USA > Minnesota > Freeborn County > History of Freeborn County, including explorers and pioneers of Minnesota, and outline history of the state of Minnesota > Part 61
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I need not say that I rejoice at the opportunity to furnish the names of the men who defended those helpless women and children during those seven horrible days and sleepless nights, which, even now, can hardly be recalled without a shud- der; for if there had been any blanching in the presence of the overhanging doom, or any falter- ing in the execution of the commands that every moment made imperative, not a living soul would have remained to tell the tale of the hideous butchery that would have followed.
On the 19th of August the following men were at Fort Ridgely, members of Company B. Fifth Regiment. 2d Lient. Thomas P. Gere com- manding :
Privates Ellis, Pfremer, MeAllister, Smith, Cul- ver, Annies, Atkins, Boyer, Chase, Elphec. French, Good, Ives, Lester, Lindsey, Martin, Magill, Pray, Perrington, Rufridge, Robinson. Scripture, Spor- nity, Farmer, Taylor. Underwood, Williamson, Wilson, Wall, Sergt. Jones, and Sutler Randall; of whom six were sick, and three hospital attendants.
At dark that night the following returned, hav- ing escaped from the ambmuscade at Lower Agency Ferry, but were not effective that night: Sergt. Bishop, Corporals Winslow, Huntley, and Hawley, Privates Brennan, Carr, Dunn, Hutchinson, Mc- Gowan, Rebenski, Steward, Serfling, Svendson (wounded ), VanBuren, and Murray.
There came in about midnight, Privates Foster, Parsley, and Gardner.
343
WAR RECORD.
Detachments of Co. C. of the Fifth Minnesota Infantry who were at Fort Ridgely:
OFFICERS.
T. J. Sheehan,
F. A. Blackmer,
John P. Hicks,
M. A. Chamberlain,
PRIVATES.
J. C. Butler,
John C. Ross,
Dennis Porter,
Edward D. Brooks,
Joel Bullock,
James M. Brown,
S. P. Beighley.
Z. Chute,
S. Cook,
Charles E. Chapel,
Charles H. Dills, Daniel Dills,
Lyman A. Eggleston,
Halver Elefson,
Martin Ellingson,
Charles J. Grandy,
Mark M. Greer,
Andrew Gilbrandson,
Jerome P. Green,
A. R. Grout,
Jas Honan,
Philo Henry, D. M. Hunt,
Lyman C. Jones,
A. J. Luther,
F. M. McReynolds,
Dennis Moreau.
Orlando McFall,
J. H. Meade,
Jolın D. Miller,
Peter Nisson.
John McCall,
Andrew Peterson,
Ed Roth,
C. O. Russell,
Charles A. Rose.
B. F. Ross,
Walter S. Russell,
J. M. Rice,
Isaac Shortledge,
Josiah Weekley,
Geo. Wiggins,
James M. T. Bright,
N. J. Lowthian.
On Tuesday morning 1 arrived with my com- mand bringing with me 51 men, above named, Corpl. McLean included.
On Tuesday P. M., there joined from detached service at St. Peter: 1st Lieut. N. K. Culver, A. A. Q. M .; Sergt. J. G. McGrew; Wagoner, Hoyt; Privates, Baker, Farrver, Nehrhood, Wait.
Tuesday night there came in wounded from the ferry: Privates Blodget ( shot through the bowels, ) and Sutherland, (shot through the lungs.
Wednesday morning other men from the ferry arrived. Private Rose escaped across the country to Henderson. Therefore, at the time of the at- tack on Fort Ridgely on Wedesday, August 20th, my command consisted of Company B, 60 men, 51 effective; Company C, 50 men, all effective; Renville Rangers and citizens, 50 men; Orderly Sergt., 1 man; Sutler, 1 man. Total effective men first days fight, August 20th, 153 men under arms.
Three soldiers were killed and thirteen wound- ed. Four citizens were killed and twenty-six wounded during the seige from the 20th to the 28th.
Of seven men who volunteered, one after another, to carry dispatches to St. Peter, only John Mc- Call and Antoine Frenien, a half breed, got through alive.
Most respectfully your obedient servant, LIEUT. T. J. SHEEHAN. Late Col. 5th Minn. Infantry."
That it may be seen that Mr. Sheehan's services were appreciated after joining his regiment at the front, where he served until the end of the war, being at the close commissioned Lieutenant Colonel. We clip from the Pioneer Press of the 16th of November, 1865, the following item:
"A HANDSOME GIFT .- We had the pleasure of seeing yesterday a beautiful gold badge of the 16th A. C. suspended from a gold shield of a U. S. Double Eagle, to which is attached a handsome gold safety chain and pin.
Upon the polished surface of the shield and badge is engraved the following, which speaks the object of the donors, Col. Houston and others of the 5th Minn. Infantry :
' Presented to Lient. Col. T. J. Sheehan, Fifth regiment Minnesota V. V. Infantry, for services rendered during the rebellion, from October 13th, 1861, to September 5th, 1865; Fort Ridgely, Minnesota, August 20th and 22d, 1862; Jackson, Mississippi. May 14th, 1863; Siege and assault of Vicksburg, from May 18th to July 4th, 1863; Tupelo, Mississippi, July 14th and 15th, 1864; Abbeyville, Mississippi, August 13th, 1864; Cam- paign against Price in Arkansas, fall of 1864; Nashville, Tennessee, December 15th and 16th, . 1864; Siege and capture of Spanish Fort, Ala- bama, from March 27th, 1865-captured April 9th, 1865.'
Such a gift is felt by the soldier to be priceless. Colonel Sheehan will wear this with pride, in those halcyon days which we trust will accompany him to a ripe old age."
So far as these gallant men are concerned, whatever they may have been since, or whatever they are now, or however regarded by their fel- low citzens, it can be said of them as Daniel Web- ster said of Massachuetts, "the past at least is se- cure; there is Concord, Lexington, and Bunker Hill, and there they will remain forever." There
.
S. W. Dogan,
L. H. Decker.
Charles Dills,
344
HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY.
is Fort Ripley, Yellow Medicine, and Fort Ridgely, and there they will remain forever; and the deeds of this heroic land shall be inscribed on the indel- ible roll of fame.
The following are names of Freeborn county men who enlisted in the 15th Wisconsin regiment, which was made up of Norwegians, and which has been kindly furnished ns by the Adjutant General of that State:
Captain Mons Grinager, 2d Lt. Olans Solberg,
Ist Lt. Ole Peterson, Sergt. Tosten Erickson,
2d Lt. Ellend Erickson, Corp. N. Pederson,
Scrgt. Jens Jacobson, Corp. Ole N. Danenen.
PRIVATES.
Halver Aslakson,
Engrebet Amundson, Ole Everson,
Peder Bjuth,
Christian Gulbrandson,
Lars Halverson,
Peder Hulgerson,
Ole T. Jenson,
Lars Jargenson.
Jens Jenson,
Christopher Johnson, Iver Jacobson,
Andreas Madison,
Nils Nilson,
Gullbrand Olson,
Knud Olson,
Helge Olson, Jacob Olson,
Huagen Pederson,
Lars Sebjornson,
Iver Olson,
Peter Peterson.
Rolof Tykson,
From the Adjutant General's report we are en- abled to obtain the following list of volunteers, who enlisted from Freeborn county during the Rebellion, which will serve to some extent, as a recapitulation of the different lists already pre- sented. There is no doubt that many are ex- elnded from the list by incorrect registering, being credited to other counties, and other causes. SECOND REGIMENT INFANTRY, COMPANY A .- PRI- VATE.
Wesley Rogers.
COMPANY K .- PRIVATES.
Charles Gahagen.
Warren Osborne; promoted Corporal and Ser- geant.
THIRD REGIMENT INFANTRY.
Albert C. Wedge, Assistant Surgeon; promoted Surgcon.
COMPANY D.
Hendrick Peterson, Corporal; promoted Ser- gcant.
Hans Enstrom, Second Lieutenant; promoted First Lieutenant and Captain.
COMPANY K .- PRIVATE.
Benjamin H. Langworthy.
FOURTH REGIMENT INFANTRY, COMPANY F.
Asa W. White, Captain.
Adrian K. Norton, First Sergeant; promoted First Lieutenant and Captain.
Osborne J. Wheeler, Sergeant.
Hannibal Bickford, Sergeant.
Reuben Williams, Sergeant.
Frank B. Fobes, Sergeant; promoted Second Lieutenant.
Loren Blackmer, Corporal.
Justice C. Stearns, Corporal.
Enoch Croy, Corporal.
Jeremiah Fredenburg, Corporal.
Richard A. White, Corporal.
Perry H. Jewett, Corporal.
Erastus D. Porter, Corporal.
Henry House, Musician.
John Pease, Musician.
John Cottrell, Wagoncr.
PRIVATES.
Charles J. Allen,
Charles Bromwich,
Robert W. Bebee.
Benjamin B. Baker,
Harrison Buckley,
George Callahan,
Jacob Croy.
Almon H. Cottrell,
Frederick L. Cutler,
Horace L. Dow,
Lueas Eckhart,
Ole J. Ellingson,
Jacob C. Frost.
Mohlon Frost,
William Fenholt,
George W. Gile.
William S. Hand.
Benjamin H. Hathaway,
Benjamin J. House,
Barhart Habererom,
Chester Holcombe,
William Hanson,
John D. Hochstrasser,
Joseph A. Knapp,
Milton M. Luce,
Luther I. Lovell,
William H. Lovell,
Henry R. Loomis,
Hiram M. Luce,
Joseph Meyers,
Orville F. Peek,
William C. Peck,
John Ryan,
Martin L. Scoville,
Nicholas J. Sandborg,
Thomas Smith,
Phineas R. Taylor,
Stillman Sanders, Alfred L. Taylor,
COMPANY K-PRIVATE.
Nathan Thomas.
Joseph W. Burdick,
Francis E. Drake,
John Eichler, Elias B. Farr,
Alexander Morrell, Charles Parvin, Ira O. Russell, George C. Snyder, James Shields,
Hollis E. Sargent,
345
WAR RECORD.
FIFTII REGIMENT INFANTRY-COMPANY C.
Francis Hall, Captain; promoted Major. Timothy J. Sheehan, First Lieut .; promoted Captain.
Frank B. Fobes, Second Lieutenant; promoted First Lieutenant.
Horatio D. Brown, First Sergeant; promoted Second Lientenant and Adjutant of Eleventh Regiment.
John P. Hicks, Sergeant.
Dorr K. Stacy, Sergeant; promoted First Lieu - tenant.
Manhard A. Chamberlain, Sergeant.
Dwight E. Brooks, Corporal.
Horace M. Beach, Corporal; promoted Ser- geant.
Jolin C. Ross, Corporal; promoted Sergeant. Wm. Young, Corporal; promoted Sergeant.
John S. Godley, Corporal; promoted Sergeant. Wm. Thompson, Corporal. Aaron Canfield, Musician.
Nathan E. Babcock, Musician.
John McCall, Wagoner.
PRIVATES.
David Ames, Edward D. Brooks,
Leonard R. Beighley, Joel L. Bullock,
Simeon Beighley, David Crawford,
Charles H. Dills, Charles Dills,
Daniel Dills,
Samuel W. Dogan,
Martin Ellingson,
Charles J. Grandy, Andrew Gilbrandson,
Jerome P. Green, James Honan, Nathan A. Hunt,
Philo Henry.
William J. Horning,
Richard O. Hitchcock,
Lyman C. Jones, Isaac Kendall,
Curtis B. Kellar,
Wm. F. Lawrence,
Andrew J. Luther,
Frank M. McReynolds,
John Melchy, John. B. Miller, Andrew Peterson,
Loriston C. Roberts,
Charles O. Russell,
Benjamin F. Ross,
Walter S. Russell,
Isaac Shodridge,
Aven Oleson Stugo,
Andrew W. St. John, John Smith,
Josiah Weakley,
Oliver P. Williams,
George H. Wiggins, James Youngs, Jr.,
Stephen L. Beardsley, Jolın Reed,
L. W. Grandy.
COMPANY D-PRIVATE.
Napoleon Hard.
COMPANY F.
Charles H. Boswick, Wagoner.
TENTH REGIMENT INFANTRY.
Alfred H. Burnham, Assistant Surgeon.
Louis Proebsting, Hospital Steward; promoted Assistant Surgeon.
COMPANY E.
James A. Robson, Captain.
John W. Heath, First Lientenant; promoted Captain.
Charles Kittleson, Second Lieutenant; promoted First Lieutenant.
Eli Ash, First Sergeant; promoted Second Lieutenant and First Lieutenant Company G.
Eli K. Pickett, Sergeant; promoted Second Lieutenant Company I. George H. Partridge, Sergeant.
Wm. H. Lowe, Sergeant.
James L. Cook, Sergeant.
George Osborn, Corporal.
John G. Dunning, Corporal.
Henry D. Burlingame, Corporal; promoted Sergeant.
Jedediah W. Devereux, Corporal.
Rufus Kelly, Corporal.
Alva S. Sterns, Corporal.
Christian Alspaugh, Corporal.
Lars Wicks, Corporal.
John L. Scoville, Musician.
Peter E. Olson, Musician.
Asa Hurd, Wagoner.
Daniel Anderson, Private; promoted Corporal. Andrew Black, Private; promoted Hospital Steward.
Cyrus E. Bullock, Private; promoted Corporal. Patrick Morin, Private; promoted Corporal. Loren S. Meeker, Private; promoted Com. Ser- geant
Hiram J. Rice, Private; promoted Corporal.
PRIVATES.
Andrew Anderson, Andrew Anderson,
Stengrew Benson, Gilbert G. Barden,
Samuel E. Bullock, James Bowen,
Edwin Brownesville, Henry C. Bartlett,
Rodney M. Campbell,
W. G. Carpenter,
Dan. E. Cozzen, Fred. Chamberlain,
George H. Chandler. Samuel Clark,
Russel B. Davis, Francis W. Davis,
Matthew L. Dearman, John Edson,
William E. Everett,
Engeret Erickson,
Nicholas Lowthian,
Terrence McMahan, Peter Nillson,
James M. Rice, Ole Oleson Stugo,
Lyman A. Eggleston,
346
HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY.
George W. Gates,
Thomas Iverson.
Henry Johnson,
John C. Kaiser,
James Lair,
Fritz Maixner.
Christopher Mickleson,
Elijah W. Owen, Israel Il. Pace.
Benjamin Park, Isaac Perry,
Cyrus S. Prescott.
John Peterson,
Charles Peterson, John L. Reynolds,
Robert H. Reynolds.
James C. Seely,
Jacob Stewart. James A. Smith,
Peter P. Shover,
Henry Smith.
Leander J. Thomas.
Joseph S. Trigg,
Patrick Tansty, Samuel Wannemaker.
Reuben Wilsey,
Asa Ward.
FIRST BATTALION INFANTRY
COMPANY F.
Clark Andrews, Second Lieutenant.
FIRST REGIMENT HEAVY ARTILLERY. COMPANY B. PRIVATE.
John Blythe.
COMPANY (.
George S. Ruble, Sr. First Lieutenant.
Jonas C. Bane, Sergeant.
Hannibal Bickford. Sergeant.
PRIVATES.
John L. Bliss, John Buckley,
Henry Lawrence.
Louis Marpie,
Oliver Andrews.
FIRST REGIMENT MOUNTED RANGERS.
COMPANY HI.
George S. Ruble, Captain.
Adolph Walter, Sergeant.
Charles T. D. Marlett, Corporal.
Charles R. Rickercker, Teamster.
John Van Antwerp, Blacksmith. David T. Colvin, Wagoner.
PRIVATES.
Jolm M. Ames, Pat. Bannon,
Frank D. Hardy. Harvey Hill,
Matthew Hogan, James Morrison,
James F. Nadeau, M. W. Perry,
Michael Sheehan, David Tubbs.
Abram L. Van Asdal, Amherst D). Wait, Jesse Wheeler, Leroy B. Woodruff,
Ed. A. Wright.
COMPANY M-PRIVATES.
Martin O. Gunderson, Egbert Hanson. John Johnson.
SECOND REGIMENT, CAVALRY.
COMPANY A-PRIVATE.
Woodworth Lee.
COMPANY B. Willliam M. Catherwood, Com. Sergeant.
PRIVATES.
Clraence H. Shafner, Julian F. Shafner
James F. Spafford, Alma B. Sija.
COMPANY C.
Frederick L. Cutler, Second Lieutenant.
Adelbert E. Pettingill, Commodore Sergeant.
Charles E. Fitzsimmons, Sergeant.
George P- Conrad. Corporal.
Aaron A. Webster, Corporal.
Robert G. Spear, Blacksmith.
John H. Rich, Wagoner.
PRIVATES.
William H. H. Buckley, Orson Buckley,
Augustus Bremer, Ashbel II. Barnhart,
Frank Barber, William Clark,
David L. Courtier, James E Ford,
Alfred Holland, William R. Herrington,
Jacob Larson, John Leveniek,
Joseph F. Pareher, Edwin W. Parshall.
Charles Stoeklale, Henry L. Slaven,
John Tracy,
Henry Wyent,
Henry Wiseman.
INDEPENDENT BATTALION CAVALRY.
COMPANY B --- PRIVATES.
Charles Hutchins,
Elias Hoyt.
FIRST BATTERY LIGHT ARTILLERX.
PRIVATE.
Homer W. Dorman,
SECOND BATTERY, LIGHT ARTILLERY.
Henry A. Symonds, Corporal.
Edward D. Rogers, Artificer.
PRIVATES.
Carlos Dimick,
William M. Preston.
Lorenzo Dow Godberg, Ole Iverson,
Erick C. Johnson.
347
EVENTS OF INTEREST.
CHAPTER LI.
EVENTS OF INTEREST, CHIRONOLOGICALLY ARRANGED-
These items commence in 1857, at a time when the county was fast filling up, and after the very earliest events, which have elsewhere been record- ed, occurred. There is no pretense that every- thing which it may be valuable to rescue from ob- livion has been caught in this gathering seine, but enough to disclose the drift of affairs while this region was filling, and to give an idea of what the people were interested in, and of the vicissi- tudes to which they were subjected.
THE YEAR 1857.
The school district in Albert Lea was No. 7 at this time, and measures were taken to build a schoolhouse, and a tax of $400 was levied.
Early this year Newcomb & Barnes began mer- chandizing. Woodruff & Eaton also appeared, as well as Mr. E. Follett.
This summer Mr. H. T. Smith got a shingle machine in operation.
The Albert Lea drug store was started by A. C. Wedge.
Alf. P. Swineford was a dealer in real estate, as well as editor of the newspaper.
Col. Samuel Eaton did an insurance, pension, and bounty land business.
In July, A. B. Webber, of Decorah, came and began the practice of law.
About the third number of the "Southern Min- nesota Star," which was started in July, contained the names of sixty-one subscribers who had paid in advance. The list began in this way:
George S. Ruble. .$38.50
Thomas C. Thorne. 20.00
J. H. Snyder 10.00
David Hurd. 10.00 and so on down to $1.00.
At this time there were two mails a week from Red Wing, carried by Hancock & Co.
The building in Albert Lea, was so extensive this year, that all the lumber the saw-mill could turn out was used up, and the supply at St. Nich- olas was exhausted.
The "Southern Minnesota Star" was so busy printing election tickets in October, that on one week only a page of a half sheet was sent out.
In October, there were four stage lines running
into Albert Lea; from Mankato, Mitchell, Winona, and Red Wing.
In November wheat was selling for forty-five cents a bushel, and flour was nine dollars a barrel.
The grand opening of the Webber House, which had been built by Mr. Webber, was on the 24th of November. A Ball, a Supper, and other fes- tivities marked the occasion.
The total population of the county, enumerated in November, was 2,486, which was disappointing to the sanguine ones; Albert Lea had 285.
Late in November Elias Stanton, of Freeborn City, froze both feet by getting them wet in a slough; his oxen also froze to death, and he sub- sequently died of his injuries.
Fritz Ewald started a sash and door shop in November.
The "Bancroft Pioneer" flashed upon a bewil- dered world about this time.
In December, Col. Eaton fitted up the Post- office with boxes.
On the 26th of December a lyceum was orga- nized in Dr. Wedge's office, under the inspiring name of "Albert Lea Senate."
THE YEAR 1858.
In January the people of the shire town con- gratulated themselves that they were to have reg- ular preaching every Sunday. Rev. Mr. Lowry and Rev. Mr. McReynolds officiating alternately.
In February the necessity of a bridge across the river at the foot of the lake became apparent, and measures were adopted to have one built.
In February the first funeral procession ever seen at the county seat was that of Elias Stanton.
In the spring of this year civilization had made such progress that a race course was talked of.
On the 15th of April, the question as to issuing the five million bond loan was voted upon, and this county voted against it.
Walker's new line of stages was put on in April, between Hastings and Chatfield, Austin, and Al- bert Lea.
On the 6th of April a public meeting was held at Albert Lea, to consider the bond question. David Blakely called the meeting to order; E. P. Skinner was called to the chair, and John Wood was appointed secretary. The meeting was ad- dressed by A. H. Bartlett, Mr. Blakely, Dr. Tar- bell, and others. and the sentiment of the meeting
348
HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY.
was unanimous against the proposition. Mr. Bartlett stumped the county in opposition to the scheme, and the only town he did not visit gave seventeen of the twenty-seven votes in the county in its favor.
On the Ist of May the "Star" had a map of Freeborn county on its first page, and it occasion- ally appeared for some time thereafter.
Albert Lea began to flourish as a sea-port in the spring of this year, when the brig Itasca. Captain Franklin, of Shell Rock, arrived, loaded with shingles. The people began to use nautical terms and to hitch their tronsers as though they had just come ashore.
THE YEAR 1859.
On the 6th of May the first and only deliberate murder ever committed in the county, was by Henry Kreigler, causing the death of Nelson Bonghton in the town of Nunda. It appears that Kreigler whipped his wife, and she fled to the house of Mr. Boughton with her child, and was protected by him; and Kreigler came over and made an assault, fatally stabbing him in the back with a long knife, penetrating the heart and pro- dueing instant death.
The murderer was arrested and sent to Faribault jail for safe keeping. The defence secured a change of venne to Steele county, and he was tried at Owatonna. The prosecution was con lucted by D. G. Parker, County Attorney, assisted by Gor- don E. Cole, Attorney General; and he was ably defended by Hon. A. Armstrong and Hon. O. F. Perkins.
The trial lasted thirty days, a large number of witnesses were ealled, and the costs were piled up so that the county was well nigh bankrupt, its orders going for 20 eents on the dollar. "The enl- prit was remanded back to the county for exeention, which took place on the first day of March, 1861, at a point just east of Broadway, not far from the place where the railroad crosses the street. Here. in that amphitheatre formed by the surrounding hills, a gibbet had been erected in the form of a post with a projecting arm, from which a pendant rope was connected by pullies to a huge log, as the engine of death. The legal strangulation was witnessed by several thousand people, being conducted by the Sheriff. James Robson. Rev. Mr. Storey, who was then here, asked the condemned man if he desired prayer, to which he replied that he had no money to pay for
it; but the minister fervently prayed nevertheless. It seems that the eriminal did not realize that he was after all to be actually hung, and when the fatal eord was applied to his neck, and the dismal black eap drawn over his head, he completely broke down, and as the newspapers at the time related, "bawled like a calf." All being ready. the stiek of timber was dropped and the victim was jerked from his footing, and in a few minutes his earthly eareer was thus ingloriously ended. It is said that this was the only white man ever legally exeented in Minnesota.
The remains were buried in an old cemetery on the Austin road, but the belief existed rather extensively at the time, that two enterprising phy- sicians who resided here had resurrected the remains for anatomical and physiological pur- poses. But no one took pains to verify the surmise, or to disprove it. A few years ago, how- ever, the cemetery having been applied to other nses, the bones were disinterred, and fully identi- fied by the manacles which were rusting around the bones of his fleshless wrists.
On the 12th of February Mr. Swineford having gone to LaCrescent to battle against LaCrosse, Mr. Isaac Botsford secured an interest in the "Star."
In September an early frost caught many late crops in its withering embraee.
This was the season when the horse racing mania was upon the community, and one of the first recorded was between a horse owned by F. L. Cutler and one owned by F. Lamb, for $100 a side. Then came a race between Botsford's black gelding, Crazy Frank, and Dr. Wedge's horse Selam, in which Crazy Frank won and Botsford raked in $40.
THE YEAR 1860.
The newspaper, which had become the "Eagle," screamed for the last time on the 17th of March, and the "Standard" was lifted up on the 26th of May by Ruble and Hooker, with the latter as editor.
In July the Webber House was leased to J. A. Robson, of Geneva.
During this summer Morin, Wedge, and Hall got a new steam saw-mill in motion.
Another horse race was run between George S. Ruble's Sleepy Kate, and F. L. Cutler's Bay Lady. Sleepy Kate was declared the winner.
349
EVENTS OF INTEREST.
The second fair of the Agricultural Society was held at Albert Lea on the 10th and 11th of October.
In the early fall of this year, a land sale had been ordered by the department, and the people, who were mostly living on government land, did not feel able to pay for it at that time, so a meet- ing was held at the cradle of Freeborn county liberty, the Webber House. A. B. Webber was Chairman, and C. H. Bostwick, Secretary. Col. G. W. Skinner, who had been appointed to secure co-operation in procuring thie postponement of the land sale, reported what had been accom- plished. Stacy, Hoops, Rickard, Ash, Webber, with others, addressed the meeting, and Mr. Skin- ner was sent to Washington to use his influence in the matter, and a committee was appointed to se- cure funds to pay the expenses. A meeting had been previously held in Porter, at the house of F. W. Calkins, and J. M. Drake prepared that safety valne of American feeling, the resolutions. The county seat election was fixed for the day of the general election, on the 6th of November.
Col. Skinner returned, and on the 25th of Octo- ber another meeting took place at the Webber House; S. G. Lowry in the chair, and E. C. Stacy as Secretary. The Colonel reported that although there was to be no postponement of the sale, he had obtained concessions which practically gave the settlers what they wanted, it as was provided that no speculators should bid or locate land war- rants on lands actually occupied, and the follow- ing gentlemen were designated te see the idea carried out: A. B. Webber, of Albert Lea; H. Melder, CarIston; C. Fitzsimmons. Nunda; Eli Ash, Bancroft; J. C. Seeley, Hartland; J. W Burdick, Geneva: E. Croy, Riceland; A. M. Young, Shell Rock; George Callahan, London; C. Bullock, Oakland; and D. Gates, Moscow.
In December of this year, the trial of Kreigler for murder, in Steele county, almost depopu- lated this region, so many were summoned as wit- nesses; even the mail carriers' duties were in- terrupted.
THE YEAR 1861.
Wheat was reported as selling in Milwaukee for 79 cents a bushel.
Henry Kreigler was executed on the first of March, at Albert Lea.
Ruble's mill was wrecked and the dam washed
away by a freshet in April. This was the only water privilege in Albert Lea.
In May, the Standard proudly came out with a new dress, as if " bound to dress well if it did not lay up a cent."
In April a military company was formed at the county seat.
On the 1st of August, A. B. Webber having bought the Standard, issued his first number.
In October the butchers in Albert Lea offered two cents a pound for cattle weighing eleven hun dred pounds or more.
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