The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1898-12-07
THE REDWOOD GAZETTE.
BY AIKEN & scHMAHL.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. Z, 1898.
THE MASSACRE.
Mrs, n. D. White Gives Her EXper.
fence as a Captive.

fence as a Captive.
At recent meeting OF the Mime
sofa Historical Society paper by Mrs.
N. D. White of Renville county,
mother of Mrs. T. G. Jones of this city,
was read by the secretary, Mr.. Upham.
The paper gave Mrs. Whites exper-
fence as captive of the Indians dur
ing the Sioux massacre. 1t was as
follows:
"Soon after the alarm was given, on
that terrible Monday forenoon, twen-
ty-seven neighbors assembled, men
women and children, at the house of
j. w. Earle. Teams we're soon hitch
ed to wagons, and we started on our
perilous journey. We had not pro-
ceeded far when twenty or thirty
Indians, who had secreted themselves
in ambush, rose from the tall prairie
grass on each side of our road. Nine
of our number was killed in the en-
suing fight, among them being my
oldest son, Eugene, about 16 years of
age. Eleven we're taken prisoners.
among these being myself, my babe
and my daughter IA years old. Seven
made their escape, and after great
hardships of fatigue and hunger
reached Cedar Lake and St. Peter.
"We captives we're taken across the
Minnesota river to Little Crows vii
llage, about six miles from our home
stead; and with several others l was
taken to Little Crows house, a frame
building among about sixty tepees.
On entering saw him. a large, tall
Indian, walking the floor in naughty
dignifed manner, as much as to say,
II am great" His four wives, all
sisters, were busy in packing away
plumber which had been taken from
stores and the houses of settlers.
Soon after supper Mrs. Carrothers and
myself we're escorted to tepee, where
we remained until morning, when we
were claimed by different indians.
st happened to be my lot to be
owned by Too-kon-we-chast (meaning
the stone many and his squaw. They
called me their child or big papoose.
Their owning me in this manner
saved me probably from worse fate
than death, and, although more than
quarter of a century has elapsed
since that event, strange as it may
appear to some, I cherish with kind
est feelings the friendship of my
Indian father and mother. There is
a wide difference in the moral char
acter of Indians.
"We we're commanded to make our
selves squaw ::suits, in which we
thought our looks extremely ludicrous
1 also had to lay aside my shoes fo1
moccasins. All the time I remained
in Little Crows village my bed, shawl
and sunbonnet for myself and baby
both night and day, consisted of only
one poor old cotton sheet; aud ou'
first move gave it TO an Indian te
carry while we forded the Redwood
river. Indian-like, he kept it. So my
squaw mother gave me an old, dirty
strong scented blanket, which I VA
compelled to..::wear; around me, squav
fashion.
"A week having: elapsed since VI
we're taken to Little Crows village
and the warriors having all returned
an aged Indian marched through tn
village, calling out, "Puckachee
Puckachee" and then the squaws i'm
mediately commenced taking dow
the tepees. We understoodzthat tn
'crier had given command for a nov
and soon away we went, lO7 whit
prisoners and about the same numbe
of half breeds, who called themselve
prisoners, 800 warriors, their families
and the ponies dragging the tepe
poles, loaded with their luggage 9
various kinds. We had a train tire
miles long. On either side of our pre-
cession we're mounted warriors be
decked with war paint, feathers an