The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1894-08-09

nv and not follow the road But. Mr.. Pm.
toile thought best TO keep the road until
we crossed The Redwood liver. He then left
the road and TUNED up Redwood some dis
lance, and then struck out southeast across
the great wide prairie. IT seems to me now
that we followed some sort OF load across
tfis prairie. When we had got about eight
miles from the Redwood mounted Indian
overlook us and told us to turn back and
go up to Big Stone lake, and that he
would come up the next day and tell ms
what to do. do not know his name, but
lie seemed very friendly and to mean well;
yet do not think 1t would have been bet
ter had we done as he directed. At any
rute, Mr. Patoile refused TO return, and con-
tinued on, keeping to the right or south Of
the lower agency. At one time we were
within about two miles of the agency and
ccrld see the buildings very plainly. We
now hoped that 1t was all false alarm.
II seemed that the agency had not been
attacked, at least the buildings bad not
been burned, and our spirits returned some
what. But soon after we saw a smoke IN
thu direction Of the agency and then we
were fearful and depressed again. And yet
we thought we could escape Ii the horses
could hold out, for they were get
ting tired, as Mr.. Patoile had driven
them pretty hard. We were trying to reach
New Ulm, where we thought we would be
entirely safe.
At Last, Alas!
When we were within about eight miles of
New Ulm and thought all serious danger
was over we met about ffty In
diaDs coming from the direction OF the
town. They were mounted and had wagons
loaded with for and all sorts Of proyis-
Ions and goods taken from the houses Of
the settlers. They were nearly naked, paint
ed all over their bodies, and all of them
seemed TO be drunk, shouting and yelling
md uaffna ria si.y tn,
Two of them dashed forward to us, one on
each side OF the wagon, and ordered us to
halt. Mr.. Patoie turned the wagon TO one
side Of the road and all Of us jumped ont
except him. As we lcaped out Mr.. Davis
said 1--WE are LOST! The rest of the In
dians came up and shot Mr. Patoile, four
balls entering his body, and he fell dead
from the wagon. / have faint recoIlec-
ton of seeing him fall. He was large
man, as remember him, and he fell heavi-
". Mr., Davis and we girls ran towards a
slough where there was some high grass.
The Indians began firing at u.s. Mr.. Davis
was killed, The Frenchman ran In another
direction, but was shot and killed. Mary
Anderson was shot in the back, the ball
lodging near the surface Of the groin or
abdomen. Some shots passed through my
dress, but was not hit. Miss Williams,
too, was unhurt l was running as fast as
could towards the slough when two In
dams caught me, one by each of my arms,
and stopped me- An Indian caught Matte
Williams and tore off part Of her shaker
bonnet. Then another came and the two
led her back to the wagon. was led back
also. Mary Anderson was probably carried
back. Matte was put in wagon with
Mary, and l was placed in one driven by
the negro Godfrey. 1t was now o'clock, as
/ remember from a certain circumstance.
The black wretch Godfrey had been with
the Indians numbering and plundering, and
about his waist were strung number Of
watches. When we came to the wagons
Matte asked him what time 1t was and
looking at one of the watches he replied:
SIT is o'clock" / learn that this old
william Is now at Santee Agency, Neb. He
gave evidence against the Indians who were
hanged at Mankato and so escaped their
deserved fate. The Indians shouted and
were very joyful over the great victory,
and soon we were started off. The wagon
with Matte and Mary went toward the
lower agency and the one / was In went off
into the prairie. asked Godfrey what they
were going to do with me, and he said he
did not know. He said they had chased Mr..
and Mrs. Reynolds and he believed had
killed them. He said: I'VE are going out
this way to look for our women, who are
here somewhere" About three miles out
we came to these squaws, who We're sitting
behind little mound or hill on the prairie.
They set up joyful and noisy chattering
as we approached, and when we stopped
they ran to the wagons and took out bread
and other articles. Here we remained about
an hour, and the Indians dressed their
hair, fixing 1t up with ribbons.
WOeful Scenes at Wacouta's.
About O'Clock we started in the direc-
ton of the lower agency. Three hours lat
er we arrived at the house of the chief,
Wacouta, in his village, half a mile or sc
below the agency. Here l found Mrs. De
Tau Huhn
published in the Pioneer Press of July Is,
AS she has so well described the incidents
of that dreadful night and the four follow.
ing dreadful days, 1t seems unnecessary
that should repeat them, and indeed it is
q relief to avoid the subject. Since it
pleased God that we should all suffer as
we did at this time, pray Him of Hi
mercy to grant that all my memories of
this period of my captivity may soon ant
forever pass away
On the fourth day we we're taken from
Wacouta's up to Little Crows village, two
niles above the agency. Mary Anderson
died Mt O'Clock the following morning.
While in Little Crows village saw some
of my fathers cattle and many of or
household goods in the hands of the indians
I now knew that my family had been
pundered and believed murdered / was
very, very wretched, and cared not how
soon I too was killed
l shall always remember Little Crow from
an incident that lamp aned while / was in
his village. One day ! was sitting quietly
and shrinkinglY by o tepee when he game
along dressed in full chiefs costume and
cooking very grand. Suddenly h jerkad his
tomahawk from its )elt and sprang towards
me with the weapon uplifted as if he meant
to c!eave my head in two. / remember as
well as if it were only an hour ago that
he glared down upon ME saFagaly that
Thought he really would kill ne, but /
looked up at him without any fear or care
about my fate and gazcd quietly into his
face without so much rs winkiug my tear
swollen eyes. He brandished dis tomahawk
over me q few time, then laughed, put it
back In his belt and walked away sill
laughing and saying something in Indian
which of course gould not understand
But now it pleased Providence to consider
that my measure of suffering was nearly
full. An old Indian woman called WAN
nu-ka-win (meaning peculiarly shaped
bead called barley corn, sometimes used to
produce the sound in Indian rattlesl took
compassion on me and bought me Of the
Indian who claimed me, giving pony for
me. She gave me to her daughter whose
Indian name was Snana ringing sound, but
the whites called her Maggie, and who was
the wife OF Wa=kin-yan Weste, or Good
Thunder. Many time when the savage and
brutal Indians were threatening to kill all
the prisoners and 1t was feared they would
and buffalo robes upon me until would be
nearly smothered, and then they would tell
everybody that had left them. Late one
night, when we were all asleep, Maggie in
one corner of the tent, her mother in an
other and in another, some drunken young
hoodlums came in. Maggie sprang up as
swiftly as hgress defending her young,
and almost as fierce, and ordered them out.
a hot quarrel resulted. They seemed de-
termfned to take me away or kill me, but
Maggie was just as determined to protect
me, lay in my little couch trembling IN
fear and praying for help, and at last good,
brave Maggie drove the villains away.
Captives ON the March.
think we remained at Little Crows vii.
lage about week, when we moved in
haste up toward Yellow Medicine about If
Teen miles and encamped.- The next morn
ing there was an alarm that the white sol
diers We're coming: Maggie awoke me, took
off my sduaw clothes and dressed me in
my own. But the soldiers did not come,
and - Wall