Mankato's Near Miss With The Indians

During the winter of 1853-4, the small Mankato settlement narrowly escaped an Indian massacre. The sub-chief of the Sisseton band, which claimed this special locality as its home, was Sin-to-minduta, (red-all-over). In the autumn he had purchased twenty-five dollars worth of goods from the old pioneer, T.D. Warren, and hypothecated his crop of wild rice for the payment, which was to be made from the first annuity money. This money, however, went for something else, and when winter brought hunger to his door, the chief began calling for his rice. Warren explained that he could get it as soon as he paid the twenty-five dollars, but not before. The chief said he had no money, and therefore, could not pay, but that his squaw and papooses were starving and so must have the rice. The chief carried a fine rifle, which had the reputation among the Indians of never missing whatever it was aimed at, and Warren proposed that he would give him the rice and an extra five dollars for the gun.

Sin-to-minduta agreed to this, but that evening, when he and his brother, with their squaws, came to take the rice, they pretended to have forgotten the gun, and said they would bring it next morning. Warren was too shrewd for such a trick and insisted they could not have the rice until the gun was brought. On the supper table lay a long bladed knife. Seizing it like a flash, the chief brandished it over his head and declared that he would have his rice, and started to climb into the attic, where it was stored.

Warren was a large, athletic man who knew no fear. Instantly he grabbed the chief by both wrists, and, shaking the knife out of his hand, shoved him out the door with a parting kick. The Indians at once took their departure without further trouble and nothing more was heard of them for two weeks, when Tom Lamereaux, who was accustomed to visitting the Indians, came to Warren's cabin one night with the news that he had just come from the Indian village, and the warriors were holding a war dance. The squaws warned him the braves were angery at the whites and were going to kill them all in the morning.

The next day, about nine o'clock a.m., the people of Mankato were surprised to see some forty Indians, all armed and decked in war paint and feathers, march up Front street in single file. The settlers hurried from their cabins to inquire the meaning of this unwanted demonstration. The school children saw the strange procession as it passed the Moreland building and followed with childish curiosity. The line of dusky warriors marched straight to Warren's cabin.

Warren and a young man named George W. Cummings were chopping firewood by the door, when the Indians approached. Cummings dodged into the house and he and Mrs. Warren seized a couple of guns. Warren faced the foe like a lion, and demanded why they were coming. The laconic word "rice" was the only answer as the braves formed into two lines in front of the door. Not seeing the chief at once, Warren asked where he was. Then seeing him standing at the further end of the two columns of painted braves, he seized a sled stake and marched straight down betwixt the savage lines and demanded the gun.

Sin-to-minduta eyed his antagonist keenly for a moment, then turning the barrel of his gun upside down he emptied the contents into the palm of his hand and showing Warren the half dozen ugly slugs, which had formed the charge, he said, "white man, these were intended for you, but your heart is brave." So saying he replaced the charge and fired into the air and handed the gun to Warren.

Warren immediately paid the chief the five dollars, and hitching his oxen, hauled the rice down to his lodge and peace and good will prevailed once more.

Warren's courage was all that saved him and the other settlers of Mankato that day. Had he shown the slightest fear the massacre planned would have taken place. The Indians always revered courage as something supernatural, and a true exhibition of it seldom failed to call forth their respect and awe. Henceforth Warren was called by them the "Bear," and Sin-to-minduta, the "Scared one," and they said "the Bear had hugged the Sacred one very close that day."

Written by Thomas Hughes

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