The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-08-10
MANKHTO FREE PRESS
Thomas Smith Recalled
Days of Indian Troubles

I met my brother and they stopped for
minute to talk. The last sight he
| ever saw of my father was when he
| went over a ridge, hurrying toward
! where he had left my mother and
| sister. When my brother started on
to catch up with my father, he saw
three naked Indians in war paint
| coming up q rayine. The Indians
saw him. He Immediately turned
back toward the fort and ran, with
the Indians in hot pursuit, shooting
at him all OF the time. He managed
finally mile farther on to elude his
pursuers by running down a wooded
ravine. He soon afterwards came u
the home of family by the name OF
John Hose. Young Smith told this
family of the approach of the In
dams and all OF them started toward
Fort Ridgley, but they were am
pushed by the Sioux and the father
Of the family was killed and his
wife left for dead. Her infant child
which had been left in the covered
wagon was missed by the savages
when they set fire to the wagon, AZ
ter their departure the mother ralli-
ed sufficiently to rescue the child
from the flames. She was picked up
by soldiers later insane from expos
ure and suffering but the baby was
alive. She recovered however. My
brother again made his escape.
A man told my mother that the
indians were out killing everybody,
and she took my five year old sister
and, started back toward the fort.
When she reached Faribault creek
she went to a hill which overlooked
the road to the ferry at the agency.
Three white men told her If she was
going on toward the fort to keep in
the brush. The three men had not
got out OF hearing when she heard
three shots, and saw them fall dead
For some reason the savages did
not see her and she concealed her
self in a corn field. My mother gazed
out from among the leaves of corn
on the horrifying sight of the muir
der Of DR.. Humphrey and family and
the burning of their home.
Soon afterwards my sister began
to cry with hunger. She was given
green corn to eat, and a little farth-
er on some cold potatoes were found
in shack where the family had
been murdered Captain Marsh and
part of his men passed my mother
soon afterwards on the road to the
ferry and advised her to keep hid
den in the brush and tall grass for
they feared Indians were just across
the river. A short time later she
heard a great deal Of shooting in the
direction of the ferry, and later on
learned that Captain Marsh and
twenty six of his men were am
pushed there. She was finally picked
up by the soldiers and brought to
Fort Ridgley!. My father was found
lying in the road where he had been
murdered by the Indians with
tomahawk
was staying at the home of Christ
Ulm escaped. He was sent, out on
that day by Mr.. Schlumberger to
round UP pony to be use in riding
to the fort. He had caught the, pony
and was leading 1t back to the log
cabin, when stalwart savage raised
up out of the grass an said, Me
pony" He leaped on the horse and
rode away, but made no attempt to
kill my brother.
! will never forget scalp dance
/ Witnessed at Fort Ridgley before
went south with the soldiers in the
civil war. The Sioux had been out on
hunting expedition on the Crow
river and had killed one of their
hated enemies, the Chippewas They
brought his scalp home 500 of them
and used it to hold scalp dances all
day long. One naked savage would
stand in the middle of the circle
Of bowling Indians holding the scalp
aloft on pole while another savage
with tom tom would keep up a beat
ing to which the others kept time.
II one became exhausted, he was
dragged away and another man took
his place. The soldiers generally put
a stop to the hubub at night"
"hose were the things that men
and women of pioneer days had to
brave. They had the right stuff in
them. Nowadays 1t makes one sick
at heart to see young couples rush
into the divorce courts at the most
trivial differences between them.
They have not got the qualities OF
their mothers and grandmothers,'
said the old PIONEER In closing.