New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1917-08-22
INDIAN TELLS OF
RIDGELY BATTLES
LIGHTNING BLANKET ONE OF
LITTLE CROWS WARRIORS
AT FORT
ONLY AUTHENTIC ACCOUNT OF
ATTACKS EVER TOLD BY A
RED MAN


R. H. aHinman, connected with the
Indian Agency school near Morton. and
who has spent his whole life among the
Sioux Indians, has sent The Review an
interesting story of the battles at Fort
Ridgely and New Ulm in August, 1862.
The story was told by one of the Indians,
Hackita-W akanda, lightning Blanket)
who formerly resided on the Reservation,
and who died about three years ago.
Today is the ffty-ffth anniversary
of the second battle, and will be cele-
brated at the old fort. This is a most
appropriate occasion to tell the story,
which is as follows:
Lightning Blankets Story
''The evening of the second day of the
Sioux war, August 10, 1862, the Indians
came into Kagaw Chestin's little
Crow village and reported that all
whites who had not been killed had gone
to Esa Tonka Fort Ridgely) and
Wakzupta Village on the Cottonwood
New Ulm). Little Grow, with several
of the chiefs, Medicine Bottle, Little
Six and Big Eagle favored the attack on
these two places, but the other two
chiefs, Wabasha and Leaf Shooter,
would not agree, because Wabasha was
jealous of Little Crow. They sat up
all night with their blankets around
them until the sun was coming up in
the morning, when they announced to
us young men that Wabasha and Leaf
Shooter would not go, but that we were
to get ready Immediately to fight the
white men at Fort Ridgely and New
Ulm. The young men were all anxious
to go, and we dressed as warriors in war
paint, breech elout and leggings, with a
large sash around us to keep our food
and ammunition in. -... IS
Plans For Attack Made
eve started at sunrise and crossed
the river at the agency on the ferry,
following the road to the top of the hill
below Faribault's creek, where we
stopped for a short rest. There the
plans for attacking the fort were given
out by Little Grow. 1t was agreed to
follow the road and ridge. along the bluff
to the creek west of the fort. These
men were under Big Eagle and Medi-
cine Bottle. The men on horseback
with Little Grow and Little Six were to
go down the creek to the river bottom,
then follow the old crossing road up to
the bluff, south and west Of the fort.
after reaching the fort, the signal,
three volleys, were to be given by
Medicine Bottles men to draw the
attention and fire of the soldiers, so the
men on the east, Big Eagles, and those
on the west and south, Little Crows
and Little SKIS, could rush in and take
the fort.
Little Crows Men Slow.
1--WE reached the Three Mile creek
before noon and cooked something to
eat. After eating we separated, I going
with the foot1nen to the north, and after
leaving Little Crow we paid no atten-
ton to the chiefs; everyone did as he
pleased. Both parties reached the fort
about the same time, as we could see
them passing to the west, Little Crow
on a black pony. The signal, three big
shots, was given by our side, Medicine
Bottles men. After the signal the men
on the east, south and west were slow
in coming up. While shooting we ran
up to the building near the big stone one.
AS we were running in we saw the man
with the big guns, whom we all knew,
and as we were the only ones in sight
he shot into us, as he had gotten ready
after hearing the shooting in our direc-
ton. Had Little Crows men fired
after we fired the signal the soldiers who
shot at us would have been killed. Two
Of our men were killed and three hurt,
two dying afterward. We ran back
into the creek and didn't know whether
the other men would come up close or
not, but they did and the big guns drove
them back from that direction. If we
had known that they would come up
close we could have shot at the same
time and killed all, as the soldiers were
out in the big opening between the
buildings. We did not fight like white
men with one officer; we all shot as we
pleased. The plan of rushing into the
buildings was given up, and we. shot at
the windows, mostly at the big stone
building, as we thot many of the whites
were in there.
Buildings Wouldn't Burn
eve could not see them, so were not
sure we were killing any. During
the shooting we tried to set fire to the
buildings with fire arrows, but the
buildings would not burn, so we had to
get more powedr and bullets. The
sun was about two hours high when we
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