USA > Minnesota > Meeker County > Album of history and biography of Meeker County, Minnesota > Part 56
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In the mean time the news of the fiendish butchery came to the neighborhood where he was, and a party of thirteen started for the scene. Part of the number went but a por- tion of the distance, but seven of them pressed on. These determined men were Amos N. Fosen, Nels Danielson, John Black- well, Burger Anderson, Ole Westman, Charles Quick and John Nelson. They came in sight of the late home of Howard Baker, and cantiously and carefully approached the house, with stealthy steps and peering eyes. Finding the coast clear, they drew nearer and nearer, the friendly shades of night covering their movements, and finally, entering the house, discovered the dead bodies of Mrs. Jones, Webster and Baker.
After lingering there for a short time the little party of heroes started for Jones" house, but on the road. met another band of settlers, headed by Thomas McGannon, with whom they turned back to Baker's house, and making a more thorough search at that place discovered the body of poor Jones near the cornerib, where he had fallen, and over whom was thrown a wagon-box. Ile had torn up the ground all around him in his death agony. Guards were properly posted and the balance of the party again started for Jones' place. At the forks of the road, before reaching that point, they were met by another squad of settlers, for many were out,
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the evil tidings having spread fast, and stricken panie terror into the hearts of a great number. while others were seized with a desire to investigate the matter. The last addition to the little band was a delega- tion from Swede Grove, and were all mounted. On coming to the house, it was cautiously surrounded and a plan formed for the capture of the Indians, for it was sup- posed that they were in the house, as it was of wide notoriety that whisky was kept in the cabin. and it was but natural to suppose that the savages had come here after com- mitting the murder to indulge in a drunken orgie. The dead body of poor Clara Wilson was found lying across the pantry doorway, but no Indians, and there was no evidence of their having entered the house. for nothing was disturbed. A barrel of whisky stood in one corner, and several bottles of the same liquor upon the shelf, but no signs of the Indians having disturbed them. In a bedroom, lying upon the bed, was the adopted child of Mr. Jones, spoken of be- fore, smiling up into the faces of his res- cuers. The babe, who was about two years old, was the grandchild of Mrs. Ann Baker, and bore the name of Robinson J. Cotton. He was taken from the bed and afterward placed in the hands of T. C. Jewett, of Forest City, who kept him for some little time, until he was finally adopted by Charles II. Ellis and wife, of Otsego. Wright county, this State, with whom he remained until he had attained the years of manhood.
In another direction, as soon as the news came to the neighborhood of Swede Grove, Nels Elofson and Nels Ilanson got on their horses, and, with others, proceeded to the scene of the tragedy, and fell in with the other party as related above, at the forks of the road near Baker's house. Another party was formed at Forest City that same evening, on the arrival there of Mis. Baker, for thither she had fled, carrying her babe, for protection.
This force consisted of J. B. Atkinson, Syl- vester Stevens, John Wigle, Hamlet Stevens and one or two others, and left the county seat and proceeded toward the place where the startling events of that day had happened. They met the other squads mentioned be- fore, and, on learning the facts, spread the news throughout the country, warning the settlers of their peril, and then returned to their homes at Forest City, arriving there about four o'clock in the morning.
The next morning a strong posse, consist- ing of A. C. Smith, Milton Gorton, J. B. Atkinson, T. C. Jewett and others, accompa- nied by Mrs. Jewett and Mrs. Gorton, started for the Baker house, and the settlers, by this time all thoroughly aroused to their peril, flocked in the same direction, so that they reached the scene of the murder some sixty strong. An inquest was held that day and the facts as stated above elicited, and a ver- dict given in accordance therewith.
Whilst the inquest was in progress, some one espied a body of eleven mounted Indians in the vicinity, and gave the alarm, and seven men, among whom were J. B. Atkinson, Hamlet Stevens, Daniel MeGraw, Albert De Long and Sylvester Stevens, mounting in hot haste, pursued the savages, who, when they saw the pursuit, cut across the slough. A few distant shots were fired, without dam- age to either party, and the wild race was kept up at breakneck speed as far as Lake Lillian. Ilere the redskins were joined by another band from another direction, and a halt was called. The party counted twenty- five well-mounted Sioux before them, their own horses were blown and worn out with fatigue, and although one or two wanted to go on, a vote was taken and the pursuit abandoned. One of the party is credited with having shot one of the Indians, who was seen to drop, but was picked up by his comrades and hurried away with them in their flight. The little squad of settlers re-
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turned after feeding their horses and resting them, and the savages, who were afterward found to have been another band than those who committed the murders, went on their way toward their tribal headquarters.
While the little company of enraged set- tlers were pursuing the redskins, the inquest was finished, and, tools being at hand, boxes were made and the bodies of the murdered people placed therein, and the five vietims placed in one grave in the Norwegian Lu- theran Church cemetery, in Litchfield town- ship, on the spot now marked with the mon- ument.
The funeral over, the party returned to Forest City, whither they were followed by almost the entire community, for the panic had seized every one, and the trembling pioncers saw Indians in every waving bush, or heard their yell in every sound brought to their listening ears by the gentle evening breeze. To nerves unaccustomed to this tension, the position was too frightful, and men could not long stand it. Something must be done and that right speedily.
George C. Whitcomb, the treasurer of Meeker county, left Forest City on that eventful Monday, and rode to Carver or Chaska. and there took the small steamer Antelope, and reached St. Paul about ten or eleven o'clock on Tuesday morning, ae- cording to the official report of Governor Ramsey, and at once waited upon the gov- ernor, with the dreadful tidings with which he was laden. The news of the outbreak, which was. prior to his arrival, supposed to be only a local emeute, at Yellow Medicine, had preceded him only an hour or two. Mr. Shelley, from the latter agency, having rid- den in with dispatches announcing the mas- sacre at that point.
Governor Ramsey, in his report upon the matter, uses the following language in speak- ing of the action taken at that time:
"I at once proceeded to Fort Snelling,
and consulted with the authorities there regarding the outbreak. and the best means to be used to meet the danger. A serious difficulty met us at the outstart. The only troops at the fort were the raw recruits, which had been hastily gathered for the five regiments. Most of them were without arms or suitable elothing as yet ; some not mustered in or properly officered, and those who had arms had no fixed ammunition of the proper caliber. We were withont trans- portation, quartermaster's or commissary stores, and, in fact, devoid of anything with which to commence a campaign against two or three thousand Indians, well mounted and armed, with an abundance of ammuni- tion and provisions captured at the agency, and flushed with the easy victory they had won over the unarmed settlers. Finally four companies were fully organized, armed and uniformed, and late at night were got off on two small steamers, the Antelope and Pomeroy, for Shakopee, from which point they could proceed overland. It was ar- ranged that others would follow as fast as they could be got ready.
"This expedition was placed under the command of II. H. Sibley, whose long resi- dence in the country of the Sioux had given him great influence with that people, and it was hoped that the chiefs and older men were still sensible to reason, and that with these he could check the mad and reckless disposition of the younger men ; and if that failed, that his knowledge of Indian war and tactics would enable him to overcome them in battle.
" Late that night (the 20th). probably after midnight, Jesse V. Branham, Sr., arrived from Forest City after a forced ride of 100
*
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MEEKER COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
miles on horseback, bearing the following message :
FOREST CITY, August 20, 1862, ) 6 o'clock A. M.
His Excellency Alexander Ramsey, Gor- ernor, etc.
SIR-In advance of the news from the Minnesota River, the Indians have opened on us in Meeker. It is war. A few propose to make a stand here. Send us, forthwith, some good guns and ammunition to match. Yours truly,
A. C. SMITH.
· "Seventy-five stands of Springfield rifles and several thousand rounds of ball eart- ridges were at once issued to George C. Whitcomb, to be used in arming a company which I directed to be raised and enrolled to use these arms ; and General Sibley gave Mr. Whitcomb a captain's commission for the company. Transportation was at once furnished him, and the rifles were in Forest City by the morning of the 23d, a portion having been issued to a company at Huteh- inson on the way up."
Jesse V. Branham, Sr., whom the governor mentions as bringing the dispatch, had vol- unteered, notwithstanding his sixty years, to ride the entire distance of one hundred miles for help, and on his arrival at St. Paul, paying no attention to his fatigue or his bodily wants, at once waited upon the gov- ernor, although it was one o'clock in the morning, with the result as given above. On the arrival of Captain Whitcomb with the arms and ammunition, having left thirty-one muskets and a part of the ammunition at Hutchinson, that place being entirely desti- tute of firearms, a company was formed at Forest City, of which the following is the roster :
G. C: Whitcomb, captain.
J. B. Atkinson, first lieutenant.
Hamlet Stevens, second lieutenant.
William Branham, first sergeant.
II. S. Hlowe, second sergeant. Daniel MeGraw, third sergeant.
F. G. Gould, fourth sergeant.
A. F. Heath, first corporal.
H. J. Hill, second corporal.
T. C. Jewett, third corporal. Samuel Hutchins, fourth corporal.
J. M. Harvey, fifth corporal.
R. B. Ralston, sixth corporal.
N. H. White, seventh corporal.
A. B. Iloyt, eighth corporal.
PRIVATES.
O. B. Todd,
J. V. Branham, Jr.,
James Lang,
A. G. Smith,
Thomas Grayson,
Aslog Olson,
Henry Johnson,
II. Lutons,
M. Gorton,
G. S. Sholes, Sr.,
Sylvester Stevens,
J. H. Bradshaw,
C. E. Payson, Halga Olson,
Lory Smith,
Nels Tornborn,
Jerome Rogers,
Oliver Gibbins, S. W. White,
Albert Sperry,
J. B. Garrison,
Joseph Thomas,
E. A. Chapin,
A. Hamilton,
H. Behrmann,
William Caswell,
Patrick Condon,
C. D. Maybee, Andrew Nelson, Eli Gibbins,
Thos. Ragan,
Charles Kruger,
G. W. Waggoner,
Ilerman Kruger,
W. Johnson,
Michael MeGraw,
G. R. Page,
Jesse F. Cobb,
Henry L. Smith,
Alfred Mousley,
D. Chapin,
William Wilcox,
H. Mickelson,
D. M. Holbrook.
On the arrival of Captain Whitcomb, he found that the county seat was nearly a de- serted village, most of the inhabitants having fled for safety to the eastern portion of the State, and but thirteen men and three women were left of its population. These brave men and heroic women, who had determined to make a stand in defense of their homes, and who, by their gallant and spirited action,
J. Heath,
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MEEKER COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
stayed the tide of arson and murder, and saved the balance of the State, as far as the Mississippi River, from the fiendish cruelty of the relentless Sioux. Their names should be perpetuated in the pages of history, with those of the noble band of Spartans under Leonidas, at the pass of Thermopylæ, who devoted themselves to the salvation of their country. Their names are J. B. Atkinson, A. C. Smith, T. C. Jewett. Milton Gorton, George S. Sholes, Dr. Thomas Il. Skinner, James M. Harvey, William Fowler, Henry L. Smith, Thomas Grayson, Judson A. Stan- ton, Sylvester Stevens and Hamlet Stevens, and Mesdames T. C. Jewett, Howard Baker and G. C. Whitcomb. These, however, were soon joined by many others.
During the time while Whitcomb was ab- sent nearly two hundred teams passed through Forest City on their way to the Mississippi River and safety, with their hasti- ly-gathered household goods thrown promis- cuously upon their wagons, and all fleeing in fear and trembling, and listening for the dreaded war-whoop which they expected to break upon their ears at every moment, or the whip-like crack of the deadly rifle.
The military organization was formed on Sunday, the 24th of Angust, and by the next day some thirty had joined, and a portion of them mounted upon such horses as they had.
The following is preserved as the oath taken by the members of the "Irregulars," as they were termed. at the date of their muster, August 24, 1862:
" We, the undersigned, do solemnly swear to bear true allegiance to the United States and the State of Minnesota, and the officers which may be elected or appointed over us, to the best of our ability, in accordance with the captain's commission issued to G. C. Whitcomb, by Col. II. H. Sibley, bearing date August 20, 1862."
The forty-four muskets brought by Cap- tain Whitcomb were then issued to as many
men, and the balance either left unarmed or given some Belgian muskets which had been procured for a militia company organized by G. C. Whitcomb and J. B. Atkinson some time before, or the few shotguns that could be found in the settlement. As it was neces- sary for their efficiency that they should be all mounted in order to cope with the mounted Indians, and as they only had about fifteen horses in all, a detail was made from the command to proceed to Kingston and make a forced levy of all the horses that they could find there for the use of the company. The detail consisted of sergeants William Branham and II. S. Howe, corporals A. F. Heath, H. J. Hill, T. C. Jewett, Samuel Hutchins and R. B. Ralston, and privates O. B. Todd, G. W. Waggoner, Michael McGraw, F. G. Gould, A. II. Hamilton, HI. Kruger and D. McGraw, and was under the com. mand of Lient. J. B. Atkinson. They ad- vanced to Kingston, and the levy made of about forty horses, much against the wishes of the people in that place, and despite their vehement protests, and returned to head- quarters of the company at Forest City. At the same time a detail, consisting of B. Cobb, D. P. De Lamater. J. A. Stanton and Oliver Gibbins, to procure forage for the animals, and W. H. Towler and Gottlieb Reef as stock guard. These were citizens who volunteered for this duty.
On the dawning of Monday morning, August 25th, a portion of the company, num- bering some twenty seven, rank and file, were ordered on a reconnoisance into Monon- galia county, now a part of Kandiyohi, and swept through the country for some forty miles distant from headquarters, and returned on the 27th, having seen none of the enemy, but had found traces of them in the corpses of nine or ten mutilated, murdered settlers, ruins of burned houses, and a considerable number of dead domestic animals scattered over the country. The bodies of the dead
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MEEKER COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
settlers were given decent burial by the party before their departure.
On Wednesday, August 26th, cleven citi- zens of Manannah, who were staying at Forest City, finding that there was a great lack of stoves, bedding, provisions, etc., in that place, volunteered to go to their homes and procure the necessaries. They were Linus Howe, Moody Caswell, Chauncy Wil- son. Thomas Ryekman. David Hoar, James Nelson, Wilmot Maybee, Philip H. Deck, Nathan C. Caswell, R. D. C. Cressy and Joseph Page. They started, and on their arrival at the house of Wilmot Maybee stopped and got their dinner, and from there proceeded to the house of Carlos Caswell. at Manannah. and, seeing no Indians about, left one yoke of their oxen there, intending to return thither that evening and spend the night there. They went on abont two miles further to the residences of Silas Caswell and James Nelson, where they loaded Maybee's wagon full of bedding, provisions, etc., and the latter gentleman, who was driving. ac- companied by Joseph Page, turned the team toward their last stopping-place, where they intended to camp. They were closely fol- lowed by P. H. Deck and Linus Howe in the former's one-horse wagon, which was filled with James Nelson's household goods, the rest of the party being employed in gath- ering the seattered farm stock about them. As they turned into Carlos Caswell's door- yard the sharp crack of several ritles rang out upon the air, from behind a pile of luim- ber and the weeds by the fence, and Joseph Page fell dead to the ground. The others turned east to escape, and drove for about fifteen or eighteen rods, when again the deadly rifle spoke and carried death to Deck and Howe. Wihnot Maybee, thinking to escape. run his horses for abont thirty or forty rods further, breaking down a stout pair of bars in his way, but, on being cut off in his retreat by the savages, leaped to the .
ground, and, leaving the horses and wagon to their fate, ran about a hundred and fifty yards toward the river, but was shot and in- stantly killed by a well-aimed charge of buckshot from an Indian musket.
Chauncey Wilson and Thomas Ryckman were but a short distance away, and witnessed the cold-blooded murder of their comrades, but could offer no assistance, as they had placed their arms, such was their fancied se- curity, in one of the wagons. After securing the teams and their loads, the Sioux, a band of about ten or twelve, started toward the west. and passed within thirty rods of II. C. Caswell and James Nelson, who let them go by without firing a shot as they mistook them for white men, the shades of evening having descended upon the earth. They followed the warriors. still thinking they were their friends, for some distance. The party returned to Forest City, having lost four of their best men. Mr. Howe was one of the county commissioners at the time, and has served for three years in that office. Lieut. J. B. Atkinson set out the next morning with some twenty-four men to bury the murdered settlers and bring in anything that he could find, which mission he accom- plished without any molestation. On the 30th of the month, a detail of twenty-four men was ordered to move to Hutchinson to procure the government arms left there, but found on their arrival at that place that the citizens of the town would not surrender the guns, so returned the next day to headquar- ters. On the 1st of September. a report having gained curreney in Forest City, orig- inating with Andrew Nelson. that the family of that gentleman's brother-in-law, Swan Swanson, was on an island in Foot Lake, Kandiyohi county, in destitute circumstances, a detail of some seventeen men, supplemented by some volunteer citizens. was dispatched to their aid. The little foree took up their line of march, bound on their errand of
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MEEKER COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
merey, but on their arrival at the farm of Peter J. Lund, on section 4, Acton township, found a body of Indians, who, having on white shirts, they at first mistook for white men. They were soon undeceived and shots were exchanged for a few minutes, when the savages retreated to the woods, probably to attempt to draw their opponents into an ambush. They did not succeed in this, the little company proceeding to the house, where they found plenty of evidence of the pres- ence of savages there in the shape of pipes, moccasins, old powder-horns, etc., and also found hanging upon a woodland crane a large iron kettle tilled with hot water, the Sioux having been surprised while preparing to seald the body of a pig that lay butchered near by. Two of the savages were killed in this skirmish, and one of the settlers, Samuel Hutchins, was wounded in the thigh by a rifle ball.
Early on the morning of the 2d of Sep- tember, a squad of twenty of the members of the military company, and a like number of volunteer citizens, started again to look for the same family. At noon they camped for dinner at the fence which surrounded the farm of Howard Peterson, and fed their horses with the oats inside of the fence. Some of the party conceiving that the pork and bread was not good to eat, in fact that it smelt bad, began to look around for other food. Peter E. Hansen, Nels Elofson and Mr. Larson started across the country to a farm, where Mr. Hansen, who was well acquainted with the country, knew there was a melon patch. This was about half a mile from the camp, on the brow of a lull. After getting their arms full of melons, Mr. Han- sen, leaving his two comrades, went to the top of a neighboring hill. the highest in that vicinity, and, looking off toward the Aeton timber, espied fifteen or sixteen Indians, some two or three miles off. They were mounted men. and, as it was known that
there were no such number of whites in that direction, it was natural to suppose them Indians. Calling to Jesse V. Branham, Jr., and his brother, William Branham, to come to him, for they had followed after Mr. Hansen's party, they were looking at the horsemen, who soon disappeared, when turn- ing round discovered, to their surprise and horror, a band of some 300 Sioux Indians, more or less, within a distance of 200 yards of them, all on foot, but well armed. They did not linger long in that perilous position, but fled with due precipitation to the camp, pursued by the yelling fiends, who thirsted for their scalps. Hastily hitching up their teams, the whole posse beat a hasty retreat, the savages hanging on their rear, firing steadily all the time. A halt was soon called as the rout was growing more disorderly, and the march resumed with more steadi- ness. In crossing a slough, one of the teams belonging to J. B. Atkinson, but driven by E. O. Britt, became mired, and, leaving the wagon and one horse that could not be extricated in the excitement in the mud, the little command pushed on for Forest City, pursued by some of the Indians, the rest hav- ing stopped at the wagon in the slough. Although many of the men wanted to fall out of the ranks and ambush their pursuers, who were keeping up a constant fusillade on them, the captain would not permit it. The command was met near Forest City by all the remaining men of that place, who had marched out to reinforce them, under the leadership of A. C. Smith, but their services were not called for, as the savages had given up the pursuit by this time. Considerable dis- pute has been had over the number of In- dians on this occasion, but, by a diligent search among the participants, it has been put at some 300 of active opponents, with many more in view. This is on the authority of nearly all the survivors of the little band, who would have been totally annihilated had
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MEEKER COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
they allowed themselves to be surrounded, and they displayed great judgment in retir- ing, even if it were done hurriedly. In this skirmish, when the men were hastily mount- ing into the wagons, one of the muskets was accidentally discharged, and its contents wounded O. B. Todd in the leg, barely miss- ing D. Chapin, both of whom stood in the way of the ball.
Col. B. F. Smith, the post commander at Fort Snelling, on the 24th of August, ordered Capt. Richard Strout, of the Tenth Minnesota Infantry, then in the course of organization, to take his company, after arm- ing and equipping them, to Forest City and that vieinity. for the assurance of safety for the settlers. The company, which had just been raised, was made up of clerks, mechan- ies, ete .. of Minneapolis and St. Paul, had as yet received little or no drilling. and were totally devoid of the army discipline that marks the soldier. They set out for the seene of hostilities and arrived at Forest City on the 27th inst. Ile went into camp near the residence of A. C. Smith in that town, and gave it out that he should remain in that neighborhood for some time, but on being informed during the evening that nearly all the Indians in the vicinity were congregated at Swede Grove, about ten miles distant. the captain thought that his duty called him to a different point of vantage, and, therefore, the next morning put his lit- tle eolumn in motion for Glencoe. On his movements being reported at headquarters he was immediately ordered back to Meeker county, and, on reaching the township of Aeton, went into camp in the yard of the murdered Jones, an open spot surrounded by timber, in which lurked some two or three hundred savages, and it is claimed that he entirely failed to post any pickets. In this blind security he lay exposed to any attaek that the enemy might make, and in almost a defenseless position. Thomas
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