The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-05-23
Letters Written BY Members Of
Family to Relatives 10 the East;
Describing those Dark Days 10
1862.


Rangers. He was a universal favor
tie and a brave soldier
I'VE have had another massacre in
Butternut Valley, four men were
killed and. two wounded, they were
my nearest neighbors. Mary and the
children are living. in Mankato. |
belong to the Frontier Rangers. |
| have been quite sick and in the hos
pital but am better and think shall
join my company in few days.
Frank started last Monday for our
old home to, see if he. could find any
thing that was not destroyed and
bring it away; on Tuesday night ne
went to stay at house where q
man had gone to stack his gram
about a quarter OF a mile from our
house. On Wednesday morning. at
daylight, d; the Indians attacked
house close by. killing one man and
wounding another. 1t was right in
sight of Frank, but he made good
Ibis escape. $50
and they are terrifying Mankato. An
attack is expected. We do not know
what minute, but we will give The
devils a warm. reception if we all die
! at the point of the bayonet. We
have got to fight and it is no use
finching. We expect more troops up
in day or two, and when we get
ready and our men united we viii
turn the scales. We can't do much
until we can burn the grass on the
prairie, then we will make the red
devils repent, ! hope in my next
shall be able to send you lock OF
hair to remember the cold FLOODED
numbering devils. But excuse my
language, / have, sworn over my dy
ing boy to revenge, his death, anC
II hope | may, never be received IL
the abode of the Blest if | don't seel
that revenge. l shall send you
paper containing an account OF thu
Butternut massacre. | join my com
2 pany tomorrow morning. Shall con
, tinue to write as often as anything
= particular occurs. Yours in haste
(" John Nicholson"
!, So -.
e. Dear Friends: The danger is a.
great as ever around our place. NJ
I enc can gather their crops, and fam
q inc must be the result. We are a.
! living upon Uncle SAM We wan
d very much to leave. this place but w
s cannot without help. never was
e coward but am afraid now. Tn
: Indians dress as white men and the
| they come up close to anyone o
y the road and kill them and cut ther
e I'D. 1t will cost about ninety dollar
/ for us all to come home. We hay
{ one woke of oxen we can sell for
n little, but not much for there is III
e body to buy. All that can are lea
II ing here. You must all try togetht
e. and send us ninety dollars and W
II will come to you if We can get Their
N but we cannot bring poor Will
u We are all cast down with our grit
e for his loss. You can have no Idle
e of the sorrow there is here in Mi
Is nesota. Our land is paid for an
e we have all the papers and we al
p clear from. debt, Frank went up
lie our house but he could not get niue
-oI The Indians have been seen to
e. to the house but they did not bun
81 it as they wish to keep all the horse
for their own use. They take
h the horses and kill or drive off II
IS cattle. | do not know whether
to will get any of ours or not | a
lie afraid not. We had three hogs, abo
er thirty hens and chickens, thirty-thr'
| turkeys and nine geese they are
s. gone but two geese and cannot g
lie them.
l II can write no more. Write
IN soon as you get this. Do not del;
10 one hour Goodbye, Mary Nich'
ct SON.