The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1901-02-27

camp. which was then near the
HazelWood Mission. On nv arrival
at Little Grow S camp, council was
called, and was asked by Grow and
the council to read and translate
letter written by Gen. Sibley, that
was found on the battle ground Of
Birch Coolie. I did so, and a letter
IN ansWlr was written by Joseph
Campbell, dictated by Grow aud the
council. It was then decided by
the council that two mixed bloods
should be chosen to take this
answer to Gen. Sibley at Fort Ridg-
ley. Thomas Robinson was one of
the men picked out to go, and one
after another of the mixed bloods
were picked. but none dared to 90
with him. Tom then came to me
and told me no one would 90 with
him. | asked him to 90 and ask
Grow to let me go with him. He
did so; but Grow shook his head and
told him to go and find some one
else; but none could be found. I
then told him I would go with him
and ask Grow myself if he would let
me go. We went to him and [
asked him, as no one else could be
got to go with Tom, if he would let
me 60. He laughed and said, Are
you not afraid to go? I told him,
These were not times to be afraid:
which seemed to please him, and he
said, All right, you two then can 90,
but be sure and come back Before
we started Goodthunder came to
me and said, I shall depend on You
to let Gen. Sibley know that Taopi,
myself and others are looking and
waiting for chance to return to
the whites, and to take what white
prisoners we have with US, and ask
him what he would advise us to do.
When | returned from the fort
the first time, I brought an answer
from Gen. Sibley to this verbal mes
sage of Goodthunder's. Between
this time and the second time went
to the fort, the SO called peace party
had commenced working with Good
thunder, its leader among the lower
Sioux. The night before I went to
the fort the second time, Good
thunder came to me about ten O clock
at night and said, We, who have
been friendly to the whites and
want to do something toward
rescuing the prisoners, have had a
secret talk and want to write a letter
to Gen. Sibley, but don't known
how we can do so, as we are very
closely watched I asked him if he
knew what the message was. He
said, / do, because there are but
two of us working on this move and
| am one Of them. [ told him [
had piece of paper and a short
pencil, and that if he could manage
to get me some kind of light, and at
the same time see again the others
of the party, and ask them if they
wished me to write their letter, [
would do so. He went out and re-
turned after a time with a short
piece of candle and said they wished
me to write the letter. With a
blanket over my head and the can
die lit under it, I wrote the letter as
be dictated it. It was just few
lines. [ don t remember the word
ing now, but it can be found in the
historical records of Minnesota. I
then asked him whose name [ should
put to the letter. He said, sTaopi's
and mine, but put Taopi's first l
did so. He then thought a moment
and said, Add to it Wabasha's
name, for while he dares not do any
thing, he is a friend with u.s.
After my return from the fort the
second time, was worked and
brought about the plans for the
rescuing of the prisoners, in which
we were greatly helped by a portion
of the upper Sioux, and in which
Goodthunder took conspicuous
part. No one should question Good
thunder S entire loyalty during
those terrible times, and 40 one who
was not there can realize the diff
culties under which he had to work,