St. Paul daily globe., 1892-06-05
MASSACRED BY REDS.
Hon. C. E. Flandrau Draws
Upon His Experiences Of
Pioneer Days.
Ink pa -du : ta'S Band Kills
Forty HIen and Captures
the Women.
How the Women We're Event
ually Rescued From the
Willy Savages.
A Thrilling ESeapade in an
Attempt to Punish the
Indian.


which occurred in 1857. | was then
Indian agent for the Sioux, and my
agencies were at the Redwood and Vel
lew Medicine rivers in the then territory
of Minnesota. In 1912 the Sac and Fox
Indians had sold their lands i'll Iowa to
the government. The Sioux known as
the M'-de-w e-wa-kan-t0nS and Wak-pe-
Ru-tes were at war with the SacS and
Foxes, and one of the Wak-pe-ku-te
chiefs, named Wan-di-Sa-pa, or Black
Eagle, had become renegade from his
tribe. ami was living over on the Mis-
souri,, in the neighborhood of the
Vermillion river When the Wax
pe-ku-ta tribe sold their lands
10 the government, in 1851,
he had become so estranged from
his original people that he took no part
in the treaty. BY 1857 all that remained
of Wam-di-Sa-pa's band was ten or iif-
teen dodgers under the chieftainShip of
Ink-pa-du-ta, or the Scarlet Point, who
occupied the valley Of the NermilliOn.
Some settlements had sprung up on
small river called the In-yan-yan-ke, or
Rock river, about forty miles south of
Spirit lake. which lake is part in Iowa
and part in Minnesota: and small set
tlement had also been located near the
head waters of the DeS MoineS river,
and called Springfield, WHICH was in
Minnesota, and about fifteen miles
north Of Spirit lake.
Captured the Women.
Early in March, 1857, Luk-pa-du-ta's
band was hunting in the heighborhood
of the Rock river settlement, and an
alteration took place between them
and some white men about dog biting
an Indian. The Indians became en-
ragged, and, passing up the river, Killed
many people at Spirit lake and Spring
field. about forty-tYo in all, and carried
into captivity four women. Mrs. Marble,
Mrs. Noble, Mrs. Thatcher and Miss
Gardner.
The news of this massacre reached
my agencies on the 18TH of March,
through two young men who came on
foot ali the way to let US know what had
happened. | Immediately went to Fort
RidgeIy and consulted with Col.
Alexander, who commanded the
Tenth United States Infantry, and
the fort. We agreed that an expedition
should be sent to the scene of the mas
sacra, and Capt, Barnard +. Bee, or
a
ordered 10 Spirit lake. We procured
two guides and interpreters, Joe Gabou
and Joe Laframboise, Sioux half-breeds,
and started. The SNOW was very deep,
and the distance in straight line south
about eighty miles. We soon found
that the march could not be made on
the shortest line on account of the I'M
possibility of hauling siX-mule army
wagon in the snow without broken
roads, and were compelled to go down
the Minnesota river to MankatO, up the
Blue Earth and Natonwan, taking the
chances of finding some sort Of trail out
to the lake. In this we were dis
appointed for the last forty or fifty
miles, and the troops had to break
road for the mules. 1t was the worst
march | ever had any knowledge of,
and the men suffered badly. When the
troops arrived at Spirit lake they were
informed by the guides that the signs
indicated the Indians had gone to the
westward three days before. These
matters are Judged of by the appear
ance OF the camp fires and other marks
readily understood by experienced voy-
ayers; but all effort was made to over
take the savages, which was unsucceSS-
full. The dead were buried, and the eX-
pedltion returned. | learned afterward
as to be seen by them, and preparations
were made to ambuscade them and
murder the prisoners. So it was as
well that the pursuit was not continued.
After the Reds.
The Indians, with their captives, went
to a lake called Cnan-pta-ya-taW-ka. 10
Gated about Seyentv-fiye miles north
westward of Yellow Medicine agency.
~ ao,rca did NOT know pYaPfiV XUhPrA
they were, but Immediately commenced
taking measures to find out. and devils
Ing some scheme by which | might res
cue the captiveS. 1t was clear to my
mind that anY hostile demonstration
would result in the murder OF the white
women, and that some other means
would have to be reSorted to. While
working out a plan a happy accident
solved the difficulties of the situation.
Two of MY young Indians had been
hunting on the Big Sioux river and
heard Of the eScapade 0f Luk-pa-du-ta
and his whereabouts. They, stimulated
by curiosity and love of adventure,
visited his camp and succeeded in
bl1yIng one of the women, Mrs. Marble,
Mrs. Thatcher having been killed before
their arrival. They gave all their horses
and guns for her, and brought her over
to the agency and delivered her to me.
The poor woman had undergone untold
hardshipS and indignities, and was
brOnzed to a mahogany color. With the
aid of the kind missionaries we soon re-
habilitated her and made her comfort
able. She turned out to be from Day
ton, o.. and utterly alone in the world,
eli her people having been killed IN the
massacre. ! at once decided on the
wav to rescue Miss Gardner and Mrs.
IN ona of ha
Indians who had brought in Mrs. Marble
$500. and send them or others out again
to buy Mrs. Noble and Miss Gardner.
Then the difficulty arose about getting
The thousand dollars.
Il was not in the Indian country. had
no public funds that could appropriate
to any such purpose; but as it was life
and death affair, | got five hundred in
money, and invented plan which has
been followed often since to raise the
balance. | decided TO issue bond, and
as it is the first bond that was ever
issued by either the territory or state of
Minnesota, and is rather an original
piece of fnanciering, both in conception
and execution. will give 1t IN full.
First Minnesota Bond.
I, Stephen r. Riggs, missionary
among the Sioux Indians. and L. Charles
Z. Elandrau, United states Ind1an
agent for the Sioux, being satisfied that
Mak-pi-ya ka-ho-ton and Si-ha-ho-ta,
two Sioux Indians, have performed
valuable service to the territory of Min
nesota and humanity by reacuing from
CAPTIVITY Mrs. Margaret Ann Marble
and delivering her to the Sioux agent;
and being further satisfied that the res
cue of the two remaining white women
who are now in captivity among Ink
na-du-ta's band of Indians, depend
much upon the liberalIty shown toward
the said Indians who have re-
covered Mrs. Marble, and having
full confidence in the humanity
and liberality CT the territory OF
Minnesota through its government and
citizens, have this day paid to said two
- ..aa..od IndiaInc the sum of S50Q