USA > Minnesota > Waseca County > Child's history of Waseca County, Minnesota : from its first settlement in 1854 to the close of the year 1904, a record of fifty years : the story of the pioneers > Part 11
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to recover. They finally reached the settlement in safety with the other load. Had it not been for the Indians, the settlement would not have run short of provisions. Strange as it may seem some of these same Indians engaged in the massacre of the set- tlers there.
In May, 1862, Messrs. Hurd and Jones, two of the settlers concluded to visit the Bix Sioux river and look over that section of country. Hurd told his wife that if they did not return by a certain time in June she might know that something unusual had happened to them. The time came, but Hurd and Jones came not. There was considerable anxiety on their aecount in the settlement, and Messrs. Everett, Wright, Duly, Smith, and East- lick took two horse teams and started to look for them. These men drove as far as Split Rock creek, now called Rock river, and camped for the night. The next morning it was decided to leave Duly with the teams in camp, while Everett and Wright should follow down the creek, and Smith and Eastliek should go in the opposite direction to search for the missing men, both parties agreeing to return to camp that night. Everett and Wright soon discovered a buffalo, shot and wounded him. They forgot all else in their desire to kill the buffalo, and chased him until late in the afternoon. They then began to think of returning, but hav- ing given no heed to the directions they had traveled, and night eoming on, they soon discovered that they were lost. They camped in a slough, covering themselves with grass cut with their knives, the better to protect themselves from the swarms of mos- quitoes and the chilly night air. They hoped to get their direc- tion by the sun next morning, but when morning came there was a heavy fog, and thick clouds shut out the sun, so that they were compelled to guess as to the proper course to travel. As usual, under such circumstances, they traveled in the wrong direction. Not having anything to eat they felt weary, but were encouraged by coming on to the trail leading from Sioux Falls to Shetek. Again they took the wrong direction and traveled until they came in sight of the timber along the Sioux river. Then realizing that they were going wrong, they turned about and retraced their steps, reaching the Split Rock camp, near night, to find it de- sorted. They found a piece of paper pinned to a post on which
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was written: "We suppose Everett and Wright have been killed by Indians. We have gone home."
As they had had nothing to eat since the day before, and were very much exhausted with traveling on foot, the outlook was discouraging. Just at night, however, they had the good fortune to shoot a duck, which they ate raw. They camped on the ground, in the shelter of some large rocks, for the night. They were awakened just before midnight by the sound of voices. At first they supposed that Indians were coming upon them. They were gladly disappointed, however, to find that the voices proceeded from a squad of soldiers and the mail carrier. The soldiers had with them plenty of provisions. After a bountiful supper, all camped there during the remainder of the night. The next day they arrived at the lake just as the settlers were getting ready to send men to the Agency for soldiers to look them up.
Hurd and Jones were never heard from afterwards, but at the time of the massacre, Mrs. Hurd saw one of Ilurd's horses, as she believed, ridden by one of the Indian savages.
From that time to the time of the outbreak, nothing occurred at the settlement to arouse any suspicion of danger. That settle- ment was so isolated from others that they seldom heard from the larger towns. Everything was quiet and peaceful, and no one had a suspicion of the horrible scenes of bloodshed that were soon to follow.
About the 17th of August, 1862, "Pawn" and five or six other Indians, with squaws and children, came to the lake and camped not far from Mr. Everett's place. Nothing was thought of this, as roving bands often came that way, and especially as these were the Indians whom the settlers had fed the winter before, and who were supposed to be friendly.
Notwithstanding the fact that here and there a slight suspicion existed that the Indians were preparing for war, yet, as a rule, few, if any, believed that there was any real danger.
But on the 20th of August, 1862, the murderous assault com- menced all along the line. Men, women, and children, regardless of age or condition, were murdered, mangled, and outraged in the most cold-blooded and barbarous manner.
The people of the little settlement, at Lake Shetek, were indus- triously pursuing their vocations on the fatal day, and were en-
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tirely unprepared for the murderous attack, which commenced near the head of the lake at daybreak.
The first outrage was at the farm of Mr. Meyers. On account of Mrs. Meyers' sickness, Meyers arose at an early hour. As he went out of the house, he discovered the Indians, who had torn down his fence and were riding through his corn breaking it down and destroying it. He called to them saying he would whip them if they did not leave, and asked them if he had not always treated them well. They admitted that he had and finally rode away. They proceeded at once to the farm of Mrs. Hurd, whose husband, with Mr. Jones, had disappeared in the spring. A German named Voight was working on the farm. When the Indians arrived, Mrs. Hurd was milking cows, and on seeing them hastened into the house. The Indians followed her, and, with pretended friend- ship, asked for some tobacco. Voight gave them some, and they commenced to smoke. Mrs. Hurd's babe awoke and began to cry, when Voight took it up and walked out into the yard. Just as he was turning to go into the house again, one of the Indians stepped to the door, raised his gun and shot him through the breast, killing him almost instantly. They then plundered the house of all its contents, and told Mrs. Hurd that if she made any noise they would kill her also, but if she remained quiet they would permit her "to return to her mother." They destroyed nearly everything about the house and then ordered her to leave, telling her which way to go, and informing her that if she should attempt to go to one of the neighbors or make an outcry to warn them they would kill her. Mrs. Hurd was compelled to leave by an unfrequented path with her two children, the elder about three years old and the younger less than a year old.
We must now return to the lower, or south, end of the settle- ment. Early that morning, Mr. Everett's brother-in-law, Charles Hatch, started on horseback to go to Hurd's place to get a yoke of oxen to put into a breaking team. It was about six miles be- tween the two places. When Mr. Hatch reached Mr. Cook's place, he hitched his horse and went across a marsh, impassable for a horse, to save the time and trouble of going around the marslı, or slough. When he reached the Hurd house, a horrid sight presented itself. Voight lay stark dead upon the ground, covered with blood; everything about the house was broken and
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destroyed, and Mrs. Hurd was nowhere to be seen. The tracks at once disclosed the fact that Indians had been there. Looking to the east, he saw the Indians making around the marsh. He started at once to retrace his steps and warn the settlers; but the Indians arrived at Mr. Cook's place ahead of him. They found Mrs. Cook in the cornfield with her husband's gun, keeping birds from the corn, and Mr. Cook at the house. They divided, part going to the cornfield and part to the house. Those who went to the cornfield asked to see her gun. Not suspecting mur- der, she let them take it. As soon as they got possession of the gun, they told her that she might "go to her mother," for they were going to kill all the white men in the country. Those that went to the house asked for a drink of water. As there was none in the house, Cook took the pail to go to the spring. He had proceeded but a few steps when one of those cowardly vil- lains, without the least warning shot him in the back, killing him at once. Hatch was in sight of the house when Cook was shot. He saw his horse break loose and run off. Hateh managed to get past the place unperceived, while the Indians were plundering Cook's home, and went from house to house as fast as he could travel warning the settlers. When he reached Mr. Eastlick's house he was nearly exhausted. Mrs. Eastlick, in her account of the massacre, says: "My husband and Mr. Rhodes had just sat down to breakfast, when my oldest boy, Merton, came to the door saying, 'Charlie Hateh is coming, as fast as he can run.' Hateh was a young man living with his brother-in-law, Mr. Everett. Thinking that perhaps some one was siek or hurt, I went to the door. As soon as he came near enough to me I saw that he was very pale and out of breath. 'Charley, what is the matter?' I asked. He shouted-'the Indians are upon us.' 'It cannot be pos- sible,' said I. 'It is so,' said Charlie, 'they have already shot Voight.' He then related the other faets he had witnessed, and asked for a horse that he might ride quickly to the lower end of the lake to warn the rest of the settlers. Mr. Rhodes let him have one of his horses. He asked us for a bridle several times, but we were all so horror-strieken and mute with fear and ap- prehension that we stood for some time like dumb persons. At last I seemed to awake as from a horrible dream and began to realize the necessity of immediate and rapid flight. I sprang into
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the house and got the bridle for him, urging him to hurry away with all speed. He started off, and bade us follow as fast as we could to Mr. Smith's house."
Returning to Mrs. Cook, we learn that she remained concealed about the premises until the Indians, tired of plundering the house, departed. She then went to the house to find her husband murdered and all her household goods destroyed. Notwithstand- ing the bereavement and the dangers surrounding her, she bravely resolved to warn the other settlers of what had transpired. After traveling on foot through brush and timber, and wading in wa- ter along the shore of the lake, she reached the lower settlement the same day a little in advance of the murderous savages. Mr. Hatch had lost no time in notifying every settler of what had taken place. Every house was soon deserted. Cattle, horses, household goods, and everything were left to be plundered by the merciless savages. The settlers all assembled at the house of Mr. Wright. They were thirty-four in number-men, women and children.
"Old Pawn" and his band, who had camped there the Monday before, were at Wright's place and pretended great friendship for the whites. They even went so far as to help bring in Mrs. Ire- land and Mrs. Duly and their children, who had been left behind in the flight. The men at once prepared Wright's house as well as they could for defensive operations. They opened crevices here and there between the logs, as port holes for their guns; and not having entire confidence in "Pawn" and his Indians, told them they could take their stand in the stable. The women were armed with axes, hatchets, and butcher-knives, and sent up stairs with the children. These hasty preparations were not fully complet- ed when the murderous savages whooping and yelling like fiends, made their appearance at Mr. Smith's house, in full view of Mr. Wright's place, where the settlers were assembled.
At first thought one would suppose that the whites would have remained at the house and defended themselves to the last; but when it is known that the only supply of water was some distance from the house, that they had no provisions for more than a day or two, and that they were surrounded by some two hundred Indians, we can easily understand that any chance of escape, how- ever slim or dangerous, would be eagerly accepted.
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The murderous Indians had assembled at Smith's house and plundered it. From there they sallied forth in squads, mounted on ponies, firing guns and yelling like demons. Occasionally they would shoot a cow or an ox, and then ride back to Smith's house. After spending some time in this way, they advanced toward Wright's house. Mr. Everett noticed about this time one of Pawn's band skulking around to the Indians that were advaneing. He held a short consultation and sneaked back again. Old Pawn who pretended to be friendly, said he would go and see them and find out what they wanted. He started out to meet them and had only proceeded a short distance when several of the war party came riding towards him on a gallop. He soon halted. As soon as they noticed this, they also stopped and called to him. He then went to them and talked for some time; after which he came running back, as though excited, and said there were two hundred warriors coming, and if the whites would quietly go away the "braves" would not harm them; but, if not, they would burn the house and kill them all.
By this time Mr. Everett and many of the others were satisfied that Pawn and his band, notwithstanding their pretended friend- ship, were a part of the conspiracy to murder the settlers.
The men had a hurried consultation, and the majority decided to leave the building and take their chanees. Rhodes and Hateh were sent to Everett's place, half a mile away, to get a wagon for the conveyance of the women and children, and to get some flour, quilts, etc. Without waiting for the return of the team, the whole company started across the prairie on foot. Rhodes and Hatch overtook them with the wagon by the time they had proceeded half a mile, and the women and children, except Mrs. Wright and Mrs. Eastlick, got into the wagon. Mrs. Wright bravely shoul- dered her husband's rifle, he being absent from the settlement at the time of the outbreak. They had proceeded a little over a mile when they discovered the Indians following them as fast as they could come, velling like so many fiends. Old Pawn and his band, who had pretended to be friendly, had joined the others in the work of murder and plunder. All was terror and eon- sternation among the settlers. They attempted to urge the horses to a run, but the poor creatures were so loaded down that they could not go faster than a walk. On came the savages riding at
-
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full speed. All the fugitives that could run got out of the wagon and hurried on as fast as possible; but it was all to no purpose- the savages were soon upon them. The men marehed at the head of the team, with their guns, in order to protect the women and children who were in advance. The men thought at first that perhaps all they wanted was the team, and for that reason sent the women and children ahead. As the Indians approached almost to within gunshot, they spread ont in a long, single line, and came on yelling like demons. When at long range they fired a volley, but no one was hurt. Two of the men, Rhodes and Smith, deserted the company, coward-like, and ran for dear life, leaving the others to their fate. The two men escaped without a scratch. One went to Duteh Charley's and warned his family, and the other went to the Walnut Grove settlement.
As soon as the Indians fired the first round, they rushed for the team. One of them seized the horses by the bits and turned them around. At this juncture, some of the white men fired upon the Indians, and the one having hold of the team fell dead.
It was now evident that there was to be a death confliet. The men directed the women and children to go to a slough near by and coneeal themselves as well as they could in the tall grass. the men covering their retreat. All started for the slough amid a shower of shot from the Indian guns.
Mrs. Eastlick received a ball in one heel; Mr. Ireland's young- est child was shot through one log: Emma Duly received a wound in the arm, and Willie Duly received a shot in the shoulder. They soon reached the slough, and although the tall grass con- cealed them from view, it afforded little protection. There were about two hundred Indians, and only six white men left. For two hours the cowardly savages, keeping out of sight as much as possible, poured volley after volley into the slough. They would skulk behind the hills, crawl to the top, rise and fire, and then drop out of sight. It was dangerous for one of the white men to fire his gun, for immediately there would be a volley fired into the grass where he was. One after another of the whites was wounded or killed. Mr. Eastliek, after doing brave work, was killed. Mrs. Eastliek received a scalp wound and another in the side. Mrs. Everett received a shot in her neck. Mr. Everett received a bul- let in the thigh which struck the bone, followed around and
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lodged under the knee. Charles Hatch was wounded in the hand and arm, and Bentley in the arm. There was little chance for further resistance by the settlers. The firing ceased. Three of the skulking Indians, one of them old Pawn, then came forward and called upon the women to come out of the slough. Mr. Ev- erett answered them. Pawn, who knew the voice commanded him to come out of the slough. Mr. Everett told him he could not, for he was wounded. Pawn said : "You lie ; you can walk if you want to."
Two of the Indians then fired into the grass where Everett was, one of the bullets striking his arm near the elbow and shat- tering the bone and a buckshot entering his foot. Mrs. Everett, forgetting all fear, bravely arose, and in the most piteous manner told them that her husband was dead; they had killed him.
Pawn then told her that he would not hurt the rest of them, but that they must come out of the slough, for he wanted her and Mrs. Wright for his squaws. Mrs. Wright could speak the Sionx language, to some extent, and under the advice of Mr. Everett, who was now helpless, the two women concluded to go out and confer with the Indians. While this hurried conference was going on between Mrs. Wright and Mr. Everett. Unele Tom- my Ireland, a short distance from them, arose out of the grass and begged of the Indians to spare the women and children. Two of the murderous Indians, only a few rods distant, fired upon him, and he fell to the ground with a groan, saying, "Oh God! I am killed !" He received seven buckshot, two of which passed through his left lung, one through his left arm and others lodged in various parts of his body.
Mrs. Wright and Mrs. Everett, having been advised by Mr. Ev- erett that perhaps by going out to the Indians they might be able afterwards to make their escape, and that refusal would be certain death to all, ventured to go to the Indians. After a short talk with the villain, Pawn, they returned and reported that he said he would spare all the women and children if they would come out of the slough. After a short consultation the women concluded to go forth with all the children.
Ah the sad parting! Mrs. Eastlick's husband, was dead. Mrs. Ireland bent over the prostrate form of her husband, whom she would never see again, to receive, as she supposed, his dying
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words, and husbands and fathers felt deep anguish as wives and children went forth to death or to a period of suffering worse than death.
Many of the prisoners, as they came forth, were wounded. Mrs. Smith, whose husband had fled at the first fire, was wound- ed in the hip. Next to the youngest of Mrs. Ireland's children was shot through the bowels and died in a short time.
Shortly after the surrender. the fiendish brutality and devil- ish eruelty of the Sioux were fully demonstrated. Mrs. Eastliek's little five-year-old son while following his mother, who was being led away by an Indian, was attacked by a squaw, beaten over the head with a club, and finally ripped open with a knife. Another of her children, Frank, was shot and nmurdered before her eyes. Mrs. Duly's boy Willie was shot in her presence. and left in a suffering, dying condition on the prairie. Mrs. Ireland and Mrs. Smith were murdered in cold blood, and left near each other. And near by was the corpse of Mrs. Eastliek's third child, Giles.
Shortly after the Indians left the slough with their prisoners, one of the redskins shot Mrs. Everett's little boy, which so exeit- ed her that she broke loose from her captor, and was running back to her boy, when she was shot through the body and mortally wounded, dying during the night.
Mrs. Eastliek, in her account. says: "The Indians sent Mrs. Wright back to the slough to gather up and bring out the guns. I found that I was quite lame and could hardly walk. * The sky soon became overcast with heavy clouds, and a furious rain-storm, accompanied with thunder and lightning. was coming on. Soon the rain descended in torrents. The Indians caught their ponies, and made all preparations for starting away. We expected to be taken along as prisoners, but we were disap- pointed ; as it afterwards proved, some were taken while others were put to death, or left in a dying condition. Those of us who afterwards oseaped, were, for a long time, in such a plight that death seemed inevitably to stare us in the face."
After giving an account of the death of three of her children, she continues: "Old Pawn came along with Mrs. Wright and her children. He brought along a horse which belonged to Charley Ilatch, and ordered her to put her children on it, which she
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did. He then gave her the halter strap and sent her along, tell- ing me to go along with her. * * * I asked him what he in- tended to do with me, and if he meant to kill me? He replied in the negative, then stopped, leaned on his gun, and told me to hurry on. *
* * I limped along at a rapid pace, but looking back I saw old Pawn standing where I had left him, loading his gun, and I instantly feared that, in spite of all his protestations, he was going to shoot me. I had a small slough to cross, and when about half way through it, some one, probably Pawn, shot me again, making four bullets which I had received that day, in all. The ball struck me in the small of the back, entering at the left side of the spine, and coming out at the right side, just above my hip- also passing through my right arm, between the elbow and the wrist. I fell to the ground upon my face, and lay there for some minutes, *
* * expecting the Indians would ride over me, as I had fallen in the trail. Finding that I could move I crawled about a rod from the trail, and lay down again on my face. In a few moments more I heard the step of an Indian, and held my breath, thinking he might pass me, supposing me dead. But I was sadly mistaken. He came close beside me, stood a moment, then commenced beating me on the head with the butt of a gun. He struck me many times so hard that my head bound- ed up from the sod, and then gave me three severe blows across the right shoulder. I did not lose all presence of mind, although the blows fell heavy and fast. * * **
I was so nearly smoth- ered with my face beaten into the grass, that I caught my breath several times. He probably supposed me to be dying, and threw down his gun. I thought he was preparing to scalp me. I expect- ed every moment to feel his hand in my hair and the keen edge of the scalping-knife cutting around my head. But for once I was happily disappointed, for he went away, thinking, no doubt I was dead.
I lay here some two or three hours, not daring to stir. *
* * The rain had continued to fall all of this time; my clothes were wet through, and I was very cold and chilly. About four o'clock p. m., on trying to get up, I found that I was very weak, and that it required a great deal of painful effort to raise myself to a sit- ting posture. * * * I then found that the blood had run down from my head and eoagulated among my fingers; hence
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I knew my head had bled quite freely, or the rain would have washed it away. * *
* I was insensible to pain, but by turn- ing my head back and forth, I could plainly hear and feel the bones grate together. I thought my skull must be broken, and this afterwards proved to be true. My hair was very thick and long, and this, I think, saved my life by breaking somewhat the force of the blows. Here I sat, wet and cold, not daring to move from the spot. I had heard the cry of a child at intervals, during the afternoon, and thought it Johnny. (Her son.) I thought Merton (an elder son) must have taken him to the wounded men, (in the slough) to stay with them. So I determined to try to go to them, thinking we could, perhaps, keep warm better, for the rain was still falling fast, and the night was setting in, cold and stormy. I rose up on my feet, and found that I could walk, but with great difficulty. I soon heard Willy Duly, whom I supposed dead long before this, cry out 'Mother! mother!' but a few steps from me. * * * Having to pass close by him, as I left the slough, I stopped and thought I would speak to him; but, on re- fleeting that I could not possibly help the poor boy, I passed him without speaking. He never moved again from the spot where I last saw him: for when the soldiers went there to bury the dead, they found him in the same position, lying on his face, at the edge of the slough."
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