reminding him of his remark on the corner by the Merchants' Hotel. Little Crow came after me, and at his request I went, and the new governor saw that man needs his fellow man, and that we are each other's keepers. We were always friends thereafter, as this little episode brought us nearer together.

Gen. H. H. Sibley was an Indian trader. Notwithstanding, when the Indian outbreak took place, you did not hesitate to call him to your aid. In so doing, the high character and integrity in which he was held by the Indians showed subsequently that you made no mistake. Had he precipitated the attack at Camp Release, as poor Custer did at Big Horn, the ninety-one hostages held by the hostile Indians would have been butchered. But, by diplomacy, the lives of all of them were saved and the hostiles were captured, without losing a man. Which of the two was the better general? 'Tis not for me in this article to say.

Minnesota, the gem of the constellation of states! I have followed your progress from infancy to maturity. I have seen you when you had to be fed as a suckling child, and ere my earthly career has closed you have contributed largely to the support of others; your hidden resources have all been developed since I saw you first. Little did I think, when stepping off the steamer Otter, September 15th, 1843, that to-day your new executive mansion would be built upon land bought by me from the government at $1.25 per acre. And again, while in pursuit of my vocation, camping with Hole-in-the-Day, the elder, at Watab, I remember casting my eyes upon those great outcrops of rock lying there, of no earthly value apparently. Yet there was a gold mine in them, and I have to-day been permitted to see specimens of this rock, artistically hewn and polished, form a part of the material out of which our capitol building is being built. It is a pleasure to me to note that our little family bickerings were finally laid at rest last July 27th, 1898, with the laying of the corner-stone of that building; but let me add, in conclusion thereto, that those who opposed the meager appropriation granted will regret their act. Within the lifetime of some of them, the state of Minnesota will contain three millions of inhabitants, and this building, large and capacious as it appears for the present needs, will

require an annex, as with our new United States postoffice building to-day.

Old settlers and fellow contemporaries, I cannot close this already too long paper, without expressing my gratification and pride, though one of the humblest among you, in being placed in your midst as one of the old settlers and pioneers of Minnesota. The brightest legacy I can leave my children is that their father was one of those who founded and helped to develop the resources of this great state. No state in our Union had a better class of men to begin its existence with. They were men of energy and intelligence,-God-fearing men, hence successful. In 1843 I found the territory of the present states of Minnesota and the two Dakotas having, if we include the soldiers at Fort Snelling, only about two hundred white inhabitants. To-day, I see these states with over two millions of people. Is it beyond the bounds of probability to say that seven years hence, "Our Minnesota" will have two millions herself? I think not.

Our climate is unsurpassed anywhere, and our winters are becoming milder every year. Those of us who passed our early days in the Middle States remember only too well the mud of early spring and late autumns, and icicles three feet long hanging from the roofs of our houses. We have none of that here. Our roads are simply perfect all the time. I look back with regret at the loss of the good sleigh rides we had here in the days of "Auld Lang Syne," which recollection at times makes us old men almost wish we were boys again.

My dear friends of this present generation, whenever you meet one of these old settlers and pioneers of the frontier, tottering toward the grave, throw the mantle of charity over him; overlook his imperfections, and remember that it was he who blazed the trees, marking out the path which made it possible for you to enjoy the blessings you possess here in the great and glorious State of Minnesota to-day.

CAPTIVITY AMONG THE SIOUX, AUGUST 18 TO

SEPTEMBER 26, 1862.*

BY MRS. N. D. WHITE.

The story I bring to you includes what I saw and what occurred to myself and family during the most terrible Indian massacre that was ever known in our fair country. Fifteen thousand square miles of territory were overrun by the savages, and their trails in Minnesota were marked by blood and fire, while men, women, and innocent children were indiscriminately butchered or made prisoners.

I was born in the town of Alexander, Genesee county, New York, February 10th, 1825, my maiden name being Urania S. Frazer; and I was married to Nathan Dexter White, October 1st, 1845. The photograph reproduced in Plate XIV was taken at the completion of fifty-three years of our married life. We remained in New York state about two years, and then emigrated to Columbia county, Wisconsin, where we lived fifteen years. In the spring of 1862 we again turned our faces westward, and June 28th found us in Renville county, Minnesota.

Little did we think how soon we should pass through the terrible ordeal that awaited us. We commenced the erection of our log cabin at the base of the bluff in the valley of Beaver creek, near its opening into the wide Minnesota river valley, with stout hands and willing minds, looking hopefully forward to better times, for we thought we had selected the very heart of this western paradise for our home. Truly it was beautiful, even in its wild, uncultivated condition, with its gigantic trees in the creek valley, its towering bluffs, and the sweet-scented wild flowers. A babbling brook formed a part of the eastern boundary of our land, and its broad acres of prairie made it

*Read at the monthly meeting of the Executive Council, November 14,