M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1858-06-17

was and SlOuX-FiVe Hundred
Whites Present,
SnAKoPEE, Scott Co., Mimi, May 81, 1858,
10 tie Editors Qf The Atlas and argus:
Yesterday morning a bloody Indian
battle was fought at Shakopee, and
witnessed by five OF six hundred citi-
zens, men, women, and children, who
relished the sanguinary spectacle bet.
ter than their breakfast, which they
left untouched, in order to witness an
exhibition Of Indian bravery and fe-
rocity. The battle commenced about
six o'clock in the morning and lasted
for thee hours, and is probably the
most sanguinary Indian battle ever
fought in the midst of a thickly settled
country, and witnessed by the whites
with a relish, and without an effort or
even a wish to arrest Its progress
About thirty-seven Sioux warriors en-.
countered in this fight about one hun
dred and fifty Chippewa braves.
AS | was one OF the spectators Of
the battle, | propose to give yop full
and detailed history ofthc conflict, its
causes and results; and to do SO it will
be necessary first to inform your read
ers that Shakopee is situated on the
south bank of the Minnesota River,
about eight miles from st. Paul, on
a beautiful prairie skirted by timber,
land, in the midst of a thickly settled
and wealthy agricultural region. The
village contains a population OF about
twelve hundred inhabitants. Up to
1853, this prairie and the timber land
iii the vicinity were the abode and
hunting. ground OF the Shak.pay band
of Sioux Indians. This spring this
band again erected about thirty or
forty tlpee8 (tents) Immediately ad-
joining the village ofShakopee on the
east.
The Chippewas occupy the lard
about the head waters Of the Upper
Mississippi River, bounded on the
south by the Grow Wing River. Du'
ring this spring the Shak-pay band
and other Sioux tribes sent out war
parties into the Chippewa country,
and succeeded in taking about twenty
five or thirty Chippewa scalps, Since
time lmmemorial there has existed a
deadly animoSity between the Chippe-
wa and Sioux, and none of either tribe
can tell the cause of this hereditary
thirst for each others blood; but these
last incursions of the Sioux into the
Chippewa country, so successfully
terminated, exasperated the Chippe-
was to revenge the death Of their
braves by the determination Of the
Shak-pay band of the Sioux. The
Chippewa scouts ascertained the pre-
else locality Of the Sioux enemy. In
the meantime they raised a party VI
one hundred and fifty of the bravest
of their braves, and, Immediately on
the return of their scouts, the wal
party took up their march for Shake
pee. The Shak-pay Sioux had been
engaged in a scalp-dance for about
ten DAYS and nights, to the amusement
of many of our citizens, and annoy
ance to others; but on the night ofthe
26th inst, they had ceased their scalE
dance, and all was still in their tupees
During the day there was q report il
town that the Ohippewas were march
ing on the Sioux. The Sioux sen
out scouts to learn the truth of the re
port, who returned about dark and re
ported that there were no Chippewa
about. So the Indians retired to thei
lodges and fell to sleep, anticipatin,
no danger. I
1t is now known that about thre
o'clock in tho morning the Chippewa
reached the bank of the river north 0
the town, and intended to cross owe
on the ferry-boats. There are bu
thres ferries across the river at thi