The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-03-01
FRIEND OF WHITES.
An Interpreters RecOIlectiOns of the
Late Chief Good Thunder.

L
| Concerning Good Thunder, the
Indian chief who died last week on the
reservation near Redwood Falls, T.
A. Robertson of Verblem, S. D., an
interpreter, writes as follows:
The first [ believe seeing Good
Thunder after the commencement of
the outbreak of 1862 was on the 10Th
day of August in Little Crows camp.
Both hostile and friendly were COM
PEELED to assemble. A short time after
the second attack on Fort Ridgely was
made, and as all able bodied males
were compelled to go-I was there my
self. Good Thunder might have been
OF the party, though don't now re-
member seeing him there. 1t was
about this time that my sister and
others of the family were taken into
his tent. A few days after this
while en- the move between Little
Crows village and Yellow Medicine,
L became separated from the rest of the
family, and was taken to Red Irons
village among the upper Sioux. A day
or two after the battle of Birch Coolie
messenger was sent to Red Irons
village to take me to Little Crows
camp, which was near the Hazelwood
| mission.
On my arrival at Little Crows camp
council was called and | was asked
to read and translate letter written
by Gen. Sibley that was found on the
battle ground of Birch Coolie [ did
so. and letter in answer was written
by Joseph Campbell, dictated by Grow
and the council. 1t was then decided
by the council that two mixed bloods
should be chosen to take this answer
to Gen. Sibley at Fort Ridgely.
Thomas Robinson was one of the men
picked out to CO. and one after another
of the mixed bloods were picked, but
none dared to go with Tom. Tom then
| came to me and told me that no one
| would go with him. | asked him to
go and ask Crow to let me go with
him. He did so, but Crow shook his
head and told him to go and find some
one else, but no one could be found.
then told him 1 would go with
him and ask Crow 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 go. He laughed and
said: care you not afraid to go2'' l
told him "these were not times to be
| afraid" which seemed to please him,
and he said: "All right, you two then
can go, but be sure and come back "
Before we started, GoodThunder came
to me and said: 81 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 white pri-
soners with US, and ask him what he
| would advise us to do.
When l returned from the fort the
first time, l brought an answer from
Gen. Sibley to this verbal message of
Good Thunder s. Between this time
and the second time [ went to the fort,
the so-called peace party had COM
menced working with Good Thunder,
the leader among the lower Sioux.
The night before I went to the fort the
second time Good Thunder came to
me about 10 o'clock at night and said,
"We who have been friendly to the
whites and want to do something to-
ward rescuing the prisoners, have had
a secret talk and want to write letter
to Gen. Sibley, but don't know how
we can do SO as we are closely
watched.
| l asked him if he knew what the
message was. He said: 81 do, be-
! cause there are but two of us on this
move and l am one of them. 1 told
him had piece of paper and short
pencil, and if he could manage to get
some kind of light, and at the same
time see again the others of the party,
and ask them if they wanted me to
write their letter, I would do so. He
went out and returned after a time
with short piece of candle, and said
| they wished me to write the letter.
With blanket over my head and a
candle under it wrote the letter as he
dictated it. 1t was just few lines.
l don't remember the wording now,
but it can be found in the historical
records of Minnesota. l then asked
| him whose name l should put to the
letter. He said "Taopis and mine,
but put Taopi's first. -
I did 80. He then thought a mo-
ment and said: add to it Wabasha's
name, for while he dares not do any
thing he is friend with us. - After
my return from the fort the second
time was worked and brought about
the plans for the rescuing of the pri
soners in which we were greatly
helped by portion of the upper
Sioux and in which Good Thunder
took conspicuous part. No one should
question Good Thunder's entire loyalty
during those terrible times, and no
one who was not there can realize the
| difficulties under which he had to
work, he was and had been for a num-
Der of years an enemy of Little Crows.