USA > Iowa > Fayette County > Oelwein > The Telegraph-herald's abridged history of the state of Iowa and directory of Fayette County, including the city of Oelwein, with a complete classified business directory; > Part 10
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HISTORY OF THE STATE OF IOWA.
They selected a site for their cabin on the southeast shore of West Oko- boji, near the rocky projection since known as Pillsbury Point. The families consisted of Rowland Gardner, his wife, son and three daughters; also Harvey Lnce, his wife and their two little children. The first human beings they saw after locating their new home, was a party consisting of Dr. I. H. Herriott, Bes- tell Snyder and William and Carl Granger, who camped on the strait separating the two Okoboji lakes. They were the first white men to paddle a canoe on these lakes. Fascinated by the beautifu aspect of the country each took a clain and built a cabin on a peninsula, now known as Smith's Point. The next settlers were from Delawar County, Iowa; James H. Mattocks, his wife Mary and four children. They built a cabin opposite Granger's on the slope extending down toward the straits from the South side. Robert Mathieson and a son lived with them. Both of these cabins overlooked East and West Okoboji Lakes. Some weeks later Joel Howe, his wife Millie, with six children, settled cn the Eeast shore of East Okoboji. A daughter, Lydia, had maried Alvin No- ble, and they had a son two years old. This family, with Joseph M. Thatcher and his young wife Elizabeth, with their infant daughter, occupied a cabin a mile north of Howe's, at the upper end of the grove. A trapper, Morris Mark- ham, boarded with Noble and Thatcher. These people were all from Hampton, in Franklin County.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Six miles northeast, on the west shore of Spirit Lake, William Marble and his young wife Margaret, recently married in Linn County, had taken a claim and built a cabin. These made a settlement among the lakes of six families, separated by distances of from one-half to six miles. in which were living six- teen men, eight women and fourteen children. This little colony came to the lakes in the summer of 1856. Early in February their supply of provisions was nearly exhausted. It was a long perilous journey to the nearest settlemnts where provisions could be procured. But with starvation staring them in the face, Harvey Luce and Joseph M. Thatcher started for Waterloo with an ox team and sled for supplies. After a journey over trackless prairies, working their way through snow drifts, they reached Waterloo, loaded their sled, started on their return and reached a cabin ten miles below Emmetsburg, where their team gave out. Thatcher remained here several days to rest the oxen, but Luce, feel- ing anxious about his family, determined to go on. Here he found Jonathan Howe, Enoch Ryan and Robert Clark, who joined him on his homeward jour- ney. Jonathan was a son of Joel Howe; Clark and Ryan were young men.
After a fatiging journey through snow drifts and blizzards, Luce and his three companions reached the Gardner cabin in the evening of March 6th. The day after their arrival the weather moderated, and Mr. Gardner concluded to go to Fort Dodge for provisions. As the family sat down to an early breakfast, the cabin door was opened and fourteen Indians walked in, led by Ink-pa-du-tah They professed friendship until they had eaten all of the food in the house, when they attempted to seize the guns and ammunition. Luce resisted them and a most unequal struggle began. Dr. Herriott and Carl Snyder now entered and seeing four determined men the savages withdrew. Believing that the set- tlement was in danger, Mr. Gardner urged the young men to notify all of the neighbors to assemble at the Gardner house, which was the largest and strong- est, and there defend themselves, should the Indians become hostile. The
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young men thought there was no danger and soon after went to their cabin.
The Indians prowled around until near noon when they approached the Mattocks' cabin, driving Gardner's cattle and shooting them on the way. Gard- ner, Luce and Clark now forsaw the danger and made a heroic effort to warn their neighbors. Mr. Gardner remained to protect his family, while Luce and. Clark started, about two o'clock to give the alarm. Soon after the rapid firing of guns at the Mattocks' house and the screaming of the terrified women warned. the Gardner family that the work had begun. Mr. Gardner now baricaded the door and prepared to defend his family to the last, but his wife, who still had hope that the Indians would spare them for the many acts of kindness in times past, begged of her husband not to fire upon them. The Indians now forced their way into the house and shot Mr. Gardner, killing him instantly. They then turned upon the women and children and beat their brains out with clubs; the only one spared was Abbie, the daughter, fourteen years of age. The terri- fied child begged of the savages to kill her, too, as she could not endure the thought of the terrible tortures and outrages iniflcted on helpless prisoners. But heeless of her entreaties, they dragged her away, while the moans of her dying mother, sister and brother, filled her with anguish and horror. At the Mattocks' house a brave resistance was made. When the attack began Dr. Her- riott and Carl Snyder seized their guns and hastened to the assistance of their neighbors. But outnumbered five to one as they were by the Sioux warriors, there was no hope of successful resistance. The five men fought here with bravery unsurpassed, to save the women and children, and as they fell one by one, with rifles grasped in their hands, the terror of those remaining, for whom their lives had been given, was appalling.
When Abbie was dragged to this scene of slaughter the mangled bodies of the five men, two women and children were lying about the burning cabin, while the shrieks of other children roasting in the flames, made a succession of horrors too hideous for description. No witnes survived to tell the fearful story of the heroic fight and bloody massacre here, but eleven muliated bodies were left to mark the spot. A careful examination of the vicinity later, by the party who buried the dead, throws some light upon the struggle.
Dr. Herritt and Carl Snyder doubtless heard from their cabin the shrieks of the women and children, when the attack began at the Mattocks' house. Then came the reports of firearms as Mr. Mattocks, Matieson and the young man seized their rifles and fought desperately against the savages. Dr. Her- riott and young Snyder might have ecaped now by flight, but heroic men as they were, no such attempt was made. With rifle in hand they hurried to the rescue, regardless of overwhelming numbers. At the first fire Dr. Herritt brought down one of the Sioux warriors; then rushing into the thickest of the fight, the two brave men shattered their empty guns over the heads of the sav- ages in a vain efforts to save the terro-stricken women and children. How many Indians were killed or wounded in the coniflet can never be known. Abbie Gardner believes that none were killed and but one was wounded. But Major Williams, the veteran commander of the relief expedition that buried the dead, is of a different opinion. In his report to Governor Grimes, made on the 12th of April, immediately after the return of the burial party to Fort Dodge, he writes:
Luce and Clark, who started from the Gardner home to warn the settlers, went toward Mr. Howe's. They were overtaken, shot down and scalped. This closed the first day's horrid work of March 8, 1857. That night the Sioux war-
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riors celebrated the butchery of twenty men, women and children, keeping time in their war dance to the beating of drums, circling over the blood stained snow with unearthly yells among the mutilated bodies of their victims, until exhausted by their horrid orgies. Crouched in an Indian tepee, Abbie Gardner, the only survivor of the first day's massacre, prostrated by grief and terror and the awful deeds she had been compelled to witness, endured such anguish as seldom falls to the lot of a human being.
CHAPTER XXIX.
While this awful butchery was going on, the neighbors on the east side of the lakes had no warning of their impending danger. Luce and Clark were ly- ing dead on the South shore. Mr. Howe had started early in the morning of the 9th, wading through the deep snow drifts toward the Gardner cabin to borrow flour. He was met by the Indians who were going to his house to con- tinue their work. They shot him, then sevred his head from the body and hurried on to his cabin. Mrs. Howe, her son Jonathan, his sister Sardis, and three young brothers, all unsuspicious of danger, were in the houe. Suddenly the door was burst open, a wild rush of yelling Indians with gleaming toma- hawks and scalping knives filled the house, and a moment later amid screams of terror and moans of anguish, the dead and dying bodies of the entire family were lying in the blood-stained snow. The Thatcher cabin was next visited. There the Indians found Mr. Noble, his wife and child, Mrs. Thatcher and her .child and Mr. Ryan. Seeing two stout stalwart men at home, the cowardly savages professed friendship as they entered the house. Noble and Ryan were thus deceived, when the Indians suddenly turnd their guns upon them and fired, killing both men before they could seize heir rifles. The two children were snatched from their mother's arms and swinging by their feet against a tree near the door, dashing their brains out. They plundered the house, killed the cattle and hogs, then dragging Mrs. Noble and Mrs. Thatcher with them, started for their camp. With a refinement of cruelty, peculiar to their race, they took Mrs. Noble back to the Howe cabin, where with unspeakable horror she saw the mangled bodies of her mother, sister and four brothers. Jacob, her thirteen year old brother, was still alive, and while the Indians were killing the cattle, she endeavored to put him in a bed in the house, hoping he might be saved, but the savages discovered him and beat his brains out in the presence of his sister who was unable to protect him.
The Indian remained about the lakes until the 13th, while William Marble and his young wife knew nothing of the terrible fate that had overtaken every family of their enighbors. They were several miles from any other house, and had heard nothing to alarm them. On that morning, soon after breakfast, as Mrs. Marble relates, looking out of the cabin window, a band of painted and armed Indians was seen approaching. They came into the house and professed friendship. One of them wanted to exchange his rifle for a very fine one be- longing to Mr. Marble, who, fearing to offend them, agreed to the trade. They then proposed shooting at a mark. Mr. Marble fired first and stepped forward to examine the target, when the treacherous savage shot him in the back. Mrs. Marble, who had been anxiously watching them from the window, in fear for her husband's safety, sprang out with piercing screams as he fell, and threw her arms around her murdered husband, in the agony of despair. He was dead, and she was alone in the hands of his brutal murderer. They flung her aside
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and searched the body of their victim, taking from it a belt containing $1,000 in gold. This was the little fortune the young couple had brought with them to improve and stock the beautiful site for a farm they had selected on the banks of the lake. The Indians then plundered the house, took Mrs. Marble's gold watch and placed her upon a pony. In one brief hour the young wife had lost husband and home, and was a captive, reserved for a fate worse than death.
The Indians with their plunder joined the main body, and here Mrs. Marble found the other three captive women and learned the terrible fate that had overtaken the entire settlement. They realized now that none were left ta effect their rescue. They prayed for death to end it all and save them from a fate too awful to be contemplated. They were soon separated, each being taken to a different lodge, where their hair was braided and their faces painted, the same as the Sioux squaws. They were held as slaves and suffered treatment as brutal as has ever befallen helpless women in the hands of savages.
Thus did Ink-pa-du-tah bide his time, and did, after the lapse of more than three years, wreak a fearful vengeance upon innocent white families for the masascre of his nearest relatives by Henry Lott and his son. Not a person was left in the entire colony at the lakes to carry the news of the great tragedy to the nearest settlement. But it was discovered on the same day the Howe, No- ble and Thatcher families were slaughtered.
Morris Markham, who livd at Noble's, had started for the Des Moines River on the 7th, in search of some cattle that had strayed away. Returning on the evening of the 9th, cold, hungry and exhausted, he reached the Gardner cabin near midnight. It was cold and dark, and Markham was surprised to find the doors open and the house deserted. Upon examination he came upon the bodies of the family, some lying upon the floor and others about the yard. Horror stricken by these evidences of a terrrible tragedy, he cautiously went on throught the dark forest towards the Mattocks' house. When near it he discov- ered the Indian camps, and realized that the fierce Sioux had apeared in his ab- sence and murdered his friends and neighbors. He saw the smouldering ruins of the Mattocks' cabin and the mutilated bodies of other settlers lying about. He turned back toward the Howe settlement, hoping against hope that it might have escaped the massacre. But upon reaching Howe's cabin he again came upon the ghastly bodies of women and children. Markham had walked thirty miles since morning, through deep snow without food or rest. He was ex- hausted and his feet were frozen. He managed to start a fire in a ravine, not far away, and here, without shelter or food, he spent the remainder of the night, not daring to lie down, lest he, too, might be murdered by the savages.
CHAPTER XXX.
Before daylight he started for Springfield, Minn., eighteen miles distant. He reached that place completely exhausted and spread the news of the fate of the Okoboji colony. Fortunately Markham's strength held out to warn them of the danger, else they would have shared the fate of their neighbors. After a consultation the people decided to gather all th families at the houses of Thomas and Wheeler for mutual protection. Messengers were sent to Fort Ridgely for aid. For seventeen days the settlers at Springfield were kept in sus- pense, hourly expecting an attack from the Indians. There were sixteen men, women and children at the Thomas house when the attack began. Most un-
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expectedly the Indians found the people prepared to give them a warm re- ception.
The savages dressed one of their number in citizen's clothes and he ap- proached the Thomas house in a friendly manner, calling the people out upon a cunning pretext. The remainder of the band was concealed behind trees in the forest surrounding the cabin. They opened fire upon the settlers who had been decoyed outside. The volley mortally wounded a little boy eight years old and severely wounded Mr. Thomas, David Carver and Miss Swanger. There were but three men now left in the house unhurt-Morris Markham, Jareb Palmer and John Bradshaw. Hastily barricading the doors, the three men, as- sisted by Mrs. Thomas and Louisa Church, Eliza Gardner and Miss Swanger prepared for a vigorous defense.
The wounded had succeeded in reaching the house, except little Willie Thomas who had fallen outside, and was overlooked in the excitement until after the doors were barricaded. Then it was too late to rescue him without endangering the lives of all. His father was severely wounded and his mother begged piteously.to be permitted to open the door and bring him in; but the others felt it would be certain death to all and he was left to his fate. The Indians gradually crept nearer the house while keeping up a constant fire on the besieged settlers. They, however, kept in shelter of the log stable and large trees. Eliza Gardner and Miss Swanger cast bullets and loaded guns, while Mrs. Church took the place of one of the wounded men at a port-hole and fought as bravely as the men. Watching a tree behind which an Indian was firing upon the cabin, Mrs. Church gave him a load of buckshot as he was aiming his rifle at the house. He fell back howling into the snow. So the fight went on until sunset, and well directed shots from the cabin preventing an assault by the Indians. At dark they joined others of the band who were butchering isolated settlers.
William and George Wood, who kept a store and were on friendly terms with the Indians, were confident that they would not be moletsed and refused to unite with their neighbors in preparing for defense, as they discredited Mark- ham's report of the massacre at the lakes. A party of Sioux, upon their arri- val, went to Wood's store and purchased a keg of powder and a quantity of lead, which was used in the siege of the Thomas house and in the slaughter of the Stewart family. The Wood brothers suffered a fearful penalty for their folly, as some days later the treacherous Sioux returned to the store, shot the pro- prietors, plundered the store and, piling brush over the mutilated bodies of the victims, set it on fire. Johnny Stewart, a little eight year old son of Joshua Stewart, had escaped into the woods when the family was massacred by the Indians. After dark he made his way to the Thomas home and was taken in. Soon after a Mr. Sheigley arrived. There were now seventeen persons in the house, three of whom were badly wounded and in need of medical aid.
A consultation was held, and it was determined to attempt to escape in the night. Whether they should stay or go, there was but little hope of escape from the doom that had overtaken their neighbors. They believed themselves to be the only survivors of the colony. No aid could be expected, and they deter- mined to try to reach the nearest settlement. There was great fear that the Indians were lurking near by in the woods. Some one must venture to ex- amine. It was a dangerous undertaking and all hesitated. A volunteer soon offered himself.
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HISTORY OF THE STATE OF IOWA.
It was the brave Morris Markham, who had discovered the massacre at the lakes and had already saved the lives of all present by warning them of the impending danger. He told his companions that if he discovered Indians he would warn them by firing his gun, and they would immediately barricade the door and defend themselves without waiting for him. He stepped out into the darkness and disappeared. His comrades waited with intense anxiety. Mark- ham crept silently through the snow from tree to tree, listening for the first movement of a stealthy foe. He cautiously made a wide circuit around the house and stable, expecting any moment to hear the crack of a rifle or the sud- den rush of armed savages. Half an hour passed and the suspense of his com- panions in the houe seemed unendurable. Not a sound reached them, and they began to fear that he had been tomahawked by the stealthy Sioux before he could fire the gun.
At last they heard approaching footsteps and hastily barricaded the door. Another moment of intense waiting and peering through the port-holes with loaded guns, when they heard the voice of Markham. He informed them that the Indians had gone and he had found a yoke of oxen which had escaped the slaughter. He had hitched them to a sled and all hands hastened to bring out the small children, the wounded, blankets and provisions, and they started on their dangerous, sorrowfully leaving the dead body of little Willie Thomas where he fell. The brave women tramped through the deep snow, following the well armed men and the heavily loaded sled.
CHAPTER XXXI.
There was now but one able bodied man at the Wheeler house, J. B. Skin- ner. The others were Mrs. Skinner, Mrs. Nelson and her child, Mrs. Smith and her crippled husband, whose leg had recently been amputated, Mr. Sheig- ney's little boy and Mr. Henderson, who had lost both legs. To remain now, with but one able bodied man to defend them, until the Indians returned seemed to be certain death for all. They had no team and no way to carry the wounded men. Hard as it was they had to abandon Henderson and Smith and start through the deep snow, expecting to be pursued by the Indians upon discovery that they had left the house. In their haste and terror, Mr. Sheig- ley's little boy was also left behind. On the second day they fortunately fell in with Markham's party, and Mr. Sheighley learning that his little boy had ben abandoned in the flight, started back alone to rescue him.
The party remained two nights at the Granger cabin, waiting the return of Mr. Sheighley, who was unable to find his boy (a neighbor who had escaped the massacre rescued him). The next day the entire party left for Fort Dodge, with a scanty supply of food and clothing and the wounded suffering greatly for medical assistance. At night all slept in the snow without shelter, their shoes and clothing wet with melting snows and the waters of icy streams. Miss Swanger, with a painful bullet wound in her shoulder, gave up her place on the sled to the children and marched on foot through the snow. The sufferings of the entire party were enough to exhaust the strongest men, as they waded through the deep drifts and icy waters that filled the ravines and sloughs.
The news of the masacre at the lakes was carried to Fort Dodge by O. C. Howe, R. U. Wheelock and B. F. Parmenter, of Jasper County, who has taken claims the fall before at Spirit Lake. They started for the lakes early in March, and reached Thatcher's cabin on the 15th. No one could be aroused to let them in, but upon opening the door they came upon the lifeless bodies of
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Noble and Ryan. Horror stricken by the sight, they next approached the house of Mr. Howe and there found the mutilated bodies of seven women and chil- dren. They now realized that the Indians had probably exterminated the en- tire settlement and hastened back to Fort Dodge.
The horrible news aroused the people. Prompt action was taken to organ- ize a relief expedition. Major Williams issued a call for volunteers, and in three days a hundred men were enlisted. So intense was the desire to over- take and punish the savages, that the little army started out in haste, poorly equipped for a long winter march. The winter, which had been the severest on record was still unbroken.
CHAPTER
XXXII.
The snow storms had continued for months. Sloughs and ravines were filled to a great depth. But few tents could be procured and the blankjets, clothing and provisions that were hastily collected were insufficient for such an expedition. Major Williams, the commander, was a vigorous man though sixty-two years old. He had been commisioned two years before to act at dis- cretion in any trouble that might arise with the Indians. Howe, Parmenter and Wheelock joined the the expedition at Fort Dodge; J. M. Thatcher, at the Irish colony, Morris Markham, John Bradshaw and Jareb Palmer turned back with it, after conducting the Springfield refugees to safety. A hard crust on the snow rendered their march slow and difficult. At the close of the second day the party camped at Dakota, in Humboldt County, but eighteen miles from Fort Dodge. From this place onward the obstructions, hardships and sufferings increased. In many places the ravines were filled with snow in depth of from ten to twenty feet, in which the teams were helpless. Long ropes had to be fastened to the floundering horses and they were pulled through by men one at a time. The loaded wagons were drawn through in a similar manner. Some- times it required the entire brigade to haul one loaded wagon through the im- mense drifts. Often the men were compelled to wade two abreast in long lines up to their waists in snow, to break a road for the teams and wagons.
On the third night the expedition was compelled to camp on the unsheltered prairie in the deep snow, without fuel, with a bleak northwest wind sweeping down upon the exhausted men. They made a supper of crackers and raw pork, chained the oxen to the wagons, which were arranged close together to break the wind, while the men crowded together on their beds of snow, to keep from freezing. The next day was a repetition of the hardships until night, when they were able to reach the shelter of McKnight's Grove, where they found plenty of fuel to cook their food and cabins in which to sleep.
On the morning of the 28th after roll call, Major Williams made a brief address to his men, alluding to the hardships encountered and complaints of some of the faint-hearted. He told them plainly that great sufferings were ahead of them and if they lacked the courage or endurance to encounter them, . now was the time to say so and return to their homes. Nine men turned their steps homeward, leaving the command with weakened ranks to face the dangers ahead. No record has been kept of the names of these deserters.
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