Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-07-27
THE FEROCIOUS SIOUX.
MaSsacr6s I'm the Minnesota Valley
in '62 and '83-A Few Details of
thsir Horrible Buteheries.

in '69 ana '6s-A Few Details OF
thstr Horrible Butcheries.
Isaac V. D. Heard, who was a
member Of Colonel Sibley's expedi-
ton against the Sioux or Dakota
Indians, in 1862, has left us a some
what detailed account of the horri-
BILE massacres and shocking out
RACES which took place in the Min
nesota Valley in that and the sue
ceeding year. This war and the
massacre were inaugurated in Au-
gust, 1862, by four Indians belong
ing to the upper Minnesota tribes
Of the Dakota nation, and were
caused mainly by the real and fan
cied injustices of which the red
men were made, or thought them
selves to have been made, the VIC
tins, as well as by the enormous ex-
tortions of the traders at the agen-
cies. The four Indians to whom
the beginning of the bloodshed is
credited by Heard, we're belonging
to Shakopee's village, at the mouth
of Rice Greek. They were on their
way to Acton when they attacked
and killed two men named Baker
and Webster, a Mr.. Jones and wife,
and Miss Wilson. Having ac-
complished these murders they
hastened to Shakopee's village and
informed the rest of the tribe what
they had done. A general masSa-
ere of the whites was Immediately
resolved upon, and messengers were
sent to the bands of Wabashaw,
Waconta and Red Legs. The Sha-
kopee band then proceeded to the
Agency under Little Grow, their
chief; the village was entered in
small parties and the houses and
stores surrounded. The discharge
of gun was to be the signal fol
simultaneous attack. This given
the hideous painted sayages, with
mad shouts and wild shrieks, began
the slaughter and plunder, Age,
sex, former friendships or kind.
nesses ayailed nothing. Every
building but two at the Agency was
burned. The massacre extended
down the river on both sides, below
the fort to within six miles Of New
Ulm, and up the river to yellow
Medicine. Large numbers persisted
at Beaver and Sacred Heart creeks
Parties of men, women and chill
dren were intercepted in their Aighr
and mercilessly slaughtered ant
mutilated.
. Near New Ulm, a father and hi
: two sons were stacking wheat, whel
. twelve Indians approached unseel
and killed the three. Then the,
entered the farmers house and kill
ed two of his young children in tn
presence of their mother, who wa
. i'll with consumption, and dragge,
!. the mother and a daughter, age,
: thirteen years, miles away to thel
I, camp. There, in the presence G
, \ her dying mother, they stripped of
the young girls clothes, fastene
her upon her back to the ground
and one by one the savage brute
! violated her person, until deaf
D came to her relief.
I One Indian went into a hous
+ where a woman was making breat
Her small child was in the .cradl
' He split the mothers head wit
: his tomahawk, and placed the bah
in the hot oven until it was almol
dead, when he beat its brains OIL
against the wall.
Children were nailed living to t.
bles and doors, and> knives an
tomahaws thrown at them unit
they were dead. Cut-Nose, one
!. the chiefs, when brought to tria
acknowledged several of his atroc
= ties, among which was the follow
2 ing: A party ofsettlers were gail
= cred together for flight; the he'll
! less and defenseless women al
children being huddled together
wagons. The men having be'
killed, Cut-Nose, while two 9th
> Indians held the horses, leaped in
one of the wagons, and, in co
y blood, tomahawked them all-clt
ar open the head Of each, while t
others, stupefed with horror al