Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1877-03-15
A Big Story Vt Female Heroism in Mime
sofa.

Mrs. Ebberts.
When the frontier troubles began
the two widows were wives and moth.
ers, living in log cabins about a mile
apart. These two cabins were the
only ones for three or four miles either
way, and when the conduct of lhe In.
dians became SO suspicious that pru-
dence counselled removal from the
frontier, the Ebberts family left their
home and consolidated with the Hut
legs for mutual defence. Each family
had two children, making eight per-
sons in the cabin. The indians had
thus far molested no one. but they
wore fierce and sulky looks, skulked
about as if keeping watch on the SET
tiers, and pioneers were living in a
state of excitement and apprehension.
One day, when the women had oc.
cupied the same cabin for two weeks.
Mr.. Hutley started for a settlement
seven miles distant to procure prOvis'
ions, leaving Mr.. Ebberts to guard the
cabin. All outdoor work had ceased.
If the pioneer moved outside of the
barricaded cabin his life was carried
in his hand, and his eyes were on the
alert to detect the presence OF the ex'
pected foe.
The average woman can sever the ties
of friendship, or rise superior to the
perils of the hour, to carry her point.
Mr.. Hutley had not been gone an hour
when the children. rendered nervous
and irritable by their close confine.
ment, engaged in quarrel. The cid.
est child was only FIVE. so that no
great physical damage could have been
inflicted, but the quarrel angered the
mothers; harsh words passed, and
Mrs. Ebbert3 declared that she would
not remain in the Hutley cabin another
hour. Her husband was weak.minded
enough to share in her feelings, and
Immediately preparations were made
to return and occupy his own cabin.
He took the bed on his buck, and the
oldest child by the hand, leaving his
wife to follow on with his rifle and the
other child. Anger brought such a
spirit of recklessness that the man no
longer feared any danger. Mrs. Eb'
berts did not Immediately follow, hav
ing to make up bundle of little ar
ticles. and the husband had about
twenty minutes start of her. While
both women we're heartily ashamed of
their silly conduct five minutes after
their hot words had been spoken, yet
neither would be the first to make con-
ciliatory advances, and Mrs. Hutley
stood in her cabin door and saw Mrs.
Ebberts and child disappear in the for
est.
Just as he lost sight of them she
heard report of rifles and fainty yells
in the direction of the other cabin,
she instantly OWNED that the long.ex-
pected blow had fallen. Forgetting
everything but the fact that her neigh.
bors were in the peril she took down
the spare rife which her husband had
provided, and which she knew how to
use, warned her children not to leave
the cabin, and in two or three minutes
she was running through the woods
after Mrs. Ebberts. It subsequently
appeared that Ebberts had just reached
his home when he was attacked by
band of at least fifty Indians. The
child was shot dead at the first v0lley,
but the father prolonged his life for
few minutes by lodging from tree to
tree His wife was within eighty rods
of him when he was killed. She heard
the firing and wh0oping. and, while
prudence warned her to retreat, her
love forced her on to join h r husband.
The Indians had caught sight of her,
and opened fire when Mrs. Hutley came
up.
History will never record Drawer
deed. Rendered desperate by the al
most certain knowledge that her hus.
band and one child had been murdered,
Mrs. Ebberts was like a tigress. She
had her husbands rifle, and for time
the two lofe women held that entire
band of savages at bay. Nay, more
than that, they killed three of the red
skins and wounded two more, as the
Indians afterwards admitted. When
they found that the plan was to sur
round them they fell back. Between
that point and the cabin the child was
for few rods, but the close pursuit
obliged them to drop it.
A new horror awaited them as they
entered the cabin. The demons had
already been there. The oldest child
was dead on the floor, its head almost
severed from the body and the young
est had been carried away. Two In
dials were still in the house, making
preparations to burn it. One made a
safe escape, but the other was shot
down by Mrs. Ebberts as he cleared
the doorstep. There was no time to
remember the scalped and mutilated
bodies in the forest. The Indians
were at the door almost before the
dark body at the step had ceased quiv.
ering. n~-
It was . stout cabin, having more
strength than convenience. Logs and
roof were not yet seasoned enough to
burn, and the single window was pro-
tected by heavy blind. The redskins
knew that there were only two women
In the house, and they dashed at it and
swarmed around it as wolves would
surround a helpless doe.
mrs. Hutley was as pale as death
and her hand trembled Us she loaded
tho rifle, but her eyes shone like fire
and she bit her lips till the blood came.
I suppose I was half crazed, for I want.
ed to open the door and fight the whole
band." r2
Thus says the survivor, whose story
of the terrible affair is as clear as
page Of . book. The excitement was
too great for the women to plan a de.
fence. but both understood that the
Indians must be beaten of. There were
two looph0les in the door and others in
the walls. While the savages were
massing against the door two Of them
were badly wounded from within, and
soon thereafter one was killed from q
loophole in the wall. Discovering tina
they had perilous work on hand, the
Indians drew off and took cover be-
hind logs, stumps, and trees, and for
an hour they fred at the loopholes,
hoping that chance shot might kill