Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-12-06
LOCAL HISTORY.
A sketch q TAs se..,.1. !. ...,,,...
tern Dakota II the FAN 81 leea.

lVCAe H4u0aY.
.esea 81 1hs sssnpede 1a seuaAsas-
ter" Dakota II the Fan sf lssa.
II may sesm to yeur readers egosisticai IL
mo to relate tho events which led 70 tie
stampede Of the settlers in southe,stasn
Dakota 10 the iall Of 1852, wbss Il ~
seeo alluded to 90 often - foolish scars.
Yet will give you the faets and TIN you
may draw your own conclusions.
70 tho month Of August, 1852, tho San
'ee Sioux Indians commenced hostilities
n southwestern Miouesots and Killed
about four hundred Of the settlers. 4 part
OF the hostile Indians came to Sioux DAlls
10 Dakota, rsaching there about saaAbwS.
They sossd Judge Amidon and his son IN.
scorndsld and killed them. There were
at this time about forty soldiers At The Falls.
Inc Amtdons not returning ss night, the
family bscame alarmed aad called on the
soldiers 10 hnd them. The soldiers search
ed for the missing men that night but did
not hnd them. In the morning they con-
t'nued the search and brought 10 The bodies
OF the two missing men. Adetschnent Of
soldiers were then sent to find and punish
the 1ndisns. When the detachment had
marched about mile from the Falls the
Indians appeared near towa and attempted
TO take It. The detachment hearing the
nriug returned and when the 1adians saw
the soldiers they aed. After buryine the
dead. the settlers aud soldiers abandoned
the Falls and went 10 Yaukton. All the
settlers above Sioux City on the Big Sioux
river fed except q settlement on Brule
creek who wished 10 remain until after the
delegate election which was near at hand
and held on the fret Monday Of September.
The Brule creek voters being greatly 10
fear Of the Indians opened the election
polls at Bsulls Greek the Sunday night be-
fore the election, voted. and the rising sun
Monday morning found the most of the
voters in Sioux City, leaving few of the
bravest of the settlers and squad of SOL
diers to close the polls at the regular time
on Monday. This circumstance is often
alluded TO by one of the old settlers of Uu.
Ion county as the Brule creek fraud. y
(At the legislature that wintar q seat iu the
house of representatives, was given to q man
BY his showing tnat he had lived at Sioux
Falls, and would have been elected 4 mem.
Der Of that body had he and his consti,u.
ents not been driven from their homes by
hostile Indians.)
Shortly after the election, the Yauktou
Sioux Indians compelled the whites and
halfbreeis, who were living with them, to
leave. aud sent their women and children
up the river, and appeared on the eve of an
outbreak. The governor Of the territory is-
sued his proclamation calling out the entire
militia Of the territory, and distributed them
at Vermillion and Elk Point, while he fled
TO Sioux City for safety.
The citizens Of Y.nkton wishing to as.
certain the true feeling of the Yankton
Sioux Indians towards the whites, procured
a committee of three to visit Strike.the. Rec
head chief Of these Indiana. The commit
lee consisted Of . son. .in. law of that chief a
Yankton editor, and lieutenant of the
United States volunteers, The chief told
his visitors that his band of Indians would
rather remain neutral but they could not.
Is they would all be killed If they remained
neutral. He said the Santee Indians were
killing the whites, and that the white, vere
lighting among themselves, and they were
compelled to take one side or the other. and
that they had decided to 60 With their own
people. He told the committee that thev
must cross the Missouri river, and if the In.
iians had not crossed, the committee would
i've; but if they had crossed, they would
have to die. The chief then assisted h;s
visitors to swim the Missouri river. The
lieutenant, not wishing to take the chances
IT going down TO the town of Yanktop. went
'p to Fort Randall, fifteen miles above. and
made his report to the commanding officer
Who Immediately erected two block houses
en- feet square, for his artillery, when the
iring Of 6eld-piece in either block house
would have leveled it with the ground. The
'ther two of the committee came down to
fankton on the Nebraska side of the river.
md made their report to the citizens, The
'eport caused much excitement. Thev were
lot afraid Of the Santee Sioux whilst acting
'lone; but in case the Yankton Sioux In.
lians should join the Santees it was a cues.
ion with many whether they would be able
o hold the town.
Thirty four soldiers being stationed At
Vermillion, the captain Of the Yankton
county militia, wrote letter to the officer
n command Of the soldiers at Vermilliou.
informing him Of the si,uatiou. This letter
vas sent BY two soldiers. The soldiers
cached the Dakota river about sunrise
vhen they were fired on by Indians from
he east bank Of the river, whereupon they
'eturned to Yankton when q sereeant aud
en- men were sent to escort them through
c Vermillion. A the party approached
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