OCR Text |
Show 14 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. t ready for it!' And now follqwed a series of ernel murders, characte~ised by every species of savage atrocity and barbarity known to Indian warfare. Neither age, sex, nor condition was spared. I t is estimated that f~om eight hundred to one thousand quiet, inoffensive, and unarmed settlers feu victims to savage fury ere the bloody work of death was staye$. The thriving town of New Ulm, cohtaining from 1,500 to 2,000 inhabitants, was almost destroyed. Fort Ridgely waa attacked and closely besieged for several days, and.was only , saved by the most heroic and unfaltering bravery on the part of its little band of defendera until it was relieved by troops raised, armed, and sent forward to tbeir relief. Meantime the utmost consternation and darm prevailed throughout the entire community. Thousands of happy homes were abanaoned, the whole frontier was given up to he plundered and burned by the remorseless savage, and every avenue leading to the more densely populated portions of the State waa crowded with the now homeless and impoverished fugitives. While the terrible excitement occasioned hy this unexpected outbreak on the part of the Sioux, in^ the western part of the State, was still at its height, it was still further increased by the most startling reports from the Chippewas, who reside in the northern portion thereof4 From these reports it became the universal belief that a pre-concerted and general uprising of all the I n d i i s of' the State was at hand, and that the State, already drained by the calls of the government of a large portion of its able-bodied citizens, and without any ireparation, was to become the arena of a most formidable Indian war. Having been in the midst of the Chippewa diBcalties, and taken an active part in the measures which led to tbeir adjustment, I am the better prepared to make a detailed and more satisfactory statement in relation thereto, and for this reason must he excueed if I appear to give an undue prominence to the less prom-inent difficulties. - An appropriation waa made at the last session of Congress for the purpose of negotiating a treaty with the Chippewas of Red Lake and Red River of &e North, in order to secure to the people of the United States the free and safe navigation of that river. Superintendent Thompson ana myself having been designated by you to effect thia negotiation, I left thia city in Anpst last, in company with A. 8. H. White, esq., of the Interior Department, and proceeded to St. Paul, in Minnesota; at which poink it had been prearrmged that we should meet Superintendent Thompson. On arriving at St. pail we found everything in.readiness for our contemplated journey to the Red river country. We accordingly ~roceededa, nd arrived at St. Cloud on the 19th day OE August: At this point we met Sergeant Tracy, who had been despatched to St. Paul by Captain Hall, the commandant at Fort Ripley, to procure troops to strengthen the fort and protect the settlements in its vicinity from an apprehended attack by the Chippewas of the Mississippi, under the lead of their chief, Hole-in-tbe-day. I learned fm Sergeant Trwy that the Indiana, instigated by Eole-in-the-day, had commenced depredations by steaiing and killing the cattle belonging to their agency, and by making several persons prisoners; that in consequence |