The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-08-26

OF all these causes was the natural
savage heart ever instinctively bent
on murder and plumber. For several
weeks secret society known as the
soldiers lodge had been organized by
the Indians of the lower agency for
the purpose of fomenting mischief.
1t seemed to the Indian braves that
the Great Spirit had placed the pale
faces at their mercy and now was the
opportunity to annihilate all west of
the Mississippi and take their goods
for spoil. 1t was, therefore, deter
mined at a large Indian council as.
sembled at Rice creek a few miles
from the lower agency on the after
noon of this memorable Sunday of
August 18th that just as soon as the
six Thousand enlisted men then
gathering at Fit. Smelling had been
sent south the terrible blow should
be struck. But a merciful Provid-
ence FASTENED the hour. This same
Sunday afternoon a few hot headed
young braves who had left the lower
agency few days before on a hunt
ing expedition got into quarrel with
one Alexander Jones, who kept a
tavern and had liquors for sale, at
Acton, Meeker county. The quarrel
arose over a gun which Jones claimed
to have loaned to the Indians.
Smarting under the abuse which
Jones and his wife heaped upon
them and perhaps, Though this is
denied,) melted somewhat by the
tirewater, they treacherously shot and
killed Jones and four other persons
with him. Realizing what the con-
sequence might be they stole team
of horses from a neighbor. and drove
home to the lower agency at once,
reaching there soon after midnight
and informed their relatives and
friends what they had done.
In the council hastily con-
vened at that unreasonable
hour of night it was determin-
ed in in order to save these young
men from thevengeance of the whites
to begin the massacre at once, that
Monday morning. Soon after day.
break the Indians armed and decked
for war assembled in great numbers
at the lower agency and without the
slightest warning the harvest of death
began. Very few escaped that awful
massacre. Hundreds of the savages
now scattered in bands of six to a
dozen all over the adjacent country
butchering the surprised settlers
without regard to age or sex, and
plundering and burning their build
ings. At ten o'clock the news reached
Fort Ridgely and soon the
roadswere full of refugees, many Of
whom fell victims to the tomahawk
of the savages long before reaching
the fort. Capt. John S. Marsh, COM
mander at the fort, at once Dispatch
ed a messenger after Lieutenant Shee.
han and his fifty men, who had left
the fort the day before, and with for
ty-siX Of his men FASTENED toward the
lower agency, in the hope of quelling
the outbreak or protecting the SET
tlers.l spite of the awful and abund-
ant evidence Of the terrible dan
dan this handful CT brave men
pressed on into the Avs Of death un-
til they reached the crossing Of the
river close by the agency. There
they were, ambushed by hordes of say
ages and Jwenty.three of them were
killed and five wounded. In attempt
ing to ford the river on the retreat
Capt. Marsh was drowned.
About noon, @. Il. Wykoff, clerk of
the Indian commission, with four COM
panions, reached the fort, having with
them the long expected annuities
amounting to 1000 in gold. Had
they arrived day or two earlier, the
terrible massacre might have been
aVerted. x
The news Of the outbreak had first
reached New Ulm, Monday noon by
some French Indian traders who hav-
ing been attacked on the road to
the Agency came rushing back to
the village with their wagons full of
refugees. The fleeing settlers soon
came pouring in, some wounded some
bereft of all their loved ones, each
with separate tale of horror and of
woe and all adding to the awful terror
and dismay. VIM. Paddock of Man
kato, happened to be at New Ulm
when the news first reached there
and getting chance to ride a pony
which Joe Robert, a French half
breed was returning to Mendoza,
he went with Joe as far as Nicollet
giving the alarm. There they parted
company. Joe going on to St. Peter
with the two ponies while Mr.. Pad
dock footed it about four or five miles
to the farm of Evan Bowen, near Eu.
reka. Bowen was stacking and with
out waiting to change the hayrack