The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1937-08-26
Survivors of
Massacre in
Fair Parade
LAUTERBACHS REMEM-
Der TRAGIC EVENTS
OF OUTBREAK

1862 to attend the celebration of
the outbreak at New Ulm last
week were Mr.. and Mrs. John
Lauterbach Of Redwood Falls.
Both were among those honored
at the Junior Pioneers banquet
held in Turner hall Thursday eve
ming and they rode with other
pioneers in a float in the impress
Sive parade Friday and Sunday.
Turner hall has an especial
significance for Mr.. Lauterbach.
It was while attending school in
a building on its site that he was
told of the outbreak. He was
nine years old at the time.
School was dismissed when the
alarm was sounded August ID,
1862 and Mr.. Lauterbach with
other children wandered about
the streets until his parents, flee
ing from a farm about two miles
from the village found him.
Mr.. and Mrs. Michael Lauter-
bach, his parents, were stacking
grain on a piece of land they had
rented from Colonel Pfaender
when a neighbor woman came
running through the woods to
warn them of the Indians. TAX
ing their two children who had
been playing in the field they
fed to their own farm. MIR. Lau-
terbach's mother wanted to pack
some of their possession to take
to New Ulm but his father would
not wait. She wrapped up small
bundle of things and his father
shouldered his gun and Slung his
ammunition sack over his should
er and the little family walked In
safety in New Ulm.
Friendship Repaid
Always friendly to the Indians,
they had been warned that spring
of danger from the Sioux. One
rainy night a Chippewa and his
Squaw asked for shelter in their
home and were allowed to spend
the night. Before they left the
next day the Indian said, in his
own language, Take your pa
poose and go away. The Sioux
will come and kill"
The Lauterbach family was
fully aware of the danger. But
we had to take chances" says
John Lauterbach, showing the
true pioneer spirit.
Safe in New Ulm the family
was quartered with three others
in a store building, one part of
which was used as military head
quarters. During the first at
tack John heard voices in the
headquarters and with childish
curiosity, opened the door and
went in. AS he turned to close
the door a bullet Whizzed through
the window and cut through his
jacket, all but grazing his side.
Some of the defenders concelV-
ed the idea that cobbleStones
could be thrown from the build
ings onto the besieging Indians
and John with other children
gathered the rocks and piled them
up to be carried into the build
ings They were never used, how
ever.
After the attack the whites eva
cuated New Ulm and left for
Mankato, most of them by OK
team. They then moved on to St.
Peter.
Returned Later
In about three weeks after the
men had gone back to New Ulm
and found it was safe to return,
the Lauterbach family returned
to their home. They found three
tomahawk slashes on the front
QOOr and the lock broken.
Only one gay blanket and a
ham from their smokehouse had
been stolen. They also found that
the Indians had slept in their
home after removing the mat
tresses from the bedsteads and
placing them on the floor.
The Sioux had evidently re-
membered their kindness in Civ
ing them food and allowing them
10 pitch their teepees on their
LIND for a farmhouse a quarter
vi a mile away had been RACED.
The owner had never allowed In
dams on his place.
Much more tragic is the history
Of Mrs. Lauterbach's relatives.
The second white child born In
Brown county, she lived with her
parents in Milford township.
On the corner Of the farm, which
is now owned by members of the
third generation of the family,
stands a monument which was
erected to the memory of Milford
settlers killed in ambush during
the massacre. Twenty-Five of
them were relatives of her par
entS.
She was five years old at the
time of the horrors. 49,.
Warned of Danger
The family owned horse
which was turned out each day
and came home in the evenings.
On the morning of August 18 the
horse returned long before noon
and the family was puzzled as to
the reason. Then neighbor came
to their home telling them it was
high time they left for New Ulm.
Her father, Athanas Henle,
rode horseback carrying two of
the children and her mother and
she and another Henle child ran
along beside the horse. When
they came to the ferry about a
mile from their home, the ferry
man refused to take them across
until he had gone back after his
money. Henle, however, ferried
his family across alone and, the
mother and children hid in
ravine while Henle went to New
Continued on page l2)