USA > Minnesota > Renville County > The history of Renville County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 25
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After the warriors had completed the work of painting to their liking, they gathered in small squads, seemingly for consul- tation. They presented a very frightful appearance. Soon they began to gather in larger parties and start off in different diree- tions, for the purpose, as I supposed, of vietimizing some innocent settler. Many cattle were now being brought into eamp, but no eaptives; which led me to believe that they massaered indiserim- inately men, women, and children, and that proved to have been the case. The squaw's seemed at all times to be highly elated over the good success the Indians had in bringing into camp beef eat- tle ; "ta-ton-koes, " they ealled them. They were also well pleased with the false reports which the Indians made in stating that they had killed or driven nearly all the white people from Min- nesota.
To save labor in harvesting and hauling corn and potatoes into eamp, we made many short moves I'rom one enclosure to another. Cattle, horses and ponies, were turned loose in the fields of grain. As soon as the supply was exhausted, we moved on. At the end of one remove, I saw an old squaw with a very nice black silk shawl, which she had worn over her head, squaw-fashion, while on the move elimb over a rail fence and throw the shawl on the ground in the potato field. Then with all her might she com- meneed digging or scratching out potatoes with her hands, throw- ing them on the shawl until she had gathered nearly a half bushel, after which she gathered up the corners of the shawl, threw them over her shoulder, and hurried away to the campfire.
For one reason we were always glad to move; it furnished us a elean camp ground for a few days. But oh ! the thought that
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I was a prisoner in the hands of savage Indians, moving on farth- er and farther from relatives, friends and eivilization, into the far Northwestern wilds, inhabited only by ernel savages who lived in tepees, and cold weather coming on! I met an old Frenchman, who had married a squaw and had lived with the Indians a long time. He could speak a little English. Judge what my feelings must have been when he said to me, "I 'speet you'll all die when cold weather comes," meaning the white eaptives.
Many times have I reluctantly retired for the night on the cold, damp ground, with my child on my arm, unable to sleep, thinking of friends and home. If by chance my eyes were elosed in sleep, I would sometimes dream of secing Indians perpetrating some act of ernelty on innocent white captives. Occasionally I would dream of having made my escape from my captors, and was safe among my relatives and friends in a civilized country. But on awaking from my slumbers, oh ! the anguish of mind, the heart-crushing pangs of grief, to again fully realize that I was a prisoner still among the Indians, not knowing how soon I would be subjected to the cruelties of these revengeful savages!
In order to make myself as agreeable as possible to them, I feigned cheerfulness, and took particular notice of their papooses, hoping that by so doing I would receive better treatment from them, which I think had the desired effect. Once I was unable to suppress my feelings while in the presence of my Indian father, who was quiek to observe my gushing tears and heart throbs, which must have excited his sympathy for me. Ile said, through an interpreter, that he would give me bread and let me go; "but," said he, "the warriors will find you and kill you."- as much as to say, "You had better remain with us." This was after we had gone so far from white settlements that it would have been impossible for me to make my way on foot and alone through the Indian country.
While in the camp beside the mossy slough, Little Crow and twenty or thirty of his chier warriors had a war conneil and dog feast. They occupied a place on the prairie a short distance ont- side of the camp ground, where they seated themselves on the ground in a circle around a large kettle, hung over a fire, in which the careass of a fat dog was being boiled. The United States flag was gracefully waving over their detestable heads. What a contrast between this exhibition of hostile Indians and the gathering of loyal citizens of the United States under the stars and stripes, celebrating our nation's birthday !
These dusky savages seemed to have parliamentary rules of their own. One would rise, with solid dignity, and deliver his harangue, after which they one by one would dip their ladles into the kettle of dog soup, until each had served himself to
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soup. Then came another speech and another dip by all. Thus they alternated until all or nearly all had their say and had their appetite satisfied with eanine soup. Dog sonp by them is con- sidered to be a superb and honored dish. None but Indians of high rank were allowed to partake.
Dog beef was sometimes cooked by hanging the dog in a horizontal position by both fore and hind legs under a pole over a fire, without being dressed, except that the entrails were removed. When dogs are cooked in this manner all are allowed to partake.
These natives generally used their fingers in conveying food to their mouths. If their meat was too hard to erush with their teeth, or too tough to tear with their fingers and teeth, they would firmly hold the meat in their teeth and one hand, and, with a sharp knife in the other hand, ent the meat between the teeth and fingers.
On the eighth or tenth day of our stay here the word "Pucka- chee !" greeted our ears, and everything was soon in readiness for a move, but it was a very short one. We stopped beside a small stream ealled Hazel Run. Beside this stream had been built residences for missionaries, which were burned to the ground soon after our tepees were pitched.
After remaining here two or three days, we were given orders as before to move on, and went only three or four miles. On the way we passed several small lakes, and our train was stopped long enough near one of them to allow the squaws to do some washing. This was the first washing that had been done since my stay with them. The squaws' mode of washing their wardrobe was to walk into water two or three feet deep, then quickly lower and raise themselves, and at the same time rub with their hands. Their wet clothing was allowed to remain on them to dry. The squaws, in washing their faces, would take water in their months, spurt it into their hands and rub it over their faces, but used no towel.
Here the squaws began to pay much attention to my poor starving habe. They would put their hands on his head and say, over and over, "Washta, washta do." meaning "good, very good." When we stopped to pitch the tepees again the Indians had what they called a horse dance. I did not learn whether it celebrated a particular event. or was merely for amusement. Before they commenced it they deeked their ponies with cedar boughs, and the warriors with feathers and ribbons. Then each warrior mounted his pony and paraded around in a meaningless manner, as it seemed to me.
Soon after this horse dance my squaw mother came to me in a very excited manner, took hold of me and fairly dragged me into the tepee, telling me that the Sissetons were coming to
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take me off. She hastily threw an old blanket over me, and there I remained with my babe in my arms for hours. I finally fell asleep and must have slept quite a while. Soon after wak- ing I was given to understand that I might go out. I learned that there were about a hundred and twenty-five of the Sisseton tribe with us. They remained three days and left camp, taking nothing but a few ponies with them.
While in this eamp my daughter came to me, crying as though her heart would break, and told me an Indian was coming that night to elaim her for his wife. I did not know what woukl be best to do. After thinking the matter over I concluded to consult with a half-breed we called "Black Robinson" in regard to the trouble. After hearing what I had to say he remarked. "An Indian is nothing but a hog, anyway. I will see what can be done about it." I returned and told my daughter what he said, and she returned to her tepee home, leaving me to worry over the great danger that threatened her. Time and time again I thought. Will this terrible calamity that has come to us ever end? Fortunately we heard no more of this trouble.
While walking out one afternoon my attention was called to the way in which the squaws sometimes put their papooses to sleep. They were fastened on a board about eight inches wide. with a foot rest, and ornamented with net work at the head. made of willow-twigs. They were wrapped to the board, with their arms straight down by their sides and their feet on the foot rest. by winding strips of cloth around them. They ery and shake their heads a few minutes before going to sleep. In warm weather, unless it was storming, they were placed outside to sleep, in nearly an ereet position.
The Indians and squaws had rules of etiquette which they strictly observed, and would frequently admonish me concern- ing them. They would tell me how to sit on the ground, how to stand and how to go in and out the tepee door, which was very low. I think they must have considered me a dull scholar. for I could not conform. or would not, to all their notions of gen- tility. The Indians would frequently have a hearty laugh to see me go in and out the tepee door. They said I went in just like a frog. The tepees were of uniform size, about twelve feet in diameter on the ground, with a door about three feet high. that is, merely a parting of the tent cloth or hides, of which latter the tepees were usually made.
One dark and dreary rainy day I was put into a tepee made of buffalo hides. The perfume of the hides was not very pleasant to the smell ; however. it accorded well with my other surround- ings. Why I was put into this tepee I know not, unless it was to be entertained by a Sioux quartette. I had only been in there a short time when four warriors came in, dressed in blankets,
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with their faces shockingly painted with war paint and their heads decorated with long feathers. Surely they presented a fearful sight. Each had a stiek about two feet long. They paid no attention to me, but seated themselves, Indian style, on the ground in a eirele in front of me, and beat time by striking on the ground with their sticks, at the same time singing, or saying, "Ki-o-wah-nay, ki-o-wah-nay, ki-o-wah-nay, yaw-ah-ah." After repeating this three times they would give a loud whoop and a sharp yell. This performance was continued three or four hours. There was no variation in the modulation of their voiees during all this time. The horrors of this experience I ean never forget. It seemed as though my reason would be dethroned under this terrible, monotonous chant. When they stopped and in single file walked out of the tepee I clasped my hand to my whirling brain and wondered if a more dreary or greater mental suffering could or would ever befall me.
A few short removes now brought us to what proved to be the end of our journey, Camp Release. As soon as the tepees were set the squaws and Indians eommeneed running bullets. They had bar lead, bullet moulds and a ladle to melt lead in. They also had a large amount of powder which they had plun- dered, so they were well prepared to make some defense. They gave us to understand that they expected to have a battle in a short time with the white soldiers. Also they gave us the eheer- ing information that, if the white soldiers made an attack on them, we, the prisoners, would be placed in front of them, so that our rescuers' bullets would strike us and thereby give them a chance to escape in case of their defeat. We were now allowed to visit our friends a little while every day, and it was under- stood among us that if such proved to be the ease we would lie flat on the ground and take our ehanees.
The expected battle was fought on the twenty-third day of September at Wood Lake, eighteen miles distant from our eamp, the Indians making the attack on General Sibley's forees. A day or two before the battle there was a disagreement among the Indians. Some of them, I think, were in favor of surrender- ing to Sibley. But a large majority were opposed to it, conse- quently a removal of the hostile Indians farther west took place ; how far I did not know. The captives they had were nearly all left with those who wished to surrender. .
We could distinetly hear the report of muskets during this battle. We were now in the greatest danger of all our eaptivity : for, with defeat of the Indians, they were likely to return and slay all the white captives and perhaps some of the half-breeds. The latter appeared to be somewhat alarmed, and consequently we were all put to work by "Black Robinson," throwing up breastworks. I was not a soldier, but soldier never worked with
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better will than I did to get those fortifications completed. I used a shovel: my squaw mother used an old tin pan. The remains of those breastworks are still visible. I am told. When I worked on them I had no idea that I should ever take any pride in the remembrance of my labor on them. but I do, although at the time I felt as though it would be as well were I digging my own "narrow house." We cannot afford to part with the remem- brance of any incidents of our lives, even though they were heavily burdened with suffering and sorrow.
We were also made to construct breastworks inside the tepee. We sank a hole in the ground about eight feet in diameter and two feet deep, and placed the earth around the pit, thereby increasing the depth to about four feet. In this den eleven of us spent three nights. While the battle was raging the squaws went out with one-horse wagons to take ammunition to the war- riors and to bring in the dead and wounded Indians. Once when they returned one squaw was giving vent to her feelings by chanting, or singing. "Yah! ho ho!" On making inquiry I was told that her husband had been killed. On the next two days after the battle we were almost constantly looking and longing to see the soldiers make their appearance on the distant prairie. The hostile Indians had returned to their camp before sunset on the day of the battle, and it was evident.to ns by their appear- ance that they had met with defeat. But each day the sun went down, night came on and our expectation and ardent desires were not realized. Therefore we were compelled through fear once more to enter our own tepee and the dismal hole in the ground before mentioned, to spend the night, with fearful forebodings that the hostile Sioux might return and kill us before morning. Our tepees were guarded during the night by Indians who pre- tended to be friendly, but I could not sleep.
Morning came with bright sunshine on the day of our deliver- ance, the twenty-sixth of September. Being so anxious to be delivered from our present surroundings, we could not refrain from gazing, as we had done on the two former days, nearly all the time in the direction of the battle ground, to see who should get the first view of our expected reseners. About ten o'clock in the morning, to our great joy and admiration. the glimmer of the soldiers' bayonets was first seen and pointed out to us by the Indians, before we could see the men. As they came nearer and nearer our hearts beat quicker and quicker at the increased prospect of onr speedy release.
When they had come within about a half mile of our camp the Indians sent a number of us to the Minnesota river for water, telling us the palefaces would be thirsty. They thought. as did the captives, that the soldiers would come right among us and camp near by, but they marched past about a half mile. where
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they pitched their tents. A flag of truce was flying over every tepre. After the soldiers had passed by some of the Indians eame in laughing, saying the white soldiers were sneh old men that they had lost all their teeth. They had an idea that all of our young men were engaged in our civil war. The papooses were skirling around with a flag of truee, shouting "Sibilee, Sibilee!" as though they thought it great sport.
While the soldiers were pitching their tents the general sent orders for us to remain in the tepees until he came for us. This was a very hard command for us to obey, now that an oppor- tunity came for us to flee from our eaptors.
The tepees were set in a cirele. After about one and a half hours General Sibley marched his command inside of this eirele. The general now held a consultation with some of the Indians, after which the soldiers were formed into a hollow square. The eaptives were then taken into this square by the Indian who claimed to have protected them during their captivity, including also those eaptives who had been left with them by the hostile Indians. Some had only one or two to deliver up; others had eight or ten. Those who had the largest number to deliver brought them forward in a haughty manner. My Indian father had seven captives to give up.
After all the white captives were delivered to the general in military style, the order was given to move to the soldiers' tents. I am sure every captive there offered up fervent and grateful thanksgiving that the hour of release had come. Right well did this Camp Release come by its title. I believe every adult cap- tive has a warm place in her memory for this spot of prairie land, where so many destinies hung by a thread, with the balance ready to go for or against us. Every Indian, after having deliv- ered his last captive, walked directly out of this hollow square, and was conducted by a soldier to where he, I supposed, was kept under guard.
This giving up or release of the captives was one of the most impressive scenes that it has ever been my lot to witness. Many of my fellow captives were shedding tears of joy as they were being delivered up. After reaching the tents prepared for us many eommeneed laughing ; oh such joyful peals from some, and from others came a jerking, hysterical laugh. Others were rapidly talking and gesticulating with friends whom they had just met, as if fairly insane with delight in meeting relatives and friends and to be freed from their savage eaptors. And again there were others clapping their hands and whirling around in wild delight over the happy good fortune that had come to us.
As for myself. I could only remain silent, as if an inspiration had come to me from the great beyond. I gazed at this assembly
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of released captives while in their manifestations of joy and happiness, tinetured with grief from the loss of dear friends and relatives, and in quiet satisfaction drew the fresh free air into my lungs and thought what contentment and peace freedom brings to one who had been a eaptive among the wild savages of the Northwest. None but those who have passed through the terrible experience can ever know the varied feelings and emotion which the deliverance produced.
We still wore our squaw suits. Some of us were given quar- ters in what were ealled or known as Sibley tents, and others in smaller tents. It was now about four o'clock in the afternoon, and by reason of our not having had dinner, the soldiers treated us to a lunch, consisting of light bisenit and apple sauce. It was not served after modern style. We simply gathered around two large dishpans containing our lunch, and each helped herself. When supper time came the soldiers brought into our tent, pre- pared to be served, an abundance of rice, hardtack, eoffee and meat. My lunch was the most delicious repast 1 ever enjoyed, it being the first white cooking I had tasted sinee I ate breakfast in my own home the day I was captured; but my appetite for supper entirely failed me in consequence of having had the late lunch, and beeause of the excitement produced by our release. After the first day of our release a campfire was provided us and we had the privilege of doing our own cooking. A guard was placed around our tents and campfire, the object, I suppose, being to keep away all would-be intruders.
My mind was now involuntarily absorbed in the strange sights of the afternoon. I could scarcely think a moment in regard to the condition or whereabouts of my family. I had not learned whether they all succeeded in making their escape or were all killed and sealped by the Indians.
We remained with the soldiers ten days for the purpose of giving our testimony against the Indians. The soldiers were very kind to us, being always careful to provide campfires for us, and seemed at all times to take delight in making us feel at home, or at least among civilized people. Three different times dur- ing our stay with them they serenaded us with songs. As the sweet sounds of civilization greeted my ear the great contrast between freedom and captivity among savages grew more promi- nent. I shall always hold these brave sokliers in most grateful remembrance.
In the forenoon of our last day with the soldiers, Mrs. David Carrothers, Mrs. Earle and myself were out consulting with a soldier (Mrs. Carrothers' brother) on the chances or prospect of our getting to St. Peter. After having talked the matter over, and when we were returning to our tent, I caught sight of my husband, of whom I had not known whether he was dead or alive,
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accompanied by J. W. Earle. I leave you to imagine our feel- ings at this meeting, words would be inadequate.
Mr. Earle and my husband, having learned of the release of their families, had engaged William Mills, then of St. Peter, to go with a four-horse team with them to Camp Release, a distance of abont 120 miles, for the purpose of bringing their families to St. Peter. They arrived at Camp Release about ten o'clock in the forenoon of the fifth day of October. Soon after dinner we started with our husbands, children and Mr. Mills for St. Peter, without an escort.
Whether or not our husbands were proud of us in our squaw dress we did not stop to question, for we were so glad to get started for civilization that we did not take a second thought to our elothing, but rode triumphantly into St. Peter in squaw cos- tume. Danger was thick around us on our journey. Conse- quently Mr. Mills hurried his team, forded the Redwood river soon after dark in the same place where we crossed when going west with the Indians, and stopped for the night in a small Indian log hnt.
The three men stood on guard until two o'clock, when, fear- ing the presence of stray Indians, we became uneasy and eon- eluded to journey on in the night. We arrived at the Lower Sioux ageney about sunrise, or where the village and the ageney buildings had been located. All had been destroyed by fire. Here we visited the garden that had belonged to Dr. Humphrey, who was killed, and also all the members of his family, while trying to make their escape, excepting one son. We found some onions and tomatoes and boiled a few : with the government rations they made quite a good breakfast.
While there I could almost see where our house was located on Beaver creek, and had a pretty fair view of the prairie over which we were so frightfully chased by hostile Sioux Indians. The sight brought back vivid remembrance in my mind of just what transpired there on the eighteenth day of August. Before my mental eye was unrolled a panorama of fearful deeds per- petrated by the wild men of the Northwest, shockingly painted, and having their heads decorated with feathers according to their rank; also the cruelties committed on innocent white people on that memorable day. I could see the Indians as they surrounded us with their guns presented at the men, demanding of them a surrender of all their teams, etc., to them. I could see men, women, boys and girls in almost every direction in alarmed haste, closely pursued by Indians, shooting them. I could see two men holding up a flag of truce over a wagon in which a siek woman and her two children lay on a bed. I saw again the blaze and smoke arising from the burning bed, where Mrs. Henderson and her two children were put to death in a shocking manner.
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I saw my son as he passed me in great haste when he said to me, "Ma, run faster, or they will catch you." Poor boy : his remains were never found. Then, after the first fright was over, and the men and boys and their pursuers were out of sight. I could see myself with other captives walking back into captivity among a barbarous people, escorted by our eruel captors.
We still journeyed on the south side of the Minnesota river until we reached the ferry near Fort Ridgely, where we crossed the river, arriving at the fort about noon. On the road between the agency and the fort we saw the body of a man who had recently been killed, of which we notified the military officials. who soon sent a burial party.
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