The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-11-20


overbearing. One Of them took
down Mr.. Earle's gun and was go
ing off with it, when Mr. Earle took
/ it away from him. The Indian said
they were going to kill Chippewas
and would return the gun. but Mr..
Earle refused to let them have it,
and they went to the back Of the
house and sat down on woodpile,
as if for consultation.
Mr.. Earle had his teams ready to
haul hay. As they were about to
start, his sons saw a number of
Indians, about mile out on the
prairie, trying to catch some horses
belonging to the settlers. Mr..
Earle, with two others, started to
stop them. The Indians told them
they only wanted the horses to go
on the war path against the Chip
pewas, and Mr.. Earle found it was
useless to interfere with them. Just
as Mr.. Earle returned to his house,
man named voightman arrived
with the startling news that the
Indians had broken out and were
killing all the whites at the Lower
Agency. He said he had seen a
number shot down before he had
escaped, and had fled to Beaver
Creek in the hope of getting his
wife and children to Fort Ridgely.
The alarm soon spread through
out the settlement, and the men at
once proceeded to take the women
and children from their homes to
the house Of Mr.. Earle. There were
six families soon at the rendezvous,
and it was decided that all should
start at once to Fort Ridgely. At
first | refused to go. | was not in
the least afraid that the Indians
would do me or my two little chill
dren any harm, but my husband S
brother, David Carrothers, insisted,
and the rest of the friends begged
me to accompany them, and at last
| consented.
We carried poor Mrs. Henderson,
then almost in dying condition, on
a feather bed from her house to Mr..
Earle's and laid her in wagon.
Our party had three wagons, the
one containing Mrs. Henderson and
her two children in the rear. The
other women and children rode in
the other two; the men walked
alongside. The road to Fort Ridge
ly ran over the prairie.
Soon after we started, the four
Indians who had been sitting on the
woodpile watching our movements
| followed us and came close to the
wagons. Then for the first time
realized that there was serious trou-
BILE. Very forcibly came to my
mind the declaration of an Indian
in my house about two weeks be-
fore: eve are going to kill all the
whites in the settlement but you;
you shall live with me and be my
squaW." But as he had been drink
ing, at the time paid no attention
to what he said.
i We had not gone more than half 9
mile when, to our horror, consider.
able number of Indians perhaps 7g
in all rose up out of the tall prairie
grass and surrounded us. / was the
only one in the company who coulc
speak their language. | stood up If
the wagon and asked the leader Of
the band what they meant to do
He replied: I'VE are going to xii
you all!' | knew he expressed theil
real purpose, | pleaded for oul
lives. | reminded them how | hae
always been their good friend; how
| had lived among them and hat
been often carried to their tepee.
on the backs of their women; that
and my children loved the Indial
people as we did our own. Surely,
| said, you will not kill me or my
children, when you all love us a
if we were Of your tribe. Why xii
my friends? To take our lives cal
do no possible good. If you shoe
US down, like dogs, the Great Spiri
will be very angry and will aveng'
our blood and bring woe and troubl,
to your nation
The leader replied that he woult
like to spare our lives, but that al