The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-04-02
From Fridays Daily.

i turned 10 Mankato yesterday aiter an
absence OF fifty-two years. and would
like TO meet any OF the pioneers of
those old times, when Indians ter
rorized the settlers, and the immi-
grants were bound together by the
need of self protection. He was much
surprised at the prosperous look. and
size OF the city. as he remembered Il
as a frontier hamlet OF about 400
people. MFR. Nicholson came to Min
nesota with his parents. Mr.. and Mrs.
John Nicholson, In 1856. when he was
but nine years of age. The family
settled in Butternut Valley, where
Ethey lived until the time of the Indian
massacre In 1862. They had received
warning that the Indians were about
to go on the war path. and on the
night of August 1s., 1862. Indians he
gan to surround their home.
The father and a son, William, the
older brother of Mr.. Nicholson, who
was then fifteen years of age, kept
the Indians Mt bay, while Frank hid
his mother and the younger children
In the brush back of the house. One
of the children. was baby in arms, a
little daughter. who Is now Mrs. Mary
/ Clarke and resides in the state of
Washington. About three o'clock the
next morning. the Indians retreated
from the premises, and the oxen team
was hitched up by the family. and the
drove to Mankato. where people were
/ taking refuge from the surrounding
country. The next day company
was formed under the late Captain
Bierbauer and William and his father
enlisted to fight the Indians. The COM
pany went to New Ulm, and in the
battle there, which took lace about
o week later. William was shot by the
Indians, and buried I'm the street with
others of the company who fell at the
same time. .. g.. 80.
Later the bodies were removed for
burial, and Mr.. Nicholson Is now seek.
ing to locate the grave of his brother.
During the following winter the moth.
er grew gradually weaker from the
shock. and Frank worked at saving
wood i'm order 10 obtain money to
take her back east. The family went
to Belfast, y. Y, in the spring OF the
year, where the mother died few
weeks later The father then. came
back to Minnesota with the ayowed
intention of fighting the Indians. and
has never been heard from since.
| Mr.. Nieholson's memory of the IN
| dian outbreak is very vivid. Especially
does he recall the misery OF the, peo-
pie who came crowding into this city
for protection. and the suffering OF
many for food. Although but fifteen
years OF age he returned TO Butter
nut Valley for some supplies, and was
almost captured by the Indians. who
killed fourteen people at that tome. He
secured two cows and. escaped. and
found by some of General Sibley's
men and brought safely into the
town.
In an issue of The Belfast Blade,
published at Belfast, New York. on
May !. 1908. a number OF letters writ
4
friends in the east are published, and
sgive interesting descriptions of tho
terrible times. of the Indian outbreak.
St. Louis, March 2G.-Because he
declares his principles require him 10,
be honest to his. convictions and his
convictions are incompatible with the
tenets of the Methodist Episcopal
church, Wagner Memorial church OF
this city faces the problem of getting
another pastor. for Rev, l.. NJ. Dirk.
head says the job will not suit, him.
DIR. Birkhead says:
| ] do not believe
That anw definite prohpesy was
formed.
That Moses was given two. tablets.
OF stone. on which were chiseled the
Decalogue. ~,
That Moses wrote the first Eve,
books I'm the Old Testament.
That any definite prohesy was made
made OF the coming of Christ,
In the immaculate conception.
That there was any resurrection.
That the Apostle John wrote the
book In the Bible that bears his name
/ That Paul wrote any letters to any
body that afterwards. were. gathered
and assembled into the New Testa-.
ment.< Il
In, making religion a volcanic
spasm,
In making Christianity a FIRE es-I
cape" from hell.
Therefore. cannot be true 10 my
self and honest in my convictions and
remain minister in. the Methodist
church.
Dr. Birkhead was educated I'm Be-
Kendfee college. Drew Theological in.
stitute. Union Theological college and
Columbia university.
An agent of the Fidelity and Casu-
atty company of Maryland was at Ka-
sofa yesterday and settled for the
axnouva that tho Eirqt Stafa Rank