rd; but the
settlers were not so easily terrified as before, and held their ground.

On the 11th day of August, 1864, after quite a long period of
comparative repose and freedom from Indian disturbances, a party of six
or eight Indians suddenly appeared in the edge of the timber on the east
side of the Blue Earth, near the town line of Shelby and Vernon, and
taking wholly by surprise Mr. Noble G. Root and his two sons, who were
stacking grain, shot and killed Mr. Root and seriously wounded one, and
I think, both of his sons. These Indians then crossed the river in a
westerly direction, reaching the open country where the Willow Creek
cemetery now is. On that day Mr. Charles Mack of Willow Creek, with his
team and mower had gone to the farm of Mr. Hindman, a short distance
southwest of Willow Creek to mow hay for Mr. Hindman, and in exchange
Mr. Hindman had gone to the farm of Mr. Mack to assist Mr. Jesse Mack in
stacking grain.

Mr. Mack and Mr. Hindman were loading grain directly across the road
from the cemetery, when, on looking toward the road, but a few rods
away, they saw some Indians coming directly toward them. They both
hastily got upon the load and Mr. Mack whipped his horses into a run,
when in crossing a dead furrow Mr. Hindman was thrown from the load,
pitchfork in hand, striking upon his face in the stubble and dirt.
Rubbing the dirt from his eyes as best he could so that he could see, he
started to run and when he was able to open his eyes he discovered that
he was running directly toward the Indians. He reversed the engines
somewhat suddenly, put on a little more steam, and made splendid time in
the other direction toward the creek bed, less than a quarter of a mile
away. Once in the creek, the water of which was very shallow at that
time, he followed the bed of the creek for nearly a quarter of a mile,
and then stopped to rest and to wash the blood and dirt from his face.
Soon he left the stream and started up the bluff on the opposite side,
which was quite steep and covered thickly with timber and brush. When
nearly at the top of the bluff he came to a little opening in the brush,
and looking ahead about one hundred feet he saw those Indians
deliberately watching his approach. Utterly exhausted and unnerved, he
dare not run; he paused, and in a moment a burly Indian drew a large
knife and started directly toward him. Concluding that his day of
reckoning had come Mr. Hindman took the position of a sold