St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-18
RAVOUX REMINISCENT.


standing at the foot of the HILL near
the log church of Mendoza, 1 saw sew
eral Sioux Indians carrying their
guns, and running as fast as possible
''TelSi DAP whittier dost thou go?"
said Il to one of them, who was not
only Srunning very fast, but jumping
about like a deer. "Raraton Dakota
ktepi." (Rarator the Chippewas, Da-
kota the Sioux, ktepi kill.) The Chip
pewas are killing the Sioux" was his
reply, and he did not stop.
A little later 1 was told that the
Chippewa warriors had come in great
number near Little Crows village,
and had killed several Sioux, and that
the fight was not yet over. I learned
also that all the Indians of the village
were in danger of being massacred,
because almost all the men were in
toxicated, or under the influence Of
Liquor Some messengers, however,
had been sent to Black Dog village,
and to other places farther up along
the st. Peter river (now the Mime
sofa river, to let them know the sad
state of affairs at Kaposia. Such news
electrified the Sioux, and they ran
Immediately to the place of slaughter
to repulse the common enemy, or to
die with their friends and relations.
They were indeed aroused by a noble
sentiment-sentiment which God has
implanted in the heart of man towards
his people, his friends and relations,
and which will never be extinguished,
except, perhapS,~in the heart of the
brute, who says: There is no God"
The situation of the poor Indians at
Kaposia saddened me very much, and
brought into my mind my sacerdotal
obligations. Several men, women and
children, unbaptiZed, are now perhaps
dying at Little Crows village; thither
1 must co. 1 said to myself; eff 1
would baptize only one child before
his death my trouble would be well
rewarded" [ had no horse, but I
could then walk seven or eight miles
without any difficulty. I took infor-
nation about the road to Kaposia and
started. l went on one mile, when I
saw before me two roads, and 1 took
the wrong one. 1 came down the hill
and proceeded along the Mississippi
towards st. Paul, until perceiving my
mistake, I returned to the place of
the two roads, and this time went
right.
The sun was setting when 1 reached
Little Crows village, where 1 heard
great lamentations and mourning
Many beloved ones had been killed,
some others had been wounded, and
were in danger of death. Parents,
relatives and friends wept bitterly,
and made the air resound with these
words: my son is deadp' my bro
Their is dead!' etc., and repeated the
same again and again. Their hearts
bleeding with grief and sorrow made
them cry in the most lamentable and
pitiful manner; and they refused to be
comforted, because many beloved ones
were no more. Kaposia was then like
Rama after the massacre of the chill
dren ordered by Herod, and executed
by his cruel soldiers. "a voice in
Rama was heard, lamentation and
great mourning: Rachel bewailing her
children, and would not be eomforted,
because they are not. MATTHEW, H.,
49, And Jeremias, xxi, Is: "a voice
was heard on high of lamentation, of
mourning and weeping, of Rachel
weeping for her children, refusing to
be. comforted because they are not"
I visited the wounded, but as 1 could
not explain we'll in their language the
principal doctrines of our holy faith, 1
had to procure an interpreter.
crossed in a canoe to the opposite side
of the Mississippi, where / got my in
terpreter, half-breed Sioux, and went
back to Kaposia with him. We visited
the wounded, instructed them in our
holy faith, as much as circumstances
permitted, and baptized two of them.
At half-past 10 o'clock my interpreter
wished to go home, and invited me to.
leave the village with him, telling me
that it was dangerous for me to pass
the night there, l refused to comply
with his request fearing that some Of
the wounded might die during the
night, and [ desired to be present
in order to help them to make a good
preparation for death. He went home,
and 1 spent the night in the village,
where lamentation and mourning had
no end.
In the morning, before L left Ka-
posia, 1 saw a few Indians mutilating
the corpse of a Chippewa warrior
That scene inspired me with horror,
and l went to another place. On the
same day, across the river at Pigs
Eye, saw the body of a Sioux woman
who had been killed in the garden of
F. Gamelle her husband. small
piece of her scalp had been cut off
and carried away by the Chippewas.
Little Crow, the chief of the village,
lost three sons, and a fourth one,
being wounded, was in danger of death
He became enraged against the few
families that lived at Pigs Eye, al
most opposite Kaposia. He COM
planned that they had given no in
formation to the Sioux of the arrival
of the Chippewa warriors, though they
could have done it, and prevented the
disaster he had suffered. 1t was, no
doubt, an error, but, eXasperated by his
misfortune, and being under such an
impression, he gave orders to destroy
all these families the following day
in the morning; SO Twas told. Wheth-
er it was a fact or rumor only all
these families, except half-breed
family, fed away and came to the
Mississippi island, crossed by the Wa
basha etreet bridge, to save their lives.
The few families then living at st.
Paul took also refuge in the same
island. During the night Isaac La
bissonniere went to Fort Smelling to
ask prompt assistance in order TO pre-
vent the massacre of some fifteen fam
lilies encamped on the island. Troops
were sent down the river without de-
lay in barge. Order and confidence
were re-established.
I visited several times Little Crows
village from Mendoza before starting
with the F'renieres for Lake Traverse,
where spent some days in the fall of
1912 A RAVOUX.
Used in millions of Demonstrations
and less observation-disclosures members
demand the best-Dr. Prices Baking
Powder.
Gribble Talks.
To the Editor of the Globe.