The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1908-04-08
DR.. EARLE HEARD FROM.
Letter Written to Mrs. N. D. White About
the Capture Of that Lady.

NJ :. N d. White, who will be re-
m tbered in this visin;ty as one of
the aptives Of the Sioux Indians at
the ne IF he outbreak of 1862,
recently received a letter from DR..
Earle, the author of the letters
printed last summer which excited
general crest By the permission
of Mrs. White we reprint the letter
entire:
Dear Mrs. White Your letter
was duly received and was an i'm
mense surprise to me and gave me
great pie ure wish | could see
you and haye good long visit with
you. Think of it-more than As
years hive passed since saw you,
and it doesn't seem SO very long
either. The last time | saw you was
after the Indians had shaken hands
with you and you stood there with
the baby in your arms and waved a
white handkerchief and called out to
the other women to let them know
that you were still safe, and because
of that the rest of the women volun-
tarily stopped. tell you those were
trying times. | well remember
hearing you say something like this:
well, whatever happens, can't go
any farther" 1t was hot, and you
were tired out. Those were not the
exact words used, but to the same
effect. Do you remember just what
you said? 1t seemed hard to go and
leave you there alone, but what
could we do? We couldn't defend
you if we tried. 1t was an awful
time. for we had no knowledge of
their intentions, though we all
thought that all who fell into their
hands would be killed. How anxious
ly we watched you standing there
and how surprised and pleased we
were when we saw the Indians go
up to you and shake hands and mo-
ton to you to go back. can see it
as plain today as | did on that 18th
of August.
/ had only a very short visit at
Millard's. | hoped to have a long
talk with him, but fate ruled other
wise. While there I had the pleas
ure of reading your story. though
very hastily. Where can | get a
copy of it? You very kindly sent
Mrs. TarbePs story, which | have
read once and will soon send it back
| wish to read it again. / don't re-
member her speech to the Indians
but | remember that after they
stopped us Mr.. Henderson went for
ward and had a talk with them.
Poor Henderson! Two weeks from
that day | saw his wife and two little
girls buried, and two days after
ward | saw him buried at Birch
Cooley. He told me at Fort Ridgley
about what happened at the wagon
after | left them. Twas hard ex-
perience. ] believe, in fact | know,
that | was the last person to speak
to your son Eugene, and the last
words he ever uttered were, ''My
leg is broken" We were ascending
a ridge and Eugene happened to be
ahead of Chalon. An Indian fired
at Chalon, and he lodged. If he
hadn't it would have hit him between
the shoulders. The bullet went on
and struck Eugene in the leg. He
fell, but Immediately sat up and
grasped his right knee with both
hands. There was a look on his face
face that | can't describe, but it is so
plain to me even now that if | could
draw a portrait | could picture it
exactly. 1t was a look of surprise
and of despair. / ran up to him
and asked if he was hit, and he an
sWered, Eyes, my leg is broken. "
But he Immediately got up and ran
or rather hobbled on little way,
but soon turned to the left and lay
down behind a bunch of tall grass
or weeds. Well, that was long
time ago, but / can't forget it. My
memory dosn't even seem to grow
dim.
Our families have had many
changes since then. OF my fathers
/ family only Ella and I remain, and
perhaps Hermon. We haven't heard
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