Show IN TUESE THESE UNITED STATES I 1 14 10 minnesota pete recalls 11 i indian WW features NEW ULM MINN eighty five years ago this month the sioux indians under command of chief little crow struck 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 gagelin gag edin 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 utai ulm massacre although the indians cause was hopeless from the outset it cost the lives of more than men women and children of South southwestern minnesota the indians were in tile the end badly defeated and driven from the 0 state into dakota territory many J I 1 were captured and more than were sentenced to hang intervention of president lincoln spared the lives of the great majority of these but 38 08 eventually died in the greatest mass hanging america ever has recorded there are arc different versions of 0 the incident that touched oft off tile tho trouble conceded to have acen H cai one of the most serious of all american indian uprisings accepted i iby by many is the story that it was provoked by the craving of a renegade indian named ill line d one who kills i ghosts for a mess of eggs for breakfast 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 man muster bluster for war th the that e allegedly set oft off the spark in the quarrel that followed the young bucks decided to prove their valor aud and went to a nearby settlers home and shot up members of the family indians throughout the minnesota river valley immediately began 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 aides of the river despoiling every settlement by torch tomahawk and terror terrified settlers hurried their fa families nilles to new ulm as the indians massed tor for attack Mil jord a rural settlement seven niles west of new ulm was attacked and many of its inhabitants killed on august 18 the following day a force of warriors hit at new ulm killing several persons and burning a number of buildings the defense held however and after some spirited fighting the savages withdrew IDu f during ilni tile the battle reinforcements 0 i arrived from st peter mankato mancato Man kato le bucur and other neighboring settlements bringing the defense lows corces to around maj charles Z E flandrau a former indian agent was placed in command and defenses of the town were strengthened I 1 path of destruction four days later on august 23 the indians great er number fighting continued un til noon of the following day when the ohp attackers withdrew of the new ulm defenders 34 had been killed 60 wounded nearly buildings had been i destroyed during the same time the indians also laid siege to fort ridgley a united states military post established in ili 1853 IBi miles river from new ulm uhn during the nine day siege two formidable assaults were made and repulsed the indians then retreated into the dakotas taking with them many captives whatever it was that started the uprising historians historian s are arc agreed that it a in mere ere sudden whim the alic indians were well prepared when they launched their attack their 1 leaders knew well what they were doing when they chose fort ridgely and the settlement of new ulm as their main objectives jec tives I 1 it Is felt elt thattie th atthe underlying ca cause use goes back to 1851 1831 before the th estate s tate of minnesota was founded when treaties were negotiated with the upper ond and lower branches of the sioux nation faethe for the transfer of mo most st of their vast lands in southern minnesota and in iowa to the government in return tor for specified payments the indians were to make their homes on a reservation consisting of a 10 mile strip on both sides of the mannes minnesota ota river near fort ridgely the treaty was unpopular with many of the indians for they had exchanged a big empire for a narrow strip of not very suitable land and payments were note not a as s large as they had expected other factors too contributed lio to the ho hostile sille feeling which was becoming more pronounced at a time when able bodied men were being sent out of the state stale to fight in id the civil war I 1 bravery of their hardy forefathers whose valiant defense once and tor for all destroyed the war making power of the sioux in the midwest and made the area safe for settlers will be commemorated in a huge six day observance august 1217 12 17 by residents of new ulm none of the actual defenders is known to survive but still living are more than a score of men and women who as children shared the anxious moments of those trying days some despite their advanced a ages ge can vividly recall many harro harrowing ing experiences per perien lences ces descendants of the defenders today make up much of the cites population the observance not only will hon conr or the pioneer settlers of the region but also will serve as the official homecoming for several thousand new ulm and brown county veterans of world war II 11 attendance I 1 of residents from throughout the midwest is expected to swell attendance at the six day program to and the city will be appropriately decked out for the event which commemorates so vital a period i in the history of the plains stat states es |