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

The HOrrid EarbarItfeS Of the
Indians.

Hmper's Monthly for June opens with
an illustrated article on the Indian massa-
ores in this State, profusely illustrated. 1t
gives the account of a participant, and re-
veals the horrors which were perpetrated
upon our innocent settlers by the worse
than fiends who carried desolatiOn over a
wide extent of country. 1t would scarce
ly be believed that such enOrmiti es had ex-
listed, but for indubitable evidence. A
few extracts will give an idea:
But who can tell the story of that hour? of
the massacre of helpless women and children,
implOring mercy from those whom their own
hands had fed, but whose blood. dripping hat
chefs the next moment crashed pitilessly
through their flesh and pOne-of the abomina-
tions to hellish to rehearse-of the cruelties,
the tortures, the shrieks of agony, the death
groans, of that single hour? The few that es-
capped by any means heard enough, saw enough,
felt enough to engage their utmost powers.
Those that staid behind never told their
story. From house to house the torch
soon followed the Ratchet; the flames envelop-
ed alike the dead, dying, and wounded. Tired
of butchery in detail, the savages fired dwell
ing, and in it burned alive mother and her
five children: few of their charred bones were
afterward found among the flames Some
escaped through back rooms, over fields,
down the side Of the bluff to the river. Those
fortunate enough to get by the ferry or other
wise fastened with utmost speed to the fort.
Others hid among the bushes, in hollow logs
or holes, behind stumps, or in the water. Mad
dened with unreslSted Succession not shot,
not blow had yet been aimed at them-with
tiendish yells the Indians followed or sought
new victims among yet unsuspecting settlers.
The ferry was taken possession Of the ferry
mans house, the neighboring stacks, the mills,
the piles OF lumber, were set on fire. The fer
ryman himself, tomahawked before his own
door, was disembowelled, his head, hands, and
feet chopped off and inserted in the cavity.
They overlook boy trying to escape. Tearing
off every thread Of clothing, they pricked and
pierced him with their blunt-headed javeins,
laughing and mimicing his agony, till death
came to his relief. Narcis Gerrian, as they en-
tered, leaped from the mill window for the riv-
er; ere he had reached it, of three shots fired
at him two pierced his breast. He swan across
almost drowned. Four days he went without
food, and, after dragging himself, more dead
than alive, through woods and swamps, for
sixty-tive miles, was found by a party of refu-
gees and carried to Henderson. Passing stick
through both ankles OF a woman, they dragged
her over the prairie, till, from that alone, torn
and mangled, she died.
Not far from the agency few families of set
tiers had cOngregated. The Indians overlook
them the first vOlley killed the few men among
them. The defenceless, helpless women and
children, huddled together in the Wagons,
bending down their heads and drawing over
them still closer their shawls. 'Cut-nose, :"
while two others held the horses, leaped into
wagon that contained eleven, mostly children,
and deliberately in cold blood tomahawked
them all-cleft open the head of each, while
the Others, stupetied with horror, powerless
with fright, as they heard the heavy, dull blows
crash and tear through flesh and bones, awaited
their turn. Taking an infant from its mothers
arms, before her eyes, with bolt from one of
the wagons they rivited it through its body to
agony. After holding for a while the mother
before this agonizing spectacle, they chopped
off her arms and legs and left her to bleed to
death. Thus they butchered twenty-five with
in quarter of an acre.