History of Houston County, Including Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 37

Author: Edward D. Neill
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 547

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and, weary and hungry, press on. Perils beset their path on every hand; dangers, seen and un- seen, were around them; but commending them- selves to the care of Him who "suffereth not a sparrow to fall to the ground without His notice," they resumed their weary march. They knew that all around them the work of death and deso- lation was going on, for the midnight sky, on every side, was red with the lurid flame of burn- ing habitations. They heard from out the gloom the tramp of horses' feet, hurrying past them in the darkness; but they still pressed on. Soon their wearied animals gave out, and again they encamped for the night. With the early dawn they were upon the move, some eight miles from the fort, in the direction of Henderson. Here, four men, the three Germans who had joined them on Wednesday, and a young man named Gilligan, left them, and went off in the direction of New Ulm. The bodies of these unfortunate men were afterward found, scarcely a mile from the place where they had left the guidance of Other Day.

They traveled on in the direction of Henderson, slowly and painfully, for their teams, as well as themselves, were nearly exhausted. That day the savages were beleaguering New Ulm, and the sounds of the conflict were borne faintly to their ears upon the breeze. They had flour with them, but no means of cooking it, and were, consequently, much of the time without proper food. On the afternoon of this day they came to a deserted house, on the road from Fort Ridgley to Hender- son, the house of Michael Cummings, where they found a stove, cooking utensils, and a jar of cream. Obtaining some ears of corn from the field or gar- den near by, and "confiscating" the cream, they prepared themselves the first good meal they had had since leaving their homes so hastily on Mon- day night.

After refreshing themselves and their worn ani- mals at this place for some hours, their journey was again resumed. That night they slept in a forsaken house on the prairie, and, on Sabbath morning early, were again on their way. As they proceeded, they met some of the settlers returning to their deserted farins, and calling a halt at a de- serted house, where they found a large company of people, they concluded to remain until Monday, and recuperate themselves and teams, as well as to observe in a proper manner the holy Sabbath. On Monday morning they separated, part going to Henderson and part to St. Peter, all feeling that

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the All-seeing Eye that never slumbers or sleeps had watched over them, and that the loving hand of God had guided them safely through the dan- gers, seen and unseen, that had beset their path.

In the region of the State above the Upper Agency there were but few white inhabitants. Of all those residing on the Chippewa river, near its mouth, we can hear of but one who escaped, and he was wounded, while his comrade, who lived with him was killed. This man joined the party of the missionaries, and got away with them.

On the Yellow Medicine, above the Agency about twelve miles, was a settler named James W. Lindsay. He was unmarried, and another single man was "baching it" with him. They were both killed. Their nearest white neighbors were at the Agency, and they could not be warned of their danger, and knew nothing of it until the savages were upon them.

CIIAPTER XXXV.

LEOPOLD WOHLER AND WIFE-LEAVENWORTH- STATEMENT OF MRS. MARY J. COVILL-STORY OF MRS. LAURA WHITON-MILFORD-NICOLLET COUN- TY-WEST NEWTON-LAFAYETTE-COURTLAND -- SWAN LAKE-PARTIAL LIST OF THE KILLED IN NICOLLET COUNTY-INDIANS SCOURING THE COUN- TRY -- A SCOUTING PARTY SEEN AT ST. PETER.

The news of the murders below reached Leo- pold Wohler at the "lime-kiln," three miles be- low Yellow Medicine, on Monday afternoon. Taking his wife, he crossed the Minnesota river. and went to the house of Major Joseph R. Brown.

Major Brown's family consisted of his wife and nine children; Angus Brown and wife, and Charles Blair, a son-in-law, his wife, and two children. The Major himself was away from home. Includ- ing Wohler and his wife, there were then at their house, on the evening of the 18th of August, eighteen persons.

They started, early on the morning of the 19th, to make their escape, with one or two others of their neighbors, Charles Holmes, a single man, re- siding on the claim above them, being of the party. They were overtaken near Beaver Creek by Indi- ans, and all of the Browns, Mr. Blair and family, and Mrs. Wohler, were captured, and taken at once to Little Crow's village. Messrs. Wohler and Holmes escaped. Major Brown's family were of mixed Indian blood. This fact, probably, accounts

for their saving the life of Blair, who was a white man.

Crow told him to go away, as his young men were going to kill him; and he made his escape to Fort Ridgely, being out some five days and nights without food. Mr. Blair was in poor health. The hardships he endured were too much for his al- ready shattered constitution; and although he es- caped the tomahawk and scalping-knife, he was soon numbered among the victims of the massacre.

J. H. Ingalls, a Scotchman, who resided in this neighborhood, and his wife, were killed, and their four children were taken into captivity. Two of them, young girls, aged twelve and fourteen years, were rescued at Camp Release, and the two little boys were taken away by Little Crow. Poor little fellows! their fate is still shrouded in mystery. A Mr. Frace, residing near Brown's place, was also killed. His wife and two children were found at Camp Release.

The town of Leavenworth was situated on the Cottonwood, in the county of Brown. Word was brought to some of the settlers in that town, on Monday afternoon, that the Indians had broken out and were killing the inhabitants on the Min- nesota. They immediately began to make prepa- rations to leave. Mr. William Carroll started at once for New Ulm alone, to learn the facts of the rumored outbreak. The most of the inhabitants; alarmed by these rumors, fled that night toward New Ulm. Some of them reached that town in safety, and others were waylaid and massacred upon the road.

The family of a Mr. Blum, a worthy German citizen, were all, except a small boy, killed while endeavoring to escape. On Tuesday morning, Mr. Philetus Jackson was killed, while on the way to town with his wife and son. Mrs. Jackson and the young man escaped.

We insert here the statements of two ladies, who escaped from this neighborhood, as they detail very fully the events of several days in that local- ity. Mrs. Mary J. Covill, wife of George W. Covill, says:

"On Monday, the 18th of Angust, messengers came to the house of Luthur Whiton, from both above and below, with a report of an outbreak of the Indians. My husband was at Mr. Whiton's, stacking grain. He came home about four o'clock P. M., and told me about it, and then went back to Whiton's, about half a mile away, to get a Mr. Riant, who had recently come there from the State

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of Maine, to take his team and escape. I packed a trunk with clothing, and hid it in the grass, and then went myself to Whiton's, as I was afraid to remain at home. Mr. Riant got up his team, and taking his two trunks -- one of them containing over two thousand dollars in gold -took us all with him. There was a family at Mr. Whiton's from Tennessee, and a young child of theirs had died that day. The poor woman took her dead child in her arms, and we all started across the prairie, avoiding the road, for Mankato. We camped that night about three miles from home, on the prairie; and sceing no fires, as of burning buildings, returned to the house of our neighbor, Van Guilder, and found that the settlers had nearly all left. Mr. Van Guilder and family, Edward Allen and wife, Charles Smith and family and Mrs. Carroll, were all we knew of that re- mained.

"We started on, thinking that we would over- take the Leavenworth party, who had been gone about an hour. We had gone about two and a half miles, when we saw, ahead of us, a team, with two men in the wagon, who drove toward us until they got into a hollow, and then got out and went behind a knoll. We drove quite near them, when Mr. Covill discovered them to be Indians. Riant turned his horses round and fled, when they jumped up out of the grass, whooped, and fired at us. They then jumped into their wagon and followed. Mr. Covill had the only gun in the party that could be used, and kept it pointed at the Indians as we retreated. They fired at us some half-dozen times, but, fortunately, without injuring any one.

" We drove hastily back to the house of Van Guilder, and entered it as quickly as possible, the savages firing upon us all the time. Mr. Van Guilder had just started away, with his family, as we came back, and returned to the house with us. A shot from the Indians broke the arm of his mo- ther, an aged lady, soon after we got into the house, as she was passing a window. In our haste, we had not stopped to hitch the horses, and they soon started off, and the Indians followed. As they were going over a hill near the house, they shook a white cloth at us, and, whooping, disap- peared. There were in this company-after Riant was gone, who left us, and hid in a slough-fifteen persons. We immediately started out on the prai- rie again. We had now only the ox-team of Van Guilder, and the most of us were compelled to walk. His mother, some small children, and some

trunks, made a wagon-load. The dead child, which the mother had brought back to the house with her, was left lying upon the table. It was afterward found, with its head serered from its body by the fiends. S. L. Wait and Luther Whiton, who had concealed themselves in the grass when they saw the Indians coming, joined us. Mrs. A. B. Hough and infant child were with the family of Van Guilder. These made our number up to fif- teen. We traveled across the prairie all day with- ont seeing any Indians, and, at night, camped on the Little Cottonwood. We waded the stream, and made our camp on the opposite side, in the tall grass and reeds. We reached this spot on Tuesday night, and remained there till Friday af- ternoon, without food, save a little raw flour, which we did not dare to cook, for fear the smoke would reveal our whereabouts to the savages, when a company from New Ulm rescued us.

"On Wednesday night, after dark, Covill and Wait started for New Ulm, to get a party to come out to our aid, saying they would be back the next day. That night, and nearly all the next day, it rained. At about daylight the next day, when just across the Big Cottonwood, five miles from New Ulm, they heard an Indian whooping in their rear, and turned aside into some hazel-bushes, where they lay all day. At the place where they crossed the river they found a fish-rack in the water, and in it caught a fish. Part of this they ate raw that day. It was now Thursday, and they had eaten nothing since Monday noon. They started again at dark for New Ulm. When near the graveyard, two miles from the town, an Indian, with grass tied about his head, arose from the . ground and attempted to head them off. They succeeded in evading him, and got in about ten o'clock. When about entering the place, they were fired upon by the pickets, which alarmed the town, and when they got in, all was in commo- tion, to meet an expected attack.

"The next morning, one hundred and fifty men, under Captain Tousley, of Le Sueur, and S. A. Buell, of St. Peter, started to our relief, reaching our place of concealment about two o'clock. They brought us food, of which our famished party eagerly partook. They were accompanied by Dr. A. W. Daniels, of St. Peter, and Dr. Mayo, of Le Sueur. They went on toward Leavenworth, intending to remain there all night, bury the dead, should any be found, the next day, rescue any who might remain alive,

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and then return. They buried the Blum fam- ily of six persons that afternoon, and then con- cluded to return that night. We reached New Ulm before midnight. Mr. Van Guilder's mother died soon after we got into town from the effects of her wound and the exposure to which she had been subjected.

"At about the same time that we returned to the house of Mr. Van Guilder, on Tuesday, Charles Smith and family, Edward Allen and wife, and Mrs. Carroll had left it, and reached New Ulm without seeing Indians, about half an hour before the place was attacked. The same day, William Carroll, with a party of men, came to the house for us, found Mr. Riant, who was concealed in a slough, and started back toward New Ulm. But few of them reached the town alive."

An account of the adventures of this company, and its fate, will be found elsewhere, in the state- ment of Ralph Thomas, one of the party.

On Monday, the 18th of August, two women, Mrs. Harrington and Mrs. Hill, residing on the Cottonwood, below Leavenworth, heard of the out- break, and prevailed upon a Mr. Henshaw, a sin- gle man, living near them, to harness up his team and take them away, as their husbands were away from home. Mrs. Harrington had two children; Mrs. Hill none. They had gone but a short dis- tance when they were overtaken by Indians. Mr. Henshaw was killed, and Mrs. Harrington was badly wounded, the ball passing through her shoulder. She had just sprung to the ground with her youngest child in her arms; one of its arms was thrown over her shoulder, and the ball passed through its little hand, lacerating it dread- fully. The Indians were intent upon securing the team, and the women were not followed, and es- caped. Securing the horses, they drove away in an opposite direction. .

Mrs. Harrington soon became faint from the loss of blood; and Mrs. Hill, concealing her near a slough, took the eldest child and started for New Ulm. Before reaching that place she met John Jackson and William Carroll, who resided on the Cottonwood, above them; and, telling them what had happened, they put her on one of their horses and turned back with her to the town.

On the next day, Tuesday, Mr. Jackson was one of the party with Carroll, heretofore mentioned, that went out to Leavenworth, and visited the house of Van Guilder, in search of their families. When that party turned back to New Ulm, Jack-

son did not go with them, but went to his own house to look for his wife, who had already left. He visited the houses of most of his neighbors, and finding no one, started back alone. When near the house of Mr. Hill, between Leavenworth and New Ulm, on the river, he saw what he supposed were white men at the house, but when within a few rods of them, discovered they were Indians. The moment he made this discovery he turned to flee to the woods near by. They fired upon him, and gave chase, but he outran them, and reached the timber unharmed. Here he remained concealed until late at night, when he made his way back to town, where he found his wife, who, with others of their neighbors, had fled on the first alarm, and reached the village in safety. Mrs. Laura Whiton, widow of Elijah Whiton, of Leavenworth, Brown county, makes the following statement:

"We had resided on our claim, at Leavenworth, a little over four years. There were in our family, on the 18th of August, 1862, four persons-Mr. Whiton, myself, and two children-a son of sixteen years, and a daughter nine years of age. On Mon- day evening, the 18th of August, a neighbor, Mr. Jackson, and his son, a young boy, who resided three miles from our place, came to our house in search of their horses, and told us that the Indians had murdered a family on the Minnesota river, and went away. We saw no one, and heard nothing more until Thursday afternoon following, about 4 o'clock, when about a dozen Indians were seen coming from the direction of the house of a neigh- bor named Heydrick, whom they were chasing. Heydrick jumped off a bridge across a ravine, and, running down the ravine, concealed himself under a log, where he remained until 8 o'clock, when he came out, and made his escape into New Ulm.

"The savages had already slain all his family, consisting of his wife and two children. Mr. Whiton, who was at work near the door at the time, came into the house, but even then did not believe there was any thing serious, supposing Heydrick was unnecessarily frightened. But when he saw them leveling their guns at him, he came to the conclusion that we had better leave. He loaded his double-barreled gun, and we all started for the timber. After reaching the woods, Mr. Whiton left us to go to the house of his brother, Luther, a single man, to see what had become of him, telling us to remain where we were until he came back. We never saw him again. After he left us, not daring to remain where we were, we

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forded the river (Cottonwood), and hid in the tim- ber, on the opposite side, where we remained until about 8 o'clock, when we started for New Ulm.

" While we lay concealed in the woods, we heard the Indians driving up our oxen, and yoking them up. They hitched them to our wagon, loaded it up with our trunks, bedding, etc., and drove away. we went out on the prairie, and walked all night and all next day, arriving at New Ulm at about dark on Friday, the 22d. About midnight, on Thursday night, as we were fleeing along the road, we passed the bodies of the family of our neigh- bor, Blum, lying dead by the road-side. They had started to make their escape to town, but were overtaken by the savages upon the road, and all but a little boy most brutally murdered.

" Mr. Whiton returned home, from his visit to the house of his brother, which he found deserted, and found that our house had already been plun- dered. He then went to the woods to search for us. He remained in the timber, prosecuting his search, until Saturday, withont food; and, failing to find us, he came to the conclusion that we were either dead or in captivity, and then himself start- ed for New Ulm. On Saturday night, when trav- eling across the prairie, he came suddenly upon a camp of Indians, but they did not see him, and he beat as hasty a retreat as possible from their vi- cinit y.

" When near the Lone Cottonwood Tree, on Sunday morning, he fell in with William J. Duly, who had made his escape from Lake Shetek. They traveled along together till they came to the house of Mr. Henry Thomas, six miles from our farm, in the town of Milford. This house had evi- dently been deserted by the family in great haste, for the table was spread for a meal, and the food remained untouched upon it. Here they sat down to eat, neither of them having had any food for a long time. While seated at the table, two Indians came to the house; and, as Mr. Whiton arose and stepped to the stove for some water, they came into the door, one of them saying, 'Da mea tepce.' [This is my house.] There was no way of escape, and Mr. Whiton, thinking to propitiate him, said 'Come in.'. Mr. Duly was sitting partly behind the door, and was, probably, unobserved. The savage made no answer, but instantly raised his gun, and shot him through the heart. they then both went into the corn. Duly was unarmed; and, when Mr. Whiton was killed, took his gun and ran out of the house, and concealed himself in the bushes near by.

"While lying here he could hear the Indians yelling and firing their guns in close proximity to his place of concealment. After awhile he ven- tured out. Being too much exhausted to carry it, he threw away the gun, and that night ar- rived at New Ulm, without again encountering Indians."

We now return to Mrs. Harrington, whom, the reader will remember, we left badly wounded, con- cealed near a slough. We regret our inability to obtain a full narrative of her wanderings during the eight succeeding days and nights she spent alone upon the prairie, carrying her wounded child. We can only state in general terms, that after wandering for eight weary days and nights, without food or shelter, unknowing whither, early on the morning of Tuesday, the 26th, before day- light, she found herself at Crisp's farm, midway . between New Ulm and Mankato. As she ap- proached the pickets she mistook them for In- dians, and, when hailed by them, was so fright- ened as not to recognize the English language, and intent only on saving her life, told them she was a Sioux. Two guns were instantly leveled at her, but, providentially, both missed fire, when an exclamation from her led them to think she was white, and a woman, and they went out to her. She was taken into camp and all done for her by Judge Flandrau and his men that could be done. They took her to Mankato, and soon after she was joined by her husband, who was below at the time of the outbreak, and also found the child which Mrs. Hill took with her to New Ulm.

Six miles from New Ulm there lived, on the Cottonwood, in the county of Brown, a German family of the name of Heyers, consisting of the father, mother and two sons, both young men. A burial party that went out from New Ulm on Friday, the 22d, found them all murdered, and buried them near where they were killed.

The town of Milford, Brown county, adjoining New Ulm on the west and contiguous to the res- ervation, was a farming community, composed en- tirely of Germans. A quiet, sober, industrious, and enterprising class of emigrants had here made their homes, and the prairie wilderness around them began to "bud and blossom like the rose." Industry and thrift had brought their sure reward, and peace, contentment and happiness filled the hearts of this simple-hearted people. The noble and classic Rhine and the vine-clad hills of Fatherland were almost forgotten, or, if not

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forgotten, were now remembered without regret, in these fair prairie homes, beneath the glowing and genial sky of Minnesota.

When the sun arose on the morning of the 18th of August, 1862, it looked down upon this scene in all its glowing beauty; but its declining rays fell upon a field of carnage and horror too fearful to describe. The council at Rice Creek, on Sun- day night, had decided upon the details of the work of death, and the warriors of the lower bands were early on the trail, thirsting for blood. Early in the forenoon of Monday they appeared in large numbers in this neighborhood, and the work of slaughter began. The first house visited was that of Wilson Massipost, a prominent and influential citizen, a widower. Mr. Massipost had two daughters, intelligent and accomplished. These the savages murdered most brutally. The head of one of them was afterward found, severed from the body, attached to a fish-hook, and hung upon a nail. His son, a young man of twenty- four years, was also killed. Mr. Massipost and a son of eight years escaped to New Ulm. The house of Anton Hanley was likewise visited. Mr. Hanley was absent. The children, four in num- ber, were beaten with tomahawks on the head and person, inflicting fearful wounds. Two of them were killed outright, and one, an infant, recovered; the other, a young boy, was taken by the parents, at night, to New Ulm, thence to St. Paul, where he died of his wounds. After killing these child- ren, they proceeded to the field near by, where Mrs. Hanley, her father, Anton Mesmer, his wife, son Joseph, and daughter, were at work harvesting wheat. All these they instantly shot, except Mrs. Hanley, who escaped to the woods and secreted herself till night, when, her husband coming home, they took their two wounded children and made their escape. At the house of Agrenatz Hanley all the children were killed. The parents escaped.

Bastian Mey, wife, and two children were mas- sacred in their house, and three children were ter- ribly mutilated, who afterward recovered.

Adolph Shilling and his daughter were killed; his son badly wounded, escaped with his mother. Two families, those of a Mr. Zeller and a Mr. Zet- tle, were completely annihilated; not a soul was left to tell the tale of their sudden destruction. Jacob Keck, Max Fink, and a Mr. Belzer were also victims of savage barbarity at this place. Af- ter killing the inhabitants, they plundered and

sacked the houses, destroying all the property they could not carry away, driving away all the horses and cattle, and when night closed over the dreadful scene, desolation and death reigned su- preme.

There resided, on the Big Cottonwood, between New Ulm and Lake Shetek, a German, named Charles Zierke, familiarly known throughout all that region as "Dutch Charley." On the same road resided an old gentleman, and his son and daughter, named Brown. These adventurous pio- neers lived many miles from any other human habitation, and kept houses of entertainment on that lonely road. This last-named house was known as "Brown's place." It is not known to us when the savages came to those isolated dwell- ings. We only know that the mutilated bodies of all three of the Brown family were found, and buried, some miles from their house. Zierke and his family made their escape toward New Ulm, and, when near the town, were pursued and over- taken by the Indians on the prairie. By sharp running, Zierke escaped to the town, but his wife and children, together with his team, were taken by them. Returning afterward with a party of men, the savages abandoned the captured team, woman, and children, and they were recovered and all taken into New Ulm in safety.

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History of Houston County, Including Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 37

Author: Edward D. Neill Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Number of Pages: 547

Author: Edward D. Neill
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 547