History of Ramsey County and the city of St. Paul, including the Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota, Part 24

Author: Warner, George E; Foote, Charles M., joint author; Neill, Edward D. (Edward Duffield), 1823-1893. Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota. 1n; Williams, J. Fletcher (John Fletcher), 1834-1895. Outlines of the history of Minnesota
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Minneapolis, North Star Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 684

USA > Minnesota > Ramsey County > St Paul > History of Ramsey County and the city of St. Paul, including the Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota > Part 24

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near by, poured a volley into them. Nearly half of his men fell dead or mortally wounded at the first fire, some of them pierced with twenty bul- lets, while several others were wounded, but managed ultimately to escape ; some of them not reaching the fort for three days. The survivors of this sudden attack (Captain Marsh being himself uninjured) fell back from the ferry towards the fort, keeping up a running fight amidst the thick timber on the river bottom, but against terrible odds.

Rushing up to the fallen soldiers, the savages tomahawked those still living, and tore the scalps from most of them, inflicting also nameless bru- talities on their corpses. All the fine Springfield muskets carried by the dead, and their ammuni- tion, fell into the hands of the redskins, and were subsequently used by them, with deadly effect, at the sieges of Fort Ridgely and New Ulm, and the battle of Birch Coolie. The remains of the fallen heroes were ultimately interred at Fort Ridgely, and the legislature, some years subsequently, caused a fine monument to be erected there in honor of their bravery.

For some time a hot battle raged in the forest, Capt. Marsh and his men retreating towards the fort, contesting the ground, inch by incl. Find- ing that his men were falling fast, and that the enemy was gathering in force ahead of him, so as to cut him off, he determined to cross the river, so as to gain the open prairie on that side, and reach the fort, if possible. He had now but thir- teen men left. At their head he attempted to wade the river, but was drowned while so doing. His meu got over in safety, and made their way to the fort about dark. Out of the forty-four who had left it that morning, twenty-four were dead. Thus ended the Battle of Redwood Ferry, the first engagement of the war. The Indians, it is thought, lost only one or two warriors.

Flushed with this easy victory in their first encounter with our troops, the Indians now con- sidered that the way was clear for their bloody war of extermination. They scattered in every direction, carrying death and torture to the homes of all the settlers within reach. For several days the work of carnage was awful. No pen can describe the horrors of that bloody week. So sudden and unexpected was the outbreak, and so insidious and skulking the mode of warfare of

the savages, that the inhabitants were overtaken at their various pursuits and butchered in cold blood, without any chance of flight or resistance. Most of them were European immigrants who had re- cently settled on the frontier, and were quite un- acquainted with savage warfare and treachery. But few of them possessed effective fire-arms, or weapons of any kind, indeed, and even if they had these, so sudden and stealthy was the onset, that resistance would have been unavailing. The savages generally went about on these raids in squads of eight or ten, well armed. In many instances the treacherous devils would advance boldly and with friendly demeanor into houses with whose owners they were acquainted, as if to ask for food, (as was their custom, for the set- tlers had always freely supplied them) ; when all at once they would shoot down or tomahawk the unsuspecting inmates, perhaps the very per- sons who had many times fed them when hun- gry. In a few instances children, and sometimes' adults, fled unobserved while this work of death was going on, and escaped a like fate by skulking in the grass or bushes, from whence they were often compelled to witness the cruel tortures practiced on the other members of their family, or flee for life with the death shrieks of the suffer- ing victims ringing in their ears. Some of those who escaped thus, were rescued many days sub- sequently, after enduring incredible hardships, skulking by day around deserted houses, endeav- oring to find food, and wandering by night through the trackless waste, towards the settle- ments. Delicate women, carrying or leading in- fant children, thus traveled scores of miles to sóme place of safety, sometimes wounded and sick and almost naked. Many perished from hunger, exposure or wounds. Others lived, to suffer for years from their injuries. There were literally hundreds of such incidents as the above, and a full narrative of these adventures and escapes would fill volumes. No record cau ever be made of them, and the fate of many will never be known until the last day.

The cruel barbarities practiced by the savages on their victims, was another sickening feature of the massacre, and its bare recital makes one shudder. All the fiendish cruelties that their savage nature and pent up hatred of the pale faces could suggest, they wreaked on their vic-

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tims, a people who had always been their friends and benefactors. The wounded and dying were scalped or tomakawked out of all semblance of humanity. The bowels of many were gashed open, and their hands and feet, or other members, cut off and thrust into them. Children were slashed with knives, eyes gouged out, ears or hands cut off, or skulls smashed with war clubs. Some of these survived even such awful wounds. Babes were thrust living into stove ovens, and there left, to roast to death. Pregnant women were ripped open, and their unborn babes torn away, and thrown into their face, or nailed to a door or tree, for their dying gaze to witness. But few women, comparatively, were killed outright. Instant deatlı would have been a more merciful fate than they were reserved for. Frequently delicate young maidens were tied, or held by the fiends, and repeatedly outraged by the band of captors, some actually dying in the hands of their tormentors, or if they survived, led into a cap- tivity of horrors. But let us draw a veil over these atrocities.

After the murder of the inmates of a house, pillage was the next step, and the torch was then generally applied to it, oftentimes the wounded victims, unable to escape, being burned to death. Day after day the columns of smoke rising here and there showed where the various bands of de- mons were plying their work of destruction, while night after night the sky along the frontier was lurid with the light of burning homes. Two or three thousand dwellings were thus destroyed, in addition to three entire towns. Cattle were shot from mere wantonness, and others left to starve, with no one to attend them, Horses were saved for the use of the marauders, hundreds of them being stolen, and in many instances the savages were observed riding to and fro in fine buggies and carriages.

As the houses of the settlers were generally isolated from each other, the news of the ont- break could not reach the more remote and scat- tered, in season to save them. Along the main roads leading to the settlements, the alarm was spread by fugitives, after a day or two, and this fact enabled thousands to save their lives who would otherwise have fallen. Abandoning houses, crops, cattle-everything, hastily seizing some

food and clothing, and harnessing their teams, they fled towards New Ulm, Fort Ridgely, St. Peter, Mankato, Henderson, and other towns along the river. Some even pressed on to St. Paul. Soon the roads were literally crowded with a panic-stricken cavalcade, on foot, on horseback, in all sorts of vehicles, hurrying along with blanched faces and nervous trepidation. Many were pursued and shot at (some killed, even) while flying, and all had horrid stories to relate. Lieut. Gov. Donnelly, on Aug. 26, wrote from St. Peter: "You can hardly conceive the panic existing along the valley. In Belle Plaine I found 600 people crowded in. In this place there are between 3,000 and 4,000 refugees. On the road between New Ulm and Mankato were over 2,000. Mankato is also crowded. * * * Their property in the mean time abandoned and going to ruin." The condition of these throngs of fugitives, crowded into the small towns, was pitiable.

The handful of men who survived the massa- cre at Redowod Ferry, and made their way back to Fort Ridgely, found that post already crowded with panic-stricken fugitives from the sur- rounding country. All night these poor settlers arrived from every direction, many of them wounded, having left portions of their families murdered, and their homes in flames. In every direction, all night long, the sky was reddened with the light of burning houses. It was a night of terror and despondency. About ten o'clock on Tuesday morning, the inmates were gladdened with the return of Lieutenant Sheehan and his command, who, on being overtaken the evening before by the messenger sent out to recall them, had made a forced march of sixteen hours. Lieutenant Sheehan at once took command of the post, and in connection with Sergeant John Jones, of the regular army, post ordinance ser- geant, took effective measures to put the fort in a defensible condition. All the civilians who were fit for duty, were armed, or put on guard, and even the women were employed making cart- ridges, running bullets, &c. No attack was made that day, however, although Indians were seen watching the fort. [The warriors were busy at- tacking New Ulm, as will be seen a little farther on.] Abont noon on Monday, the messengers and guard in charge of the $70,000 in gold, reached

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Fort Ridgely, and remained there during the siege.

Let us now follow Mr. J. C. Dickinson, of Lower Agency, the messenger sent from Red- wood to recall Maj. Galbraith from St. Peter. Maj. G., so well satisfied 'was he with the loyal promises of the Indians, had left the agency with some volunteers for Fort Snelling. His family were at Yellow Medicine, and escaped from that place. He, with the " Renville Ran- gers," Lieut. O'Gorman, had arrived at St. Peter Monday evening, when Mr. Dickinson reached there, with the startling news. It was at first discredited, but he at once made preparations to return, with the Rangers, and a company of vol- unteer citizens. He immediately dispatched Wm. H. Shelley, of St. Paul, who was with him, with a message to Gov. Ramsey, asking military aid. Shelley rode at full speed all night, and reached St, Paul, nearly one hundred miles distant, at 10 o'clock P. M. Tuesday, spreading the news as he passed down the valley. Gov. Ramsey at once took steps to send troops to the scene of blood. But of this anon.

Monday night was spent by the soldiers and citizens at St. Peter in organizing companies, searching for arms, making cartridges, etc. Early on Tuesday morning, the bells were rung and the inhabitants called together. Great excitement prevailed, but a company was at once organized. IIon. Chas. E. Flandrau, associate justice of the Supreme Court, was elected captain, and W. B. Dodd, first lieutenant. Teams, wagons, camp equipage, etc., were hastily collected.

Major Galbraith, with the Renville Rangers, and others who accompanied them, armed as well as could be possible, left St. Peter at 6 A. M., and after a hard march, reached Fort Ridgely (Forty-five miles distant) the same evening. Just as they arrived at the fort, a furious thunder- gust came up. In the darkness and rain they got into the fort safely, although hundreds of Indians were watching it, and must have seen them but for the storm. There were now 250 fencible men in the fort, and the crowd of fu- gitives hourly increasing. These were cared for as well as possible, the hospital being full of wounded.

Meantime a company of sixteen horsemen left St. Peter (Tuesday) for the aid of New Ulm,

which was reported by fugitives to be in great danger. At one o'clock the same day, IIon. Chas. E. Flandrau left for the same place with 100 well armed men, on foot. Let us uow give some account of the

SIEGE OF NEW ULM.

This town was on the south bank of the Minne- sota River, thirty miles, by land, from St. Peter, and eighteen miles below Fort Ridgely. It con- tained about 1,500 inhabitants, mostly Germans. On Monday morning, Aug. 18th, a party of citizens left New Ulm to recruit for volunteers. When some seven or eight miles west of new Ulm, they found several dead bodies lying in the road. Con- vinced that the Indians had risen, they retraced their steps, but on their way back were fired on, and several of the party killed. The rest fled to town and gave the alarm. At the same time, fugitives came in from other directions, near the town, all telling horrid tales of butchery. This created a great panic in the town, and many fled to St. Peter. All that day and night, and next day, fugitives continued pouring into the place. The leading men of the town at once took steps to organize for defence. Arms were collected, barricades erected, sentinels posted, and every- thing done which could be, to repel an attack. These precautions were taken none too soon. About four o'clock on Tuesday, a party of mount- ed Indians appeared on the prairie above the town, and dismounting, advanced on the place. The few men who had arms, at once attacked them, but most of the people gathered into the houses in the center of the town, panic stricken. Fortunately, soon after the attack, commenced, the fifteen horsemen from St. Peter arrived, and at once began a vigorous defence. The savages burned several buildings on the west edge of th town, and kept up a hot fire on the people with- in the barricade. The St. Peter cavalry soon made such a brave advance on the Indians, that they were compelled to retire, about dark, sev- eral having been killed. During the engagement, the whites lost several, killed and wounded, also. About nine o'clock, in the midst of a furious thunder-storm, Judge Flandrau, with over one hundred men, reached the town, and were warmly welcomed. Vigorous efforts to organize for defence were at once made. Judge Flan-

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drau was chosen commander-in-chief, Capt. Dodd, provost marshal, &c. Small reinforcements con- tinued to arrive from Mankato and other points, and by Thursday, 325 armed men were guarding the town. Wednesday passed without any alarms, and scouting parties were sent out in va- rious directions to bury the dead, of which a number were found. Let us now glance at the condition of things

AT FORT RIDGELY.

About three o'clock on Wednesday, the 20th, the first attack was made on this post, probably by the same force who had been at New Ulm the evening previous. It is thought five hundred Indians were engaged in it. Concealing them- selves in the wooded ravines near the post, the savages suddenly advanced on it with horrid yells and a volley of balls. The suddenness of the on- set almost threw the garrison off their guard, and two of the soldiers were killed at the first fire. The men speedily rallied, however, and fought bravely. Sergeant Jones was quickly at his guns, two 6-pounders and one 24-pounder, but on at- tempting to fire, they would not go off. On drawing the charges, he found them stuffed with rags! Some treacherous half-breeds had done this dastardly act, and then deserted to the enemy. Assisted by a citizen, J. C. Whipple, who had served in the Mexican war, and Sergt. McGrew, of Company C, he soon poured several rounds of cannister and shell into the thickets, amongst the foe, killing and wounding a number. The savages then succeeded in crawling up be- hind some old ontbuildings and hay-stacks, from which they poured furious volleys into the fort. Sergt. Jones soon set these on fire with shells, and drove the savages off. At dusk the light of this fire, and the noise of the artillery, impressed the people at New Ulm and other places in the vicinity with the belief that the fort had fallen. But when night closed down, the savages with- drew. The garrison remained on arms all night. One great danger was the dryness of the roofs' which could have been ignited with "fire-ar- rows." A close watch was kept, and Providence favored the beleagured force, for late at night a heavy rain-storm commenced falling, and contin- ued until next day, entirely averting this danger. The large stables of the fort, about thirty rods

distant, were perfectly filled with government mules, and horses brought in by the fugitives. These the Indians succeeded in getting out and stampeding.

The next morning (Thursday) the attack was renewed about 9 o'clock, and lasted hotly for an hour, when the savages retreated, but again at- tacked the fort about 6 P. M., when another en- gagement took place, and lasted abont an hour. But their efforts to capture the fort were useless. They found it too well defended. It could have been taken by charging into it, but this Indians are afraid to do. Meantime the garrison was be- coming worn out with loss of sleep and continual labor and fighting. Nearly five hundred refugees were crowded into its small buildings, where they were compelled to lie on the floor to avoid the bullets of the foe, which swept like a hail- storm through the windows. To add to the trou- ble, many were becoming sick, and the stores both of ammunition and provisions, and even water, were running low.

That night, as subsequent evidence revealed, Little Crow and his forces returned to the Lower Agency, where he found the upper Indians, whom he had sent for, arrived. This increased his force to 450 warriors. Large numbers were also marauding among the settlements, as far east as Forest City and as far south as Lake Shetek. Confident that with this large force he could take both Fort Ridgely and New Ulm, he now moved on the former post.

During the night, however, the garrison had strengthened its weak points with great skill and success. Earthworks had been thrown np, bar- ricades erected, out of cordwood, sacks of grain, etc., and other defenses provided, while the can- non were stationed so as to command the most exposed points, and the riflemen posted where they could do the greatest execution. About noon the Indians appeared in greater numbers than on either previous attack, and commenced an assault so determined and furious, it seemed as if they were confident that this time the post must fall. But as they advanced, yelling like de- mons, the gunners sent a storm of grape and can- nister amongst them, while the riflemen poured volley after volley into them, and the savages re- treated from this hot fire. They soon rallied and . took possession of the stables and other outbuild-

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ings near the fort, and kept up a terrible fire from them. A perfect storm of balls poured into the frame buildings in the fort, sometimes passing clear through them. Several soldiers were hit, and some civilians (one being killed), though all the non-combatants kept well concealed. Finally Sergt. Jones was compelled to fire the outbuild- ings with shells, and drive the savages out. Soon the flames and black smoke rolled up, and, with the yells of the Indians, the rattle of small arms, and the thunder of the cannon, made an exciting scene. For five hours the battle raged hotly. Little Crow was heard repeatedly order- ing his warriors to charge into the fort, and sev- eral times they gathered for that purpose and started, but Sergt. Jones would send a storm of shell or cannister among them, and drive them back. It is thought numbers of them were killed in this attack.

About dark their fire ceased, and the night was passed in quiet, but there were few slept around the post except the non-combatants. All the men were under arms all night, being five nights of weary vigil and sleeplessness. The garrison were well nigh worn out, and expected another day of hard fighting. The sun rose, but no signs of In- dians. Work was continued on the fortifications, which were greatly strengthened. While thus engaged, a large body of mounted Indians (said by Louis Robert, who counted them, to number nearly 1,000) were seen coming down from the Lower Agency on the opposite side of the river. They did not, however, cross to the Fort Ridgely side, but kept on towards New Ulm. It now became evident that the latter place was their objective point, and the garrison breathed freer. Still, they knew not what a day might bring forth, and kept up their working and watching. Let us now return to

NEW ULM,

and see how that beleagured town fared. After the battle of Tuesday, before described, no at- tack had been made on the town, though small parties of Indians, doubtless scouts, were once or twice seen near the place. This interval of quiet was spent in erecting barricades, and other works of defence, and in taking such steps as seemed necessary, in case of another attack.

About ten o'clock A. M. on Saturday, the 23d,

the Indians (mounted) appeared in great force on the prairie above town, and our forces were at once posted on the open ground in that direction. The Indians first approached slowly, but when about a mile from our line, increased their speed, and gradually spread out their front, like a fan, until it covered our whole line. On they came at full speed, yelling like demons. When about double rifle-shot off, Col. Flandrau's men, inex- perienced in such warfare, fell back on the town, the Indians firing on them. The whites com- mitted the error of passing the outermost build- ings, and not occupying them, an error the sav- ages soon took advantage of, as they at once took possession of them, and opened a furious fire on our men. By the exertions of Col. Flandrau, the latter soon rallied, and commenced a vigorous fire from every protected spot, each doing duty as best he could, " on his own hook." They soon recovered their coolness, and fought bravely. The enemy, from their great numbers, were able to surround the town, and soon poured into it a fire from every direction. The battle became fu- rious and general.

The Indians also succeeded in getting possess- ion of the houses on the bluff, which gave them a great advantage, commanding, as it did, the inte- rior of the town below, but about twenty men of the Le Sueur company had occupied the windmill, a high building in that locality, and kept up such a hot fire, the Indians could do but little execution on that side. They took possession of the lower end of the city, however, and, the wind being from that direction, fired the houses one by one, ad- vancing thus towards the center of the city, con- cealing themselves behind the smoke. The greatest danger seemed now to be from this di- rection, and a strong force of the best marksmen was sent to resist the advance. They fought bravely, and checked the enemy considerably. The battle here was very hot for several hours. About three o'clock the enemy concentrated a force on the river side, as if preparing for a grand assault. A detachment was sent to meet it. The Indians came on at full speed, but our men stood firm, and sent such volleys among them, that they broke and retreated, losing several. Two of our best marksmen, however, fell at the same time.

The battle raged furiously and without inter- mission until dark. Many of our men were

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wounded, several killed. All had fought nobly, some performing feats of great daring. The en- emy had left ten dead on the field, besides many killed and wounded carried off, and had gained, so far, no great advantage; but if the attack con- tinued much longer, the worst result was feared. Night closed on the weary defenders, full of doubt and anxiety.

A consultation was now held among the leading men and those in command, as to the " situation." One thing that seemed necessary, was to contract the lines of defence toward the center of the town so that a less number could more readily defend any point. To do this it was voted that all build- ings, except a few in the center of the town, must be burned. To this the inhabitants consented, and themselves applied the torch to about forty buildings. One brick house was left, and loop- holed for defence. Including those burned by the savages, 190 houses in all were now in ashes. Only about twenty-five were still standing. A range of rifle-pits were now dug in front of the barricade, and all the defences strengthened.

When morning dawned (Sunday, August 24th), the savages feebly renewed their attack, but they soon saw they were foiled. In order to get near enough to the barricade or buildings to do any execution, they must pass over an open space right in the face of the defenders rifles, where there was not even a bunch of grass to skulk behind. They kept up a fire at long range for three or four hours, but as it made no impression they ceased the attack about noon, and left in the direction of Lower Agency They were scen from Fort Ridge- ly tha afternoon, passing up the river with a long train of wagons, probably loaded with their phi- der, and many horses and cattle stolen from the settlers. Neither Fort Ridgely nor New Uhn were again attacked. The brave resistance of the whites had balked the red demons at both places. Had either of those posts fallen, hundreds of women and children, and even of the armed men, would have been massacred. But few would have escaped, and there is no doubt but that the victorious savages would have pressed on and taken both St. Peter and Mankato.

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