Among the Sioux : a story of the Twin Cities and the two Dakotas

by Creswell, R. J. (Robert J. )

  In 1843, also the Pond brothers established a station at Oak Grove, twelve miles west of the Falls of St. Anthony. It was never abandoned. For many years it. was the center of beneficent influences to both races for miles around. It developed intO' the white Presbyterian church of Oak Grove, which still stands as a monument to the many noble qualities of its founder, Rev. Gideon Hollister Pond. On the Sabbath scores of his descendants worship within its walls. The surrounding community is composed largely of Ponds and their kindred. - .

  In 1846, a mission was established at Red Wing by the Reverends J. ¥. Aiton and J. W. Hancock, and another in i860, at Red Wood by Rev. John P. Wil-Hamson.

  In 1858, a church was organized at Red Wing with twelve members. This was swept away by the outbreak in 1862.

  Dr. John P. Williamson, who was born in 1835, in one of the mission cabins on the shores of Lac-qui-Parle, who has spent his whole life among the Sioux Indians, and who with a singleness of purpose, worthy of the apostle Paul, has devoted his whole life to their temporal and spiritual uplift, thus vividly sketches missionary life among the Sioux in his boyhood days: ''Aiy first serious impression of life was that I was living under a great weight of something, and as I began to discern more clearly, I found this weight to be the all-surrounding overwhelming presence of heathenism, and all the instincts of my birth and culture of a Christian home set me at antagonism to it at every point.

  'This feeling of disgust was often accompanied with fear. At times, violence stalked abroad unchallenged and dark lowering faces skulked about. Even when we felt no personal danger this incubus of sava^ff life all around weighed on our hearts. Thus it was day and night. Even those hours of twilight, which brood with sw^eet influences over so many lives, bore to us, on the evening air, the weird cadences of the heathen dance or the chill thrill of the war-whoop.

  Ours was a serious life. The earnestness of our parents in the pursuit of their work could not fail to im-

  ■22 AMONG THE SIOUX.

  press in some degree the children. The main purpose of Christianizing that people was felt in everything. It was like garrison life in time of war. But this seriousness was not ascetical or moroseful. Far from it. Those missionary- heroes were full of gladness. With all the disadvantages of such a childhood was the rich privilege of understanding the meaning of cheerful earnestness in Christian life."

  Rev. Stephen R. Riggs, D. D., LL. D.,

  Forty-five Years a Missionary to the Dakotas.

  Chapter III.

  Thus for more than a quarter of a century, the glorious work of conquering the Sioux nation for Christ went on. It was pushed vigorously at every mission station from Lac-qui-Parle tO' Red Wing and from Kaposia to Hazelwood. Great progress was made in these years. And such a w^ork!

  The workers were buried out of sight of their fellow-white men. Lac-qui-Parle was more remote from Boston than Manilla is today. It took Stephen R. Riggs three months to pass with his New England bride from the green hills of her native state to Fort Snelling. It was a further journey of thirteen days over a trackless trail, through the wilderness, to their mission home on the shores of the Lake-that-speaks. Even as late as 1843, it required a full month's travel for the first bridal tour of Agnes Carson Johnson as Mrs. Robert Hopkins from the plains of Ohio to the prairies of Minnesota. It was no pleasure tour in Pullman palace cars, on palatial limited trains, swiftly speeding over highly polished rails from the far east to the Falls of St. Anthony, in those days. It was a weary, weary pilgrimage of wrecks by boat and stage, by private conveyance and oft-times on foot. One can make a tour of Europe today with greater ease and in less time than those isolated workers at Lac-qui-Parle could revisit their old homes in Ohio and New England.

  '2. AMONG THE SIOUX.

  Within their reach was no smithy and no mill until they built one; there was no postoffice within one hundred miles, and all supplies were carried from Boston to New Orleans by sloops; then by steamboats almost the whole length of the Mississippi; then ithe flatboat-men sweated and swore as they poled them up the Minnesota to the nearest landing-place; then they had to be hauled overland one hundred and twenty-five miles. These tri])s were ever attended with heavy toil, often with groat suffering and sometimes with loss of life.

  vSmall was the support received from the Board. The entire income of the mission, including government aid to the schools, was less than one thousand dollars a year. Upon this meager suni, three ordained missionaries, two teachers and farmers, and six women, with eight or ten children were maintained. This also, covered travelling expenses, books and printing.

  The rude and varied dialects of the different bands of the savage Sioux had been reduced to a written language. This was truly a giant task. It required men who were fine linguists, very studious, patient, persistent, and capable of utilizing their knowledge under grave difficulties. Such zvere the Ponds, Dr. Williamson, Mr. Riggs and Joseph Renville by whom the great task was accomplished. It took months and years of patient, persistent, painstaking efforts; but it was finally accomplished.

  In JS52, the Dakota Dictionary and Grammar were published by the Smithsonian Institute at its expense. The dictionary contained sixteen thousand words and received the warm commendation of philologists gen-

  erally. The language itself is still growing and valuable additions are being made to it year by year.

  Within a few years, a revised and greatly enlarged edition should be. and probably will be published for the benefit of the Sioux nation.

  The Word of God too, had been translated into this wild, barbaric tongue. This was in truth a mighty un-dcrtakino-. It involved on the part of the translators a knowledge of the French, Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Sioux tongues and required many years of unremitting toil on the part of those, who wrought out its accomplishment in their humble log cabins on the shores of Lakes Calhoun and Lac-qui-Parle, and at Kaposia and Traverse des Sioux, Yellow INledicine and Hazel wood.

  But it, too, was completed and published in 1879, by the American Bible Society. Hymn-books and textbooks had also been prepared and published in the new lang'uag'e. Books like the Pilgrims Progress had been issued in it—a literature for a great nation had been created. Comfortable churches and mission homes had been, erected at the various mission stations. Out of the eight thousand Sioux Indians in Minnesota, more than one hundred converts had been gathered into the church. The faithful missionaries, who had toiled so long, with but little encouragement, now looked forward hopefully into the future.

  Apparently the time to favor their work had come. But suddenly all their pleasant anticipations vanished— all their high hopes v/ere blasted.

  It was August 17, 1862, a lovely Sabbath of the Lord. It was sacramental Sabbath at Hazelwood. As

  their custom was, that congregation of believers and Yellow' JNIcdicine came together to commemorate their Lord's death. The house was well-filled and the missionaries have ever remembered that Sabbath as one of precious interest, for it was the last time they ever assembled in that beautiful little chapel. A great trial of their faith and patience was before them and they knew it not. But the loving Saviour knew that both the missionaries and the native Christians required just such a rest with Him before the terrible trials came upon them.

  As the sun sank that day into the bosom of the prairies, a fearful storm of fire and blood burst upon the defenseless settlers and missionaries. Like the dread cyclone, it came, unheralded, and like that much-to-be-dreaded monster of the prairies, it left desolation and death in its pathway. The Sioux arose against the whites and in their savage wrath swept the prairies of Western Minnesota as with a besom of destruction. One thousand settlers perished and hundreds of happy homes were made desolate. The churches, school-houses and homes of the missionaries were laid in ashes. However, all the missionaries and their households escaped safely out of this fiery furnace of barbaric fury to St. Paul and Minneapolis. All else seemed lost beyond the possibility of recovery.

  In dismay, the missiona
ries fled from the wreck of their churches and homes. There were forty persons in that band of fugitives, missionaries and their friends, who spent a week of horrors—never-to-be-forgotten— in their passage over the prairies to St. Paul and Min-

  neapolis. By day they were horrified by the marks of bloody cruelties along their pathway—dead and mangled bodies, wrecked and abandoned homes. At night, they were terrified by the flames of burning homes and fears of the tomahawks and the scalping knives of their cruel foes. The nights were full of fear and dread. Every voice was hushed except to give necessary orders ; every eye swept the hills and valleys around; every ear was intensely strained to catch the faintest* noise, in momentary expectation of the unearthly war-whocp and of seeing dusky forms with gleaming tomahawks uplifted. In the moonlight mirage of the prairies, every taller clump of grass, every blacker hillock grew into a bleed thirsty Indian, just ready to leap upon them. But, Ijy faith, they were able to sing in holy confidence;

  *'God is our refuge and our strength;

  In straits a present aid; Therefore although the hills remove We will not be afraid." Anc: the God, in whom they trusted, fulfilled his promises to them and brought them all, in safety, to the Twin Cities. And as they passed the boundary line of safety, every heart joined in the glad-song of praise and thanksgiving, which went up to heaven. ''Jehovah has triumphed, His people are free," seemed to ring through the air.

  Little Crow, the chieftain of the Kaposia Band was the acknowledged leader of the Indian forces in this uprising. He was forty years of age, possessed of considerable militarv ability: wise in council and br':ive on

  PEIRII^S BY THE HEATHEN

  Missionaries fleeing- from Indian mas-I sacre in 1862.

  Thursday morning of that terrible week, after an all-night's rain, found them all cold, wet through and utterly destitute of cooked food and fuel. That noon they came to a clump of trees and camped down on the wet prairies for the rest of the day. They killed a stray cow and made some bread out of flour, salt and water. An artist, one of the company, took the pictures here

  the field of battle. He had wrought, in secret, with his fellow-tribesmen, until he had succeeded in the fomia-tion of the greatest combination of the Indians against the whites since the days of Tecumse'h and the Prophet in the Ohio country, fifty years before. He had under his control a large force of Indian warriors armed with Winchesters; and on the morning of the battle, he mustered on the hills around New Ulm, the largest body of Indian cavalry ever gathered together in America.

  The whites arose in their might and, under the leadership of that gallant general, Henry H. Sibley, gave battle to their savage foes. Then followed weeks of fierce and bloody warfare. It was no child's play. Dn the one side were arrayed the fierce warriors of the Sioux nation, fighting for their ancestral homes, their ancient hunting grounds, their deer-parks and the graves of their ancestors. "We must drive the white man east of the Mississippi," was the declaration of Little Crow, and he added the savage boast; 'AVe will establish our winter-quarters in St. Paul and Minneapolis." Over against them, were the brave pion-etrs cf Minnesota, battling for the existence of their beloved state, for their homes, and for the lives and honor of their wives and daughters. The thrilling history of the siege of New Ulm, of the battle of Birch Coullie, of Fori Ridgcly and Port Abercrombie, and of other scenes of conflict is written in the mingled blood of the white man, and of the red man on the beautiful plains of western Minnesota. The inevitable re suit ensued. The Sioux were defeated, large numbers

  were slain in battle or captured, and in despair, the others fled to the then uninhabited regions beyond the Red River o the North. Many of these found refuge under tlie Hritish flag in Prince Rupert's Land (now Manitoba).

  One of the redeeming features in this terrible trag edy of '62. was the unflinching loyalty of the Christian Sioux to the cause of peace. They stood finnly together against the war-party and for the whites. They abandoned their homes and pitched their teepees closely together. This became the rallying point for all who were opposed to the outbreak. They called it Camp Hope, which was changed after the flight of Little Crow's savage band to Camp Lookout. Two days later, when General Sibley's victorious troops arrived, it was named Camp Release. Then it was that the captives, more than three hundred in number were released, chiefly through the efforts of the Christianized Indians.

  In 1902, at the celebration of the fortieth anniversary of the battle of New Ulm, by invitation of the citizens, a band of Sioux Indians pitched their teepees in the public square and participated in the exercises of the occasion. This was a striking illustration of the amity now existing between the two races upon the very ground, where their immediate ancestors so eagerly sought each other's life-blood, in the •recent i)ast. Here on the morn of battle, on the surrounding hills, in the long ago. Little Crow had marsh-

  ailed his fierce warriors, who rushed eagerly in savage glee, again and again, to the determined assault, only to be driven back, by ihe brave Anglo-Saxon defenders. Tablets, scattered here and there over the plains, m the valley of the Minnesota River, tell the story of the Sioux nation, in the new Northwest.

  John Baptiste Renville, a licentiate of the Presbyterian church, and who later was a famous preacher of great power among his own people, remained inside of the Indian lints, and was a powerful factor in causing the counter revolution which hastened the overthrow of the rebellion, and the deliverance of the white captives. Elder Peter Big Fire turned the war party from the trail of the fleeing missionaries and their friends, thus saving two-score lives. One Indian alone, John Other-Day, saved the lives of sixty-two whites. One elder of the church, Simon Anak-wangnanne, restored a captive white woman and three children. And still another, Paul Mintakutemanne, rescued a white woman and several children and a whole family of half-breeds. These truly ''good Indians" saved the lives of more than their own number of whites,—probably two hundred souls in all.

  In token of her appreciation of these invaluable services, Minnesota has caused a monument to be erected in honor of these real braves, on the very plains^ then swept by the Sioux with fire and blood, in their savage wrath.

  It is located on the battlefield of Birch Coullie, near iNIorton in Renville County. The cenotaph is built entirelv of native stone of different varieties. It rises

  to the height of fifty-eight feet above the beautiful prairies bv vliich 11 is siirronndeei. It bears this 30-prupriate mscnpl'ori

  HUMANITY.

  Erected A. D. 1899, by the Minnesota Yallev Historical vSociety to commemorate the brave, faithful and humane conduct of the loyal Indians who saved the lives of white people and were true to their obligations throughout the Sioux war in Minnesota in 1862, and especially to honor the services of those here named:

  Other Day—Ampatutoricna.

  Paul—Mintakutemanne.

  Lorenzo Lawrence—Towanctaton.

  Simon—Anakwangnanne.

  Mary Crooks—Mankahta Heita-win.

  Chapter IV.

  "Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?"— Isaiah do: 8.

  But now occurred the strangest phase of this won-drously strange story. In November, 1862, four hundred defeated Indian warriors, many of them leaders of their people, were confined in prison-pens at Mankato, Minnesota. While free on the prairies, these wild warriors had bitterly hated the missionaries with all the intensity of their savage natures. They had vigorously opposed every effort of the missionaries in their behalf. They had scornfully rejected the invitations of the Gospel. But now in their claims, they earnestly desired to hear the glad tidings they had fcrmeriy scorned. They sent for the missionaries to visH them in prison and the missionaries responded with v^ager joy. And the Holy Spirit accompanied them. Thirty-eight of the prisoners were under the death-sentence and were executed in December.

  'M remember," said Dr. Williamson, "feeling a great desire to preach to them, mingled with a kind of terror partly from a sense of grave responsibility in
speaking to so many whose probation was so nearly closed, and partly from a sense of fear of hearing them say to me "Go home; when we were free we would not hear you ])reach to us ; whv do you come here to torn^ent

  us when we are in chains and cannot go away. It" was a great rehef to find them listening intently to all I had to say."

  The prisoners were supplied with Bibles and other books, and for a time; the prison became a school. They were all eager to learn. The more their minds were directed to God and His Word, the more they became interested in secular studies.

  Very soon the Indians of their own accord began holding meetings every morning and evening in which ihey sang and spoke and prayed. In a short time, there were ninety converts that would lead in public prayer. Of those who were executed, thirty were baptized. Standing in a foot of snow, manacled two and two, they frecjuently gathered to sing' and prav and listen to the w^ords of eternal life. Of this work, the Rev. Gideon H. Pond wrote at the time; "There is a degree of religious interest manifested by them, which is incredible. They huddle themselves together every morning and evening, read the scriptureri, sing-hymns, confess one to another and pray together. They declare they have left their superstitions forever, and that they do and will embrace the religion of Jesus."

  In March, Mr. Pbnd visited Mankato again and spent two Sabbaths with the men in prison, establishing them in their new faith. Before his departure, he administered the Lord's supper, to these new converts. And again the Mankato prison-pens witnessed a strange and wondrous scene. Three hundred embittered, defeated Indian warriors, manacled, fettered witli

  :a among the sioux.

  balls and chains,—but clothed and in their right minds, —were sitting in groups upon the wintry grounds reverently observing the Lord's supper. Elders Robert Hopkins, Peter Big Fire and David Grey Cloud officiated with j-evcrence and dignity. The whole mcve-luent was jnarvelous! It was like a ''nation born in a day." And after many years of severe testing, all whri know the facts, testify that it was a genuine work of God's Holy Spirit. The massacre and the subsequeni events destroyed the power of the Priests of Devils, which had previously ruled and ruined these wretches tribes. They themselves, exploded the dynamite under the throne of Paganism and shattered it to fragments forever.