USA > Iowa > Dickinson County > History of Dickinson County, Iowa, together with an account of the Spirit Lake massacre, and the Indian troubles on the northwestern frontier > Part 18
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later, or on the afternoon of the twentieth, the Indians made their first attack on Fort Ridgley. Fort Ridgley was at this time garrisoned by the remnant of Captain Marsh's company that had been so fearfully cut up in the ambush at the Lower Agency, and one company of the Fifth Minnesota Infantry, under Lieutenant Sheehan, who arrived there on the nine- teenth, having made a forced march of forty-five miles in nine and one-half hours.
The balance of the forces were volunteer organizations and not in the military service of the United States. Ridgley was in no sense a fort, but simply a collection of houses built for the accommodation of the troops.
As before stated, the first attack was made on the afternoon of the twentieth, and lasted about three hours, when the In- dians were driven back. Two attacks were made on the next day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, lasting about a hour and a half each, but without any decisive result. During the night of the twenty-first the Indians were largely reinforced by the arrival of their head chief, Little Crow, with about five hundred additional warriors.
On the morning of Friday, the twenty-second, the savages seemed determined to carry the post at all hazards. They made repeated assaults and were as often driven back. These assaults continued for nearly five hours, when the Indians, finding all of their efforts baffled, drew off, and concentrating all of their forces started down the river for New Ulm for their final and most desperate effort, which place they reached on the morning of the twenty-third. New Uhn is situated thirteen miles from Fort Ridgley down the river, while the Lower Agency is about the same distance above, and the Upper Agency some distance above that, near the mouth of the Yellow Medicine River.
241
ATTACK ON NEW ULM
The southern boundary of the reservation was but a few miles from New Uhn, making it the most exposed point on the Minnesota frontier. No government forces were stationed there, and after the outbreak at the ageney on the eighteenth, it was evident that probably New Ulm would be the first set- tlement to be attacked. Apprehending this the adjacent set- tlements at once took measures for defense. At St. Peters a . company of one hundred and sixteen men was at once raised and the command given to Judge Flandran. Other places raised such forces as they could and instinctively they all seemed to gravitate toward New Ulm as being the place where their services would be soonest needed, and by the morning of the twenty-second the force numbered about three hundred, but very poorly armed. Judge Flandrau was at once chosen to command, and he proceeded as rapidly as possible to get things in a manageable condition.
Nothing of serious consequence occurred until the morning of the twenty-third, when at about nine-thirty A. M. the In- dians came down upon them seven hundred strong. At first the advantage was slightly with the Indians, but the settlers soon rallied and after recovering from the nervousness inei- dent to the first attack held the Indians off in good shape. The savages .soon surrounded the town and commenced firing the buildings on the windward side. By two o'clock the fire was raging on both sides of Main Street in the lower part of town. About this time a squad of about fifty men charged through the burning street and drove the Indians out beyond the houses. They then burned everything that could serve as a protection to the savages, and the day was won. The loss on the part of the inhabitants was about sixty. The number engaged was nominally three hundred, but they had not arms for more than two hundred to be on duty at a time. About one hundred and ninety houses were burned all told, partly
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DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA
by the Indians and partly by the settlers. The fighting con- tinued all Saturday night, with some firing Sunday morning. The Indians then drew off to the northwest in the direction of their reservation.
There were in the town at the time of the attack from twelve to fifteen hundred non-combatants, men, women and children, and these would all have been massacred had the Indians suc- ceeded in carrying the town. One fact which was developed at the battle of Fort Ridgley and which proved of inestimable value to the white troops during the remainder of the Indian campaign, was the superstitious dread the savages had of ar- tillery and more especially of shells. The unearthly whiz- zing and shrieking of these mysterious monsters as they howled through the air was something new to them and in- spired them with a terror wholly uncontrollable. The second explosion or bursting of the shell was to them something wholly unaccountable and the effect was demoralizing in the extreme.
How much this simple circumstance may have had to do with the Indians changing their plans and abandoning their Towa campaign altogether, we can only conjecture, but there is no doubt it had something to do with it. The following extract from a description of the battle of Fort Ridgley by an eye witness and published in the Minneapolis Journal, is given in this connection :
"Realizing that the cannon were their worst foes, the Indian sharpshooters had exerted themselves to get Sergeant Jones. Every lineal foot of timber along the line of the barricade which protected his gun was splintered by a close and accurate fire. But still the gun was worked and the shells continued to fall among the warriors at the shortest possible range. McGrew dropped the first shell from the big gun in dangerous proximity to the party that was swinging around from the northeast. Training his gun to the west, he dropped the sec-
243
DEFENSE OF FORT RIDGLEY
ond shell exactly at the point where this party had joined a group of squaws, ponies and dogs west of the main body. Yelping dogs, shrieking squaws, wailing children and fright- ened bucks ran in all directions aud sought shelter behind every inequality of ground. McGrew then directed his fire between this force and the main body, and succeeded in pre- venting a consolidation. The reports of the big gun were as demoralizing to the Indians as its frightful exeention. In the meantime, in front of Jones' position there was a Ill in the fire and across the space separating the combatants, the whites could hear Little Crow exhorting his warriors to take courage for the last fierce rush. * While the general of the Indian forces tried the effect of oratory, Jones arranged a very effective counter argument by double shotting his piece with canister. Spurred on with the inspiring words of their chief, a band of desperate warriors rushed straight toward Jones' barricade.
"The Indian doesn't always fight behind trees. Sometimes he delivers an assault in the open as bravely as white troops. * * On came the painted, yelling warriors, brandishing their weapons and leaping madly in their rage and hatred. A cloud of smoke belched from the black muzzle of the gun, a band of flame shot forward and eighteen warriors fell to the ground in the agonies of death or gaping wounds. This terrible blow completely unmanned the savages. They fell back in disorder, pursued by shrieking shells thrown through the flames and smoke of the burning buildings. The fight was over."
The following description of the wonderful mirage that was observed after the battle is by the same writer.
"Suddenly a strange and weird spectacle caught Lieutenant Shechan's eyes as he glanced up at the smoky clouds. There in the skies occurred a phenomenon that in a more credulous age would have been taken as a sign of grace direct from God Him- self. On the screen of the clouds, as though thrown by some great stereopticon, a mirage repeated and revealed the whole battle scene. The outline of the fort and the disposition of its defenders was clearly shown, with all at their places and the guns still throwing shells into the valley where the re- treating Indians, as shown by the retreating images in the
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clouds, were in the greatest confusion. Tepees were being torn down, goods were being packed on ponies, papooses were strapped to backs and hurried retreat begun, while the sullen warriors held back to guard the rear. In their turn the Indians could see reflected the confident aspect of all within the fort. It cannot be doubted that to their superstitious minds it was an unmistakable omen of the wrath of the Great Spirit."
The news of the outbreak reached Governor Ramsey at St. Paul on the nineteenth. He at once communicated with Ex- Governor Sibley and requested him to accept the command of such forces as could be put into the field against the Indians. He immediately accepted the position with the rank of Colonel of the Militia. A great many troops were at that time mus- tered into the United States service at Fort Snelling expect- ing to be sent south. Their destination was changed, and Colonel Sibley soon found himself in command of quite a re- spectable force. He reached Fort Ridgley on the twenty- eighth, or five days after the battle of New Ulm. Upon the arrival of the government troops, the volunteer organizations disbanded and went home. Two days after his arrival at the fort Colonel Sibley dispatched a force of one hundred and fifty men, under the command of Major Joseph R. Brown, up to the agency to bury the dead and bring in such infor- mation regarding the movements of the Indians as he could obtain.
This expedition left the fort on the thirty-first of August, and on arriving at the agency found the buildings all de- stroved. Then they went through the Indian settlement, vis- ited the home of Little Crow and of other Indians, and made a general reconnoissance of the vicinity in that locality, but saw no signs of Indians. On the evening of the second day, which was the first of September, they went into camp near the head of a ravine known as Birch Coulce. Not having seen any Indians or any signs of any, they were heedless of
245
BIRCH COULEE
danger, and selected their camp more with a view to conveni- ence than safety. It would seem that the experience of Cap- tain Marsh's company in that immediate vicinity only two weeks before would have taught them the necessity of extreme caution. But such it seems was not the case. Even the usual precaution of throwing out piekets was neglected.
The whole party of tired soldiers threw themselves on the ground and slept soundly, regardless of the fact that they were in the enemy's country. From this sleep they were rudely awakened about four o'clock the next morning by the sharp cracking of hundreds of rifles in the hands of invisible foes. It was the same old story of ambush and slaughter, so often repeated in the history of the country. As was after- wards ascertained, a large force of Indians had assembled with the intention of making a descent on St. Peter, and if successful there, of sweeping up through Mankato and the Blue Earth Valley, and had that morning started down the river for that purpose, but on seeing Brown's force go into camp, changed their plan and determined to cut him off. They accordingly waited until after dark, when they quietly sur- rounded his camp, and in the early twilight made a furious attack. The slaughter was terrible. Twenty-three were killed and forty-five severely, and several more slightly, wounded in the first hour and a half. There were ninety horses and these were all killed.
The survivors now succeeded in forming a kind of breast- work of the wagons, of which there were seventeen, and the dead horses, which served as a partial protection against the deadly fire of the Indians. There were four or five spades and shovels with the command, and with these and their sabres some of the men succeeded in digging pits or holes in the ground into which they crawled for shelter. No Indians were in sight, and yet let any one of the party show himself he
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was sure to draw the fire of several rifles in the hands of the unseen foc.
In this way the day was passed and the succeeding night, and it was not until near noon of the second day that they were relieved by Colonel Sibley, who, becoming impatient of their delay and alarmed for their safety, started out with the main body to meet them. Upon the approach of Colonel Sib- ley, the Indians drew off and retreated up the river. It was now two weeks since the commencement of the troubles, and the Indians were known to have with them between two and three hundred prisoners. They had massacred or killed in action fully. one thousand people.
The all-important question with Colonel Sibley now was how to get possession of the prisoners. Having this question upper- most in his mind he left on the battle ground of Birch Coulee the following communication attached to a stake driven into the ground :
"If Little Crow has any proposition to make let him send a half-breed to me and he shall be protected in and out of camp. "H. H. SIBLEY."
The letter was found and answered by Little Crow on the sev- enth, but all mention of the prisoners was evaded, when Colonel Sibley sent a second letter as follows :
"Little Crow: You have murdered many of our people with- out cause. Return me the prisoners under a flag of truce and I will talk with yon then like a man. H. H. SIBLEY."
This was also answered in an evasive and unsatisfactory manner, when Sibley sent a third communication stating that 10 peace could be made without a full surrender of the pris- oners, and charging them with the commission of nine murders since the receipt of Little Crow's last letter. He informed them that he was now strong enough to crush any force they
247
SURRENDER AND RELEASE OF PRISONERS
could bring against him, and gave them three days more in which to deliver up the prisoners.
Upon receipt of this letter a large council was called, at which nearly all of the annuity Indians were present. The couneil was hopelessly divided. One portion was in favor of surrendering the prisoners and making the best terms they could. The other were in favor of holding out to the bitter end and taking the consequences. One of the leaders of the party far- oring peace and surrender was Paul Mazaintemani, one of the party sent out by Major Flandran in 1857 for the rescue of Miss Gardner, one of the prisoners taken at the lakes and held by the Indians at that time. It was he who warned the missionaries; giving them a chance to escape. He was instru- mental in preventing the massacre of many of the prisoners, and was a true friend to the settlers through the entire affair.
The correspondence with the Indians was kept up for several days, but with no satisfactory results. Deeming further delay worse than useless. Sibley now determined to move against the Indians. Accordingly on the eighteenth he broke camp at Fort Ridgley, crossed the river and started in pursuit of the savages, coming up with them on the morning of the twenty- third of September, between Yellow Medicine River and Wood Lake. The attack was made at once and the battle soon be- came general, and continued about an hour and a half, when the Indians were routed and retreated in confusion. It was afterward learned that before the commencement of the action Little Crow detailed ten of his best marksmen with orders to kill Colonel Sibley at all hazards, but a shell from the howitzer exploded in the midst of this special band and killed a part of them and hopelessly demoralized the rest.
This was known as the battle of Wood Lake, and was the first action in which the whites met the Indians on anything like cqual terms. After this fight Colonel Sibley proceeded up the
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DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA
river and camped opposite the mouth of the Chippewa, where it empties into the Minnesota. A large force of Indians were camped just a short distance away. They were composed of both upper and lower Sioux, and had been engaged in all the massacres that had taken place, and the desire on the part of the troops to attack and punish them was intense, but Colonel Sibley kept steadily in view the fact that the rescue of the pris- oners was his first duty and he well knew that any demonstra- tion of violence just at this time would be followed by the im- mediate destruction of the captives. He, therefore, wisely overruled all hostile demonstrations.
The result was a general surrender of the main body, together with all the prisoners. The place where the surrender occur- red has since been known as Camp Release, and is situated nearly twenty-five miles above the Upper Agency, and nearly seventy miles above Fort Ridgley. Previous to the surrender Little Crow, with a few followers, escaped up the river. After the safety of the captives was secured then the serious question arose, ?What should be done with the prisoners ? They had murdered men, women and children ruthlessly and without cause or provocation, and to treat them as prisoners of war would be simply a burlesque. On the other hand they could not be executed like so many wild beasts without some kind of trial.
In this dilemma Colonel Sibley conceived the idea of organiz- ing a military tribunal and trying the leaders and those who had been most active in the depredations and outrages, by court martial. Accordingly, on the twenty-eighth of September an order was issued convening this extraordinary court. It was composed of five officers, and entered at once on the discharge of its duties. The first session was at Camp Release, where several cases were disposed of. From there it adjourned to the Lower Agency, and from thence to Mankato, and finally
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THE MILITARY TRIBUNAL
wound up its work at Fort Snelling on the fifth of November, during which time it investigated four hundred and twenty- five cases, of which number three hundred and twenty-one were found guilty, and three hundred and three sentenced to be hung. These prisoners were brought from the reservation to Mankato chained together and under strong military guard, where they were confined in a large log jail built for that special purpose and guarded by a strong command of troops.
While this court martial was in session news of its proceed- ings reached the eastern cities and a great ontery was raised that the state of Minnesota was contemplating a great outrage in the massacre of her Indian prisoners. Intelligent bodies of well-intentioned but ill-informed people besieged President Lin- coln to put a stop to the proposed excentions. The President sent for the records of the trials and turned them over to his legal advisers. As a result of his investigation, the President, on the sixth day of December, issued an order designating thirty-nine of the ring-leaders against whom the death penalty should be enforced, and directed that the balance should be held subject to further orders, "taking care that they neither escape, nor are subjected to any unlawful violence."
The President's orders were obeyed. Thirty-eight of the murderers were executed by hanging at Mankato on the twenty- sixth of December, 1862, one having been pardoned by the President. The balance of the prisoners were kept in confine- ment in their log prison until the opening of navigation the next spring, when they were put aboard of a steamer and sent to Davenport, Iowa. After being kept in confinement there for some time they were placed on a reservation on the upper Missouri. Whether or not this was the wisest disposition that could have been made of them is an open question and one upon which there is a wide divergence of opinion. It is boldly asserted by those who have made a careful study of the subject
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DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA
and are perfectly familiar with the relations between the In- dians and the general goverment, that nearly if not quite all of the trouble the government has had with the Dacotahs since the liberation of these prisoners has grown out of the evil counsel of these same savages. Judge Flandrau remarks :
"An Indian never forgets an injury, real or faneied, and never forgives an enemy, and the advent among the Missouri River tribes of this large body of desperadoes, fresh from their scenes of murder and carnage, would be well calculated to ini- cite them to aets of similar violence."
It is well known that many of the same Indians that planned and exeented the ambush and massacre at the Lower Agency and at Birch Coulee were afterwards identified with the force that on the twenty-fifth of June, 1876, ambushed and destroyed General Custer and his entire command on the Little Big Horn in Wyoming. Up to the time of the release of these prisoners the Indians on the upper Missouri had had but limited inter- course with the whites and there is no doubt but the enmity and evil counsels of these Minnesota Indians has made the whole Indian question vastly harder to solve.
Judge Flandrau, writing on this subject in 1892, says :
"It is my opinion that all of the troubles that have trans- pired since the liberation of these Indians with the tribes inhabiting the western plains and mountains have grown out of the evil counsels of these savages. The only proper course to have pursued with them when it was determined not to hang them was to have exiled them to some remote post, say the Drv Tortugas, where communication with their people would have been impossible, set them to work on fortifications or other public works and have allowed them to pass out by life limita- tions."
It will be remembered that Little Crow escaped after the battle of Wood Lake and was not with the prisoners at Camp
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DEATH OF LITTLE CROW
Release. On the third day of July, 1863, he ventured in the neighborhood of the settlements, and while in a field picking berries, was seen by a farmer who recognized him and shot him dead on the spot. His scalp is held by the State Historical Society of Minnesota. The state of Minnesota has recently erected monuments at Fort Ridgley, New Ulm, Birch Coulee and Camp Release.
CHAPTER XX.
EVENTS IN IOWA-THE MASSACRE ALONG THE DES . MOINES-THE RELIEF PARTY-APPEAL FOR GOV- ERNMENT PROTECTION-THE SIOUX CITY CAVALRY -THE WEEK AT THE OLD COURTHOUSE-BUILD- ING THE STOCKADE-DISASTROUS EFFECT ON THE SETTLEMENT-MANY OF THE FIRST SETTLERS LEAVE-MORE PARTICULARS OF TIIE SIOUX CITY CAVALRY.
HILE THE events related in the preceding chapter were being enacted on the Minnesota frontier, other events of similar character but on a smaller scale were trans- piring nearer home. On the morning of the twenty- ninth of August, 1862, a Norwegian by the name of Nelson came into Spirit Lake with two children that he had carried in his arms from his home on the Des Moines River, some six miles above Jackson. The population on the Des Moines above . Jackson at that time were exclusively Norwegians, and while they were sturdy and courageous and developed into the very best of soldiers after a reasonable amount of drill and experi- ence, they at first had an almost superstitious fear of the In- dians, while the Indians entertained the utmost contempt and hatred for them. A large majority of the victims of this mas- sacre were Norwegians, as they had settled on the western bor- der of Minnesota during the last few years in large numbers.
From Nelson's account it appears that the inhabitants along the river had been apprised of the troubles at the agencies, and becoming alarmed by the reports had called a public meeting to consider the situation, and, if possible, devise means of de- fense. This was on the evening of the twenty-eighth
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EVENTS IN IOWA
of August. Nelson attended this meeting, leaving his family at home in his cabin. Upon his return home he found the family all killed except the two children before mentioned, and they had been taken up by the heels and their heads knocked against the corner of the cabin and they were left for dead on the ground. One of the children afterwards died but the other recovered.
AA party of volunteers was immediately organized and pro- ceeded to the Des Moines, where they made a hasty reconnois- sance and returned to the lakes on the evening of the same day. A party of refugees from the river came part of the way over and concealed themselves in a ravine over night.
The next day a larger and better equipped party went over. Upon arriving at the river they met a small force from Esther- ville who were on the same errand as themselves. The two par- ties consolidated and together they proceeded to investigate the situation. They found that the Indians had struck the river at a point about four miles above Jackson and followed it up, mur- dering and destroying everything as they went. At one place one of the relief party heard an unusual noise, something re- sembling a groan, and after hunting around for a while found in the manger of an out-of-the-way stable, a boy about fourteen years old, who had been both shot and stabbed by the Indians and left for dead, but had so far recovered consciousness as to be able to drag himself to the old stable where he was found. He was taken care of by the relief party and eventually recovered.
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