Show IN THESE UNITED STATES minnesota fete recalls ile calis historic indian uprising features NEW ULM MINN Eighty five years ago this month the sioux indians under command of chief little crow struck ck out in a last desperate attempt to drive the white men from their rapidly shrinking empire in the midwest states center of the attack which occurred at a period when america was en in bitter civil war between the states was new ulm early german settlement in minnesota the indians struck with sudden savage fury in what history has recorded as the new ulm massacre although the indians cause was hopeless from the outset it cost the lives of more than men women and children of southwestern minnesota the indians were in the end bad ly defeated and driven from the state into dakota territory many were captured and more than were sentenced to hang In tion of president lincoln spared the lives of the great majority of these but 38 eventually died in the great est mass hanging america ever has recorded there are different versions of the incident that touched off the trouble conceded to have been one ot of the most serious ot of all american indian uprisings Acce accepted pled by many is the story that it was provoked by the craving of a renegade indian named in one who 1 kills ghosts for a mess iness of 0 eggs for break fast the story has it that one of his companions ordered one who kills ghosts to put down the eggs to avoid starting trouble one who kills ghosts thereupon accused the other of being a coward and afraid of the white man muster for war that allegedly set off the spark in the quarrel that followed the young bucks decided to prove their valor and went to a nearby settler settlers s home and shot up members of the family indians throughout the min desota river valley immediately be gan mustering for war and the very next day whites at the lower agency were attacked the indians spread out over the country on both sides of the river despoiling every settlement by torch tomahawk and terror 41 terrified settlers hurried their families to new ulm as the indians massed for attack milford a rural settlement seven miles west of new ulm was attacked and many of its inhabitants killed on august 18 the following day a force of war nors hit at new ulm killing sev eral persons and burning a number of buildings the defense held how ever and after some spirited fight ing the savages withdrew during the battle reinforcements arrived from st peter mankato mancato le sueur and other neighboring settlements bringing the defense forces to around maj charles E flandrau a former indian agent was placed in command and defenses of the town were strength ened path of destruction four days later on august 23 the indians attacked new ulm in great er number fighting continued un til noon of the following day when the attackers withdrew of the new ulm defenders 34 had been killed 60 wounded nearly 00 buildings had been destroyed during the same time the indians also laid siege to fort ridgley a united states military post dished in 1853 18 miles up the river from new ulm during the nine day siege two formidable assaults were made and repulsed the in deans then retreated into the da kotas taking with them many captives whatever it was that started the uprising historians are agreed that it wasn gasn t a mere sudden whim the indians were well prepared when they launched their attack their leaders knew well what the they y were ere doing when they chose fort ridgely and the settlement of new vim ulm as their main objectives jec tives it is felt that the underlying cause goes back to 1851 before the state of minnesota was founded when treat treatie lep were negotiated with the upper and lower branches of the sioux nation tor for the transfer of most of their vast lands in southern mm min desota and in iowa to the govern mem ment in return tor for specified pay ments the indians were to make their homes on a reservation con of a 10 mile strip on both sides of the minnesota river near fort ridgely the treaty was unpopular with many of the indians for they had exchanged a big empire tor for a nar row strip of not very suitable land and payments were not as large as they had expected other fac tors too contributed to the hostile feeling which was becoming more pronounced at a time when able bodied men were being sent out of the state to fight in the civil war ally LEADS UPRISING chief ll 11 little littie t crow of the sioux indian tribe led more than 4 warriors in the historic raid against new ulm pioneer southern minnesota farming center little crow escaped U S troops sent in pursuit after the indians were driven off in a climactic battle august IS 18 1862 thirty eight of his warriors were hanged later at mankato mancato Man kato minn little crow escaped that fate but later was found and shot bravery of their hardy forefathers whose valiant defense once and for all destroyed the war making power of the sioux in the midwest and made the area sate safe tor for settlers will be commemorated in a huge six day observance august 12 1217 17 by rest resi dents of new ulm none of the actual defenders Is known to sur vive but still living are more than a score of men and women who as children shared the anxious mo ments of those trying days some despite their advanced ages can vividly recall many harrow harrowing mg ex penances penen perien ces descendants of the de tenders fenders today make up much of the city s population the observance abt only will hon bon or the pioneer settlers of the region but also will serve as the official homecoming for several thousand new ulm and brown county vet erans of world war II 11 attendance of residents from throughout the midwest is expected to swell attend ance at the six day program to and the city will be ap abely decked out for the event which commemorates so vital a period in the history of the plains states |