USA > Iowa > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 10
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AT THE MARBLE CABIN
Mr. Marble had not heard of their being in the neighborhood, and was taken completely by surprise. They feigned friendship and were supplied with victuals, after which they proposed to Mr. Marble to shoot at a mark. Wishing to humor them, he consented. A board was set up, and when his head was turned, they shot him through the back and he fell dead in his tracks. Mrs. Marble saw her husband killed and started to run, but was captured and taken along as a prisoner. Mr. Marble's cabin was on Spirit lake, and he was the only person killed there. All the others were killed on Okoboji.
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Twenty persons were killed the first day, twelve the second, and one the sixth. while four were taken prisoner.
THIE MASSACRE DISCOVERED
The massacre was discovered by Mr. Markham, who left home on the 7th to look for some cattle, and returned after dark on the 9th to the house of Mr. Gardiner. Here he found the dead bodies and started at once to the cabin of Mr. Mattock and was almost in the midst of the Indian camp before he knew of their whereabouts. He cautiously withdrew and went to Mr. Howe's cabin. Here also, he found only the work of destruction, and pushed on to the cabin of Noble and Thatcher which was also his home, only to find the lifeless bodies of his friends.
He stayed all night in the forest, and next day, supposing Mr. Marble had also been killed, struck out for Springfield (now Jackson), eighteen miles distant in Minnesota, to inform the settlers there of the massacre at the lakes. The In- dians, with their prisoners, went in a northwesterly direction, camping at differ- ent places at night, and on the 26th camped on Heron lake, about fifteen miles from Springfield. Here the squaws, papooses and prisoners were left, and the warriors. by signs, gave them to understand that the settlers at Springfield were to be butchered. Miss Gardiner's sister was there and she therefore was in great suspense until their return two days later and even then was not sure, but that the last of her family had fallen victim to the butchery of the savages. The next day they were pursued by U. S. Cavalry and were nearly overtaken but while the Indians were hiding and expecting an attack, the soldiers turned back, then began forced marches for the captives who were loaded down with plunder taken from the settlers.
TRIALS OF THE PRISONERS
Mrs. Thatcher was sick, but bore up with remarkable fortitude for six weeks. when, in crossing the Big Sioux, and when near the middle of the river, a young Indian pushed her off into the ice cold water. With almost superhuman effort. she swam to the shore from which they had just come, and was clinging to the root of a tree, when some Indians came up, threw clubs at her and with poles pushed her back into the angry stream. She made another desperate effort for her life and would doubtless have reached the other shore, but was met by her tormentors and beaten off. She was then carried down the stream while the Indians ran along the banks whooping and yelling and throwing sticks and stones at her and she was finally shot and her lifeless body left to float down stream. Mrs. Noble was afterwards killed by one of the Indians. Miss Gardiner and Mrs. Marble were ransomed afterward.
Those desiring a complete history of the massacre and captivity can find the same in Abbie Gardiner Sharp's book, from which most of the facts here stated are gleaned.
Let us now return to the settlement at Springfield where lived Mrs. W. L. Church, Miss Swanger and many others who before and since have long been residents of this county and learn what happened to them and the settlers there.
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The settlement at Springfield was about eight miles north of the line of the territory of Minnesota and consisted of seven families and eight or ten single men. The houses were scattered up and down the river for seven or eight miles. The Wood Brothers had a store, and in addition to supplying the settlers with necessaries did a considerable trade with the Indians located in that vicinity. When Mr. Markham arrived at the settlement late on the evening of the 10th of March, and reported the massacre at the Okoboji, great excitement prevailed and most of the settlers gathered at the house of Mr. Thomas and took measures for defence. Mr. Thomas' house was the largest in the settlement, being a double log house, and as favorably situated for defence as any. Those gathered at this house were Mr. Thomas, his wife and six children, the eldest, twelve or thir- teen years old; Mr. Strong, his wife and two children; Mrs. Church and two children ; Mr. Stewart, wife and three children; Miss Swanger, Miss Gardiner, Mr. Markham, J. Bradshaw and Mr. Carver. Henry Trets and Mr. Chiffen were sent to Fort Ridgely for soldiers, carrying with them the written statement of Mr. Markham and the application of the settlers for assistance. At another house about three-fourths of a mile from Mr. Thomas' were the following named persons : Mr. Skinner, his wife and two children; Mr. Nelson, his wife and one child; Mr. Smith, who had had one of his legs amputated a short time before, and his wife; Mr. Henderson, who had both legs amputated; and Mr. Shiegiey and his boy, about three years old. This house stood on the prairie.
The Wood Brothers, upon hearing Markham's story, doubted its correctness and the other settlers also doubted it because Markham was a stranger to all of them and they did not believe that such a wholesale massacre could have taken place so near them without their hearing of it sooner. Still fear and excitement reigned. and at Mr. Thomas', where so many were crowded in, the excitement became so great that Mrs. Stewart broke down and became insane and had to be removed. Her husband took her and his three small children to his cabin and remained there. On the 20th of March Jareb Palmer, who had been away north for ten days, returned to find the settlement in this state of excitement and heard at Wood's store that one of the friendly Indians had said that another Indian had told his squaw that all the settlers at the lakes had been killed. Two strange Indians, one of them in war paint, were at Wood's store, buying powder and lead when Palmer arrived, and they said they would be back with twenty lodgers in two days. The situation therefore began to look very dangerous. Palmer took up quarters at Thomas' cabin, and thus matters went on until the morning of the 26th. The messengers sent to Fort Dodge had not returned. There had been no demonstration on the part of the Indians, the most suspicious incident being the sudden departure, two days before, of all the friendly Indians who had been staying in the neighborhood all winter. The little garrison at Thomas', having now been cooped up for fifteen days, began to feel that no trouble was imminent, and on the 26th the supply of wood having run short, the men went out after wood without their guns, and had returned just before 3 o'clock P. M., remarking that "They guessed they had wood enough to last until the war was over." They had scarcely entered the house when Willie Thomas, a lad of eight years, entered and said that Henry was coming down the road. Supposing it to be Henry Trets, all the people in the house, except Mrs. Church and Mrs. Thomas, went out to see and learn the news. No sooner were they
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outside, than a volley of shot came rattling among them, causing a precipitate re- treat into the house. The doors were quickly barred, but as shot came through the door, puncheons were taken up and placed against it. It was found that in the attack on the outside, Mr. Carver had been shot in the arm and in the side; Mr. Thomas had been shot through the wrist ; Miss Swanger had been shot in the shoulder ; and poor little Willie Thomas, who had given the alarm, had been shot down. His groans could be heard, but the settlers did not dare open the door to take him in lest the Indians make a rush for it and all be lost. When they did dare go out for him, it was found that he had been mortally wounded in the head and had died. The chinking was removed from the log house to make port holes and a vigorous fire was returned, the women loading guns, and even firing them, and the Indians seeing as high as eight guns at one time (the whole number in the cabin ), pointing from the port holes and being rapidly discharged, concluded that the number of men in the cabin was larger than it was, and the siege was soon raised, the Indians driving Mr. Thomas' horses away before them. They were seen going away, but it was feared this would be only a ruse to bring the set- tlers out and shoot them down from under cover of the stacks and stables, so they still kept close within.
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Let us leave them here for awhile and find how it fared with the other set- tlers. The store of Wood Brothers had been rifled of its contents. The brother who had had so much confidence in the Indians had been killed and brush had been piled upon his body and set on fire, leaving his remains charred and black- , ened. The other brother had evidently attempted to escape, but had been shot down at some distance from the store. Brush had been piled upon his body also, and fire set to it, but the fire had gone out without reaching his remains. The Indians then went to the cabin of Mr. Stewart ( who had left the Thomas cabin on account of his wife ) and under the pretense of wanting to buy a hog, got him to start out to show his swine. When a few rods from the house they shot him down. His wife, with a babe at her breast, saw her husband fall, and ran out to him, and as she leaned over his dying form, the red skins tore her infant from her bosom and murdered it as well as the poor woman and another child. Little Johnnie Stewart, eight years old, hid behind a log while the Indians were kill- ing his mother, and remained concealed until they had gone away. He then ventured up to the cabin of Mr. Wheeler, but hearing talking inside, supposed the Indians were inside and fled in the Thomas cabin. When the occupants of that cabin saw him coming they thought he was an Indian trying to crawl upon them, and were about to shoot him down when some one recognized him. When he came up he was taken into the house through the window.
Mr. Sheigley was seen passing, on his way to the Wheeler cabin where his little boy was stopping. They called to him through the port hole and he came to the house and was taken in. No attack had been made upon the house on the prairie where he had been, nor upon the Wheeler cabin and he did not know until then that the Indians had made any attack upon the settlers. But having heard firing in the afternoon he had grown alarmed and had started out to see if all was right.
Our readers will remember the account heretofore given of the severity of the winter and the extreme danger of venturing away from home for fear of getting caught in a blizzard and lost. The experience of the winter had. no
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doubt, caused the settlers to remain at home as much as possible, and this accounts for the fact that they knew so little of each other's condition and were so taken by surprise when the Indians came upon them.
THE FLIGHT OF THE FUGITIVES
These two persons having come to the house without molestation, it was apparent that the Indians had gone, but how soon they might return again could not be told. A consultation was therefore held by the inmates of the Thomas house, and supposing all the settlers except those in the prairie house had been slain, they determined to attempt to reach the settlements at Fort Dodge and Webster City. They knew that if they started and were overtaken on the prairie, they could make but little resistance as Mr. Thomas and Mr. Carver were both badly wounded and only three men in good condition were with the party, while the number of women and children was over twenty. Yet to remain seemed equally dangerous, for it was not certain that the men sent for help had not been killed themselves. Then, the soldiers might not believe their story and refuse to come. They did not know that the news had reached the southern settlements and that help was coming and they feared the Indians might creep upon them in the night, set fire to their cabin and they would all miserably perish. Whichever way they looked at the situation the prospect was indeed a gloomy one as must be apparent when it was decided as the most feasible chance of escape, to attempt to reach the settlements at Fort Dodge and Webster City, one hundred and forty miles away, though to reach them they must go on foot through the deep snow and slush and added to which was the fact that the weather was intensely cold and they were liable to perish from that cause. No sooner was the resolution formed than active preparations were commenced. It was found that the Indians had left the oxen, and they were hastily hitched to the sled by Mr. Markham, and such things only as were absolutely necessary for the journey, loaded. Mr. Carver was unable to walk and was placed on the sled, but the women and children were compelled to travel on foot. About 9 o'clock, they sallied forth. The night was intensely dark and they hurriedly and silently left the place, leaving the body of little Willie lying where he fell and died. Slowly and painfully, the fugitives traveled on through the cold and snow for several miles, expecting every moment to hear the dread war whoop of the merciless savages in the rear. Finally, worn out and fearing they were going in the wrong direction, they stopped and spent the balance of the night the best they could. As soon as it was light next morning, they continued their weary march in the direction of George Granger's, but their oxen became en- tirely exhausted and Mr. Palmer was sent ahead to get Mr. Granger to come with his team and help get them in. Their team, having stuck fast in a snow bank, they abandoned it and the wounded and all were compelled to make their way on foot as best they could. They were met by Mr. Palmer and George Granger, but as only a team had been brought, intending to hitch onto the sled, they were compelled to struggle on, on foot, until the sled could be brought up. On the prairie, they were joined by Dr. Strong, who had left the Thomas cabin before the attack. They were joined, also, by other settlers who were fleeing. It was afterwards learned that the Indians, in passing the Wheeler cabin began
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firing at it and that some one got out a big cow bell and began ringing it, which had the effect of frightening them away. Dr. Strong's family was at the Thomas house and not having the courage to go himself the next morning to see what had been their fate, he persuaded Mrs. Smith to go, which she did and finding the body of little Willie at the door and, on looking in, seeing the floor torn up and covered with blood marks, her courage failed and she returned and told what she had seen. Dr. Strong without making any further inquiry fled for dear life, not even attempting to further learn the fate of his family.
Mrs. Sharp in her book says :
"To cap the climax of woes, shortly after Dr. Strong left his neighbors in the Wheeler cabin, they likewise concluded to flee, leaving poor Henderson, who had both legs off, behind. Mr. Smith, who had only lost one leg, attempted to accompany the fleeing party, which consisted of his wife, Mr. Skinner and wife, Mrs. Nelson and child about a year old, and a little boy of Mr. Shiegley's, a year old, but after going a short distance, he was compelled to give up the journey by reason of his bleeding wound. Seeing that he was unable to travel, Mrs. Smith and the others abandoned him and Mr. Shiegley's little boy, on the prairie where no white man could offer assistance or administer consolation. Thus he was left to crawl on his hands or hobble along and drag his torn and bleeding body back to the cabin."
The party reached Mr. Granger's where they rested two nights and a day, when they again took up their march for the settlements. They traveled all day and without tents or shelter, spent the nights on the bleak and snow covered prairie, until the 30th of March, when they met the relief expedition from Webster City. And here we wish to note an incident showing the bravery of Mr. Bradshaw.
It will be remembered that Carver and Thomas were both wounded and comparatively helpless, while Bradshaw and Markham were the only able bodied men with the women and children. It was a hazy day and objects at a distance could not be plainly distinguished. Away off on the prairie appeared suspicious looking objects. Soon they came nearer, appearing to be a long line of Indians wrapped in their blankets, and crossing the prairie. At first it was hoped that they might pass on without discovering the party or at least without molestation, but it was soon seen that they had been sighted and that a consultation was taking place among them. Next they scattered themselves out and began slowly and cautiously to advance upon the fleeing settlers. The settlers had no other thought but that the Indians were now upon them and that their time had come. The women and children were ordered to dispose themselves behind the sled and team and keep perfectly quiet. There were eight guns loaded and Mr. Bradshaw had them carried forward about fifty steps to the front of the fugi- tives and in the direction of the advancing enemy and stacked so as to be quickly reached. He then ordered all the others back and took his position by the guns. He was a good marksman and he intended to kill as many of the advancing foe as possible and to sell his life as dearly as possible in defense of the party. The suspense of the waiting party was terrible, as the foc advanced very slowly and cautiously. But this supposed foe was the volunteers from Webster City, led by Lieutenant Maxwell. When they saw the fugitive settlers, they concluded from what they could make out in the distance that this was a party of Indians
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with a lot of women and children captives and immediately began to advance upon them, being ordered to use the utmost caution in case of a conflict, not to direct their fire so as to imperil the lives of any of the captives if it could be avoided. Thus, each party was deceived as to the character of the other, and being thus deceived, the one waited quietly and determinedly the approach of the other, while the other approached as quietly and determinedly to a supposed conflict, resolved to rescue the supposed prisoners or perish in the attempt. . Imagine then, the surprise and joy on both sides when it was discovered that what seemed advancing foes were friends coming to their rescue. Here, far out on the prairie, the rescue party had met a part of those in whose defense they were pushing forward to the frontier settlements. It was indeed a joyous meeting. Mr. Church was with the volunteers and was glad indeed to find his wife and her sister, Miss Swanger, alive. A detail was made from the volun- teers to return with the fugitives, while the rest went on to Okoboji Lake to bury the dead. Where. in all the scenes of noble daring can be found an example of bravery more sublime than that of Bradshaw, quietly awaiting what he firmly believed to be a conflict with a cruel and merciless foe, and a certain and perhaps awful death at their hands at last.
Sitting around the quiet fireside in the midst of friends and the comforts of civilization, it is scarcely possible to realize the terror and suffering through which these pioneer settlers passed; not to sufficiently admire the courage and fortitude shown by most of them at every stage of it. Even in cases where courage failed and the heart grew sick and coward legs carried the luckless ones away from duty, making men forget the wild terror of the times, the instincts of nature and the promptings of human sympathy, we may well draw the veil of charity. And this will be the more easily realized as in the progress of this history the terror and flight of many others will be recorded and that too, when only an imaginary danger threatened.
But our story of the relief expedition is not yet complete. We have read Lieutenant Maxwell's graphic account of the march, but he did not tell all. It was left to his comrade, Lieut. Frank R. Mason, to complete the story of the march, and his account, one of the most thrilling we have ever read, is here given ;
RECOLLECTIONS OF SOME OF THE INCIDENTS OF THE TERRIBLE MARCH TO RESCUE THE SETTLERS OF THE NORTHWEST
By Frank R. Mason
The next morning after arriving at the Irish colony, Major Williams selected ten of the strongest men from the company to scout the country north, northeast and northwest for Indians and Indian signs. Our stock of provisions consisted of about four pounds of coarse corn meal, and twenty pounds of flour. I was one of the ten men selected with Lieutenant Maxwell, Church, Thatcher and Hathway. I do not recollect the names of the other five. Major Williams ordered corn bread prepared for us. Each man was allotted a piece about the size of a common skimmer, and not much thicker. This was to be each man's rations for three days. Being very hungry when my portion was given me, I resolved that the easier and more convenient way of carrying it would be to eat it, which I did with a relish. We took our departure from the company Vol. I-6
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about 6 o'clock in the morning, and a beautiful morning it was. The snow at that time was more than two feet deep. We took a northeasterly direction, and traveled about twelve miles that forenoon when we reached the top of a hill and Lieutenant Maxwell ordered us to halt. We scraped the snow from the hill and there the boys dined. Having eaten my dinner for breakfast, I could only look on. Lieutenant Maxwell, with his natural tact, suggested that I act as sentry, while the others ate. I stationed myself about two or three rods from the men. Looking directly north I discerned an object in the distance, which at that time appeared like a mere black spot on the horizon. After observing it closely for several minutes, I became satisfied that it was a moving object. 1 then called Lieutenant Maxwell's attention to it. We put our ramrods in line with it and sighted. We soon concluded that it must be a band of Indians. A consultation was held immediately, and it was decided that we should meet them as quickly as possible. The band of Indians (as we then supposed) must have been about two miles away. There was a small creek bordered with willows about half way between us and them, which we wished to reach before they did, as we did not want to give them the advantage of the ambush. Therefore it was a race, long legs coming into active service. Church and Hathway being short and somewhat stocky did more rolling than walking. But we succeeded in passing the bushes, and as we ascended a knoll we beheld what appeared to be red-skins. After a hasty examination of our arms and ammunition, we got in readiness for a fight. Presently they saw us, halted, and prepared to defend themselves. We remained in this position a few moments, awaiting Lieutenant Maxwell's order to fire. Every man was eager for the fray, some of the boys expressing their surprise that our worthy commander did not give the order to fire at once. He ordered us to advance and keep in position. We did so until we were within twenty rods of the party ; we then halted. Suddenly, Mr. Church ( whose station was next to me) sprang forward and exclaimed: "My God, there's my wife and babies!" We then discovered our mistake. Such a heart rending scene as was then presented I never had witnessed, as the relatives and friends of those refugees had supposed they were dead, and this meeting was one long to be remembered. It was at this meeting that Mr. Thatcher was told of the probable fate of his wife and child. A number of the party were wounded and in terrible condition. Mr. Thomas was traveling with his hand dangling by the cords of his arm, having been shot through the wrist. It now began to rain. Lieutenant Maxwell ordered me to return to the main company as quickly as 1 could and inform Major Williams of our discovery. I ran every step of the way, about eight miles, and was seen by the company when two miles from them. Captains Duncombe and Richards came to meet me. Major Williams soon came up and I told him my story ; a brief consultation followed. It was now about 4 o'clock. Major Williams ordered me to return to the refugees, in company with Captains Duncombe and Richards, and the surgeon. We made a quick march, arriving at the camp about 9 o'clock p. m. The remainder of the company came up at 12 o'clock. When we reached camp it was storming furiously, and the scene that greeted us was terrible to behold: Men, women and children in a wounded and starving condition-no fire, no tent covers excepting wet blankets, and worse than all, no food. We were a mournful company. Every man was as silent as the grave. Many of us were then feeling the worse for wear -- from exposure
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