The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-01-03

important battle of the Indian war
in Southern Minnesota in August,
1862, was that which occurred at
Fort Ridgely, for had the Indians
succeeded in capturing this fort and
it's garrison it would have given
them such prestige as would have
brought all OF the western tribes
TO the standard of Little Crow and
the savagas would have swept the
entire western part of the state.
wiping out every white settlement
west Of the Mississippi and threat.
ening even st. Paul and Minneapolis.
The account of this battle and
the other conflicts that took place
during this and the following year
between the white soldiers and saw
AGES seems more like 4 romance
Of the middle ages than an occur
renee that took place within the
memory of men now living and, In
deed there are men now living and
who will be present at this celebra-
ton that were active participants
in this struggle.
In the Throes of War.
This Indian war or massacre took
place at time when the United
States was in the throes Of the
greatest civil war of modern times
engaged in life and death strug.
gle for existence, 4 war in which
battles were constantly being waged
with a loss in killed and wounded
that had never been eqlalled in
the history of modern warfare. Ow-
ing to these facts the magnitude OF
the Indian war of 1862, hi which
the battle Of Fort Ridgely was the
crucial turning point, has been quite
generally overlooked by the histor-
ian and even the direct descendants
of the participants are unaware OF
the fact that measured by loss OF
life and property it was the most
destructive struggle between the In
dams and the whites that ever took
place on the American continent.
Over three thousand men, women
and children fell victims to savage
fury and millions of dollars worth
of property We're given over to de-
structiOn. but owing to the import
ance OF the events that were taking
place in other parts OF the country
this tremendous occurrence passed
almost nnnoticed by the country at
large.
Not only this but the importance
of this event and this war on the
development Of the country and the
advancement of civili2"''"" has also
been overlooked. The battle of Fort
Ridgely Is fairly entitled to honor
able mention among the important
battles of the world. battles that
have changed the destinies of ma
tons and largely altered the course
of human events.
Here in rs Western Minnesota met,
at that time. the fringes of two
great opposing forces, that have bat.
tied since the beginning of time
civilization and savagery. ,-
Advance Guard of Civilization.
The hardy frontiersmeu who made
their homes in these fertile Dlains
and valleys formed the advance
guard of Civilizations civilization
that was Transforming a wilderness,
a domain fair as the garden of the
Lord, but wilderness nevertheless,
into profitable pastures and fruitful
fields. building homes, around the
doors of which happy children play
ed, not only transforming unproduc-
tive wastes into reservoirs of the
worlds food supply but also chang
ing it from hatchery of savages
into citizen factory furnishing the
nation the finest class OF citizens
the world has ever produced.
The other fringe consisted of saw
ages thinly veneered with ciViliza-
ton; but the civilization had never
soaked In any deeper into the cor.
pOrOsity of those barbarians than
the habiliments of the white man
which they wore under protest.
1t was inevitah'A that these con.
tending forces should clash and it
was characteristic OF savage cunning
that the clash should be planned at
the time the representative of civil.
liZation should be in the most help.
less condition. The men of the coun.
try, that is 4 majority OF its fight.
ing men. were hundreds of miles
away fighting the battles of nation
and only greybeards, undevelopel
striplings, women and children were
left in charge of the homes, farms
and fields. II is true there were a
few soldiers stationed at Fort Ridge.
ly--soldiers armed with antiquated
military equipment stationed at mill,
tary posts-but these, the savages
imagined could be overpowered and
they counted confidently on this
equipment and supplies to aid them
in further conquest.
Napoleon Of the Sioux.
Little Crow, that Sioux Napoleon.
who had outwardly embraced Chris.
tianity, and donned the garb of eli.
vilization, but who was the most un,
regenerate. savage that ever breath.
ed. had long dreamed of n time
when by one bold stroke he could
regain the hunting grounds that had
been coded to the whites, and in
season and out of season, among sis
young tribesmen, had for long time
been preaching a war of eNtermina.
lion, now deemed the time had come
to strike. 1t matters not whethe.
the theory that some have put forth
that the war was started before the
time planned by the cunning chic
is correct or not, there is no douh,
that it was planned by him and
that he intended to sweep the en-
tire country west Of the Mississippi
river and east of the Rocky mount
tains, clear of white settlers and t.
make this determination so terrible
FORM FOOTWEAR