USA > Minnesota > Houston County > History of Houston County, Including Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota > Part 35
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94
The first crack of the Indian guns that fell on his ear, a moment afterward, found Prescott and Hinman, and his household fleeing for their lives,
"While on the billowy bosom of the air Rolled the dread notes of anguish and despair."
Mrs. Hinman was, fortunately, then at Fari- bault. All the other members of the family es- caped with Mr. Hinman to Fort Ridgely. The slaughter at the Agency now commenced. John Lamb, a teamster, was shot down, near the house
Digitized by Google
197
MASSACRE AT LOWER AGENCY.
of Mr. Hinman, just as that gentleman and his family were starting on their perilous journey of escape. At the same time some Indians entered the stable, and were taking therefrom the horses belonging to the Government. Mr. A. H. Wag- ner, Superintendent of Farms at that Agency, en- tered the stable to prevent them, and was, by order of Little Crow, instantly shot down. Mr. Hin- man waited to see and hear no more, but fled toward the ferry, and soon put the Minnesota river between himself and the terrible tragedy enact- ing behind him.
At about the same time, Mr. J. C. Dickinson, who kept the Government boarding-house, with all his family, including several girls who were working for him, also succeeded in crossing the river with a span of horses and a wagon; these, with some others, mostly women and children, who had reached the ferry, escaped to the fort.
Very soon after, Dr. Philander P. Humphrey, physician to the Lower Sioux, with his sick wife, and three children, also succeeded in crossing the river, but never reached the fort. All but one, the eldest, a boy of about twelve years of age, were killed upon the road. They had gone about four miles, when Mrs. Humphrey became so much exhausted as to be unable to pro- ceed further, and they went into the house of a Mr. Magner, deserted by its inmates. Mrs. Hum- phrey was placed on the bed; the son was sent to the spring for water for his mother. * * The boy heard the wild war-whoop of the savage break upon the stillness of the air, and, in the next moment, the ominous crack of their guns, which told the fate of his family, and left him its sole survivor. Fleeing hastily toward Fort Ridge- ly, about eight miles distant, he met the com- mand of Captain Marsh on their way toward the Agency. The young hero turned back with them to the ferry. As they passed Magner's house, they saw the Doctor lying near the door, dead, but the house itself was a heap of smouldering ruins; and this brave boy was thus compelled to look upon the funeral pyre of his mother, and his little brother and sister. A burial party afterward found their charred remains amid the blackened ruins, and gave them Christian sepulture. In the charred hands of the little girl was found her china doll, with which she refused to part even in death. The boy went on to the ferry, and in that disas- trous conflict escaped unharmed, and finally made his way into the fort.
In the mean time the work of death went on. The whites, taken by surprise, were utterly de- fenseless, and so great had been the feeling of se- curity, that many of them were actually unarmed, although living in the very midst of the savages. At the store of Nathan Myrick, Hon. James W. Lynd, formerly a member of the State Senate, Andrew J. Myrick, and G. W. Divoll were among the first victims. * In the store of Wil- liam H. Forbes were some five or six persons, among them Mr. George H. Spencer, jr. Hearing the yelling of the savages outside, these men ran to the door to ascertain its cause, when they were instantly fired upon, killing four of their number, and severely wounding Mr. Spencer. Spencer and his uninjured companion hastily sought a tempo- rary place of safety in the chamber of the build- ing.
Mr. Spencer, in giving an account of this open- ing scene of the awful tragedy, says:
" When I reached the foot of the stairs, I turned and beheld the store filling with Indians. One had followed me nearly to the stairs, when he took deliberate aim at my body, but, providentially, both barrels of his gun missed fire, and I succeeded in getting above without further injury. Not ex- pecting to live a great while, I threw myself upon a bed, and, while lying there, could hear them opening cases of goods, and carrying them out, and threatening to burn the building. I did not relish the idea of being burned to death very well, so I arose very quietly, and taking a bed-cord, I made fast one end to the bed-post, and carried the other to a window, which I raised. I intended, in case they fired the building, to let myself down from the window, and take the chances of being shot again, rather than to remain where I was and burn. The man who went up-stairs with me, see- ing a good opportunity to escape, rushed down through the crowd and ran for life; he was fired upon, and two charges of buckshot struck him, but he succeeded in making his escape. I had been up-stairs probably an hour, when I heard the voice of an Indian inquiring for me. I recognized his voice, and felt that I was safe. Upon being told that I was up-stairs, he rushed up, followed by ten or a dozen others, and approaching my bed, asked if I was mortally wounded. I told him that I did not know, but that I was badly hurt. Some of the others came up and took me by the hand, and appeared to be sorry that I had been hurt. They then asked me where the guns were. I
Digitized by Google
198
HISTORY OF THE SIOUX MASSACRE.
pointed to them, when my comrade assisted me in getting down stairs.
" The name of this Indian is Wakinyatawa, or, in English, 'His Thunder.' He was, up to the time of the outbreak, the head soldier of Little Crow, and, some four or five years ago, went to Wash- ington with that chief to see their Great Father. He is a fine-looking Indian, and has always been noted for his bravery in fighting the Chippewas. When we reached the foot of the stairs, some of the Indians cried out, 'Kill him!' 'Spare no Americans!' 'Show mercy to none!' My friend, who was unarmed, seized a hatchet that was lying near by, and declared that he would cut down the first one that should attempt to do me any further harm. Said he, 'If you had killed him before I saw him, it would have been all right; but we have been friends and comrades for ten years, and now that I have seen him, I will protect him or die with him.' They then made way for us, and we passed out; he procured a wagon, and gave me over to a couple of squaws to take me to his lodge. On the way we were stopped two or three times by armed Indians on horseback, who inquired of the squaws ' What that meant? Upon being answered that 'This is Wakinyatawa's friend, and he has saved his life,' they suffered us to pass on. His lodge was about four miles above the Agency, at Little Crow's village. My friend soon came home and washed me, and dressed my wounds with roots. Some few white men succeeded in making their escape to the fort. There were no other white men taken prisoners."
The relation of "comrade," which existed be- tween Mr. Spencer and this Indian, is a species of Freemasonry which is in existence among the Sioux, and is probably also common to 'other In- dian tribes.
The store of Louis Robert was, in like manner, attacked. Patrick McClellan, one of the clerks in charge of the store, was killed, There were at the store several other persons; some of them were killed and some made their escape. Mr. John Nairn, the Government carpenter at the Lower Sioux Agency, seeing the attack upon the stores and other places, seized his children, four in num- ber, and, with his wife, started out on the prairie, making their way toward the fort. They were accompanied by Mr. Alexander Hunter, an at- tached personal friend, and his young wife. Mr. Nairn had been among them in the employ of the Government, some eight years, and had, by his
urbane manners and strict attention to their in- terests, secured the personal friendship of many of the tribe. Mr. Nairn and his family reached the fort in safety that afternoon. Mr. Hunter had, some years before, frozen his feet so badly as to lose the toes, and, being lame, walked with great difficulty. When near an Indian village below the Agency, they were met by an Indian, who urged Hunter to go to the village, promising to get them a horse and wagon with which to make their es- cape. Mr. Hunter and his wife went to the Indian village, believing their Indian friend would re- deem his promises, but from inability, or some other reason, he did not do so. They went to the woods, where they remained all night, and in the morning started for Fort Ridgely on foot. They had gone but a short distance, however, when they met an Indian, who, without a word of warning, shot poor Hunter dead, and led his distracted young wife away into captivity.
We now return once more to the scene of blood and conflagration at the Agency. The white- haired interpreter, Philander Prescott (now verg- ing upon seventy years of age), hastily left his house soon after his meeting with Little Crow, and fled toward Fort Ridgely. The other members of his family remained behind, knowing that their relation to the tribe would save them. Mr. Pres- cott had gone several miles, when he was overtaken. His murderers came and talked with him. He reasoned with them, saying: "I am an old man: I have lived with you now forty-five years, almost half a century. My wife and children are among you, of your own blood; I have never done you any harm, and have been your true friend in all your troubles; why should you wish to kill me?" Their only reply was: "We would save your life if we could, but the white man must die; we cannot spare your life; our orders are to kill all white men; we cannot spare you."
Seeing that all remonstrance was vain and hope- less, and that his time had come, the aged man with a firm step and noble bearing, sadly turned away from the deaf ear and iron heart of the sav- age, and with dignity and composure received the fatal messenger.
Thus perished Philander Prescott, the true, tried, and faithful friend of the Indian, by the hands of that perfidious race, whom he had so long and so faithfully labored to benefit to so little purpose.
The number of persons who reached Fort Ridge- ly from the agency was forty-one. Some are
Digitized by Google
199
AT REDWOOD RIVER.
known to have reached other places of safety. All suffered incredible hardships; many hiding by day in the tall prairie grass, in bogs and sloughs, or under the trunks of prostrate trees, crawling stealthily by night to avoid the lurking and wily toe, who, with the keen scent of the blood-hound and ferocity of the tiger, followed on their trail, thirsting for blood.
Among those who escaped into the fort were Mr. J. C. Whipple, of Faribault; Mr. Charles B. Hewitt, of New Jersey. The services of Mr. Whipple were recognized and rewarded by the Government with a first lieutenant's commis- sion in the volunteer artillery service.
James Powell, a young man residing at St. Peter, was at the Agency herding cattle. He had just turned the cattle out of the yard, saddled and mounted his mule, as the work of death com- menced. Seeing Lamb and Wagner shot down near him he turned to flee, when Lamb called to him for help; but, at that moment two shots were fired at him, and, putting spurs to his mule he turned toward the ferry, passing close to an In- dian who leveled his gun to fire at him; but the caps exploded, when the savage, evidently sur- prised that he. had failed to kill him, waved his hand toward the river, and exclaimed, "Puckachee! Puckachee!" Pcwell did not wait for a second warning, which might come in a more unwelcome form, but slipped at once from the back of his an- imal, dashed down the bluff through the brush, and reached the ferry just as the boat was leaving the shore. Looking over his shoulder as he ran, he saw an Indian in full pursuit on the very mule he had a moment before abandoned.
All that day the work of sack and plunder went on; and when the stores and dwellings and the warehouses of the Government had been emptied of their contents, the torch was applied to the var- ious buildings, and the little village was soon a heap of smouldering ruins.
The bodies of their slain victims were left to fes- ter in the sun where they fell, or were consumed in the buildings from which they had been unable to effect their escape.
So complete was the surprise, and so sudden and unexpected the terrible blow, that not a sin- gle one of all that host of naked savages was slain. In thirty minutes from the time the first gun was fired, not a white person was left alive. All were either weltering in their gore or had fled in fear and terror from that place of death.
REDWOOD RIVER.
At the Redwood river, ten miles above the Agency, on the road to Yellow Medicine, resided Mr. Joseph B. Reynolds, in the employment of the Government as a teacher. His house was within one mile of Shakopee's village. His family consisted of his wife, a niece-Miss Mattie Wil- liams, of Painesville, Ohio -- Mary Anderson and Mary Schwandt, hired girls. William Landmeier, a hired man, and Legrand Davis, a young man from Shakopee, was also stopping with them tem- porarily.
On the morning of the 18th of August, at about 6 o'clock, John Moore, a half-breed trader, resid- ing near them, came to the house and informed them that there was an outbreak among the In- dians, and that they had better leave at once. Mr. Reynolds immediately got out his buggy, and, taking his wife, started off across the prairie in such a direction as to avoid the Agency. At the same time Davis and the three girls got into the wagon of a Mr. Patoile, a trader at Yellow Medi- cine, who had just arrived there on his way to New Ulm, and they also started out on the prairie. William, the hired man, would not leave until he had been twice warned by Moore that his life was in danger. He then went down to the river bot- tom, and following the Minnesota river, started for the fort. When some distance on his way he came upon some Indians who were gathering up cattle. They saw him and there was no way of escape. They came to him and told him that if he would assist them in driving the cattle they would not kill him. Making a merit of necessity he complied, and went on with them till they were near the Lower Agency, when the Indians, hear- ing the firing at the ferry, suddenly left him and hastened on to take part in the battle then pro- gressing between. Captain Marsh and their friends. William fled in an opposite direction, and that night entered Fort Ridgely.
We return now to Patoile and his party. After crossing the Redwood near its mouth, he drove some distance up that stream, and, turning to the left, struck across the prairie toward New Ulm, keeping behind a swell in the prairie which ran parallel with the Minnesota, some three miles south of that stream.
They had, unpursued, and apparently unob- served, reached a point within about ten miles of New Ulm, and nearly opposite Fort Ridgely, when they were suddenly assailed by Indians, who
Digitized by Google
200
HISTORY OF THE SIOUX MASSACRE.
killed Patoile and Davis, and severely wounded Mary Anderson. Miss Williams and Mary Schwandt were captured unhurt, and were taken back to Waucouta's village.
The poor, injured young woman survived her wounds and the brutal and fiendish violation of her person to which she was subjected by these devils incarnate, but a few days, when death, in mercy, came to her relief and ended her sufferings in the quiet of the grave!
Mattie Williams and Mary Schwandt were af- terwards restored to their friends by General Sib- ley's expedition, at Camp Release. We say, res- stored to their friends; this was hardly true of Mary Schwandt, who, when release came, found alive, of all her father's family, only one, a little brother; and he had witnessed the fiendish slaugh- ter of all the rest, accompanied by circumstances of infernal barbarity, without a parallel in the his- tory of savage brutality.
On Sunday, the 17th, George Gleason, Govern- ment store-keeper at the Lower Agency, accompa- nied by the family of Agent Galbraith, to Yellow Medicine, and on Monday afternoon, ignorant of the terrible tragedy enacted below, started to re- turn. He had with him the wife and two children of Dr. J. S. Wakefield, physician to the Upper Sioux. When about two miles above the mouth of the Redwood, they met two armed Indians ou the road. Gleason greeted them with the usual salutation of "Ho!" accompanied with the inquiry, in Sioux, as he passed, "Where are you going ?" They returned the salutation, but Gleason had gone but a very short distance, when the sharp crack of a gun behind him bore to his ear the first intimation of the death in store for him. The bullet passed through his body and he fell to the ground. At the same moment Chaska, the Indian who had not fired, sprang into the wagon, by the side of Mrs. Wakefield, and driving a short dis- tance, returned. Poor Gleason was lying upon the ground, still alive, writhing in mortal agony, when the savage monster completed his hellish work, by placing his gun at his breast, and shoot- ing him again. Such was the sad end of the life of George Gleason; gay, jocund, genial and gen- erous, he was the life of every circle. His pleas- ant face was seen, and his mellow voice was heard in song, at almost every social gathering on that rude frontier. He had a smile and pleasant word for all; and yet he fell, in his manly strength, by the hands of these bloody monsters, whom he had
never wronged in word or deed. Some weeks af- terward, his mutilated remains were found by the troops under Colonel Sibley, and buried where he fell. They were subsequently removed by his friends to Shakopee, where they received the rites of Christian sepulture.
Mrs. Wakefield and children were held as pris- oners, and were reclaimed with the other captives at Camp Release.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
MASSACRE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE MINNESOTA- BURNING OF MRS. HENDERSON AND TWO CHILDREN -ESCAPE OF J. W. EARLE AND OTHERS-THE SET- TLEBS ENDEAVOR TO ESCAPE-MURDER OF THE SCHWANDT FAMILY-WHOLESALE MASSACRE-UP- PER AGENCY-THE PEOPLE WARNED BY JOSEPH LAFRAMBOIS AND OTHER DAY-ESCAPE OF THE WHITES FROM YELLOW MEDICINE-SETTLEMENT ON THE CHIPPEWA-MURDER OF JAMES W. LIND- SAY AND HIS COMRADE.
Early on the morning of the 18th, the settlers on the north side of the Minnesota river, adjoining the reservation, were surprised to see a large num- ber of Indians in their immediate neighborhood. They were seen soon after the people arose, simul- taneously, all along the river from Birch Coolie to Beaver Creek, and beyond, on the west, apparent- ly intent on gathering up the horses and cattle. When interrogated, they said they were after Chippewas. At about 6 or 7 o'clock they sudden- ly began to repair to the various houses of the set- tlers, and then the flight of the inhabitants and the work of death began.
In the immediate vicinity of Beaver Creek, the neighbors, to the number of about twenty-eight, men, women, and children, assembled at the house of Jonathan W. Earle, and, with several teams, started for Fort Ridgely, having with them the sick wife of S. R. Henderson, her children, and the family of N. D. White, and the wife and two children of James Carrothers.
There were, also, David Carrothers and family, Earle and family, Henderson, and a German named Wedge, besides four sons of White and Earle; the rest were women and children. They had gone but a short distance when they were surrounded by Indians. When asked, by some of the party who could speak their language, what they wanted, the Indians answered, "We are going to kill you."
Digitized by Google
201
MASSACRE AT GERMAN SETTLEMENT.
When asked why they were to be killed, the In- dians consented to let them go, with one team and the buggy with Mrs. Henderson, on giving up the rest. They had gone but a short distance when they were again stopped by the savages, and the remaining team taken. Again they moved on, drawing the buggy and the sick woman by hand, but had gone but a few rods further, when the In- dians began to fire upon them. The men were with the buggy; the women and children had gone on ahead, as well as the boys and Carrothers.
Mr. Earle, seeing the savages were determined to kill them, and knowing that they could not now save Mrs. Henderson, hastened on and came up with the fleeing fugitives ahead. Mr. Henderson waved a white cloth as a flag of truce, when they shot off his fingers, and, at the same time, killed Wedge. Henderson then ran, seeing that he could not save his wife and children, and made his es- cape. They came up with his buggy, and, taking out the helpless woman and children, threw them on the prairie, and placing the bed over them, set it on fire, and hastened on after the fleeing fugi- tives.
The burned and blackened remains of both the mother and her two children were afterward found by a burial party, and interred.
Coming up with the escaping women and chil- dren, they were all captured but two children of David Carrothers. These they had shot in the chase after Carrothers, Earle, and the sons of Earle and White. They killed, also, during this chase and running fight, Eugene White, a son of N. D. White, and Radner, son of Jonathan W. Earle.
Carrothers escaped to Crow River, and thence to St. Paul. Mr. Earle and two of his sons, and one son of Mr. White, after incredible hardships, es- caped to Cedar City, and subsequently made their way back to St. Peter and Fort Ridgely. All the captives taken at this time were carried to Crow's village, and, with the exception of Mrs. James Carrothers and her children, were recovered at Camp Release.
After they had captured the women and children, they returned to the houses of the settlers, and plundered them of their contents, carrying off what they could, and breaking up and destroying the balance. They then gathered up the stock and drove it to their village, taking their captives with them.
Some two or three miles above the neighborhood of Earle and White was a settlement of German
emigrants, numbering some forty persons, quiet, industrious, and enterprising. Early on the morning of the 18th these had all assembled at the house of John Meyer. Very soon after they had assembled here, some fifty Indians, led by Shakopee, appeared in sight. The people all fled, except Meyer and his family, going into the grass and bushes. Peter Bjorkman ran toward his own house. Shakopee, whom he knew, saw him, and exclaimed, "There is Bjorkman; kill him!" but, keeping the building between him and the sav- ages, he plunged into a slough and concealed himself, even removing his shirt, fearing it might be the means of revealing his whereabouts to the lurking savages. Here he lay from early morning until the darkness of night enabled him to leave with safety-suffering unutterable torments, mos- quitoes literally swarming upon his naked person, and the hot sun scorching him to the bone.
They immediately attacked the house of Meyer, killing his wife and all his children. Seeing his family butchered, and having no means of de- fense, Meyer effected his escape, and reached Fort Ridgely. In the meantime the affrighted people had got together again at the house of a Mr. Sitzton, near Bjorkman's, to the number of about thirty, men, women, and children. In the after- noon the savages returned to the house of Sitzton, killing every person there but one woman, Mrs. Wilhelmina Eindenfield, and her child. These were captured, and afterward found at Camp Re- lease, but the husband and father was among the slain. From his place of concealment Mr. Bjork- man witnessed this attack and wholesale massacre of almost an entire neighborhood. After dark he came out of the slough, and, going to his house, obtained some food and a bundle of clothing, as his house was not yet plundered; fed his dog and calf, and went over to the house of Meyer; here he found the windows all broken in, but did not enter the house. He then went to the house of Sitzton; his nerves were not equal to the task of entering that charnel-house of death. As he passed the yard, he turned out some cattle that the Indians had not taken away, and hastened toward Fort Ridgely. On the road he overtook a woman and two children, one an infant of six months, the wife and children of John Sateau, who had been killed. Taking one of the children in his arms, these companions in misfortune and suffer- ing hurried on together. Mrs. Sateau was nearly naked, and without either shoes or stockings.
Digitized by Google
ยท
202
HISTORY OF THE SIOUX MASSACRE.
The rough prairie grass lacerated her naked feet and limbs terribly, and she was about giving out in despair. Bjorkman took from his bundle a shirt, and tearing it in parts, she wound it about her feet, and proceeded on.
At daylight they came in sight of the house of Magner, eight miles above the fort. Here they saw some eight or ten Indians, and, turning aside from the road, dropped down into the grass, where they remained until noon, when the Indians disap- peared. They again moved toward the fort, but slowly and cautiously, as they did not reach it until about midnight. Upon reaching the fort Mrs. Sateau found two sons, aged ten and twelve years respectively, who had effected their escape and reached there before her.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.