AC. Lavina Eastlick Tells of the 1862 Sioux Massacre at Lake Shetek, Minnesota (Fanny Kelly ep. 11)

Lavina Eastlick Tells of the 1862 Sioux Massacre at Lake Shetek, Minnesota (Fanny Kelly ep. 11)

today we’ll be reading some actual history about the tragic story of Lavina Eastlake from this book a history of the great Massacre by the Sioux Indians published all the way back in 1864. Lavina Eastlake was one of thousands of settlers in Minnesota who were brutally attacked by the Sioux Indians in August of 1862.

lavina’s account was later included in this book captured by Indians 15 first-hand accounts from 1750 to 1870. this book was published in 1961 and was edited by Frederick dremer I’ll first read dremer’s introduction which provides some background on the 1862 Sioux outbreak and then I’ll read Lavina eastlake’s first-hand account of the massacre Lavina eastlake’s story is one episode in the history of the bloodiest Massacre of the West it began on August 17 1862 with an unprovoked murder of some white settlers by four young Indians at Acton Minnesota it ended a little over a

month later with the route of the Indians by troops under Colonel H.H Sibley but in between the rampaging Sioux had shot and hacked to death a large but unverifiable number of whites President Lincoln estimated that at least 800 lost their lives thirty thousand persons fled from their homes in 18 counties and many did not return for more than a year if ever in 1862 the Sioux or Dakotas in Southwestern Minnesota had been living on a reservation for eight years the hope of the government had been that the Indians

would settle down and become Farmers like the immigrants Lavina Eastlake and her husband among them who were establishing homesteads everywhere in the region but changes in age-old ways come slowly only one Indian and ten cut his hair put on trousers until the soil the other nine the traditional blanket Indians looked down their noses at the cut hair and went on hunting but so much of their best land had been seeded to the whites the game was hard to find things grew worse instead of better as the Civil War moved along in its second

year the Indians complained with justification that they were robbed or cheated by the traitors on the reservation they were paid annuities a small annual sum for each Indian in compensation for the millions of Acres they had surrendered to the whites and now because of the war payment of their money was held up and the bargain the Traders refused them credit the Sioux were hungry and angry the situation was inflammable and the Hostile Act of four young Indians on August 17th provided the spark Lake Chetek where Lavina

Eastlake LED was about 50 miles from the reservation it was not until August 20th that the trouble reach chatek and the 11 white families who dwelled around it they sought shelter in the Log House of John Wright for it was larger and stronger than their shanties there were some Sioux living on Wright’s property but the settlers looked upon them and particularly their leader Pawn as friends and allies this they were to discover was a grave error Lavina Eastlake was born in 1833 in Colesville New York she was married to John

Eastlake when she was 17. they had five Sons ranging in age from Merton 11 to the baby Johnny at 15 months the other boys were Fred Frank and Giles the family had already made several moves each one bringing them further west when they settled at Lake Chetek in 1861 they had hoped that this would be their final move and for four of them it was early in the morning of August 20th 1862 Charles hatch came to our house and greatly alarmed Us by information that the Sioux Indians were close upon us he informed us that the Indians had killed

Mr voy and that they were then at Mr coax we had heard quite enough and stayed no longer to listen to details my husband caught up his two rifles and the baby and hastily left for Mr Smith’s house the child had nothing on but a night dress I asked my husband if I should take my clothes he said no I wanted to get my shoes he said you have no time to spare so I started barefooted with quite a load of powder shot and lead I was so frightened that I could hardly run we finally came in sights of Mr Smith’s house which gave me great

courage when I got to the house and found no one there I thought I must sink to the ground helpless I then happened to think of my boy that was at Mr rights and hurried on with greater speed than ever we soon overtook Mr Smith and his wife they were going to Mr rights which Mr Smith thought would be the best place of Defense there were six Indians living in teepees at Mr rights as soon as they discovered us they waved their hands and told us to come on we soon reached the house and found everything in confusion

Indians were running here and there loading their guns throwing off their clothes pounding out balls hiding their packs and having quite a time they told the men that they would fight for them and pretended to be very sorry for the whites people kept arriving soon there were over 30 of us there men women and children I saw Mrs coat come in her clothes were wet to the waist she said that she had waited through the lake Chetek and through the swamps to give information to the folks at the lower end of the lake she said the Indians had

come to her house taken Mr Koch’s gun and gone out and shot him with it Mrs Koch felt very bad I tried to get her quiet I told her that my husband might be killed before night and then I should be worse off than she was for I should be left with five children and she had none she said she could not stand it for her husband was lying in the barnyard with his face in the mud she told pawn and he said that that was very bad and if two white men would go with him he would bring Mr Coke down there but no one would go with them the men said they

could not see anything of the Indians yet they then took the horses into the back part of the house knocked out some chinking on every side of the house got clubs and axes and put them upstairs with the women they were determined to fight the Indians should they come into the house the women would all have fought well for we were determined to sell our lives as dearly as possible my husband brought me my knife and told me to use it if it became necessary it was not a small knife by any means had we stayed in the house I certainly should

have used it had the Indians come in some Indians came to Mr Smith’s house we saw them taking clothes out of the house shaking them and folding them up some of the Indians rode out into the field as fast as their horses could run fired their guns and then rode back and cut a good many such Capers Pond told the men that if they would fire their guns it would scare the Indians they all fired their guns Mrs Wright with the rest two or three of the Indians in the house with us did not fire I thought that there was something wrong going on I

told Mr Smith and my husband that should they fire again to let the Indians fire first I fear that they wish the men to Fire and then would turn and shoot them before they could reload the Indians soon came inside and pawned and two more Indians went and met them and talked a while with them these new Indians were on Horseback they then rode away then Pawn came to us and said that there were a great many Indians near and that they would burn the house he acted as though he was badly frightened he started off

and wanted us all to go to the timber the men hardly knew what to do some wish to stay and some desire to go some started and some remained behind I ran upstairs and caught my baby then asleep left my Bonnet and my butcher knife on the bed and was soon hurrying over the Prairie with the others two of the men went with the horses to Mr everetts to get a wagon to carry the women and children they soon overtook us and the women and children all got in but myself and Mrs Wright we walked about a mile and then we got in also Mrs Dooley and

some of the children getting out I saw 10 Indians leave the house and come after us as swiftly as they could ride we urge the horses on but did not get them off of a walk the Indians soon came so close that the men thought we had better leave the the wagon we did so and hurried along as fast as we could the men keeping along with us Mr Smith and Mr Rhodes ran on and left us some of the men called to them While others commanded them to stop and come back my husband told Mr Rhodes to come back and bring his rifle as he had the best one

among them but nothing would stop them there were two or three Indians that were trying to head them off or drive them back the Indians behind us came up to the wagon and began to strip the harness off the horses several of the men turned and fired upon them the Indian soon mounted the horses and came on keeping up a dreadful fire the men told us to go to a swamp not far off meanwhile the Indians were trying to surround us while we were running for the swamp I was shot in the heel but I did not stop William Dooley’s oldest son

and daughter were both shot through the shoulder Mrs Ireland’s youngest child was shot through the leg we all soon got to the tall grass and hit ourselves as well as we could the men standing around the edge trying to get a shot at the Indians who were skulking behind the hills the Indians had got the advantage and too well they knew it my husband snapped four caps at an Indian he then took a pin and pricked some powder into the tube he had loaded his gun while running fired at an Indian and shot him but did not know whether he killed him

or not the Indians had now surrounded us entirely I soon heard someone groaning who was shot somebody asked me it was Charlie hatch’s voice Mrs Everett wished to go to him he told her not to come she then wished him to come to her but he said they had both better keep still Mrs Ireland’s next to youngest child was shot through the bowels the ball and shot at this time were falling around us like hail I was struck with a ball which passed through my clothes and just grazed my side it was not long until a small shot struck my head and I told

John my husband that I was shot and I thought I would die I told him not to come to me but if he had any chance of shooting an Indian to stay and shoot him for he could not do me any good Mr Everett was shot and Mrs Everett wanted to go to him but he said she had better keep still for the Indians might see her oh Billy do let me come she replied no Miri stay where you are she was soon shot in the neck and bled very freely I heard her say to Mr Everett we will both have to die she then asked him if they should not pray yes he replied I heard

Mrs Everett praying next I heard a ball strike someone I could tell when a ball struck anyone I heard someone groan twice I asked my husband if he was shot he made no answer I asked him again he’s dead Mrs Cooks said I thought I would go to him but Mrs Koch told me it would do no good she said she was sure he was dead and that I had better stay where I was with my children now my children clung so close to me that I could scarcely move they asked me over and over again if their father was dead you must keep still I replied or you will be

killed it was now very warm in the Tall Grass the sun was hot and not a breath of air was stirring several times I tried to crawl away from the children to give the Indians less of a Target but as soon as I moved away they came after me Frank and Fred seemed to think that mother could save them now the Indians were not shooting quite so often I think quite a number of them had been killed they came so close that we could hear them talking quite plainly they fired two or three times and shot Mrs Smith through the hip she screamed several

times and the Indians laughed about it they called to us to come out I asked Mr Everett if he had not better talk with them he called the pawn and requested him to come to him you come to me pawn answered I can’t I am almost dead you are lying Pon said two of them shot at Everett but did not hit him he told his wife he would say no more and wanted her to tell Pawn that he was killed Mrs Everett got up and told Pawn in the most pitiful tone that her husband was dead Pawn wanted her to come to him he said he would not kill her he wanted her and

Mrs Wright for his wives Mr Everett told his wife that perhaps she had better go she said she would go if I would go with her I told her someone had better go that would talk with them and at the same time asked Mrs ride if she would not go she said she would she and Mrs Everett took their children and went out to the Indians I saw Pawn take some of the children in his arms Mrs Wright told us that the Indians said that they would not kill any of the women and children I got up and went to my husband he lay on

his left side with his right hand on his face I kissed him two or three times I felt his face and hands they were cold I could not shed a tear although I knew that it was the last time I should ever see him I started for the Indians but found I could walk only with great difficulty my two oldest children came and helped me along Mrs Wright seeing what trouble I had to walk came and helped me too one by one the women came from the swamp with their children most of us sat down the Indians were standing around some were leaning on their guns

and one or two got on their horses one Indian took a shawl and a bag of shot from Rosa Ireland it began to rain now the Indians seem to be in a great hurry one Indian took Mrs Coke and started off some more of them took Mr Ireland’s two oldest girls the largest darkest complexion Indian took Mrs Dooley and myself by the hand and started off neither of us making any resistance I looked back to see if the children were coming Freddy started but an old Squall ran and struck him over the head with something I did not know what and

pounded him on the back then she let him get up and come on after me his face was all streaming with blood not satisfied with her fiendish cruelty she ran after him and knocked him down again pounded him some more took him up in her hands raised him up as high as she could and threw him down on the ground Pond told me to go on I went a few steps looked back and saw Frank on his knees with both hands raised mother mother he called the blood was running out of his mouth in a stream Mrs Smith and Mrs Ireland were both shot on the spot not

again Old Pond told me to go on the Indian that was leading me went on and left me I started again and asked Pon if he was going to kill me he said he was not Mrs Dooley had one child in her arms and wanted her side holding on to her dress she was pleading for their lives the Indians told her the same as the rest that they would not kill them she had not gone 15 yards when they shot her eldest son I saw Mrs Everett running toward her husband and an Indian just ready to take hold of her some Indian shot and she fell ponds stopped and

loaded his gun I trudged on thinking how brutally my children had been murdered and how I could not help them as I was hurrying along to overtake Mrs Wright Pawn shot me the ball entered my back and came out at my side just above my hip passing through my right arm I had given Merton my baby about 15 months old and told him to carry him as long as he could he passed by where I fell and supposed that I was dead when I fell I thought my back was broken now I began to think that there were some ponies behind and that they might step on me I

tried to move and found that I could crawl I had gone a few yards out of the trail when a young Indian came along and pounded me over the head and shoulders with a rifle I expected every moment he would take my scalp but he did not he threw the rifle down by my side and went on I remained perfectly still for two hours or more thinking that there might be more Indians about then I tried to move to my astonishment I found I could get up but with great difficulty when I raised up I found I had been bleeding very badly it was now raining hard but

not hard enough to wash away the blood I sat up until dark and heard the child William Dooley call mother mother her and then Mrs Smith Mrs Smith this frightened me very much for I had suppose that he was dead I got up and started back to where the women and children had been killed I passed by William Dooley but did not speak to him as I thought the boy would feel very bad if I went away and left him so I thought I would not let him know that I was there he lay on his face as he had fallen next I found Mrs Smith I felt her

face she was quite dead I thought it would take her apron off and put it around me as it was still raining very hard and I was wet and cold I hunted around for my children that had been murdered I found Mrs Ireland lying on her back dead I took two pins out of her waist her child about two years old was sleeping with its head upon her breast it had been shot through the legs slightly I found one of my children dead with his limbs straightened out in his arms lying by his side it seemed he had died without a struggle I felt him and

all the rest of them I then found Freddie the one the [ __ ] had beaten he was quite warm he rattled very badly in his throat I called him and rubbed his limbs but he did not answer I found Mr Everett’s children near the eldest a boy was dead the youngest boy and the oldest girl were living Charlie was lying on his back sobbing in asleep like a child that had worried itself out crying Lily lay with her head and knee drawn under her as though she was cold I spoke to her she raised her head Mrs Eastlake she said I answered her I wish you could

take care of Charlie she begged I said I cannot Lily for I must go and find Johnny I knew that he and Merton were alive somewhere she asked for a drink I told her that I could not get her any she then asked if there was water in heaven I said yes Lily when you get to heaven you will have all you want I thought it would be a comfort to tell her so I was very sorry to leave them but was obliged to for I had hard work to get along myself I could not find Frank around there it was now quite light and I went into a bunch of weeds

and lay down and lay there until night this was Thursday the 21st of August a little more than one day had passed since we were all at our homes but seemingly an age had passed since that time I could not find my children I imagine they had gone to sleep somewhere among the dead and wounded about 9 or 10 o’clock the Indians came back to where they had fought us earlier I heard them shooting during the day I heard the children crying most of the time sometimes I heard them screaming and crying I could not see them for I had

gone over the ridge a little no one can imagine my feelings I wish I’d could die I thought then and think now that they were torturing the children it was a great punishment to me to hear the children crying and moaning under the cruel tortures of the Indians I thought they were my children that I heard about four o’clock in the afternoon I heard three guns fired the children then ceased crying poor innocent ones they were now at rest I kept still until dark and then started for the timber that I could see a great way off toward

midnight I lay down my clothes being wet about a foot or more High the Dew was very heavy and I was very thirsty I had had neither a drop of water nor a bite to eat for two days I tried to dip up some Dew with my hands but can no more than wet them I took up the skirt of my dress and drank the water out of it it tasted very good while I was lying in the grass I heard something stepping along it stopped close by my side and I heard it smelling around I supposed it was a fox after resting a while I started on again I soon got into a swamp

where I found water I stooped down and dipped some up with my hand and drank it I now got out where the water was so deep that I could drink without sitting down the grass was so heavy that I could hardly get along I cannot tell how long I was going through this swamp it must have been a large one for the moon arose while I was in it and when I got out the moon was at least an hour High I was tired enough to lie down and sleep I took a good nap then got up and looked around I saw about a half mile off what I supposed to be Buffalo Lake as I was

eager to get away I walked on as fast as I could think of my surprise when I heard chickens crowing and saw houses in different directions I then knew that I was at Lake Chetek from which I had fled on the morning of the 20th of August guest I looked around for a place to lie down I was almost discouraged but hid myself in the grass until about noon when I again got up and thought I would go to the house to look after something to eat I had a narrow swamped across in which the water was very deep it was with greatest difficulty and pain that I

succeeded in getting through it then I had a hill not very high but steep to climb up I went a few yards up the hill and laid down among the bushes entirely discouraged I thought I would die then but after lying there a long time I found I could not die when I pleased I took a cloth and wrapped it around my feet for they were very sore the flesh was almost all worn off my toes which gave me great pain then I crawled to the top of the hill and lay down again rested a few moments and went on again seeing a cornfield a little way off I

went to it and pulled an ear of corn and ate a little all this corn made me sick I lay down on the damp ground and pretty soon began to feel better I got up and went to the house everything was Torn to Pieces a dead dog lay in the corner of the house and several dead pigs lay outside and also the head and horns of a steer there were five different places where they had built their campfires I found a small tin can and went to the well and got a drink I hidden some brush close by and stayed there until sundown

then I went to The Hen House caught a chicken tore off its breast and put it into some brine that was left in a barrel to Salt it I put it into a tin pail with three years of corn I was now fixing to start away I looked around and found an old coat and put it on then I started for Buffalo Lake the second time I knew I must travel east to find the road it was a beautiful night the moon Shone very bright and the North Star was my guy died I was so weak that I could not walk more than a quarter of a mile without resting still I got along very

comfortably I could sleep quite warm the old coat was a great help to me I traveled all night and made the distance of two miles and a half when I reached the wood I lay down and slept for a long time when I arose I found I was quite a distance from Buffalo Lake I went on again very slowly I found after resting that I was very lame but I managed to get to the lake finally now I had an outlet of the lake to cross and this Outlet I fell and got wet to my waist I got out the best way I could took off my skirt rung out the water and hung it on

the bushes to dry then I lay down and slept for some time when I was about ready to start again I saw some ducks fly out of the swamp I thought there might be Indians coming looking back I could just see a horse I suppose it was an Indian and got back in the brush as quick as I could I soon found that I was mistaken it was the mail carrier I stepped out in sight and called to him he stopped and seemed much surprised he talked to me in the Indian tongue but I could not understand what he said I knew he was a Frenchman so I talked to him in

the same tongue I told him the people were all killed at Lake Chetek you were pretty white for a [ __ ] he said I could not blame him for thinking I was an Indian for I had on an old ragged coat and an apron over my head I told him I was no [ __ ] but a white woman who was wounded and wanted to get away he said he could take me as far as Dutch Charlie’s a Dutchman who lived about 11 miles from there I rode with him in his sulky we got there about four o’clock and found Mr Ireland there alone I was greatly surprised to see him for I

thought he was dead he was so discouraged before we got there that he could not get himself a dream think he looked more like a ghost than anything else he was very pale his eyes sunk in his head and his voice was very weak he had been wounded eight times the mail carrier fed his horse and then looked around for something to eat for himself he soon found some cheese and we all ate what we wanted and rested a while and then started again taking some of the cheese with us Mr Ireland was so much encouraged that he walked several miles

that night at the end of seven miles we stopped for the night taking care to get far enough from the road so as not to be seen or heard I did not sleep much that night Mr Ireland had told me when I first saw him that Merton had started with Johnny to try and get to some settlements I thought I heard Johnny cry a great many times through the night we started at daylight the next morning the wind was blowing very hard and the air was quite cold the Frenchman tried to make me as comfortable as he could he put his blanket around me but I was

still very cold he was very kind and did all he could for Mr Ireland and myself at 10 o’clock just as we reached the top of the hill I saw three objects which I took for white men I told the men what I saw they watched them a few moments and then came to the conclusion that they were Indians the Frenchmen then turned the horse around and drove around under the hill for near a mile he then crept to the top of the hill and watched them until they went out of sight he said he was certain that they were Indians he

did not know what to do he soon came to the conclusion that he would go on at all events when we came to the place where we last saw them the Frenchmen went on before and crawled to the top of a high hill where they had gone he saw nothing of them I drove on and when we got to the top of a High Ridge I saw the same objects and I was satisfied that one was a woman and that the others were children we hurried along as fast as we could I waved my hand and the woman stopped and sat down one of the children went on out of sight we soon came up and

found that it was Mrs Hurd she was much overcome with joy she said she had taken care of my baby and that Merton and Johnny were on ahead with her two children and were the objects I saw Johnny was my youngest and Merton was my oldest when I came inside of the children I could hardly wait for the horse to get to them Merton stood by the side of the road with Johnny sleeping in his arms oh how I wanted to press him to my bosom he had carried his little brother 15 months old a distance of 50 miles I did not think he could carry him

so far Merton was very poor so more than the baby Johnny was very sick I laid him down in the bottom of the sulky he did not seem to notice much of anything his face was covered with a scab he had pulled the hair out of all the back part of his head he did not look much like my Johnny we were then about two miles from the house of Mr Brown where we expected to get help but when we reached the house we found the folks at all fled taking most of their goods with them we found some bread on the table and that was all we found cooked there was plenty

of pork and potatoes and vegetables of all kinds and plenty of fat chickens the mail carrier left us all at this place saying he would go on about seven miles to another house where there lived a man he could get he thought to come to us that same night but no one came we waited until Wednesday on that day the mail carrier came back in the afternoon the Frenchman told us that new ohm was burned he had seen soldiers or Indians there he did not know which he came quite close to two Indians and they both fired their guns at him he had run into

a swamp been made his Escape we tried to persuade him to go to Mankato but he would not he said he would go back to Sioux Falls and send the soldiers from there to take us away we were so frightened when we heard the Indians had made a general outbreak that we could not stay in the house any longer I finally persuaded the Frenchman to carry me on his horse about half a mile from the house into the brush on the bank of the Cottonwood River and leave me there Mrs Hurd cooked enough victuals to last us two days and brought the bed clothes

and pillows to our retreat in the woods here we stayed two nights in one day in this Retreat we suffered more than ever the mosquitoes nearly ate us up we were a short distance about halfway between the top of the bank and the water in the river and the brush was so thick that not a breath of air could get to us before the mail carrier started back for Sioux Falls he kissed us all invade us goodbye we had cooked some chicken form and prepared him a small quantity of parched corn I now felt that our last hope was gone there was no one left to

report our circumstances or procure us any Aid I believe we would soon be discovered by some band of Indians and then be brutally murdered the next morning Mr Ireland determined to go to the house where he could rest he started and had hardly time to get out of the bushes when we heard the Barking of two dogs which we took to be the dogs of the Indians and expected every moment to hear the report of their guns we were very much frightened we heard something coming from the brush toward us I held my breath and could hear my own

heartbeats soon the dogs came within a few yards of us and stood and looked at us I feared they would bark and thus reveal our hiding place but they went off Mrs Hurd was so frightened that she became quite ill the dogs came back a second time the largest one approached me and lay down and looked very wistfully at me I snapped my fingers toward him he got up wagged his tail and went slowly away I told Mrs Hurd if they came back again I would try and make friends with them sometime in the afternoon they came back we began to

take more courage concluding that the dogs belonged to some white man I called them to me and gave them some meat which we ate soon after Mr Ireland came back and told us that he thought the dogs belonged to Mr Brown as they seemed perfectly at home at the house we remained another night at our place in the brush and such a night as we spent there can hardly Be Imagined the next morning Mr Ireland came and begged us to go to the house I decided to go if I could get there I could not walk without help and Mr Ireland’s assistance was

hardly sufficient wounded as he was to render me much Aid I got down on my hands and knees and crawled to the house I was so weak from the loss of blood that I cannot stand when I got there I could not raise my head for my pillow without fainting about noon I recovered strength to sit up long enough to have my foot dressed I could not leave the house and had no disposition to try Mr Ireland said to us for our comfort that if he kept on gaining as he now did he would be able to start for new home the next Monday I was truly glad to see him

doing so well Monday came and he started out saying he would succeed or die in the attempt now I felt more lonely than ever there we were with our children all alone oh what long days were the Monday and Tuesday that followed we lay down at night still hoping that Mr Ireland had been so fortunate as to reach New Alm about midnight we were awakened by the dogs barking most furiously I could not get out of bed to see what was the matter I hope the soldiers had come for us but the dogs were so fierce that I thought the Indians were about the house

Mrs Hurd went to the window and listened I asked her several times what she heard or saw but she made no reply I thought her time had come I could see my little ones tortured in the most cruel manner it seemed to me that I could hear the hatchet cleave their skulls I prayed to the Lord to give me strength to die without a groan I had forgotten everything only that myself and my children Must Die imagine how I started when I heard Mrs Hurd exclaim my God Coke is that you I jumped off the bed but could not walk Mr Coke and Mr Wright

two of our neighbors and 15 soldiers came into the house Mrs Hurd and myself wept for joy and there were few dry eyes among the soldiers a guard was set around the house by order of the lieutenant in charge and Mr Koch and Mr Wright were ordered to get supper for the soldiers chickens were soon dressed and cooked and the soldiers on guard were called in to partake of the joyous midnight meal we were requested to eat but could not so great was our joy at the idea of soon getting away by the time there a pass was fairly over it was

nearly daylight and we all left the house of Mr Brown for New Alm after we had gone about five miles Mr Brown’s family and three men and three women not of his family were found murdered Mrs Brown’s head was split open with a hatchet and some of the men were scalped their wagon was less standing in the road and among the goods left by the Indians were two feather beds and a large quantity of books the soldiers carried the beds away with them within a few miles of New Alm three more wagons all plundered were found in the road and

one man lying dead had been scalped about noon we reached New Alm the people of the Town had all left Captain Dane with a company of soldiers was guarding the place we were taken to Captain Dane’s headquarters I was taken out of the wagon carried up two flights of stairs and put upon a bed here I was well cared for and my wounds were dressed some of them for the first time this was the 15th day since I had been wounded and left for dead at Lake Chetek we remained at New Ulm for two days and on the third were all sent to the

hospital at Mankato 30 miles from New Ulm Captain Dane accompanied us in person one half the way taking with him a guard of 20 men I had no other clothes than those I had on when driven from my home and a part of these I had lost Captain Dane found some clothes in the street at New Ulm which he gave to Mrs Hurd and myself and Lieutenant Roberts gave us each a dollar at Mankato I was taken to the hospital for treatment my wound soon healed except the one in my foot I wish to go to my friends in Ohio as early as possible but I did not have

the means to do so I applied to judge Charles E flandrow who gave me a pass to Saint Paul and advised me to go to General Pope for further assistance General Pope directed me to Governor Ramsey I called on Governor Ramsey with a sad heart thinking that he would do nothing for me and mine but I was wrong I found him to be a kind-hearted sympathizing man he gave me fifteen dollars and paid my fare to Winona with a fifteen dollars and the help of many kind-hearted strangers I reach my friends who are very glad to see me and

my children so that’s the end of Lavina eastlick’s accounts however there’s a footnote in this book captured by Indians that I’d like to read now the later fortunes of Lavina Eastlake and others who appear in her narrative may be of some interest after the Civil War Lavina was married to Smith who had run away before the slaughter and the swamp began later they were divorced Rhodes who had run off at the same time as Smith also made good his Escape Charles hatch brother of Mrs Everett and Mr Everett both live through

the massacre Laura Dooley and her remaining children were taken into the Dakota territory by the Indians and freed near the end of 1862 Pawn like many of the other leaders in the massacre escaped perhaps to Canada however large numbers of Sue who had played only a minor role surrendered or were captured by the troops and then tried before a Military Tribunal the Court’s procedure of verifying evidence was irregular and the atmosphere was Heavy with prejudice in the end 306 Sioux and half Sue were sentenced to

death President Lincoln reviewed their cases and reduced the number to 38 they were hanged in a mass execution at Mankato on December 26 1862 William J Dooley father of little William whom Lavina had seen dying was selected to cut the rope that plunged The Condemned Indians to their death there is an excellent account of the revolt and c m oller’s book The Great Sioux Uprising published by Oxford University press in 1959.

lavina’s story was originally published in 1864 in a history of the great Massacre by the Sioux Indians by Charles A Bryants and Abel B merch so that’s it for this episode this was a very tragic story told by one of the few survivors Lavina Eastlake later in 1862 President Lincoln gave a speech where he shared some of the details about this massacre he estimated that at least 800 people were killed by the Indians making this one of the largest massacres in U.

S history this story reminded me of the attacks on Jamestown in the 1600s the settlers at that time had become friendly with Powhatan and later with oppa kankano but the Indians eventually turned on them leading to massacres of hundreds of people in 1622 and then again in 1644 under oppa kankano I’ll post some links to some videos I’ve done on these massacres of Jamestown and the description below one of the reasons this channel is called unworthy history is because we talk about history that is Unworthy of History Channels on on TV

have you ever seen a history channel on TV cover this tragic story of the Sioux outbreak in Minnesota in 1862 I haven’t but that’s the kind of History we cover on this channel this episode will be included on my playlist about the attack on Fanny Kelly’s Wagon Train in 1864 because in the next episode in that series Fannie is going to meet another white female captive who had been captured by the Sioux during these attacks in Minnesota in 1862 and she was still a captive with them two years later when she met Fanny

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