USA > Minnesota > Renville County > The history of Renville County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 26
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We took dinner at the fort, and then traveled on until sunset, and stopped with a German over night. I think this was the first house we passed where people lived. During the night rain came down in torrents, which made the roads very bad. Still we traveled on in the morning. and arrived at St. Peter just in the shade of evening. In the outskirts of the village we were halted by the picket's " Who goes there?" Our answer was satisfac- tory, and we were then allowed to go on, and at nine o'clock were being hospitably entertained by a Mrs. Fisher. Here we exchanged our squaw outfit for new calico dresses, and really began to feel as though we were white folks again.
My babe's weight was now just eight pounds, and he was a little past seven months oldl. I found my twelve-year-old boy here safe and well. Our family was now all together excepting our oldest son, whose life was taken to satisfy the revenge of the Sioux warrior. My mind was now at rest, at least as to the whereabouts of my family, and we could begin to plan as to what we should do. We were among strangers and had but very little money. Our horses, cattle, sheep, farming implements. house- hold furniture, ete., to the value of nearly three thousand dollars, had been all taken or destroyed by the Indians.
One afternoon, while my husband and I were conferring together about what was best for us to do, we were agreeably surprised by meeting an old neighbor just from our Wisconsin home, who had volunteered to carry financial aid to ns, which had been donated by the neighbors. This aid was gratefully rereived and was a surprise to us. We now conld buy some neces- sary articles of clothing and pay our fare back to Wisconsin.
After remaining in St. Peter about two weeks we took a steamboat for St. Paul. While there, at the Merchants' Hotel, a gentleman (a stranger to us) called to talk with Mrs. Earle and myself about our captivity. After a short conversation he excused himself for a few minutes, and on his return gave each of us fifteen dollars. The landlady was very kind to us, and gave me many useful articles of clothing, which. as we were very
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destitute, were more than acceptable. We remained in St. Paul three or four days waiting for a boat to take ns to La Crosse. There were no charges made against us for the hotel bill.
It was near the middle of November when we took the boat for La Crosse, where we arrived at noon. Here we went aboard the cars for our old home in Colombia county, Wisconsin. On our arrival at the depot at Pardeeville the platform was thronged with relatives and friends to greet us as restored to them from a worse fate than death.
We remained there until the following March, when we returned to Rochester, Minnesota. The Indians having been snb- dned and peace restored, we ventured baek in the fall of 1865 to our Renville county home. from which we were so suddenly driven by the Indians, and we have ever since continued to live in this county.
CHAPTER XV.
EARLE'S REMINISCENCES.
Thrilling experiences of a Boy During the Sioux Massacre-
Beaver Creek Settlement-Pioneer Incidents-Trouble Brew- ing-Warned by Squaw-News of the Massacre Flight for Safety-Surrounded by Indians-Woman, Children and Friend Killed-Women, Children and Wounded Abandoned by Whites-Brave Boy Gives Life for His Father-Party Separates-Rescue-Defense of Ft. Ridgely-Cowardice of Some of the Citizens-Valor of Others-Expedition to Bury Bodies-Battle of Birch Cooley-Discharged.
At the outbreak of the Sionx Indians in Minnesota in 1862. the settlement on the Beaver creek. Renville county, besides my father's, Jonathan W. Earle's family, consisted, so far as I know, of Diedrich Wichmann and family, Frank W. Schmidt and family, Mr. and Mrs. N. D. White and family, S. R. Henderson, wife and two little girls about one and three years old; David Carrothers and wife and two children, David (Andrew ?) Hunter, and a young man named John Doyle.
The Beaver creek, like all other water courses in Minnesota, runs in a valley much lower than the prairie land, the bottoms and sides of the bluffs being quite thickly timbered. The course is about north and south and the creek empties into the Minne -. sota river about two miles from our location.
About three miles east from Beaver creek is the Birch Cooley creek and still farther east, about eighteen miles distant, was Fort Ridgely. West of Beaver creek, about two and one-half or
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three miles, is another creek, emptying into the Minnesota river, on which was a settlement of Swedes (Germans ?). The Red- wood Agency was distant about six miles and was in plain view from our house. At the agency were stores, blacksmith shop, saw mill and so forth. The government maintained a physician, who treated the Indians and furnished medicines to them with- out cost. a head farmer to teach them how to conduct a farm. a sawyer, school teachers and so forth, with whom I became acquainted later. The missionary. a Mr. Williamson. whose father had also spent a lifetime as missionary among the Indians, was born and reared there and lived near the agency.
Of course the greatest need after reaching the settlement was a house, and father lost no time in procuring lumber at the ageney in exchange for a eow. The lumber was cottonwood and green, but it answered the need as frame and covering boards. As soon as it was enclosed, even before it was shingled, we moved into the new house, which consisted of two rooms, one down- stairs and one upstairs.
We broke several acres of ground and planted it to corn, not expecting any erop except stalks which would serve as fodder for cattle during the winter. Father also went to St. Peter. sixty miles, and purchased a mowing machine, with which I began hay- ing. The country has numerous swales or low, wet places, some of them having water three or four feet deep in the center. The ordinary prairie grass was not taH enough for hay, but around the borders of the swales where the ground was damp the grass grew to a good height, and farther in the swale was covered with cat-tail and other flag higher than a man's head. It was in the grass about these swales that I began the work of making hay for winter, and must have secured thirty or forty tons before being obliged to abandon it.
The cattle and sheep ran at large during the day, but were driven home and kept in yards enclosed by rail fence at night. The horses were always turned loose when not at work, and they with others belonging to the other settlers formed a herd of about twenty, which always ran free day and night, unless at work.
On Sundays there was generally, or, at least, frequently. preaching by the missionary, Mr. Williamson, the church being Mr. IIenderson's front yard. The pulpit was wholly imaginary, and for pews we used chairs, boxes, blocks of wood, or, when all else failed, the ground. The musie was congregational. Father was a powerful bass singer and played the soprano on the violin. Mr. Williamson also sang, and if I remember rightly Mrs. Henderson had a sweet soprano voice. While the singing was not the best it certainly was not the worst I ever heard.
The six working days of the week were all busy ones for us
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and evening generally found us tired. Still we three older boys with our violins and sometimes Julia to play an accompaniment on the melodeon would furnish what, for those times, was pretty good music. Not one of us deserved to be called a violinist, but we certainly were fiddlers, and in this capacity we spent nearly every evening until bedtime.
The sight of Indians was no more uneommon than that of whites, for they visited ns every day in pairs and groups, and the prairie was dotted here and there with parties hunting a bulbous root, which they called "teepson, " and used for food. It was called wild turnip by the whites. The plant was but a few inches high and had but one slender, straight root, which extended into the ground three or four inches, where the bulb was formed, and below this was the tap root and perhaps other smaller roots. The bulb was from one to two and one-half or three inches long and the largest were perhaps one and one- half inches in diameter. It was enclosed in a rind much like that of the turnip, which, when peeled off, left the bulb white and firm, with no particular flavor, if I remember rightly. If left to dry, in a few days the pulp beeame almost as hard as bone. I have dug and eaten many of these bulbs fresh and raw, and always imagined that they would be quite agreeable if ground up and used to thieken a soup or stew.
The Indians dug them by means of sapling two and one-half or three inches in diameter and four or five feet long. This was sharpened at one end. the sharpening being all done on one side, giving the stick a sled-runner shape. To use it the Indian would strike the sharpened end into the ground two or three inches from the plant, withdrawing and striking again in the same place, until with two or three strokes the point of the stick was foreed under the bulb, when, by pressing the top end of the stick down, the bulb was brought to the surface.
The annual ammities were due in June, but owing to the diffi- eulty in procuring gold or silver they had not yet been paid, and the Indians were all collected at the ageney awaiting the day of payment. They were not well supplied with provisions, so were obliged to hunt such small game and birds as the country afforded, dig teepson, fish, and when able to buy beef cattle from the settlers, leaving their guns in pawn as seenrity. So onr visitors were numerous. As I had quite a faney to be able to talk their language T improved every opportunity for learning it. Many of them seemed to understand my desire and were willing to help me, so that in the few weeks we were there I acquired the language sufficiently well to be able to comprehend them when they talked to me and make myself understood, but when they talked to each other it was almost impossible for me to understand.
HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
Father sold two head of cattle to them. For the first one he received two double-barreled shotguns as security, and for the second the gun of the head chief. Little Crow. This sale was made on Friday. August 15, only three days before the outbreak. Little Crow, with quite a party of Indians and accompanied by Mr. Robertson, a one-eighth breed, as interpreter, came and selected the steer, agreed to the price asked. and offered two guns belonging to his Indians as security. But father demanded Little Crow's own gun, a double-barreled shotgun with a yellow stock. 1 heard afterwards that the original stock had been broken and this one was the work of an Indian, who had painted it a bright yellow. It was a splendid gun and was reluctantly left as a pawn, and not until after father had written out and signed an agreement for its return on receiving the stated sum of money. (Mrs. White tells a different story of the gun. It will be found in the chapter devoted to her experiences .- Ed.)
Little Crow was the leading or head chief of the Sioux. He was tall. spare, with a nose like a hawk's bill, and sharp, piercing, black eyes. He was by no means good looking. He was known as the orator of the Sioux and had unbounded influence over the Indians, who always appeared very deferential to him. Little Crow's wrists were both very much deformed. It was this fact that enabled a hunter afterward to identify this body.
There was an old Indian who seemed particularly good- natured, who visited us often, and with less than the usual reserve in his manner. Consequently we had a particular liking for him. He was called old Beaver Creek. I never learned what his real name was.
So the few weeks of our stay passed rapidly and pleasantiy away. No disturbing incident occurred except the severe sick- ness of Mrs. Henderson, which must have begun about August 1. Father had quite a knowledge of medicines and had taken along a good supply of medicine for family use, not expecting to be called on to treat any others. But as there was no physician within a good many miles, except the government physician, Dr. Humphrey, at the agency, Mr. Henderson asked father to treat his wife, which father consented to do, but the case rapidly became dangerous, so father requested that Dr. Humphrey be called in consultation. This was done and he came. By appoint- ment he was to visit her again on Monday, August 18. The day came, but the physician did not see his patient. It was the last day on earth for them both.
Sunday evening. August 17, we boys played unusually late in the evening and our music seemed better than ever. Just before retiring Radnor stepped to the door for a moment, and, after listening. said. "How plainly we hear the Indian drums." Chalon and I went to the door and distinetly heard them. This
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was something unusual, yet it did not disturb us. And so we went to bed and to sleep.
The next morning, Monday, the eighteenth, father rose very carly and went on the roof to finish shingling. On going out he noticed three Indians in a fence corner of the cow yard. This was very strange, yet it excited no fear. When called to break- fast father came down from the roof and, out of curiosity, went to the Indians and asked them why they were there. They told him something about Chippewa Indians, but he learned but little from them, so came in and we sat down to breakfast. While we were eating one of the Indians, a magnificent specimen, over six feet tall, came in dressed in a breech eloth and covered with war paint. He asked father for our two rifles, which, of course, were refused. They hung by straps to the joists over head and a bed stood directly below them. The Indian seemed determined to have them and stepped on the bed as though he were going to reach the rifles. At that father rose and said "No" with a decided shake of his head and a look in his eyes which convinced the Indian that father meant all that he said. The Indian turned about and left the house, apparently much excited and angry.
After breakfast we noticed several Indians trying to catch . the herd of horses, but they, being afraid of the Indians, wouldn't be caught. Father went to the three Indians and asked why the other Indians were trying to catch our horses. They replied that some Chippewa Indians had killed some Sioux the night before and they wanted the horses to pursue them. Then father told the boys to go and find our horses and bring them home. Accord- ingly Chalon and Radnor went east, thinking to find them on the prairie, where they usually were, while I went down the creek.
At Hunter's I found that the Indians had driven the horses into a corner formed by a yard fence and a field fence. The Indians had formed a line across the opening and by gradually closing in hoped to capture the horses. I saw at once that our horses were not in the herd, so I was somewhat disinterested, but eoneluded to watch the proceedings. As the Indians closed in the horses became frightened, and finally one bolder than the rest made a dash and went through the line, followed by all the others. The Indians immediately went after them and soon had them back in the same corner, using the same tactics with the same result. Again they brought them in. This time they asked me to eatch the horses for them. I said they were not mine and I couldn't cateh them. They then asked me to get in the line with them and help eatch them. At first I refused, but thinking that if I were in the line the horses would be apt to break towards me I changed my mind and took my place about the middle of the line. As I expected, when the horses turned they made directly for me, while I, shouting and wildly pawing the
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air, pretended to do all I could to stop them, but was really very careful not to do so. I had done this twice, and while watching the Indians out on the prairie after the herd. congratulated myself on the success of my scheme, believing that I would be able to continue it and so entirely prevent the Indians From catch- ing the horses.
While thus watching the chase, an old squaw came near and passed behind me but did not appear to see me. but she said in a low voice "puekashee tehan" (go away, or go far off). I turned to look at her, but she was watching the Indians so I said nothing, thinking she had discovered my trick and wished to get me away before the horses could be brought back. Ilowever, I resolved to stay and did, with the same result. I was again watching the pursuit when the same big Indian who had entered our house and asked for the rifles stepped up and put his left arm about my neck and hugged me hard, saying that he would like to scalp me and guessed he would before night. At the same time he struck me over the head with his lariat. This treatment was entirely unexpected and resented, for as his left arm was around my neck his ribs on that side were fully exposed, and I gave him so strong a punch with my right fist that he emitted a very lond grunt and immediately let go and walked off.
I had caught a glimpse of old Beaver Creek, who was the only one that I knew. I thought that surely he would explain the strange doings, but he refused to say a word to me. When I approached him he hastily turned away and seemed greatly excited. Still my suspicions were not aroused, for I thought all these strange aets were because of the Chippewa raid. I did not dream of any danger to the whites.
Believing that my little scheme had been discovered. and that I would not be allowed to practice it any further, and knowing that our horses were not in the drove, I made up my mind to go home. So I started on a lope, which was my usual gait when alone. Instead of taking the road which was on the prairie. I went a little farther and entered the bushes, which was the beginning of the timber of the bluffs. The bushes were not thick and I could run through them as easily as in the road. Why I went into the bushes I really do not know, for I was not in the least frightened or excited. I had heard nothing alarm- ing and the little episode with the Indian was trivial. I simply obeyed a sudden impulse. Probably it was very fortunate that I did, for afterwards I remembered hearing several times the hiss and swish that would be caused by an arrow entting the leaves.
I was home in a few minutes. Chalon and Radnor had returned with our horses, which were then seenred about the honse. I told Father what was going on down at Hunter's, and said the Indians seemed determined to have the horses. He said
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they wouldn't get his without a fight, so I proposed that we take them to the ageney and put them in charge of the agent. He considered a moment and then said that we might take them out on the prairie, where we could keep them away from the Indians. We had seven horses and colts, and if one or two were mounted the others would follow, so Chalon and I were to take them out.
Chalon had something to do that delayed him a few minutes, but as soon as I had mounted I started eastward on the open prairie. Within a few minutes I saw a man in his shirt sleeves running towards our settlement from the direction of the agency. I rode up and found him greatly excited, saying that the Indians were killing all the whites at the agency and that we must get away right off. It was our neighbor Diedrich Wiehmann. He continued towards his house while I turned and, putting my horse to a run, started for home.
In a few moments I met Chalon mounted on a fleet little mare. I briefly told him what I had heard as he rode along with me. As soon as he comprehended the situation he gave the word to his little mare, who seemed fairly to fly as she bore him home and past the house without stopping. On down to the ereek he went, giving the alarm to Dave Carrothers' and telling them to go to our house, then to James Carrothers' with the same word. Hunter was not at home, so he went no farther. James Car- rothers and N. D. White had a few days before been selected as delegates to a politieal convention which met, I think, at Owatonna. Consequently both were absent. (Mrs. White gives another reason for this absence .- Ed.) Some one carried the word to Mr. White's people and father went to Henderson's. Soon all were collected at our house. The seats were removed from the spring wagon and two feather beds placed in the bot- tom, on which Mrs. Henderson was laid and her two little girls with her. The horses were hitehed to one lumber wagon and two yoke of oxen attached to the other. Into these two wagons the women and children climbed and made themselves as com- fortable as possible.
While these preparations were being made I was busy load- ing the guns. The whole stock of arms consisted of two rifles and three double-barreled shotguns, which father held in pawn for cattle sold to the Indians. Of course, they were all muzzle loaders. I have often wondered what would have been the out- eome if we had had Winchesters. One rifle carried about sixty to the pound, but the other was a very small bore, carrying 120 to the pound. Both of these I loaded carefully and. beeause of the small bore of one, I put in two bullets. Next I loaded Little Crow's gun and one of the others, but for the third I had no shot so put in a few small stones. Our shot and bullets were all gone,
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and only one flask of powder, partly filled, remained. This shows how utterly defenseless we were.
All being ready to start (we intended going to Fort Ridgely, eighteen miles distant), David Carrothers took the larger ritle, father took the small bore (loaded with two bullets). Chalon took Little Crow's gun, I took another, and Radnor took the one loaded with small stones. We started due east in the direction of Fort Ridgely.
At the time of starting our party consisted of twenty-seven per- sons, men, women, ehildren and two babes in arms, as follows: Father and mother and six children, S. R. Henderson and wife and two children. Mrs. N. D. White and four children, Dave Carrothers, wife and three children: Mrs. James Carrothers and two children, Jehial Wedge and lohn Doyle.
Within five minutes after starting we noticed sixteen Indians who suddenly rose to view about eighty rods southeast from us, and coming in a direction to cross our road a little ahead of us. At the same time I looked back and saw the three Indians who had been about our house fall in behind us. Very quickly the Indians had formed a line across our road, and gradually drawn in until we were entirely surrounded. When the leader made a sign for us to stop we did so. Mr. Ilenderson, who under- stood their language better than the rest of us. went forward to talk with the chief. We saw by signs and gestures that he was holding a very earnest council with them, which occupied about ten minutes. When he returned to us the Indians maintained their circle around us, though hardly any were visible. as they had concealed themselves in various ways. On his return Mr. Henderson told us that the Indians had at first told him that they intended to kill all of us, but after talking they offered to let us pass if we would give up all our teams and guns. Mr. Hen- derson told them that we would not give up our guns under any circumstances, and to this firm decision is due the fact that any of us escaped, for with us totally disarmed they would have slain all without any danger to themselves. Mr. Henderson also demanded to keep the colts and spring wagon, in which his wife was lying, and they also consented to this. It seemed that this was the best we could do, for we had only five guns against their nineteen guns, and three of ours loaded with shot and stones, while theirs were all loaded with balls. And more than all. we had no ammunition to reload our guns. What better could we do? And besides, Mr. Ilenderson said that they had agreed to furnish us an escort to the fort, so that no other Indians should molest us. So the terms were accepted and Mr. Henderson gave the signal, whereupon the Indians came to claim their property. The women and children descended from the wagons which, with the teams, we turned over to the Indians, who immediately
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detached them and then demanded the eolts. Mr. Henderson protested and reminded them of the agreement. But they only said he could have a yoke of oxen. Ile tried to show them that he could not use the oxen because the iron neek yoke was bolted to the end of the buggy pole so that the pole could not enter the yoke ring. This made no difference. They said they intended to have the colts anyway, so we proceeded to unhiteh the colts and give them up.
In the meantime the women and children had started on and had gained quite a distance on the way. After giving up the eolts, Dave Carrothers went to get a yoke of oxen which stood eight or ten rods away. As he went he broke down a weed and on reaching them he swung the weed over their heads in place of a whip and started towards us with the oxen. Just then an Indian stepped out, placed an arrow to his bow, and raised it threateningly at Carrothers, who saw the threat, left the oxen and came back to us. The Indians were standing about inter- mingled with us, their guns ready and both barrels at full coek. One unfortunate move on the part of any one of us would have resulted in the instant death of all. Why they did not kill us then and there I cannot understand.
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