ndeed. We were able to get boards for the sides of
our new house, but lived in it six weeks without a roof, doors or
windows. We had a few boards over the bed. There was only one hard rain
in all that time but the mosquitoes were awful. During this time, we
lived on King Phillip's corn, a large yellow kind. We pounded it in a
bag and made it into cakes and coffee. We had nothing to eat on the
cakes nor in the coffee and yet we were happy. My husband always kept
his gun by the bed during this time. One morning we awoke to see two
prairie chickens preening their feathers on the top of our house wall.
Father fired and killed both, one falling inside and the other outside.

Mrs. Colonel Stevens was our nearest neighbor. We just took a little
Indian trail to her house.

We had wild plums and little wild cherries with stems just like tame
cherries, on our farm. They helped out tremendously as they with
cranberries were our only fruit.

One morning twelve big braves came into my kitchen when I was getting
breakfast. They said nothing to me, just talked and laughed among
themselves; took out pipes and all smoked. They did not ask for anything
to eat. Finally they went away without trouble.

Indian Charlie, afterwards hung at Mankato, was often at the house and
became a great nuisance. He would follow me all over the house. I would
say, "Go sit down Charlie," at the same time looking at him
determinedly. He would stand and look and then go. He once found my
husband's gun and pointed it at me, but I said firmly, stamping my foot,
"Put it down Charlie," and very reluctantly he finally did. Then, I took
it until he left.

My husband enlisted, so in 1862 we moved to Fort Ridgely and lived in
one room. One day three squaws, one of whom was old Betts, came in to
sell moccasins. I asked her to make some for my baby and showed her a
piece of pork and some sugar I would give her for it. She brought them
later. We had eaten that piece of pork and I got another piece which was
larger but not the same, of course. When she saw it as not the same, she
said, "Cheatey Squaw, Cheatey squaw," and was very angry. I then gave
her the pork and two bowls of sugar instead of one and she went away.
Later I saw her in the next room where another family lived and said,
"Aunt Betts called me, Cheatey Squaw, Cheatey Squaw." Quick as a flash
she drew a long wicked looking knife from her belt and ran for me and it
was only by fleeing and locking my own