OCR Text |
Show of this demonstration, and threats against hiis life, Agent Walker had s&t s messenger .to Fort Ripley for troops to protect the agency and its employ&; that, in compliance with tbis request, some twenty-five Mops had been sent from the fort to Crow Wig, where they met Agent Walker, who requested them to a- 8 rest the chief, a8 a necessav measure to prevent a general outbreak; and that in endeavoring to comply with tbis request, the troops had been discovered by Hole-in-thsday, who immediately fled to his house, situated upon the river some two miles above, and embarking with his wives in canoes, had well nigh gained the opposite bank before the arrival of the troops. He refused to comply with their demand &at he should return, and on gaining the opposite shore turned and fired upon them. This fire was promptly returned, but with no other effect than to exasperate Hole-in-the-day. Ample evidence is in my showmg that he immediately sent runners to all the bands of the Chippewas, advising them that war had b w , that their chief had been fired upon by ~ n i t e d ~ t a tteroso ps, and that they must at once kill all the whites Go u the various reservations, seize the property of the traders and others, and join him at his camp at Giil lake. At tbis juncture Sergeant Tracy had been des-patched from Fort Ripley to Governor Bamsey for troops. Upon receiving thia information,,I determibed to send amesaenger to the agency, distant from St. Cloud about sixty-five miles, that I might learn the full extent of 'tbe difficity. The messenger was met by Agent Walker and his family, .who were fleeing from the agency. The agent waa so much excited that upon his arrival at St. Oloud I could obtain no reliable information from him as to the cause of the outbreak. His fern for the safety of his family and self had evidently affected his mind. Ee believed that there was a general and ' preconcerted rising of all the Indians of the country; which belief was strength- ened by bearing of the outrages then being committed by the, Sioux. Fu* persuaded that we were sprrounded by Indians, he started from St. Cloud for St. Panl, warning the people along his route to flee from the country; and a few days at'terwads was found dead some distance from the mad. He had evi-dently become deranged and committed suicide. Abont this time a messenger reached us from Fort Ridgely, via St. Panl, who had been sent forward to warnns of the terrible outbreak of the Sioux, and that, a party of themhad started across the aountry to intercept ns and, as they said, recover their money, with which they professed to believe we intended to make a treaty with their ancient enemies ; and also intending to possess themselves of the goods and provisions with onr.tra&. Senator Wilkinson and Mr. Nicolay, secretary to the President, had joined our partyat St. Paul. Upon consultation with them and others of the party, it was thought best to return to St. Paul to adviae with the governor, and, if possible, assist in potting an end to the Sioux mseacrres, and also ohtain from him an escort snfficiently strong to enable ns safely to proceed upon our mission to the Red river, which up to thia time had not been abandoned. Directions were immediately sent to the parties in charge of the goods, provisions, and cattle to pioceed to Fort Abererombie, and |