History of Dakota Territory, volume I, Part 123

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1198

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This memorial was respectfully considered by the United States Senate, where it was referred to the Committee on Public Lands. This committee invited a delegation of Men- nonites to attend its sittings, and listened with much interest to these delegates who claimed to represent no less than forty thousand of their people. The Northern Pacific Railway was at this time under construction and had reached Bismarck on the Missouri River, and it so happened that these Mennonite representatives had formed a very favorable opinion of the Dakota country traversed by the Northern Pacific. The Committee on Public Lands there- fore authorized Senator Windom, of Minnesota, himself an ardent friend of Dakota and the Northern Pacific, to prepare and report to the Senate a bill authorizing the secretary of the interior to withdraw from public sale such large tracts of land as the German Russians desired to occupy during the coming two years, the lands to be taken by them under either the preemption or homestead laws.

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It does not appear that the bill was ever reported owing to the decided and clamorons opposition of rival interests. The representatives of the public land states and territories outside of and surrounding Dakota insisted that the offering of such inducements in Dakota would virtually deprive their sections-all clam- orous for immigration-of all opportunity to contest for these desirable settlers. The sentiment of the opposition held that the object of such a grant of land in aid of immigration to a particular locality could not be justified by the policy of granting lands to continental railroads, the latter being, as a rule, for the gen- cral benefit of the people as a whole. The Union Pacific corporation, which had never been friendly to its northern competitor, felt that such a valuable special favor to its rival was not treating their pioneer enterprise fairly and justly ; and the project, so far as the Government taking any part to promote it, was aban- doned. The emigrants, however, continued to pour into the country by thou- sands, and found homes not alone in Dakota, south and north, but in Minne- sota, Nebraska and Kansas.

Had the bill, ordered to be reported by the public lands committee, granting to the German colonists the special privilege asked for, for two years, been enacted. it may be safely affirmed that the northern part of Dakota Territory would have been set off into a new territory and probably named Pembina. Windom's measure would have been the means of adding at least ten thousand population to that part of the territory, and this would have satisfied the objec -. tion of the House of Representatives as to population, which at the time was the only serious obstacle urged against a division of the territory. Had this occurred and division been accomplished it would have resulted in a State of Dakota and a State of Pembina, the latter a perpetual memorial of the coming to America of a people induced hither neither by avarice or material gain, but purely that they might enjoy the liberty of conscience to worship God according to its dictates.

THE FIRST TO COME

The emigration to America in large volume began in 1873, induced at least in part by a German from Ohio, who had left the German-Russian colony in Russia many years before, and settled near Sandusky. Ohio. His name was Betty or Beady. He returned to Russia about the time of the Czar's edict cancelling the agreement with the German-Russians, in 1870. He chanced to be an old-time acquaintance and friend of Mr. Jacob Max, who was one of the leading men of the German-Russian people. The Ohio gentleman visited with Mr. Max during his sojourn, and gave him a very flattering account of America and par- ticularly of Ohio.

The van-guard of German colonists from Russia to reach Dakota came in the spring of 1873 when Philip Jassmann, George I. Jassmann, John Engel, Jacob Kusler, Henry Sieler, Dominick Stoller, Fred Mutchelknans. Jacob Auch, Chris- tian Jassmann, George 1 .. Jassmann, George W. Jassmann, Jacob Mutchelknaus, John Engel, Michael Serr. Henry Sieler. Gottfried Mehrer, Sr., Karl Bender. Michael Diede. Peter Weber, Gottfried Mehrer, Andrew Frank, Michael Gall. Alexander Herman, Eberhard Max. John Maag. Jacob Huber, Jacob Schnaidt, Peter Seydel, Jacob Redman, Andrew Schempp. Sr., Henry Schorzman, Henry Schatz, Henry Schenck, Matthias U'llmer, Henry Weidenbach, John Weidenbach, Karl Ziegel, Jacob Kusler, Dominick Stoller, Daniel Unruh, Joseph Miller, Martin Schamber, Peter Schamber, J. C. Wenzlatt and family, inchiding two sons, Solomon and Gustave, Henry Baisch and family, Peter Keck and family, Emanuel Jose and family, two members of the Maag family, four mem- bers of the Eberhard family, Michael Stoller. George Mundt, Johann Kusler, Fred Moos, Peter Moos, Gottleib Saver. Balthse Kurz, Philip Hertz, Ad m Bietz, George Gall, Johannes Bender, Nick Serr, Christ Serr. Jacob Ulmer. 11 Schaffer, Philip Bender, Jacob Kost. Peter Orth, Anton Orth, Henry Gall, Mochte1

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Taiede, Wilhelm Bledssing, Wilhelm Ziegel, Matthew Sayler, Frederick Hertz, Ludwig Sayler, with others arrived direct from the old country, and settled in Yankton, Hutchinson and Turner counties. A second party, under the leader- ship of Mr. Jacob Max, arrived later the same season and went direct to Omaha, where the party established headquarters, and sent out committees to spy out the land. One committee was sent to Dakota, another into Southern Nebraska, and in due time returned to Omaha, and reported. The committee that came to Dakota were accompanied on their return to Omaha by Philip Jassmann, a member of the first colony who had reached Yankton in the spring, and by Hon. Jacob Brauch, a prominent German citizen. The report of the Dakota committee proved more satisfactory than the others; and Mr. Max's colony decided to act upon it, and forthwith removed to Yankton, arriving on the Ist of August, 1873. The colony numbered twenty-seven families, and among them were Jacob Max and his wife, and three sons, Martin, John and Emanuel, and two daughters, Panlina and Amelia ; Eberhard Max and wife and son : Jacob Schnaidt and wife and two children : Paul Landmann.

The number of individual adult immigrants belonging to the German-Rus- sian parties who came in during 1873 was about five hundred, and it was claimed they brought with them not less than two million dollars in gold, the proceeds of the property they had disposed of before leaving the realm of the Czar. It „was given out in a public way at the time that the moneyed wealth of many of the heads of families ranged from $10,000 to $100,000. The men were for the most part farmers, experienced, well educated, exceptionally orderly in their conduct. There was a greater proportion of children in the various families than was the case with the American families who came West. For instance, one family numbered 12; another 10; another 9; two families had 8 children cach ; one 7; and three 6. Twenty families would make a large colony when they settled together, and their disposition was to settle as neighbors and build up communities of their own people. They were not all members of the religious sect called Mennonites-in fact a majority belonged to other religious denomina- tions much the same as other nationalities, and it is probable that few compara- tively were not allied with any denomination.

About one and a half miles southeast of the old Village of Bon Homme, and fronting along the bank of the Missouri River, was the local home of one of the carliest Huttrische Brotherhoods to locate in the territory. They were German-Russians, and the early settlers of the vicinity were accustomed to speak of them as German Quakers, claiming that the creed which united them in one brotherhood resembled that of the Quakers of our country. They were non-combatants, dressed quite plainly, avoiding showy garments that were made up without consulting the modern fashion plates. The members of the associa- tion owned all property in common, and each adult labored for the general wel- fare. They had a village, a number of large tenement houses so arranged that each family had its separate apartments, but they took their meals in a common dining hall. This colony numbered thirty-five families, and its wealth, counted in dollars, was estimated at three hundred thousand dollars. They have in operation a good flour mill, a sawmill, tannery, besides extensive orchards, and a large number of horses, mules, cows and domestic fowls. They are a contented and industrious people, devoted to their religion and to the education of their children. Peace and harmony abide in the community.

It is apparent from a more thorough acquaintance with the history and long career of these most excellent people, that while religious persecutions alone had little to do with the original settlement of the great body of Germans who emi- grated to Russia during the reign of Catherine, or about the close of the eighteenth century, religion had nevertheless performed a very important part in impelling that emigration, while the immunities granted by the Russian sovereign as well as the large privileges associated with their citizenship had been due, in great part, to the favorable moral and industrial reputation won for the German

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agriculturists by the sect called Mennonites which at that period were, practically. all farmers, and it was due to the superiority of the Germans as farmers ( not as traders or manufacturers), that induced the Russian sovereign to grant them extraordinary immunities and privileges.

Therefore it would seem just that history should give a large moiety of the credit won for the Germans as successful agriculturists to these people called Mennonites, who were, at that day, all tillers of the soil, and whose excellent reputation was shared by the German farmers generally, and who were par- ticularly desired by the Czar, as is evident by the generous terms he made them. which covered all their demands, religious as well as secular, which may have embraced more, but not less, than the German emigrants of other religious bodies demanded, and including those not connected with any sectarian organization.

But it should be understood that the Mennonites are not necessarily com- munists. It was no part of their creed or practice except to the minor portion who adopted the Huttrische Brotherhood plan.

A gentleman, thoroughly competent to treat of this subject in all its phases, possessing in addition a liberal education, a birthright in German-Russia, who came as a youth, with his parents, from Russia to Dakota, in 1873, has, by special request, furnished for this history a sketch, which he has prefaced with the brief statement that he is "only too glad to be able to state the facts regarding the German colonists in Russia, who finally came to the United States, as I see them.'

The writer of the sketch is a member of one of the prominent families who led the emigration from Russia, and settled in the southern part of the Territory of Dakota, and who have been known personally to the historian of this work. for more than forty years. The contribution referred to is given in words following :

As far as the religion is concerned, all the German colonists in South Russin were pre- ponderating Lutheran, secondly Reformed, and thirdly Mennonite. As to the relation of Lutherans. Reformed and Mennonites, there is absolutely none, except that each is a branch of the great Protestant belief. As far as there being any relation I wish to call your atten- tion to the fact that the Lutheran and Reformed Germans located in Russia regarded with quiet disdain the Mennonites because the latter had been in disfavor with the governments of the German states owing to their refusal to defend their country. Many of the German colonists in Russia continued to send their sons to Germany for military service, thus show ing clearly that they were not averse to carrying of arms.

What induced the Germans from Germany to emigrate to Russia was the great oppor - tunities offered them in a new country. The German colonists in South Russia had to do pioneering. The land had never been tilled, but was inhabited by nomadic Tartar races, such as the Calmteks,

Catherine the Great, empress of Russia, as well as her husband Peter, was German herself, born in Germany, scarcely capable of making themselves understood in the Rus sian language. Katherine wished to develop that country around the Black Sea. She knew that the Germans could do this, thus the invitation to go and settle the land. Sixty dessiatins (about one hundred and sixty acres) were given as a free gift to every head of a family. A loan of nearly one thousand dollars at a low rate of interest was likewise advanced to each family. They were promised that the government would not interfere with their. language, religion, nor social institutions. They would not need to defend the country by giving their sons to the army. They could inaugurate local self government They could establish their own courts and settle their own disputes, except in matters of capital crime.

You will readily see that this would appeal to any person of Europe, especially when you consider the great sacrifice the families had to make by giving their sons up for three or five years for military service in their native country. Not to have to serve in the army was an economic asset as well as an exemption from a great burden. Now this charter, which Catherine granted, appealed to various classes: Lutherans, Reformed, Germans. Swiss, and even French. Hence there was a great immigration to this new country for the Black Sea. Great caravans from Germany moved into Russia, and the country which they finally occupied was as wild and unattractive as the raw prairies of the West in the United States. The first winter that the first settlers spent in Russia was spent in dugout and thousands succumbed to hardships and disease Then they built better houses, and finally they were in a thriving condition. New colonists came from Germany, which m ve ment never stopped. Among this great wave of immigration to Russia were all Mennonites.

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You, therefore, see that according to this version, which I believe can easily be sub- stantiated by records, you have altogether made too much of the Mennonite. In fact, if 1 were to write a history of the German colonists from Russia, I should no more mention the Mennonites than the Reformed, or the Lutheran. I should class them all as Germans from Russia.

As to the designation "Mennonite" and "Huttrische," I would say that the Mennonites arc believers of Menno, who believed in immersion, nonresistance, freedom from a clerical body and the simple life. The followers of IFutter became the Iluttrische Brothers, who were essentially Mennonites in the cardinal doctrines, but they believed in a communistic life in addition. The Communists are few in number, as compared with the Mennonites.

As to the Germans in Russia who came to America, the vast majority were Protestants, a few Catholics, and some Mennonites and Huttrische Brothers. Some were born in Russia, very few in Germany; some although born in Russia still maintained their citizenship in some German state, but a great majority allowed their citizenship in Germany to lapse, thus making it necessary in the United States to renounce allegiance to the Czar of Russia. So you see they were Germans without anything in common with the Russians, neither in language, religion, or any social practices. They regarded themselves as aliens and strangers in Russia, in spite of the fact that the country which they had developed was a sort of a new Germany.

Why did the Germans leave Russia? Because of the policy of the Russian government to endeavor to Russianize them, this by terminating their charter, which was written in letters of gold, and which was to be in force "forever;" and second, because of the policy demanding that the Russian language should be taught in their schools, and that their sons should have to serve in the army together with the Russian himself. A German could not well put up with the privations that a Russian soldier had to put up with. Why should they care to serve a government that they knew to be essentially corrupt, and not German?

Attention was called to the United States of America in the sixties through the great struggle between the North and South for the liberation of the slaves. Some few of the Germans had emigrated to the United States many years before the Civil war. Some of the relatives of the German colonists in Russia had emigrated to America at the time that they themselves had emigrated to Russia. More and more the German colonists had begun to learn of the opportunities of the great free republic of North America. And finally. just as they pioneered in that land that was the land of the Scythian, so they finally decided to come to the land of greater opportunity. The climate of Nebraska and Dakota they found was not much unlike that of the country of the Black Sea, and thus the emigration from South Russia.

The thing that the Germans in Russia dreaded above all was to become Russianized. The German's language, religion and institutions were sacred to him. He regarded the Russian as half barbarian. His dread of military service in Russia was not from principle, but because he did not wish to bunk in with the unattractive Russian and then probably fight for a country that was not his own. The only persons that shunned military service because of principle were the small number of Mennonites, including the members of the Huttrische brotherhoods.

I am very much interested in this chapter of your history, and I am interested to have it written as you are trying to do it-right. I have been interested in this subject for a good many years. I have urged Hon. Henry Stoller, of Lesterville, to furnish me a paper on the immigration to the Dakotas written by one of their ministers. He promised to procure it for me, but doubtless he has forgotten the matter. For a vivid picture of the German colonists in Russia, I would refer you to the little work, published in Switzerland. written by the ministers I spoke of in the first part of my letter. It is called "Immanuel ! Eine Huette Gottes bei den Menschen," Pilgermissions Buchdruckerei auf St. Chrischona, . Basel, Switzerland.

UNITED STATES, TIIE ASYLUM OF TIIE OPPRESSED

No better exemplification has been afforded of the pardonable boast of our people that the United States of America is the asylum and the home of the oppressed of all nations, than the coming to this country of these thousands of German-Russians, beginning in the year 1873, and increasing rapidly during the following decade. The cause of their voluntary exile from their old country home was the avowed intention of the Russian government to deprive them of their freedom to worship God, and impose upon them military burdens that were abhorrent to their consciences ; not only in conflict with their life-long principles, but in violation of a solemn agreement voluntarily undertaken by the Emperor of Russia in order to induce their ancestors to make their homes in his unoc- cupied and uuproductive country, and by their labor and skill make it fruitful, and desirable for civilized mankind to inhabit and develop. These people had

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faithfully fulfilled their part of the compact, and had become so prosperous, and had so transformed the barren wastes allotted to them into productive farms, dotted with happy villages and business marts as to excite the envy and cupidity of the original population, and of the Czar himself. The reigning monarch, how- ever, at the time, was not the one who made the original agreement but possibly a degenerate son of a noble sire. But the German-Russians, rather than bow in acquiescence to the tyranny of the ruler, disposed of their worldly effects as well as they could, hampered by unjust restrictions, and following the path of empire, in the wake of the Mayflower, sought that country whose government had its foundation in religious freedom and civil liberty. It was claimed that about one hundred thousand of these people sought the shores of America during the decade beginning in 1871, and of this number many thousands found homes on the virgin prairies of Dakota Territory, apparently beginning an era of immigra- tion to the territory then sparsely occupied along its castern and southern borders, which has never relaxed, but has steadily augmented. From 14,188 white popu- lation in 1870, the territory grew to 135,177 in 1880; (and to 415,610 in 1889, the last year of its territorial career; and the territory as a whole, outside of the large tracts reserved for the abode of our Indian population, has become fairly well settled and improved).

It was apparent before the lapse of many years that Dakota had been greatly favored in securing these foreign born people to occupy a portion of its public land and become a part of the citizenship of the territory. Their intelligence, industry and thrift were a distinguishing mark wherever they had made their homes, and in addition to these qualities were the exemplification and practice of all important civic virtues in matters of local government, in education, in obedience to and enforcement of the law. Educational and religious institutions flourished with their support, prudent economy marked their supervision of pub- lic affairs, and their commendable example of wholesome conduct and the hon- orable discharge of private as well as public duties, contributed a large share of the general prosperity which has marked the progress of Dakota during many years of its territorial career.

CHAPTER LVIII THE MCCOOK-WINTERMUTE TRAGEDY 1873

1873 WAS A NOTABLE YEAR FOR DAKOTA-THE ADVENT OF RAILROADS -- EARLY IMMI- GRATION AGENTS -- ELECTING TERRITORIAL OFFICERS-SECRETARY EDWIN S. MCCOOK SHOT AND KILLED BY PETER P. WINTERMUTE-SKETCH OF WINTERMUTE -INDICTMENT OF WINTERMUTE FOR MANSLAUGHTER-THE GOVERNOR REASSIGNS THE JUDGES-THE FIRST INDICTMENT AND PROCEEDINGS QUASIIED AND NEW INDICTMENT FOUND CHIARGING MURDER-TIIE TRIAL AND THE TESTIMONY- WINTERMUTE CONVICTED OF MANSLAUGHTER-SENTENCED-RETRIAL ORDERED BY SUPREME COURT-THE DEFENDANT TRIED AT VERMILLION AND ACQUITTED FULL PROCEEDINGS IN THE CASE-DEATII OF WINTERMUTE.

The year A. D. 1873 was a memorable year in the progress of Dakota. The events which emphasized its advancement were the completion of the Dakota Southern Railway along the Missouri Valley from Sioux City to Yankton, bring- ing within reach of a dependable market an area of fertile lands many miles in extent that had hitherto been avoided by the producing classes as too remote from market. The year also witnessed the completion of the Northern Pacific to Bismarck and the Missouri River. These highways furnished a market for the surplus agricultural products which had been a burden to the agricultural classes in the southern portion of the territory, and opened to settlement the mil- lions of fertile acres in the central and southern portions of the territory which were being rapidly occupied before the close of the year.

Three important towns had been founded along the line of the Northern Pacific-Fargo, Jamestown and Bismarck-and preparations had been initiated for opening up a number of wheat farms in the railroad territory the following year-the beginning of a wonderful career of progress and development in the northern portion of Dakota. Another line of railroad was in course of construc- tion from Sioux City to Sioux Falls, called the Sioux City and Pembina, which was built to a point named Portlandville. on the Iowa side of the Big Sioux River, distant twenty miles from Sioux City. The Kampeska branch of the Northwestern Railroad was completed to Lake Kampeska, then in Deuel County, but trains were not operated on the line until five years later. There was, how- ever, considerable settlement in the county, adjacent to the line, during the year and following.

The financial condition of the Territory of Dakota as represented by the territorial treasury had greatly improved during the two years preceding 1873; and in the latter year the treasurer of the territory was able to pay off all out- standing warrants ; and there was a sum due from two or three of the counties that would be paid in before another spring, leaving a balance to the credit of the territory. The territorial officials who were in charge of the territorial finances at the time were George W. Kellogg, of Union County, auditor ; and Thomas J. Sloan, of Clay County, treasurer. As the reader may have overlooked the important lesson conveyed in the result of the last election, it is well to state

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History of Dakota Territory, volume I, Part 123

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920 Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1198

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1198