USA > Minnesota > Brown County > History of Brown County, Minnesota: Its People, Industries and Institutions (Volume 1) > Part 10
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The different tribes went to the agency early to demand their pay. The agents told them they would receive their money, but did not know when, which caused great dissatis- faction among the Indians. In the course of time from five to six thousand were gathered there. All were full of fear and mistrust lest they might not receive their money. Their want was so great that many died of hunger, others lived on roots and raw corn. Reports were circulated by some of the whites that the government was becoming weaker day by day, and messengers began to go from one tribe to another planning the possibility and success of a revolt. The older and more intelligent among them were opposed to it; but the hot-headed, and especially the younger warriors, formed themselves into a secret society called "Soldiers' Lodge."
This secret society, established early in July, had for its object to oppose the traders and to prevent them from get-
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ting their money, and in case of necessity to defend their rights by force. The chiefs, although informed of this or- ganization, did not dare oppose it. They well understood the dangers connected with it, since these young warriors numbered from five to six thousand; and the chiefs were even suspected of being in league with the officers of the government for suppressing and swindling their people. The traders soon learned about the Soldiers' Lodge and its object, and when the Indians wanted to buy something from them on credit, they were told to go to the Soldiers' Lodge. The Indians, compelled to ask for credit on account of their extreme need, would answer the traders: "If we could, like our women, give ourselves up to you, we could get all the credit we ask for; but since we are men we cannot."
FIRST ACT OF VIOLENCE.
And thus did bitterness increase during 1862. Those who were suspected of informing the traders and others of the doings of the society were severely persecuted, and some of them killed. Their first act of violence was committed on August 4, 1862. The time for payment was up in July. The want among the assembled tribes was alarmingly on the increase. Some of them had already devoured their own ponies and dogs. Six children had died of starvation with- in three days. Agent Galbraith traveled from one agency to another in order to pacify them; and sometimes distrib- uted provisions, tobacco, powder and lead. But that was not sufficient to quiet the uneasiness caused by the delay of their pay. Early in the morning of the 4th of August, some five hundred and fifty young warriors, mostly members of
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Soldiers' Lodge, forced an entrance into the warehouse, tore down the American flag and took over one hundred and fifty sacks of flour before any resistance was offered, which could have been done, since there were one hundred well- armed soldiers with two heavy cannons near by. The sol- diers entered the warehouse and took possession of it whilst the Indians stood around with loaded rifles. But when the agent promised to furnish them with pork, rice and flour the following day, they did not attempt any further disturbance.
The fact that not one of the warriors was punished for this serious breach of the peace made them bold and daring; and the more so when they saw the able men among the whites leave for the South at their country's call on the 13th, 14th and 15th of August. On the 18th of August, at eight o'clock a. m., they left New Ulm under Lieutenant Culver and Sergeant McGrew, as "Keyville Rangers," and on the same day the Indians broke out.
The time was now at hand which was to give the two Germans who had been murdered some time before numer- ous companions. A man named Brand had been put to death on the banks of the Little Cottonwood, six miles south of New Ulm, in the spring of 1857, and his body was found in the brush near some Indian tepees. John B. Schmitz wanted to settle on the reservation ten miles west of New Ulm, but on the 27th of April, 1860, while digging a cellar, he was treacherously shot and killed.
The murderer, a Sioux, was imprisoned at New Ulm. During the trial in the court-room a heavy chain was at- tached to his feet, and he was well guarded. At a necessary call he desired to leave the room. Constable Charles Seeler obtained the assistance of his deputy, Doctor Blecken, a re-
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nowned physician who was at one time a Lutheran minister, but later a preacher at a free church; he was also one of the founders of New Ulm. To guard against any possible acci- dent, a third deputy was called into service. But man pro- posed, and, in this instance, the Indian disposed. So soon as he was in the open air he managed to shake off his fetters, and with the swiftness of a deer the stalwart form of the Indian disappeared from before their astonished gaze. The three officers of the law, on account of the sudden and un- expected disappearance of their prisoner, were so stunned that they did not as much as remember their revolvers, which were left untouched in the official pockets. It was just at dusk and the Indian did not return. The trial was over. Such murders and the escape of the guilty ones caused much alarm in the country.
About the middle of August, 1862, Mail-carrier Miles was met by the Indians some two miles south of the Lower Agency and led out of his way across the prairie, because they were holding a secret meeting in a ravine on the bank of the river, where he would have observed them. A few days previous to this Miles noticed some newly-cut signs on the trees, apparently of great importance. About the same time friendly Indians warned the settlers of the approach- ing dangers, saying: "Pakat-shif" (go away) and "Nip- po" (to kill). They also made signs with their hands which the whites did not want to understand or believe. A week or so before the outbreak, a number of gaudily dressed and decorated Indians held in the town of New Ulm those wild dances, which are always forebodings of evil. Their toma- hawks and scalping knives were sharpened. The cause of the outbreak was evidently the neglect of a prompt fulfill-
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ment of duty on the part of the government officials, the extreme need of the Indians and delay of their annual pay. They were to receive their money in gold coin. The govern- ment sent the money promptly to St. Paul where it remained for a long time; but the officials in whose hands it had been placed, exchanged it for paper money at a great premium, in opposition to the loud protests of the officials at the Sioux money for distribution among the Indians they sent cur- rency instead of coin, as was stipulated. The Indians not being accustomed to handle paper money, became greatly enraged so that the agents finally concluded to exchange it for gold. This, of course, caused a great loss, the premium being then very high. But they were little concerned about this, for they intended to make the Indians pay the discount. They soon found out, however, that they had been calculat- ing without consulting the party most deeply interested in the transaction.
The anger of the Indians increased. They did not wait till the agent at St. Paul could make the necessary exchange (which required considerable time), but rose up everywhere and gave free scope to their sorely pent-up feelings of re- venge. A settlement as sudden as it was violent, not in gold but in blood, was to balance the unjust accounts which had hitherto been kept between a civilized and a savage people. Suddenly and violently did the sword of vengeance fall upon the heads of those who would not believe that such could happen, even in the face of fire and sword. A proud trader named Myrick was much hated among the Indians, and they appeared in front of his store and said: "You have told us you would not give us anything on credit, though we were compelled to eat hay and verdure, or starve, during the
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winter. Now, then, be careful not to take water or wood from our reservation."
Myrick answered: "All right; but if you are cold, and want to warm yourselves at my stove, I will put you out of my house."
They had told the same to other traders and had re- ceived about the same answer. This was just before the outbreak.
PILLAGING LEADS TO MURDER.
The more friendly chiefs were no longer able to prevent the young warriors, especially the members of the Soldiers' Lodge, from committing acts of violence. August 17 some twenty Indians went from the Lower Agency to Forest City, on a deer hunt. The chief, Wah-pe-yah-we-tah, separated himself with four Indians from the others. They originally belonged to the Upper Agency, but were connected with the Shakopees band and had a hard name. About six miles out of Acton, and thirty miles from the agency, one of the In- dians found a hen's nest, with eggs, in the field. He took one and advised others to take the rest. But one of the four said: "They are the eggs of a tame bird and they belong to a white man. You must not touch them."
"Nonsense," said the other, "they are not worth any- thing. We are hungry and we are justified in taking them."
"No," responded the latter, "they do not belong to us. It is wrong to take them; we will get into trouble with the paleface."
"Oh," said the former, "you are very virtuous. You Rice Creek Indians talk much against the whites, but you
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dare not take a few miserable eggs. I am not afraid of you miserable fools!"
"You must not talk about the paleface," said the other, "because he is not present. Vilify me, for I am here and am not afraid of your violent talk."
"To the devil with you and you eggs!" was the reply more vigorous than elegant; and down came the eggs.
"That is a very brave deed," said his companion, mock- ingly, "to destroy a few hen's eggs. You are a coward !"
The quarrel became more earnest and more bitter as they went on. All at once they spied a heifer, and the one who had broken the eggs cried out: "You say I am a coward. I am so courageous and fear the palefaces so little that I will kill one of their heifers. Look here !"
He leveled his rifle and shot the heifer.
"You call that bravery ?" said the other. "I call it a cowardly act. You destroy eggs and kill an ox. You are a woman. I am a brave man and know what bravery is. I was in the war with the Chippewas and have taken scalps."
And thus they quarreled for a while longer till it nearly came to a fight, when the others stepped in and said:
"Since we cannot agree, we will part and take different roads. You will find out whether we are cowardly or brave. We will kill a paleface." And they separated. Soon after that they heard shots, and believing that those who had separated from them had killed some of the settlers, they thought they would do the same, so as not to appear to be cowards before the others. They, however, disagreed again. They passed a vacant house, but when they came to the next, the home of R. Jones, they went in. They soon began to quarrel with him about some eatables and a gun. Jones
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drove them away, and they entered another house which was the home of Howard Baker, Jones's son-in-law. There were two strangers with Baker (Mr. Webster and his wife), who had just arrived from Wisconsin with the intention of settling in that neighborhood.
The Indians asked for water and tobacco, which were given them. They were very quiet until Jones and his wife, who came to pay their daughter-in-law a visit, arrived. The quarrel between Jones and one of the Indians was re- newed. Mrs. Baker asked her mother if she had given the Indians any whisky, to which she replied: "No, we have no whisky for such black devils as these."
The Indians seemed to have understood the answer, judging from their sudden excitement. Mrs. Webster re- quested Mrs. Jones to drop the matter. The Indians, how- ever, were now ready for their deadly work. Jones was trying to sell Baker's gun to one of the Indians. The latter asked Jones to shoot and try the gun, probably with the intention of leaving an empty gun in his hands. Jones was willing to comply with this request, and remarked that he was not afraid to shoot with any of the cursed redskins. Webster did not want to do any shooting, although he had a gun. One of the Indians said that something was wrong with the hammer of his gun, and asked him to take his off and lend it to him. After the shooting was over the Indians reloaded their guns, but Jones and Baker neglected to re- load theirs. Meanwhile one of the Indians had gone toward Forest City to find out whether there were any whites in the neighborhood. When he returned, the four Indians con- sulted together and acted as if they wanted to leave. Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Baker stood on the door-steps. Suddenly
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the Indians turned around, and one of them leveled his gun at Mrs. Baker. Her husband noticing this, threw himself at once between his wife and the Indian and received the deadly bullet. At the same moment Jones, Webster and Mrs. Jones were shot. When Mrs. Baker, who held a child on her arm, saw her husband drop dead, she fainted and fell backward into the cellar, the door of which was open, and thus escaped death herself. Jones's children were also in the house, but were not noticed.
The Indians then returned to Jones's house and killed and scalped a girl. Her brother, who was lying on a bed, saw it, but did not venture to stir. Mrs. Webster hid in a covered wagon and escaped. After the Indians had left Baker's house Mrs. Baker came out of the cellar, and, with the assistance of Mrs. Webster, who came out of the wagon placed pillows under the heads of the wounded. The situa- tion of these poor women was deplorable. Their fright and despair, their loneliness and uncertainty of what the next moment might have in store for them, were intensified by the groans of the dying men. Jones, a strong and heavily built man, of extraordinary height, dark complexion, dark hair and beard, with a keen eye, was the very ideal of a cavalry officer. His strong constitution wrestled with death. In his agony he filled his mouth with dust, and, with his heels, dug deep holes in the ground, begging his wife to fly with the child. But she stayed with him until he died, and then fled into the woods.
During this fearful scene a white man passed by, who, being requested by the women to help them, laughed and said: "They have only the nose-bleed, the Indians will soon come and finish them." The two women, on going
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toward the woods, entered the house of a Norwegian. They found only a boy at home, and they sent him at once to Ft. Ridgely with the terrible news. But the officers had so little faith in the boy's story that they waited a considerable time before sending a messenger to Forest City, where Captain Whitcomb had his recruits. Twelve mounted men were im- mediately dispatched to Acton, which they reached about dusk. Having placed a wagon-box over Jones's body, to conceal it from the danger of mutilation, they did not dis- turb the others till the next morning.
The report of the terrible tragedy soon spread abroad and a large crowd gathered at the place to view the remains. Meanwhile, the Indians who had separated themselves from their criminal companions and were as yet ignorant of the crime, came within sight of the place. When they saw what had happened there they fled with great speed across the swamp. The whites did not dare to follow them; but one bold man from Forest City pursued them and sent his bul- lets after them. One of the Indians jumped from his pony and shot back, but soon joined his companions again.
TARDY ACTION BY THE GOVERNMENT.
These murders and the circumstances connected with them began to open the eyes of the whites as to their dan- gerous surroundings. Many of the Indians were now bolder and more defiant than ever. Fourteen of them had on the Sunday previous sharpened their knives and cleaned their rifles at a place five miles from Acton. It was therefore deemed absolutely necessary to send a messenger to the gov- ernor of the state, who soon reached St. Paul; but his story
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was not believed. The four Indians who had committed the crime at Acton went to Eckland's farm, near Elizabeth lake, and stole two horses, and with these drove as speedily as possible to the camp of Chief Shakopee, which they reached before dawn of the 18th of August. Sunday, August 17, was, therefore, the day which marked the beginning of those awful deeds of blood through which Minnesota was suddenly made so sadly famous.
There are those who think that when the four criminals related to their friends and relatives what they had done at Acton, the majority were of the opinion that the oppor- tune time for a general butchery among palefaces had come; and in case this was not done they would have to bear the consequences of the crime already committed, but the fact that during the afternoon of this memorable Sunday a great council was held on Rice creek, to which Indians had come a distance of forty miles, is sufficient evidence that this the- ory is false. The tragedy and this council took place about the same time, and the Indians who gathered there had no knowledge of the crime. It is also evident that this meeting had something to do with the outbreak; for at dusk-that is, soon after the meeting-the Indians appeared in war cos- tume, their bodies painted and decorated with feathers, and half naked, mounted on their ponies, were galloping across the prairies from tribe to tribe to give the signal which was to be so fearful in its results for the poor settlers who had ventured to establish a home near the hunting grounds of the revengeful Indians.
The outbreak was well planned throughout. The sav- ages had become so bold about that time that the officers and soldiers who went from New Ulm to Ft. Ridgely on the 17th
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of August remarked that something must be going on, and that it would be well to get ready for them.
A "draft" was about this time being ordered all over the United States to replace the soldiers who had died on Southern battle-fields. The young settlement at New Ulm and vicinity sent her best men for the maintenance of the Union, never suspecting that a cruel and more formidable enemy than the rebel of the South was at her very doors. On Monday, August 18, 1862, a number of citizens of New Ulm went toward the Lower Agency to a hall, about six miles from New Ulm, to be drafted.
The place belonged to A. Henle. They were accom- panied by a band of music. Henle's place was located south of the Minnesota on the edge of the prairie and hard by the road which runs along the edge of the forest. When the company from New Ulm had nearly reached Henle's house the joyful strains of music were suddenly changed into pro- found sorrow and wailing. A few hundred steps from the place is a ravine which carried the waters of the prairie through the forest to the Minnesota river. The entrance to the ravine is thickly covered with timber close up to the bridge which spans it. When the teams approached this bridge several shots were fired from the ravine by Indians who had been lying in wait for them. Three of the company fell dead-John Schneider, Julius Fenske and A. Diederich. A man named Haupt lost one of his eyes, and another named Steinle was mortally wounded and died near Belleplaine on his way to St. Paul. The first two teams were captured by the Indians. Those who could, fled across the prairie. The other teams were quickly turned and driven in all haste
(II)
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back to New Ulm. This took place between eleven and twelve o'clock a. m. It was impossible for them to offer resistance, not one of them being armed. While the shoot- ing was going on, those in the rear of the train were in the act of picking up Joseph Messner, who but a few minutes before had been wounded by the Indians and had not been noticed by the others at the time. Besides other fatal wounds inflicted on him, they had cut off one of his arms and one of his ears. He was brought back to town, but he died after suffering great agony for twenty-four hours.
Just then three well-armed men arrived from Garden City. They had heard rumors there about a massacre, but they believed them to have been originated by a few drunken men. When they were shown the mutilated body of Joseph Messner they began to think differently.
BEGINNING OF THE MASSACRE.
The beginning of the massacre was made at the home of Mr. Massapust, Bohemian immigrants. Their house was located on the road between New Ulm and the Lower Agency, and was first reached by the Indians who came from there. Like blood-thirsty tigers they soon covered the whole settlement, so the attack on the different families happened at almost the same time, thus one neighbor could not warn another. At Massapust's place father, mother and two daughters were massacred in a most cruel manner, the two latter having suffered the most horrible and shameful out- rages at the hands of the Indian warriors. Only one boy, eight years old, fled and was saved. According to reports he was murdered by the Sioux several years later, having
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killed a number of Indians, which he vowed to do as an act of revenge for the death of his family. Massapust's house was located near the Henle place, eight miles out of New Ulm.
OTHER BLOODY DEEDS.
Caroline (Zicher) Stocker, wife of Joseph Stocker, from Erbach, Wurtemberg, was lying sick when the Indians reached her house. She had always been kind to them, and properly thought that they might spare her. But, no; she was unmercifully shot in her bed, and her body burnt with the house. Her husband fled with the ten-year-old Cecilia Ochs into the cellar. The Indians fastened the door and set the house on fire. In their despair the two prisoners opened with a shingle a place under the sill of the burning building and escaped into the woods without being noticed by the savages.
Florian Hartman and one Rohner, a Swiss, who was working for him, were shot in the field on the same day. The mother of Carl Pelzl, the parents of Louis Thilling and one Haag, were also killed in the same neighborhood. Pelzl's father was seriously wounded and died later. All these families lived in the same district, six to eight miles north- west from New Ulm. Only a few from this settlement made their escape. Among those were Athanasius Henle, who had received timely warning and fled with his wife and children on horseback through the woods and across the Minnesota river. The families of Casimer and Ochs, and Conrad Zeller, also escaped.
The panic among the settlers, their helpless condition, fright and despair cannot be described. The prairie was
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covered with men on horseback, carrying the terrible news from house to house, and cries of fear and woe were rending the air. The most necessary articles of furniture that could be easily carried were picked up, and the dear home was deserted, and everybody hurried to the town of New Ulm, their eyes continually wandering over the prairies in quest of the dreadful enemy. Some did not even take time to get their teams or anything else in order. Others, intent only upon saving their lives, fled as soon as they heard the rifle shots and saw columns of fire.
Toward the evening of August 18, a perfect stream of fugitives began to pour into New Ulm. The excitement was greatly increased at the sight of the mutilated bodies that were brought into town from Milford (Henle's settlement). There could be no longer any doubt about the approaching danger. The cry: "Fly, for the Indians have gone on the war-path!" now had a terrible meaning to the minds of the settlers. New Ulm, Ft. Ridgely, and, further down, Man- kato and St. Peter were the desired places of refuge for the settlers. Since Ft. Ridgely was soon surrounded by the Indians, and Mankato and St. Peter were too distant (these places lie from twenty-eight to thirty miles east), New Ulm had to shelter most of the fugitives.
At two o'clock in the afternoon of August 18, Jacob .
Nix reached Pfaender's place on the road from Ft. Ridgely to New Ulm, where he notified the wife and children of the outbreak. Pfaender was at that time amid the scenes of war in the South. They would not believe the report until Nix began to put the children and some of the bedding into his wagon, assuring the poor woman that the Indians might be upon them at any moment. Having a good team of
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