The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-05-29
THE SIOUX BARBARITIES.
Narrative Of Mrs. PhineaS B. Hurd.
before the United States
Commissioners.
Correspondence Of the Drenport Gazette.


ST.. PETER, MIMI, April %, 1863.
had not intended to give any further sketch
of Indian barbarities, committed by the Sioux
Indians in Minnesota last August, the investi-
CATION OF which is now pending before the u
s. Commissioners at this place, but the recital
OF the cruelties and sutferings of some of the
petitloners for compensation that daily come
up before the Board, are such that l cannot re-
lraln from giving you one more sketch OF
thrilling adventure incident to the great out
break. The narrative is only one among nu-
merous Others yet to be brought before the
Commissioners, and is taken mostly from the
testimony as given before the Board to-day in
the case of Mrs. Phineas b. Hurd, who was
born in western New York, passed her child
hood i'm Canton, Steuben county, in that State,
where she was married in 1857 and removed to
La Crosse, Wisconsin. Here they remained
about two years and removed to NicOllet cOun-
ty, Minnesota, (near this place. with the inten-
ton of settlement, but finally joined in the en-
igratiOn still westward, and settled with few
Others at the north end of Shetek Lake, Muir
ray county, in this State,a distance of about 100
miles west of MankatO ON the Minnesota river.
Here upon the margin OF this beautiful lake
with few other hardy pioneers. they settled
to make themselves home. Although the
Indian title to these lands had been eXtinguish-
ed, and the natives had been removed, vet they
and were apparently friendly to the settlers.
On the I'd of June last, Mr.. Hurd with an
other man, left home on trip to DacOtah Ter
ritOry, to be absent a month, taking a span of
horses and wagon and such other outfit as
would be required upon such an expedition;
thus leaving Mrs. Hurd alone with her two
children and Mr. VOigt, who had charge of
the farm. On the morning of the Goth of Au-
gust, about o'clock, while Mrs. Hurd was
milking, some twenty Indians rode up to the
house and dsmOunted. Mrs. Hurd discovered
among the horses one Of their own that was
taken away by Mr.. Hurd. Mrs. Hurd got into
the house before the Indians, who entered and
began smoking as was their custom. Five of
these men she knew, one being half breed
that could speak English Her children were
in bed, and at the time of the entrance of the
Indians, asleep. The youngest, about year
old, awOke and cried, when Mr.. VOight took
it up and carried it into the front yard, when
one of the Indians stepped to the door and
shot him through the body. He fell dead with
the childsin his arms. At this signal some ten
or fifteen more Indians and squaws rushed into
the house, they having been concealed near by,
and commenced an indiscriminate destruction
of everything in the house; breaking open
trunks, destroying furniture, cutting open
feather beds and scattering the contents about
the house and yard. Mrs. Hurd, in her I'M
common energy and industry as q pioneer
housewife, had, with a good stock Of cows,
begun to make butter and cheese, even in this
new country, and had on hand at the time two
hundred pounds of butter and twenty-three
cheeses. These the Indians threw out into the
yard and destroyed. While this destruction
was going on, Mrs. Hurd was told that her life
would be spared on condition that she would
give no alarm, and leave the settlement by an
unfrequented path or trail leading directly east
across the prairie, in the direction of New Ulm,
and was ordered to take her children and COM
mence her march. Upon pleading for her chill
dren's clothes, she was hurried off, being re-
| fused even her sun bonnet or shawl She took
her youngest in her arms and led the other, a
little boy of about three years, by the hand,
and being escorted by seven Indians on horse
back, she turned her back on her once pros
porous and happy home. The distance across
the prairie in the direction which she was sent
was sixty or seventy miles to habitation.
The Indians went with her three miles, and
before taking leave of her repeated the condi-
ton of her release, and she was told that the
whites were all to be killed, but that she might
60 to her mother. Thus she was left with her
two children almost naked. herself bareheaded,
without fOOd or ralment not even blanket to
shelter her and her children from the cold dews
OF the night or the storm.
The remainder of her testimony before the
commissioners was brief, setting forth in brOk-
en- sentences her many wanderings for the first
five or six days, before she reached the abode
of white man, often weeping at the recollec-
ton of her sutterings and once was taken from
the room by her attorney, that she might COM
pose herself At times during her narrative,
the audience were melted to tears business
was suspended and the Court of Justice turned
into house of mourning. The great anxiety
to learn more OF her history than could be
properly elected from her examination upon
the stand, the deep interest felt in her case by
m in6n of fhai.
quest, and with the consent of Mrs. Hurd to
visit her at her rooms, in company with her
attorney, 9. II. Berry, ESQ.,. OF Winona. and
gathered from her the substance of her history.
After the Indians left her, three miles from her
home, on the prairie, 1--WE took our way,
said Mrs Hurd, Through the unfrequented
road or trail into which the Indians had con-
Quoted u.s. 1t was clear, and the sun shone
with more than usual brightness. The dew on
he grass was heavy. My little boy William
Henry being barefoOted and thinly clad, shiv-
cred with the cold, and pressing close to me.
entreated me to return to our home. He did
not know Of the death of Mr.. VOight, rs kept
him from the sight of the corpse. He could not
understand why insisted upon going on, en-
during the pain and cold of so cherries morn
ing. He cried pitifully at first, but after a
time, pressing my hand, he trudged manfully
along by my side. The little one rested in my
arms unconscious of our situation. Two guns
were fired when | was a short distance out,
which told the death of my neighbor Mr.
Cook. / well knew its fearful meaning. There
was death behind and all the horrors of star
walton before me. But there was no alterna-
tive. For my children. anything but death at
the hands of the merciless savage: even star
Walton on the prairles seemed preferable to this
About 10 o'clock in the forenoon thunder
storm suddenly arose. 1t was of unusual vio-
Ience; the wind was not high but the lightning,
thunder and rain were most terrible. The viO-
lence of the storm was expended in about
three hours, but the rain continued to fall slowly
until night, and at intervals continued until
morning. During the storm 1 lost the trail,
and walked on, not knowing whether l was
right or wrong. Water covered the lower por-
tions of the prairie, and it was with difficulty
could find a place to rest when night came on.
At last came to a sand hill or knoll; on the
top of this l sat down to rest for the night. l
laid my children down and leaned over them
to protect them from the rain and chilling blast.
Hungry, weary and wet William fell asleep, and
continued so until morning. The younger one
worried much; the night wore away slowly,
and the morning at last came, inviting us to
renewed efforts. As soon as could see, took
my little ones and moved on. About o'clock
heard guns, and for the first time became con-
sclous that had lost my way and was still IN
the vicinity of the lake. changed my course,
avoiding the direction in which l heard the
guns, and pressed on with increased energy.
NO trail was visible As for myself was not