The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-10-23
INDIAN UPRISING OF '62
Thrilling Story Of Dr.. T. v. Earle of
Rochester, N. Y, Beaver Falls
Boy in 1862.
continued from Last Week

But / could not keep both eyes IN
front. To tell the. truth / did not
trust them as Mr.. Henderson did
and noticed soon that the Indians
/ began to gather in our rear. One
after another joined until they were
all together and following us at
about twenty rods distance. | told
Mr.. Henderson that didn't like the
Hooks of things. but he said it was
all right and according to agree
ment. My reply was that we could
get along without a guard if only
they would keep away.
We had just reached the foot of a
little descent and the Indians were
at the top Of it, when they fired the
! first shot, a single one which passed
over our heads and landed a short
distance ahead. Dave Carrothers,
much excited, lodged and shouted
'look out" No one else uttered a
sound. but hurried on. Of course
we soon found that we could never
take that buggy out of reach of the
Indians and that to attempt to do it
meant death. We could not pos
sibly do Mrs. Henderson any good
either by remaining. for we could
not defend her, nor by trying to
to take her along. which was i'm
possible. And hard as it was we
were obliged to abandon her and
her two little girls, one and three or
perhaps two or four years old. Mr..
Henderson said that he could not
leave his wife and for this we all
honored him. Wedge said that Mrs.
Henderson had nursed him in his
sickness and he would not leave her.
By this time the Indians were firing
quite rapidly and every instant some
one had narrow escape. So we
left them, uncertain as to their fate,
hoping yet fearful.
1t seemed that as soon as we left
the buggy the Indians ceased firing
Ipon it and one after another all
but two or three passed it and came
on after US. We began to hope
they might be spared, but directly
we saw firing from the rear of the
buggy, and very shortly | saw Mr..
Henderson emerge from the middle
of the line of Indians (for they had
formed a line with extremes about
10 or IL rods apart and run rapidly
toward US. We slackened our pace
and waited for him.
Every one of the sixteen Indians
discharged both barrels of his gun
at Mr.. Henderson, and | do not
doubt that some reloaded and fl re
again. How a man could come al
most unhurt through such storm
of bullets is very strange. He was
not entirely unhurt. They had shot
the hat off his head and his shirt
was riddled on both sides of his
body. The fore finger of the right
hand was shot off at the first joint
and the second finger had a slit from
the middle joint to the end.
He said that Wedge was dead and
that he thought his wife and chill
dren had also been killed but he was
not certain. He afterwards told me
his story in detail. 1t seems that
nearly all of the Indians passed the
wagon without giving them any
attention, but the last two, who
were at a short distance behind,
fired upon them. He shouted at
them but Mrs. Henderson told him
to take off pillow case and hold it
up as flag Of truce. This he did
but they fired again and shot off the
finger that held it. Then they
stopped and made sign which he
and Wedge understood to take hold
of the buggy and take it back. So
each one took an end Of the neck
yoke and started to turn when the
Indians fired again and Wedge fell.
He then ran back to the wagon, but
as the Indians continued to fire he
suddenly resolved to leave his wife
and try to save himself. So he
started to come to us.
| We were fleeing from the Indians
yet we were not going as fast as we
might and we maintained a show OF
defense although not a gun had been
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