New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1916-11-22
NEW ULM DEFENDER
WRITES OF BATTLES
MEMBER OF ST. PETER RELIEF
CORPS DESCRIBES SCENES
IN OUTBREAK
NARRATIVE WRITTEN LONG AGO
TELLS EXPERIENCES AT
MASSACRE

R: Pfefferle of this city, has received
from F. A. Wuetig, an old army comrade
and acknowledgements of New Ulm, in
the Indian attacks on the settlers, here
more than fifty-four years ago, an in
teresting account of the battles here,
especially of the little party formed at
St. Peter, when the news of the attack
reached that place, of their march to
New Ulm and of the events that followed
their arrival. The article, which was
written by Mr.. Wuetig many years ago,
and preserved all that time, within the
leaves of the family Bible, will be read
with great deal Of interest, not only by
the older residents, but by the younger
generation as well.
Army Comrades Live Here
Mr.. Wuetig's home is now at Idaho
Springs, Colo., where he has been en-
gagged in mining and prospecting for
the past fortyyears. Following the return
of the St. Peter contingent to their
homes many Of them formed company
of Home Guards, and few months later
joined the United States army. Among
Mr.. Wuetig's old army comrades now
residing in New Ulm are the following:
Jacob Schneider, John Manderfeld and
R. .Pfefferle. The story of the outbreak
was sent to Mr.. Pfefferle by Mr.. Wuetig
as he was about to leave for Florida,
where he will spend the winter. The
story follows:
MIR. Wuetig's Story
81 am writing of that terrible bloody
week of Indian massacre in and around
New Ulm in August, 1862. Monday
the Indians made their first attack on the
little town of New Ulm thirty miles up
the river from St. Peter, where I was
employed in the Stelzer house. There
was no railroad, telegraph. or telephone
in those days, and the news reached St.
Peter about 4 o'clock in the afternoon,
and more coming in through the night.
Tuesday morning about one hundred
volunteers were ready to start for New
Ulm, under Captain Dodd, who had been
an officer in the war against Mexico. He
drilled us on our way and by the time we
reached New. Ulm we were quite pro-
fcient in army :naneuvers and tactics.
My friend, R. Ffefferle, and I were
among those volunteers When we had
gone about half the distance, about
where the present village of Nicollet
stands, terrible thunder and rain storm
came up, the water coming down Until
we were thoroughly drenched. On our
way we met many farmers, with their
families fleeing toward St. Peter. Where
there was more than one man on the
wagon, Or even boy large enough to
look out for the women and children, we
compelled the extra men to come with
us. Sometimes this was done at the
point of a gun. The result was that by
the time we reached New Ulm there were
about $50 men in our party.
Saw Town On Fire
"When about four miles from New
Ulm we saw the town on fire, the Indians
having applied the torch after attacking
the town. We reached the ferry on
which we were obliged to cross the
Minnesota river in pitch darkness. It
took us two hours to cross, after which
we marched up to New Ulm. Oh, how
glad were the people to see us St. Peter
boys coming, being the first outside help
to reach them.
eve were fortunate in having two men
experienced in warfare. They were
Capt. Charles E. Flandrau and Capt.
William B. Dodd. Our captain put
forty of us on picket duty the first night
after our arrival, Pfefferle and myself
being among them. We stood all mig I:
in our wet clothes, and we had had
nothing to eat since leaving ST.. Peter.
''The next day we built barricade
around three blocks on the main street
of the. village. That day we we're joined
by more men from St. Peter, Mankato
and LIE Sueur. We sent rescue parties
in the country and buried our dead. The
rescue parties witnessed some terriable
scenes. They found children nailed to
doors of farm houses and on kitchen
tables, and others cut up with tomahawks
and many people murdered out
right. The grain was standing in the
shock and. you could have bought the
best farm in the whole region, machinery
and all, for $50.
Three little children, the youngest
not more than year old, were brought
into town, all of whom were living but
badly cut about the heads with tomah-
! hawks. Their parents had both been
murdered, their bodies being terribly
mutilated.
Attack New Uln Second Time
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