The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1894-08-09

nu-ka-wfn (meaning peculiarly shaped
produce the sound In Indian rattles) took
compassion on me and bought me Of the
Indian who claimed me, giving q 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
Thunder. Many time when the savage and
brutal Indians were threatening to kill all
the prisoners and 1t was feared they would
she and her mother hid me, piling blankets
and buffalo robes upon me until I 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 a tigress defending her young,
and almost as fierce, and ordered them out.
hot quarrel resulted. They seemed de-
termined 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.
I think we remained at Little Crows vi
lage about q week, when we moved in
haste up toward Yellow Medicine about fif-
teen miles and encamped. The next morn
ing there was an alarm that the white SOL
diers were coming. Maggie awoke me, took
off my squaw clothes and dressed me in
my own. But the soldiers did not come,
and we went on to Yellow Medicine, where
we arrived about ncon On the way there
was another alarm that the soldiers were
coming, and there was great confusion
Some ran off into the prairie and scattered
in all directions, while others pushed the
teams as fast as they could be driven. -Four
miles from Yellow Medicine I was made to
get out of the wagon and walk. From this
time every day there was an alarm OF some
kind. One day the soldiers were said to be
coming; the next day all the prisoners were
to be killed. etc. On one occasion a woman
was killed while trying to escape. was
again dressed in Indian garments. was tol6
that the Sissetons were coming down from
Big Stone lake and there was danger Of my
being killed if looked like a white girl
Maggie and her mother wanted to paint my
face and put rings in my ears SO that l
would look more like a squaw, but I re-
fused the proposition assisted my Indian
mother" with her work, carried water,
baked bread-when we had any-and tried
to make myself useful to her. We lived
chiefly on beef and potatoes; often we had
no bread. ~.
Scenes and Incidents. So
We were encamped at Yellow Medicine
at least two weeks. Then we left and went
on west, making so many removals that ]
cannot remember them. did not go shout
the camps alone, and knew nothing Of
what was going On outside. saw the war
riors constantly going and coming but I
knew nothing Of their military movements
and projects. A simple It'll, German
"madchen" of fourteen cannot be expected
to understand such things. I did not hear
the cannon at Wood Lake. and did not know
the battle was in progress till it was all
over. During my captivity saw very many
dreadful scenes and sickening sights, but
need net describe them. Once I saw lit
tie white girl of not more than five years,
whose head had been cut and gashed with
knives until 1t was mass of wounds.
think this child was saved, but / do MOI
know who she was a =
Deliverance!
At last came Camp Release and our ,e-
liverance by the soldiers under Gen. Sib.
;ey. That story is well known I remem.
Der how angry the soldiers We're at the
Indians who surrendered there and how
eager they were to be turned loose upon
the vile and bloody wretches. ( estitied
before the military commission that tried
the Indians. Soon after I was takel below
10 st. Peter, where I learned the particu-
lars of the sad fate Of my family. must
be excused from giving the particulars Of
their atrocious murders All were murdered
at our home but my brother August. His
head was split with a tomahawk md he
was lafe senseless for dead, but he re.
covered consciousness, and finally, though
he was but ten years of age, succeeded in
escaping to Fort Ridgely. On the way h..
found child. five years old, and carried
it several miles, when by the direction Of
German woman be had fallen in with hi
left it in q house eighteen miles from thu
fort The child was recovered at Camp Re.
lease, but 1t was so much injured by wounds
and exposure that It died soon after reach
ing Fort Ridge!v. August is now a hard
ware merchant in Portland, Oregon.
Conclusions.
Soon after arriving at st. Peter was sent
to my friends and relatives in Wisconsin,
and here met my brother August It was
sad meeting for the two little orphans,
though we were most happy in seeing each
other. The next year returned to Mime
sofa and testified before what was called
the claims commission. The government
had suspended the annuities usually paid
the Sioux, and directed that the money
should be paid to the people whose property
had been destroyed by the Indians during
the outbreak, or to their heirs. An admin
istrator was appointed for my fathers estate
and a guardian for me and my brother I
testified to the property my father had, all
of which had been taken or destroyed ty
the Indians. but do not remember that
my brother and ever received but an in
significant sum, and vet do not know why
we did not. It seems that every body else,
traders and all, were paid in full. Some
gold was taken from the dead body Of an
Indian during the war, and from the circunl-
stances Gen. Sibley thought the money had
been taken from my father. The amoInt
was 500, but there was premium on gold
at the time. Gen. Sibley purchased two
$50 government bonds with the money and
held them for my brother and me some
years. In 1865 Gen. Sibley gave me one
Of the bonds and $50 in interest on it, and
my receipts to him for this money are
among the Sibley papers in the historical
society. A part Of the year 1868 was with
the family Of my old employer, Mr.. Rey-
| nolds, who then kept hotel at st. Peter.
In the fall I went to Fairwater, Wis, and
remained with an uncle for two wears In