result, however, of these delays in the fulfilment of treaty stipulations was the effect on the Indians. A scnse of wrong in the past and distrust for the future was ever deepening in thcir minds, and preparing them to be suddenly thrown by any small provocation into an antagonism and hostility grossly dispropor- tionate to the apparent cause. This was the condition of the Minnesota Sioux in the summer of 1862.^[1]

The rccord of the massaeres of that summer is scarcely equal- led in the history of Indian wars. Farly in August some bands of the Upper Sioux, who had been waiting ly two months for their aunuity payments, and had been suffer ing greatly for food during that time-so much so that "they dug up roots to appease tlheir unger, and when corn was turned out to them they devoured it uncooked, like wild animals"be desperate, broke into the Government warchouse, and took some of the provisions stored there. ning of the outbreak, although the first massacre was not till the 18th at their agency near came This was the real begin- When that becgan, the friendly Indians were power- less to resist-in fact, they were thrcatened with their lives if they did not join. Nevertheless, some of them rescued whole families, and carried them to places of safety; others sheltered lodges; many fled, leaving all their provisions behind-as much vietims of the out- break as the Minnesota people themselves. For three days the hostile bands, continually re-enforced, wont from settlement to settlement, killing and plundering. A belt of country nearly two hundred miles in length and about fifty in width was en- tirely abandoned by the population, who flocked in panie to the towns and forts. Noarly a thousand were killed-men women, and ehildren--and nameless outrages were committed on many. Millions of dollars' worth of property were de- The ontbreak was quickly quelled by military force, and fed wonen and children in their own

stroyed.