The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-05-31

tiously about the stockade and on
their little agricultural patches Fin
ally, on May Sd, Col. McPhail gives
Gov. Miller another note of warning,
as the following letter will show:
Redwood Falls, May 3d.. 1855
Stephen Miller, Governor of Minneso-
ta-There are eight or ten Indians
approaching the frontier. They are
headed by one of the Ink-pa-du-ta
band. They we're at one of Major
Secrets camps May 1st, and had their
moccasins mended by Cow-wan-ka's
squaw. One of the Indians is her
brother. Cow-wan-ka brought the
news to Lynn, forty miles west OF
here, and Chief Eagle Feather sent
one of his men down to notify me.
Now, if you can induce the military
men to blow boots and saddles IN any
less time than three days these devils
can be caught. They will cross the
Big Cottonwood, and perhaps go south
to New Ulm and into the Butternut
Valley and Big Woods. These In
dians are all on foot. If you desire it
will go with two Indian trailers.
They can follow trail as hound fol-
lows fox. There is no time to be lost
in this matter. would have notified
the District Commander, but hereto
fore he has given no heed to my ap-
plications or notice. Very truly yours,
SAM McPHA1L.
n. B.-This is no false alarm.
These Indians passed unmolested
to near Mankato. On their way they
murdered lot of white people and
then left for their haunts. All but
one of them escaped. That was John
Campbell, a half-breed, who went in
to Mankato, and was caught and
hung.
Later in May, Gen. John Pope,com
manding the department of the North
west, addressed the writer for the pur-
pose of obtaining his views of Indian
raids, and it was the interview with
the Secretary of War, with his approx
al, and at the earnest solicitation of
Hon. Mort S. Wilkinson, that he left
Washington in March, 1854, and came
to Redwood Falls to carry out his
views on squelching the raids. The
letter to Gen. Pope on this subject is
as follows:
Redwood Falls, Mimi, June 5, '65-
Maj. Gen. John Pope, Commanding
Department of Northwest General
As it is at your own request I will
give you NY views on the subject of
frontier protection from Indian raids
and all the reliable information have
in regard to the Indian movements.
First, think there is no danger what
ever of Indians in any force approach
ing the Minnesota frontier. They may,
and undoubtedly will, continue to
make raids in bands of from two to
three, perhaps ten Or twelve. They
come for plunder, and will come with
murder at every opportunity. Hence,
there is no necessity whatever of keep
ing troops at Forts Smelling and Ridg-
ley. It is too much like the niger
that chained his dog in the smoke
house and hung the meat on the fence
for protection. My views on the man
ner of protecting and restoring conf
dence to the frontier are tho same as
outlined in personal interview with
the Hon. Secretary of War in March
1864, and at the request, and in the
presence of Hon. Morton S. Wilkin-
son, U. S. Senator from Minnesota,
which is in substance as follows:
First, establish line of stockades
from Fort Ridgley to the Iowa line
say at or near Spirit Lake. Station ten
or twelve men at each post; have two
of the men patrol from one post to the
next, going north in the morning and
returning south to their post in the
evening. In this way they will be en-
abled to detect the passage of any
band that may pass through the pa
troll line, and in this way they give
confidence to the settlers who may
settle outside the present line of forts.