The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-10-27
THE CAUSES ANDRtSULTS0FIHE |NKPADUTAH MASSACRE
Paper Read BY Thomas Hughes Before State
Historical Society," Monday, Oct 9, 1905.


discovered in the brush back of his cabin,
probably murdered by these Indians in
retaliation for that Sunday attack. The
people of Judson and Nicolet townships
formed another volunteer company at
Bean as their captain. After building a
fort of some saw mill logs they march
ed to Swan Lake where as usual the old
Sisseton chief, Sleepy Eye, had his vii
lage and requested him and his follow
ers to quit their ancient home. The
courier Captain Dodds had dispatched
to Fort Smelling for aid reached there
Monday morning, and Colonel Smith was
! ordered to Mankato at once with 100
soldiers. He advanced with great delib
eratiOns. spending two days at Belle
PLANE. Doubtless he had heard the
rumor, which had ben carried to nearly
all the eastern towns of the state, to the
effect that Mankato and st. Peter had
been captured and burnt by 900 Yank-
ton and Sisseton Sioux and that this
savage horde were sweeping down the
Minnesota valley with fire and toma
hawk Even St Paul organized militia
companies expecting the barbarian foe
would be upon them soon. Colonel Smith
and his force did not reach MankatO UNI
til Saturday, April 18th, and after spend
ing three or four days accommodating as
far as the Watonwan and finding no
| Indians he returned
The excitement now began to abate
! and things soon assumed their accus-
toned tranquility. In the meantime
! Inkpadutah and his murderOus band
had retired unmolested to their old
haunts beyond the Big Sioux, carrying
THEN plumber and prey with them, and
were encamped by what is now known
as Lake Madison in South Dakota.
! Here they were found about the 9TH
of May by Max -pi-ya hO-ton Sound
ing heavens) and Se-ha hO-ta (Grey
Foot, two young Sioux who had been
Christianized by the missionaries Riggs
and Williamson The young men were
out hunting when they heard that a
band of Wahpekutahs were camped at
! Lake Madison having three white wom-
en- as captives, the fourth, Mrs.
| Thatcher. had been killed when cross
ing the Big Sioux. They at once set
about rescuing the women, but it took
all the property they had to
purchase the release of one, and the
choice fell on Margaret Ann Marble.
The young men treated her with the
utmost kindness and on May 2lst, 1857,
delivered her to DR.. Riggs and later
were given small reward by the gov
eminent for this service. The matter
of rescuing the other two women was
now taken up by DIR. Riggs and Judge
Flandreau, and on the 30th day of May,
three Christian Indians, Paul Ma zaku-
and Che tan-maza grass were sent on
the difficult mission. Before they
reached the hostiles. Mrs Noble had
been killed. but they managed to pur-
chase the release of Miss Gardner. and
on June 23rd, at the Fuller House in
st. Paul she was formally delivered by
them to the governor.
About the last of June son of Ink
padutah ventured down to the camp of
White Lodge on the Yellow Medicine
in quest of a wife. His presence there
/ coming to the knowledge of the. author
| tiles, detachment of soldiers and
friendly Indians were sent to apprehend
him and as he was trying to escape
he was shot and killed by one of the
Indians. The government now insisted
that the Indians punish the Inkpadutah
murderers on penalty of withholding
their annuities until it was done. After
much protest on the part of the Indians
they were finally induced to undertake
IAN expedition after the outlaws They
left Yellow Medicine on July 22nd. in
charge of A. j. Campbell, the United
States interpreter There were in this
party hundred and six Indians, prom
inent among whom was the notorious
Little Crow and four half breeds. two
OF whom were John and Baptiste
Campbell, who some years later were
hung at NIankato. 1t is claimed that
this expedition came upon Inkpadutahs
band about July 2Sth, near Lake Madi-
son in South Dakota and killed three
OF them and captured two squaws and
a boy. This was the only attempt
made to punish these murderers.
The band soon after this fled with
their chief into the British possessions
far beyond Prince Albert, where, it is
said, some of their descendants still
| live
! Thus do we recall the first of our
Sioux massacres, a time that tried the
souls of the pioneers. It's origin was
unfortunate and its results disastrous.
1t cost the whites the loss of some
mr. hut "a Al