citizens of Mankato, New Ulm
and vicinity, to kill the Indian prisoners, three hundred and more then
in camp at Mankato near the present site of Sibley Park. As no admission
fee was to be charged the select few determined to be present at the
entertainment. The headquarters of the blood-thirsty citizens was the
old Mankato House located where the National Citizens Bank now stands,
where liquid refreshments were being served liberally, without money and
without price.

I have never seen a correct history of this fiasco in print. A very
large crowd congregated there, and there seemed to be no great haste to
march on the Indian camp. Several times starts were made by a squad of
fifty or one hundred persons, who would proceed for a few hundred feet,
and then halt and return for more refreshments.

Finally at nearly midnight the supply of refreshments must have been
exhausted for the army moved. Several hundred citizens started south
along Front Street for the Indian camp, straggling for a distance of
several blocks. When the head of the column reached West Mankato it
halted until the rear came up, and while a rambling discussion was going
on as to what they should do and how they should do it, Capt. (since
governor) Austin with his company of cavalry, surrounded the whole squad
and ordered them to move on towards Colonel (since governor) Miller's
headquarters, right at the Indian camp. They seemed reluctant to go, and
refused to move. Capt. Austin ordered his men to close in, which they
did--crowding the citizens and yet they refused to move. Finally Capt.
Austin gave the command to "draw sabers" and when a hundred sabers came
out in one movement, the army again moved on Colonel Miller's
headquarters at the Indian camp.

The scene here was supremely ridiculous. Colonel Miller came out from
his tent and spoke kindly to the citizens and asked why they were
congregated in such large numbers. He finally ordered their release and
suggested that they go home which they hastened to do.

The next morning these Indians were removed, under guard of all the
troops in the city, to log barracks, which had been built for them on
Front Street diagonally across the street from where the Saulpaugh now
stands. The Indians remained in these barracks only about two weeks.
They had been there but a short time when the officer of the day, making
his morning inspection, which was very formal, thought that he saw a
hatchet or knife under the b