Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-11-16
"REMINISCENCES OF FIT. SMELLING
BY MRS. CHARLOTTE o. VAN CLEvE.

Like the old man IN Dickens +" Child's
Story" Il am always remembering t:
come and remember with me-"
/ close my eyes and recall an evening
some forty two years ago, when, in one
of the stone houses near Fort Smelling,
pleasant company of officers and their
families were spending a social evening
with my parents. The doors were thrown
open, for the weather was warm. and
one Of the officers, Capt. Cruger, was
walking on tho piazza, when we were all
startled by the sound of rapid firing very
near us. The captain rushed into the
house, much agitated, exclaiuing. That
bullet almost grazed my earl! What
could it mean: were the Indians sur
rounding us?
Soon the loud yells and shrieks from
the Indian camp near our house made It
evident that the treaty of peace. made
that afternoon between the Sioux aud
Chippewas, had ended,as those trentiesusu-
ally did in tseactery and boodshed. The
principal men of the two natious had met
at the Indian Agency. and in the pres.
ence of Maj Taiaferro, their " White
Father" had made a solemn treaty of
peace In the evening. at the wigwam
Of the Chippewa chief, they had rati
fed this treaty by smoking the pipe of
peace together; aud then, before the
smoke of the emLlematic pipe had cleared
away. the treacherous Sioux had gone
out and deliberately fired into the wig
wan, killing and woundIng several of
the unsuspecting inmates. The Chippe-
was of course returned the fire, and this
was what bad startled us all and broken
up the pleasant little gathering at my
fathers house.
The Chippewas sought refuge and
protection with their wounded within
the walls of The fort, commanded at that
time by Col. Josiah Smelling, for whom
it was named. They were kindly cared
for, and the wounded were tenderly
nursed in our hospital. One. n little girl,
daughter of the chief. excited much sym
patty, aud cannot forget the interest |
felt in her, for she was but year or two
older than myself, and it seemed to me
so cruel to ruthlesslv put out her young
life. remember the ladies Of the fort
were very kind and tender to her, and
since l have had little girls and boys of
my own, | know why. She fingered
but few days in great agony, and then
God took her out of her pain TO that
land where the poor little, wandering
wounded childehould know sin or suffer
ing no more.
Meanwhile our colonel, prompt and
efficient officer, demanded of the Sioux
the mu.derers, and in very few days,
a BODY of Sioux were seen advancing
toward the fort. as was supposed to de-
liver up the criminals. Two companies
of soldiers were sen. to meet them and
receive the murderors at their hands. -
Strange TO say. although they had' the
men. they refused to give them up. Our
interpreter, | cannot recall his name,
stepped out from among our soldiers, and
said:
Z" If you do not Weld up these men
peaceabIy, then, as many leaves as there
are on these trees, AS many blades of grass
as you see beneath your feet, so many
white men will come upon you, burn
your villages. and destroy your nation"
A few moments consideration. few
hurried words of consultation, and the
guilty men were handed over TO our
troops. The tribe followed as they were
taken into the fort. and making small
fire within the walls, the condemned
marched round and round it, singing
their death songs, and then were given
up to be put in irons and held in custo
DIV mill time should determine how
many lives should pay The forfeit, for it
is well known that Indian revenge is
literally life for life. and the colonel
had decided to give them into the hands
of the injured tribe to do with them as
they would.
Some weeks passed and it was found
that five lives were to be paid for in kind.