History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 22

Author: Edward D. Neill
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages:

USA > Minnesota > Fillmore County > History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota > Part 22

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On the twenty-ninth of June, D. A. Robertson, who by his enthusiasm and earnest advocacy of its principles had done much to organize the Democratic party of Minnesota, retired from the editorial chair and was succeeded by David Olm- sted.

At the election held in October, Henry M. Rice and Alexander Wilkin were candidates for deligate to Congress. The former was elect- ed by a decisive majority.

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EXPLORERS AND PIONEERS OF MINNESOTA.

CHAPTER XXIII.

EVENTS FROM A. D. 1854 TO THE ADMISSION OF MINNESOTA TO THE UNION.

Fifth Legislature-Execution of Yuhazee-Sixth Legislature-First bridge over the Mississippi-Arctic Explorer-Seventh Legislature -- Indian girl killed near Bloomington Ferry- Eighth Legislature-Attempt to Remove the Capital- Special Session of the Legislature-Convention to frame a State Constitution -- Admission of Minnesota to the Union.

The fifth session of the legislature was com- menced in the building just completed as the Capitol, on January fourth, 1854. The President of the Council was S. B. Olmstead, and the Speak- er of the House of Representatives was N. C. D. Taylor.

Governor Gorman delivered his first annual message on the tenth, and as his predecessor, urged the importance of railway communications, and dwelt upon the necessity of fostering the in- terests of education, and of the lumbermen.

The exciting bill of the session was the act in- corporating the Minnesota and Northwestern Railroad Company, introduced by Joseph R. Brown. It was passed after the hour of midnight on the last day of the session. Contrary to the expectation of his friends, the Governor signed the bill.

On the afternoon of December twenty-seventh, the first public execution in Minnesota, in accord- ance with the forms of law, took place. Yu-ha- zee, the Dahkotah who had been convicted in November, 1852, for the murder of a German woman, above Shokpay, was the individual. The scaffold was erected on the open space be- tween an inn called the Franklin House and the rear of the late Mr. J. W. Selby's enclosure in St. Paul. About two o'clock, the prisoner, ( ressed in a white shroud, left the old log pris- on, near the court house, and entered a carriage with the officers of the law. Being assisted up the steps that led to the scaffold, he made a few remarks in his own language, and was then exe- cuted. Numerous ladies sent in a petition to the governor, asking the pardon of the Indian, to which that officer in declining made an appro- priate reply.

EVENTS OF A. D. 1855.

The sixth session of the legislature convened on the third of January, 1855. W. P. Murray was elected President of the Council, and James S. Norris Speaker of the House.

About the last of January, the two houses ad- journed one day, to attend the exercises occa- sioned by the opening of the first bridge of any kind, over the mighty Mississippi, from Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico. It was at Falls of Saint Anthony, and made of wire, and at the time of its opening, the patent for the land on which the west piers were built, had not been issued from the Land Office, a striking evi- dence of the rapidity with which the city of Minneapolis, which now surrounds the Falls, has developed.

On the twenty-ninth of March, a convention was held at Saint Anthony, which led to the formation of the Republican party of Minnesota. This body took measures for the holding of a territorial convention at St. Paul, which con- vened on the twenty-fifth of July, and William R. Marshall was nominated as delegate to Con- gress. Shortly after the friends of Mr. Sibley nominated David Olmsted and Henry M. Rice, the former delegate was also a candidate. The contest was animated, and resulted in the elec- tion of Mr. Rice.

About noon of December twelfth, 1855, a four- hotse vehicle was seen driving rapidly through St. Paul, and deep was the interest when it was announced that one of the Arctic exploring party, Mr. James Stewart, was on his way to Canada with relics of the world -renowned and world- mourned Sir John Franklin. Gathering together the precious fragments found on Montreal Island and vicinity, the party had left the region of ice- bergs on the ninth of August, and after a con- tinued land journey from that time, had reached

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PROPOSED REMOVAL OF THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT.

Saint Paul on that day, en route to the Hudson Bay Company's quarters in Canada.

EVENTS OF A. D. 1856.

The seventh session of the Legislative Assem- bly was begun on the second of January, 1856, and again the exciting question was the Minne- sota and Northwestern Railroad Company.

John B. Brisbin was elected President of the Council, and Charles Gardner, Speaker of the House.

This year was comparatively devoid of interest. The citizens of the territory were busily engaged in making claims in newly organized counties, and in enlarging the area of civilization.

On the twelfth of June, several Ojibways entered the farm house of Mr. Whallon, who re- sided in Hennepin county, on the banks of the Minnesota, a mile below the Bloomington ferry. The wife of the farmer, a friend, and three child- ren, besides a little Dahkotah girl, who had been brought up in the mission-house at Kaposia, and so changed in manners that her origin was scarcely perceptible, were sitting in the room when the Indians came in. Instantly seizing the little Indian maiden, they threw her out of the door, killed and scalped her, and fled before the men who were near by, in the field, could reach the house.

EVENTS OF A. D. 1857.

The procurement of a state organization, and a grant of lands for railroad purposes, were the topics of political interest during the year 1857.

The eighth Legislative Assembly convened at the capitol on the seventh of January, and J. B. Brisbin was elected President of the Council, and J. W. Furber, Speaker of the House.

A bill changing the seat of government to Saint Peter, on the Minnesota River, caused much discussion.

On Saturday, February twenty-eighth, Mr. Balcombe offered a resolution to report the bill for the removal of the seat of government, and should Mr. Rolette, chairman of the committee, fail, that W. W. Wales, of said committee, report a copy of said bill.

Mr. Setzer, after the reading of the resolution, moved a call of the Council, and Mr. Rolette was found to be absent. The chair ordered the ser- geant at arms to report Mr Rolette in his seat.

Mr. Balcombe moved that further proceedings under the call be dispensed with; which did not prevail. From that time until the next Thursday afternoon, March the fifth, a period of one hun- dred and twenty-three hours, the Council re- mained in their chamber without recess. At that time a motion to adjourn prevailed. On Friday another motion was made to dispense with the call of the Council, which did not prevail. On Saturday, the Council met, the president declared the call still pending. At seven and a half p. m., a committee of the House was announced. The chair ruled, that no communication from the ITouse could be received while a call of the Coun- cil was pending, and the committee withdrew. A motion was again made during the last night of the session, to dispense with all further pro- ceedings under the call, which prevailed, with one vote only in the negative.

Mr. Ludden then moved that a committee be appointed to wait on the Governor, and inquire if he had any further communication to make to the Council.

Mr. Lowry moved a call of the Council, which was ordered, and the roll being called, Messrs. Rolette, Thompson and Tillotson were absent.

At twelve o'clock at night the president re- sumed the chair, and announced that the time limited by law for the continuation of the session of the territorial legislature had expired, and he therefore declared the Council adjourned and the seat of government remained at Saint Paul.

The excitement on the capital question was in- tense, and it was a strange scene to see members of the Council, eating and sleeping in the hall of legislation for days, waiting for the sergeant-at- arms to report an absent member in his seat.

On the twenty-third of February, 1857, an act passed the United States Senate, to authorize the people of Minnesota to form a constitution, preparatory to their admission into the Union on an equal footing with the original states.

Governor Gorman called a special session of the legislature, to take into consideration measures that would give efficiency to the act. The extra session convened on April twenty- seventh, and a message was transmitted by Sam- uel Medary, who had been appointed governor in place of W. A. Gorman, whose term of office

* UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO UP! !

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EXPLORERS AND PIONEERS OF MINNESOTA.

had expired. The extra session adjourned on the twenty-third of May ; and in accordance with the provisions of the enabling act of Con- gress, an election was held on the first Monday in June, for delegates to a convention which was to assemble at the capitol on the second Monday in July. The election resulted, as was thought, in giving a majority of delegates to the Republi- can party.

At midnight previous to the day fixed for the meeting of the convention, the Republicans pro- ceeded to the capitol, because the enabling act had not fixed at what hour on the second Mon- day the convention should assemble, and fear- ing that the Democratic delegates might antici- pate them, and elect the officers of the body. A little before twelve, A. M., on Monday, the secretary of the territory entered the speaker's rostrum, and began to call the body to order; and at the same time a delegate, J. W. North, who had in his possession a written request from the majority of the delegates present, proceeded to do the same thing. The secretary of the ter- ritory put a motion to adjourn, and the Demo- cratic members present voting in the affirmative, they left the hall. The Republicans, feeling that they were in the majority, remained, and in duc time organized, and proceeded with the business specified in the enabling act, to form a constitu- tion, and. take all necessary steps for the estab- lishment of a state government, in conformity with the Federal Constitution, subject to the approval and ratification of the people of the proposed state.

After several days the Democratic wing also organized in the Senate chamber at the capitol, and, claiming to be the true body, also proceeded to form a constitution. Both parties were re- markably orderly and intelligent, and everything was marked by perfect decorum. After they had been in session some weeks, moderate counsels

prevailed, and a committee of conference was appointed from each body, which resulted in both adopting the constitution framed by the Democratic wing, on the twenty-ninth of Aug- gust. According to the provision of the consti- tution, an election was held for state officers and the adoption of the constitution, on the second Tuesday, the thirteenth of October. The constitution was adopted by almost a unanimous vote. It provided that the territorial officers should retain their offices until the state was ad- mitted into the Union, not anticipating the long delay which was experienced.

The first session of the state legislature com- menced on the first Wednesday of December, at the capitol, in the city of Saint Paul ; and during the month elected Henry M. Rice and James Shields as their Representatives in the United States Senate.

EVENTS OF A. D. 1858.

On the twenty-ninth of January, 1858, Mr. Douglas submitted a bill to the United States Senate, for the admission of Minnesota into the Union. On the first of February, a discussion arose on the bill, in which Senators Douglas, Wilson, Gwin, Hale, Mason, Green, Brown, and Crittenden participated. Brown, of Mississippi, was opposed to the admission of Minnesota, un- til the Kansas question was settled. Mr. Crit- tenden, as a Southern man, could not endorse all that was said by the Senator from Mississippi; and his words of wisdom and moderation during this day's discussion, were worthy of remen- brance. On April the seventh, the bill passed the Senate with only three dissenting votes ; and in a short time the House of Representatives concurred, and on May the eleventh, the Presi- dent approved, and Minnesota was fully rec- ognized as one of the United States of America.

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FIRST STATE LEGISLATURE.

OUTLINE HISTORY

OF THE

STATE OF MINNESOTA.

CHAPTER XXIV.

FIRST STATE LEGISLATURE-STATE RAILWAY BONDS -MINNESOTA DURING THE CIVIL WAR -- REGIMENTS -THE SIOUX OUTBREAK.

The transition of Minnesota from a territorial to a state organization occurred at the period when the whole republic was suffering from financial em- barrassments.

By an act of congress approved by the president on the 5th of March, 1857, lands had been granted to Minnesota to aid in the construction of railways. During an extra session of the legislature of Min- nesota, an act was passed in May, 1857, giving the congressional grant to certain corporations to build railroads.

A few months after, it was discovered that the corporators had neither the money nor the credit to begin and complete these internal improve- ments. In the winter of 1858 the legislature again listened to the siren voices of the railway corpora- tions, until their words to some members seemed like "apples of gold in pictures of silver," and an additional 'act was passed submitting to the people an amendment to the constitution which provided for the loan of the public credit to the land grant railroad companies to the amount of $5,000,000, upon condition that a certain amount of labor on the roads was performed.

Some of the citizens saw in the proposed meas- ure "a cloud no larger than a man's hand," which would lead to a terrific storm, and a large public meeting was convened at the capitol in St. Paul, and addressed by ex-Governor Gorman, D. A. Robertson, William R. Marshall and others depre-

ciating the engrafting of such a peculiar amend- ment into the constitution; but the people were poor and needy and deluded and would not lis- ten; their hopes and happiness seemed to depend upon the plighted faith of railway corporators, and on April the 15th, the appointed election day, 25,023 votes were deposited for, while only 6,733 votes were cast against the amendment.

FIRST STATE LEGISLATURE.

The election of October, 1857, was carried on with much partisan feeling by democrats and re- publicans. The returns from wilderness precincts were unusually large, and in the counting of votes for governor, Alexander Ramsey appeared to have received 17,550, and Henry H. Sibley 17,796 bal- lots. Governor Sibley was declared elected by a majority of 246, and duly recognized. The first legislature assembled on the 2d of December, 1857, before the formal admission of Minnesota into the Union, and on the 25th of March, 1858, adjourned until June the 2d, when it again met. - The next day Governor Sibley delivered his mes- sage. His term of office was arduous. On the 4th of August, 1858, he expressed his determina- tion not to deliver any state bonds to the railway companies unless they would give first mortgages, with priority of lien, upon their lands, roads and franchises, in favor of the state. One of the com- panies applied for a mandamus from the supreme court of the state, to compel the issue of the bonds without the restrictions demanded by the governor.

In November the court, Judge Flandrau dis- senting, directed the governor to issue state bonds as soon as a railway company delivered their first

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OUTLINE HISTORY OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

mortgage bonds, as provided by the amendment to the constitution. But, as was to be expected, bonds sent out under such peculiar circumstances were not sought after by capitalists. Moreover, after over two million dollars in bonds had been issued, not an iron rail had been laid, and only about two hundred and fifty miles of grading had been completed.

In his last message Governor Sibley in refer- ence to the law in regard to state credit to railways, says: "I regret to be obliged to state that the measure has proved a failure, and has by no means accomplished what was hoped from it, either in providing means for the issue of a safe currency or of aiding the companies in the completion of the work upon the roads."

ACT FOR NORMAL SCHOOLS.

Notwithstanding the pecuniary complications of the state, during Governor Sibley's administra- tion, the legislature did not entirely forget that there were some interests of more importance than railway construction, and on the 2d of August, 1858, largely through the influence of the late John D. Ford, M. D., a public spirited citizen of Winona, an act was passed for the establishment of three training schools for teachers.

FIRST STEAMBOAT ON THE RED RIVER OF THE NORTH.

In the month of June, 1859 an important route was opened between the Mississippi and the Red River of the North. The then enterprising firm of J. C. Burbank & Co., of St. Paul, having se- cured from the Hudson Bay Company the trans- portation of their supplies by way of the Missis- sippi, in place of the tedious and treacherous routes through Hudson's Bay or Lake Superior, they purchased a little steamboat on the Red River of the North which had been built by Anson North- rup, and commenced the carrying of freight and passengers by land to Breckenridge and by water to Pembina.

This boat had been the first steamboat which moved on the Mississippi above the falls of St. Anthony, to which there is a reference made upon the 121st page.

Mr. Northrup, after he purchased the boat, with a large number of wagons carried the boat and machinery from Crow Wing on the Mississippi and on the 8th of April, 1859, reached the Red River not far from the site of Fargo.

SECOND STATE LEGISLATURE

At an election held in October, 21,335 votes were

deposited for Alexander Ramsey as governor, and 17,532 for George L. Becker. Governor Ramsey, in an inaugural delivered on the second of Jan- uary, 1860, devoted a large space to the discus- sion of the difficulties arising from the issue of the railroad bonds. He said: "It is extremely desirable to remove as speedily as possible so vex- ing a question from our state politics, and not al- low it to remain for years to disturb our elections, possibly to divide our people into bond and anti- bond parties, and introduce, annually, into our legislative halls an element of discord and possi- bly of corruption, all to end just as similar compli- cations in other states have ended. The men who will have gradually engrossed the posession of all the bonds, at the cost of a few cents on the dollar, will knock year after year at the door of the legisla- ture for their payment in full, the press will be subsidized; the cry of repudiation will be raised; all the ordinary and extraordinary means of pro- curing legislation in doubtful cases will be freely resorted to, until finally the bondholders will pile up almost fabulous fortunes. * * * * It is assuredly true that the present time is, of all others, alike for the present bondholder and the people of the state, the very time to arrange, ad- just and settle these unfortunate and deplorable railroad and loan complications."

The legislature of this year passed a law sub- mitting an amendment to the constitution which would prevent the issue of any more railroad bonds. At an election in November, 1860, it was voted on, and reads as follows: "The credit of the state shall never be given on bonds in aid of any in- dividual, association or corporation; nor shall there be any further issue of bonds denominated Min- nesota state railroad bonds, under what purports to be an amendment to section ten, of article nine, of the constitution, adopted April 14, 1858, which is hereby expunged from the constitution, saving, excepting, and reserving to the state, nevertheless, all rights, remedies and forfeitures accruing under said amendment."

FIRST WHITE PERSON EXECUTED.

On page 126 there is a notice of the first In- dian hung under the laws of Minnesota. On March 23, 1860 the first white person was executed and attracted considerable attention from the fact, the one who suffered the penalty of the law was & woman.

Michael Bilansky died on the 11th of March, 1859, and upon examination, he was found to have

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THE FIRST REGIMENT INFANTRY.

been poisoned. Anna, his fourth wife, was tried for the offence, found guilty, and on the 3d of De- cember, 1859, sentenced to be hung. The oppo- nents to capital punishment secured the passage of an act, by the legislature, to meet her case, but it was vetoed by the governor, as unconstitutional. Two days before the execution, the unhappy wo- man asked her spiritual adviser to write to her parents in North Carolina, but not to state the cause of her death. Her scaffold was erected within the square of the Ramsey connty jail.

THIRD STATE LEGISLATURE.

The third state legislature assembled on the 8th of January, 1861, and adjourned on the 8th of March. As Minnesota was the first state which received 1,280 acres of land in each township, for school purposes, Governor Ramsey in his annual message occupied several pages, in an able and elaborate argument as to the best methods of guarding and selling the school lands, and of protecting the school fund.

His predecessor in office, while a member of the convention to frame the constitution, had spoken in favor of dividing the school funds among the townships of the state, subject to the control of the local officers.

MINNESOTA DURING THE CIVIL WAR.

The people of Minnesota had not been as excited as the citizens of the Atlantic states on the ques- tion which was discussed . before the presidential election of November, 1860, and a majority had calmly declared their preference for Abraham Lin- coln, as president of the republic.

But the blood of her quiet and intelligent popu- lation was stirred on the morning of April 14, 1861, by the intelligence in the daily newspapers that the day before, the insurgents of South Caro- lina had bombarded Fort Sumter, and that after a gallant resistance of thirty-four hours General Robert Anderson and the few soldiers of his com- mand had evacuated the fort.

Governor Ramsey was in Washington at this period, and called upon the president of the repub- lic with two other citizens from Minnesota, and was the first of the state governors to tender the services of his fellow citizens. The offer of a regi- ment was accepted. The first company raised un- der the call of Minnesota was composed of ener- getic young men of St. Paul, and its captain was the esteemed William H. Acker, who afterwards fell in battle.

On the last Monday of April a camp for the

First regiment was opened at Fort Snelling. More companies having offered than were necessary on the 30th of May Governor Ramsey sent a tele- gram to the secretary of war, offering another regiment.

THE FIRST REGIMENT.

On the 14th of June the First regiment was or- dered to Washington, and on the 21st it embarked at St. Paul on the steamboats War Eagle and Northern Belle, with the following officers:

Willis A. Gorman, Colonel-Promoted to be brigadier general October 7, 1861, by the advice of Major General Winfield Scott.

Stephen Miller, Lt. Colonel-Made colonel of 7th regiment August, 1862.

William H. Dike, Major-Resigned October 22, 1861.

William B. Leach, Adjutant-Made captain and . A. A. G. February 23, 1862.

Mark W. Downie, Quartermaster - Captain Company B, July 16, 1861.

Jacob H. Stewart, Surgeon-Prisoner at Bull Run, July 21, 1861. Paroled at Richmond, Vir- ginia.

Charles W. Le Boutillier, Assistant Surgeon- Prisoner at Bull Run. Surgeon 9th regiment. Died April, 1863.

Edward D. Neill, Chaplain-Commissioned July 13, 1862, hospital chaplain U. S. A., resigned in 1864, and appointed by President Lincoln, one of his secretaries.

After a few days in Washington, the regi- iment was sent to Alexandria, Virginia, where until the 16th of July it remained. On the morning of that day it began with other troops of Franklin's brigade to movetoward the enemy, and that night encamped in the val- ley of Pohick creek, and the next day marched to Sangster's station on the Orange & Alexandria railroad. The third day Centreville was reached. Before daylight on Sunday, the 21st of July, the soldiers of the First regiment rose for a march to battle. About three o'clock in the morning they left camp, and after passing through the hamlet ot Centreville, halted for General Hunter's column to pass. At daylight the regiment again began to move, and after crossing a bridge on the Warren- ton turnpike, turned into the woods, from which at about ten o'clock it emerged into an open coun- try, from which could be seen an artillery engage- ment on the left between the Union troops under Hunter, and the insurgents commanded by Evans.

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History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 22

Author: Edward D. Neill Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Number of Pages:

Author: Edward D. Neill
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages: