USA > Minnesota > Renville County > The history of Renville County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 27
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A hasty consultation and we decided to draw the buggy by hand. So two took hold of the ends of the neek yoke; Mr. Hen- derson took one whippletree; I took the opposite one; while father and David Carrothers pushed behind.
We relied on the promises of the Indians, so traveled rather leisurely. But I could not keep both eyes in front. To tell the truth I did not trust them as Mr. Henderson did, and I noticed soon that the Indians began to gather in our rear. One after another joined until they were all together and following us at about twenty rods' distance. I told Mr. Henderson that I didn't like the looks of things, but he said it was all right and aceord- ing to agreement. My reply was that we could get along without a guard if only they would keep away.
We had just reached the foot of a little deseent, and the Indians were at the top of it, when they fired the first shot, a single one, which passed over our heads and landed a short dis- tanee ahead. Dave Carrothers, mueh exeited, dodged and shouted, "Look out." No one else uttered a sound, but hurried on. Of course, we soon found that we could never take the buggy out of reach of the Indians, and that to attempt to do it meant death. We could not possibly do Mrs. Henderson any good either by remaining, for we could not defend her, nor by trying to take her along, which was impossible. And hard as it was we were obliged to abandon her and her two little girls, one and three or perhaps two and four years old. Mr. Hender- son said that he could not leave his wife, and for this we all
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honored him. Jehial Wedge said that Mrs. Henderson had nursed him in his sickness and he would not leave her. By this time the Indians were firing quite rapidly and every instant some one had a narrow escape. So we left them, uncertain as to their fate, hoping yet fearful.
It seemed that as soon as we left the buggy the Indians ceased firing upon it and one after another all but two or three passed it and came on after us. We began to hope they might be spared. but directly we saw firing from the rear of the buggy, and very shortly I saw Mr. Henderson emerge from the middle of the line of Indians (for they had formed a line with extremes about ten or twelve rods apart) and run rapidly toward us. We slaekened our pace and waited for him.
Every one of the sixteen Indians discharged both barrels of his gun at Mr. Henderson, and I do not doubt that some reloaded and fired again. How a man could come almost unhurt through such a storm of bullets is very strange. He was not entirely unhurt. They had shot the hat off his head and his shirt was riddled ou both sides of his body. The fore finger of the right hand was shot off at the first joint and the second finger had a slit from the middle joint to the end.
He said that Wedge was dead and that he thought his wife and children had also been killed, but he was not certain. He afterwards told me his story in detail. It seems that nearly all of the Indians passed the wagon without giving them any atten- tion, but the last two, who were at a short distance behind, fired upon them. He shouted at them, but Mrs. Henderson told him to take off a pillow case and hold it up as a flag of truee. This he did, but they fired again and shot off the finger that held it. Then they stopped and made a sign which he and Wedge under- stood to take hold of the buggy and take it back. So each one took an end of the neck yoke and started to turn when the Indians fired again and Wedge fell. Ile then ran back to the wagon, but as the Indians continued to fire he suddenly resolved to leave his wife and try to save himself. So he started to come to us.
We were fleeing from the Indians vet we were not going as fast as we might and we maintained a show of defense, although not a gun had been discharged on our side. We had no ammuni- tion to spare and really our guns were only useful in keeping the Indians at a little distance. For knowing probably that at least three of our guns only carried shot. while theirs carried ounce bullets, they kept beyond the range of our guns. while keeping us still within the range of theirs.
Of course the pressure from the Indians compelled us to cateh up with the women and children, though we delayed it as long as possible. When we finally overtook them I found Mrs. Dave
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Carrothers nearly giving out, as she had to carry her baby, so I took the baby, which greatly relieved her and she was able to keep up with the rest. I think we must have continued in this way for about a mile farther when Mrs. White, who was a very fleshy woman and was carrying a baby, stopped and said that she could go no farther. So we passed on and left her standing there. We watched as we fled to see what her treatment would be, and were much surprised to see an Indian go up to her and shake hands and motion to her to go back. Seeing that she wasn't hurt she called out to the rest and waved a white hand- kerchief. (See Mrs. White's account of this capture. Ed.)
It then seemed that it was the intention of the Indians to capture the women and children, and as it was utterly impossible for them to escape by Heeing, and as we could not defend them. they deemed it best to stop, which they did. I gave the baby to its mother and kept on.
Dave Carrother's oldest child was a boy about five years old. When he saw his father running on ahead he ran after him as fast as his legs could carry him, calling to his father to wait. His father did not wait for some time, but finally stopped and turning the little fellow around told him to go back to his mother, while he himself resumed his flight. The boy remained where he was, ery- ing until the Indians came up. Finding him alone they killed him.
The average distance which the Indians kept from us was about fifteen or, possibly twenty rods, and as they were expert marksmen it is remarkable that any escaped. That they did is due to two reasons. First, their guns were poorly loaded, as the bullets were simply dropped in without any patch. Second, we kept our eyes to the rear and jumped to one side or fell as we saw a gun discharged at ns. This may seem like fietion to claim that we dodged their bullets, but it is nevertheless true, and more than one owed his life that day to his agility.
We were stretched out in a sort of a line at a distance of sev- eral feet apart, and being separated could judge quite accurately whether an Indian was aiming at one's self or not. At one time Chalon and I were quite elose to each other, Eugene White was a few rods ahead, and the ground was rising. As we were watching we saw an Indian level his gun at one of us, but being so close together we could not tell which one, so at the Hash we both fell. It proved that it was intended for Chalon, and if he had not dodged it would have struck him between the shoulders. Missing, it went on and struck Eugene White on the inside of the right knee. He fell but immediately rose to a sitting position and grasped his knee with his hands. I ran up and asked him if he was hit and he replied that his leg was broken, but he immediately jumped up and ran on with a bad limp. Soon } noticed that he turned to the left and ran a little to one side and
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lay down behind a bunch of tall grass or weeds. perhaps think- ing that it concealed him, but more likely he realized that he could go no farther. By this time the firing had become quite rapid and there was little chance for one to help another, and so Eugene was left behind. Very quickly I saw an Indian run to a short distance from where he lay and fire both barrels of his gun at him. Of course I knew what had happened.
The Indians were now crowding us hard, and we were some- what weary. One Indian had tried two or three times to get around our right flank so as to get an enfilading fire on our line, but each time we had spoiled his game by running ahead. At last father said that if he tried it again he would shoot him. Sure enough he did try it again and father stepped on top of a little mound, took deliberate aim and fired. The Indian dropped and I saw no more of him. I could not tell whether he was killed or not, but certainly I do know that from that time two Indians gave their whole attention to shooting at father. Of course father's only defense was gone, for he had no ammunition to reload the gun. And so his only recourse was in dodging and they kept him constantly on the jump, vet he was not hit. But now he did a very foolish thing. Ile threw away his gun! Before this they did not know that he could not reload his gun, so out of respect for it they kept at a good distance. But now that he had thrown it away they had nothing to fear, so they elosed in on him. Seeing them closing in on him he called to the boys to stop and help him. But we had become a good deal scattered and Radnor was the only one near enough to help, and he. brave boy, stopped to face two of them. Father said that as he ran up to Radnor he told him to shoot and then turn and run. but for some reason Radnor threw himself on the ground to wait until they should come within range of his gun. The Indians. who had hitherto come along together, now separated, and, mak- ing a detour to the right and left, came up on each side. and yet Radnor remained until thinking them near enough he raised and fired at one of them, at the same time they both fired at him. There could be but one result. The brave boy of fifteen had faced two warriors; had given his life to save his father's and had succeeded, for the diversion which he created permitted father to get away. Here was an example of heroism and devo- tion that is worthy of becoming historical.
As I have already said, we became more and more scattered after the capture of the women, and I had begun to cogitate as to some means of escape besides running, for I Telt satisfied that means would not avail.
The country there is what is called rolling prairie, and between the ridges of swells of land are lower places or swales containing more or less water in which grass and flags grow to
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the height of several feet. As I ran along one of these ridges I noticed that not an Indian's eye was upon me. They were either loading their guns or happened to be looking in another direction. Seizing the opportunity of the moment, I threw myself on the ground and rapidly rolled down the ridge on the opposite side from the Indians until I had descended far enough so that I could be out of sight in a stooping position. Then I rose and rapidly ran out a few rods into the swale and then turned and ran baek near, but not in, my first trail, till near the shorter grass, when I led my return trail into my first trail. I then turned and ran back into the swale following exactly in my first trail till I reached the point where I turned. From there I con- tinued into the swale, but carefully separated the grass and flags and raised them behind me so as to make as little trail as possi- ble. When I had gone six or eight rods in this way I lay down and waited to see what would happen.
I heard very little firing after I went into the swale, yet for safety I remained there for at least two hours, when I cautiously raised np and becoming satisfied that there were no Indians about I left the swale and considered what I should do.
To go back home was out of the question, and to try to find the others was useless, for I did not know what had become of them. So I determined to try to reach the fort, which was prob- ably fifteen or sixteen miles distant. There was a well beaten road which led directly to the fort, known as the Abercrombie road, but I thought it would be unsafe to follow that road, as the Indians would be sure to follow it if they chanced to be pass- ing through the country. So I made up my mind to keep along parallel to it and perhaps a half mile away. As I could not see the road I was obliged to travel by the sun. This I did until sundown, and then I took the north star as my guide. I had resolved to keep as much as possible in the lower ground and crossed the higher ground only when absolutely necessary, think- ing it the safer course. Just about sunset I looked across the prairie from behind a ridge and perhaps a mile or two miles away I saw a person who appeared to be a white man in his shirt sleeves, and I made up my mind to try to overtake him. Still I might have been mistaken, so I had to be cautious. So it grew dark and I did not find him. 1 afterwards learned that it must have been Mr. Henderson, and when I asked him why he was so careless in going on high ground he said that he kept on high ground as much as possible so as to see if any Indians came near him. I have always thought my plan the safer one.
About midnight the sky became cloudy so that I could no longer see the north star, and realizing how easily I could lose my way on that boundless prairie I made up my mind to stop until morning. After considerable search I found a swale with
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tall grass and weeds and without water. There I carefully dou- bled and covered my trail, as I had done in the day, and after cutting a bundle of grass I lay down and covered myself up as well as I could with the grass. I was tired and quickly fell asleep. But I suddenly awoke with a start. I did not know what had caused it. but I listened and soon heard the note of a night hawk. It seemed only a short distance off. and quickly I heard another night hawk in the opposite direction. In two or three minutes I heard a noise like three taps on a powder horn with a knife and quickly it was answered by the same signal. I instantly recognized the state of affairs. There were at least two Indians who had discovered my trail into the swale and had evidently been deceived by my return trail and were circling about trying to find it again. They used several different sig- mals, such as the bark of a coyote and others, and appeared to be drawing the circle smaller until they came so close that I feared that the next time around they would discover my hiding place. I distinctly heard the Indian in the tall grass as he passed, and waiting until I thought it safe I carefully made my way out umtil I had crossed his trail, when I drew my knife and lay down on my face prepared to spring if discovered. My gun was useless, for when I lay down in the daytime I was in water at least a foot deep and I had earelessly allowed my gun to get wet. My thought was that if I was likely to be discovered I might possibly be able to spring on the Indian and knife him before he could defend himself and thus I would get his gun. Fortunately they did not discover me and I was able to get a little more sleep.
I am satisfied that my changing positions was very indiscreet and dangerous. and I wonder that I was not found, for in crawl- ing as I did I must have made a very broad trail, not only by crushing the grass and reeds down. but also by shaking off the dew.
I supposed at the time that these Indians had followed me from the start, but in talking with father afterwards, I learned that he tried for a long time to get to Fort Ridgely but each at- tempt was frustrated and he finally turned north. It may be that we were near each other for a time and the Indians who discovered my trail were the ones who were pursuing him.
Early in the morning I started again, keeping due eastward. I had had nothing to eat for twenty-four hours, and my vigorous appetite called for food. Yet no feeling of weakness or faint- ness bothered me. I was as lithe and active as if I had slept in the finest bed and had eaten a fine breakfast. The only tron- ble I had was that the grass had ent my pants till my knees were naked and bleeding. Sometimes when the coarse grass would rake across my sore legs I would have to winee, but there was no remedy for it.
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I looked for teepson but did not find any. Perhaps that was because it grew on the higher and drier ground which I avoided as much as possible.
I had not seen the Abercrombie road since the day before so I determined to turn south in order to discover where it was and to learn whether I had wandered out of my way. I had traveled perhaps two or three miles, when I saw at a distance, a man on horseback, going west at a lope. At that distance I could not make out whether the man was a white man or an Indian. So I stopped for a while until he was out of sight, when secing no other I made up my mind to find the pony's track, which might help me to decide whether the rider was white or red. If I found that the pony was barefoot I would know it to be Indian, but if shod it would probably be white, though possibly red.
Carefully I made my way until I came to the Abercrombie road and saw the horse's track and found that it was shod. But where could the rider be going? I thought he must be rimming into extreme danger and that probably he had not yet heard of the outbreak. At any rate I could not help him, so I turned east and resolved to follow the road, even at quite a risk, for my legs were very sore.
I soon came to quite a high ridge that ran squarely across the road. What was my astonishment when I had ascended far enough to look over it to see at some distance three covered wagons like emigrant wagons. i had been rather careless on ascending the ridge, but instantly on discovering the wagons, threw myself down behind the ridge and stopped to consider. What were these wagons? I concluded that they were emigrant wagons. which had been captured by the Indians, who were now taking them to the agency, and that the mounted man I had seen, was an Indian, riding a captured horse. What should I do ? was a question to be decided at once, whether to run for it or to take refuge again in a swale which lay near the foot of the hill. But I determined to take another look before deciding on what to do. So I carefully raised up until I could look over the ridge when I saw one of the pleasantest sights of my life, a body of troops. I could see their uniforms and the glistening of their guns and bayonets in the sunshine.
I did not remain behind the ridge long. I forgot all about my sore legs, stiff knees and all that, as I went quickly forward to meet them. I soon found it was about fifty soldiers under the command of Lieutenant T. I. Sheehan, who were on their way to Fort Ridgely, which was then about ten miles to the west of us. So I had wandered so far to the north that I had passed the fort without seeing it and had met this relief ten miles east of it It was some troops who had been for some time at Yellow Medi- eine, but had been ordered back to Fort Ripley. They had
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stopped at Fort Ridgely on Saturday night and resumed their mareh on Sunday morning, marched all day Sunday, and eamped and again resumed the march Monday morning, the day of the outbreak. Just as they were preparing to go into eamp Monday night they were overtaken by a mounted messenger from Fort Ridgely with orders to return. So after cooking and eating their supper they started on the return. They had marched all night and until ten o'clock Wednesday, when I met them. Lieutenant Sheehan questioned me with regard to the trouble, but I knew nothing except what I had seen myself, so he soon told me to stop for the commissary wagon and get something to eat. I did not wait to hear this order repeated. In a minute I was in the wagon asking for food. The driver told me there was nothing but raw pork. I thought this very strange, but did not wait to discuss the question. I found the pork barrel and went into the brine up to my elbow and fished out a chunk of pork from which I cut off a few slices with my knife. I think I never ate a more delicious morsel. Hunger was an ample sauce. I also enjoyed the ride. It seemed such a luxury to ride instead of drawing my sore legs through coarse grass with edges like saw teeth.
Fort Ridgely stands upon quite a prominent bhiff or promon- tory formed by the Minnesota river on the south. and a creek which enters it at an acute angle on the north and east. The bluff's are quite high and they and the bottom lands are quite thiekly timbered.
The road to the east and the one which the returning troops would follow, went through this creek, and the Indians, who knew that they were returning, had formed an ambuscade in the woods. But the officer at the fort had sent a messenger by a detour to notify Lieutenant Sheehan of the ambuscade. It was this messenger that I had seen after he had notified the lieutenant and was on his way back to the fort.
When we had reached within a mile or so of the ereek, Lieu- tenant Sheehan came back to the wagon in which I was riding and asked me if I could drive a four mule team. I told him that I had never done so, but that I believed I could. So he took the soldier who was driving the rear team and sent him into the ranks and toll me to mount the mule. There were three teams and wagons and I thought the team I had would follow the one in front and so would need little or no driving.
Lieutenant Sheehan went to his chest and took out a broad red searf, such as the officer of the day wears, and put it on, thus making himself very conspicuous. It was certainly a brave thing to do under the circumstances, but very indiscreet. No experieneed Indian fighter of today would think of doing such a thing.
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The march was resumed, but before reaching the woods Lieu- tenant Sheehan, with his men, made a wide detour to the right, where the bluffs were lower and the woods less thiek. There he crossed the creek. but left the wagons with the three teamsters to go through the ambuseade. I thought, at the time, that this movement smacked of cowardice and that the lieutenant desired mostly to get his own skin safely into the fort. But the lieu- tenant did the very best thing that he could, not only for him- self and the soldiers, but for us as well. If he had undertaken to go through where we went not one would have escaped. What saved us? It was a couple of howitzers, which had been run out onto the bluff and loaded with shell and the Indians knew that at the first shot the shells would drop among them, and they were mortally afraid of them. They called them rotten balls, because they flew in pieces.
As to the number of Indians there, I rely entirely on what was told me. I saw only a few, for of course, they were as well concealed as possible. Why did they not shell the Indians ont of there before Sheehan's troops eame? That would seem the proper thing to do, but from what I afterward learned, I think the offieer in command of the fort hesitated to begin hostilities, for up to that time there had been no attack on the fort, which was filled with refugees and contained only fifty soldiers. This place did not deserve the name of fort, for there were only two bullet proof buildings in it, and consisted simply of a few build- ings built around an open square with open spaces between them. Not one of the buildings was loopholed. In short, the post was only intended as barracks. It was never intended to resist an attaek.
We had reached the fort safely, but what was the condition of the things inside ?
Quite early on Monday Captain John S. Marsh in command of the fort, had heard of the outbreak and at onee started with about fifty men for the lower agency, where he was ambuseaded and twenty-three were left dead for us to bury two weeks after- ward, while he was drowned in trying to swim the river. This left the fort in command of his first lieutenant, with only fifty soldiers to defend this indefensible place, filled as it was with frightened men, women and children.
Perhaps it was best that he did not eommenee hostilities. Lieutenant Sheehan ranked the lieutenant and therefore took command.
As soon as I reached the fort, I applied to Lieutenant Thomas P. Gere for a gun, but he said that the extra guns were all dis- tributed among the citizens. But after a while I found a sergeant who was on detail and had no use for his gun, so loaned it to me with belt and cartridge box and I then joined a company of eiti-
.
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zeus that had been formed for the defense of the fort and had chosen Mr. DeCamp as captain. I was assigned to duty at one of the windows of the soldiers' quarters, a stone building. which occupied the north side of the parade. The women and children were in the second story. The men had been armed as well as possible with guns, but when these were all distributed they were given axes, erowbars and the like and stationed at the doors and windows of the stone building to guard them in case of assault. Outside of this stone building was a row of small log houses that had been built for the families of the non-commissioned officers and troops were placed in and behind them for their defense. Other buildings were defended by placing men in them, but there was no sign of a breastwork about the fort, while on the north, east and south sides, it was within easy gun shot of ravines and bluffs, where Indians could lie in safety, while attacking it.
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