Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-06-21
INCIDENTS OF THE
SIOUX MASSACRE,
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kind, but in spite of this advice
"Swede Charley" started out for the
potato patch. Mr.. Foote, in telling
the story, now admits that he himself
at the time began to think that the
Indians were sincere in their profess
sions of good will and friendship, and
acting in accordance with this belief,
took the kettle and started for one of
those old Virginia rail fences, a short
distance from the house, where an In
dian stood. AS soon as Mr.. Foote
caught the eye of the Indian he real
lied that the redskin intended murder,
and dropping the kettle started to run
for the house. AS Mr.. Foote turned
the Indian whipped out a gun from
under his blanket and fired. The
shot struck him in his back and he
fell. At the same time another Indian,
standing near the corner of the cabin
some distance in front of him fired, but
his falling just as the gun was dis
charged the shot passed over him, and
his wife rushed out and dragged him
into the house. After getting into the
cabin Mr.. Foote dragged himself up to
a window on one side of the room with
his gun in his hands and killed one
Indian; then he pulled himself to the
other side, aud knocking ont some of
the thinking between the logs, he fired
and brought death to another one.
"Swede Charley" in the meantime
had met his fate outside. A few days
afterwards a company of home guards
under Captain D. c. Whitcomb found
him lying on his face dead, with his
hoe in one hand and potato in the
other.
The Indians took to the woods and
were careful not to expose themselves
the rest of that day. Mr.. Foote, in his
endeavors to even things up with the
Indians, received awound-thist time in
the breast-the bullet penetrating one
of his lungs and coming out near the
side OF his backbone. This shot 80
disabled Mr.. Foote as to render him
completely helpless. Soon after Mr..
Ericsson received a shot in the groin
which so disabled. him as to render
him incapable of further defense.
Mrs. .Foote and four of her children,
together with Mrs. Ericsson and her
nj 6uor L
family, were thus left to defend them
selves the best they could. Mr.. Swan
son proposed to open the door and
invite the Indians into the house. He
commended that it was because they had
treated the Indians so very impolite it
had angered them and brought on the
trouble; that if they would just show
to them that they were sorry for what
they had done, the Indians would for
give them and aid them in securing
assistance for the injured men. But
Mrs. Foote didn't see things just as he
did, and told him in very plain Ian
guage that if he made move toward
that door he would have his brains
blown to pieces. Mr.. Swanson being
naturally very peaceful man, thought
there might be something in what she
said and concluded that "discretion
was the better part of valor."
Mrs. Foote fired shots every now aud
then in the direction of the woods to
make the Indians believe the defenders
of the cabin were ready for every
emergency. Along in the afternoon,
as near as those in the cabin were able
to Judge, the Indians appeared to have
left, which afterwards proved to be the
case. Mr.. Swanson then made prepar-
ations to leave and with his family
moved down to what is Mr.. J. S. Rob-
bins peninsula on Foot lake. After
spending several days there he con-
cluded to 60 to Paynesville. On the
road there he was joined by French
man who had received a wound from
the Indians a few days before. AS
they were passing Cape Badluck, in
Irving, they saw band of men whom
they supposed were Indians, but who
were in reality soldiers out burying
the dead. Mr.. Swanson left his family
to fall into the hands of the Indians,
and when last seen was making tracks
across the country. AS far as the
writer of this narrative is able to make
out, nothing was ever heard of him
afterwards.
The women and the wounded men re-
manned in the cabin all that night.
The next morning Mr.. Foote persuaded
Mrs. Foote and Mrs. Ericsson to take
the children and if possible reach the
Green Lake settlement at Columbia, a
little place where Spicer now stands.
They arrived at Green Lake without
any Incidents, but on the day of the
fight at Mr.. Ericson's place the Eagle
Lake and Green Lake settlements had
taken alarm and we're already on their
way to Forest City. Not knowing
what to do, Mrs. Foote stopped at Silas
Foote'S cabin, at Green Lake, and the
next morning DR.. Masters, pretend
ing to be in search of claim, but in
reality, from many reports, trying to
escape the army draft, saw smoke is
suing from this cabin and sent his boy
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