The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-08-30
SCENES OF THE PAST
RECALLED IN PARADE

New Ulm, MINI, August 22.-Be-
fore a multitude that filled this little
city to it's utmost, in a long con-
tinued clamor of enthusiasm, there
marched yesterday upon the mound
where fifty years ago wave OF
death swept downward from the
north, the most historic pageant ever
seen in Minnesota.
Over the streets where fifty years
ago the wounded men shot down by
savages were carried from the firing
line, when the great fight against
the reds was at it's height, there
passed today the men who saw the
tragic days, their sons and others
of the newer generation, and with
them all such exposition in pictorial
display of the arts and commerce
of the state, as made impressive
presentation of the marvellous
changes of half century. This was
the big day of the week-long cele.
bratio in New Ulm of the great In
dian massacre of 1862.
! Soldiers in Great Parade.
Their footsteps echoing to martial
music, the soldiers of the federal
government and the soldiers of the
state moved in the great parade, typ
flying the common cause which
brought them as defenders in the
days of the great fight. The streets
where 1,500 people, without food tC
eat and unable longer to hold out
turned finally in the flight for safety
re-echoed today with the cheers Of
thousands and where the 159 wagons
laden then with the sick and wound
ed, the women and the little chill
dren, began the journey to the zone
of safety, wagons filled with the ex
hibits of a rich, populous and pros
porous country and floats represent
ing the historic scenes passed by
/ Never before in Minnesota's his
tory was there anything like it. The
farmer and the pioneer, the city mer
chant and the. banker, mixed with
the soldier and the trapper of early
days. Old men, with tottering steps,
gray bearded and feeble, women, ole
and decrepit, women young and beau
tiful, young men from the farm anG
from the college, the Indian of today
and the Indian of the past, mingled
and talked, and every man and every
woman of every time in Minnesota
history and of every position in Ifs
could be seen 1t was truly a gath
ering representative of Minnesota in
its every stage of development.
That FatefuI Day in 1862.
/ That fateful day in 1862 when
from the country north and west
his horse foam fiecked and stagger
ing, a young soldier rode into Shake
pee bearing the news that the Siou,
Indians under Little Grow had at
tackled the Lower Sioux agency anG
that they were on the warpath and
/ were killing all the whites, marked
the beginning, of dreadful scenes
and scenes alike of heroism, the fiji
tieth anniversary of which New Uln
is now celebrating. For in the grea
massacre that followed, the most ter.
rible Indian uprising in all the his
tory of the United States, in which
644 white settlers were slaughtered
and ninety-four soldiers killed, Oh
1873 whites in all, number which
the historians Heard and Flandrear
say should really be 1000 because
of many who persisted without rec
ord or who were burned in the fires
the Indians started after pillage
New Ulm was the center of defense
Gave Way After Noble Defense.
! 1t was here that the whites a.
last gave way and evacuated the
town after noble defense in which
100 houses were burned and many
Indians and many of the defenders
killed.
t The sun came out from under
| fieecy clouds and brought a perfect
day, and when the governors specia
train pulled into town at a. m
and Burg's battery began to fire the
welcome salute, the celebration wa.
on. Everybody in New Ulm was III
at daybreak and by a. m. the traf
fic on Minnesota street was like thai
of a great city. The talk was all OF
the day and the occasion of the
neverrecurring nature of it, for the
men who are the central figures are
all in their declining years.
So many automobiles pulled into
town from far and near that their
number was lost in itself. Mounted
men rode up and down to the assem-
bly, places where the divisions OF
the parade were forming. At every
street corner was feature bespeak
ing Minnesota of the pioneer days
! Occasions that the state has cele
brated with military show never pre-
sented anything so truly impressive
as the New Ulm parade today. The
reason was not far to seek. This is
a German town. The men who live
here, who are of the older genera
ton, are soldiers by blood. Their
sons are like them. The spirit OF
i l. ~ n