The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-07-01

I the historic battle took place. The In
dams surrounded the village and fought
desperately but a just account of their
cruelties can hardly be given by pen
pictures.
Joseph Dilley, who afterwards mar
ried one of my sisters, and a Mr.. Rob-
inson of Lake Crystal, went to New
Ulm to verify reports and left just
twenty minutes before the town was
attacked. The Indians, decked in their
war costumes of paint and feathers,
almost naked, mounted on their ponies
were seen by them coming across the
prairies from all directions and com
pletely surrounding the village. They
had much heavy timber to pass through
and putting spurs to their horses, they
made a mad but successful flight for
their lives and were back at Garden
City within a few hours The New
leave as they expected the Indians to
attack them any moment; however
they had promised the people at Garden
City that if they We're alive they would
return that day and bring them true
reports of the affairs there.
The siege lasted all that day and
night and it is said that their retreat
next morning was partly caused by a
| piece of strategy. There is nothing
which fills the Indian with more fear
than the sight of artillery and some of
the citizens had mounted stove pipe on
carts and with anvils to help make the
necessary noise, the Indians were led to
believe that cannon had been brought
| during the night. 1t is supposed that
| the Indian loss in this battle was very
| heavy, but no accurate account can be
given, as they took their dead with
them. The settlers who only had one
hundred fifty defenders in the vii
lage, lost but eight who were killed
| and sixty wounded, number of which
died later for lack of care. In all one
thus leaving but fortynn sim stand
| ing, which hardly furnished adequate
room for the twenty-five hundred wom-
EN- and children who had gathered here.
| 1t was decided to leave and a caravan
I of one hundred fifty wagons carried the
people to Mankato and the little vii
lage of New Tim was completely de-
serted for time.
General Sibley, after a hard fought
campaign, succeeded in capturing a
large number who took part in this
massacre and later three hundred three
of the Indians and half breeds were
condemned to death. They were held
in close confinement in camp between
Mankato and South Bend on the bank
of the Minnesota river The anger of
were planned to rush upon them and
put them to death, and because of this
a detachment of cavalry and infantry
were sent to the camp to prevent any
thing of the kind taking place; too,
Governor Ramsey issued a proclamation
entreating the people not to take such
action. This intended destruction of SO
many lives aroused the sympathy of
the leading papers and citizens of the
country as they were beginning to real
ize that these cruelties committed by
the Indians came as result of the
innumerable wrongs and frauds perpe-
trated upon them by the agents of the
government. On Dec. Z, 1862, a month
after their capture, President Lincoln
ordered that out of the three hundred
4 hraa b.rtr h.,
selected to suffer the penalty of death
on Dec. 26, 1862. Martial law was
proclaimed at Mankato on Dec "a and
was in force within radius of six
teen miles. At the same time the
friends and relatives of the condemned
were asked to bid them farewell for
the last time here on earth. There
were many expressions of tender feel
ings shown among them at this point,
and many messages were sent to alb
sent ones who were held dear to the
Indians.
When the date arrived for the exc
cution of the death penalty, Rev. Riggs,
one of their own missionaries, read to
them the sentence of death in the
Sioux language. This was very i'm
pressive scene and during the time all
the Indians except one, remained un-
moved. They were notified to choose
the religion in which they would like
to die. All but three of the thirty
Eine became Catholics, although hereto
fore they had always been under the
spiritual guidance of Protestant min
listers. On this morning of the execu-
ton Father RavouX also went among
them and encouraged them to face the
death meted out for them bravely;