The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-04-30
EcALL BLOODY EVENTS
iackson County Pioneers
Tell of Indian Days
WHEN REDMEN KILLED
Mrs. Halsten Olson Relates the
Exciting Story of Thrilling
Times

Jackson, Mimi. April 24.-Through
he courtesy of Mr.. Peter A. Olsen of
!elmcnt township. who has furnished
luch of the material for this article,
o publish a sketch of Mrs. HalSten
bison, the oldest surviving member
the bloody Belmont massacre in
So. Mrs. Olson is still hale end
,.,earty despite her advanced age Of
SlShty-five years. She resides on the
Id homestead, where only a few
Teeks ago she posed for the accom-
anying photograph.
The early days of Mrs. Olson's res
dence in this county were replete
g!th thrilling experiences and the
memory of these trying times are still
resi- in her mind.
Mrs. Ingeborg Olson Slaabakken
Tas born in Tolgen, Norway, July
., 1885. In company with seven
rothers and the widowed mother, she
anne to America in 1856, settling in
Jefferson Prairie, Wisconsin. where
me brother, John Olson, resided. He
lad preceded them to this country a
ew years previous.
Settled In jackson County.
In 1859 she was married to Mr..
Hasten Olson of Boon county, ILL
.ois. They came 10 jackson county in
he early SUNNI 81 1862, settling on
! homestead in Belmont township,
rheYe several Of Mrs. Olson's broth
RS Are living.
So early as June of that year re-
,orts reached the Belmont settlers
hat there was likely to be trouble
With the Indians. Some time later
he rumors of an outbreak were con-
irmed \ German fleeing from New
Jim brought news OF the attack on
hat village, which had occurred only
I few days before.
The Belmont settlers were unde-
,ided what course to pursue. Nights
hey gathered at the different cabins
hat seemed TO offer better protection.
n the morning they generally return
ed to their homes 10 attend to the
farm work. A decision was finally
reached that stockades should be
quilt, and Monday, August 25, was the
hate set for the settlers TO get to-
gether and select the sites. On the
lay before this was to have been
lone. the attack was made and there
lad been enacted the drama of brutal
and beastly bloodshed which depoI'u-
lated the county.
At the Ole Fobre home, on the
northwest quarter of Section %, Bel
mont township, several families had
gathered, Here the massacre was be-
gun at ten O'Clock in the forenoon OF
Sunday, August "a, 1862. All who
were in the cabin except one boy were
instantly killed. When the east door
was broken down and the Indians en-
tered the cabin. Ole Olson Fohre, the
boy. who was standing guard at the
west door, bolted out that door ard
ran down q trail that led to a spring.
He succeeded in Guiding the redskins
and notified the other settlers OF their
danger.
Several People Killed.
Close to the Fohre home, Mikkel
Olson Slaabakken, a brother of Mrs.
Olson, was killed and his nephew,
Anders Olson S'laabakken, seriously
wounded and left for dead. About the
time the attack was begun, Mikkel
and his nephew started from the lat
hers home for the Ole Fohre place.
They heard the firing but thought
nothing of it, as they supposed the
neighbors were shooting blackbirds.
They soon became aware of the seri-
BUSINESS of their situation. The In
dians we're stationed along the trails
in the timber, and the unfortunate
white men were soon discovered. The
savages fired and the white men set
out on a run through the timber.
Mikkel was hit at the first shot and
again and killed instantly.
A bullet from the first vOlley passed
through the hat brim of the boy and
a moment later another one infliCt-
ed a slight scalp wound, plowing a
furrow through his hair. Anders was
not stunned or badly hurt, but he was
so scared that he fell and lay with
his face to the ground. The savages
came up and one of them plunged a
int hic loft eide and the
victim described the event in after
wears, twisted it around before he
pulled it out" The Indians left him
for dead and Anders lost conscious
ness. When he came to his senses he
crawled to his fathers home. There
was no one there; the Indians had
visited the place and taken every
thing in the line of provisions. The
wounded boy made his way to the
log stable and hid in the manger,
where he remained three days with
nothing to eat except two raw eggs.
When the COWS came home at night
he tried to milk them, but they would
not allow him to approach them on
account of the blood on his clothes.
From the time of the attack on Sun
day until Wednesday Anders remain
found by a rescuing party and taken
IT, Estherville, where he slowly re-
covered from his wounds.
Were At Church Services.
At the time these events were TAX
ing place, Mrs. Olson together with
a number Of other settlers were gath
cred for church services in one of the
neighbor's homes When, the Fohre
boy came rushing into their midst
shouting, "the Indians are coming"
they scattered in all directions. II
was several weeks before Mrs. o.
son was reunited with her husband,
Achieving him to have been killed by
the Indians.
When the numbering savages came
to the houses of those who were at
tending church and found them unoc-
cuDied they feared the settlement was
aroused and that the people had gath
cred at some place to put up fight,
they decided not to go farther south.
but to bee;n their bloody work and
make their escape before it became
necessary to fight.
After making an unsuccessful at
tack on a cabin in Christiania town
shin the same day, the indians con-
tinued their journey to the north and
ont of Jackson county. The Belm ont
massacre was over. Thirteen innocent
,eople were murdered in cold blood.
Mrs. Olson was with the party of
,anic stricken settlers who decided
escape to Estherville following the
Massacre, where she was reunited
ion her husband.
Idalsten Olson and his brothers in