St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-01-27

tempting to rise, was unable to lift
my head. My left shoulder, my
neck and head were much bruised;
and, being removed to Mankato, l
suffered greatly the whole of the fol-
lowing night and morning.
The next day, Monday, at
o'clock, William Paddock and party
arrived from the Yellow Medicine
agency, near Fort Ridgely, and gave
the first news of the Indian rising.
They related blood-curdling ac-
counts of the shooting of settlers
and the burning of farm houses
People did not credit it; but about
p. m. mounted courier galloped
in from New Ulm, asking for as
sistance, and stating that the In
dams were within three miles of
that town. devastating the country.
All men with horses and guns were
at once enlisted, and a strong body
started for New Ulm
In the meantime a mass meeting
was called at the school house, and
resolutions were adopted urging
Gov. Ramsey and Capt. Nelson, in
command at Fort Smelling, to send
immediate aid. The citizens also
deputized me to convey their re-
quest to st. Paul. Although really
unfit to be about, [ started, at
o'clock, Tuesday morning, with a
stage loaded with women and chill,
dren. At st. Peter we saw several
wounded persons, and along the
road we met many of the settlers
fleeing for their lives. Driving for
twelve hours at break-neck speed,
we reached Fort Smelling, ninety
miles from Mankato, at p. M Then
[ announced the outbreak to Gov
Ramsey, Bishop Whipple and Gen.
Sibley, and within two hours two
companies of regulars started for
Fort Ridgely
l reached st. Paul at p. m. and
gave the first news of the massacre.
Finding no one willing to undertake
the task of notifying the stage agents
and settlers between here and st.
Cloud, at once ordered horse sad
died, and started north alone. My
first horse lasted as far as Anoka,
AID died within two hours of his ar
rival there, so fast had he been rid
den. Beyond Anoka 1 changed horses
every fifteen miles, at every stage
station, and each time 1 swallowed
half tumblerful of 'Injun' whisky
Nevertheless, [ was suffering so
f.-ic r, wi IN;
ceived in the accident two days be-
fore, that at every leap of the horse
I thought my head would come off,
and the scorching liquor 1 drank
had scarcely any effect upon me.
AT in the evening, six hours from
st. Paul, 1 at last reached st. Cloud,
eighty-five miles distant, and, after
notifying the citizens through the
stage agent, as | had done at every
station along the road, dropped to
the floor, and was unable to stir a
finger for the next tWenty-four
hours.
l had ordered the ST. Cloud agent
to at once send forward a messenger
to Sank Center, sixty-five miles west,
in order to notify the settlers. and to
stop the stage before it left there
the next morning for. the Red river.
The messenger also had orders to
corral all the stage horses either
at Sank Center or Alexandria, and
send the balance on to Fort Aber-
.crombie. a.. :-..- -cs --a--. ,4.t.
Indian Commissioner Maj. Thomp-
son, Senator Wilkinson, and a con-
siderable party were then on the
way to treat with the Chippewas at
Red Lake. These Indians being the
traditional enemies OF the Sioux, the
latter believed that the government,
which had withheld the usual annual
payments to the Sioux, was going to
pay off the Chippewas. For two
days, therefore, $50 Sioux warriors,
as we afterwards learned, lay in am
bush among the woods between Sank
Center and Alexandria, prepared to
massacre the commissioners and
capture the supposed treasure. The
messenger from st. Cloud arrived
just in time, for the party were al
ready leaving Sauk Center IN the
stage when they were halted and
turned back.
After returning from st. Cloud I
went at once to Mankato, Fort Ridge
ly and st. Peter, and 1 remained on
the frontier during the entire Indian
war. With great exertion and at
imminent risk we managed to keep
the mail routes open at all times. We
never missed a days service, and
not a mail arrived once but on sched-
ule time. Yet, when passing through
the big woods" at night when the
Indians were known to be in the
vicinity, the sight of small camp
fires in the distance was well calcu-
lated to give ones hair decided ris-