USA > Iowa > Dickinson County > History of Dickinson County, Iowa, together with an account of the Spirit Lake massacre, and the Indian troubles on the northwestern frontier > Part 5
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The following highly sensational account is copied from Mr. Gilbraith's "History of Clay County," and while it contains statements that are new and strange to those who supposed they were familiar with the story of the massacre of 1857, it
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must be accepted as history. There is nothing in it that is im- probable or inconsistent with the circumstances as they then existed.
"Mr. Gillett, one of the earliest settlers of the county, and for whom Gillett's Grove bears its name, recently visited friends in this county and the scene of his former home. Dur- ing his visit he related an event which he hitherto had never made public. Mr. Gillett is now quite aged, and in a few more short years his race will be run, and, as he said, it would be useless to keep it a secret any longer, as the participants had passed over the silent river of death. The story is substan- tially as follows: He with his brother came to Clay County in the fall of 1856 and located at what is now known as Gil- lett's Grove, which is a beautiful grove filled with growing trees and through which courses the Little Sioux River. After deciding upon their location, they agreed to divide the grove equally, and one take the north and the other the south part. This being settled, they at once set to work and in a short time had constructed neat log houses and prepared themselves com- fortably for the winter. Being amply supplied with firewood. and their log houses being built not alone with a view to con- venience, but as well for warmth, they had no fears of suffer- ing from the storms or intense cold weather which were not- able at that time in this section. The only fears they enter- tained were from the Indians. But at that time they did not make frequent visits to this particular section for the reason that there was but little game, poor fishing and no settlements. The newly acquired property holders, therefore, felt themselves safe and comfortable from any intrusions from the wild sav- ages, whose treachery they so much feared.
"Everything passed along quietly for several months, until one day a tribe under Chief Inkpadutah came and set up their tepees upon the bank of Lost Island Lake. The settlers upon learning of their arrival and location feared that the Indians would discover the location of their houses and visit them. Their fears were well founded, for in a few days several of the red-skins paid them a visit. The white settlers treated them kindly and gave them provisions, and they left for their camp- ing grounds expressing their friendship and thanks for the food given them. In a few days another lot of them came, headed by a stalwart brave who had been with the others a few
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THE AFFAIR AT GILLETT'S GROVE
days before. After saying their usual "How," they were sup- plied by the whites and returned to the lakes. During both visits it was noticeable that one of them, the one who led the second group, had his eyes constantly fixed in admiration upon Mrs. Gillett. Wherever she went and whenever she moved, his eye was upon her. In a few days he returned ; this time alone. He was given a seat and provided with a meal. He went away, but every two or three days he came, and although saying nothing, his looks indicated his admiration for Mrs. Gillett. His visits grew so constant and frequent that they became an- noying, not only to Mrs. Gillett, but to the two families. IIe was constantly prowling around and appearing before them at the most unexpected moments, until he became a great nnis- ance. He was given to understand that his visits were not desired, but to these reminders he paid not the least attention. He was always fed and well treated, for the reason that the settlers did not wish to give any offense to the tribe or ineur their enmity. But, becoming emboldened by the kind treat- ment that had been extended to him, one day in the absence of Mr. Gillett, and mastering all of the English language he possessed, he made certain proposals to Mrs. Gillett, which she indignantly rejected, and warned him to leave. He left the house in a short time, but had not gone a great distance when Mr. Gillett returned home. His wife immediately in- formed him of the Indian's conduet. The husband took down his rifle, and learning the direction the Indian had taken, set out after him. After a few minutes' walk he caught sight of him and drew up his rifle and fired. He did not wait to ascertain the result of his shot, but returned to his cabin and ate his supper. In the morning, in company with his brother. he visited the spot, and there found a dead Indian. The brothers, after severing the head from the body-which they subsequently sent to an eastern medical college-placed it in a hollow tree. They at once packed up their belongings and started for Fort Dodge, knowing full well that the Indians would discover the absence of the buck, and, knowing his fond- ness for Mrs. Gillett, would come there in search of him, and finding no trace of him, would suspicion they had killed him, and would revenge themselves upon the white settlers. They, therefore, deemed it prudent to make their escape before the arrival of the searching party, which they did."
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According to the above account, the Indians remained in camp at Lost Island several days. Accepting it as true, it throws some light upon the origin, or rather the commence- ment, of the massacre here at the lakes. It is easy to under- stand the pitch of frenzy to which the passions of the savages would naturally be raised when they made the discovery that one of their number had been slain by Gillett, as related by him, and the fact that he had made good his escape before the act was discovered would only increase their determination to wreak their vengeance upon the first luckless white settler that came in their way.
We have always been led to observe the close connection he- tween the murder of Sidominadotah and his family by Lott in 1854, and the Spirit Lake Massacre of 1857, and that the latter was the legitimate outcome of the former, but accepting Gillett's story as true, it must be regarded as an important fac- tor in precipitating the massacre at that time. Except for that it is possible that the settlers at the lakes would have fared no worse than their neighbors down the river. It may be regarded as singular that Gillett should have kept the affair a secret for thirty-five years before giving it to the world, but that might be accounted for on the theory that he knew he would be blamed for not warning the other settlers of the danger he had precipitated by his somewhat rash act.
From the Little Sionx messengers were sent to Fort Dodge setting forth their situation and imploring relief. At first the citizens of Fort Dodge were inclined to be skeptical and sus- picions that the reports of the depredations were largely ex- aggerated. They could not believe the Indians were rash enough or foolish enough to thus defy the power of the gov- ernment and the people. They knew the destitute condition of the settlers along the frontier at the commencement of winter and many branded the story as a ruse to induce them to send
.
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MESSENGERS REACH FORT DODGE - THEIR STORY
supplies or take other measures for their relief. But the re- ports kept coming thicker and more of them.
Mr. Duneombe, in his account of the Spirit Lake Expedition, says :
"In January, 1857, word was brought to Fort Dodge that a large band of Indians, under the lead of Inkpadutah, had followed down the Little Sioux River to a point near Smith- land; that this band was composed of Sioux half-breeds and straggling renegades of the Sioux tribe, and that they had be- come exceedingly insolent and ugly. The next information received at Fort Dodge was in the latter part of February, when Abner Bell, a Mr. Weaver and a Mr. Wilcox came to Fort Dodge and gave Major Williams and myself the startling intelligence of aets and depredations of these scoundrels, said to be about seventy in number, including about thirty war- riors. These three men had left the Little Sioux River, and coming through the awful storms and almost impassable snows for sixty miles without a house or landmark on the way, sought aid from our people. They gave a sad and vivid description of the shooting down of their cattle and horses, of the abuse of their children, the violation of their women and other acts of brutishness and ernelty too savage to be repeated. They pictured in simple but eloquent words the exposures of the dear wife, mother and children, their starving condition and their utter helplessness. These reports were repeated from day to day by other settlers from the Little Sioux, who from time to time came straggling into Fort Dodge. These repeated ac- counts of the acts of the Indians led every one familiar with the Indian character to become fully satisfied that they were determined on some great purpose of revenge against the ex- posed frontier settlements, and this caused much alarm among the people. Among the number giving this information were Ambrose S. Mead, L. F. Finch, G. M. and W. S. Gillett and John A. Kirchner, father of John C. and JJacob Kirchner, who are now citizens of Fort Dodge. These depredations com- menced at the house of Abner Bell, on the 21st day of February, A. D. 1857. On the 24th of February, 1857, the house ocen- pied by James Gillett was suddenly attacked by ten or more armed warriors and the two families living under the same roof, consisting of the heads of each family and five small chil-
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dren, were terrorized and most villainously abused. After en- during outrages there, they managed to escape at midnight and late the following evening arrived at the residence of Bell, poorly clad, and having been without food for over thirty-six hours. The suffering's of these people and their little children will be appreciated by those who remember the driving storms. piercing winds and intense cold of the unparalleled winter of 1856 and 1857, to my knowledge the longest and most severe of any winter for the last forty-three years. From Gillett's Grove, near the present beautiful and prosperous city of Spen- cer, the Indians proceeded to Spirit Lake and the lakes near by. No preparation could be made for resistance on account of the sparsity of the population and the scattered homes. In fact, it is improbable that any family knew that depredations were being committed by these red devils until they were themselves attacked when wholly unprepared for any such event."
The settlers along the Little Sioux also applied for help to the settlers on the Coon River at Sac City and below. Quite a company was raised there and made their way across to Peterson by way of Storm Lake, but they were too late to accomplish anything. The Indians were gone and they were not prepared to follow them. They accordingly returned to their homes.
The Indians arrived in the neighborhood of the lakes about the seventh of March, and camped in the Okoboji Grove at a dis- tance of about fifteen rods from the Mattock cabin. The date of their arrival at the lakes was about two weeks after the trou- ble near Sioux Rapids, which interval of time they doubtless spent in the camp at Lost Island. The idea suggests itself at this point that possibly the party of Indians at Lost Island was much larger than at the lakes. Nearly every account referring to the Indians committing their depredations along the Little Sioux gives their numbers at from thirty to forty warriors, and some even more. Mr. Duncombe, who received his informa- tion direct from the settlers, in his account puts it between
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SAVAGES ARRIVE AT THE LAKES
thirty and forty. Mr. Gilbraith, in his "History of Clay County," says from sixty to seventy, while the actual number engaged in the massacre at the lakes was but fifteen. It may be possible that the Indians divided their forces at Lost Island, one party going direct to the Des Moines, while the other came by way of the lakes. Either this, or the settlers along the Little Sioux largely overestimated their number. As before stated, the Indians went into camp near the Mattock cabin about the seventh of March. Their tepees were arranged in a circle on both sides of the road running from Mattock's place to Gardner's. The inhabitants here had received no intimation of the depredations committed by them along the Little Sioux and had no apprehension of danger, and were, therefore, taken entirely by surprise. A letter found in the Granger cabin, written by Doctor Harriott to his father, Judge Harriott, dated March sixth, throws some light on the matter. In this letter he refers to the fact that the Indians were camped there, that they were on friendly terms with them, and that they had done some trading with them. Other matters were referred to in the letter which showed that they had no suspicion of danger.
CHAPTER V.
SITUATION AT THIE LAKES-THIE INDIANS IN CAMP-INCIDENTS OF THE FIRST DAY OF THE MASSACRE-ABBIE GARDNER TAKEN TO THEIR CAMP A PRISONER-SECOND DAY OF THE MASSA- CRE-MRS. THATCHER AND MRS. NOBLE TAKEN PRISONERS-THE INDIANS CROSS THE LAKE AND GO NORTH TO MARBLE GROVE-MARBLE KILLED AND MRS. MARBLE TAKEN PRISONER-INDIANS THEN MOVE NORTHWEST TO HERON LAKE.
OME time previous to this Harvey Luce and J. M. Thatcher went out for supplies, going as far east as Waterloo. On their return they were accompanied by Enoch Ryan, a brother-in-law of Noble; Robert Clark, a young man from Waterloo; Jonathan Howe, a son of Joel ITowe; and Asa Burtch, a brother of Mrs. Thatcher. They traveled with an ox team and their progress through the deep snow was necessarily slow. Upon arriving at Shippey's, in Palo Alto County, some ten miles below Emmetsburg, their cattle were so nearly exhausted that they found it necessary to stop for a few days to rest and recruit them. It was decided that Burtch and Thatcher should stay and take care of the cat- tle and come on as soon as they were able, while the others took their way over the snow on foot to the lake, arriving there on the sixth of March, just in time to share the fate of their un- fortunate neighbors, while Burtch and Thatcher escaped by being left behind.
Late in the fall Eliza Gardner made a visit to Springfield to the family of Doctor Strong, intending to return home after a short time, but the deep snow and the unparalleled severity of
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MATTERS LOOK THREATENING
the winter made communication between the two places almost impossible and she was compelled to stay where she was. This accounts for her absence at the time of the massacre, and for her being at the home of Mr. Thomas at the time of the attack on Springfield. The incidents of the massacre can never be fully known. All the details we have are those furnished by Mrs. Sharp and they are necessarily very meager, as she saw but little of them. It seems that Mr. Gardner had been con- templating a trip to Fort Dodge for provisions as soon as Mr. Luce returned from his trip to Waterloo. Mr. Luce returning on the sixth, Gardner determined to start on the eighth, and commeneed making arrangements accordingly. On that morn- ing the family arose earlier than usual that he might have the advantage of an early start. As they were about to sit down to breakfast, a single Indian came in and demanded food. He was given a place at the table with the family. Soon others made their appearance until Inkpadutah and his fourteen war- riors, together with their squaws and papooses, were crowded into the cabin. After dispatching the food that had been provided for the family, they became sullen and insolent. demanding ammunition and numerous other things. One of them snatched a box of caps from Gardner. Another attempted to seize a powder horn from the wall, but was prevented by Mr. Luce. The Indian then attempted to shoot Luce, but was prevented by Luce seizing the gun pointed at him.
At this time two young men from the Granger cabin, Harriott and Snyder, knowing that Gardner intended starting for Fort Dodge, called to send letters down by him to be mailed. Gard- ner told them at once that he could not go and leave his family, that he believed the situation was serious and that the Indians were bent on mischief. He also wanted the settlers to get to- gether at the strongest place and make preparations for de- fense. Harriott and Snyder did not believe there was any
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danger. They thought it a pet of the Indians that would soon pass away. So they did some trading with the Indians and started back to their own cabin, taking no precautions whatever for their own safety. The Indians prowled about the prem- ises until about noon, when they started back towards their camp, driving Gardner's cattle ahead of them, shooting them on the way. This was the first time the cabin had been clear of Indians since they first came in the morning.
It was a serious question now what to do. They wanted to notify the other settlers, and still if any of the men left it would so weaken their own party that it would not be possible to make an effective defense if the Indians returned, which they were liable to do any minute. It was finally agreed that Luce and Clark should go out and warn the rest and return as soon as possible. Accordingly, about two o'clock they set out for the Mattock cabin. . Anxiously the inmates of the cabin awaited further developments.
We will let Mrs. Sharp tell the rest. She says: "About three o'clock we heard the report of guns in rapid succession from the house of Mr. Mattock. We were then no longer in doubt as to the awful reality that was hanging over us. Two long hours we passed in this fearful anxiety and suspense, waiting and watching with conflicting hopes and fears for Mr. Luce and Mr. Clark to return. At length, just as the sun was sinking behind the western horizon and shedding its brilliancy over the snowy landscape, father, whose anxiety would no longer allow him to remain within doors, went out to recon- noiter. He, however, hastily returned saying: 'Nine Indians are coming now only a short distance from the house and we are all doomed to die.' His first thought was to barricade the door and fight till the last, saying, 'While they are killing all of us I will kill a few of them with the two loaded guns left in the house.' But to this mother protested, having not yet
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DEPREDATIONS COMMENCE AT GARDNERS
lost all faith in the savage monsters and still hoping they would appreciate our kindness and spare our lives. She said, 'If we have to die, let us die innocent of shedding blood.' Alas for the faith placed in these inhuman monsters! They entered the house and demanded more flour, and as father turned to get them what remained of our seanty store, they shot him through the heart. He fell upon his right side and died with- out a struggle. When first the Indian raised his gun to fire mother or Mrs. Luce seized the gun and drew it down, but the other Indians instantly turned upon them, seized them by their arms and beat them over their heads with the butts of their guns; then dragged them out of doors and killed them in the most cruel and shocking manner. They next seized the children, tearing them from me one by one while they reached their little arms to me, crying piteously for protection that I was powerless to give. Heedless of their cries, they dragged them out of doors and beat them to death with sticks of stove wood."
After ransacking the cabin and taking whatever they could make use of and destroying the rest, they started for their camp near the Mattock cabin, taking Abigail (Mrs. Sharp) with them as a prisoner. This occurred just at nightfall. Upon arriving at the camp the Mattock cabin was in flames and the bodies of the murdered victims scattered about it. Nothing can be known as to what transpired here, as all was over and the cabin burning before the arrival of the Indians with their prisoner. Mrs. Sharp makes note of the fact that shrieks were heard issuing from the burning building indicat- ing that one or more luckless victims were suffering the agonies of death from burning. It is conjectured that after the first surprise was over some resistance was made at this point. The bodies of two of the men from the Granger cabin, Harriott and Snyder, were found here; also that of young Harshman.
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DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA
BURNING OF MATTOCK CABIN.
Doctor Harriott, when found, had a loaded revolver in his hand with one barrel discharged. One or two Sharps rifles were found near the bodies of the men as they lay. In short, everything indicated a complete surprise at first and then an attempt to rally and make a defense, but too late.
The Indians celebrated their bloody achievement that night by holding a war dance among the bodies of their luckless vic- tims. Their threatening gestures accompanied by their ter- rific howls and their monotonous "Hi Yi, Hi Yi," were kept up until far into the night. On the next morning a portion of the force started for the Howe and Thatcher cabin, nearly four miles distant. They met Mr. Howe on the bank of the lake, about a quarter of a mile from his cabin. He had a grain bag with him when found by the burial party, and it is sup- posed that he had started for either Gardner's or Mattock's for four. They killed him and severed his head from his body. The skull was found some time after by George Ring on the bank of the lake. They then went to the house of Mr. Howe, where they dispatched the rest of the fam- ily, consisting of Mrs. Howe, a grown up son and daughter,
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MASSACRE CONTINUED
and five younger children, and the child of Mrs. Noble. Front here they went to the Thatcher cabin. Here were two men, two women and two children, Mr. Noble, wife and one child, Mrs. Thatcher and one child and Mr. Enoch Ryan. As usual they feigned friendship until the men were off their guard, and then shot them both simultaneously. The cabin had but one door and that faced the south. The men were on the north side of the cabin when they were shot. After killing the stock and plundering the house, they took the two women ( Mrs. Noble and Mrs. Thatcher) prisoners and started back to camp. On their way they again stopped at the house of Mr. Howe. Here Mrs. Noble found her mother lying dead under the bed, where she had doubtless crawled after being left by her mur- derers. Her brother Jacob, some thirteen years old, who had been left for dead or dying, was found sitting up in the yard, conscious, but unable to speak. To her questions he responded only with a shake of the head. She told him that if the Tu- dians did not come to him and finish the murder, to crawl into the house and get into one of the beds, as perhaps help would come and he might be saved, but the savages killed him before her eyes. While Mrs. Noble was taking note of these things, the Indians were busy with their work of plunder and destruc- tion, after which they, with their prisoners, returned to camp. This was on the ninth of March, and as will appear later on. the day preceding the night in which Markham had his hair breadth escape by wandering into the very center of their camp before he was aware of their presence.
On the morning of the tenth they broke camp and crossed West Okoboji on the ice to Madison Grove, where they again went into camp, staying one night only. The next day, the eleventh, they took their way north to Marble Grove, on the west side of Spirit Lake, where they went into camp some distance north of Marble's house. Marble had heard nothing
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of the troubles below and was wholly unsuspicious of danger. As usual, they asked for food. After partaking of it, they bantered him to trade rifles. After some diekering a trade was made. They then proposed shooting at a mark. Accord- ingly, a mark was, set up, and after Marble had shot at it, the Indians turned on him and riddled him with bullets. They then proceeded to appropriate such things as they could make use of and to destroy the balance, after which they took Mrs. Marble with them to their camp, thus bringing the number of prisoners up to four. At night a war dance was held to cele- brate the achievements of the day, at which they recounted with pantomimic gestures and energetic action the wonderful deeds in which they had so recently participated.
Before leaving this place the Indians removed the bark from an ash tree and delineated on the white surface by signs and characters a hieroglyphical representation of their recent exploits. Many of the writers who have mentioned this inei- dent have made more of it than the facts would warrant. The three or four published accounts which have been given to the public agree in stating that the picture record gave the posi- tion and number of victims correctly, and also represented those killed as being pierced with arrows. Now this is mainly fiction. The first discovery of the tree on which the hieroglyphics were delineated was by a party consisting of O. C. Howe, R. U. Wheelock and the writer sometime in May. They were the first party to take a trip on the west side of Spirit Lake after the massacre. The tree was first noticed by Mr. Howe, and he called the attention of the rest of the party to it. It was a white ash tree standing a little way to the southeast of the door of the Marble cabin. It was about eight inches in diam- eter, not over ten at the most. The rough outside bark had been hewed off for a distance of some twelve or fifteen inches up and down the tree. Upon the smoothed surface thus
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