USA > Minnesota > Jackson County > An illustrated history of Jackson County, Minnesota > Part 14
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104
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
through the timber. Mikkel was hit at the first fire and exclaimed : "I am wounded and cannot run any farther." Immediate- ly he was hit again and killed instantly.
A bullet from the first volley passed through the hat brim of the boy, and a moment later another one inflicted a slight scalp wound. plowing a furrow through his hair, Anders was not stun- ned or badly hurt. but he was so scared that he fell and lay with his face to the ground. The savages came up and one of them plunged a knife into his left side and, as the victim described the event in after years, "twisted it around before he pulled it out." The Indians left him for dead and Anders lost consciousness. When he came to his senses he crawled to his father's home. There was no one there: the Indians had visited the place and taken everything in the line of pro- visions. The wounded boy made his way to the log stable and hid in a manger, where he remained three days with noth- ing to eal except two raw eggs. When the cows came home at night he tried to milk them, but they would not allow him to approach them on account of the blood on his clothes. From the time of the attack on Sunday until Wednesday Anders re- mained in the manger : then he was found by a resening party and taken to Esther- ville, where he slowly recovered from his wounds.5
From the Fohre house the Indians went to the home of Englebret Olson Slaabaken. a half milo south. but all the whites there. except the two mentioned, had gone to church. Here, after ransacking the prem- ises, the Indians gave up the idea of go- ing farther south, and began their trip to the north. Had it not been for the faet
SAnders Ofson Slaabaken later returned to Jackson county, and after his father's death became the owner of the Belmont farm. became a respected resident of the county and dled on the old homestead on September 26. 1SS5.
that many of the settlers were away from home, gathered at the Ramlo house and other places in religious worship, there is every reason to believe that the massacre would have been much more terrible than it was. When the murdering savages came to the house of Englebret Olson Slaa- baken and the houses of others who were at the meeting and found them moceu- pied. they feared the settlement was aroused and that the people had gathered at some place to put up a fight. As an Indian detests a fair light more than anything else, they decided not to go far- ther south. but to begin their bloody work and make their escape before it became necessary to fight.
On their trip north (probably), at a point a few rods west of the Ole Fohre home, the Indians came upon Knud Mid- stad and his wife Breta and murdered them. These unfortunate people lived on the west side of the river, and were on their way to Ole Fohre's when they were ambushed on the trail.
To return to the women and children in the cellar of the Ole Fohre cabin. When it was learned that the Indians had left the immediate vicinity. Mrs. Fohre and Mrs. Axe decided to seek another place of concealment. Accordingly they came forth with the children and hid in a corn- tield. The savages, returning from their visit to the Slaabaken home below. again came to the place of the original attack. and when they found that refugees had been hidden in the cellar at the time of the first attack but had now escaped, they were very angry and spent considerable time searching for them. After the mr- derers had gone the second time the wom- en started out with the children for the south and spent Sunday night in a black- smith shop on the Englebret Olson Slaa- baken farm. The next morning, not hav- ing had anything to cat since the attack,
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
CAMP 15
OLANS OLSON
INDEPENDENCE LAKE
MI CAMP
HVORNAVIK
LANGELAND
ASHERSOY
E.D. SLABAAKEN
MIOSTAD
AMDAIL SIAMOAKIN
O NOASTER OLION
RANÃO
PRACYOLDSMIỄN
· PETERION
ODPADYOLD
O SUIVI OLSON
OTORRECON
LIEN
NGOSTOLIFO
ALEAR LAKE
₱ O 944044KEN
THE NORWEGIAN SETTLEMENT
Map Showing Cabins of Norwegian Settlers at the Time of the Belmont Massacre and the Route of the Indians. Des Moines, Belmont and part of Christiania Townships Shown.
105
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
they started out again for the south in an endeavor to find a place of safety. They had proceeded to a point southwest of the present site of Jackson when they met Kund Langeland returning from Spirit Lake. and were piloted to a place of safety.
After the second visit to the house of Ole Fohre. the Indians (at least a part of them) crossed the river to the west side, but did not encounter any whites and returned." Then the band proceeded up the river to the home of Knud Langeland, who resided with his family on the south- east quarter of section 16. There no warn- ing had been received, and five human lives were taken. Mr. Langeland was down by the river rounding up his cat- tle at the time of the attack and so esean- ed. At the house his wife, Anna Lange- land, and four children, Anna, Aagaata, Nicolai John and Knud Langeland, were murdered. Martha Langeland escaped the fate of the rest of the family by hiding in a corn field. Two of these children who were killed were hid in the corn field at the time of the attack, but when they saw the Indians attack their mother they rushed ont to her assistance and were mur- dered. Mr. Langeland went to the house after the Indians departed and viewed the terrible work of the monsters. He thought he witnessed signs of life in two of his children. Gathering them in his arms, he carried them all the way to Spirit Lake. One of the children, died soon after his ar- rival; the other recovered.7
"It must not be understood that the move- ments of the Indians are given from definite knowledge or that the chronological order of events is strictly observed. It is known to what homes the savages came, but the exact time at which they appeared and the definite course they took are unknown. For instance, the only evidence we have that the Indians crossed to the west side of the river is the fact that one of their guns was found at a point opposite the Fohre home, twenty rods from the river. As it is known that none of the homes on that side was visited. we conclude that the red men soon after returned to the east side.
"The name of the child who recovered is un- known, and may have been included with those
From the Langeland home the Sioux proceeded on their way up the river to the homes of Ole Estenson and Ole Torgenson, where they arrived in the evening about dark. These men were the only ones in the settlement to make any effort to save their lives except in flight; they had the old Berserker blood in them and put up a good fight. Messrs. Estenson and Tor- genson barricaded one of their houses sit- uated on the southeast quarter of section 31, Christiania township. and made other preparations to defend their families. They had guns and ammunition and the knowledge and disposition to use them. When the Indians appeared, they called to the white men to come to them. In- stead. the white men ordered their fam- ilies to lie down and returned the fire of the enemy so successfully that they fought off every attack. Volley after volley was poured into the house, and the bullets penetrated the walls and roof, knocking down several articles that were on shelves.8 The white men loaded their army mus- kets with slugs, and, as it had become dark, they fired only at the flashes of the Indians' guns. No one within the cabin was hit, and the attackers finally de- parted. The defenders did not know whether or not they hit any of the sav- ages, and had no evidence that they did.9
mentioned as having been killed. If that is a faci, only twelve met death in the Belmont massacre. Mr. Ole Anderson, who has fur- nished me much of the data concerning the massacre. places the number killed at thir- teen, but is uncertain in regard to the Lange- land children.
&An amusing feature of this attack was the rage of one of the Norwegian women. A cook- ing utensil was knocked from its place on the shelf. and the lady of the house became so angry she jumped up vowing vengeance on the redskins. Had she not been restrained it is possible she would have rushed out and put the savages to flight.
'This statement is made on the authority of Ole Anderson, who interviewed Messrs. Esten- son and Torgenson a short time after the mas- sacre. The author of Minnesota in Three Cen- turies, recently published, was incorrectly in- formed in regard to the result of this fight, for he said the defenders believed that they had wounded several of the savages and knew that they had killed one, because his carcass lay fifty yards from the cabin for anyone to see.
6
106
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
After their repulso the Indians went down the river and made camp Sunday night on the southeast quarter of seetion 8. Belmont township.10 The next day they proceeded up the river on the east side without renewing hostilities. The Des Moines river was crossed, and Mon- day night camp was made on the south- west quarter of section 24. Delafield town- ship. Thence the Indians continued their journey to the north and out of Jackson county.
The Behnont massacre was over. Thir- teen innocent people had been murdered in cold blood. Several of the bodies were mutilated, but no sealps were taken. None of the eabins and no property was burned. The savages carried away much property, and some of this was abandoned or destroyed on the march ont of the country ; otherwise there was no destruc- tion of property.
A recapitulation gives us the following as the losses in the Belmont mas-acre:11
1'The statement has been made that the at- tack on the Christiania home was not made until Monday, after the Indians had left this camp, but the hest evidence is to the effect that the attack was made Sunday evening.
"For some reason no authentle account of the Belmont massacre has heretofore been written, and there is a wonderful lack of gen- eral knowledge of the details of the terrible af- fair. There are differences of authority even as to the date of the massacre In Jackson county. The inaccuracies of the printed accounts of the affair are shown In the following extract from Norwegian Settlers History, published in the Norwegian language In 1908 by 3 M Holland, A. M .. of Ephriam, Wisconsin:
"On Sunday morning. August 21. 1862, be- fore any preacher over found his way to this wilderness, the new settlers, after having an abundant harvest, felt thankfut and happy to God and gathered to a prayer meeting In Mrs. Holsten Olson's house. She had a sweet voice and had just finished a hymn when the door flow open and a half-grown boy, the son of Dle Forde, entered, dripping with sweat and blood. 'Hurry up! Hurry up" he screamed, gasping for breath, 'the Indians are coming" They were so astonished and frightened that they rushed to the door to escape, but were too late The Indians had surrounded the cabin. Then followed a hopeless fight with bare fists against the Indians' bright tomahawks and bullets. The women's praying for mercy was mixed with the Indians' yells of exultation over
KILLED
Johannas Axe Lars Furnes Lars G. Jornevik
Mrs. Lars C. Jornevik Ole Fohre Mikkel Olson Slaabaken Knud Midstad Breta Midstad Mrs. Anna Langeland Anna Langeland (child) Aagaata Langeland Nicolai John Langeland Knud Langeland
WOUNDED
Ole Olson Fohre Anders E. Olson Slaabaken Langeland (girl)
Fortunately some of the settlers were gathered in religious worship at the house of Taral Ramlo, on the southwest quarter of section 34, on the west side of the river, and so escaped the awful carnage. as the Indians did not go farther south than section 22.12 Holsten Olson was presiding over the meeting. The congre- gation was just beginning a hymn when Ole Olson Fohre, the boy who had been wounded but who had escaped from the savages, arrived with the startling intel- ligence that the Indians were murdering the settlers on the east side of the river.13
their victory. The women were compelled to stand while the Indians took the children by their heels and crushed their skulls against the trees."
"This meeting had been called at the Instance of Holsten Olson and was for the purpose of attempting a consolidation of the two religious factions in the Norwegian settlement. Holsten Olson was the leader of one faction and Burre Olson of the other. Burre Olson did not at- tend. but he and a few of his friends held another meeting at his house on the southwest quarter of section 11, Des Moines township, at the same time.
"le Anderson. now a resident of Jackson. was a playmate of the Fobre boy and was the first to see him as he came running to give the alarm. He met him some distance from the
107
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
The bloody condition of the boy added to the alarm his words conveyed, and all was confusion. The people were panic stricken and huddled in groups around the log building. Excepting one gun, they were without arms or ammunition.
Like the pioneers of the Springfield set- tlement had done five years before, the panic stricken people decided on flight to the Iowa settlements. Some of the peo- ple had come to the meeting with ox teams. These were quickly hitched up, the elderly people, the little children and the wounded boy were loaded into the wagon boxes and hay racks, and the start for the south was begun. The main party was preceded by Ole E. Olson Slaabaken, son of Englebret Olson Slaabaken, and Sigur Chesterson, son of Hans Chester- son ( Kgostolson), who ran ahead and noti- fied the settlers on both sides of the river, thus performing a daring and (if the Indians had come) valuable service. The boys spent Sunday night at the home of Henry Olson, on the state line, and Mon- day carried the news of the massacre to Estherville.
When the party had proceeded only a short distance on the way south, at some point on section 3, Des Moines, they saw someone in the distance to the north, and their fears were redoubled. Holsten Olson, the only grown man in the party, deserted the others at this point and started off across the prairie alone.14 Simon Olson, who in later years was Jack- son county's judge of probate, went from Mr. Ramlo's house to that of Holsten Ol- son, three-quarters of a mile north, seeur- ed what guns and ammunition were there, and then hastened south, going down the
meeting house and ran with him to warn those gathered at the house. When they got within hailing distance it was Ole Anderson's lusty voice that gave the alarm.
"A little son of Holsten Olson followed his father and overtook him. Mr. Olson and the boy went first to his house and then struck off across the prairie and in time reached Mankato.
cast side of the river. When he had pro- ceeded on his way nearly a mile he dis- covered that he had forgotten the percus- jon caps. Although haunted by the fears of danger from lurking savages, he bravely retraced his steps, secured the eaps, and again hastened on his way.
When Holsten Olson left those who were going down the west side of the river, that party consisted of three or four wom- en and many children, and it was a badly frightened, terror stricken little band of refugees that sought safety in flight that Sunday afternoon. They continued their journey to a point where the business cen- ter of Jackson is now located ; then forded the river and arrived at the house of Joseph Thomas. Before the party went up to the Thomas home, Mrs. Kirkevolds- moen sent her two children, Ole (Ander- son) and his little sister, to reconnoiter while the rest remained hidden in a ra- vine. The children silently elimbed the hill through the woods and when they came in sight of the premises were over- joyed to see Simon Olson, who had arrived a little before, on top of one of the build- ings on the watch for Indians. The chil- dren returned to the others and all pro- ceeded to the house.
Other settlers of Belmont who had es- caped the tomahawk and riffe of the Iu- dians made their way south on the east side of the river in little groups. On the way through Des Moines township other settlers, till then ignorant of the danger that threatened, joined the fleeing groups, all instinctively going to the Thomas home. Most of these parties had arrived by four o'clock. A few of the settlers farthest up the river did not get out of the country until the next day, and, as has been told, the women and children who had been at the Fohre home spent Sun- day night at the Englebret Olson Slaabak-
108
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
en farm, and then started out on foot lief expedition beggars description. I.v- for Spirit Lake.
When the fleeing refugees reached the Thomas place that gentleman advised them to stop there, offering to turn his house into a fort and to help build a stock- ade. He believed they had enough arms and ammunition to hold the place until soldiers who were stationed at Esther- ville could be summoned. Mrs. Thomas dressed the wounds of the injured boy and distributed food to the hungry and frightened people. After supper had been eaten the Norwegians decided to continue the journey south. As Mr. Thomas could not hope to defend his place alone if the Indians came he decided to accompany the others. Accordingly they helped him hitch up his oxen to a wagon, a few goods were loaded in, and the whole party set out down the river a little before dark. traveling together. Darkness came upon them when they were in Petersburg town- ship, and a rain came up. C'amp was made near the state line and a restless night was passed in the rain. The next morning they proceeded on their way to Estherville and met a resening party near that town. None of the refugees got as far as Estherville on Sunday.
News of the hostility of the Indians and the massacre in Belmont township was carried to Spirit Lake, and on Mon- day. August 25, a detachment of mounted men proceeded to the Indian scourged country." After reaching the Des Moines river this party was joined by another which had started from Estherville on the same mission," and all proceeded to the scene of the massacre, which was reached either Monday evening or Tuesday.
The sight that met the eyes of this Is-
BAAmung the party from Spirit Lake were R. A. Smith, Daniel Bennett, John Phippin. Judge Congleton, John Gilbert. 1. F. Ring. O C. Howe and several others.
"Lansing Thomas, James Palmer, Simon 01- son and John Olson accompanied this party.
ing here and there on the prairie and in the woods, just as they had fallen, were the bodies of the victims. The dead were buried where they were found," and the twelve or fifteen men, women and chil- dren who had been unable to get away were cared for. These were found hiding in various places, ahnost too frightened to recognize their friends. The grief and distress of the survivors was heart rend- ing. Of one family only one helpless child, too young to fully realize its con- dition, was left : of another, only the fath- er, who had escaped by wing in some distant field, had returned to find his dear ones lying about, murdered and hor- sibly mutilated; of one or two families not one was left to tell of the awful deeds.
The relief party scouted the country for Indians, but found none. They spent a few days hunting for and assisting the frightened survivors out of the country. Some of the stock was rounded up and driven to the owners at Estherville and Spirit Lake. When it was learned that the savages had left the vicinity a few of the settlers came back for their live stock and goods, but they made haste to again get out of the country, leaving every- thing that was not easily moved. Many of these stopped at the home of Bey. Peter Baker, in Petersburg township. on. their way to the lowa towns. Phina Bak- er. in a letter written January 19. 1899. said :
.
Many of these were Very Immery.
especially those whom the soldiers found his- ing in the woods. A party of nine who were
"In November, 1899, the bodies of the vic- flms were disinterred by Ole Anderson and rein- torred in the city park in Jackson. Through the efforts of Mr. Anderson and other residents of Jackson county and of Representative John Baldwin and Senator I E. Hanson the Min- Desota legislature of 1909 appropriated $2,000. available July 31, 1909. for the erection of a monument in the village of Jackson to the memory of those killed in this massacre and those in the massacre of 1857. Ole Anderson. T. J. Knox and Henry Anderson Were named a commission to superintend the erection. The monument was created in the fall of 1909.
109
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
in the cellar when the Indians came and look- ed down, but who were so still that they were not found and escaped, came to our house: some that were in hiding fled from the soldiers, thinking they were Indians. For the first two days I think mother's table was never elcared, for as soon as one lot left an- other took its place. Field corn was just large enough to cook. and the big wash boiler was kept full and boiling all the time.
For a short time the county was en- tirely deserted; not a human being had his habitation within the boundaries of Jackson county. The county government was suspended, the officers fled, and most of the records were lost. Jackson county was put back to where it had been before 1856. Most of the Norwegian families went to Winneshiek county, lowa, and Hlouston county, Minnesota: the other settlers made temporary homes at Spirit Lake and in other nearby settlements. News of the great Sioux war, which was being carried on in all parts of Minnesota, came to the settlements on the frontier and the greatest alarm prevailed. Con- cerning conditions in the Spirit Lake set- tlement. Mr. H. L. Bennett in 1885 wrote :
This intelligence created the most intense excitement. The settlements in the county [Dickinson] at this time were Spirit Lake. Tusculum. Okoboji and two or three families
on the Little Sioux, southwest of Milford. Messengers were soon sent to all these points, and the settlers, greatly alarmed, hastily gathered their most needful and valuable arti- cles and hastened to Spirit Lake. where prep- arations were already being made for defense against the Indians. The court house win- dows were bricked up. leaving portholes to shoot through. All guns and ammunition were gathered up and everything was done to make the defense as complete as possible considering on numbers and the limited means at our disposal. A company was or- ganized for defense, composed of every man capable of bearing arms. Officers were chosen. and everything was done in as military a manner as possible. Pickets were kept out at all times at various distant points to pre- veni a surprise.
The people of this county remain- ed at the court house most of the time for about three weeks. The loss to settlers in various ways by this mode of living was very great. \ good deal of stock was left to run at large. and as a consequence nearly all the crops were destroyed, causing considerable suffering. In doing chores, looking after stock, etc., two or more young men would make the tour of the various neighborhoods. being care- ful to be well mounted and armed and to keep a good lookout to prevent surprise from any Indians who might be lurking about.
One or two families attempted to leave the county during these trying times, but were detained, as it was determined that all should stay and help make a defense till help eame from some direction. About this time the sol-liers arrived from Sioux City. and a blessed relief it was to the settlers, who now returned to their homes. Quite a number of families left about this time. and bnt few came in.
CHAPTER IX.
RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD-1862-1867.
T HUS struggled the pioneers of Jackson county. They not only had to endure the ordinary hard- ships and privations of frontier life, they had to experience the horrors of Indian wars. Many met death at the hands of the bloodthirsty savages, homes were pil- laged and laid waste. all were compelled to flee for their lives. For the second time in its history Jackson county was depopu- lated. The few years succeeding the Bel- mont massacre constitute a reconstruction era. In it the county was again reclaimed from the savages; the white man became the undisputed possessor.
Despite the terrors of living in a country exposed to Indian attack, there were sev- eral of the former settlers who would not give up their homes in the new country. Joseph Thomas, who had moved with his family to Spirit Lake, came back to take care of his erop, but returned to Spirit Lake so soon as that was done. A num- ber of the Slaabaken or Olson family did not accompany the other Norwegians to Winneshiek county. Iowa, but remained at Estherville until the latter part of Or- tober. Then Englebret, John, Simon and Holsten Olson Slaabaken, accompanied by their families and the widow of the murdered Mikkel Olson Slaabaken, set out to take possession of their deserted
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