USA > Iowa > Dickinson County > History of Emmet County and Dickinson County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 32
USA > Iowa > Emmet County > History of Emmet County and Dickinson County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 32
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them to leave, which they did reluctantly. They returned no more to that vicinity except in small hunting parties."
Further characterization may be presented by the narration of Ink- padutah's acts in the massacre.
WHY INKPADUTAH DESIRED REVENGE
When Henry Lott murdered Sidominadotah in January, 1854, at Bloody Run, in Humboldt County, he furnished Inkpadutah a motive for the horrible revenge the latter took in Dickinson County three years later. It is an admitted fact that this was the cause of the Spirit Lake mas- sacre-a burning desire on Inkpadutah's part to avenge the murder of his brother and family.
First a word as to Lott. He was a typical border desperado. He was of the type for whose depredations the honest settlers had to pay. He set- tled at the mouth of Boone River in Webster County in 1846. He gained notoriety first by selling cheap whisky to the Indians which in itself was a practice heartily condemned by the better class of white men. Whisky invariably made a bad Indian out of a good one. Later Lott began to steal horses from the Indians and soon they decided to expel him from the country as a punishment. A chief and a number of braves called upon him one day and gave him a certain time in which to gather his belongings and move. He did not heed the warning, however, and when his time limit had expired the Indians came again and destroyed his property. They killed his live stock, robbed his bee hives, and drove him and his step-son from the house. A younger lad, Milton Lott, twelve years of age, in attempting to follow them was frozen to death. A short time later Lott returned to his home here and stayed until his wife's death, all the time planning revenge upon the Indians. In 1853 he and his step-son located a new home on Lott's Creek, in Humboldt County, on the east branch of the Des Moines River. Near here Sidominadotah and his family encamped one day. Here was his chance.
Lott and his step-son went to the chief's tepee and told him that an elk herd was feeding near and requested him to go with them to get one. He accepted the invitation. After they had reached a point some distance from the camp the Lotts turned their guns upon Sidominadotah and killed him. After night had come they returned to the camp and murdered the rest of the Indian's family, except two of the children, a boy and girl, each about ten years old. The girl had concealed herself in the underbrush and the boy was left for dead, but recovered. It is said that this boy after- ward lived with a family named Carter on the West Fork of the Des Moines in Palo Alto County, and was known as "Indian Josh."
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Lott and his step-son loaded a wagon immediately after their crime, burned their cabin with everything which could not be transported, and left. They traveled south until they reached the overland trail to Cali- fornia and there joining an emigrant party went to the coast. It is re- ported that Lott was shortly afterward killed in a row. The crime which they committed was not discovered for a fortnight and then the guilty ones were safe from capture. Like Inkpadutah himself the Lotts escaped the fate which they deserved-the justice of the settlers in Northwestern Iowa. Had either been captured their sentence, would have been death. It is improbable that the Spirit Lake massacre would have occurred had it not been for the ruthless murder of Sidominadotah. The Indians were in the right when they persecuted Lott first. This, however, does not mitigate the cruelty and heartlessness of Inkpadutah's revenge in 1857.
EVENTS ALONG THE LITTLE SIOUX
In November, 1856, Inkpadutah and his followers were encamped at the south end of Black Loon Lake in Minnesota. They were considered by both the other bands of Indians and the settlers as renegades. Gov- ernor Grimes of Iowa made repeated appeals to Congress and to President Pierce for adequate protection of the territory in northwestern Iowa, but each appeal was unheeded, and as a result the Indians gained a confidence which they would not otherwise have had. Charles Aldrich, in the Annals of Iowa, writes: "Governor James W. Grimes wrote letters to our United States senators and to the authorities at Washington some time before the outbreak of hostilities, asking that the general government take imme- diate steps for the protection of our exposed frontiers. Little or no atten- tion was paid to his reiterated requests, and so when the Indians resorted to hostilities our Iowa border was wholly without protection. Had the ear- nest appeals of Governor Grimes been heeded, the Spirit Lake massacre would not have occurred. What makes this neglect appear more stupidly and wickedly cruel was the fact that in those days the catching of a run- away negro under the infamous 'Fugitive Slave Law' was rife in the land, and detachments of the Federal Army or vessels of the United States Navy could be readily secured to return a slave to his master." The reader of 1917 can well compare this condition with the present "preparedness" of the country and thereby draw a parallel.
The winter of 1856-7 was one of the most severe ever experienced in Iowa. The snow at one time reached a depth of four feet and the cold was intense. High winds prevailed upon the prairies. These conditions made the settlers in Dickinson County suffer and endure hardships unknown to us of the present day. Provisions were scarce and difficult to obtain and the cabins were in no way constructed to keep out the cold.
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AT SMITHLAND
In December Inkpadutah and his band departed from Loon Lake and went down the Little Sioux as far south as Smithland. They detoured around the settlements, it is believed, as no record was made of any set- tlers seeing them en route. Here at Smithland the first troubles of the year occurred between the Indians and the settlers. Judge Fulton writes of this as follows :
"One day while a party of them (the Indians) were in pursuit of an elk in the vicinity of Smithland, they had a difficulty with some white set- tlers. It is difficult to state with certainty the nature of the trouble, as different and conflicting accounts of it have been given. The Indians, how- ever, claimed that their pursuit of the elk was intercepted by the whites who forced them to give up their arms and availed themselves of the use of their guns in the pursuit of the game. This aroused the indignation of the Indians and they demanded provisions of the settlers. They con- tinued encamped in the vicinity of Smithland for several days, during which time the whites became more and more annoyed by their presence. Finally the settlers resorted to strategy to get rid of them. At that time the name of General Harney was a terror to the Indians of the North- west, owing to a recent severe chastisement some of them had received at his hands. One of the settlers donning the old uniform of an army officer, made his appearance on the opposite side of the Little Sioux from the Indian encampment, while some of the other whites pointed him out to the Indians as General Harney and told them he was in pursuit of them. The ruse had the desired effect and the Indians hastily moved up the river with their savage nature aroused to a desire for revenge."
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R. A. Smith explains the trouble as follows: "Large numbers of elk had been driven in from the prairie by the deep snows and terrific storms. These the Indians surrounded, slaughtering large numbers of them. This created excitement and indignation among the settlers, and some of them conceived the idea of driving the Indians away. To accom- plish this they got up a drunken frolic and invited the Indians in. They represented themselves as soldiers sent out by General Harney to drive them out of the country. At that time the operations of General Harney at Ash Hollow and other places had made his name a perfect terror to the Sioux, and they became very much alarmed and excited, so much so that they started at once on their return, leaving a portion of their guns and equipage in the hands of the supposed soldiers. When this transac- tion became known, the more level-headed citizens denounced it and did what they could to counteract what they feared would be the result. They gathered up the guns and other property which the Indians had left be- hind and sent them forward to them, and did what else they could to
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appease their indignation, but as will soon appear, however, all to no purpose."
AT PETERSON
So it can be understood that the Indians were angered by the trick played upon them and resolved to take revenge upon the settlements not so well defended. They followed up the Little Sioux after leaving Smith- land, robbing settlers' cabins, killing stock and intimidating the women and children. Having reached the point where Clay County now is, they became doubly ferocious and committed many deeds of cruelty. W. C. Gilbraith, in the history of Clay County, thus describes their depreda- tions :
"The Clay County settlers had heard of the depredations they were committing and were thoroughly alarmed for the safety of themselves and their property. When they came to the home of Mr. Bicknell and' finding no one there, he with his family having gone to Mr. Kirchner's, across the river, they immediately appropriated everything which met their fancy. The next day they made their appearance at the Kirchner house, where they found the terror-stricken settlers huddled together. Without any ceremony they captured all the arms to be found, killed the cattle and took what they wanted. After remaining in the Peterson set- tlement a day and a night, they pushed on, leaving the whites badly frightened but thankful that they had escaped with their lives. This band of bloodthirsty Sioux then proceeded to the home of Ambrose Mead, who was absent at the time in Cedar Falls. Previous to leaving for this place, he had arranged to have a Mr. Taylor and family remain with Mrs. Mead and children during his stay. When the Indians came, Mr. Taylor protested against their taking the property or disturbing the premises. Becoming angry at Taylor for his interference they threatened to kill him if he did not keep out of the way. Fearing that they would carry out their threats Taylor left the women and children and set out to secure assistance. The Indians killed the stock, drove off the ponies and carried the women with them. But, fearing they would be pursued and overtaken, they decided to allow the women to return after taking such liberties as the helpless women could not prevent. They then directed their steps toward Linn Grove and Sioux Rapids, where they subjected the settlers to the same treatment they had given the Mead and Taylor families."
Mrs. Abbie Gardner Sharp describes the same occurrence as fol- lows: "After remaining a few days in Cherokee, where they busied themselves with wantonly shooting cattle, hogs and fowls and destroying property generally, sometimes severely beating those who resisted, they proceeded up the Little Sioux to the little settlement in Clay County, now
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called Peterson. Here they tarried two or three days, committing acts of atrocity as usual. At the house of A. S. Mead (Mr. Mead being away) they not only killed his cattle and destroyed his property but knocked down his wife and carried off to camp his daughter Hattie (seventeen years old) and started away with a younger sister, Emma, but she resisted so hard and cried so loud that an Indian picked up a stick and whipped her all the way back to the house and left her. At the same house they knocked down Mr. E. Taylor, kicked his body into the fireplace, burning him so badly that he still carries the scar on his leg, and took his wife off to their camp, but as yet they had committed no murder. After one night in an Indian camp, Mrs. Taylor and Hattie Mead were permitted to return home."
AT GILLETT'S GROVE
From Peterson the Indians went to Sioux Rapids, where they com- mitted similar deeds. From Sioux Rapids they went to Gillett's Grove and their actions there are described by Gilbraith in the history of Clay County as follows: "Mr. Gillett, one of the earliest settlers of the county, and for whom Gillett's Grove was named, recently visited friends in this county and the scene of his former home. During his visit he related an event which he had hitherto never made public. 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 Gillett's Grove. . Everything passed along quietly for several months, until one day a tribe under Chief Inkpadutah came and set up their teepees upon the bank of Lost Island Lake. The settlers upon learning of their arrival and loca- tion 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 redskins paid them a visit. The white settlers treated them kindly and gave them provisions, and they left for their camping grounds ex- pressing 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 days before. After saying their usual 'How' they were supplied 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 pro- vided 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. He was con-
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stantly prowling around and appearing before them at the most unex- pected moments, until he became a great nuisance. 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 incur 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 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 informed him of the Indian's conduct. 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 re- turned 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 subse- quently 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 fondness for Mrs. Gillett, would come there in search of him, and finding no trace of him, would suspect 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.
APPEALS FOR HELP
Mr. Duncombe, in writing of the Spirit Lake expedition, says of the conditions at this time: "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 Smithland; that this band was composed of Sioux half-breeds and straggling renegades of the Sioux tribe, and that they had become 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 ยท to Fort Dodge and gave Major Williams and myself the startling intel- ligence of acts and depredations of these scoundrels, said to be about seventy in number, including thirty warriors. 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 descrip-
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tion 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 cruelty 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 accounts of the acts of the Indians led everyone familiar with the Indian character to become fully satisfied that they were determined on some purpose of revenge against the exposed 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 Jacob Kirchner, who are now citizens of Fort Dodge. These depredations commenced at the house of Abner Bell, on the 21st day of February, 1857. On the 24th of February, 1857, the house occupied 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 children, were ter- rorized and most villainously abused. After enduring outrages there, they managed to escape at midnight and late the following evening ar- rived at the residence of Bell, poorly clad, and having been without food for over thirty-six hours. The sufferings 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 the most severe of any winter for the last forty-three years. From Gillett's Grove, near the present beau- tiful and prosperous city of Spencer, the Indians proceeded to Spirit Lake and the lakes nearby. No preparation could be made for resist- ance 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."
A company of men was made up at Sac City and along the Coon River and dispatched to Peterson, but too late to be of any assistance.
THE INDIANS ARRIVE AT THE LAKES
Near March 7, 1857, the Indians arrived in the timber bordering upon the lakes and pitched their teepees on each side of the road leading from the Gardner to the Mattock cabin. One authority places their camp at fifteen rods from the latter home. This was about a fortnight after the disturbance near Sioux Rapids, this time having been spent probably at Lost Island. It is also known that only a portion of the band which
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caused the trouble along the Little Sioux came to the lakes and partic- ipated in the massacre. The inhabitants at that time living at the lakes had no intimation of impending trouble, as they had heard nothing from the southern settlements and perceived nothing especially out of the way among the Indians. A letter left in the Granger cabin by Dr. Harriott, written on the 6th, refers to the Indians but mentioned no fear of their purpose. This, of course, was the Indians' strategy-to gain the confi- dence of the settlers and catch them off their guard. Mr. R. A. Smith places the number of warriors at the lakes as fifteen. Mrs. Abbie Gard- ner Sharp gives, as well as memory permits, the names of the Indians who attacked the Gardner cabin as follows:
Ink-pa-du-tah, or Scarlet Point.
Mak-pe-a-ho-to-man, or Roaring Cloud.
Mak-pi-op-e-ta, or Fire Cloud, twin brother of Roaring Cloud.
Taw-a-che-ha-wa-kan, or His Mysterious Father.
Ba-ha-ta, or Old Man.
Ke-cho-mon, or Putting On As He Walks.
Ka-ha-dat, or Ratling, son-in-law of Inkpadutah.
Fe-to-a-ton-ka, or Big Face.
Ta-te-li-da-shink-sha-man-i, or One Who Makes a Crooked Wind As He Walks.
Ta-chan-che-ga-ho-ta, or His Great Gun.
Hu-san, or One Leg.
J. M. Thatcher and Asa Burtch were absent from the lakes at the time of the massacre, as was also Eliza Gardner. Harvey Luce and Thatcher had previously gone to Waterloo, Iowa, and other points for supplies and were accompanied upon their return by Enoch Ryan, a brother-in-law of Noble; Robert Clark, of Waterloo; Jonathan Howe, a son of Joel Howe; and Asa Burtch, a brother of Mrs. Thatcher. They were traveling by ox-team and when they reached a point in Palo Alto County it was found necessary to stop for a time and rest their animals. Burtch and Thatcher were chosen to stay with the teams while the re- mainder of the party came on foot to the lakes, arriving on the 6th of March, just in time to suffer their fate at the hands of the Indians. Burtch and Thatcher, by waiting with the oxen, saved their own lives. Eliza Gardner had gone to Springfield the previous autumn to visit the family of Doctor Strong, and was prevented by the severity of the win- ter from returning home. Hence her absence in March, 1857.
THE FIRST MORNING
The morning of March 8, 1857 dawned-a crisp, early-spring morn- ing. The brilliant sun, the fresh odors in the air and the promises of
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early leaves and green grass formed an inappropriate setting for the day of tragedy. The elder Gardner rose earlier than usual, contemplat- ing an early start for Fort Dodge to obtain provisions. Luce had re- turned on the 6th and was to remain at the cabin during Mr. Gardner's absence. Breakfast was prepared and set upon the table and the family were just about to take their places around the board. Just then a solitary Indian stalked in and demanded food. He was given room at the table with the others. He was shortly followed by Inkpadutah and fourteen other warriors, with their squaws and papooses. This crowd of Indians soon consumed all the food left and then became insulting, asking for everything they fancied, particularly ammunition. Gardner took a box of caps and was in the act of giving a portion of them to the Indians, when a young brave grabbed the whole box from his hand. Mr. Luce was just in time to prevent another from getting a powder horn from the wall. This enraged the Indian and he attempted to put a bullet into Luce, but was prevented by the latter seizing the barrel.
Just at this time Doctor Harriott and Bertel E. Snyder came to the cabin with some letters for Gardner to carry to Fort Dodge. By this time Gardner had decided that something dangerous was afoot and that his trip must be postponed and so informed Harriott and Snyder, adding that the settlers had better get together somewhere for defense. The two young men derided this statement, not believing that the Indians were that hostile. After trading with some of the redskins, they re- turned to their own cabin.
The Indians remained in the Gardner cabin until about noon, then started back to their camp, driving Gardner's cattle ahead of them and shooting some of them on the way. The white people then realized that some sort of warning had to be sent to the other settlers and finally Luce and Clark agreed to undertake the task and return in time to be of assistance to the family.
THE START OF THE MASSACRE
Mrs. Sharp, in her book, describes the murder of her family as fol- lows: "About three o'clock we heard the report of guns in rapid succes- sion from the house of Mr. Mattock. (Luce and Clark had left the Gard- ner cabin about two o'clock.) 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 con- flicting hopes and fears for Mr. Luce and Mr. Clark to return. At length, just as the sun was sinking behind the western horizon and shed- ding its brilliancy over the snowy landscape, father, whose anxiety would no longer allow him to remain within doors, went out to reconnoiter. He, however, hastily returned, saying: 'Nine Indians are coming now only
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