Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-03-16
A DESPERATE ESCAPE.

The dreadful Indian massacre of '62 depop-
ulated whole counties Of newly settled terri
tory in a single day-the 18th of August
and drove from the Minnesota frontiers thou
sands of people in few days time,
During this eventful period there were
many thrilling and desperate adventures and
hairbreadth escapes The local historians
who published narratives gathered at hap
hazard at the time, did all they could to cover
the ground Of incident. The main facts and
causes Of the bloody uprising ha' been com
piled and preserved in several volumes pub
lished at 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 trading post on
the eastern shore of Big Stone lake. This &C
count briefly relates the desperate escape of
French and Indian boy, Baptste or Bat
Gubeau-as this common name among the
Canadian French is frequently abbreviated.
In the Minnesota massacre it was Little
Crows ruthless policy to 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 TO the usual rule
In Indian wars the fur trader, from the very
circumstance that he fancied he was safe fell
aswift and easy victim to the rifle and hatchet
of the Sioux.
All the employees of the four stores and
ware houses at Big Stone, Myrick's, Forbes,
Roberts, Pratt & Co.'S were either French
habitans or half and quarter bloods of that
extraction Among those of mixed blood was
the ware house boy" Bat Gubeau.
On the 2lst Of August four of Roberts men,
Bat and three Canadians, Patnode, Laundre
and Pachette, were cutting hay on marsh
near the lake shore below the post They
were at work in their loose shirts and leg
gings, moving with scythes, one following
the other Without a seconds warning a
party of Blanket Sioux came up out of the
tall grass a few rods distant and began firing
upon them. Patnode. Pachette and Laundre,
who were ahead of Bat and most exposed too
to the Indian fire, were killed almost at the
first shot.
Young Gubeau saved his life from their
fire by quick wittedly throwing himself for
ward 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 lie knew his captors WEI and could
understand their language almost as well as
the patois of his Canadian parents.
Don't kill me" said he. "Why did you
shoot those men, they were always your
friends
We killed them" one replied, with black
looks, because all whites and fur men have
always cheated and led to the Indians and
Wen kill you because you are dog of
mixed blood We shall kill you when the
sun goes down. after scalp dance and after
the squawi have burned the Indian blood
out Of your body with brands from their
fires
This is in effect, what the savages said as
near as Baptiste could interpret it in his
broken English.
The speaker was a Wapekutu medicine
man well known at the trading post as
malignant hater of the white men and con-
slant fomenter of bad feeling among his own
people
While two of the Indians were tying Bats
hands behind him with strips of buckskn,
the medicine man began prancing around and
telling, in a boastful chant, the murders
which had been committed upon the white
settlers at the Lower Agency at Beaver
Creek and Birch Coolie He sang boastfully
that but two suns more would pass before
every white man west Of Mnnehaha would
and ammunition taken from the dead settlers
and soliiers, could hold its country and beat
back the white people always Then he
warmed up and began recounting, after the
whooping singsong fashion of his kind the
exploits o: himself and the others with him
The possession of prisoner who could I'M
derstani their peculiar chants and the brag-
gings in which they so like to indulge was I'M
usual good fortune The vauntings Of the
medicine man seemed to act upon the savages
like the baneful charm some reptiles are said
to exercise. One by one they threw pside
their weapons and joined the medicine man
in his weird leaps and chantings aboot 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 runner, and a plan of ac
ton soon came to him. He felt that it was
desperate enough, but it was his only chance
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 ten
minutes run. This strip of water was grown
thickly about with rushes, and was from
four to six feet deep.
If he could break away, escape his pursu.
ers' shots and outrun them, he thought he
might find a hiding place among the rlishes
until night should come on.
About the time he had canvassed the
changes of this plan, the Indians about him
had begun to wind up their dancing with
peculiar grating movement known among
them as the moon dance. In it the dancers
wheel slowly about bow leggedly, lettering
first upon one foot and then upon the other,
4 - -. ~ l.
snake like movement The head is rolled in
imitation Of lolling bear and the arms are
worked writhingly while The wriggling saw
age sings, in a most lugubrious. grunting
tone: "E-yurish, e-yunghl Hi-yee, hi-yer'
E-yongh, e-ys-ighl"
The prisoner kept his eye upon one Of the
Indians, whom he knew-for he knew them
all well-to b' the best runaer among them.
As this one swung around between hiulsalf
and the line OF retreat he had marked out.
Bat sprans up and with an s,ile jump
planted both heels Of the army shoes he wore
In the small Of the dancers back.
The Indian went down with a screech Of
pain and surprise, as the keen witted Cana
dian passed over him and shot away toward
the lake
Certain that he had disabled their swiftest
runner, Bat felt chiefly concerned for the
moment in dodging bullets and Arrows He
sprang this way and that at as sharp angles
as he could. and at the same time make good
Roadway.
The Indians caught up their guns instantly
upon seeing what had happened, but luckily
only few Of their arms had been reloaded,
and the shots aimed by Indians. breathlea
with the exertion of a shrieking dance, missed
their target Throwing down their guns the
whole party gave chase, yelling frightfully,
q Is their fashion.