USA > Minnesota > Illustrated album of biography of the famous valley of the Red River of the North and the park regions of Minnesota and North Dakota : containing biographical sketches of settlers and representative citizens > Part 12
USA > North Dakota > Illustrated album of biography of the famous valley of the Red River of the North and the park regions of Minnesota and North Dakota : containing biographical sketches of settlers and representative citizens > Part 12
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tion first named, at the Hawk and Yellow Medicine rivers. The last also had a width of ten miles on each side of the Minnesota River.
Early in 1858 a scheme was devised by the authorities at Washington for the civili- zation of these annuity Indians. A civiliza- tion fund was provided, to be taken from their annuities and expended in improving the lands of such as should abandon their tribal relations and adopt the habits and modes of life of the whites. To all such, lands were assigned in severalty, eighty acres to the head of each family, on which should be erected the necessary farm buildings, and farming implements and cattle furnished him. At the time of the outbreak about one hundred and seventy-five Indians had taken advantage of the provisions of this treaty and become "farmer Indians." A great majority of the Indians, however, disliked the idea of taking any portion of their gen- eral fund to carry out the civilization scheme. Those who retained the blanket, called "blanket Indians," denounced the measure as a fraud, as it was slowly but surely destroying what was, to them, their God- given right to the chase. The result, in brief, of this civilization scheme was this : After the chase was over the "blanket Indians" would pitch their tents about the homes of the "farmer Indians" and proceed to eat them out of house and home, and when the ruin was complete, the "farmer " with his wife and children, driven by necessity, would again seek temporary subsistence in the chase. During their absence the "blanket Indians" would commit whatever destruc-
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tion of fences or tenements their desires or necessities would suggest. In this way the an- nual process continued, so that when the "farmer Indian" returned to his desolate home in the spring to prepare again for a crop, he looked forward to no different re- sults for the coming winter. It will thus be seen that the civilization seheme was an ut- ter failure.
The treaty referred to, of 1858, had opened for settlement a vast frontier country of the most attractive character in the valley of the Minnesota River, and on the streams put- ting into the Minnesota on either side, such as Beaver Creek, Saered Heart, Hawk and Chippewa rivers, and some other small streams, there were flourishing settlements of white families. Within this eeded traet, ten miles wide, were the seattered settle- ments of Birch Coolie, Patterson Rapids, and others as far up as the upper agency at Yellow Medicine, in Renville County. The county of Brown adjoined the reservation, and was at that time settled mostly by Ger- mans. Here was also the flourishing town of New Ulm, and further on was a thriving settlement on the Big Cottonwood and Waton wan. Other counties, Blue Earth, Nieollet, Sibley, Meeker, McLeod, Kandiyohi, Monongalia and Murray, together with others somewhat removed from the direet attack of the Indians, as Wright, Stearns and Jackson, and even reaching on the north to Fort Abercrombie, thus extending from Iowa to the valley of the Red River of the North, were severally involved in the consequences of the warfare of 1862. This extended area had a population estimated at over fifty thousand.
Early in the fifties complaints began to be made by the Indians, and dissatisfaction be- gan to be manifest. By the treaty of Trav- erse des Sioux, dated July 23, 1851, between the United States and the Sissetons and Wapatons, $275,000 was to be paid their
chiefs, and a further sum of $30,000 was to be expended for their benefit in Indian im- provements. By the treaty of Mendota, dated August 5, 1851, the Medawakantons and Wapakutas were to receive the sum of $200,000, to be paid to their chief, and a fur- ther sum of $30,000. These several sums amounting in the aggregate to $550,000, these Indians, to whom they were payable, elaim they were never paid, except perhaps a small portion expended in improvements. This led to great dissatisfaction, of which the government was fully apprised. Several parties were at different times sent out by the Indian department of the government to in- vestigate into the eauses, but the rascality of the agents and officers who had defrauded the Indians had been carefully covered up, and as usual in such cases the guilty parties were exeulpated. This was one of the lead- ing and most important causes which led to the massacre of 1862.
Another cause of irritation among these annuity Sioux arose out of the Spirit Lake massacre of 1857-known as the Inkpadutah massacre. Inkpadutah was an outlaw of the Wapakuta band of Sioux Indians, and his aets were entirely diselaimed by the " an- nuity Sioux." He had committed murder in his own tribe some twenty years previous, and sinee had led a wandering and marauding life about the headwaters of the Des Moines River and westward to Dakota. Finally his outrages reached a climax, when early in 1857 with a few of his followers, he proceeded to murder every family in the little settlement about Spirit Lake, Iowa, except four women whom they bore away captives. From there they went to the Springfield settlement (on the present site of Jackson, Minu.), where they murdered seventeen people, making a total of forty seven persons killed. They then re- treated westward. Shortly after the mas- sacre at Springfield (now Jackson) a com- pany of regular soldiers under Capt. Bee
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was stationed at that place, and had the officer been a zealous or capable one might easily have overtaken and punished them. As stated the " annuity Sioux " disclaimed the acts of this outlaw ; but for a time the gov- ernment refused to pay the annuities until they should deliver up the murderers. In a short time, however, the government let the matter drop, and continued to pay the an- nuities as before. Some thought that this was a great error, and that the Indians mis- took it for a sign of weakness.
However that may be, as time went on the Indians became more and more insolent, and Little Crow, together with a few leaders among the annuity Sioux, from the time the government ceased its efforts to punish Ink- padutah, began to agitate and plan the great conspiracy to drive the whites from the State of Minnesota. Little Crow was one of the " farmer Indians," whose headquarters was a short distance above the Lower Agency, who is credited with being the leader in the outbreak against the whites.
The antecedent exciting causes of this massacre are numerous. The displaced agents and traders find the cause in the er- roneous action of the government, resulting in their removal from office. The statesman and the philosopher may unite in tracing the cause to improper theories as to the mode of acquiring the right to Indian lands. The former may locate the evil in our system of treaties, and the latter in our theories of gov- ernment. The philanthropist may find the cause in the absence of justice which we ex- hibit in all our intercourse with the Indian races. The poet and the lovers of romance in human character find the true cause, as they believe, in the total absence of all ap- preciation of the noble, generous, confiding traits peculiar to the native Indian. The Christian teacher finds apologies for acts of Indian atrocities in the deficient systems of mental and moral culture. Each of these
different classes are satisfied that the great massacre of August, 1862, had its origin in some way intimately connected with his favorite theory.
Maj. Thomas Galbraith, Sioux agent, says, in writing of the causes which led to the massacre : "The radical, moving cause of the outbreak is, I am satisfied, the in- grained and fixed hostility of the savage bar- barian to reform and civilization. As in all barbarous communities in the history of the world, the same people have, for the most part, resisted the encroachments of civiliza- tion upon their ancient customs, so it is in the case before us. Nor does it matter ma- terially in what shape civilization makes its attack. Hostile, opposing forces meet in conflict, and a war of social elements is the result - civilization is aggressive, and bar- barism stubbornly resistant. Sometimes, indeed, civilization has achieved a bloodless victory, but generally it has been otherwise. Christianity, itself, the true basis of civiliza- tion, has, in most instances, waded to success through seas of blood. Having stated thus much, I state, as a settled fact in my mind, that the encroachments of Christianity, and its handmaid, civilization, upon the habits and customs of the Sioux Indians, is the cause of the late terrible Sioux outbreak. There were, it is true, many im- mediate inciting causes, which will be allud- ed to and stated hereafter, but they are sub- sidiary to, and developments of, or incident to, the great cause set forth. . But that the recent Sioux outbreak would have happened at any rate, as a result, a fair con- sequence of the cause here stated, I have no doubt.
"Now as to the existing or immediate causes of the outbreak : By my predecessor a new and radical system was inaugurated ; practically, and in its inauguration, he was aided by the Christian missionaries and by the government. The treaties of 1858 were
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HISTORY OF MINNESOTA.
ostensibly made to carry this new system into effect. The theory, in substance, was to break up the community system which obtained among the Sioux, weaken and de- stroy their tribal relations, and individualize them, by giving them cach a separate home. On the 1st day of June, A. D. 1861, when I entered upon the duties of my office, I found that the system had just been inaugurated. Some hundred families of the annuity Sioux had become novitiates, and their relatives and friends seemed to be favorably disposed to the new order of things. But I also found that, against these were arrayed over five thousand 'annuity Sionx,' besides at least three thousand Yank- tonais, all inflamed by the most bitter, re- lentless and devilish hostility.
"I saw, to some extent, the difficulty of the situation, but I determined to continue, if in my power, the civilization system. To favor it, to aid and build it up by every fair means, I advised, encouraged, and assisted the farmer novitiates ; in short I sustained the policy inaugurated by my predecessor, and sustained and recommended by the gov- ernment. I soon discovered that the system could not be successful without a sufficient force to protect the 'farmer' from the hos- tility of the 'blanket ' Indians.
" During my term, and up to the time of the outbreak, about 175 had their hair cut and had adopted the habits and customs of the white men.
"For a time, indeed, my hopes were strong that civilization would soon be in the as- cendant. But the increase in the civilization party and their evident prosperity, only tended to exasperate the Indians of the ‘an- cient customs,' and to widen the breach. But while these are to be enumerated, it may be permitted me to hope that the radical cause will not be forgotten or overlooked; and I am bold to express this desire, because, ever since the ontbreak, the public journals of the
country, religious and secular, have tcemed with editorials by and communications from 'reliable individuals,' politicians, philanthro- pists, philosophers and hired ' penny-a-liners,' mostly mistaken and sometimes willfully and grossly false, giving the cause of the Indian raid."
Maj. Galbraith enumerates a variety of other exciting causes of the massacre, which our limit will not allow us to insert in this volume. Among other causes, . . that the United States was itself at war, and that Washington was taken by the negroes. .. But none of these were, in his opinion, the cause of the outbreak.
The Major then adds :
"Grievances such as have been related, and numberless others akin to them, were spoken of, recited, and chanted at their councils, dances and feasts, to such an extent that, in their excitement, in June, 1862, a secret organization known as the 'Soldiers' Lodge' was founded by the young men and soldiers of the lower Sioux, with the object, as far as I was able to learn through spies and informers, of preventing the 'traders ' from going to the pay-tables, as had been their custom. Since the outbreak I have become satisfied that the real object of this ' Lodge' was to adopt measures to 'clean out' all the white people at the end of the payment."
Whatever may have been the cause of the fearful and bloody tragedy, it is certain that the manner of the execution of the infernal deed was a deep-laid conspiracy, long cher- ished by Little Crow, taking form under the guise of the " Soldiers' Lodge," and matured in secret Indian councils. In all thesc secret movements Little Crow was the moving spirit.
Now the opportune moment seemed to have come. Only thirty soldiers were sta- tioned at Fort Ridgely. Some thirty were all that Fort Ripley could muster, and at
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Fort Abercrombie, one company under Capt. Van Der Hork was all the whites could depend upon to repel any attack in that quarter. The whole effective force for the defense of the entire frontier, from Pembina to the Iowa line, did not exceed 200 men. The annuity money was daily expected, and no troops except about one hundred men at Yellow Medicine, had been detailed, as usual, to attend the anticipated payment. Here was a glittering prize to be paraded before the minds of the excited savages. The whites were weak ; they were engaged in a terrible war among themselves; their atten- tion was now directed toward the great struggle in the South. At such a time, offer- ing so many chances for rapine and plunder, it would be easy to unite at least all the annuity Indians in one common movement. Little Crow knew full well that the Indians could easily be made to believe that now was a favorable time to make a grand attack upon the border settlements.
A memorable council convened at Little Crow's village, near the lower agency, on Sunday night, August 3, previous to the attack on Fort Ridgely, and precisely two weeks before the massacres at Acton. Little Crow was at this council, and he was not wanting in.ability to meet the greatness of the occasion. The proceedings of this council, of course, were secret. The council matured the details of the conspiracy. . It appears that the next day, August 4, a party of ninety-six Indians in war paint and fully armed, rode up to Fort Ridgely and re- quested permission to hold a dance and feast in the fort. They were allowed to hold the dance outside the fort, but Sergeant Jones, with singular foresight, mounted a howitzer charged with shell and canister-shot and guarded the entrance, having it pointed toward the Indians. After finishing the dance the red-skins left without making the attack, which had undoubtedly been medi-
tated. Only thirty soldiers occupied the post at Fort Ridgely, and this was deemed amply sufficient for times of peace.
On the same day a great many Indians were encamped about the Upper Agency. They were afraid they would not get their annuity money, which had not arrived as yet. They had been complaining bitterly of starvation, and on this day made an attack on the warehouse, carrying off a great deal of flour and other provisions. The matter, however, was finally adjusted, and the agent issued rations, promising to distribute their money as soon as it should arrive. None of the Indians, however, were punished for their attack on the supply house.
We now come to the massacre itself, the first blow of which fell upon the town of Acton, in Meeker County, about thirty-five miles northeast of the Lower Sioux Agency. On Sunday, August 17, 1862, six Sioux In dians brutally murdered a man named Jones, with his wife and a daughter, and a man named Webster and Howard Baker.
On the next day, Monday, the massacre at the Lower Agency occurred, where many were killed and fearfully mutilated. A few escaped and made their way to the eastern settlements. The Indians declared it to be their intention to kill or drive off all the whites to the east of the Mississippi River, and to spare none. All that day the work of plunder went on at the lower agency, and when the stores and dwellings had been emptied, they were fired. So complete was the surprise and so sudden and unexpected the terrible blow that not a single one of the host of savages was slain. In thirty min- utes 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. It seems that hundreds of the In- dians had gathered here and then dispersed
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through the scattered settlements for their murderous work.
On the same morning-of August 18- the massacre began on the north side of the Minnesota River, from Birch Coolie to Beaver Creek and beyond, and the region was strewn with the mutilated bodies of the dead and dying men, women and children. So the terrible warfare continued, murder- ing and burning ; none were allowed to es- cape who could possibly be discovered. The outbreak extended over a vast scope of coun- try, and the Indians numbered well up into the thousands. The entire length of the Minnesota and its tributaries, and out into Dakota, together with all the western part of this State was the scene everywhere of a carnival of blood. The counties affected have already been named.
On the 18th of August the Indians at- tacked New Ulm, and after several battles and skirmishes were defeated. A few days later the whites evacuated the town and moved toward Mankato.
On the 18th of August the battle at Lower Agency Ferry was fought.
On the 20th, seeing they were foiled in their attack on New Ulm, they made a furious assault on Fort Ridgely. A number of whites were killed and wounded, but the Indians were defeated. The attack was re- newed on the 22d and another severe battle occurred, which was ended by night coming on.
Numerous engagements were also fought in the northern part of the State.
Throughout all the Minnesota River coun- try many women and children were taken prisoners. In the meantime companies had been raised and were everywhere following up the Indians and guarding the various posts at which the settlers had gathered. These various companies had also picked up a great many wounded found on the prairies, and also buried the dead. On the 1st of September,
Company A, Sixth Regiment Minnesota Vol- unteers, under Capt. H. P. Grant, fought the battle of Birch Coolie, a most terrible and bloody engagement. The noble little band of soldiers were relieved on September 3, by an advance movement of Col. Sibley's forces at Fort Ridgely. The signal defeat of Little Crow at this battle, in effect, ended the efforts of the Indians in subduing the whites on the border. After this battle all of the Indian forces under Little Crow be- gan a retreat up the valley of the Minnesota toward Yellow Medicine; and on Septem- ber 16, Col. Sibley, with his whole column, moved in pursuit of the fleeing foe, and on the 23d they came up with the Indians and defeated them in the battle of Wood Lake. This put an end to the hopes of Little Crow. On the same day as the battle of Wood Lake, the Wapeton band of Indians surrendered later and turned over to Col. Sibley all the captives-107 whites and 162 half-breeds. This place has since been known as "Camp Release."
After the disaster at Wood Lake, Little Crow retreated in the direction of Big Stone Lake, with those who remained with him. The chief was never captured, but is said to have been killed at Scattered Lake in 1863. Col. Sibley continued to pursue the descrting Indians, and demanded the surrender of all bands. By the 8th of October, 1862, prison- ers had come in and surrendered to the num- ber of 2,000. Scouting parties were sent over various parts of the West, and, until all danger of further depredations was past, soldiers were stationed at all of the frontier posts and settlements.
A military commission was soon after inaugurated to try the parties charged with murder of white persons. On the 5th of November, 1862, 321 Indians and their allies were found guilty, and 303 were recom- mended for capital punishment, and thẻ others for imprisonment. They were im-
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mediately removed under a guard of 1,500 men to South Bend, on the Minnesota River, to await further orders from the govern- ment. The final decision of the President was rendered on the 17th of December, 1862, ordering that forty of these be hung on Fri- day, December 26. One of these died a short time before the day set, and one other, a half breed, had his sentence commuted to imprisonment for life just before the fatal
day. As to the other thirty-eight the sen- tence was executed at Mankato on the day set. On the 16th of February, 1863, the trea- ties before that time existing between the United States and these "annuity Indians " were abrogated and annulled, and all lands and rights of occupancy, and all annuities and claims then existing in favor of said Indians, were declared forfeited. Thus ended the saddest chapter of Minnesota's history.
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CHAPTER IV.
TERRITORIAL AND STATE OFFICERS.
TERRITORIAL OFFICERS.
HE first governor of the Terri- .... tory of Minnesota was Alexander Ramsey, who served from June 1, 1849, to May 15, 1853. Willis A. Gorman succeeded him, and held the office until April 23, 1857. Samuel Medary was the next territorial governor, and held the office until the State officers were sworn in, May 24, 1858.
The first secretary of the Territory was Charles K. Smith, who served from June 1, 1849, until October 23, 1851, when Alexander Wilkin qualified and held the office until May 15, 1853. Joseph Travis Rosser was the next, and served until April 23, 1857. Charles L. Chase, the last territorial sec- retary, qualified on the date last named and served until succeeded by the newly chosen secretary of state, May 24, 1858.
The office of territorial treasurer was first filled by Calvin A. Tuttle, who served from November 3, 1849, to July 2, 1853. George . W. Prescott came next and retained the position until February 24, 1854. Succeed- ing him Charles E. Leonard served until May 7, 1857, when George W. Armstrong was appointed and served until the State officers qualified, May 24, 1858.
J. E. McKusick was the first territorial auditor, qualifying November 3, 1849, and serving until November 30, 1852. A. Van Vorhees succeeded him and held the office until the 15th of May, 1853, when Socrates Nelson qualified. January 17, 1854, Julius Georgii took charge of the office and served until succeeded by the State auditor, May 24, 1858.
During the existence of the Territory of Minnesota, Lorenzo A. Babcock and then Lafayette Emmett were the only ones to hold the office of attorney general. The first named served from June 1, 1849, until May 15, 1853, and the latter from 1853 until May 24, 1858.
In territorial times there were no district judges, but the justices of the supreme court attended to all judicial matters now within the jurisdiction of the district bench. The first chief justice of the territorial supreme court was Aaron Goodrich, who served from June 1, 1849, to November 13, 1851, when Jerome Fuller was appointed and presided until December 16, 1852. Henry Z. Hayner was next appointed, but never presided at a term of court. William H. Welch was ap- pointed April 7, 1853, and served until May 24, 1858.
David Cooper and Bradley B. Meeker were the first associate justices, and served from June 1, 1849, until April 7, 1853. Their successors were Andrew G. Chatfield and Moses G. Sherburne, who retained the positions until April, 1857, and were fol- lowed by R. R. Nelson and Charles E. Flandrau, who served until the State officers qualified.
The clerks of the territorial supreme court were : James K. Humphrey, Andrew J. Whit- ney and George W. Prescott, in the order named. The reporters were: William Hol- linshead, Isaac Atwater, John B. Brisbin, M. E. Ames and Harvey Officer.
Henry H. Sibley was the first delegate from the Territory to Congress, serving from January 15, 1849, to March 4, 1853. Henry
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HISTORY OF MINNESOTA.
M. Ricc was the second, serving from De- cember 5, 1853, to March 4, 1857, when he was succeeded by W. W. Kingsbury, who qualified December 7, 1857, and whose term expired May 11, 1858.
STATE OFFICERS.
The governors of the State of Minnesota, in their order have been as follows : Henry HI. Sibley, from May 24, 1858, to January 2, 1860 ; Alexander Ramsey, to July 10, 1863 ; Henry A. Swift, to January 11, 1864; Stephen Miller, during 1864-5; William R. Marshall, during 1866-7-8-9 ; Horace Aus- tin, during 1870-1-2-3; Cushman K. Davis, during 1874-5; John S. Pillsbury, during 1876-7-8-9-80-81; Lucius F. Hubbard, dur- ing 1882-3-4-5-6, and .A. R. McGill, the present governor, who assumed the duties of the office January 5, 1887.
The lieutenant governors since the organ- ization of the State have been as follows : William Holcomb, from May 24, 1858, to January 2, 1860; Ignatius Donnelly, to March 3, 1863 ; IIenry A. Swift, to July 10, 1863 ; Charles D. Sherwood, during 1864-5; Thomas H. Armstrong, during 1866-7-8-9 ; William H. Yale, during 1870-1-2-3; Al- phonzo Barto, during 1874-5; James B. Wakefield, during 1876-7-8-9; C. A. Gill- man, during 1880-1-2-3-4-5-6, and A. E. Rice, who qualified January 4, 1887.
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