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

lObbing the Indians of their money
provisions and blankets. Many of
these agents who had previously been
poor men, lived in great splendor in
the mansions erected with the money
+, thus stolen. As a result many of the
red men were suffering every privation
and were really driven to war on ac-
count of their extreme need. 1t would
have been only just to the white set
| tiers as well as to the red men, to
also have had hanging bee of these
F., dishonest agents of the government
but as it was, the law could not reach
them and thereby far the greatest
evil doors went free. 1t is well
known fact that when the Indians
are once provoked, their acts of re-
venge are terrible, and so it proved
TO be.
In the middle of August, 1862, a
draft" was being ordered all over the
United States in order to replace the
many soldiers who lost their lives on
southern battlefelds fighting for the
negro; hence but few scattered men
were left to protect the women and
children on the frontier, and this seem
ed an oppOrtune time for the Indian
to wreak vengeance upon the pale face
We We're located between the two
tribes, the Winebagos east and the
Sioux north and west of us; it was
the intention of the former to Join
the Sioux, but the latter started on
their wild pursuit of death and de-
struction before the others were quite
ready: All the neighbors for several
days had been congregated at my faith
er's little log house, heretofore pic
tured You, which was two miles north
to my home, and was situated on a
rise of ground much higher than the
surrounding country, expecting every
mOment-we know not what-an In
dian attack-as we had heard so many
reports of the wholesale massacre of
settlers in different communities. My
uncle Milton Parks, made port holes
through the logs on the west side of
fathers house so as to have them
ready in case of necessity. Many nights
we could see lights going high into the
air which proved to be signals given
by the different bands of Indians in
order to locate each other Here we re-
manned until we saw smoke rising from
in and around New Ulm on Aug. %.
1862. This was only thirty miles dis
tant from us and was quite enough to
make the 5ravest heart sink with ter
ror. The entire neighborhOod gathered
few sacks of flour and few other
necessaries, then began our wild flight
from the Indians, leaving our grain and
rude hOmes-all we had of worldly
ossessiOns-behind us. Our caravan
drove south several miles i'm order to
avoid crossing the Winnebago reserva-
ton, then due east seventy five miles
to Clermont, Minnesota.
On our first night of flight, we
halted at a farm house near Mime
sofa Lake and naturally found here
people from many districts grouped to-
gether; our neiehbOrhOod, like the 9th
ers, had nothing to eat. The lady of
the house came to our rescue-she had
plenty of milk, and with the flour
which we had with us, your humble
writer made a large number of biscuits
and each member of our party had one,
which constituted his meal for the day.
Each neighborhood had one delegated to
cook for them and so in the course of
time. each taking their turn, we were
all fed. That night the women and
children crowded inside the house while
the ever faithful men kept outside
guard. The next morning we again
took up our journey and with the
prairie chickens shot by the men and
potatoes which we gathered from the
fields as we passed, we managed to
strike camp at meal time and stop
long enough to replenish our hunger
After reaching Clermont, part of our
people made up their minds to here
remain for time, while other families
never stopped until they were safely
outside the bounds of the state, many
our good, kind husbands and fathers
who were willing to brave every con-
ceivable danger to make provisions for
their dear ones, left us and returned
at once to their farms to stack their
grain. Our party of ladies and children
remained away for four long weeks. We
could not bear the strain of separa-
ton and the awful suspense any longer,
so sent for them to come after us and
we returned to our homes once more
to take up the thread of life together
We thanked God that up to this time
our immediate neighborhood had been
spared, although the Indians threat
that no paleface should be spared be-
tween Big Stone Lake and New Ulm
had, in so far as possible, been made
good by them. They had made a des-
perate attempt to take New UIm on
the 18th of August, but were repulsed
after killing and scalping many settlers
They next joined others of the Sioux
in an attack on Fort Ridgely, eighteen
miles northwest of New Ulm, and OH
their way there dealt death and de-
struction all along their path. Little
Grow. the leader of the outbreak, hoped
that in taking Fort Ridgely, they could
thereby gain more rifles and ammuni-
ton. They opened siege here at three
o'clock in the afternoon of Aug. 20, but
were repulsed next morning after firing