The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-05-31
A DESPERATE ESCAPE

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The dreadful Indian massacre of '62
depopulated whole counties of newly
settled territory in a single day-the
18th of August-and drove from the
Minnesota frontiers thousands OF people
in a few days time.
During this eyentful period there were
many thrilling and desperate adventures
and hairbreadth escapes. The local
historians who published narratives
gathered at haphazard at the time did
all they could 10 cover the ground of in
cident. The main facts and causes of
the bloody uprising have been compiled
and preserved in several volumes pub
hshed in st. Peter and st. Paul
In one of these several paragraphs are
devoted to the murder of the men in
charge Of the stores at the isolated trad
ing post on the eastern shore of Big
Stone Lake. This account briefly relates
the desperate escape of a French and
Indian boy, Baptiste or 'tBatn Gubeau-
as this common name amongthe Canadian
French is frequently abbreviated.
In the Minnesota massacre it was Lit
tie Crows ruthless policy 10 exterminate
all the whites west OF the Mississippi.
Every one with white blood in his veins
who could not or would not take part
against the settlers was to be killed.
Contrary 10 the usual rule in Indian wars
the fur-trader, from the very circum-
stance that he fancIed he was safe, fell
swift and easy victim 10 the rifle and
Ratchet of the Sioux.
All the employees Of the four stores and
warehouses at Big Stone, Myrick's.
Forbes's, Robertss, Pratt Il Co.'S were
either French habitans or half and
quarter bloods of that extraction.
Among those of mixed blood was the
warehouse boy" Bat Gubeau.
"0n the 2lst day of August four of
Roberts, men, Bat and three Canadians,
Patnode, Laundre and Pachette, were
cutting hay on q marsh near the lake
shore below the post. They were at
work IN their loose shirt and Ieggings,
moving with scythes, one following the
tother- Without a seconds warning a
pagty Of 'tBlanket' Sioux came up out
Of is. tall grass few rods distant and
began dffks upon them Patnode,
Paehette and Laundre, who were ahead
Of Bat and most exposed to the Indian
fire, were killed almost at the first shot
Young Gubeau saved his life from
their FIRE by quick-wittedly throwing
himself forward upon his face, as though
shot, lying across the swath and blade
Of his scythe.
The Indians scalped his comrades and
stripped them Of their hats and shoes;
then several Of them came to him and
turned him over He knew his captures
well and could understand their language
almost as well as the patois of his Cana
dian parents.
HDon't kill me-" said he. "Why did
you shoot those men they were always
you. friends"
" We killed them, :" one replied, with
black looks, "because ali whites and fur
men have always cheated and lied to the
indians, and we'll kin you because you
are I, dog of mixed blood. We shall
kill you when the sun goes down, after
s scsIp- dance and after the squaws have
burned the Indian blood out of your
body with brands from their fires"
THIS IS, in effect, what the sayages
said as near as Baptiste could interpret
it in his broken English.
Tie speaker was a Wapekutu medi-
cine man, weli-known at the trading post
as q malignant hater of the white men
and a constant fomenter of bad feeling
among his own people
While two Of the Indians were tying
Bats hands behind him with strips Of
buckskin, the medicine man began
prancing around and telling, in boast
ful chant, the murders which had been
committed upon the white settlers at the
Lower Agency, at Beaver Creek and
Bircil Coolie- BE sang boastfully that
but two suns more would pass before
every white man west Of Ninnehaha
would die. The Sioux nation, possessed
Of this guns and ammunition taken from
the dead settlers and soldiers could hold
its country and beat back the white peo-
pie always. Then he warmed up and
began Tecounting, after the whooping,
slugsong fashion Of his kind, the ex-
plots Of himself and the others with
HIN.
The possession Of prisoner who could
understand their peculiar chants and
the braggings IN which they so like to
indulge was unusual good fortune. The
yauntings Of the medicine man seemed
20 act upon the savages like the baneful
charm some reptiles are said TO exercise.
One by one they threw aside their weap-
ons and joined the medicine man in his
weird leaps and chantings about the
prisoner
Bat said not a word, but sat quietly,
his shrewd eyes watching for chance
to break through the ring and escape.
He was strong, 1.-THE, and a swift run
ner, and plan Of action soUn came TO
him He felt that it was desperate
enough but it was his only chance.
A bayou or narrow bay ran up from
the lake into the marsh upon which he
and his companions had been cutting
hay, and the head Of it was distant not
more than a ten minutes run. This
strip Of water was grown thicxly about
with rushes, and was from four to six
feet deep.
If be could break away, escape his
pursuers' shots and outrun them, he
thought he might fad hiding place
among the rushes until night should
come on.
About the time he had canvassed the
chances Of this plan, the Indians about
him had begun TO wind up their dane
ing, with a peculiar gyrating movement
known among them as the Noon Dance.
In it the dancers wheel slowly about
bow-leggediy, lettering first upon one
foot and then upon the other, and
swaying the body from the hips in a
snake-hke movement. The head is
rolled in imitation OF lolling bear and
the arms are worked Writhingly, while