Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-11-19
AsTONIsHED,,' INDIANS.


ASTONISHED INDIANS.
Their Disastrous Encounter With s.Cannon
BaA'' Mae-Thrilliny Narrative OF Frontier Ex-
periences in 1862. SIT i
How the Indians tackled Uncle Peter
Nixon, who>used to be a. cannon-ball
tosser, forms the subject OF a we'll told
tale IN the New York Sun, as follows:
have before me an old circus bill of
which my uncle, Peter Nixon, is repre-
sented as "Signor Gianiti' and pict-
ured as tossing cannon balls in the
air as boy would fling up apples.
The bill says ofhim eve will pay re-
ward Of 81 900 to any one who can
match him in strength" For five
or six years he travelled with one
show and another as 'The Origi-
nal Canon Ball Man" and it is
a solemn fact that he performed every
thing put down for him on the bills.
He was a veritable Goliah in strength,
fairly skilled in boxing and wrestling,
and many a local celebrity who took
hold OF Uncle Peter to lay him in the
dust went away sadder and wiser. In
1860 he became disgusted with travel,
married a widow in St. Paul and after
the honeymoon, the pairsettled down
on a piece of wild land g. few miles
from New Ulm. AS Peter had not been
able to save any money on the road
he figured that he could not do worse
as g. pioneer. He Was, moreover,
rather taken with the idea of pioneer
life and when he found himself buried
in the woods, four or five miles from
the nearest settler and deprived OF
everythingin the way ofluxury, he was
not a bit discouraged.
When the Indian troubles of 1862
first began to crop up Uncle Peter and
his wife were urged to seek the protec.
ton of some fort or settlement. By
this time he had a clearing OF twenty
acres or more around his house, had
planted corn and potatoes and was
the owner Olga yoke OF oxen, a horse,
a COW and .seyeral head OF young
stock. To leave his farm would be to
leave everything to go to ruin, and he
determined to stick. When this de-
cision was made known to his wife she
declared that she would also remain,
although he was ANXIOUS to have her
seek protection in the nearest settle.
ment. Uncle Peter had had time to
learn something Of Indian character,
there beng scarcely day but that
he encountered some Of them,
| and while many called him "brother"
and expressed the greatest admira-
ton for him, he felt that his SCALP
would be no safer than any other
mans in case the redskins went on the
warpath. His decision to remain had
on sooner been taken than he began
preparations to defend his own. He
strengthened the single door to his
cabin, made loop-holes at different
points, and built heavy shutters for
the windows. The next move WAS to
make the roof fire. proof BY filling
the spaces between the binders, which
ran lengthwise with the roof, with
earth. he very nearly accomplished
the object sought for.
The cabin stood on q knoll about
200 feet from creek. Peter had only
one barrel which he could fill with
water. The log barn stood about $50
feet from the house, and that struct-
ure. of course, he had no idea of de-
Tending. If attacked by the Indians
they would probably shoot the stock
and set fire to the barn at once. His
preparations for siege had not gone
unnoticed by the Indians, who called
at the cabin as usual and who seemed
to have anything but murder in their
hearts. They asked why he was going
to all that trouble, and he answered
! that some bad white men had sworn
| to have his life, and he wanted to be
ready for them, 1t is doubtful ii the
redskins believed his story, while on
| the other hand he dropped no hint
that he anticipated any trouble.
When the various tribes were all ready
the war opened and they turned
themselves loose to kill and scalp.
For three days not an Indian APP
peared at Uncle Peters cabin,
nor did he see one in the
neighborhood. This he took as a
hint that their plans were about ripe
and he kept his weather eye open. On
the afternoon OF the day before the
warwhoop sounded he decided to turn
| all his stock loose to run their
chances, and it may be said here that
he atterward recovered the oxen and
! horses. As the sun went down he
barred the door, put the shutters up
| to the windows and turned his faith
! full dog outdoors that he might give
the alarm in case the Indians came
| e n o,lr,, tn
to the barn. The arms in the house
consisted of rifle, double barrelled
shotgun and q revolver. Mrs. Nixon
had practiced shooting with q revolv-
er, and though not good marksman,
she had considerable skill. The night
! passed without the slightest alarm
and the morning brought such a beau
tiful day and everything seemed so
peaceful that between 9 and 10 o'clock
Uncle Peter determined to venture
out. One of the calves had returned
to the barn and when he left the cabin
It was for the purpose Of driving it of
again. The calf moved around the
corner of the barn as Nixon approach
ed, and just as he was turning the
corner after it five Indians in war
paint appeared before him. Each OF
his arms vas seized by warrior, and
as he stood there too dazed and dumb.
founded tor q moment to speak or act,
the leader OF the Indians chuckled his
satisfaction and said: "Good. Little
Crow want you. Come long"
! His words seemed to arouse Uncle
| Peter from his trance. With yell
which could have bean heard above
any war-whoop he flung the two war
riors to right and LETT and seized the
leader. In a jiffy he had shaken him