New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1916-11-01
OLD "Moo-zoo" GETS HIS.

Review as being of particular interest to
New Ulm people and is published ex-
actly as received. The Review is not
authority for any of the statements
made:
On the 22nd day of August 1914 at
the celebration of the Sind anniversary
of the Battle of Fort Ridgley, MINI.
there was monument erected and ded-
icated to the memory of Chippewa
Indian said to have been a Chief, and
named Moo-zoo-mau-nee. The story,
used as pretext for the erection and
dedication of the monument land which
is unworthy of connection with the facts)
is as follows:
"A Chippewa Chief named Moo-zoo-
mau-nee gathered about him one hundred
Chippewa Braves and went to the re-
lief of the beleaguered fort and reported
to Captain Hall, then in command,
thus saving the Fort from falling into
the hands of the Sioux Indians and
saving from massacre the little band of
soldiers and civilians who were defend
ing it,
Now the truth is, that no man, either
soldier or citizen, by the name of Hall
was ever in command at Fort Ridgley.
The relief referred to was never given,
not even thought Of, and there was no
Chief by the name of Moo-zoo-mau-nee
In contrast to the story of .'Moo-zoo"
please note the facts which, briefly, are
as follows:
The Sioux Indians, prior to 1862, in
habited Western Minnesota, and the
Dakotas. Believing that most of the
able bodied men Of Minnesota had gone
South to engage in the Civil War, the
Indians thought it to be an opportune
time to 60 upon the warpath and mas
sacre those remaining. Under the
leadership Of Little Crow "a noted
Sioux Chief) they "broke OUT on Mon
day morning, August 18, 1862, and
killed most of the Whites then located
at the Upper and Lower Sioux Agencies.
These Agencies were located on the
Minnesota River, the Upper Agency
at Yellow Medicine and the Lower one
at a point about eight miles East of the
present city of Redwood Falls. After
numbering the Whites (men, women and
children) at the Agencies, they went
out in small bands and massacred the
scattering settlers in that part of the
country and then in body a few days
later, attacked ansd besieged Fort
Ridgely. The Fort at the time was
garrisoned by Company ''B" 9Th MINI.
Volunteer Infantry, Capt. Marsh com
handing. In some way, Capt. Marsh
got news of the outbreak on the day of
it's occurrence; and Immediately took
forty men (about half Of the garrisom
and went to the relief of the Whites at
the Lower Sioux Agency, twelve miles,
distant from the fort The Indians
ambushed the detachment at the Ferry
at the Lower Agency and killed more
than half of the Command, Capt. Marsh
himself being drowned while trying to
make his escape. First Lieut.. T. J.
Sheehan, in command of detachment
of Company sc" 9Th MINI. Volunteer
Infantry stationed at Fort Ripley,
Minn,) which had been on duty at the
Lower Sioux Agency, had been ordered
to return to Fort Ripley. Lieut.. Shee-
han and his troops were on their way
and had accomplished about half the
distance, when word reached them that
the Indians had gone on the warpath.
He Immediately turned back, and by
forced marches, reached Fort Ridgley
just in time to reinforce what remained
of Company <'B" and assist in it's de-
Tense. So it was Lieut.. Sheehan and
not Moo-zoo-mau-nee, who came to the
relief of the Fort. Lieut.. Sheehan, be-
ing the ranking officer was in command
of the Troops during the siege. (See
Histories Sioux Massacre 1862 by I. V.
D. Hurd, Judge Flandrau, Mr.. Bryant
and 0. G. Wall, Member Company .'B''
9th Mimi. Vol. Inf, and one of the de-
fenders.)
Those who are responsible for the
purchase, erection and dedication of the
'Moo-zoo' monument were given the
facts prior to the ceremonies, but not
withstanding protests made they pro-
ceeded to foist upon the public monu-
ment bought and paid for out of the
funds of the State Treasury, COM
memorating ''fake' Indian Chief and
a "fake'' story, this detracting from
and lessening the honor and glory of
those who fell in the defense of the Fort,
a I'd whose last resting place is within
the confines of the same cemetery.
If this is the way history is made,
then indeed do We know little of the
true history of this, or any other country.
Those responsible for the act ought to
L. i