The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-08-27
DIARY TELLS STORY OF INDIAN
FIGHT,
FIGHT IT,.

little monument to remind posterity
| that where it stands were committed
the first murders of the bloody Sioux
massacre of 1862. In Minneapolis yes
terday was found by soldier in the
battle that followed his time stained
diary, kept night after night during
| those times of peril and bloodshed The
little book teens with adventure, al
| though it was written less than fifty
years ago. Its owner and it's writer is
| William c. Allan, a real estate dealer
in the Kasota. block.
| The first murders of the massacre
occurred Sunday, Aug. II, on the farm
of Howard Baker, at Action, then a
group of log houses. The place is
| twelve miles southwest of Litchfeld
and four miles south of Grove City.
Four Sioux, in an ugly mood, rode up
while the Bakers were entertaining
several friends. Leaving the whites
temporarily without ammunition by
! the ruse of shooting at a mark, the
Sioux killed four of the settlers, re-.
turned to the agencies on the Mime
sofa river and aroused their tribes
men to an outbreak in which hun
dreds of pioneers were killed.
Exercises This Afternoon.
The exercises at the spot on which
Howard Bakers log house stood will
begin at 2 p. m. today. Senator j. w.
Wright, who secured the appropriation
for the monument or marker, will pre-
side, and addresses will be made by
Henry Feig of Atwater and w. w.
Sivright of Hutchinson.
Among those at Action today are
several residents of Minneapolis who
took an active part in suppressing the
outbreak They are James Martin, A.
H. Rose, William C. Allan, j. c. Hig
gins, and d. G.. Handy. An interesting
/ participant is Jesse B. Branham, who
participated in the defenses of Forest
City and Hutchinson and who gave val
liable services as scout.
In searching among his old effects
yesterday, Mr. Allan came across the
diary he kept in 1862, when he enlisted
as a citizen soldier with Captain
Strout, to assist in 9uelling the Sioux
outbreak.
The diary pictures in graphic manner
the incidents of the brief but event
full campaign.
Captain Strout had only partially
enrolled his company, which was to be
company B of the Ninth Minnesota in
fantry, when word was received of the
murder of the Baker family at Acton
and Captain Strout was directed to as
semble his men and proceed forwith
to the settlements in Wright, Meeker
and ad joining counties to reassure the
settlers and proceed against the In
dams.
| Captain Strout mustered about TWEEN
ty men of his company and forty-five
Minneapolis citizens volunteered to go
with him. The march to Hutchinson
was made by way of Dayton, Clear
water, Forest City and Glencoe. No
Indians were seen on the march, and
Captain Strout was ordered to Acton
and other unprotected places.
The story of the subsequent events
is best told in the quaint little diary.
Diary Tells Story.
Monday, Sept. l, lS62.-Left Glen
coe and reached Hutchinson late in the
afternoon. Went into the fort and in
spected it. 1t is built of logs on their
ends. For the most part they are in
double rows. In some parts OF the fort
there are earth and sods built up to
the height of four or five feet. There
is little chance for rifle balls passing
through only part of it, unless they
pass through the portfolios, of which
there is but little likelihood. Some of
the boys resolved to have dance, and
being unable to get any girls to join
them, they went on their own hook.
Tuesday Sept. 2.-This forenoon
we were ordered to strike our tents
and steer our courses to Forest City,
by way of Acton place where the
first murders in this outbreak were
committed. This place is twenty eight
miles west of Hutchinson and about
fifteen from Forest City. This is the
first time that we had got outside of
the line of all present settlements and
into the country where the Indians had
actually committed murders. We pitch
ed our tents in the yard of Bakers
house, and more dismal looking place
I never saw.
Description of Battle.
"wednesday, Sept. 3.-This has been
the most eventful day of my life thus
far, and 1 may well hope never to
meet it's like again. At about eleven
o'clock last night three horsemen,
among them Jesse B. Brannam, rode
into our camp from Forest City,
bringing the startling news that they,
with others, had had battle with the
Indians on yesterday, and the day be-
| fore, and that the Indians aid yester-
day compelled them to retreat, and
had wounded one of their men. They
came to get Captain Strout's company
to reinforce them and to warn us of
our danger. 1 was put on guard from
little after the time they came until
morning, with strict orders to shoot
anything in the form of man that
would not halt at my command, but |
saw nothing to shoot at, but one of
/