Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-04-10
AlOlxC SkINFLlNI.
A STORY OF THE SIOUX WAR IN
MINNESOTA.

family lr.m one of the New England
States to Hennepm county. Minnesota
aud took up land under the homestead
law.
Being unable. for some reason. to
oblaiu clear title to his land. he mOv-
ed acain and settled on the ST. LOUIS
river, about thilty-hvr miles northwest
of Duluth. 1t was while at Juluth that
the writer was told the following
story
Flnt's family consisted, beside his
wife and himself. Of three children
whose names were Jason, boy OF hi
teen, a daughter, Abigail. two years
Younger. and it'll. girl but three years
oil |. whose name, thinA. was Flora
Their first clearn. was made on a
fertile wooded interval. on the right
bank OF the river. About one hundred
ro.ls back from the stream stood THEN
house. built ol cottonwood logs.
1t was a wet stason. and their loca-
lon proved to he 4 damp one. From
this cause, very Likely. Mrs. Flint aud
Ler little sirl sickcucd from colds, and
both died ofpncumonia. Tne death ol
the child occurred two days after the
death oi the mother.
All the care Of tie household thus lclI
upon Abby Flint, now in her iourteenlh
year. and who seems to have been a
very capable .irl. Her brother, JASON
was of a different stamp. and rendered
his father hut little help. He was at
tsactcd by nothing but hunting and
scouting. Often he brought home a
deer, or quarter OF a moose' but II
Was with the greatest reluctance thai
he sat himself To powlng or planting.
TO trap alon- The upper cours' OF the
river was far more 10 Ja>on's hkin4
Than lcllin. trees.
lie was yer, adroit IN lral.Hs viii
the Indians. parties Of whom Often
came to the settlers house. So sharp
indeed. were his bargaius in iurs will
them. that they had, within year, be-
slowed upon him the nick-nam'
..Tarouth-la-gippoo," which | should
translate literally as Young Skin
flint"
1t was not very long aftcrward that
the memorable troubles with the SIOUX
began. marked by those horrible mass
acres OF the settlers in the back counties
ol Iowa and Minnesota.
During the first days OF June Of the
year of our story. Mr.. Flint set of i'll
lis "du, ,-out" boat for the then small
village Of Duluth to procure some farm
ing implements. He ordered Jason Ia
remain close at home, and set him hoe
ing in small piece Of potatoes on a
small piece OF ground recently clear d
and burned over.
But Jason. whose mind was intent on
Indians. believed Unnecessary to make a
scoulin. tour across the country to a
ncighborlng settlement. This trip oc-
cupicd the first day Of his fathers alb
senLe.
The next morning nc set TO work on
the potato patch-aIl the more diligent
" because Mr.. Flint was expected
home that night-and as was not very
uncommon with him. he c0axed hi'
sister Abby to leave her work in the
house and help him.
Sprouts from the roots and stumps o.
the lately felled trees had come III
plcntilully among the potatoes. abb
went ahead with a bush hook, or ;
bush bill. and cut up the sprouts, while
Jason followed and billed up the pota
toes with hoe.
But hs eyes roved about good dca
as he hucd. and for On,e, ut least. thos'
sharp, wondering eyes OF his did hin
good service. Chaucing to LOOK lOrwar'
to tie end OF the row, where the forcs
bordcred the clearing. he saw an In
dian i'm the act of stealing forward from
behind the trunk of great maple to ;
blackened pine tub. which had burnc'
out hollow by the recent fires, an'
which stood in the outskirts Of the poia
to patch.
Boy though he was. Jason was at NJ
loss to understand the movement OF thu
savage. He knew that he was only
wai.ing there for his sister and himsel
TO approach nearer, when he wOul'
probably shoot him and endeavor t'
take his ster prisoner.
The distance to the pine stIb wa'
Eighteen or twenty rod. too far for thu
redskins gun to shoot with certainty
Dropping his eyes. Jason hoed on will
apparent carelessness.
Abby had not seen the Indian. an'
he dared not even whispera warning Il
her. lest she should takt'iright aud thu
bring the savage at once upon them
J sons own gun, though loaded. was u
the house. which was out Of sight be