USA > Minnesota > Martin County > History of Martin County, Minnesota > Part 5
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On Monday morning, August 18th, a$ 10 o'clock, Mr. J. C. Dickinson reached Fort Ridgley from the Lower Sioux Agency, bringing the startling. news that a wholesale massacre of the whites was in progress at the last named place, this at first increditable ramor being s moment later con trined by the arrival of other refugees bring- ing a wounded man. Capt. Marsh at once resolved to go to the rescue. . The long roll was sounded, the little garrison ; was promptly auder arms, and hastily dispatching = mounted messenger (Corporal McLean) with orders to Lient. Sheehan to return immediately with his command to Fort Ridgley, and' directing teams with extra ammunition and empty wagons for carrying the men to follow as soon as harnessed, Capt. Marsh with Interpreter Quinn and forty six men marched for the agency, within thh ty minutes of the first alarm, leaving at For. Ridgley twenty-nine men under command of Lieut. Gere. . Captain Marsh and the interpreter were mounted on mules. About three miles out the teams overtouk the command, and, placing the men in wagons, Capt. Marsh hastened towards the scene of slaughter, meeting on his way scores of affrighted citizens fleeing toward the
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fort for protection. Only six miles from Fort Bidgles houses in flames, and mutilated but not yet cold corpses of men, women. and children at the roadside, marked. the limit thus far reached by the savages, and revealed the appalling character of the out- break; but still in the hope that all this was the work of some desperate band of outlaws among the Sioux, and strangely confident that it was au his, power to quell the disturbance, Capt. Marsh, again forming his command on foot, hurried on.
At Faribault's Hill, some three miles distant from the lower agency, the wagon road decended from the high prairie and crossing a small stream stretched across a wide bottom land of the Minnesota River, covered at this time with tallgrass, to the ferry. Half way across this bottom, Capt. Marsh halted his command for a moment's rest, and proceeded in single file, ad- vancing in this order to the ferry house, which stood on the north side of the roud some two hundred feet east of the ferry landing. Here. on the east bank of the river, on either side of the road,the heavy grass merg- ed with scattered thickets of hazel and willow, interpersed with open sand patches leit by the river's over- flow, one larger thicket extending southward along the river bank some two miles in varying width from twenty to two hundred feet. Across and close to the west bank were the The plan of the ambuscade Was to withhold the attack untill the soldiers were on the ferryboat, but apparently doubting its exact fulfillment, at this juncture White Dog lexped back, firing his gun. "Look out!" shouted Quinn, and the next instant came a volley from the concealed Indians on the west high bluffs on which the lower agency was located, their steep face then covered by a thick growth of young trees and underbrush. Halting at the ferry house shortly after noon, the boat was discovered to be on the east aide in apparent readiness for the command to use for its crossing, (side. Several men fell at the first fire,
though the dead body of the ferryman had been found on the road. Up to this time few Indians had been seen, and these on the high prairie west of' the river, south of the agency, on their horses. . Now appeared some squaws and children on the bluff west of the river, and near the ferry was a aingle Indian who snemed marching as a sentinel. This was Chief White Dog. and Capt. Marsh addressed him through his intepreter. White Dog said, "Come across; everything is over here. We do not want to fight and there will be no trouble. Come over to the agency and we will hold a council." During this discussion two soldiers went to the rive .; to obtain water for the men and discovered the heads of many Indians concealed be- hind logs in the brush on the opposite side. A drunken man at the ferry told the soldiers, "You are all gone up; the Indians are all around you; that side hill if covered with Indians." Capt. Marsh then ordered the soldiers for- ward to the ferryboat. The posts to which the ferry ropes were uttached had apparently been loosened, and pending attention to these, the com- mand formed in line facing the river. Sergeant John F. Bishop stepped to the water's edge to fill his cup, and, returning, reported to Capt. Marsh his belief that Indians were crossing above to the east to surround the command."
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among them Interpreter Quinn, rid- dled by twelve bullets; but fortunately most of the volley passed over the heads of the men, and Capt. Marsh gave the order to fall back to the ferry house. This command had hardly been uttered when, with delo- oniac yells, large numbers of the suv- attempted to sui'm across, but had. ages attacked from the east, pouring from the grass and bushes along the road, and fring from the ferry house aud barn of which they had gained possession. Here for several minutes eusted a coutest, at short range and hand-to-band, most sanguinary but uu-
equal, the little command holding its ground until nearly halt its numbers had fallen, and Indians by the score lay dead. But Capt. Marsh now see- ing that he would soon be completely surrounded and overpowered gave the order to gain, if possible, the thicket along the river to the south, this being the only quarter not held by the bava- ges; and, fighting every iuch of the Way, fifteen of the men succeeded in reaching this thicket. Capt. Marsh now only hoped to reach Fort Ridgley with the remuaut of his command. The Indians riddled the thicker with buckshot and ball, but had the troops no longer at such a serious disadvull- : tage; and deterred, too, by their own ; thicket; providentially, an overhang- heavy losses, they fired at longer lauge. Ing bank of the river enabled the. Husbanding their now seanty ammuni- little command to pass unperceived tion and gradually working down the those who were opposite the open river, the surviving soldiers main- ; ground on the east side; and so, out vi the very jaws of death. they passed, carrying the wounded men, and in
mined to cross the river, which was here some ten rods wide, and, taking his sword and revolver in hand, led the way. He had succeeded in wading, perhaps two-thirds of the distance, when he found the water beyund his depth, and, dropping his arms, proceeded only a short distance when he called loudly for help. Privates Brennan, Dann and Van Buren swam to his assistauc., the former reacting him as he was sinking for the second time. Brennan drew him above the surface and the captain grasped him shoulder for au instant, bu. losing his hold, the brave officer sank beneath the remorseites waters to rise to more. The men joined their com- rades on the suore. The command now devolved ou Sergent John F. Bishop, the party now comprislug, be- sides himself, three corporais alla eleven privates. Bishop kimseaf Lau been wounded, Private Svendsou Was Undry shot and had to be carried, and bishop decided they must con mue southward on the east side. Bulev- ing that the soldier's had reached the west bank, many of the Indians bad crossed at an adjacent ford and were hiding in ambush in a convenient
tained the fight until four o'clock, by which time the south end of the thicket was nearly reached. Discover- momentary expectancy of encounter- ing a large party of Indians moving down the fort road with the evident ever. was made. Five miles from the intention of intercepting him at the fort, darkness approaching, Bishop open ground south of the thicket, and thinking escape possible only by reach- Danu and Hutchinson, in advance with ing the west bank, Capt. Marsh deter- ing other savages. No pursuit, bow- dispatched two brave men, Privates the tidings of disaster, and himself
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HISTORY OF MAMIE COUNTI.
reached Fort Ridgley at abont ten o'clock. Eight other men of Capt. Marsh's party afterward reached Fort Bidgley, having eluded the Indians by hiding in the bushes near the ferry un- til nightfall, and escaping in the dark- ness. Five of the survivors were wounded, and thus the total loss was one officer drowned. twenty-three meu killed and five wounded. Some weeks later the bodies of the fallen were re- moved by their sorrowing comrades to Fort Ridgley. and buried in one grave beside their leader, Capt. Marsh's body having been recovered in a search made by the members of bis company.
FORT RIDGLEY.
"On Monday, August 18th, after the departure of Capt. Marsh, refugees, from the surrounding country, mostly women and children flocked into Fort Bidgley in large numbers, all bring- ing tales of murder and desolated homes. The few available small arms in the fort were furuised to the meu who seemed most likely to handle them to advantage, these meu being placed on duty with the soldiers, of whom, besides the sick and hospital atten- dants, only twenty-two were available for active duty. At about noon there arrived at the fort in charge of C. G. . Wykoff, clerk of the Indian superin-
tendent, and his party of four, the long-expected annuity money, $71,000 in gold. Here this party was of course halted. As the day passed, the frigh- tened fugitives continued to come in, until at nightfall more than two hun- dred had arrived. Intelligence from Capt. Marsh so anxiously awaited vame not. Pickets were posted in every direction by Lieut. Gere in per- son, instructed, as his duty required, nearly every man in the company, to
rally promptly ou the fort in case of attack in any quarter. Shortly after, dark, the two men sent forward by Sergeant Bishop reached the fort, bringing the young officer in com- mand the direful news of the slaughter of his comrades and death of bis com- mander; a tale, whose import, in view of the possible result to the helpless and wellnigh unprotected muss of frightened humanity now in his charge. was sufficient to appall the stoutest heart. Knowing. however, that new regiments were at this time forming at Fort Snelling, the nearest military post, Lieut. Gere. without a moment's delay, penned a dispatch to the com- manding officer of that post. briefly detailing the situation and asking for immediate reinforcement; also, re. questing that officer to acquaint Guv. Ramsey with the state of affairs. This dispatch was written at 8:30 o'clock, and sent forward immediately by Pri- vate William J. Sturgis, mounted on the best horse in the garrison. The messenger was also instructed to re- port the situation to Lieut. Cniver and Agent Galbraith at St. Peter, hastening, if possible, their returu with the men in their charge."
Next week we will give extracts on the battles of Fort Ridgley and New Ulm, condensed as much as possible.
It will be impossible to give in detail the history and account of the various battles and line of defense made by the settlers to hold back the mussing hordes of savages, who had formed a deliberate plan of action and at- tempted to stampede and drive the settlers before them. There is no question but that the Indians hud de- liberately deceived the people, and with the renegade whites and half- breeds. had planned a line of action.
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fo that end the massacre started in, which they drove the Indians across Various places at the same time, and | the Missouri river leaving ouly scatter- on the frontier from the Iowa;line to the | ing bands who stole in and committed northern settlements murders and murders and depredations at various points but the main body were kept back from the line of settlements. depredations began. Their plan was to have burned New Ulm. take Fort Ridgley, move on Mankato and St. Peter, believing, from the information that they had from their emissaries that they could easily drive the whites from the state. The bravery of the settlersand daring of the baudful of soldiers alone prevented this. The but- tle of New Ulm stands foremost in the ranks of this Indian war, and the bravery, hardibood and coolness of the settlers with the handful of volunteer soldiers ix largely due the preventation of the plan mapped ont by the Indians. From eye witnesses we have infor- mation of this contest; every tuft of grass might conceal a lurking Indian, who had decorated their persons with weeds and grass so that in the early morning or dusk of evening or during the smoke of battle they were hardly perceivable. The town was on fire and all seemed lost. yet by persistent effort and bravery the Indians were driven away and a portion of the town saved. We have seen a picture of the battle. and are told that it was a great source of attraction in the Minnesota build- ing at the World's Fair, and the battle of New Ulm will be recorded in history of this state as one of hurdest contested of the Indian wars of '62. On their repnise at New Ulm the Indians drew off and moved on Ft. Ridgley. There were two attacks at this place; we will only give a synopsis of the last. The
Battles of Birch Cooley, Yellow Medi- ciue, Wood Luke and other places would be very interesting had we time to make mention of them, also the campaign made by the soldiers in
Little Crow, believing that Fort Ridg- ley ouce taken his path to the Missis- sippi would be comparatively clear, re- solved to make one more desperate at- tempt at its capture, and on Friday, Angust 22d, his numbers having been largely angmeuted, a second and more furious attack was made. At about 1 o'clock p. m., dismonnting and leaving their ponies a mile distant, with demon- iac yells the savages surrounded the fort and at once commenced a furions musketry fire. The garrison returned the fire with equal vigor and with great effect on the yelling demous, who at first hoped by force of numbers to effect a quick entrance and bad ex- posed themselves by a bold advance. This was soon checked, but from the cover of the slopes their fire was nu- ceasing, while the very prairie seemed alive with those whose heads were clothed with turbans made of grass to conceal their movements. Little Crow's plau in this attack, in case the . firat dash from all sides proved nusuc- cessful, was to pour a heavy continuons fre into the fort from every direction, exhausting the garrison as minch as possible, and to carry the fort later by assault upon the southwest corner. To this end he collected the greater portion of his forces in that quarter, and, taking possession of the government stables and anttler's store, the fire li'terly riddled the buildings at that angle. It was found necessary to shell these buildings to dislodge the foe, resulting in their complete des. truction by fre. Attempts were made
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to fire the fort by means of burning arrows but the roof being damp from recent rains, all efforts to this end were intile. Still in pursnance of the plan of battle, the huil of bullets, the whizzing of arrows and the blood- curdling war-whoops were incessant. From the raving on the northeast came an especially heavy attack, the object being to divert as far as practicable the defense to this side, and here was. some gallant aud effective service again performed. Whipple from the northeast corner, protected in every discharge by the hot musketry fire of Gere's detachment and the men of Company C to the left, swept the very grass to it's roots all along the crest of the slope, while McGrew, improving the opportunity. with most conspic- uous bravery ran his howitzer ont from the northy est corner to the very edge of the ravine and delivered several enfilading volleys of canister down along the hillside. practically sweeping the savages from their position.
Now begun the convergence to the southwest, the Indians passing from the opposite side in either direction. In moving around the northwest corner a wide detour was necessary to avoid McGrew's range, but the open prairie rendered the movement plainly apparent. Divining its object, Mc- Grew hatily reported to Jones what was transpiring, and was authorized to bring ont the twenty-four pounder, still in park, with which McGrew weut into position on the west line of the fort and at the south end of the commis- sary building. Meanwhile the fire in front of Jones' gun had become so hot This year the County Commissioners could not meet at the regular meeting. but instead held the meeting Nov. 5th. and accurate as to splinter almost every lineal foot of timber along the top of his barricades, but he still re- at which there were present Ww. H.
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turned shells at shortest possible range, himself and his gunners most gallantly exposing themselves in this service. During an interval in the fusilade Little Crow was heard urging, in the impassioned oratory of battle. the assault on the position. Jones double charged his piece with caui ter and reserved his fire; meanwhile McGrew had fired one shot from the twenty-four pounder at the party pass- ing aronud the northeast, and, train- ing his gun westerly. dropped his second she'l at the point where this party had by this time joined the reserve of sqnaws, ponies and dogs west of the main body. - A great stampede resulted; the gun was swing to the left, bringing its line of fire between the two bodies of indiaus Its ponderous reverberatous cchord up the valley as though twenty guns had opened, while the frightful explo- sion of i.s shells struck terror to the savages and effectnally prevented a consolidation of the forces. At this junetnre Joues depressed bis piece and tired close to the ground, killing and wonnding seventeen of the savages of the party who had nerved them- selves for the final asantt. Completely demoralized b.y this unexpected slaughter, firing suddenly ceased and the attacking party precipitately withdrew. their hasty retreat attended by bursting shells until they were beyond the range of the guns. Thus, after six hours of continuous blazing conflict, alternately lit up by the flames of burning buildings and darkened by whirling clouds of smoke. terminated the second and last attack.
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Budd, L. F. True, Commissioners, and W. W. Carrington auditor, and trans- acted only such business as was ab- solutely necessary.
After the establishment of the' fort at Fairmont and the line of stockades, it made a market for any surplus pro- duce raised and aided in making time pass more pleasantly, the settlers felt more secure, and matters began to as- sume a more cheerful and favorable as- pect. Some improvements were made in the Lake House; a chamber was built and a lower floor was put in, and a small addition built on the west side.
called then, we found all the houses but one destroyed and this house we took possession of. After a time we found two of Mr. Thomas's boys who were trapping on the Des Moines River, and learned from them that their families were at Spirit Lake, Iowa.
Those of the other settlers not mas- sacred by the Indians had moved away, the property had been mostly de- stroyed; there had been a number of people killed bere in the outbreak in August. There were three brothers by the name of Olson who had returned and were living about five miles up the Des | Moines river, north of Jackson. We learned here that the man we were in seurch of had left tor Madelia. The
Ou January 6, 1862, the County Com- missioners met, present W. H. Budd, L. F. True, J. C. Hudson, and W. W. Carrington, anditor. The following officers qualified: Register of Deeds, | next morning we started for Madelia J. B. Swearingen; Treasurer, Aaron Smith. There was not much strife to obtain ofice then. Salaries were too small. And still the organization was kept up and improvements made then
by way of Johnson's ford ou the Wat- onwan river. Our road was on the west and north of Cedar Lake, from Jackson to dohuson's ford about twenty miles. At this place was a as fast as now, when we consider the small station of soldiers. They bad number of people and that every- quite a roomy stockade made of logs, thing was new.
Iu Jaunary the writer took a trip as a scout and guide for a party from Company A, going west to Jackson trying to find a scout by the name of Bill Quean (half-breed). This scout had been sent to see if there were any settlers or Indians at Jackson, as uo ; was nearly a full company of meu sta- reports had been received from that; tioned at Madelia. They appeared to section of the country for some time, be enjoying themselves, as there was not much danger of Indiaus in the cold weather and they had nothing and the officers feared that he had been killed either by the settlers or Indians. At Fox Luke we found a few else to do. We came back across the trappers, who had quite a large amount country to Fairmout from Madelia by of furs. Soon after leaving Fox Lake way of Perch Lake and across Sim it began to snow, and the snow cover- Creek near H. H. Fowler's house. It ing the trail we had to make our way took ns four days to make the trip. as best we could without it. When we , We found no settlers between Mudelia got to Jackson, or Springfield as it was and Mr. Fowler's. During this trip we
and there were quite a number of Nor- wegian settlers close by. We stayed all night at the stockude with the sol- diers. The next day we went to Ma- delia, and there learned that the scout of whom we were in search had gone to St. Paul by way of Mankato. There
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found that the only depredations, if any, commi ted by the Indians in this county in '62 was the barning of some of the settlers' buildings on Elm Creek. "This was not attributed to the In- dians by many of the settlers, but to Philo Morse and one Skinner, the preacher before mentioned, who did not leave the county with the settlers. Some of the buildings were found burned after the settlers returned, either by these parties or the Indians. We had some trouble in crossing the creek on account of the water having been very high and a thick ice had frozen, and when the water had gone down and the ice had settled in the middle, leaving it so high on the sides that we could not get our horses over without cutting a road through.the ice or filling in the midd e of the creek. There was not much snow un- til February of this year, and not much for the soldiers to do, as the In- dians stayed in the timber and did not venture out on the open prairies much. The soldiers, to pass away the time, got up some entertainments, held them in the old court house, and some dances, and Sundays we had preaching by some of the local preach- ers. Many of the soldiers were young men, unmarried, and if any of the set- tlers had young ladies in their homes they were sure to have some of the soldiers visiting them quite often.
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The settlers trapped considerable of the time during the winter and spring. There was nothing else for them to do and it was the only source of employ- ment or means of revenue.
About the middle of February, the writer, Henry Tutlock and Burton Rowley went west and north ci Jack- son, where we built canoes, and were joined by three or four more men by
the name of Clark and a Mr. Delaney, and all went to Heron Lake and trapped until about the time the ice went out of the lake, the middle of April." We lost about fifty of our traps. by the ice breaking by the wind and covering our traps. Mr. Delany and Mr. Rowley were sent to Fairmont for supplies. They brought us some mail and a very scant supply of provisions. While we were at Heron Lake we heard the firing of guns to the north and west of us. We were a little afraid that it might mean Indians early in the spring, and we started back. After we had gone across the Des Moines river and had got about eight miles this side, not hearing any more firing, we found what we thought would be a good trapping ground, and stopped there, where we learned of the attack by the Indians on the soldiers and settlers at Johnson's Ford. The Indians did not succeed iu billing anyone, but did steal some stock from the settlers. Probably it was this saine band of Indians who, a couple of days later attacked a company of men further north on the Watonwan who were ent- ting timber for a stockade; they suc- ceeded in getting beir horses away from them. Our party, not knowing what danger there might be from Indians, decided to go back to Fair- mont. We therefore sunk our canoes in a big slough near the west line of the town of Jay. When we got to Fair- mont we learned that there was a man killed near Fish lake. He was trap- ping with Mr. Johu Friend who brought the news to this place: some soldiers went out and brought his body in.' They found that he had been scalped, and there were moccasin tracks in the snow around the lakes near where he was found After this,
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