The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-10-16
INDIAN UPRISING OF 81
Thraing Story Of Dr.. {. Y. Earle Of
Rochester, N. Y, Beaver Falls
Boy in 1862.

At the outbreak Of the Sioux
Indians1in Minnesota in 1862. the
settlement on the Beaver creek,
Renville county, besides my fathers
family. consisted, SO far as ! know,
of Mr.. Wichman and family; Mr..
Schmidt and family; Mr.. Henderson.
wife and two little girls about one
and three years old; David Carroth-
ers, wife and three children, the
youngest baby; James Carrothers
and wife and two children; David
Hunter; and young man named
John Doyle. Ipresume that was his
name, though being Irish, he pro-
nounced it Dial. Farther down the
creek were other settlers, but / did
not become acquainted with them.
The Beaver creek, like all other
water courses in Minnesota, runs in
a valley much lower than the prairie
land, the bottoms and sides of the
bluffs being quite thickly timbered.
The course is about north and south
and the creek empties into the Min
nesota river about two miles from
our location.
About three miles east from Beav-
er creek is the Birch Coolie creek
and still farther east. about eigh-
teen miles distant, was Fort Ridgely.
West of Beaver creek about two and
one-half or three miles is another
creek, emptying into the Minnesota
river, on which was settlement of
Swedes. The Redwood Agency was
distant about six miles and was in
plain view from our house. At the
agency were stores, blacksmith shop,
saw mill, and so forth. The govern
ment maintained a physician who
treated the Indians and furnished
medicines to them without cost, a
head farmer to teach them how to
run a farm, a sawyer, school teach
ers and so forth, with whom | be-
came acquainted later. The mission
airy, Mr.. Williamson, whose father
had also spent a life time as mission
airy among the Indians, was born and
reared near the agency.
Of course the greatest need after
reaching the settlement was a house,
and father lost no time in procuring
lumber at the agency in exchange
for a COW. The lumber was cotton
wood and green. but it answered
the need as frame and covering
boards. AS soon as it was enclosed,
even before it was shingled, we
moved into the new house which
consisted of two rooms, one down
stairs and one upstairs.
We broke" several acres of
ground and planted it to corn, not
expecting any crop except stalks
which would serve as fodder for
cattle during the winter. Father
also went to ST. Peter, sixty miles,
and purchased a moving machine
with which began haying. The
country has numerous swales or low
wet places, some of them having
water three or four feet deep in the
center. The ordinary. prairie grass
was not tall enough for hay, but
around the borders of the swales
where the ground was damp the
grass grew to a good height, and
farther in, the swale was covered
with cat-tail and other flags higher
than mans head. 1t was in the
grass about these swales that l be-
gan the work of making hay for
winter and must have secured thirty
or forty tons before being obliged
to abandon it.
The cattle and sheep ran at large
during the day but were driven
and kept in yards enclosed by rail
fence at night. The horses were
always turned loose when not at
work and they with others belong
inp to the other settlers formed q
| herd of about twenty which always
ran free day and night unless at
work.
i On Sundays there was generally,
or, at least. frequently, preaching
by the missionary, Mr.. Williamson,
the church being Mr.. Henderson's
front yard. The pulpit was wholly
imaginary, and for pews used chairs,
boxes, blocks of wood, or. when all