St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-06-17
Indian Battle.

lnuldn Ddttlt.
The papers of late have contained
various statements of fights and Skin
mishes among the Indians of Minneso-
ia, principally between the Sioux and
Chippewas. At the time of the fight
at Shakopee on the St. Peters River,
in Scott county, a reporter Of the St.
Paul Pioneer was present and gives
the following particulars:
A body of about two hundred Chip
pewas arrived about two miles below
this place, opposite the Sioux encamp-
ments, on "Wednesday night, May
26th, and made all their preparations
for an attack early on the following
morning. The Sioux had received an
intimation that their foes were pre-
pairing for a battle. The Chippewas
had arrived unknown to the Sioux,
and the FIRST intimation of their being
in the neighborhood was the attack
made upon a poor fellow who was
sitting on the bank of the river en-
gagged in catching fish for his morning
meal. A bullet from gun of a skulk-
ing Chippewa pierced his head and
he fell dead upon the spot, while the
next moment the scalping knife of his
foe proclaimed victim and victory
for the Chippewa. The sound of the
rifle was the signal for war whoop
among the Sioux, and Immediately
their encampmcnt was in arms and
ready for the fray. The whole mum
Der of the Sioux consisted of only fifty
men, and leaving their families they
poured en- masSe to the field of battle,
with guns, tomahawks, and every
conceivable weapon they could lay
their hands on. The Sioux crossed
the Minnesota river at Murphy's Ferry,
about two miles below here, of which
they had possession during the day
and met the Chippewas in the open
bottom land directly opposite. 1t was
an uneven fight in point of numbers
but the Sioux were armed with des
perate energy. To render themselves
more deXterous and skillful in the use
of their weapons, their cumbersome
garments were cast aside, and many
of them were fighting in almost a
nude state.
There was no regular plan Of bat
tie it was a heller SHELTER fight-a
constant running and lodging fire,
with here and there hand-to-hand
fight, one or the other of the parties
being sure to bury his tomahawk
deep in the skull of his antagonist be-
fore its close. The conflict between
these two bands was characterized by
the most fiendish atrocity. The bod
les Of the Chippewas as they fell, were
cut to pieces by the women of the
Sioux, and in some instances a fire
was built and the body thrown piece
meal on the consuming flames the
scalp being taken off first and retain
cd as prize; the head was then
severed from the body and thrown up
on the flames, after which the knife
was applied to the hands, the shoul.
dcrs, the thighs, the knees, and so Oh
the whole corpse, as it were, being
cut into kindling wood, and made to
feed not only the fire in the bush, bu,
the more insatiate fire of the Sioux's
wrath.
The field of battle is covered with
little trappings Of Indian dress, such
as plumes, birch bark maps, broken
tomahawks, &c. &c. have Just been
~ Al Ill
ing to Chippewa, but which was
wrenched from him in conflict by a
Sioux, and the blade of which was
broken off in the formers head by the
latter, causing almost instant death.
Another curiosity also shown me,
which was picked up on the field, is a
birch bark map, OH which l find some
strange hieroglyphical marks, which
are explained as illustrating the trail
routes of two tribes and showing the
exact position of the encampment of
the Sioux at this place. The map is
marked with one or two lakcs-lake
Minnetonka evidently being one, and
the route from that place to this. |
understand the Chippewas have had
this attack all cut and dried for weeks,
but have been so cautious in their
movements as not to excite the suspi-
cions of the Sioux.
The conflict, terrible as it was, was
seen by hundreds of the citizens of
Shakopee, and among the number
many ladies, who, however, could
only see the fighting, without its de-
tails, at distance.
Friday morning, May %.
Since writing the above / have
passed good night in rest, and rose
early this morning and made short
visit to the camping ground of the
Sioux, which is located about half a
mile from this place, on the open prai-
rie. The first thing which attracted
my attention, on near approach, was
four scalps Of the Chippewas which
were dangling from pole erected
just at the entrance to their ground
the gore still dripping from the mat.
ted hair. Ladies went out, some on
horseback, some in carriages, and
others on foot, and the hills on the op.
posite side from the battle ground
were lined during the morning with a
long array Of vehicles, in which stood
many fair form, silent spectators OF
the scene.
These scalps seem to constitute the
entire skin of the head, including the
ears, and presented an appearance at