Beadle's Frontier Series #25: Indian Jim—A Tale of the Minnesota Massacre

Indian Jim: A Tale of the Minnesota Massacre

By Edward S. Ellis (copyright 1908, James Sullivan), this historical fiction serial opens in August 1862 aboard a Minnesota River steamer crowded with emigrant passengers. The narrative centers on Adolphus Halleck, a Yale-educated artist traveling to sketch the landscape, and his cousin Marian Allondale, visiting their Uncle John Brainerd's Minnesota settlement.

Their shipboard conversation reveals contrasting views of Native Americans. Halleck romanticizes Indians as "high-souled" and "chivalrous," influenced by Leatherstocking Tales, while Marian condemns Minnesota tribes as "treacherous, merciless." She acknowledges exceptions among Christian Indians, citing individuals like Chaskie and Paul, and praises "Christian Jim," a noble figure who frequents Uncle John's home. The dialogue also touches on Will Brainerd, recently returned from Bull Run, wounded. Marian mentions missionaries like Dr. Williamson and Stephen Riggs, who labor among indigenous peoples despite trader sabotage.