The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1857-04-23
Othelai Account OF tho late i"dian
tHHir aittrs.


t,rssG si,a-. ii ,l.s Praesf ADD D.m-,a
SIorA A6KNcy, April II lS5e,
As the recent Indian difhcnties At Spirit
Lake, viii give rise to rumors Of all kinds
which as is usual ia such cass. viii h. exsg
geratnd in their origin, aud grow as they
extend from the qcenr OF the occurrence, ! deem
It my duty being IN possession of the facts as
they really tranSpircd, to give then publicity.
in order To prevent erroneous statements from
going abroad, which may he prejudicial to the
interests nnd advancement OF the Territory by
unnecessarily alarming those who intend i'm
migrating here the present season.
The SIOUX Indians bearing abroad the rep
u,aton Of being powerful and war'ike race
and 80 few person being conycrgant with
their condition. their divisions. and their IT.
laiinn to the t;oyerDment. the whites, AMI Ia
each other the offences of any portion 81
them VIII very naturally ie attributed
10 them all. ami awaken Apprehension
IN quarters where there are no possible
grounds for them II Is Ia allay such fears
aud TO dirct public sentiment in the right
channel at the outset, that propose au ex-
panation Of tho difficulty, the causes which
have lei IN II, the Indians who arr charged.
blc with Il, and the inauencc il viii legiii-
mately exert upon the country.
The Lake is situate near the north line OF
the State of Iowa, short distance west Of
the ncs Noines River, where !, CRUISES tha,
line Last spring Hon W.. FRsEnoKy, Of
Red Wing. in connection with other g,'nte-
men. projected settlement Al Tai. point
which had progressed up to thi, winter to
siX or seven houas. with AZ many families.
they were well supplied ami contemplated
largr improvements this snsou
some time last spring. or summer a town
was laid III about ten or fftern mile. from
this Lake. up the D,s Moims River and cal
lcl Springfield hy Mr.. Wooa formerly ol
Mankato. This settlement at the time II the
i.os.s&s, whisl. oreayyeG daring shy .asig
part Of March contained two trading houses.
and several families; this was the nraryst set
,lement on the north. therc b,Inx np hahita-
ton searrr than the Wartonwan River
rhrre - nn settlement, on the wrist Il H. The
neaos-, settlement on the south, J. reported
to b. about forty niles down the river. which
takes iis source 10 spirit Lake known among
the Indians n ln-yan-ysn ke, on Rock
River. Il will te scn that this locality i
Isolated. and on the extreme verge of civiii-
,ation, snd wiihou, il I.cssess-l the prans II
doitnev within i,self would ne unprotected
IN csar NJ dangrr from an enemy The Get
tier, lra,-,s arr always a considerable dis
'soor apart. asd generally D., ~ithn light
ct ci-h othtr. ari Wculi SA an 'as, prey 20
half in1en men acting IN crsserrt.
The indians we're hunt,ng ~ loNa, N the
vicinity Of the setilcmn, Ia Rock River
one 81 tho indians was hittru by dog h.
hngiug 10 white nan. ani be- killed the
dog rl,o white man assaulted the inI,aa
an! heal him severely. AMI ,ae white pro
ce~tsi 10 thu camp II ,he ln,i'aus snsl dis
arrnsi them rs snr,c means ihe Indians ~
r-oss,s~si themselves 4 their arms. or pro
err,i 0,hsrs, ami esmu,encsi an attack I'D
oa tks -t1a-meat With What result, bave
hs'o gnahs certainly TO ascrta,n, bu. Gar
the wors, they then zane up spris LAKE.
aTsi ~ taxing dEr hnssss at ,iTr. "a Is ~
ported s,,sr ki!ad tcok pcsss1ers o. drove
ssAy al the p~rSnos rsiding 'herv
Ths 6rSi tia; wss ksouR Il tn, oairaer
xs sscsrtain.si eS Mr. NuEsrs Mask
aAS ~ho hsi h.n rSai,og al spirit lake
a 'hs tsmily ~ VI GaspNsE And sbo ~
isgsia< aNes a. Ah-ruce u sage, Inn "a
Iowa pros,-4hd 10 ms f.ruseE r,-sskns- %
'he Oil II MArh lsst asi s~Hd Il 'acksd,
Ani th-ee Dad h-,dcs ia ,le so,sa tie
VISITED tao oth.s hossss Ia; ,:a, as.l ia@lusi
ihsn .s--rina b. ihsn -s~iNi airs-eh anr |
II niyti wfsu = grr' g. f,1r'h hr,sss ard /
az SIX NJ a,ghi lalsys ofIsdiaas sa-Anp'i !