Part III

One Indian took Mrs. Koch. Some others took Tommy Ireland’s oldest girls. Another took Mrs. Duley and Mrs. Eastlick by the hand and started to lead them off. At this time Freddie and Giles Eastlick were killed by a squaw. Mrs. Eastlick was shot twice and left for dead. She recovered and later escaped to New Ulm along with Tommy Ireland and her other two children, Johnnie and Merton. Eleven-year-old Merton escaped from the slough carrying his 15-month-old brother Johnnie. He carried him about 50 miles before he came upon Mrs. Hurd. Later they were overtaken by Mrs. Eastlick, Thomas Ireland and the mailman, who was coming from Sioux Falls, and were taken to New Ulm.

William Duley, along with some soldiers, returned to Slaughter Slough later that summer and buried the bodies where they had fallen. Then in 1863 he returned again with soldiers who moved the bodies to the present site of the monument erected in 1924 by the state of Minnesota.

Victims of the massacre buried at the Lake Shetek monument site are as follows: Almira Hatch Everett, Wille Everett (5 years), Charlie Everett (2 years), Sophia Walter Ireland, Sarah Jane Ireland (5 years), Julianne Ireland (3 years), Sophia Smith, John Voigt, Andrew Koch, John Eastlick (29 years), Frederick Eastlick (4 years), Giles Eastlick (2 years), William J. Duley, Jr. (10 years), and Belle Duley (6 years).

According to an article written by Bill Bolin, southwest Minnesota historian, in the Aug. 27, 1997, issue of the Southwest Sailor, the hostages were returned as follows:

“At Fort Pierre a group of 10 or 11 Teton Lakota young men had formed an organization with the purpose to promote peace between Indian bands and also between Indians and whites. They were given the derogatory name ‘Fool Soldiers’ because of their efforts for peace. When word of the white captives reached the Fool Soldiers they decided to attempt to rescue the captives.

They collected supplies and traveled the 100 miles or so to White Lodge’s camp (where the captives were being held). After some very tense negotiations in which their lives and the lives of their captives were at times in danger, they succeeded in buying back the captives for horses, guns, blankets and other goods. They hurriedly left before White Lodge changed his mind about the sale of the captives and headed back to Fort Pierre.

On the way back, five captive children were placed on a travois hauled behind their remaining horse and Pretty Bear carried the sixth. Mrs. Wright and Mrs. Duley alternated between walking and riding the horse. Selflessly, Martin Charger wrapped his own feet in blankets after giving his moccasins to Mrs. Wright who didn’t have any shoes. And then a blizzard hit. The travois was set up ‘teepee-like’ to block the wind, and the captives set behind it were given the majority of blankets. All night the Fool Soldiers walked around to keep from freezing to death. A few days later the captives were delivered to authorities at Fort Pierre.”

The Fool Soldier Band never received any recognition for reclaiming the hostages, nor did they receive any reimbursement for their own personal possessions that they traded in exchange for the hostages. But the names of the young Teton boys were recorded in history, so that today their descendants are able to gather together, along with the survivors of the captives, to honor the heroic deeds of those young men.

Sources: “Slaughter Slough,” John Silvernale, Slayton Newspaper, undated; Article by Bill Bolin, Southwest Sailor, August 27, 1997.