WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb’y 16, 1870.
To the Hon. JAMES HARLAN,
Chairman Com. Ind. Affairs, U. S. Senate.
SIR:
I have the honor to make the following statement in relation to the captivity and release of Mrs. Fanny Kelly.
In the summer of 1864, an expedition under the command of General Alfred Sully, U. S. A., started against the hostile Sioux in Dakota Territory, of which expedition I was a member, being then an officer, First Lieutenant, in the Sixth Iowa Volunteer Cavalry. Whilst on the expedition, we ascertained that Mrs. Fanny Kelly was a prisoner of the Indians that we were then engaged against. After the command returned to Fort Rice, in Dakota Territory, news was received from Captain Fisk, an officer of the Engineer Department, U. S. A., that he was surrounded, and his train corralled by the same Indians that we had been fighting. I, with others, saw Fisk, and was personally told by him that he had received notes and letters of warning from Mrs. Kelly, telling him that he must not break his train, that the Indians intended to fall upon the two portions, if he did, and to massacre his guard and the emigrants and children with him.
In the fall, after the expedition had been abandoned, the troops were scattered at different posts along the Missouri River, I, with my company, being left at Fort Sully, Dakota Territory. About the latter part of November, an Indian came inside the post. I, being officer of the day, asked him what he wanted. He said he came a long way, and wanted to know if I was the “big chief,” if so, he had a paper for me to see. He gave it to me. It was a sheet torn out of a business book, and numbered 76 in the corner. The substance of the letter was as follows:
“I write this letter, and send it by this Indian, but don’t know whether you will get it, as they are very treacherous. They have lied to me so often; they have promised to bring me to town nearly every day. I wish you could do something to get me away from them. If they do bring me to town, be guarded, as they are making all kinds of threats and preparations for an attack. I have made a pencil of a bullet, so it might be hard to read. Please treat this Indian well. If you don’t, they might kill me.” After having the Indian remain for a few days, and giving him plenty to eat, he was sent on his return with a letter to Mrs. Kelly. A short time after this, one morning, we discovered, back of the Fort on the hill, a large body of Indians. The commanding officer was notified of the fact. He immediately gave orders to prepare the fort for defense. Since the warning received from Mrs. Kelly, we had been unusually watchful of the Indians. The fort was poorly constructed, having been built by soldiers for winter quarters. The Indians were notified not to approach the fort, and only the chiefs, who numbered ten or twelve, were allowed to come inside the gates, bringing with them Mrs. Kelly, and when inside the fort, the gates were immediately closed, shutting out the body of the Indians, who numbered about 1,000 to 1,200. A bargain was made for her, and the articles agreed upon were delivered for her in exchange.
I believe, and it was the opinion of others, that the advice and warning of Mrs. Kelly was very valuable to us, and was instrumental in putting us on our guard, and enabled us to ward off the threatened attack of the Indians. In my opinion, had the Indians attacked the fort, they could have captured it.
The day that Mrs. Kelly was brought into the fort was one of the coldest I ever experienced, and she was very poorly clad, having scarcely any thing to protect her person. Her limbs, hands, and face were terribly frozen, and she was put in the hospital at Fort Sully, where she remained for a long time, nearly two months, for treatment.
(Signed)
G. A. HESSELBERGER,
First Lieutenant U. S. Army.
Res. Leavenworth City.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
Second Auditor’s Office, June 3, 1870.
The foregoing is a correct copy of the statement of Lieutenant Hesselberger on file in this office.
E. B. FRENCH.