Wellington's Quest - Robert F. Clifton (beach books .TXT) 📗

And, while you and I are here conversing the people of Minnesota are screaming for revenge. They want three hundred Sioux prisoners hanged, executed, Wilcox stated.

“The Sioux that committed those rapes and murders left Minnesota sometime ago. They went into the Dakota Territory. Some went north, other south. Hell, by now many of them could be in Montana Territory”,

said Jim.

“Well, that may be. We'll just have to wait and see what the trials bring. Maybe that way we can acquire some information about your Virginia”, Wilcox answered.

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In early December, 1862 a military tribunal assembled to seek justice for the crimes orchestrated by the Sioux. Jim and Wilcox took their seats in the makeshift courtroom. One by one the each of the three hundred and three Sioux prisoners were brought before the members of the tribunal. All were charged with rape and murder. The court proceedings were not explained to the Sioux. No accused were represented by a lawyer and the entire procedure for each defendant took five minutes or less.

What did matter was the testimony of the witnesses. One was Justina Kroger who under oath told the tribunal, “Mister Masipost had two daughters, young ladies, intelligent and accomplished. These the savages murdered most brutally. The head of one of them was after wards found severed from the body, attached to a fish hook and hanged from a nail. His son, a man of twenty four years was also killed”.

Another witness, swore to tell the truth and testified, “The daughter of Mister Schwant who was pregnant was cut open, the child taken alive from the mother and nailed to a tree. The thirteen year old son of Mister Schwant was beat to death by the Indians. The baby, nailed to the tree struggled for sometime after nails had been driven through it. This occurred on the forenoon of Monday, August 18, 1862.”

A loud clatter from the voices of those assembled in the room caused the convening officer to repeatedly bang his gavel on the table as he demanded silence and threatened to removed all persons from the courtroom. Wilcox leaned his head closer to Jim and said, “That was some very damning testimony”.

They waited until the last Sioux warrior was convicted by the tribunal, then they left. Outside, Wilcox shook his head. “There was nothing inside that room that even resembled a fair trial”, he said.

“What happens now?”, asked Jim.

“Oh, I'm sure some do good people will plead for the lives of the Sioux. To no avail of course. Right now the blood runs hot in the veins of the white people of Minnesota. The only thing preventing a lynch mob is the military. The Sioux will hang Jim. That much is certain.”

“All three hundred of them?”, asked Jim.

“Three hundred and three, to be exact”, Wilcox answered.

A week later the citizens of Mankato took to the streets protesting the leniency given to two hundred and sixty four Sioux men sentenced to hang.

“What happened?”, asked Jim.

“It is just what I predicted. Henry Whipple got to President Lincoln and asked for mercy”, Wilcox answered.

“Who is Henry Whipple?”

“He is the Episcopal Bishop of Minnesota”.

“Does this still mean that thirty nine Sioux will still be hanged?”

“Yes, the day after Christmas”.

During the next week the streets of Mankato were filled with people.

Some were there preparing for Christmas while most stood and watched the construction of the gallows. It was built with a square platform. Holding to tradition, thirteen steps led up to the floor boards where thirty eight trap doors had been fashioned by the workmen. The sound of the wooden flaps dropping and banging against the framework of the scaffold made a clapping noise as the execution apparatus was tested.

On December 26, 1862 mounted cavalry behind armed infantry formed a perfect square around the gallows. Behind the military stood the people. Some were the victims of the atrocities. Some were the survivors.

Most were the curious or revenge seekers.

Jim and Milford Wilcox sat in a rented carriage. As he looked at the crowd gather there and the blue, uniformed military Jim also noticed that the American flag had been hoisted to the top of the flag pole. “The only thing missing is a brass band”, he said to Wilcox.

“Here they come. Here come the Sioux”, said Sidney Tozer standing next to the carriage.

Wilcox slowly got to his feet then standing in the horse drawn vehicle so he could see the approaching prisoners said, “I count thirty eight. What happened?”, he asked Tozer.

“I heard this morning that one of them had received a reprieve, but I didn't believe it”, answered Sidney.

Thirty eight Sioux prisoners walked up the thirteen steps to the gallows. Each man was then placed in position standing under a rope noose that swayed back and forth in the winter breeze. The noose was placed over their heads then tightened against their necks. Those presiding in the operations stepped back. When this occurred the people assembled to witness the mass execution became silent. Somewhere in the crowd an infant cried, someone else coughed. It was the last sounds that the convicted heard as the trap doors beneath their feet suddenly opened and they fell, falling feet first towards the ground, but not reaching it as the noose around their necks stopped them with a sudden, abrupt halt. That halt snapped necks or strangled those that had missed a swift and merciful death.

Then, it was over. Those on foot began to leave. Horse drawn carriages and wagons tuned slowly and made their way through the crowd. Sergeants and commissioned officers of the military barked orders to the men in ranks. Some troops marched off, others fell out of formation, being dismissed, their duty done for the day. Beneath the wooden platform of the gallows thirty eight, dead, Sioux warriors were cut down and separated from the rope that killed them and their bodies were placed in wagons.

The remaining convicted Sioux men were kept in prison. Sixteen hundred women, children and old men were sent to an internment camp on Pike Island where slum conditions and disease would take its toll.

On the afternoon of the next day a cold, winter, wind blew in from the north scattering what dry leaves remained on the front yards of the homes in Mankato. Milford Wilcox and Jim sat in front of a banked fire that gave off just enough heat to make the room comfortable. Wilcox sat reading one of the two local newspapers, “The Mankato Record” and the “Independent”. He was more concerned about the war that was being fought in and around Virginia, and the Union losses the army was experiencing then the glaring headlines and articles about the recent hangings. Suddenly there was a loud knocking on the front door. Jim got up out of his chair and after going to the door, opened it, seeing Sidney Tozer standing there. “I've got news Jim. I've got news”, said Tozer.

Both men walked into the living room. “News? What news?”, asked Wilcox looking up from the newspaper he held in his hands.

“The Pinkerton Agency sent this telegram. They say that their information is that on August eighteen, Virginia Martin was taken captive by a Sioux named Matosapa or Black Bear. Matosapa and those with him left Minnesota after the raid. They then traveled into the Dakota Territory

with their captives, stolen horses and contraband. There is no further information relating to the condition of the woman known as Virginia Martin. It is assumed that she is physically, well.'

“Did he go north or south?”, asked Wilcox.

“They don't say”, Tozer answered.

“I'm betting south. From the Martin Farm to the south of the Dakota Territory it is almost a straight line”, said Jim.

“Could be, but what if he figured that anyone would make that same conclusion and he headed north, if for no other reason then to buy time and throw off the army?” , Wilcox suggested.

“If, suppose, maybe, I say he went south and so am I”, said Jim.

“Don't be too hasty. Take the time to develop a plan”, offered Wilcox.

“Milford, she's out there somewhere and he's got her. I've got to go”, Jim responded.

Chapter Five

Deputized

Milford Wilcox paced the room, walking back and forth, almost frustrated with the fact that he couldn't get Jim Wellington to understand that to go into the Dakota Territory alone was not only wrong, it was stupid.

“Tell me, besides knowing that they lived along the Minnesota River, what else do you know about the Sioux?”. Asked Wilcox.

“Jim didn't answer.

Turning to Sidney Tozer, Wilcox said, “You see Sidney. His answer is that he has no answer. Because he doesn’t know a damn thing about the tribe. He has no idea what it will be like in the Territory. Cold, snow, rain and the heat of summer and thirst. Hell, I bet he's not even had a fistfight in his life. And, he wants to go marching into the Dakota's like Prince Charming so he can rescue the fair maiden. You idiot”, he said turning his attention again to Jim who sat silently in a stuffed chair. Jim started to say something, but was immediately interrupted by Wilcox.

“Let's say you do find her and even kill those who took her. It's been nearly four months since they captured her. She's not the same Jim.

I wish she was, but everyone in this town and county can assume what has happened to her. Do you want to bring her back here where everyone will point their fingers and talk behind her back knowing what the Sioux warrior did to her night after night. Is that what you want for her? Where will you look for her? The tribes are constantly on the move. They follow game, buffalo, elk, deer and good water. Looking for her will be like looking for fly shit in black pepper.”

“It doesn’t make any difference to what you say Milford. I'm going. There's a hell of a lot of land out there. I don't have to come back to Minnesota. Once I find her we'll just keep going. Maybe California or Oregon', said Jim.

“Alright go. Go and be damned, but use your head. Henry Sibley is riding out of here in a couple of months. He's mounting a campaign against the Sioux in the Dakota's. Ride with him. That way there's plenty of men to help you. In each village he takes there will be women and children who can supply you with information. There may even be white, women captives that know something, some small bit of evidence that might help you”, Wilcox suggested.

“I doubt if Colonel Sibley will allow a civilian and a farmer to boot to tag along with him', said Jim.

“No he won't, but I think a deputy sheriff of this county, say a deputy sheriff armed with a legal warrant seeking the arrest and rendition of. What did you say that Indians name was?', asked Wilcox.

“Matosapa”, Tozer answered.

“Seeking the arrest and rendition of Matasopa, wanted for burning my property at the Indian Agency might convince Henry Sibley to allow that man to travel with his unit. Particularly when Henry owes me a few political favors”, Wilcox continued.

“Alright, if you can arrange it, I'll do it your way”, said Jim.

“Excellent! Sidney, go to the court house and have the judge issue a warrant. A legal warrant and take Jim with you and have him sworn in as a deputy”, Wilcox shouted after Tozer.

“What proof do we have that Matosapa burned your warehouse?”, asked Tozer standing at the door.

“What proof does the law have that he didn't?', Wilcox responded.

During the winter months Jim prepared for the expedition that would be led by Colonel Sibley. First, he met with Henry Sibley who wasn't too impressed with the fact that Jim would be just another civilian in the way during this campaign. Nonetheless, when presented with the fact that Jim's purpose of riding with the Minnesota Calvary was to arrest and bring back to Blue Earth County a Sioux, designated as a