USA > Minnesota > Dakota County > History of Dakota County and the City of Hastings, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota > Part 44
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Recruit-Wm. Plummer, must. March 80, '64, died May 19, '64, on march from Fort Snelling to Sioux City.
COMPANY D, MUSTERED JULY 5, 1864. Captain-Ara Barton, dis. with company.
Com. Sergeant-Frederick Hyde, dis. per or- der, March 25, '66.
Corporals-Richard B. Morrill, pro. sergt, dis. with company. Zebina Lambert, died March 27, '64, at Fort Snelling.
Blacksmith-Abram Town, dis. for disab'y.
Privates-Josiah R. Brooks, dis. for disab'y. Ephraim P. Brooks, dis. with company. Edward Bluett, dis. for disab'y. Henry D. Child, dis. for disab'y. George Foster, dis. with com- pany. James E. Jenkins, dis. with company. Silas Mills, dis. with company. Robert Parker, dis. with company. George W. Radabough, dis. with company. Simon B. Speann, dis. with company. Edward R. Steel, dis. with company. Ira S. Shepard, dis. with company. Oliver Waite, dis. with company. Edward Wheeler, dis. with company.
Recruits-John Clementson, must. April 14, '64; dis. with company. John M. Hayson, must. April 14, '64; dis. with company.
INDEPENDENT BATTALION, CAVALRY.
Organized July 20th, 1867, and originally com- manded by Major E. A. C. Hatch of St. Paul. Ordered to Pembina, D. T., in October, 1863. Ordered to Fort Abercrombie, D. T. in May, 1864, and stationed there until mustered out. Mustered out by companies from April to June, 1866. Of the original field and staff officers only one was from Dakota county, viz .: John L. Arm- ington, assistant surgeon, dis. in March, 1864. Charles P. Adams, was appointed major, June 8th, 1864, and promoted lieutenant-colonel Sep- tember 5th, 1864, and having command of the
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battalion. Companies C and F were officered by Dakota county men, Company F, being composed almost entirely of men from this county.
COMPANY A, MUSTERED JULY 25, 1863.
Saddler-Dennis Shorelin, dis. with company. Privates-James Cannon, dis. with company. John McDonald, dis. with company. William Mathews, dis. with company.
COMPANY B, MUSTERED AUGUST 10, 1863.
Prirates-Charles D. Maybee, died March 30, '64, at Pembina, D. T. Peter Sherburne, dis. by civil authorities, September 9, '63.
COMPANY C, MUSTERED SEPTEMBER 11, 1863.
Captain-Abel Grovenor, res'd December 29, '65.
First Lieutenant-Charles W. Nash, pro. capt. and ass't quarterm'r, May 30, '65.
First Sergeant-Frank M. Langley, pro. first lieut., dis. with company.
Third Sergeant-N. C. Van Valkenburg, dis. with company.
Corporals-Richard Wilkinson, dis. for disab'y January 14, '65. William H. Case, pro. serg't; dis. with company.
Musician-Henry D. Mccrary, des'd July 12, '64.
Wagoner-Michael Huard, dis. with company.
Privates-J. H. H. Behrman, dis. with com- pany. Cyrus B. Harding, pro. Corp., dis. with company. Charles C. Hare, pro. Corp., Sergt., dis. with company. Samuel W. Hatch, died June 3, '65. Edward McGrath, dis. with com- pany. Augustus F. Panchot, dis. with company. Seneca Richmond, dis. with company. William Richardson, dis. with company. Charles Sherd, dis. with company. Noel B. Smith, dis. with company. Job Van Valkenburg, dis. with com- pany.
Recruits-C. M. B. Hatch, must. March 2, '64, dis. with company. John Krapps, must. March 2, '64, dis. with company. John Nelson, must. March 7, '64, dis. with company. Thomas Fos- ter, must. March 22, '64, dis. with comp. John T. Liddle, must. April 1, '64, dis. for disabl. July 3, '65. Isaac Gibbs, must. April 1, '64, dis. with company.
. COMPANY D, MUSTERED NOV. 19, 1868.
Corporal-Thomas Le Blanc, dis. per order, May 3, '65.
Musician-Edward Ramoille, dis. with com- pany.
Private-Michael Carland, died May 18, '64, at Fort Abercrombie, Dakota Territory.
COMPANY F, DISCHARGED APRIL 26, 1866.
Captain -- Edward Oakford, must. Sept. 1, '64, dis. with company.
First Lieutenant-Edward Dampier, must. Sept. 1, '64, dis. with company.
Second Lieutenant-Frank J. Mead, must. Sept. 1, '64, dis. per order March 5, '66.
First Sergeant-Francis M. Bissell, must. Aug. 16, '64, dis. with company.
Q. M. Sergeant-George W. Cadwell, must. Aug. 30, '64, dis. with company.
Commissary Sergeant-Henry C. Knapp, must. August 8, '64, died July 30, '65, at Fort Snelling,
Sergeants-Gideon Akers, must. Aug. 18, '64. dis. with company. Francis Case, must. Aug. 10, '64, drowned Oct. 31, '64, at Hastings. Charles Jones, must. Aug. 18, '64, dis. with com- pany. Walter K. Bowker, must. Aug. 18, '64, dis. with company. Delos Baker, must. Aug. 8, '64, dis. for disabl. March 29, '65.
Corporals-John Edwards, must. Aug. 19, '64, des't. Dec. 28, '65. Isaac Lytle, must. Aug. 8, '64, pro. sergt., dis. with company. Wilson Plummer, must. Aug. 13, '64, pro. Sergt., dis. with com- pany. Matthew H. Arnold, must. Aug. 20, '64, dis. per order, July 13, '65. James Caine, must. Aug. 26, '64, dis. with company. James Weston, must. Aug. 8, 64, dis. with company. Charles J. Drebble, must. Aug. 19, '64, red'd, dis. with company. Absalom Smith, must. Aug. 8, '64, dis. with company,
Musician-William H. Cox, must. Aug. 17, '64 pro. Sergt., dis. with company.
Farrier-William Senescall, must. Aug. 8, '64, with company.
Blacksmith-George W. Kelley. must. Aug. 13, 64, dis. with company.
Saddler-John Hartig, must. Aug. 22, '64, dis. with company.
Wagoner-Thomas Gee, must. Aug. 8, '64, dis. with company.
Privates-Alfred HI. Akers, must. August 8,
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FIRST REGIMENT HEAVY ARTILLERY.
'64, dis. with company. Rudolph Asebka. must. August 15, '64, dis. per order, July 15, '65. Abel Bacon, must. August 13, '64, dis. with company. Alonzo Bell, mustered August 12, '64, dis. with company. Charles K. Bucknam, must. August 17, '64, pro. corp. dis. with company. Jerome E. Bennett, must. August 13, '64, dis. for disab'y December 10, '64. Ambrose D. Cole, must Au- gust 22, '64, dis. with company. George Cook, must. August 18, '64, dis. with company. Horace Dresser, must. August 16, '64, dis, for disab'y, May 29, '66. Reuben Freeman, must. August 22, '64, dis. for disab'y April 1, '65. Patrick Gillam, must. August 18, '64, dis. with company. Samuel Hollet, must. August 18, '64, dis. with company. William Hollet, must. August 18, '64. dis. with company. John Johnson, must. Au- gust 15, '64, dis. with company. Barney Judge, must. August 12, '64, pro. corp., dis. with com- pany. Freeman Knight, must. August 22, '64, dis. with company. James M. Kennerson, must. August 13, '64, dis. for disab'y December 10, '64. Byron M. Knight, must. August 15, '64, dis. for disab'y, December 10, '64. John Mattin, must. August 13, '64, dis. with company. John Mee- han, must. August 19, '64, dis. with company. Alanson S. Morse, must. August 20, '64, pro. corp., dis. with company. James O'Brien, must. August 19, '64, dis. with company. Griffin Phelps, must. August 30, '64, dis. with company. James W. Pool, must. August 13, '64, dis. with company. Jacob Rhodes, must. August 26, '64, dis. for disab'y Dec. 28, '64. Jno. Riley, must. Aug. 26, '64, dis. with company. Geo. B. Shoepf, must. August 15, '64, dis. with company. Jobn Stras- well, must. August 13, '64, dis. with company. David Shatto, must. August 19. '64, dis. with company. David Shavour, must. August 19, '64, dis. with company. Hulver Sjolee, must. Au- gust 22, '64, died October 19, '65, at Fort Snelling. James Sperry, must. August 9, '64, dis. with company. Hiram Shadding, must. August 13, '64, dis. for disab'y January 14, '65. George Stanley, must. August 13, '64, dis.with company. John B. Scott, must. August 10, '64, died March 3, '65, at Hastings. David Valentine, must. August 18, '64, dis. with company. Thomas Van Doren, must. August 18, '64, pro. corp., dis. with company. Charles Warren, must. August 29, '64, dis. with company.
Recruits-Coleman Bennett, must. February 17, '65, dis. on ex. of term, February 12, '66. William S. Hardick, must. February 17, '65, dis. on ex. of term, February 13, '66. Edward Lavocat, must. February 17, '65, dis. on ex. of term, February 10, '66. John N. Lester, must. February 17, '65, dis. on ex. of term, February 12. '66.
THE FIRST COMPANY SHARPSHOOTERS, MIN- NESOTA VOLUNTEERS.
Recruit-George Palmer, must. April 2, '64, no record.
FIRST REGIMENT HEAVY ARTILLERY.
This regiment was organized in April, 1865, and originally commanded by Colonel William Colville, of Red Wing; ordered to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and stationed at that point until must- er out of regiment, in September, 1865.
COMPANY A.
Prirates-Jas. Abbott, must. Sept. 16, '64, dis. with company. Joseph A. Blew, must. Sept. 17, '64, dis. with company. James T. Fahy, must. Sept. 17, '64, dis. with company.
COMPANY B.
Corporal-Benjamin F. Mabee, must. Sept. 23, '64, dis. with company.
Privates-Alvin Phelps, must. Sept. 22, '64, dis. with company. Orion A. Phelps, must. Sept. 20, '64. dis. with company.
COMPANY H.
Corporal-James Lockwood, must. Feb. 15, '65, dis. with company.
Privates-Joseph H. Mallory, must. Feb. 8, '65, dis. per order, May 16, 1865. Garrick Mallory, must. Feb. 8, '55, dis. with company. Thomas J. Redican, must. Feb. 10, '65, pro. Corp., dis. with company.
COMPANY I.
Senior First Lieutenant-Eben B. Higgins, must. Feb. 20, '65. dis. with company.
Junior First Lieutenant-James Wescott, must. Feb. 23, '65, dis. with company.
Sergeants-Andrew Cahill, must. Feb. 18, '65, dis. with company. James W. Roath, must. Feb. 3, '65, dis. with company.
Privates-John W. Bodger, must. Feb. 13, '65, dis. with company. John Railer, must. Feb. 16,
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'65, dis. with company. William Cooke, must. Feb. 13, '65, dis. with company. George A. Dixon, must. Feb. 13, '65, dis. with company. Culver Hubbard, must. Feb. 18, '65, dis. with company, Patrick Hefferman, must. Feb. 13, '65, dis. with comp'y. Charles Hetherington, must. Feb. 16, '65, dis. with company. David Haines, must. Feb. 4, '65, dis. with company, William H. Lyon, must. Feb. 16, '65, dis. with company. William More, must. Feb. 13, '65, dis. with company. Charles D. Scarborough, must. Feb. 13, '65, dis.
with company. Samuel P. Sidwell, must. Feb. 15, '65, dis. with company. John Teachout, must. Feb. 10, '65, dis. per order, Aug. 17, '65. Au- gustus A. Welch, must. Feb. 13, '65, dis. with company. Myron Whitaker, must. Feb. 13, '65, dis. with company. James R. Wilson, must. Feb. 9, '65, dis. per order, July 13, '65.
THIRD BATTERY LIGHT ARTILLERY.
Private-William McCollum, must. April 1, '64, dis. with battery.
CITY OF HASTINGS.
CHAPTER XLI.
EARLY DENIZENS AND EARLY NAMES.
To the inhabitants of the present day, even to one who has been a witness to its rapid growth, and been an actor in the scenes and events, which it becomes our task to chronicle, it seems like an unreal dream, that the site of the present city of Hastings was, but a few short years ago, a wilder- ness. A wilderness, uninhabited save as the roving savage, journeying between the villages on the Mississippi, above and below, or to those westward, on the Minnesota, pitched here for a few short hours at most, his tentless camp in summer, or in winter, his buffalo tepee.
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There was a trail much traversed by the Indians running from Wabashaw's village northward, crossing the Vermillion river, near the falls, and thence threading in and out among the little lakes on the prairies, to Black Dog's village on the Minnesota. Other trails diverged form this main one, in various directions.
The Indians, though having no village at "O-wo-bop-te," often visited the Vermillion river on fishing excursions, and from the higher lands in the vicinity, laid in their winter's store of "tip- sinna."
"O-wo-bop-te" was their designation, for the country about the falls of the Vermillion, and in- cluded all that is now within the Hastings city limits.
"Oh-wo-bop-te means, when translated, "the place where they dig tipsinna."
The tipsinna, or Dakotah turnip, is a not un- familiar vegetable. It grows only in high and dry ground, seeking the gravelly hills, where it will increase in size with each summer, that passes over it. The root is roundish or oval, and has a thick, hard rind, which the Indians usually remove with their teeth. In the months of June and July, when the top can be easily discovered in the grass, the Indians of the upper Minnesota are said to depend much on the tipsinna for their subsistence. One Picot, introduced it into France not many years since, whence the savans of Paris, bestowed upon it the name of "Picotianna."
"O-wo-bop-te," or the place where they dig tip- sinna, remains the Sioux name for Hastings, to this day.
To invent a name for what is now the Ver- million river, the Indians had only to add their word for river, to "O-wo-bop-te" and the com- pound, "O-wo-bop-te-Wak-pah-da" was the re- sult. Still further, as a name for the falls of the
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Vermillion river, they had only to add "Ha-ha," the general word for falls, in their language, to the above compound, and the result was "O-wo- bop-te-Wak-pah-da-Ha-ha." A compound musi- cal as well as logical, though possessing neither merits of brevity nor the easiest pronunciation.
These designations, long current among the Sioux, however it may have been among the Chippewas, still exist, and first came to light far west of the localities to which they were applied although they have since been confirmed nearer home.
"O-wo-bop-te" was never, in the later years, a favorite place of resort with. the Indians, and, however it may have been previously, there was an element of dread in their later visits to this point. Lake Isabel was known to them as lake "Mato-waukan," from " Mato" bear, and "Wau_ kan," supernatural or spirit. It was thus called the lake of the spirit "Bear," because, as they maintained, the woods at its lower end, near Ver- million slough, was haunted by the ghost of a sort of monstrous grizzly bear; and that whoever ven- tured to, or very near those woods, became the prey of this terrible shape. An early settler suggests that the bear may have been a reality, and possibly of the description known as grizzly; hence a fit subject to inspire terror, especially if one or two Indians had lost their lives, in hunt- ing it.
The more probable, and doubtless the correct origin of the name is found in the proximi- ty of the Chippewas. Their country, on the St. Croix, was near by and the woods near the lake of the "Spirit Bear" afforded an excellent opportunity to ambush the passing Sioux. Of he actors in this tragic drama, which undoubted- ly was sometimes enacted, the Chippewa was the bear and the spirit was that which ascended from his ancient and hereditary foeman, whom he had slain.
The narrowness of the Mississippi at this point is also known to have deterred the Sioux from much sojourning here. They were ever more suspicious of the wily Chippewa in this vicinity, and always approached the water's edge. in an- ticipation of being received by a singing bullet, sent from the opposite shore.
This may account for their not locating a vil- lage here, of their own, as they otherwise might
naturally be expected to have done, if they were really so impressed with the beauty and advantages of the situation, as they afterwards averred that they were, to the white man. Indeed, if credit may . be given an "old settler," the Indians have an un- erring and mysterious "instinct" whereby they can locate inevitably the future site of cities, far in advance of any approaching wave of civiliza- tion; and it is to this "instinct," or to the results of it, as (to them) communicated by the friendly savage, that the first proprietors of the town site of Hastings, owed their early ownership.
Such is the influence of the red man over the white. He has ever transferred to him, something of his wild and imaginative characteristics, and in the event of a long residence together, has sometimes rendered the white almost as super- stitious and unquestioning as himself. One would not need to journey far, even at this day, to find a few firm believers, in the possession, by the Indians, of the quality, or instinct, above al- luded to.
Although, "O-wo-bop-te" was not so far as is known, a favorite resort with the Sioux, (or at least, that part of it nearest the Mississippi), they came and went constantly to and from the earlier Hastings. Wabashaw, and his spokesman, Red Owl, "Oukeesi," Red Wing's successor, and the chief of the Kaposia band, Little Crow, were all early Indian celebrities that honored the first in- habitants of Hastings with their occasional pres- ence; while lesser members of their bands, came often and in numbers.
The first white lady settler of the town. on one occasion, in 1853, and while her husband was away from home, was entreated for a night's lodging by a band of fifteen of these vagrant "children of the twilight." As the wisest, though not the most agreeable course, she acceded to. their request, and the whole company reposed for the night, on the floor of her comfortable log house. In the morning they showed a genuine Indian appreciation of the courage and hospital- ity of this unprotected, yet fearless lady, by leav- ing seasonably and in silence.
Nevertheless, to the ordinary woman, alone in a house, and almost without a neighbor, such an incident would be fearfully shocking. No ordi- nary woman would endure at all, it might justly be suggested, the hardships and perils of frontier
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life, requiring as they do, an extraordinary sup- ply of fortitude, capability and good sense.
But the entertainment of the savage, though always, in his best estate, exceedingly annoying, was often fraught with a genuine danger, apart from any evil motive that might find lodgment in his breast.
On another occasion, the lady above mentioned, together with her husband, sheltered another wandering party of red men, from an intensely bitter, wintry night, and retiring left the dusky savages, stretched peacefully about the fire. In the night, hearing some little confusion among them, the gentleman arose and found the Indians in great glee, at the gorgeous appearance of the stove and pipe, which they had brought to a red and white heat by an unsparing use of the dry fuel which had been left ready at their hands. The walls and ceiling were smoking, and in a few moments more the result must have been the entire destruction of the house. A generous use of water, alone, was sufficient to save it, even then, and for the remainder of the night the owner of the dwelling preferred to act as fireman in person.
Still later in the settlement of Hastings, and when it had become something of a business point, large companies of the Sioux would pitch their camps for a time in sight of the dwellings of the citizens, and added novelty and picturesque- ness to many a charming summer landscape.
But it was reserved for the scalp-dance to reveal to the earlier residents whatever they could learn, practically, on this ground, of the savage and hideous in the character of the Sioux. The buffalo dance is often an imposing spectacle. The dog dance and cormorant dances are dis- gusting; but these have their origin in more or less commendable motives. But the scalp-dance is fiendish alike in origin and execution. Relent- less hate, fiendish exultation and barbaric cruelty inspire it, and the fearful howls and other musical accompaniments of this mad orgie are entirely appropriate, as suggesting the beneficent sway of the prince of the infernal regions. Many people, who are still resident in the city, remember when this savage pastime was indulged in within sight and hearing of their homes.
In 1856, Little Crow's band had not removed from Kaposia. In the summer of that year Lit-
tle Crow and some half dozen of his men formed a war party and crossed the Mississippi, making an incursion into the Chippewa country, south of the St. Croix river. They soon returned, and with the three reeking scalps which they had taken, by stealth or in open battle, stopped at Hastings to celebrate their success. The three scalps were stretched on hoops, painted red, and then suspended from a three-pronged sapling which had been cut by Little Crow.
The warriors, properly bedecked and painted, then began their customary festive demonstra- tions; reciting, their bravery and the details of their expedition, dancing with savage delight, shaking the scalps, drumming, shouting and otherwise vexing the ear of night, until they were either wearied or satisfied. They contin- ued their journey to Kaposia, where they doubt- less received as became such noble warriors, and where the scalp dance was continued, after the Indian custom, until the falling of the leaves.
The last scalp dance at Hasting, took place in 1857, on the brow of the hill, near the termina- tion of Second street. On this occasion many young, and if information can be trusted, "good looking," Indian women, figured conspicuously in the ceremonies.
The locality of the scalp dance of 1856, was the ground now occupied by the church of the Guardian Angels.
Thus does civilization make its inroads upon the haunts of savagery; and religion, consecrate with its temples, the soil, but just before, devoted to the cruel and debasing rites of a degraded barbarism. All is now changed. Nearly all the conditions of life, as it is now in Hastings, are materially changed, from the conditions of life here in the early days. But in no respect is the change more marked than in the absence of the In- dian. He is not mourned. Some of the early settlers assert that he was illy treated. But how- ever these things be, he has disappeared from our midst. The only reminder we have of his for- mer presence, is in the occasional visitations of Mahpia-wah-cousa, or Indian John. Some fur- ther notice of whom may be found elsewhere in these pages.
LIEUTENANT ZEBULON PIKE.
If any of the explorers, who ascended or de- scended the Mississippi river prior to 1805, tar-
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ried at what is now known as Hastings we have no record thereof. For one hundred and twenty- five years, or for a century and a quarter, after the renowned Hennepin passed up that majestic stream, and became the discoverer of the Falls of St. Anthony, what is now the site of Hastings waited for the foot of the white man. Even then the white man did not long tarry. This was not his " objective point." He simply men- tions the locality, as having been attracted to it by his curiosity, and then dismisses it, doubtless, forever, from his memory.
This man was Lieutenant Zebulon M. Pike, who afterwards, as general of the American forces, in 1818, fell victoriously at the battle of York, Canada. He had been ordered by his command- ing officer to visit the Indian tribes of the upper Mississippi and expel the British traders. He ascended the Mississippi in a barge, with a small party of soldiers, and reached the site of Hast- ings in September of 1805. Noticing. the ex- treme narrowness of the river, opposite the pres- ent levee, he mentions in his journal, which he afterwards published in book form, that he took the pains to measure the distance acrossit at this point. His method of measurement was cer- tainly novel, though little could be claimed for its exactness. He rowed across in his boat, and states that he did so in "twenty-five strokes of the oars."
This, doubtless, is the first printed mention of the site of Hastings, and Lieutenant Pike is un- doubtedly the first white man who ever tarried here for a moment.
Lieutenant Oliver, Philander Prescott and a Mr. Devotion were the next visitants, and their coming was purely accidental. They saw no beauty in their surroundings that they should desire this spot for a home. Nor could they see, not far in the future, many homes of other men, ris- ing in what was to Lieutenant Oliver the scene of an irksome captivity.
The circumstances were as follows: In Sep- tember of 1819, Colonel Leavenworth, of the United States army, arrived at the mouth of the Minnesota, or, as it was then called, the Saint Peters, for the purpose of establishing a military post. As he would need a gen- erous supply of stores, to withstand the rigors of the northern winter, Lieutenant.
Oliver was dispatched to him, with a large boat- load, which he and his men propelled slowly up against the current of the Mississippi. Before the introduction of steamboats upon the river, navigation was confined to keel boats, for the transportation of heavier articles, and progress, at best, was slow. Oliver and his men were so late into the fall in making their journey, that arriving opposite the site of Hastings, their fur- ther passage was effectually blocked by the ice. Disappointed and chagrined, at the prospect of spending the winter, at such an aggravating dis- tance from their comrades at the camp above, they were nevertheless compelled to do so, and pitched their camp in the woods, on the west bank of the river.
Here the little detachment remained until spring, guarding their stores, which were trans- ported, only as needed to Colonel Leavenworth's cantonment above.
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