Joel E. Whitney, “Te-Na-Se-Pa, (A Sioux Dandy.),” 1862. Albumen print on Whitney carte-de-visite.
The following names and statements are taken from The Mankato Weekly record—Supplement. Mankato, MN, (December 26, 1862). The paper claims the statements are summarized by a Rev. S. R. Riggs.
Says he was asleep when the outbreak took place at the Lower Agency. He was not present at the breaking open of the stores, but afterwards went over the Minnesota river and took some women captives. The men who were killed there, he says, were
killed by other Indians, whom he named.
Says he had very sore eyes at the time of the outbreak, and was at that time down opposite Fort Ridgley. He was with the party that killed Patwell and others. Maza-bom-doo killed Patwell. He himself took Miss Williams captive. Says he would have violated the women but they resisted. He thinks he did a good deed in saving the women alive.
Says he was at the attack on Captain Marsh's company, and also at New-Ulm. He and another Indian shot a man at the same time. He does not know whether he or the other Indian killed the white man. He was wounded in following up another white man. He was at the battle of Birch Coolie, where he fired his gun four times. He fired twice at Wood Lake.
Says he is charged with killing white people, and so condemned. He does not know certainly that he killed any one. He was in all the battles. That is all he has to say.
Says he was down on the Big Cottonwood when the outbreak took place; that he came that day into New-Ulm and purchased various articles, and then started home. He met the Indians coming down. Saw some men in wagons shot, but does not know who killed them. He was present at the killing of Patwell and others, but denies having done it himself. He thinks he did well by Mattie Williams and Mary Swan, in keeping them from being killed. They now live and he has to die, which he thinks not quite fair.
Is an old man. He says he was mowing when he heard of the outbreak. He saw some men after they were killed about the Agency, but did not kill any one there. He started down to the Fort, and went on to the New-Ulm settlement. There he shot at a man through a window, but does not think he killed him. He was himself wounded at New-Ulm.
Says that he did not kill any one. If he had believed he had killed a white man he would have fled with Little Crow. The witnesses lied on him.
Says he was condemned on the testimony of two German boys. They say he killed two persons. The boys told lies, he was not at that place at all.
Is a brother-in-law of the former well known Mr. Joseph Renville. He was the public camp cryer for Little Crow, before and during the outbreak. After the battle at Wood Lake, he came over to the opposition, and was the cryer at Camp Release, when the captives were delivered up.
He was condemned on the testimony of two German boys, who said they saw him kill their mother. The old man denies charge—says he was not across the river at that time, and that he was unjustly condemned.
He is the only one of the thirty-nine who has been at all in the habit of attending Protestant worship. On last Sabbath he requested Dr. Williamson to baptize him, professing repentance and faith in Jesus Christ; which was done on Monday, before he knew that he was among those to be hung at this time. May God have mercy on his soul.
Says he did not know of the uprising on Monday, the 18th of August, until they had killed a number of men. He then went out and met Little Crow, and tried to stop the murders but could not. The next day his son was brought home wounded from Fort Ridgley. He forbade the delivery up of the white captives to Paul when he demanded them, and he supposes that he is to be hung for that.
Wabashaw: You have deceived me. You told me that if we followed the advice of Gen. Sibley, and give ourselves up to the whites, all would be well—no innocent man would be injured. I have not killed, wounded, or injured a white man, or any white persons. I have not participated in the plunder of their property; and yet to-day, I am set apart for execution and must die in a few days, while men who are guilty will rem in in prison.—My wife is your daughter, my children are your grandchildren. I leave them all in your care and under your protection. Do not let them suffer, and when my children are grown up, let them know that their father died because he followed the advice of his chief, and without having the blood of a white man to answer for to the Great Spirit.
My wife and children are dear to me. Let them not grieve for me. Let them remember that the brave should be prepared to meet death; and I will do so as becomes a Dacotah.
Your son-in law. Rda-in-yan-kna.
Says he was one of six who were down in the Swan Lake neighborhood. He knows that they killed two men and two women, but this was done by the rest of the party, and not by himself.
Joel E. Whitney, “Te-Na-Se-Pa, (A Sioux Dandy.),” 1862. Albumen print on Whitney carte-de-visite.
Says he was not in the massacres of New Ulm nor the Agency. He was with the company who killed Patwell and his companions. He took one of the women. O-ya-tay- ta-wa killed Patwell.
Says that when the outbreak took place, he ran away and did not get any of the stolen property. At the ferry, he talked with Quinn. First called to them to come over, but when he saw that the Indians were in ambush, he beckoned to Capt. Marsh to stay back. He says that his position and conduct at the ferry was misunderstood and misrepresented; that he wanted peace and did not command the Indians to fire on Capt. Marsh's men; that another man should be put to death for that. He complains bitterly that he did not have a chance to tell the things as they were; that he could not have an opportunity of rebutting the false testimony brought against him.
He says that they all expected to have another trial—that they were promised it. That they have done great wrongs to the white people, and do not refuse to die, but they think it hard that they did not have a fairer trial. They want the President to know this.
Says he took nothing from the stores except a blanket. He was at Fort Ridgley, but killed nobody. He is charged with killing white persons in a wagon, but he did not. They were killed by another man.
Says he was woke up in the morning of Monday the 18th of August, and went with others to the stores, but did not kill any one.
Says he was doctoring a girl when he learned about the outbreak at the Lower Agency. He went with others and took some things from Mr. Forbes' store.—He fired his gun only twice, but thinks he did not kill any one.
Says he was not at the stores until all was over there. He was with Wabashaw, and with him opposed the outbreak. He was afterwards driven into it by being called a coward. He went across the Minnesota river and took two horses, and afterwards captured a woman and two children. He tried to keep a white man from being killed, but could not. He was at the ferry when Marsh's men were killed, but had only a bow and arrows there. He was in three battles and shot six times, but does not know that he killed any one.
[aka Cut Nose] Says that when Little Crow proposed to kill the traders, he went along. He says he is charged with having killed a carpenter; but he did not do it. He fired off his gun in one of the stores. His nephew was killed at Fort Ridgley. He was out at Hutchinson when his son was killed. Little Crow took them out.—He was hungry and went over the river to kill an ox, when there he saved Mr. Brown's family.
Joel E. Whitney, “Cut Nose, Who in the Massacre of 1862, in Minnesota, Murdered 18 Women and Children and 5 Men,” 1862.
[Referred to in the original text as a "half-breed"] Henry says he went over the Minnesota river with Baptiste Campbell and others. They were forced to go by Little Crow. He fired his gun at a woman, but does not think that he killed her. Several others fired at her also. He did not see her afterwards.
Henry Milord was raised by Gen. Sibley. He is a smart, active, intelligent young man; and as such, would be likely to be drawn into the Dakota rebellion. Indeed it was next to its impossible for young men, whether half-breeds or full bloods, to keep out of it. They are to be pitied as well as blamed.
Says he went to the stores in the morning of Monday. Then he saw Little Crow taking away goods. He then went up to Red Wood, with a relation of his. They were there told that a white man was coming on the road.—They went out to meet him; but the first who came along was a half-breed.—They let him pass. Then came along Mr. Gleason and Mrs. Wakefield, His friend shot Mr. Gleason, and he attempted to fire on him, but his gun did not go off. He saved Mrs. Wakefield and the children; and now he dies while she lives.
Is the son of Scott Campbell, who was for many years United States interpreter at Fort Snelling. He thinks they ought to have had a new trial. Says he did not speak advisedly when before the military commission.
He went over the Minnesota river with four others. They were sent over by Little Crow, and told to get all the cattle they could and kill every white man—if they did not the Soldiers' Lodge would take care of them. They went over to a farm between Beaver Creek and Birch Coolie, where they found a lot of cattle which they attempted to drive. The cattle, however, ran away and then their attention was called to the owner. Campbell fired off his gun first, but did not hit the man. He says his statement before the Commission was misunderstood. He said he was a good shot, and if he had fired at the man he should have killed him. He fired over him intentionally. He fired because he felt compelled to do so by command of Little Crow.
Campbell says that Little Crow compelled him and his brother Joseph to go out to Hutchinson. They tried to get away at the time of the attack on Captain Strout's company, but were prevented. They were forced to go to the battle of Hutchinson. Little Crow told them that if they did not kill white men they would be killed; but he did not shoo any men there.
Is quite a young man, grand son of Sacred Walker, who took care of Mrs. Josephine Higgins and her children in their captivity. He was one of those who killed Amos W. Huggins, at Lacqui Parle. The other two, who are probably the most guilty, have escaped. He says he was at Red Iron's village when he heard of the outbreak. Another Indian urged him to go up with him and kill Mr. Huggins. He refused at first, but afterwards went. His comrade shot Mr. H. and killed him. He then fired off his gun, but held it up.
Is condemned because he boasted of having shot Stewart B. Garvie with an arrow. As it is not known that Mr. Garvie was shot with an arrow, but with buck-shot, it is probably true, as he said before the commission, that he lied about it. This is not the first time a man has been killed for lying. He now says that they determined to send off all the white people from the Yellow Medicine without killing any. Mr. Garvie refused to go. He did not shoot him. He dies without being guilty of the charge, and he trusts in the Great Spirit to save him in the other world.
[Referred to in the original text as a "half-breed"] He says he had been a clerk in one of the stores for a year previous to the outbreak. He was sent down the Minnesota river with Baptiste Campbell and others by Little Crow. He shot the white man, but not until after he had been killed by others.
Says that at the time of the outbreak he was quite lame— that he was not engaged in any of the massacres. He was not engaged in any of the battles, but was forced with others to come down to the Yellow Medicine before the battle of Wood Lake. He dies for no fault of his.
Says he was not present at the commencement of the outbreak He was along with the company which came down towards New-Ulm. He saw the men in two wagons killed, but he did not kill any one He says one witness before the Commission testified that he killed one of those men, but the witness lied on him.
Says that he was in the battle of Birch Collie. He was also at the battle at Hutchinson, but does not know that he killed any one.
Is an old man. He says he has not used a gun for years. He was down at New-Ulm, but did not kill any one. He had two sons killed. He wants to have the truth told.
Says that he was out in a war party against the Chippewas when the outbreak took place. When he came back the massacres were over. He did not kill any one. He says that his statement before the Commission was misunderstood. When he was asked whether he was on a war party and fired his gun. He replied, “Yes,” but it was against the Chippewas, and not against the whites.
Says that the men of Rice Creek were the authors of the outbreak. He tried to keep them from killing white people, but only succeeded partially.
Says he did not know anything about killing white people. He is to die for no crime. He was very much affected.
Is charged with participating in the murder of an old man and two girls. He made neither confession nor denial.
Says he did not have a gun. He was at the Big Woods, and struck a man with his hatchet after he had been shot by another man. He did not abuse any white woman.
Says he did not kill any one. He was down at Fort Ridgley. He was also over at Beaver Cree k and too k horses from there, but did not kill the man.
Says he took Mary Anderson captive after she had been shot by another man. He thinks it rather hard that he is to be hung for another's crime.
Says that he was up north at the time of the outbrea k and did not come down until after the killing of the whites was past. He was at the battle of Wood La ke. He says he is charged with having killed two children, but the charge is false.
Says he was with the company who killed Patwell and others. He is charged with stri king him with his hatched after he was shot. This charge he denies.
Says he was out in one of the raids towards the Big Woods He did not kll any body, but he struc k struck a woman who had been killed before. He was himself wounded.
Says that he is charged with having murdered one of Coursall's children, but the child is still living. He has seen the child since he was before the Military Commission. He has done nothing worthy of death.