my side. When aroused by my husband, saying "The Indians are near at
hand," I declared I might as well die one place as another. I could not
go on and remained where I was. The alarm was a false one and we were
all saved.

One woman by the name of Jones told me she took part of her children
into the stockade and returned for the rest. She found herself
confronted by two stalwart Indians. She rushed into a small closet, and
bracing herself between the wall and the door kept it closed in this way
until help came. She was nearly exhausted and gave birth to a child
before morning.

Another woman told me that instead of going into the stockade she fled
with her two children into a corn field, pursued by an Indian. He lost
track of her and as one child started to scream she almost smothered it
in her effort to conceal their hiding place. The Indian after half an
hour gave up the search.

The stockade at Fort Ridgely had four entrances--one at each corner, at
which a cannon was placed. There was but one man who could load the
cannon, Sargeant Frantzkey, and as he had only unskilled help he was
kept very busy running back and forth between the four guns. Ammunition
was scarce and we had to use everything; nails, screws, sharp pieces of
iron and steel were saved and the cannons loaded with this mixture
called Sharp Nails. This was considered much more deadly than cannon
balls, for when fired, it would scatter and fly in all directions.

The block house--where the ammunition was stored--was located outside
the garrison and stockade, as a protection from fire. The only way to
replenish the supply was to make a trip to the block house. So a guard
was stationed at each end, and one man ran as fast as he could, secured
a supply and ran back, of course at the risk of his life. The women also
helped secure this ammunition, filling their aprons, while men filled
gunny sacks.

After the first fight, when the excitement had calmed down, the women
busied themselves making bullets and were obliged to remain until help
came from St. Paul--nearly two weeks.

GREYSOLON DU LHUT CHAPTER

Duluth

MARIE ROBERTSON KEITH

(Mrs. Chas. Keith)

Mr. Glass--1848.

I came to Minnesota in 1848 and was later purveyor to the Indians. An
Indian trail extended from Fond du Lac to St. Paul. It ran from Fond du
Lac by trail to Knife Falls, Knife Falls by canoe on St. Louis river to
Cloquet, from there to Hoodwood, from there to Sandy Lake