Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1862-09-25
Minnesota.

special Session at st. Paul on the 9th
nst. So many of the members have
gone into the military service,
that there was but little more than a
quorum in either branch.
Governor Ramscy's message pre-.
scnts correct history of the recent
Indian outbreak in that State, togeth.
err with some excellent suggestions
concerning the indemnity and security
to be cxacted from the savage perpe-
traitors. We make the following ex-
tracts:
The sudden and trcacherous out
burst Of savage cruelty, which in
one sudden blow struck down their
friends and neighbors of another blood
and revclcd in a general massacre Of
men, women and children, has been
alluded to. ....#.t
But massacre itself had been mcr-
cy, if it could have purchased cxemp-
ton from the revolving circumstances
with which it was accompanied. No
thing which the brutal lust and wan
ton cruelty of these savages could
wrcak upon their helpless and limo
cent victims, was omitted from the
category of their crimes.
Hclplcssncss and innocence indeed
which move pity in any breast but
theirs, seemed to inspire them only
with a more fiendish rage.
Infants hewn into bloody chips of
flesh, or nailed alive to door posts to
linger out their little life in mortal
agony, or torn untimely from the
womb of the murdered mother and in
cruel mockcry cast in fragments on
her pulseless and bleeding breast
rape joined to murder in one awful
tragedy young girls, even children
of tender years, outraged by their
brutal ravishers till death ended their
shame and sul1erings T; women held in
captivity to undergo the horrors of
living death /; whole families burned
alive and, as if their devilish fury
could not glut itself with outrages on
the living, its last efforts exhausted in
mutilating the bodies of the dead, such
are the spectacIes, and thousand
nameless horrors besides, which their
first experience of Indian war has
burned into the brains and hearts of
our frontier people, and such the enc
my with whom we have to deal.
1t is estimated that 500 persons of
every age and sex persisted, and
worse than persisted, 10y the hands of
these remorscless butchers in the
course of the two or three days sue
ceeding the outbreak, before their
progress was checked by our forces
and hundreds of them lie yet unbur-
led where they fell, hidden in the
grass and bushes of praries and ra-
vines. Many doubtless in the attempt
to escape, have become lost, or faint
ing from exliastion and terror, have
died Of starvation.
The theatre of dcpredations as far
as asccrtaincd, has extended from OF
ter Tail Lake and Fort Abercrombic,
on the Red River, to the Iowa bounda.
ry, or front of 200 miles, and from
the western border of the State east
wardly to its heart at Forest City, an
area of 10000 square miles.
The property destroyed or carried
off as booty, is estimated at millions
of dollars, including large supplies of
arms and ammunition pillagcd from
the government and private stores Oh
the reservation, and the cattle, horses
and household effects of settlers.
The indirect damage to our citizens
is vastly greater, and if we include
its probable effects on our future pros
perity is beyond calculation. ..
Tens Of thousands of acres of crops
which comprised all the wcalthof their
owners, have thus been abandoned to
destruction, and thousands of prosper
Gus ard happy families reduced at
one blow to poverty and often 10 beg
gary.
Throughout the whole district en-
bracing the counties of Brown, Cot
tonwood, Faribault, jackson, and 9TH
or counties in the Southwest, through
the beautiful! lake country of kandi-
yohi, Douglas, Monongalia, Meeker,
Mcleod, a large part of Stearns and
Wright, and throughout the new set
Elements in the Red River valley, but
a few days since the abode of busy
and happy communities, desolation
and solitude now reign supreme or
if any remain, it is in fear and terror;
armed against surprise suspicious of
every shadow that falls upon the
grass the log cabin Topped for de-
fence, and the peaceful village turned
into fortified post. The danger may
be exaggerated, but the effect is too
real
Brown county. adjacent to the Sioux
Reservation. has felt the worst effects
of this calamity. 1t was peopled
chiefly by Germans, and their neat
cottages and fine farms gave evidence
Of the superior thrift and industry
which distinguish this class of our
foreign citizens. Driven from their
homes, their property destroyed or
plundercd, robbed even Of their house
hold goods many of them mourning
wives, husbands, children, and parents
murdered their beautiful and busy
tOWH vi NC" YIN, aIlu tHeiT OWL
homes, blackened heap of ruins -
these poor fugitives, many of whom
cannot speak our language, are espc-
cially deserving of our sympathies.
In all probability not less than
$4,000 people are involved directly or
indirectly in the loss Of life or loss of
property from pillage, destruction or
abandonment.
The towns have been and are now
overrun with fugitives reduced to pen
ury. many of them without food or
clothing except what is furnished by
public or private charity. To relieve
the temporary wants of these people,
for which the resources of private
bounty were inadequate, l authorized
Capt. Berkeley of St. Paul, Hon. Hen.
ry A. Swift, of st. Peter, and Mr.. Bas-
sett, of Minneapolis, to provide sub
sistence and shelter for the time be-
ing. at the expense of the State.
1t cannot be doubted that the Daco-
fah nation has Inv ITO N,or,nt x,,nla |