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 14
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It seems that there was at that time a suspicion that justiees of the peace did not pay over promptly all fines collected by them, for in the proceedings of Jan. 29, 1863, the following entry ap- pears :
"Ordered that all justices of the peace in the County of Waseca be directed to bring their dockets to the district attorney to be compared with the treasurer's books; and it is further ordered that all fines due the county be paid immediately."
Whether the order received any attention does not appear of record, but it is preserved as one of the many orders made by county commissioners. Such orders were without the authority of law, but serve to show the condition of affairs at the time.
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
There being at that time two newspapers purporting to be printed in the county, but really printed, one at Owatonna, the other at Faribault, it was "voted that the chairman be authorized to receive bids for the county printing and to contract for the same with the lowest bidder entitled to it." This was the first time our county printing was ever let to the lowest bidder. The printing was let to Col. J. C. Ide, editor of the Courier and also county auditor, for the sum of $130, not including the tax sale list of taxes.
The tax levy for 1863 was as follows: State revenue, four and a half mills; county expenses, three mills; for liquidation of county bonds, four mills ; back indebtedness, three mills, one-half cash; school tax, two and one-half mills :- a total of seventeen mills on the dollar. This tax levy was made Oct. 6, 1863. At the same meeting the county auditor's salary was raised $50, making his total salary $500 per year. And it cost more to live then than it does at this writing, 1904.
The spring stocks of merchandise brought "war prices" in Waseca county. In consequence of the war, prices of goods, which had for some time been gradually advancing, reached pretty high figures as early as March. The first of April, common cotton sheeting was selling for fifty cents per vard; calico, at from thirty-five to forty; cotton shirting, at from forty-five to sixty cents; coffee, at from forty to fifty cents per pound; the poorest, cheapest tea, at $1.50 per pound : common brown sugar- people do not eat such now-a-days,-from sixteen to twenty-five cents per pound. The prices of nearly all merchandise were in proportion.
Very many of our people, the majority. to say the least, made their table beverages, during the high prices, of barley, carrot, beet, corn, wheat, rye, or pea coffee, and pennyroyal or sage tea, and they drank these without much sugar. Many people then learned for the first time, that hot water, with a little milk or cream, at meal time, is more conducive to health than the best tea or coffee.
The weather was mild during the winter of 1862-3 and the spring months were very favorable to early seeding. The sowing of wheat was commenced as early as April 1st, and by the 15th of May, spring crops were all planted. There was very little
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
rainfall all through the season, and the hay crop was compara- tively light; but the wheat, oat, and barley crops yielded well and were of excellent quality.
THE INDIANS AGAIN.
A small band of Indians in the month of April, made a raid into the Watonwan river settlement, killed five persons, stole several horses, and made their escape. Within the summer, Gen. Sibley, with three thousand troops from Minnesota, and General Sully, with about an equal force from Iowa, advanced into the country then occupied by the Indians. The battle of Big Mound was fought by the forces under Gen. Sibley, July 24th. At this battle, Rev. Dr. Weiser was treacherously shot and killed by the Indians while they were pretending to want peace. One white man was killed by lightning during the battle. Lieut. Freeman, while hunting, was killed by the Indians the morning before the Indians had been discovered by the scouts. A large number of the red men were killed and wounded and some of them scalped by the hunters. On the 26th of July, at
DEAD BUFFALO LAKE
the Indians, mounted on ponies and led by Grey Eagle, made a dash for the hay cutters and mules, but were promptly met by the Mounted Rangers, who gave them battle. A number of the savages were killed in this engagement, among them their chief, Grey Eagle, who fought bravely but was soon killed.
On July 3, 1863, Little Crow, the chief who had led in the massacre of 1862, was shot and killed near Hutchinson by Nathan Lampson. Little Crow also shot Lampson, wounding him in the shoulder. The second shot from Lampson's gun proved mortal. Little Crow's son, aged 16 years, was with his father at the time of his death, but made his escape. He was afterwards taken prisoner and finally sent to the reservation of his people on the Missouri river, where he has since died.
Little Crow died in disgrace, having been deposed by the war- riors of his nation shortly after the decisive battle of Wood Lake.
BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG.
June 18th, 100,000 rebels entered Pennsylvania, near Chambers- burg. On the 1st, 2d and 3d days of July occurred the great battle of Gettysburg, which was one of the greatest of the civil
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
war, and really the turning point in the great struggle. It was in this great battle that the First Minnesota regiment conferred imperishable honor and fame upon our state. July 4th, Vicks- burg, Miss., surrendered to Grant with her 31,000 rebels, 220 guns and 70,000 small arms. July 8th, Port Hudson surrendered to the Union army. July 13th, the New York rioting commenced, -the negro orphan asylum was burned, negroes were hanged in the streets, and houses robbed and burned by rebel sympa- thizers. The rioting lasted several days and was finally suppress- ed by Union troops. The last battles of the year occurred at Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain, Nov. 23d, in which our Union soldiers were victorious. .
THE FALL ELECTION.
It was a close call for the Republicans in this county at the fall election of 1863. The draft, which had been ordered through- out the country, had been very unpopular. The local Republicans that were appointed to conduct it-especially the writer, who was appointed to the very unpleasant position of deputy United States marshal-were accused of many wrongful acts: and al- though nearly all the accusations were false and unjust, as was afterwards admitted, they had their influence upon the voters. Waseca county was then in the same legislative district with Freeborn and Steele counties. The candidates for state senator were F. J. Stevens, Republican : Amos Coggswell. Democrat; and Jacob Mail, independent. Stevens received 282 votes, Coggswell 58, and Mail 51.
Representatives :- Philo Woodruff, Republican, 262 votes; Wm. Brisbane, Democrat, 251. Majority, 11.
County treasurer :- P. C. Bailey, Rep., 286; Enoch Plummer, Dem., 234 .- Majority, 52.
Register of deeds :- Tarrant Putnam, Rep., 241; H. P. Norton, Dem., 267 .- Majority, 26.
Sheriff :- D. L. Whipple, Rep., 268; N. MeGrath, Dem., 245 .- Majority, 22.
Judge of Probate :- II. D. Baldwin, Rep., 251; P. Brink Enos. Dem., 258 .- Majority, 7.
County Attorney :- James E. Child, Rep., 255; P. Brink Enos. Dem., 252 .- Majority, 3.
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
Coroner :- W. S. Baker, Rep., 274; Peter Eckert, Dem., 238 .-- Majority, 36.
Court Commissioner :- James E. Child, Rep., 217; . John Brad- ish, Dem., 166; P. Brink Enos, Dem., 20 .- Majority over both, 31. Surveyor :- H. G. Mosher, Dem., (no opposition) 509
County Commissioner, one district :- W. G. Kennedy, Rep., 76; Wm. Byron, Dem., 69 .- Majority, 7.
THE FIRST PERMANENT NEWSPAPER.
As before mentioned, there were two newspapers, "The Waseca Home Views" and "The Waseca Courier," purporting to be edited and published in Wilton, but they were really side editions of other papers. The Courier was printed at Owatonna, Col. Ide, Republican, being the Wilton editor. The Home Views was printed at Faribault, Buel Welch, a Democrat, being editor.
The people of Wilton said they wanted a really home paper; so Hon. H. D. Baldwin, who held a chattel mortgage on the press and material of the Home Views plant, at Faribault, arranged to take the plant in satisfaction of the mortgage. He employed a man named James Mowatt, an Englishman by birth, to conduct the mechanical department, and arranged with the writer to edit and take charge of the business management of the paper. After some delay in getting the plant in working order, the first num- ber of the
WILTON WEEKLY NEWS
made its appearance. It was a six-column folio-Republican in politics. It is said that no paper ever flourished in a country town where the editor and the publisher are separate, neither having entire control. And so at the end of the year the writer purchased the plant and took entire control. It was three years before the plant paid expenses and four years before the pro- prietor received any income for his own services; but, then, he en- joved the excitement of the business and the struggle for success, and has never regretted the hard work that finally brought rea- sonable success. Under the chapter relating to "Journalism," a full account of newspaper enterprises in the county will be given "without hatred or affection."
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
A TERRIBLE STORM.
The last day of December, 1863, and the first two days of 1864 brought one of the most severe storms that have ever visited the county since its first settlement in August, 1854. The wind blew a gale. The air was filled with the tempest-driven snow, and the cold was intense. The temperature went as low as 34 degrees, in Wilton, and at St. Louis, Mo., and in Kentucky and Ohio, the thermometer registered as low as 24 degrees. On the last day of December the air was so filled with fine particles of frost and snow and driven with such force by the wind that objects a dozen feet distant could not be seen. It was almost impossible to face the wind for any distance Fortunately the storm arose in the night, and no one in this section was seriously injured.
CHAPTER XXXII, 1864.
INTENSE COLD-J. B. JACKSON, CHAIRMAN OF BOARD-REMOVAL OF THE WINNEBAGOES-SETTLEMENT OF FREEDOM AND ALTON-FINANCES OF COUNTY, ORDERS ISSUED AT NINETY CENTS ON THE DOLLAR-REMOVAL OF JUDGE ENOS-DRAFT FOR 500,000 MEN-BIG SOLDIER BOUNTIES-NEGROES AND THE WAR-EXTENSIVE MAIL ROBBERIES BETWEEN WILTON AND MANKATO-B. A. LOWELL STATE SENATOR.
The year 1864 opened with a terrible storm and most intense cold. The remainder of the winter was cold and at times stormy. Winter continued until the latter part of March, and very little seeding was done prior to the middle of April. The season as a whole was a dry one, but the state was blessed with abundant crops. The harvest weather was all that could be desired, and notwithstanding a scarcity of harvest hands, the crops were all saved in good shape.
COUNTY BOARD WORK.
At the annual meeting of county commissioners, held Jan. 5th, 1864, the board was organized by the election of J. B. Jackson, chairman. No business beyond the ordinary was trans- acted at this session, except that the county auditor's salary was raised from $450 per year to $500. Each commissioner dis- trict, at that time, had a school examiner appointed by the coun- ty board. The examiners appointed for 1864 were as follows: M. S. Green, of Iosco; B. A. Lowell of Otisco; and Eugene A. Smith, of Wilton. The last refused to serve and Rev. E. S. Smith was appointed in his place, Jan. 27th, 1864. During the legisla-
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
tive session of 1864, the office of county superintendent of sehools was created and made appointive by the county board; and on the 9th of March, 1864, Rev. E. S. Smith was appointed county superintendent of schools at the magnificent salary of $100 per year. At this March session another $100 was added to the county auditor's salary, making it $600 a year.
THE WINNEBAGO INDIAN RESERVATION.
As a result of the Indian outbreak in 1862, the Winnebago Indians were removed from their reservation in this state to a new reservation in Nebraska. In their reservation here there were included the townships now known as Freedom and Alton, and the west tier of sections of the townships of Wilton and St. Mary-the larger portion of their reservation being in Blue Earth county adjoining.
After the Indians were removed, the lands were sold to white men under sealed bids, the minimum price per acre, as the writer remembers it, being $2.50. The lands were taken very rapidly, and many farms were settled upon and improved in 1864.
At the meeting of the eounty board, March 9, 1864. a petition was received to have the new territory organized as a township with township officers, etc. The county board passed an order organizing townships 106 and 107, range 24. which provided that "the first election should be held at the house of Stephen Robin- son, situated at the place (then) known as Peddler's Grove, on the same day (April 5) and hour, in this year 1864, which the law provides for the town eleetions in organized towns: and that when so assembled for their town election, the electors shall elect a name by which both townships shall hereafter be known until such time as it shall be found that a sufficient number of inhabitants shall have settled in each or either to entitle them to a separate organization, and that when such separate organiza- tion shall take place, town No. 106 shall retain the name agreed upon at this, their first election."
There was quite a struggle regarding the name, but "Freedom,' was finally adopted. According to the history issued by the Union Publishing Company in 1887. Mr. F. D. Seaman had the casting vote, which selected the name, he being one of the com- mittee of three to decide on a name. At a special meeting of the
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
board in April, Ferdinand Turnacliff, of Wilton, and W. W. Cowles, of Janesville, were appointed appraisers of school lands for the county.
At a later meeting, April 30, the county board ordered the county attorney to notify all persons who were selling spiritu- ous liquors to take out license or stop selling liquor. There was something of a temperance revival at the time, and the board in- creased the license fee from $25 to $50, except for hotels, which were permitted to deal in liquors by paying a license fee of $15. Fifty dollars was at that time considered a very high license fee.
In the month of August, this year, two of the eounty commis- sioners resigned. John S. G. Honnor, of Iosco, removed to Red- wood Falls, and J. B. Jackson emigrated to MeLeod county, in this state. On the 15th of August, the appointing board, con- sisting of John C. Ide, county auditor, P. Brink Enos, judge of probate, and H. P. Norton, register of deeds, met and appointed Fred W. Kittredge, then of Okaman, and Hon. Warren Smith, of Wilton, to fill the vacancies. The new board met on the 22d of the same month and elected Mr. Smith chairman of the board.
The financial condition of the county can be judged by the fol- lowing which was adopted by the board, Sept. 23d :
"Be it ordered that the county auditor be authorized to settle with the parties holding tax certificates against lands illegally or irregularly is- sued, or on which taxes may have been paid and the same having been returned delinquent and sold, and to pay such parties in county orders at ninety cents on the dollar."
Early in the fall Judge Enos moved to Nebraska, and at the meeting of the county board, Dee. 2, it was "ordered that James E. Child be appointed judge of probate to fill the vacancy caused by the removal of P. Brink Enos, Esq."
THE WAR OF THE REBELLION.
Notwithstanding the victories of the Union forces during the year 1863, the Confederates with great courage and energy main- tained their warlike attitude and aggressive movements. On the first day of February, the president ordered a draft of 500,000 men, each locality being permitted to furnish its quota of men by enlistment. On the 15th of March came an added call for 200,000 more-700,000 in all. Every town beeame a
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
recruiting station. Town bounties for soldiers to fill town quotas ran high-from $100 to $500 in this county. All sections of the country were equally anxious to secure volunteers, and in some towns resort to the draft was unavoidable. Searcely had the first two calls for troops been filled before another half million men were ealled out. This third call was issued July 18th, 1864. And near the elose of the year, Dec. 19th, another draft was ordered for 300,000 men to fill the depleted ranks of the great Union ar- mies. As before noted, large bounties were offered by the sev- eral townships and hereulean efforts were put forth, especially after the fall eleetion, to fill the ranks and crush the Rebellion, which everyone then realized would soon be accomplished.
THE NEGROES AND THE WAR.
There was one condition of the public mind or existing preju- dice at the time that the writer could never fully understand. Up to the very elose of the Rebellion, many people at the North protested against the enlistment of negroes in the Union armies. While the rebels were using them to build fortifieations and roads, to serve as eooks and servants, to raise crops to support the rebels in the field; and while the negro slave was the in- noeent cause of the rebellion, and his personal liberty and rights depended wholly upon the success of the Union armies, never- theless many people in the North raised their hands in holy hor- ror at the mere suggestion that the negro should do some of the fighting in defense of those rights. We did not hesitate to use horses, mules, or asses in our military operations; we were will- ing to sacrifice our best blood, the flower of our youth and the strength of our noblest manhood, in defense of the nation, but the negro slave of the worst rebels that ever attempted the assas- sination of Liberty and Equal Rights in the world was too sacred to be enlisted to fight for his own personal liberty and those equal rights of all men, which Jefferson taught and the Revolu- tionary Fathers proclaimed to all nations and all men as the foundation principles upon which was builded our magnificent edifice. It was a fool prejudice that cost the nation rivers of blood and millions of treasure.
THE ELECTION OF 1864.
The presidential election was of absorbing interest. Union
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
men of both parties believed that the life of the nation hung in the balance. Over a million patriots were upon the battle fields far from their homes. They had made great sacrifices. Would they be sustained by the men at home at the ballot box ? Should the nation live or perish? The struggle was a memorable one and Abraham Lincoln and the "boys in blue" were sus- tained. Waseca county was carried by the Union forces by a good working majority. Hon. B. A. Lowell was elected state senator-the representatives of the district going to Freeborn and Steele counties. W. G. Kennedy, of St. Mary, was re-elected county commissioner, John S. MeKune, of Blooming Grove, and Rev. C. S. Luce, of Wilton township, being the other two mem- bers-all Union men. Col. J. C. Ide was again elected county auditor.
The eventful year closed with high hopes among the people of the North that 1865 would bring the end of the Slave-holders' Rebellion, and that before another Christmas the nation would be all free.
EXTENSIVE MAIL ROBBERIES.
For several weeks of the late summer and the fall months of 1864, there were frequent complaints that letters along the stage route between Mankato and Owatonna never reached their destination. Little was thought of the matter, however, until by mere accident a large number of letters, stolen from the mail sacks, were discovered at the Globe hotel at Wilton by Mr. Seth W. Long, who kept the stage house. As soon as he made the discovery, he informed James E. Child, who was then deputy United States provost marshal, of the county. Sheriff Whipple was also called in consultation and the letters were hastily exam- ined and listed. Mr. Child at once proceeded to the Winnebago agency and, calling upon the Indian agent and the postmaster, instituted a search about the hotel and the stage barn. Nearly two bushels of letters were found in the barn hidden in a par- tition boarded up on each side, the letters having been dropped in from time to time between the studding. Mr. Child then went on to Mankato and notified the postmaster there.
The abstracted letters were listed and examined as to their dates and postmarks, and it soon became apparent to the exam-
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
iners that the letters had all been stolen by one of the Burbank stage drivers. Every letter was evidently taken on alternating days by some one between Wilton and the Indian, or Winnebago, agency. Only two men drove stage between those points-a youngish man, called "Jimmie" Burns, and an older man known as "Pat". One or the other of these must have stolen the let- ters.
Taking the last letters stolen and tracing the record backward, it was quite evident that Jimmie or an accomplice was the guilty person; but to make sure that "no guilty man escape," the au- thorities arrested both the men. There was really no evidence against Pat. Yet the popularity of Jimmie Burns was such that for a time suspicion rested heavily upon the other mail carrier. At the examination, however, Pat was exonerated, and Jimmie was held for trial.
As is often the case, a very worthy and influential young lady was in love with the thief, and all her influence and the efforts of her friends were put forth to prevent his conviction. Able attorneys were employed and everything that a devoted young woman could say or do was done to save her thief-lover from conviction. She succeeded. But the stage company having ex- amined into the matter, had no further use for Jimmy.
Then it was that the rascal left for parts unknown and desert- ed the devoted girl that had saved him. From worry and disap- pointment or from some other cause, the young woman soon after fell ill and died-the victim of misplaced affection and con- fidence.
In all, over three bushels of the stolen letters were found, many of them having contained small amounts of money. It was esti- mated that nearly $200 had been stolen from the letters. Many drafts and checks were found and returned to the owners.
It was a sad case of miscarriage of justice, and shows that it is sometimes an easy matter to instill into the minds of a jury a "reasonable doubt" of the guilt of the guiltiest rascal on earth.
Jimmie Burns was a complete exemplification of Shakespeare's saying-
"That one may smile and smile, and be a villain."
CAPTER XXXIII, 1865.
COLLAPSE OF SOUTHERN REBELLION-ENO SHACKLES FOUND -LATE SPRING-ASSASSINATION OF LINCOLN-THE INDIANS AGAIN, MURDER OF THE JEWETT FAMILY -- JACK CAMPBELL, HALF-BREED HANGED-RETURN OF SOLDIERS-ELECTION OF 1865.
The year 1865 will go down the ages as the most noted in our history. It witnessed the collapse of the Southern Rebellion, the surrender of the Confederate armies, and the restoration of peace throughout the nation. And our citizen soldiery might well have said with the poet :
"Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths;
Our bruised arms hung up for monuments;
Our stern alarms changed to merry meetings; Our dreadful marches to delightful measures."
Our county commissioners met in annual session Jan. 11th, and organized by the election of W. G. Kennedy chairman. On the 12th it was "ordered that the license for retailing liquors in saloons or taverns, for the year 1865, in Waseca county, be $75 for each; and that N. E. Strong & Co. shall pay $10 for a license to retail liquors for medicinal purposes or as druggists." The county auditor's salary was increased to $700 per year at this meeting.
At the session of the board, March 31st, five dollars was appro- priated to be tendered to Buel Welsh, Esq., who had found and returned the shackles worn by the horsethief, Eno, while in jail. Eno had broken jail in 1863 and made his escape by the assist-
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
anee of outside parties. The shackles were found by Mr. Welsh while hunting one day in Otisco.
Here is a peculiar entry made by Auditor Ide. It is especially so as every member of the board, as well as himself, was a total abstinence man. It reads as follows :
"October 13th, 1865. Board met pursuant to adjournment. The board being full, proceeded to transact the following business."
The spring of 1865 was mueh later than usual. A very few sowed wheat the last week in March. Then the weather turned cold, and it was the middle of April before the majority could seed. In fact, it was a cold, baekward spring.
VICTORY AND PEACE AT LAST.
The first week in April the whole country was made joyous by the glorious announcement that the Union armies had triumphed, and that peace was at hand. No words at the command of the writer could give utteranee to the unfeigned emotions of joy and hope and thankfulness which took possession of the loyal millions of the land. Even the Copperheads and the Secessionists were glad that brave men would no longer be ealled upon to sacrifice their lives in the eamp and upon the battlefield.
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