and  came  upon  the  Indians,  in  an  encamp 
ment  of  over  four  hundred  lodges,  some  say  six  hun 
dred,  in  ravines,  where  they  felt  perfectly  secure,  being 
fully  persuaded  that  I  was  still  on  my  way  up  the  Mis 
souri.  This  is  what  the  Indian  prisoners  say.  They 
also  state  that  a  war  party  followed  me  on  my  way  up, 
in  hopes  of  stampeding  me ;  but  this  they  could  not 


412  DAKOTA   WAK   WHOOP. 

do.  I  marched  with  great  care,  with  an  advance  guard 
and  flankers;  the  train  in  two  lines,  sixty  paces 
apart ;  the  troops  011  each  side  ;  in  front  and  centre, 
myself,  with  one  company  and  the  battery ;  all  the  loose 
stock  was  kept  between  the  lines  of  wagons.  In  this 
way,  I  lost  no  animals  on  the  campaign,  except  some 
few,  about  a  dozen,  that  got  out  of  camp  at  night.  Nor 
did  the  Indians,  during  all  the  trip,  ever  attack  me,  or 
try  to  stampede  me. 

Major  House,  according  to  my  instructions,  endeav 
ored  to  surround  and  keep  in  the  Indians  until  word 
could  be  sent  me  ;  but  this  was  an  impossibility  with 
his  300  men,  as  the  encampment  was  very  large,  mus 
tering  at  least  1,200  warriors.  This  is  what  the  Indians 
say  they  had ;  but  I,  as  well  as  everybody  in  the  com 
mand,  say  over  1,500.  These  Indians  were  partly  San- 
tees  from  Minnesota,  Cut-heads  from  the  Coteau,  Yank- 
tonais  and  Blackfeet,  who  belong  on  the  other  side  of 
the  Missouri;  and,  as  I  have  since  learned,  Unkapa- 
pas,  the  same  party  who  fought  General  Sibley,  and 
destroyed  the  Mackinaw  boat.  Of  this  I  have  unmis 
takable  proof,  from  letters  and  papers  found  in  camp, 
and  on  the  persons  of  some  of  the  Indians,  besides  rel 
ics  of  the  Minnesota  massacre  ;  also  from  the  fact  that 
they  told  Mr.  La  Framboise,  the  guide,  when  he  was 
surrounded  by  about  200  of  them,  that  "they  had 
fought  Gen.  Sibley,  and  they  did  not  see  why  the  whites 
wanted  to  come  and  fight  them,  unless  they  were  tired 
of  living,  and  wanted  to  die."  Mr.  La  Framboise  suc 
ceeded  in  getting  away  from  them,  after  some  difficulty, 


DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP.  413 

and  ran  his  horse  a  distance  of  more  than  ten  miles,  to 
give  me  information,  Major  House,  with  his  command, 
still  remaining  there.  He  reached  me  a  little  after  four 
o'clock.  I  immediately  turned  out  m y  command.  The 
horses,  at  the  time,  were  out  grazing.  At  the  sound 
of  the  bugle,  the  men  rushed,  with  a  cheer,  and  in  a 
very  few  minutes,  saddled  up  and  were  in  line.  I  left 
four  companies,  and  all  the  men  who  were  poorly 
mounted,  in  the  camp,  with  orders  to  strike  the  tents 
and  corral  the  wagons,  and  starting  off  with  the  2d 
Nebraska  on  the  right,  the  6th  Iowa  on  the  left,  one 
company  of  the  7th  Iowa,  and  the  battery  in  the  cen 
tre,  at  a  full  gallop,  we  made  the  distance  of  over  ten 
miles  in  much  less  than  an  hour. 

On  reaching  near  the  ground,  I  found  that  the  enemy 
were  leaving  and  carrying  off  what  plunder  they  could. 
Many  lodges,  however,  were  still  standing.  I  ordered 
Col.  Furnas,  2d  Nebraska,  to  push  his  horses  to  the 
utmost,  so  as  to  reach  the  camp,  and  assist  Major  House 
in  keeping  the  Indians  corraled.  This  order  was  obey 
ed  with  great  alacrity,  the  regiment  going  over  the 
plains  at  a  full  run.  I  was  close  upon  the  rear  of  the 
regiment  with  the  6th  Iowa.  The  2d  Nebraska  took 
the  right  of  the  camp,  and  was  soon  lost  in  a  cloud  of 
dust,  over  the  hills.  I  ordered  Col.  Wilson,  6th  Iowa, 
to  take  the  left,  while  I,  with  the  battery,  one. company 
of  the  7th  Iowa,  Capt.  Millard,  and  two  companies  of 
the  6th  Iowa,  Major  Ten  Broeck  commanding,  charged 
through  the  centre  of  the  encampment.  I  here  found 
an  Indian  chief,  by  the  name  of  Little  Soldier,  with 
some  few  of  his  people.  This  Indian  has  always  had 


414  DAKOTA   WAK  WHOOP. 

the  reputation  of  being  a  "good  Indian,"  and  friendly. 
I  placed  them  under  guard,  and  moved  on.  Shortly 
after,  I  met  with  the  notorious  chief,  Big  Head,  and 
some  of  his  men.  They  were  dressed  for  a  fight,  but 
my  men  cut  them  off.  These  Indians,  together  with 
some  of  their  warriors,  mustering  about  thirty,  together 
with  squaws,  children,  ponies  and  dogs,  gave  them 
selves  up,  numbering  over  120  human  beings.  About 
the  same  time,  firing  began,  about  a  half  a  mile  from 
me,  ahead,  and  was  kept  up,  becoming  more  and  more 
brisk,  until  it  was  quite  a  respectable  engagement.  A 
report  was  brought  to  me,  (which  proved  to  be  false,) 
that  the  Indians  were  driving  back  some  of  my  com 
mand.  I  immediately  took  possession  of  the  hillocks 
near  by,  forming  line,  and  placing  the  battery  in  the 
centre,  on  a  high  knoll.  At  this  time,  night  had  about 
set  in,  but  still  the  engagement  was  briskly  kept  up, 
and  in  the  melee  it  was  hard  to  distinguish  my  line 
from  that  of  the  enemy.  The  Indians  made  a  very 
desperate  resistance,  but  finally  broke  and  fled,  pursued 
in  every  direction  by  bodies  of  my  troops.  I  would 
here  state,  that  the  troops,  though  mounted,  were  arm 
ed  with  rifles,  and,  according  to  my  orders,  most  of 
them  dismounted  and  fought  afoot,  until  the  enemy 
broke,  when  they  re-mounted  and  went  in  pursuit.  It 
is  to  be  regretted  that  I  could  not  have  had  an  hour  or 
two  more  of  daylight,  for  I  feel  sure,  if  I  had,  I  could 
have  annihilated  the  enemy.  As  it  was,  I  believe  I 
can  safely  say,  I  gave  them  one  of  the  most  severe  pun 
ishments  that  the  Indians  have  ever  received.  After 
night  set  in,  the  engagement  was  of  such  a  promiscu- 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  415 

ous  nature,  that  it  was  hard  to  tell  what  results  would 
happen ;  I  therefore  ordered  all  the  buglers  to  sound 
the  "rally,"  and  building  large  fires,  remained  under 
arms,  during  night,  collecting  together  my  troops. 

The  next  morning,  early,  (the  4th,)  I  established  my 
camp  on  the  battle  field,  the  wagon  train,  under  charge 
of  Major  Pearman,  2d  Nebraska,  having,  in  the  night, 
been  ordered  to  join  me,  and  sent  out  strong  scouting 
parties,  in  different  directions,  to  scour  the  country,  to 
overtake  what  Indians  they  could ;  but  in  this  they 
were  not  very  successful,  though  some  of  them  had 
some  little  skirmishes.  They  found  the  dead  and 
wounded  in  all  directions,  some  of  them  miles  from  the 
battle  field ;  also  immense  quantities  of  provisions, 
baggage,  &c.,  where  they  had  apparently  cut  loose  their 
ponies  from  "travailles,"  and  got  off  on  them ;  also 
numbers  of  ponies  and  dogs,  harnessed  to  "travailles," 
running  all  over  the  prairie.  One  party  that  I  sent 
out,  went  near  to  the  James  river,  and  found  there, 
eleven  dead  Indians.  The  deserted  camp  of  the  In 
dians,  together  with  the  country  all  around,  was  cover 
ed  with  their  plunder.  I  devoted  this  day,  together 
with  the  following,  (the  5th,)  to  destroying  all  this 
property,  still  scouring  the  country.  I  do  not  think  I 
exaggerate  in  the  least,  when  I  say  that  I  burned  up 
over  four  or  five  hundred  thousand  pounds  of  dried 
buffalo  meat,  as  one  item,  besides  three  hundred  lodges 
and  a  very  large  quantity  of  property,  of  great  value 
to  the  Indians.  A  very  large  number  of  ponies  were 
found  dead  and  wounded  on  the  field ;  besides  a  large 
number  were  captured.  The  prisoners  (some  130)  I 


416  DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP. 

take  with  me  below,  and  shall  report  to  you  more  spec 
ially  in  regard  to  them. 

The  surgeon  of  the  2d  Nebraska-  regiment,  Dr. 
Bowen,  who  has  shown  a  great  energy  and  desire  to 
attend  to  his  duties  during  the  campaign,  started  out 
during  the  night  of  the  engagement  with  a  party  of 
fifteen  men,  to  go  back  to  the  old  camp  to  procure  am 
bulances.  But  as  they  did  not  return  on  the  morning 
of  the  second  day,  I  knew  he  was  either  lost  or  cap 
tured.  (He  returned  about  noon  of  the  second  day.) 
I  therefore  sent  out  small  scouting  parties  in  every 
direction  to  hunt  them  up.  One  of  these  fell  into  an 
ambuscade,  by  which  four  of  the  party  were  killed 
and  the  rest  driven  in.  I  immediately  sent  out  five 
companies  of  the  2d  Nebraska  regiment,  Colonel  Fur- 
nas  in  command,  who,  after  a  long  march,  found  the 
Indians  had  fled.  They  succeeded,  however,  in  over 
taking  three  concealed  in  some  tall  grass,  whom  they 
killed.  The  fight  has  been  so  scattered,  the  dead  In 
dians  have  been  found  in  so  many  different  places, 
that  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  give  an  accurate  report 
of  the  number  killed  of  the  enemy.  I,  however,  think 
I  am  safe  in  reporting  it  at  100.  (I  report  those  that 
were  left  on  the  field  and  that  my  scouting  parties 
found.) 

During  the  engagement,  for  some  time,  the  2d  Ne 
braska,  afoot  and  armed  with  rifles,  and  there  are 
among  them  probably  some  of  the  best  shots  in  the 
world,  were  engaged  with  the  enemy  at  a  distance  not 
over  sixty  paces,  pouring  on  them  a  murderous  fire  in 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  417 

a  ravine  where  the  enemy  were  posted.  The  slaugh 
ter,  therefore,  was  immense.  My  officers  and  the 
guides  I  have  with  me  think  one  hundred  and  fifty 
will  not  cover  their  loss.  The  Indian  reports  make  it 
two  hundred.  That  the  General  may  know  the  exact 
locality  of  the  battle-field,  I  would  state  that  it  was,  as 
near  as  I  could  judge,  fifteen  miles  west  of  James 
river,  and  about  half  way  between  the  latitudes  of 
Bonebut  and  headwaters  of  Elm  river,  as  laid  down 
on  the  government  map.  The  fight  took  place  near  a 
hill  called  by  the  Indians  White  Stone  Hill. 

In  conclusion,  I  would  state  that  the  troops  of  my 
command  conducted  themselves  well ;  and  though  it 
was  the  first  that  nearly  all  of  them  had  ever  been  in, 
they  showed  that  they  are  of  the  right  material,  and 
that  in  time,  with  discipline,  they  will  make  worthy 
soldiers.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  we  lost  so  many 
valuable  lives  as  we  did,  but  this  could  not  be  helped ; 
the  Indians  had  formed  a  line  of  battle  with  good 
judgment,  from  which  they  could  only  be  dislodged 
by  a  charge.  I  could  not  use  my  artillery  without 
greatly  endangering  the  lives  of  my  own  men ;  if  I 
could,  I  could  have  slaughtered  them. 

I  send  you,  accompanying,  the  reports  of  Colonel 
Wilson,  6th  Iowa,"  and  Colonel  Furnas,  2d  Nebraska, 
also  official  reports  of  killed  and  wounded,  and  take 
this  occasion  to  thank  both  those  officers  for  their  good 
conduct  and  the  cheerfulness  with  which  they  obeyed 
my  orders  on  the  occasion.  Both  of  them  had  their 
horses  shot  in  the  action.  I  would  also  request  per- 
R 


418  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

mission  to  state  that  the  several  members  of  my  staff 
rendered  me  every  possible  assistance. 

On  the  morning  of  the  6th,  I  took  up  my  line  of 
march  for  Fort  Pierre.  If  I  could  have  remained  in 
that  section  of  country  some  two  or  three  weeks,  I 
might  have  accomplished  more  ;  but  I  was  satisfied  by 
the  reports  of  my  scouts  that  the  Indians  had  scat 
tered  in  all  directions  ;  some  toward  the  James  river ; 
some,  probably  the  Blackfeet,  to  recross  the  Missouri, 
and  a  part  of  them  went  north,  where  they  say  they 
have  friends  among  the  half-breeds  of  the  north.  My 
rations  were  barely  sufficient  with  rapid  marches  to 
enable  me  to  reach  Fort  Pierre.  The  animals,  not  only 
the  teams  I  have  already  reported  to  you  as  worthless, 
but  also  the  cavalry  horses,  showed  the  effect  of  rapid 
marching  and  being  entirely  without  grain. 

I  brought  with  me  all  the  prisoners  I  had,  and  tried  to 
question  them  to  gain  some  information.  The  men  re 
fused  to  say  much,  except  that  they  are  all  "good  In 
dians,"  and  the  other  bad  ones  joined  their  camp  with 
out  their  will. 

Their  squaws,  however,  corroborate  the  report  I 
have  already  given  you  in  regard  to  the  destruction  of 
the  people  on  board  the  Mackinaw  boat  and  the  fights 
with  General  Sibley,  in  which  these  Indians  had  a 
part.  They  also  state  that  the  Indians,  after  recross- 
ing  to  this  side  of  the  Missouri,  sent  a  party  to  follow 
Sibley  until  he  went  to  the  James  river,  then  returned 
to  their  camp  on  Long  lake  to  procure  a  large  quan 
tity  of  provisions  and  other  articles  they  had  "cached" 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  419 

there,   and   then    came    to  the   camp   where   I  met 
them. 

After  marching  about  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles 
we  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Sheyenne  on  the 
llth,  where  I  found  the  steamboat  I  had  ordered  to  be 
there  on  the  8th  instant.  It  was  lucky  she  was  there, 
for  without  the  grain  she  brought  up  I  could  not  have 
brought  my  empty  wagons  back.  For  some  miles 
north  of  Sheyenne  and  Pierre,  the  grass  is  about  all 
gone.  I  placed  my  wounded  on  the  boat,  and  as  many 
empty  wagons  as  she  could  carry.  I  am  afraid  the 
loss  of  horses  and  mules  will  be  considered  very  great, 
but  it  could  not  be  helped.  When  I  found  it  impos 
sible  for  the  rear  guard  to  get  an  animal  along,  I  had 
it  killed,  to  prevent  its  falling  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy. 

Yery  respectfully,  your  ob't  serv't, 

ALR  SULLY, 
Brigadier  General  Commanding. 

P.  S. — By  actual  count,  the  number  of  my  prison 
ers  is  one  hundred  and  fifty-six — men  thirty -twp, 
women  and  children  one  hundred  and  twenty-four. 
I  would  also  beg  leave  to  say  that  in  the  action,  I  had 
of  my  command  between  six  hundred  and  seven  hun 
dred  men  actually  engaged.  My  killed  number,  as 
far  as  ascertained,  twenty ;  wounded,  thirty-eight. 
Yery  respectfully,  your  ob't  serv't, 

ALR  SULLY, 
Brigadier  General  Commanding. 


CHAPTER  LXXV. 

THE  TIE  OF  COMRADESHIP  —  THE  DEATH  OF  CHASKA. 

"Among  most  of  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  North- west 
there  exists  a  tie  or  degree  of  relationship,  when  enter 
ed  into  by  two  or  more  persons  in  good  faith,  which  is 
more  binding  than  any  other  known  to  the  savage  race. 
It  is  considered  by  them  far  more  sacred  than  the  mat 
rimonial  tie.  It  is  the  tie  of  comradeship  1  A  man 
may,  on  any  pretext  whatever,  throw  away  his  wife 
and  take  another,  if  he  chooses,  but  to  his  comrade  he 
is  firmly  bound  until  death  separates  them.  Nothing 
is  considered  more  base  or  cowardly  than  to  desert 
one's  comrade  in  the  hour  of  danger. 

"Most  white  persons  residing  in  the  Indian  country 
endeavor  to  select  some  Indian  who  is  possessed  of  cour 
age,  intelligence  and  a  good  hunter,  and  who  also  can  ex 
ert  some  influence  over  the  band  to  which  he  belongs,  for 
a  comrade ;  knowing  that  in  whatever  situation  he  may 
be  placed,  it  is  in  the  power  of  his  Indian  friend  to 
materially  assist  him. 

"All  Indian  traders  have  comrades  upon  whom  they 
rely  to  exert  their  influence  to  prevent  the  other  In 
dians  from  trading  their  furs  and  skins  with  any  one 
else,  and  to  come  up  and  pay  their  debts,  which,  as  a 
general  thing,  they  are  not  very  prompt  in  doing. 
The  Indian  who  stands  in  this  relation  to  a  trader,  ex- 


DAKOTA   WAB  WHOOP.  421 

pects  some  valuable  present  from  his  'ko-da'  or  friend, 
for  his  valuable  service,  and  not  unfrequently  does  he 
give  in  return  the  best  he  can  aiford  —  such  as  a  horse, 
or  his  money  when  he  receives  his  annuities,  &c.  But 
the  circumstances  of  the  two  being  taken  into  con 
sideration,  the  Indian  generally  has  the  best  of  the 
bargain,  for  he  is  poor,  and  though  he  returns  present 
for  present,  his  offerings  of  friendship  are  of  so  little 
value,  generally,  that  at  the  end  of  the  year  he  is 
greatly  your  debtor.  This  tie  involves  the  most  im 
plicit  confidence  in  each  other,  and  the  idea  of  deceiv 
ing  one's  friend  in  any  respect  whatever,  is  held  most 
dishonorable." 

A  compact  like  the  foregoing  had  long  existed 
between  Wa-kin-yan-ta-wa,  (which  means  in  English 
His  Thunder,)  or  Chaska,  as  more  familiarly  known 
to  the  whites,  and  George  H.  Spencer ;  and  very  val 
uable  has  the  reader  seen  the  practical  workings  of  this 
tie  to  have  been.  The  compact  was  formed  in  1851  at 
Little  Crow's  Tillage,  then  located  six  miles  below  St. 
Paul,  soon  after  their  acquaintance  commenced. 
Though  an  uncultivated  Indian,  he  possessed  much 
general  intelligence,  and  was  a  young  man  of  pleasing 
manners  and  address,  rather  good  looking,  with  great 
energy  and  activity  of  mind.  In  1857  he  accompanied 
Little  Crow  and  several  of  the  Chiefs  to  Washington, 
to  see  their  Great  Father,  relative  to  making  a  treaty 
for  a  portion  of  their  Reservation.  He  was  distinguish 
ed  for  bravery  on  the  war  path  against  the  hereditary 
enemies  of  his  tribe,  and  had  taken  the  scalps  of  seven 
Chippewas,  and  also  killed  one  of  his  own  tribe,  in  re- 


422  DAKOTA  WAR  WHOOP. 

venge  for  the  death  of  a  brother.  For  several  years 
previous  to  the  late  outbreak,  he  had  held  the  dignified 
position  of  "Head  Soldier"  to  Little  Crow.  But  when 
he  refused  to  act  in  that  capacity,  or  to  join  in  the  war 
against  the  whites,  then  the  ire  of  his  chief  was  raised 
against  him.  The  tie  of  comradeship  was  stronger  than 
the  tie  of  chieftainship.  He  could  break  the  tie  of  the 
latter  but  not  of  the  former. 

When  in  1860  his  comrade  built  his  trading  house 
on  the  shores  of  Big  Stone  lake,  Chaska,  true  to  the 
existing  relation,  insisted  on  going  with  him,  for,  said 
he,  "though  you  may  risk  yourself  there,  I  will  not 
risk  you  alone  with  those  wild,  strange  Indians."  So 
with  wife  and  children  he  went,  and  remained  till  he 
deemed  it  safe  to  leave  him.  From  such  rare  speci 
mens  of  manhood  have  the  noble  attributes  ascribed 
to  the  Indian  character  been  drawn.  But  such  are 
isolated  exceptions.  The  general  rule  —  the  standard 
of  estimate,  appears  in  bloody  boldness  all  through 
these  pages.  We  love  to  present  a  contrast.  Like  a 
bright  star  in  the  rift  of  tempest-driven  clouds,  seems 
such  an  one  amid  the  dark,  evil  plottings  and  evil 
workings  of  his  own  people.  Though  their  lightnings 
should  smite  him,  he  was  alike  unmindful  of  persua 
sion  or  threats,  when,  in  1862,  the  horrid  massacres 
commenced.  We  will  not  say  that  there  was  no  leav 
ening  influence,  which  produced  this  pacific  state,  nor 
will  we  say  it  was  wholly  unmixed  with  selfishness  — 
but  we  aver  it  was  not  the  predominating  idea. 

When  his  comrade  was  shot,  we  have  seen  how  Chas 
ka,  at  the  risk  of  his  own  life,  true  to  the  existing  rela- 


DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP.  .  423 

tion,  saved  him,  taking  him  to  his  own  lodge,  washing 
and  dressing  his  wounds,  and  caring  for  him,  with  all 
the  watchful  love  of  a  tender  brother.  We  have  seen 
him  active  in  forming  the  friendly  camp,  and  getting 
the  prisoners  into  it  We  have  seen  him  surrendering 
himself  to  General  Sibley,  for  the  crime  of  being  an 
Indian,  with  a  desire  of  being  acquitted,  before  the 
world,  of  any  complicity  in  the  horrid  massacres  and 
war  which  followed.  We  have  seen  him  avowing  a 
readiness  to  comply  with  any  terms  which  should  ele 
vate  him  to  the  dignity  of  the  white  man's  standard  of 
man. 

"I  am  not  pleased  to  see  you  in  your  blanket,"  said 
Gen.  Sibley. 

"Then  I  will  wear  it  no  more."  was  the  prompt  re 
ply,  pkkcrdft  Libtifff 

From  that  day,  save  in  name  and  skin,  Chaska  was, 
to  all  intents  and  purposes,  a  white  man.  In  the  ex 
pedition  he  was  very  valuable  as  a  scout,  and  was  a 
universal  favorite.  We  have  seen  him,  just  before  the 
first  battle  with  the  Sioux,  saving  the  life  of  Mr.  Brack- 
ett,  and  in  the  fight  conducting  himself  with  great  brave 
ry.  At  the  Missouri  river,  we  hear  him  trying  to  per 
suade  his  friend  to  return  to  camp,  urging,  as  a  reason, 
I  "do  not  like  the  way  things  look  here,  "  a  prophetic 
suggestion,  for  while  they  were  yet  speaking,  came  a 
shower  of  bullets  from  the  woods  and  bushes  of  the 
opposite  shore.  Even  then,  Lieut  Beever  had  received 
the  fatal  arrow  shot,  and  the  woods  must  have  been 
full  of  the  foa 

The  journey  westward  was  completed.     The  order 


424  DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP. 

for  return  had  been  read,  and  on  the  first  of  August, 
faces  were  turned  homeward.  Mr.  Spencer  says  of  it, 
"on  the  second,  we  rode  along,  talking  pleasantly  of  the 
future,  he  telling  me  how  he  would  like  to  be  situated 
on  a  small  piece  of  land  near  me,  and  congratulating 
himself  that  his  trouble  was  over,  and  that  he  would 
soon  be  restored  to  the  bosom  of  his  family.  Alas,  for 
my  friend !  he  now  sleeps  tranquilly  near  the  turbid 
waters  of  the  Missouri,  under  the  shadows  of  our  in- 
trenchments.  Savage  though  he  was,  he  was  a  noble 
man !" 

On  the  evening  of  the  second  day  after  camp  was 
formed,  he  went  round  to  his  friend's  tent,  where  he 
knew  he  was  always  welcome,  and  supped  with  him. 
He  spoke  of  having  captured  a  pack  of  furs  from  the 
enemy,  which  he  desired  to  have  taken  home  in  a 
wagon  of  the  Commissary  Department ;  and  for  this 
purpose  returned  to  the  tent  about  nine  o'clock  in  the 
evening,  and  then,  in  apparent  health,  went  to  his  own 
quarters  for  the  night.  Immediately  after  he  was  ta 
ken  ill,  and  sent  for  his  comrade,  who  hastened  to  his 
bedside,  to  find  him  senseless — dying.  He  talked 
wildly,  and  predicted  a  thunder  storm,  such  as  should 
shake  the  earth,  and  blind  the  people  with  its  light, 
the  day  he  should  be  put  into  the  ground,  and  it  was 
as  he  predicted.  He  never  once  recognized  the  friend 
whose  life  he  had  saved,  and  who,  with  weeping  heart, 
stood  by  him  till  the  last,  and  closed  his  eyes  at  11 
o'clock  the  same  evening,  at  the  age  of  thirty-two. 
There  were  strong  suspicions  that  poison,  administered 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  425 

by  some  secret  foe,  was  the  cause  of  his  death,  but 
there  was  no  time  for  investigation,  and  the  following 
morning,  August  3d,  Mr.  Spencer  says,  "we  laid  his 
body  in  a  rifle  pit,  concealing  it,  as  best  we  could,  to 
prevent  the  enemy  from  finding  it,  and  opening  the 
grave.  He  leaves  a  wife  and  two  interesting  children, 
to  mourn  his  untimely  end,"  whom  his  friends  and 
his  country  will  not  forget,  for  he  was  faithful  among 
the  faithless. 

Rt 


CHAPTER  LXXVI. 

HOME    AGAIN. 

Joy,  such  as  only  home  lovers  know,  animated  the 
hearts  and  enlivened  the  steps  of  the  men.  Their  long, 
weary  out-marches  were  ended,  and  all  had  left  loved 
ones  at  home,  whose  hearts  beat  in  unison  with  theirs 
to  the  return  music.  Every  man  in  that  long  column 
had  acted  well  his  part,  without  which  its  history 
would  be  incomplete.  Henceforth,  more  emphatically 
than  ever,  they  are  the  sons  of  the  State.  A  cautious 
and  wise  policy  had  been  pursued,  when  a  daring, 
dashing,  reckless  leadership  would  have  brought  irre 
trievable  disaster  to  the  expedition.  Comparatively 
few  casualties  had  occurred.  God  had  evidently  been 
with  them,  and  nearly  all  were  returning  healthier, 
stronger,  and  wiser  men  than  when  they  left.  From 
nearly  all  hearts,  devout  thanksgiving  arose,  as  the 
distance  lessened  between  them  and  all  held  most 
dear.  They  had  left  their  homes  when  June's  fresh 
roses  shed  fragrance  on  their  way,  —  through  summer's 
intensest  heat  had  wandered  through  dry  and  parched 
regions, — had  met  and  driven  the  enemy,  and  now  on 
the  first  flush  of  autumn's  golden  tints,  return  ;  mak 
ing  it,  if  not  a  complete,  a  great  success.  A  halo  of 
glory  enshrouds  these  weary  veterans  of  the  prairies. 
The  loud  booming  cannon  announces  their  approach, 


DAKOTA   WAR  WHOOP.  427 

and  glad  hearts  bound  with  joy  as  they  go  forth  to 
meet  and  welcome  their  return.  A  larger  column  of 
mothers,  wives  and  children  wait  with  open  arms  and 
hearts  to  receive  them.  .Only  a  few  look  in  vain  for 
those  who  had  gone  forth,  in  the  full  flush  of  man 
hood,  so  full  of  life,  of  courage,  and  hope  I*  Hearts 
big  with  sympathy  bid  them  be  comforted  with  the 
hope  of  reunion  in  immortal  life. 

A  halo  of  glory  encircles  the  brow  of  the  General 
commanding  the  expedition.  High  in  the  confidence 
of  the  nation,  and  better  fitted  for  the  work  assigned 
him  than  any  other  man,  —  erect  in  manhood's  glory, 
he  stands.  Human  greatness  has  been  thrust  upon 
Nature's  nobleman,  and  fittingly  he  has  worn  it  all. 

When  a  few  hundred  citizens  around  the  region  of 
St  Anthony's  Falls  desired  to  be  recognized  as  the 
Territory  of  Minnesota,  no  so  fitting  a  person  was 
found  to  represent  their  interests  in  Congress  as  Henry 
H.  Sibley.  When  this  vast  territory  emerged  from  its 
minority  and  took  upon  itself  the  privilege  of  State 
rights,  its  first  elected  Governor  was  Henry  H.  Sibley. 
Ketiring  to  private  life,  as  a  true  citizen,  he  always 
served  its  interests;  and  when  called  by  executive 
power  to  this  most  important  military  post,  he  accept 
ed  the  honor  and  girded  on  the  armor.  Promotion 
followed  till  he  ranked  among  the  higher  military 
powers  of  the  nation.  Surrounded  by  all  this  halo  of 
earthly  glory,  he  draws  near  the  spot  where,  in  absence, 
memory  has  delighted  to  linger.  But  he  is  a  man, 

*The  entire  column  was  decreased  but  seven. 


428  DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP. 

with  the  heart  of  a  man,  which  has  been  sorely  afflict 
ed  since  his  presence  was  missed  from  the  home 
circle.  How  freshly,  now  he  nears  that  spot,  now  that 
the  responsibilities  and  excitement  of  the  campaign 
are  over,  come  up  the  forms  of  those  there  left. 
And  how,  like  a  surging  billow,  sweeps  over  the 
soul  the  reminder  of  the  fact  that  two  of  those  forms 
will  not  bound  to  meet  him ;  two  of  those  faces  he  will 
see  no  more  there  !  The  tramp  of  the  "pale  horse"  has 
been  heard  in  his  dwelling,  and  has  carried  away  his 
angel  Mary  and  his  only  son  Frank  of  eleven  years,  to  a 
land  where  brighter  and  perpetual  sunshine  falls,  and 
where  shadows  will  not  come.  And  here,  at  his  own  do 
mestic  hearth-stone, — here,  grateful  for  its  remaining 
blessings ;  —  here,  listening  to  the  love  notes  of  those 
left  to  breathe  them  —  here,  while  he  plans  in  more  pub 
lic  capacity,  for  the  finale  of  the  war  —  till  the  last  echo 
of  the  Dakotas'  war-whoop  shall  have  died  on  the  ear, 
— here,  with  the  heart-mellowing  influences  of  home 
loves,  we  leave  him;  with  the  prayer  that  he  may 
receive  the  full  fruition  of  the  promise  that  "all  things 
shall  work  together  for  good." 


CONCLUSION. 

Worth  and  merit  form  the  only  true  basis  for  pref 
erment  in  political,  military  or  civic  life.  It  is  a 
pleasure  to  record  the  names  of  those  whose  laurels 
worn,  were  won,  as  of  one  and  another  conspicuous  in 
this  book. 


DAKOTA   WAR   WHOOP.  429 

When  the  war-clouds  rose  on  our  national  horizon, 
the  first  tender  of  troops  was  made  by  Governor  Ram- 
Bey,  and  as  by  a  stamp  of  the  foot  arose  the  MINNESO 
TA  FIRST,  led  on  to  a  world-wide  renown  by  Colonel 
Gorman*  and  Stephen  Miller,  second  in  command. 
With  tear-full  hearts  we  pause  to  lay  the  wreath  we 
have  wrought  on  the  honored  graves  of  the  immortal 
slain,  and  crave  a  benison  on  its  remnant  of  veteran 
heroes. 

In  response  to  the  300,000  call,  Lieut.  Col.  Stephen 
Miller  was  placed  in  command  of  the  SEVENTH,  and  in 
the  home  field,  as  on  the  Potomac,  was  deservedly 
popular.  In  October,  1863,  Col.  Stephen  Miller  was 
promoted  to  BRIGADIER  GENERAL  of  volunteers,  and 
the  following  month  Brigadier  General  Stephen  Mil 
ler  was,  by  an  overwhelming  majority,  elected  GOV 
ERNOR  OF  MINNESOTA. 

*  Since  Brigadier  General. 


D.    D.    MERRILL, 

Wholesale  and  Eetail  Dealer  in 


THIRD   STREET,  -   -  ST.  PAUL, 
f.  <*, 

NORTHWESTERN    EXPRESS 

AND  MINNESOTA  STAGE  COMPANY. 

MERCHANTS'  HOTEL, 

CORNER     THIRD    AND    JACKSON    STS., 

ST,  PAUL,  MINNESOTA, 
J.  J.  SHAW, Proprietor. 


JOHN  F.  HA  YENS, 

$0tttrf0v  at 

CANTON,  ST,  LAWEEFOE  00,,  N.  T, 


AMERICAN  HOUSE, 

Corner  of  Third  and  Fulton  Sts., 

TROY,     NEW-YORK. 
LUCIUS  WRIGHT,  .......  Proprietor. 


^ 

,_     «y   ,