Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-05-10
A DESPERATE ESCAPE,
BY FRANK w. cALk1Ns

Pt rihANh ".
The dreadful Indian massacre of ,es
'depopulated whole counties of newly
settled territory in n single dav-tbs
18th of August-and drove from the
minnesota frontiers thousands of neonlf
in few days time. Nf'N
during this eYentful period there were
many thrilling and desperate adventure:
and hairbrcadth escapes. The loroI
historians who published narrative:
gathered at haphazard at the time did
al they could to cover the ground of in.
cident. The main facts and causes q,
the bloody uprising have been complied
ana preserved in several volumes pub.
iished in st. Peter and st. Paul
In one Of these several paragraphs are
devoted to the murder of the man in
charge OF the stores ut the isolated trad.
ing post on the eastern shore of Bio
Stone Lake. This account briefly relates
the desperate escape of IL French and
indian boy, Baptiste or "Batr Gubeau-
las TINS common name among the Canadian
French is frequently abbreviated.
In the Minnesota massacre it was Jit.
tie Crows ruthless policy to cxterminatc
.ail the whites west of the Mississipp;
every one with white blood in his veins
who could not or would not take mart
against the settlers was to be killed
Contrary to the usual rule in Indian wars
the fur-trader, from the very circum.
stance that he fancled he was safe. fell n
swift and easy victim to the rifle and
Ratchet of the Sioux.
All the employees of the four stores and
warehouses at Big Stone, SIyrick,s
Foroes's, Roberts's, Pratt IL Co.'s were
either French habitaus or half and
quarter bloods of that extraction
Among those of mixed blood was the
warehouse boy" Bat Gubeau.
I'm the 2lst day of August four of
Hoberts's men, Bat and three Canadians
Patnode, Laundre and Pachette. were
cutting hay on marsh near the lake
shore below the post. They were nj
work in their loose shirt and lerpipps
moving with scythes, one followInp the
other. Without seconds wartime -
party of Blanket" Sioux came up out
OF the tall grass few rods distant and
began firing upon them. Patnode.
Fachette and Laundre, who were ahead
OF Bat and most exposed to the Indian
hre. were killsd almost at the first shot.
Young Gubeau saved his life from
their fire by quick wittedly throwing
himself forward upon his face MS though
shot, lying across the swath and blade
of his scythe
Inc 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.
Don't kill me- said he. 'sWhy 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 lied to the
Indians, and we'll kill you because Won
are dog of mixed blood. We shall
Kill you when the sun goes down, after
calp-dnnce and after the souaws have
burned the Indian blood out of your
body with brands from their firos.n
This is, in effect, what the savaoes
SAID as near rs Baptiste could interpret
it in. his broken English.
The speaker was n Wapekutu mcdi.
cine man, well-known at the trading most
as a malignant hater of the white men
and constant fomenter of bad feelino
among his own people.
While two of the Indians were tv;no
Bats hands behind i'm with strips Of
buckskin, the medicine man BEGAN
Pranclng 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
Blrch Coolie. He sang boastfully that
but two suns more would pass before
every white man west of Minnehabo
would die. The Sioux nation, possessed
OF the 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 I'D and
began recounting, after the whoopinp
slngsong fashion OF his kind. the eS.
ploits of himself and the Others wifi
! him.
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
vauntings of the medicine man seemed
to act upon the savages like the baneful
charm some reptiles are said to exei else.
One by one they threw aside their yeap.
ons and joined the medicine man in his
weird leaps and chantings about the
prisoner.
Bat said not word, but sat quietly,
his shrewd eyes watching for chance
60 break through the ring and escape.
He was strong, 1.-the, and a swift run
per, and plan of action soon came to
him. He felt that it was desperate
enough but it was his only chance.
A bayou or narrow bay ran up from
Tho 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