The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-05-29

nurSed and did not seem to suffer materially.
About dark on the second day struck a road
ror found was only four miles from home
Thus had two days and one night been passed,
travelling, probably in circle. l felt almost
exhausted, and my journey but just began; but
discOuraging as this misfortune might be, as
the shades of night again closed around me,
the sight of Il known object was pleasure to
me. l was no longer lost upon the vast
prairie.
1t was now that I felt for the first time it
would be better to die at once; that it would
be satisfaction to die here, and end our weary
journey on this travelled road over which we
had passed in our happier days. could not
bear to lie down with my little ones on the un.
known and trackless waste over which we had
been wandering. But this feeling was but for
q momant. l took courage and started on the
road to New Ulm. When it became quite
dark, l halted for the night: that night l
passed as before, without sleep. In the morn
ing early started on. 1t was foggy and the
grass wet; the road being but little travelled
was grown up with grass. William was so
of the time. so l was obliged to carry both. 1
was now sensibly reduced in strength and felt
approaching hunger. My boy no longer asked
for food, but was thirsty, and drank frequently
from the pools by the wayside. l could no
longer carry both my children at the same
time, but took one at distance of a quarter or
half a mile laid it in the grass and returned for
the other, in this way travelled trelre miles,
to place called Dutch Charles sixteen miles
from Lake Shetek. l arrived there about sum
set, having been sustained in my weary jour-
ney by the sweet hope of relief My tolls
seemed about at an end: but what was my con-
sternatiOn and despair when L found it empty!
Every article offood or clothing removed! My
heart seemed to die within me, and sunk
down in IiSpair The cries of my child
ed me from my almost unconscious state, and
1 began my search for food. The house had
not been plundered by the Indians but aband-
Oncd by its owner. had promised my boy
food when we arrived here, and when none
could be found he cried most bitterly. But l
did not shed tear, nor am conscious of hay
ing done so during all this journey. l found
some carrots and onions growing in the gar
den, which ate raw, having no fire. My eld-
est child continued vomiting. | offered him
some carrot but he could not eat it. That night
we stayed in corn field and the next morn
ing at daylight / renewed my search for food
To my great joy found the remains of a spoil
ed ham. Here, l may say my good fortune be-
gan. There was not more than pound of it,
and that much decayed. This l saved for my
boy, feeding it to him in very small quantities,
his vomiting ceased and he revived rapidly. l
gathered more carrots and onions and with
this store of provisions, at about 8 o'clock on
the morning of the third day, again set forth
on my weary road for the residence of Mr..
Brown, twenty five miles distant This dis
lance reached in two days. Under the effects
ofthe food was able to give my boy, he gained
strength and was able to walk all Of the last
day. When within about three miles of the res
idence OF Mr.. Brown two of our neighbOrs from
Lake Shetek settlement, overlook us, under
the escort of the mail carrier Both of them
had been wounded by the Indians and left for
dead in the attack on the settlement. Thomas
Ireland, one of the party, had been hit with
eight balls, and strange to say was still able to
walk and had done SO most of the way. Mrs.
Estleck, the other person under escort, was ut
terly unable to walk, having been shot in the
foot once in the side, and once in the arm.
Her husband had been killed and her son. about
ten years old wounded. The mail carrier had
overtaken this party after the fight with the
Indians at the lake, and placing Mrs. Estleck
in his sulky, he was leading his horse.
AS the little party came in sight took them
to be Indians, and felt that after all my toll
and suffering must die, with my children, by
the hand of the savage. l feared to look
around, but kept on my way until overtaken.
This was little before sunset, and we all ar
rived at the resideace of Mr.. Brown that night.
This house was also deserted and empty, but
being fastened up we thought they might come
back Our company being too weak and des-
titute to proceed, we took possession of the
uOuSt duu TcIlldlucu tcI CtNS. lucTc We lOluu
potatoes and green corn. The mail carrier, ac-
companied by Mr.. Ireland, lame as he was,
proceeded on the next morning to New Ulm,
where they found there had been battle with
the Indians and one hundred and ninety-tWO
houses burned. A party of twelve men were
Immediately sent with wagon to our relief.
1t was now that we learned the fate of Mr..
Brown and family; all had been murdered!
We also learned of the general outbreak and
massacre of all the more remote settlements,
and the sad, sickening thought was now fully
confirmed in my mind that my husband was
dead my fatherless. children and myselfmade
beggars.
Mrs. Hurd had resided at the Lake three
years, and was well acquainted with many of
the Indians: could speak their language, and
had always treated them with much friendship.
1t is to that fact that she attribtes their mercy
in saving her life. The entire settlement of
Lake Sheteck was destroyed and most of the
people murdered. She is a woman of medium
size. rather good looking, 26 years Old and of
unusual intelligence. Enjoyed good health up
to the time of her mistortuDes, but now feels
most keenly the shock that has so weightily
fallen upon her. She returned from here to La
Crosse where she now resides with her
brother.
The Commissioners have dealt kindly with
her, and she will probably be paid for loss OF
property. but who can bring back to her the
enjoyment that surrounded her on the morn
ing of the Doth of August, 1862, Or blot from
her memory those awful dreary nights of
watching alone upon the broad prairie, in the
storm and in the tempest, amid thunderings
and lightnings! Or who can contemplate that
mothers feelings as her sick and helpless child
cried for bread, and there was none to give, or
as she bore the one along the almost trackless
waste and laid it down amid the prairie grass
and then return for her other offspring!
The Mantuan bard has touched universal
chord of human sympathy in his deep-tOned de-
scription of the flight Of his hero from the
burning city of Troy, bearing his "gOod faith
err" Anchises, on his back and leading the
little Ascanus by the hand, whO ever and
anon falling in the rear, would follow with
UNEQUAL step" The heroine of Lake Shetek
bore her two Ascanii in her arms, but unequal
to the double burthen, was compelled to de.
post half her precious cargo in the prairie
grass an returning for the other to repeat for
the third time her painful steps over the same.
This process repeated at the end of each half
or quarter of mile extended the fearful dura-
ton of her terrible flight through the lonely
and uninhabited prairie.
The force of nature could 60 no farther and
maternal love has no stronger eXemplificatiOn.
But for the plentiful showers of refreshing
rain. sent by merciful Providence, these poor
wanderers would have tainted by the way, and
the touching story of the heroine of Sheteck
would have been forever shrOuded in mystery