.C6E5 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS QQOlTbfilHEH \J A ■^>^ c ^^ __ ! — U Jku Jkmrunt of the disturbances of the GJhinnenta Indians at QMI L,ake in 1857 and 1862 and their HemnnaT in 1868 Woman's ^uxilmrj) Saint Barnabas Htfsniial TOinneanalts , ftlinn . HJamait's Mxiliarg, St. ^autsbns Hospital ftlittitg-apolts, fUtnu. T:-umrc-K i jould PR*jTi«-a ;>.). £/n o es- LIBRARY of CONGRESS] Twu Copies Hecdveu NOV 20 iy04 oeyrltfjLtntry A ^ ^ INTRODUCTION ♦JFN a pine forest on the shore of a beautiful lake, Kah-gay- " ash-koon-si-kag, eight miles long and four ;broad, was an Indian village of birch bark wigwams and canoes, surround- ed by sugar maple groves, lakes filled with f-ish and wild rice. In the woods were blueberries, birds, moose, bear, elk, deer and fur animals in abundance, In 1868 the United States treaty removed the Chippewas one hundred miles west to White Earth and gave them farms. About 1838 there came from Canada a young interpreter ac- companying a travelling preacher. This was En-me-gah-bowh who had been taught to read and write and interpret. In the group of listeners sat a modest maiden, the grand-daughter of the Chief. After the meeting he asked if he might speak to her and her friends. In due time he became her husband and Gull Lake his home. So the charming maiden gained for her people an in- structor and counsellor who for sixty years stood before them, as his name implies, and led them on to Christian knowledge, faith and life. He died at White Earth, June 12th, 1902 and Mrs. Whipple has recently erected, in the church-yard of St. Columba, a monument of granite to his memory. In January, at the age of 86, he wrote his last historic mes- sage at the request of Hon. Nathan Richardson, mayor of Little Falls, by whose courtesy we publish it for the free bed at St. Bar- nabas Hospital. It is a statement of his own personal experience at critical times, without reference to his helpers, the Bishops, Clergy and Christian people whose prayers and alms sus- tained his work. The manuscript is printed verbatim. PREFACE ^WVAJOR D. B. HERRIMAN, in his final report from the *H«J Chippewa Agency, Sept. 15, 1857, says: "I believe the missionaries within this Agency to be doing all they can for the benefit of the Indians according tc their system. They must be generally awarded the credit of sincerity in desiring the good of the Indians. No less than five whiskey shops are only five miles from this Agency. I have frequently caused persons to be arrested for violating these laws, but have never yet been able to pro- cure conviction in a single instance, notwithstanding positive proof, juries always disagreed." The troops at Fort Ripley having been removed, the whiskey seller has had nothing to fear from that quarter. In July, 1857, three young Indians, named Charles Giga- bish, James, and Jo Shambo, the latter being a mixed-blood, went to Crow Wing, twelve miles from their home, and as usual obtained fire-water. Coming back near sunset in the pine forest by Round lake, they were seen by an Indian woman, who watched behind the trees, to attack and rob a white man, dragging him to the lake, as she thought, to drown him. She informed Enmegahbowh of the occurrence, and he wrote an account of it, a portion of which has been preserved and is given below. The removal of troops, and the abandonment of Fort Rip- ley caused the lawless whites and drinking Indians to think and to say, "There is no one now to arrest us whatever we do." Like a city without police the boldest criminals ruled. Tur- bulence of every kind was invited by this condition. The mission of Dr. Breck among the Pillagers at Leech Lake had been abandoned in June, and the missionaries at Gull Lake were soon in peril. The Rev. E. Steele Peake remained there, hoping to save the church and the school for Indian children, but the murder of Fritz, the German tramp, and the consequent action of the mob near Little Falls, taking the three Indian prisoners from the sheriff and hanging them in chains to the trees, brought the final crisis, which could only be averted by reoccupying the Fort with U. S. troops at once. CHAPTER I. Indian Disturbances of 1857 The following is Enmegahbovrh's Account of the Affair: N Indian woman told me that she saw the three Indian boys attack and abuse Fritz, and after knocking him down, they were dragging him to the lake to drown him. But she said she did not stay long enough to see what they finally did with the man, but she told us where to find the mark or track. So I, with the young men that were with me, started to find the place. Sure enough we found the place, and also found the mark of what I thought was a grave. I put my pitchfork in it, and thought 1 touched something, and pulled it up to my great astonishment and fear, for here was the leg of a dead man not yet stiff with cold. I found in the grave a man not yet stiff with cold. I went home and found the three young men in my house. I pretended not to know anything about what I have just told, the murdered man. Bye-and-bye I asked Mr. Selkrig, the interpreter, to go with me to feed the horses, and right there I made known to him that I saw a murdered man buried under the sand beach. He was much aston- ished and much afraid, and asked me who did it. I told him I met a woman two hours ago on the road who saw these three young men who are now in ni} 7 house do it. I told him how we looked around to find the place where they have buried him, how I found the place and put my pitchfork in and knew I hit something and pulled it up and it was a human leg not yet stiffened with cold. I was fully satisfied that I knew the three young men who did it. I went home, and there I found the three young men in my house smoking. There were three white men there also, Mr. Charles Selkrig, Mr. Sutherland, the trader, and I cannot recall the name of the other man. I told him how I sat down and pretended not to know anj'thing about it what had been done. After a while T invited him to go out and told him all about the foot peddler being buried in the sand just after he was killed by the three young men still in my house. I told Mr. Selkrig that the best thing that could be done now was to arrest those young men and bind them with string ropes, hands and feet, and tomorrow take them down to Fort Ripley and let them be judged according to the law of the Medes and Persians. I said, "Do not do it hurriedly, but do it carefully and strongly, and get everything ready." This was done, the three young men were arrested. They did not show any resistance, but gave up themselves willingly. In a few days we heard that a big crowd of the whites took hold of them and they were hung on the limb of a tree. When this act was noised abroad in the Indian country, the father and uncles of the young men breathed vengance against me. My friends ad- vised me to flee to the fort. I did so and remained at the fort for two months, with many incon- veniences and troubles and in want. At the end of the two months, all the chiefs and prominent half breeds invited me to return home, saying that every possible protection would be given me, and that no harm should be done me. I returned home. The old man who made the most threatening speech was the first man to come to see me and gave me his hand for a peace- ful reconciliation, and once more I became tamed down and reconciled to my former position and standing. I was well convinced that the two troubles just passed through had paved the way so that another trouble would soon come. Extracts from Letters written by Enmegahbowh to Hon. Nathan Richardson White Earth, February 15th, 1902. Hon. N. Richardson, Dear Sir: I have this day sent you my scribblings giving you a little information about the young men murderers. The using the English language is indeed im- perfect. I know not whether you shall be able to understand it all. But I have done the best as I can. I have passed Little Falls before there was any sign of a white man. Today it is full of the white men. I have put and added iny Indian name. En- megahbowh means "The one who stands before his people." A good name. I like it. It was the gift of my heathen grandfather. J. J. Enmegahbowh. January 25, 1902. Hon. N. Richardson: My Bear Sir: You ask me to give you a bit of my wanderings to and fro in this loved country. I wish I could comply- with your request— not any- thing valuable, but an Indian curiosity. I have repeatedly received letters from different sources asking me the same request. Even the late Bishop Whipple has often asked me to write a little of my life. I was born in Canada under the paw of the king of beasts, which is most dreaded and a terror to the American nation. I will give you a little of my first being and wanderings here and elsewhere. Of course I was born in a heathen country. My parents were heathen — worshipped to wood and stone. I was brought up in and trained in the Grand Medicine worship when quite young. But still I can re- member all the teachings which have been taught me. Bye-and-bye I was initiated into the lodge and was fully considered a worthy member in the lodge. 10 CHAPTER II. Indian Outbreak of 1862 N the year 1862 your own civil war against your friends the nigger worshippers in the South affected us. On one morning as I was sitting in tny humble abode, two gentlemen step in and ask "Is this Mr. J. Johnson?" I said "Yes, he is the man." "Can we have private conversa- tion with you for a few minutes?" they asked. "Certainly," I replied. "Some of your friends at St. Paul recommended us to come to see you before we ventured out for our business. We are directed to come and ask you to accompany us to Mille Lacs to help us to get all the young Indians to go to war in the South. And to every young man, or married man either, we will be willing to pa}^ one or two hun- dred dollars." The word pay stirred and irritated my sensi- bilities. I wondered what it could mean. I asked the gentleman to explain more so I can under- stand it. "We want young men as substitutes for some who can not go to war, to take their places." "Well, gentlemen," I said, "I cannot give you the answer now, but on tomorrow, if you come. I will then let you know what I can do for you." After the men stepped out I made known to my companion. She said "I would not accept their proposition." I said "Just exactly so are my thoughts. It is true I could make one or two thousand dollars in a few days. But to go and sell my poor people to get money! Oh, no! I cannot do it. These gentlemen came and spoke to me secretly. They did not want to make it known to the half-breeds." The gentlemen came back at the appointed time. I said to them, "Gentlemen, I have thought all over the proposition you have made to me. I am sorry to say, after due consideration, I am not able to go. My position and standing before my people forbid me to do so. But I can tell } r ou how to carry out your work without any difficulty. Here are many of our half-breeds who will take hold with your work." Towards evening the mixed bloods became almost crazed, and the drunkenness was at the highest pitch. Several young men had already sold themselves for from fifty to one hundred dol- lars. Heap of money and whiskey for a "Big Indian," and as fast as the big Indians are sold they are taken down to Fort Snelling and there are resold to the highest bidder. I thought a good deal about this affair, and came to the conclusion 12 that it would bring more trouble and difficulty at the end. Many Indian men had already been sold and taken down to Fort Snelling in the course of a few days. Three braves, We-sug, Ago-eus, and Shum-be- go-gun, are considered the head braves of Leech Lake Indians. We-sug and Ago-eous' sons have been sold and taken down to Fort Snelling. These parents, whose sons were sold without their knowledge, immediately came to Crow Wing. I was sitting late in the night when these braves stepped into my house. They had war paint on their faces, and guns in their hands. Before ex- plaining their object I was a little timid. Bye- and-bye the leader said, "We heard that Mr. Horn, the whiskey trader, bought two of our sons, and has taken them to be re-sold. We come to kill Mr. Horn tonight and in less than an hour. We thought before taking the step to come and call on you to tell you all about it, and to hear what you have to sa}' on the subject." "My friends," I said, "I am glad to hear you think me worthy to make known to me your object in visiting Crow Wing. My friends, I presume you all understand what it will bring about. If you kill the white man, you will cause a general warfare and the whites will drive us away from our country and perhaps will eventually sweep us away from the face of the earth. "We are fully well aware that a general warfare may take place," the}' said. 13 "For this we have been fully prepared for many years. We cannot be free or be exempt from it. For many years past we have been sitting still under the dark cloud of ill treatment by the whites. Our country and the great pine forest are nearly all gone. We see what is coming upon us. The troubles and sufferings will eventually come upon all our poor races. This is the pre- diction of our fathers, told to their children and grandchildren. 'It will take place, it is coming, and upon our doors. They will come with great pretentions, and will call you ne-che or friend. Yes, yes, you will become disgraced, your homes and sacred palaces polluted.' And that is what our great grandfathers said. "Dear friends," I replied, "again I thank you that you think me worthy to come and tell me be- fore you make the first fatal blow. I have, my friends, told you all the dreadful consequences that you will bring upon us all, the great suffer- ing of our children, and that we will eventually be swept away from our great county and be no more. My friends, I love our poor race. If I could do an} T thing for you to avert your troubles I would do it for you. My friends, please let me propose one thing. If you will wait six or seven days, or until my return from St. Paul, I will go to see the two great men, Mr. Rice and General Sibley, and make known your troubles, and the whiskey traders who are buying our young men 14 and selling them again to the highest bidder." The} 7 asked nie "Will these great men listen and hear your talking?" "Well I think they will. I know these men personally. I am a poor man. I cannot go down in the stage. I am young and can walk from here to St. Paul in two da3 r s. I think I could return in six days sure." "Well," said the braves, "If you think you can accomplish some good, and get the hearing of the two chiefs at St. Paul, we will wait seven days." In the night my wife made two pairs of new moccasins for me, and before daybreak I was on my way. I felt so well and light, and I thought I could outrun any four-legged animal. I passed through Sauk Rapids toward the evening, and continued my journey . Toward night I stepped out from the road and under the heavy limbs of an oak tree la} 1 - down to sleep. For about five hours I could not sleep. The thought of my errand was so important. At last I lost my sleep- lessness; and just before daybreak I was up and took a fresh start. I was in St. Paul early in the morning of the third da}". My first visit was to Mr. Rice. He called me into his parlor, and asked me the object of my visit. I said, "Mr. Rice, my object to visit you i» that we are having a very serious trouble, or ex- pect to have one, if you and General Sibley cannot help us out of it." Here I commenced to tell him all about the trouble from beginning to end. "Well, 15 Mr. Johnson," he said, "I am glad you have come to make known to us your trouble, and that you expect to have a very serious one. Yes, this very thing, the traffic in human beings, should and must be stopped at once. You go to General Sib- ley and show this letter to him. When do you ex- pect to return home?" "Just as soon as you may give all the instructions." I entered into the office of the general, and handed the letter of Mr. Rice to him. I watched him during the reading of the letter. He would now and then give a nod. I thought it a very good indication. He turned and said, with an earnest emphasis, "Yes, this very traffic in your people to the whites shall and must cease at once. When you reach home, if they are still buying and selling the young Indians, you will please write to us, and we will take good care of the men who sell and buy." The general gave me papers to show those who were the most conspicuous persons. I shook hands with him, and thanking him for his instructions and the papers he gave me, I returned to Mr. Rice's office. He asked me how I came down. "I used my legs and feet." "You expect to go back today?" "Yes, just as soon as I go out of your office I shall steer my journe} T toward home, for I must get home three days from today. There are three braves from Leech Lake who are waiting for me at Crow Wing, and it is very important that I 16 should be there on the third day from today." He opened his drawer and handed me twenty- live dollars. This very generous gift, given un- expectedly to me, was an expression of joy that words cannot express. I stepped out of his office with light heart and much elated. Relieved of in} T anxieties, my body and legs were easily moved. There was no impediment on my person, and I walked like the hart of the forest. On the first night of my return journey I walked quite a dis- tance, there being clear moonlight. The third day I arrived home, well and heart} 7 . When the three braves heard of ni3 T arrival, the3^ came to see me and hear what success had attended my trip. I said, "Dear friends, I am glad to tell you that I have seen the two big chiefs of the whites. They have listened to my complaint, and they both expressed much satisfaction that I came down to see them, and tell them of our troubles. After hearing me, they both said it shall and must be stopped forthwith, and here are rny papers to that effect." All the three braves thanked me for it, and shook hands with me, and returned home with much satisfaction. Here, Mr. Richardson, you see plainly a gen- eral warfare and the annihilation of my whole race might have taken place. But my timely effort alone, without help from my own race, averted great warfare, to my great joy and happi- ness. The above incidents are true and the facts 17 as they occurred. These very incidents have been quieted down, but they paved the way for future trouble like the above. I have heard much about them here and there. Much dissatisfaction has long existed among my people. I know it. I am continuall} 7 in positions to know it, and to hear it, and today, when the sun had brought her best shining splendor to light the heads of the heathen men, and we are still in the broad day of Christianity, I have never quite tamed down to feel at ease, and to say that my people are absolute- ly at peace. Not that I say it to disbelieve the Christian religion. Oh, no! I believe the Christ- ian religion will be the means to subdue all the wicked hearts of all nations of the earth. My uneasiness about my people, lest they take up arms against the great American nation and what would take place from some sources, was duly realized. At the time it happened it was big, like a giant in size. In 1862, when the Sioux nation raised their arms against their friends, the whites, the mas- sacre began in earnest, killing both women and children. I was watching my people how it would affect them. Sure enough, in a few days I heard that Hole-in-the-day had received a secret mes- sage from the Sioux war chief, Little Crow, though between them deadly hatred and warfare had been carried on for ages past. I thought Hole-in-the day would not accept it. But he had secretly 18 sent messengers to the interior country telling and urging his people to take up arms to aid the Sioux nation who were massacring hundreds up- on hundreds of the whites, friends and warriors. There was never a better time to urge this. Our people had been looking for that day to come, and now it had come they were ready to take up arms and go forth to war. The soldiers have nearly all been taken away to the South. The interior forts were all nearly empty. Come, my fellow warriors, let us go forth to war! For we are a dying people ^fc anyhow. We might as well hasten the day of our sufferings and death! In less than ten days warriors began to come in to our village at Gull lake. Drum beating was heard throughout the village. Hole-in-the-day invited me to his council wigwam and informed me of his plan to com- mence killing all the whites that he could see and lay his hands on. He had decided to assist his hereditary enemy to go forth to war against the whites. There were several warriors in the wig- wam. I said to them, "My friends, you all know me. For years I have stood before you and tried to save you from your present condition and the consequences of your sin's doing. If you knew as much as I know of the greatness and power of the whites against whom you are expected to fight, you would not entertain the idea to thus strike against heavy rocks. You may kill a few in the IV beginning, but in the end you will all be swept away from the face of the earth, and annihilated forever. I love you all. I see and know just ex- actly how the war will terminate. As a friend who loves you, I would ask you all