Old Rail Fence Corners: The A. B. C's. of Minnesota History
History
Old Rail Fence Corners: The A. B. C's. of Minnesota History
Frontier and pioneer life -- Minnesota; Minnesota -- Biography; Minnesota -- History, Local; Pioneers -- Minnesota -- Biography
At the first peep of day, they silently passed through the window and
were lost in the shadows. In the early spring when they were breaking up
their camp, they left a large deer on his door step to pay for their
lodging.
Wolves and bears were plenty at this time, as well as Indians. Cattle
ran at large, and once when I was yarding my cattle, I was followed for
over a mile by wolves.
Mrs. Conrad Magnus.
Several homes near New Ulm had been burned by the Indians. The women and
children left without homes were all sheltered in a warehouse in town.
At night the men were on guard. They lacked ammunition, so I sat up all
one night melting lead in a teaspoon to make balls.
During the night an infant cried incessantly until finally we were
afraid it would cry itself to death. There was no milk to give it. At
three o'clock in the morning I said I would go out and milk the cow if
the men would guard me. Several men, with loaded guns, stood around the
cow while I got a cupful of milk for the baby.
Mrs. Orin Pike--1864.
We left Buffalo late in September, 1864 for Rochester. As we went on,
soldiers came on board the train returning to the country's service, as
they said; after a brief furlough at home; votes were then taken from
time to time to ascertain the most popular candidate for the presidency
resulting, as I recall it now, each time in a large majority for
Lincoln. This seemed to greatly disturb an elderly man and when
apparently he could stand it no longer, he denounced the government as
despotic, the draft unconstitutional, the Emancipation Proclamation as
an effort on Lincoln's part to flood the whole North with "niggers,"
characterizing Lincoln as a tyrant, who ought to be shot.
Then there stepped out into the aisle a fine looking young man, who wore
shoulder straps and in distinct tones said, "There are three things in
this world that I hate--a thousand legged worm, a rattlesnake and a
copperhead. A copperhead is the meanest of all." Then turning to the old
man he went on, "Your gray hairs have been your protection while you
abused the government. This is a land of free speech, but if you traduce
Abraham Lincoln farther, I will not be answerable for the consequences."
Votes were afterward taken but the old man was silent contenting himself
with looking mad.
Our train was gone when we reached Chicago. We stayed all night, going
on early in the morning, reaching La Crosse at dusk and leaving the cars
to take the boat for Winona. The Mississippi was very low and the night
was spent ere we reached Winona.
Monday morning we again took the cars for St. Charles. The railroad then
called Winona and St. Peter, was not completed beyond that point.
Looking from the car windows, we saw sleds and low looking wagons with
one and sometimes two large barrels in them which those who knew, said
were for hauling water. The stage took us safely to the "American House"
at Rochester.
MONUMENT CHAPTER
Minneapolis
MARY FRANCES PARTRIDGE
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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