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

pointed to act with the officers
in making such arrangements for an
annual reunion as may be necessary.
Besides the addresses there were two
ball games, one between the Cambria
and CORTLAND clubs, which resulted
in favor of Cambria by score of ten
to seven. The other game was
played between the ST. Peter
team and a club made up from
the New Ulm and Lake Crystal clubs,
and resulted in favor of St. Peter by
a score of 16 to l. The St. Peter band
furnished some very fine music during
the day.
DR.. Welcome gave short address
referring to the events leading up to
the discovery Of America and the in.
fluence of our free institutions upon
the world.
He was followed by Judge Buck,
who referred to the Indian troubles
of the early days. Said that while he
enlisted in a company at South Bend
and went to New Ulm,an from there
back to Mankato, he did noti have
much experience in the Indian war.
He drew contrast with the cOndi-
tions existing in those days with the
present, referring to the many hard
ships suffered by the settlers at that
time. He then excused himself say
ing he had no idea he was to be called
on to talk.
Col. Pfaender. of New Ulm. was
then called on, and related numerous
incidents connected with the Indian
war. He said he thought the people
at New Ulm had never been given
the full credit they deserve for the
defense they made during the first at
tack of the Indians on that place. Had
they been defeated there is no ques.
tion but that the Indians would have
swept down the Minnesota valley and
the loss of life and destruction Of
property would have been great.
They were most grateful for the aid
rendered them by St. Peter and Man
kato. He said that the settlers con-
tended against great odds. They
were poorly armed, Some were not
armed at all while the majority had
only shotguus. On the other hand
the Indians were we'll armed with
Sharpe's rifles. He referred to the
cunning the Indians exhibited in
their attack upon the whites, going
in twos and threes in supposedly
friendly manner, and then suddenly
turning upon them and killing them.
He related many interesting incid.
ences in connection with the uprising.
Thos. Hughes, of this city, follow
ed with the main address of the &C.
casion, giving brief account Of the
Indian uprising and the savage war
that followed. In part he said:
Thirty-six years ago witnessed the
beginning of the most bloody Indian
massacre known to history and if it's
stirring events had not been dwarfed
by falling in the very midst of the
greatest conflict of modern times
they would stand forth with much
more prominence on the historic
page.
On strip of land ten miles wide
extending from the westerly line of
the counties of Nicollet and Brown
125 miles up the south side of the
Minnesota river, the government had
gathered 5000 Sioux Indians, GEN.
tered mostly about two principal
points, known as the Lower and Up
per agencies, one only twenty miles
from the city of New Ulm and the
other thirty miles further up the
river. Two thousand Winnebago
Indians occupied six townships Of
Blue Earth county adjoining the
towns Of Mankato, South Bend and
Garden City. Not far from the north
line of Nicollet county were 5000
Chippewas, while the great plains
along the western line of the state
teemed with rowing bands of Yank-
ton Sioux numbering 5000 to 10000
people. All along the Minnesota and
it's tributaries the settlers mingling
with the Indians had located and
were fast transforming the tangled
wilderness into cultivated fields.
The great civil war was at it's
height. 1t taxed to the utmost
every resource of the nation and was
the one all absorbing theme Fami-
liarity with his savage neighbors had
made the pioneer Indifferent to their
presence and wholly oblivious of any
peril.
On Sunday morning, Aug. 18th,
1862, the Sioux agent. Maj. Thos. J.
Galbraith, with fifty able bodied
men whom he had just recruited
from the upper and lower agencies
left Fort Rdgley for Fort Smelling.
The same morning Lieut.. Sheehan
with fifty soldiers of Co. G, 9Th Regt.
who had been temporarily stationed