The pioneer history of Pocahontas County, Iowa, from the time of its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 5

Author: Flickinger, Robert Elliott, b. 1846
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Fonda, Iowa, G. Sanborn
Number of Pages: 1058

USA > Iowa > Pocahontas County > The pioneer history of Pocahontas County, Iowa, from the time of its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 5

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

In the summer of 1853 the garrison at Fort Dodge was transferred further north to a new post on the Minnesota river in Minnesota. On the removal of this garrison, Major William Will- iams, who had been a member of it, remained, and in partnership with

squaws and children.

II-MURDER OF SI-DOM'-I-NA-DO-TA .*

"Twas not as when, in rival strength, Contending nations meet,

Or love of conquest madly hurls A monarch from his seat."

"Henry Lott, as the first settler,

*Centennial History of Webster county.

PIONEER HISTORY OF POCAHONTAS COUNTY, IOWA.

erected the first cabin in Webster taking with them the pony of the county near the mouth of the Boone Indian chief, had left for parts un- river, where in 1846, he was found by known. At a coroner's inquest, the the pioneers "selling whiskey to the jurymen being Indians, the children Indians, stealing their ponies and so testified and the jury so decided, running them off to the south." In that the chief and his family had his dealings with the Indians he was been murdered by Lott and his son so unfair that they finally became sus- (or step-son?). Subsequently the re- picious of him, threatened his life, and port became current that Lott had in the winter of 1846 drove him from been killed on the plains on the way his cabin, but did not meddle with his to the Pacific coast.

After this outrage, and especially in

family. His two sons, fearing for the safety of their father, followed him, view of the fact that Lott had not became lost, separated, and one was been captured and punished, the frozen to death near Elk Rapids. In Indians became sullen and suspicious, November, 1853, he and his son began and in fact behaved in such a manner to occupy a claim near Lott's creek in as to cause all the settlers to fear Humboldt county and laid in as a win- that they would retaliate on the ter's supply-three or four barrels of whites. For some time they threat- whiskey and some goods, as he said, "with a view of trading with the In- dians. "

In January, 1854, Lott and his son went to the camp of the old chief, Si- dom-i-na-do-ta, who was then living on the creek a mile west of Lott's cabin, and telling him there was a drove of elk feeding on the bottom lands, in- duced the old Indian to mount his pony and go with them. Lott and his son followed, and when a safe distance

ened the whites with destruction if they did not capture Lott and give him up to them. The only course possible was to promise them he should be taken and continue mani- fest efforts to capture him until they had time to prepare for defence.

III-THE GRINDSTONE WAR.

About this same period, an incident of real interest occurred in the vicin- ity of Clear Lake that finds a place in the annals of that period under the from his camp, treacherously shot and title of the "Grindstone War," that killed him, and that night, disguised led to the abandonment for a time of as Indians, attacked the chief's wife, the frontier and spread alarm far in- his mother and six children, and mur- to the settlements. dered all but two, a little girl aged A party of Indians were passing the ten, who hid in the bushes, and a boy cabin of a settler by the name of Dick- of twelve years, whom they thought erson on a begging expedition and see- they had killed, but who regained con- ing a handsome rooster, a young red- sciousness and recovered. "

skin in chasing it around the premises

The murderded chief and family in the effort to capture it, knocked were discovered about ten days after over the grindstone, broke it to pieces the tragedy by a party of Indians, liv- and started off with the largest piece Ing on Lizard creek, who, starting to of it. Dickerson followed him, jerked hunt, called on their way and expected the grindstone away, sent the Indian to see their friends. They found the sprawling on the ground and when he little boy and girl and reported the rose knocked him insensible with a affair at Fort Dodge. The settlers, piece of the grindstone. The Indians on making an investigation, found demanded $100 in reparation, but were also that the cabin of Lott had been for the time appeased by Mrs, Dicker- burned and that he and his son, son giving them what money she had

THE SPIRIT LAKE MASSACRE.

($6.00), some quilts and other articles. releasing prisoners from their impreg- The day following, the settlers at nable walls of snow, causing general Clear Lake, Mason City and vicinity, rejoicing and a desire to gambol even to the number of twenty-five, mount- as the lambs. Such was the spring of ed and well armed, determined to 1856, and the return of those who had drive the Indians out of that section. visited the country the previous sum- mer, together with the new-comers, inaugurated a veritable boom.

The latter awaited the onset until they were within gun-shot, when the chief advanced with a flag of truce in one hand and a great pipe-the pipe of peace-in the other. The articles received of Mrs. Dickerson were re- turned, the pipe of peace was mutual- ly smoked; but the treaty so unexpect- edly made did not allay the fears of the settlers, all of whom were seized with a panic soon after and fled for a short time as far east as Nora Springs.

IV-OTHER EVENTS. *

"In the summer of 1855, settlers began to push their way up both branches of the Des Moines river and the Lizard fork from Fort Dodge. Their pre-emptions were made where groves dotted these streams, that tim- ber might be obtained for erecting rude homes and for fuel. The foun- dations of many pioneers' homes were made that season, though a majority of the founders did not remain, but returned with their families and effects the following spring to make their permanent homes. It was dur- ing this influx that Pocahontas county received its first settlers. Some set- tlers, more venturesome than others, journeyed along the Lizard to its head- waters, crossed over to the Little Sioux and located their claims at or near what is now Sioux Rapids.

The winter that followed was one of remarkable severity, but with the re- turn of the warm spring sun and the disappearance of the snow there came those conditions that were so peculiar to this section in early days. Spring in those days came as a pardon from the Great Executive of the Universe,

*By A. H. Malcolm, a resident of Clinton Township. a reprint from the Reveille, March 19, 1896.

This was the year when settlements were made in northwestern Iowa on a permanent basis. From every patch of timber along the streams came the sound of the axe as it was sturdily plied in felling timber for the log cabin, or in cutting crotched poles with which to make a shelter for a few cattle. It was during this sum- mer that the banks of the beautiful Iowa lakes, known as Spirit and Oko- bojis, became dotted with a few cab- ins. It was late when these settlers arrived, and with hard work they barely had time to erect their homes before a winter set in that was a win- ter, indeed. Northwestern Iowa had become generally settled this season, and yet during the severe winter the settlers were as isolated as if sepa- rated by mountains of granite.

During the time of these settle- ments, Ink-pa-du-ta's band of Indians occasionally made their appearance and usually frightened timid settlers, but no general scare was inaugurated. The greater part of their time was spent on the plains of Dakota, whith- er they had followed the buffalo and other game. In February, 1857, this band of Indians appeared on the Sioux in the northwestern part of Wood- bury county, and a quarrel was pre- cipitated with the whites, but with no serious results. The Indians claimed to be on a hunting expedi- tion, but doubtless their real object was to beg, rob and plunder. They were sullen and abusive as they passed up the Little Sioux, and doubtless the lives of several families were saved by the exercise of forbearance.

In Buena Vista county they robbed

PIONEER HISTORY OF POCAHONTAS COUNTY, IOWA.

the house, shot the cattle and shame- cabin, near which was the cabin of fully abused a family by the name of three young men, Dr. Harriot and Weaver. In Clay county, near the Messrs. Granger and Snyder. In the present town of Peterson, their out- judgment of Mr. Gardner, who had rages on two families-Mead and Tay- learned something of Indian character lor-were even more bold and villian- by his experience with them while liv- ous. Finally, on March 7, they reach- ing at Clear Lake, there was no ed the Okoboji Lakes, when their longer any doubt as to the hostile pur- pent up savagery became an insatiate pose of the Indians. The situation was thirst for blood. They had found hastily discussed, and at the request their rich hunting grounds pre-empted of Mr. Gardner, the two young men at and no doubt felt that they were his home, Luce and Clark, started for being driven to the land of the setting the homes of the other settlers to notify sun. Ink-pa-du-ta, brother and suc- them of the danger and summon them cessor as chief of Si-dom-i-na-do-ta, to the home of Mr. Gardner for mu- doubtless saw an opportunity to strike tual defence. They never returned a last terrible blow at the whites and from this perilous mission and their thereby avenge the death of his broth- bodies were found on the lake shore er and mother before quitting the soil the following summer. of Iowa."

MURDERS AT LAKE OKOBOJI, MARCH 8, 1857. *

"Oh, bloodiest picture in the book of time; Sarmatia fell, unwept, without a crime."

"On the morning of March 8, just as the Gardner family were about to breakfast, an Indian entered the cab- in. He professed friendship and the Gardners shared their breakfast with him. He was soon followed by several more with their squaws and papooses, led by Ink-pa-du-ta himself. The family shared their scanty stores with all these hungry visitors. After they had eaten they began a series of inso- lent and menacing interferences with the family and their household goods. One demanded ammunition and when Mr. Gardner was taking some from a box to give him, he snatched the box; another attempted to take the pow- and pulled it down, when the Indians der horn from the wall, but was pre- seized both mother and daughter and vented by Mr. Luce, a son-in-law of beat them to death with the butts of their guns. Then they snatched the Mr. Gardner.

About an hour after they had gone, several gun shots were heard by the Gardners in quick succession, and in the direction of the Mattock cabin. This convinced them that the work of of death had begun. Later they dis- covered several Indians approaching the cabin. The impulse of Mr. Gard- ner was to barricade the door and sell his life as dearly as possible. But his wife, feeling the hopelessness of any attempt at defense dissuaded him with the argument that if there was any hope for the family, it was in try- ing to conciliate them. Meanwhile, they reached the house and coming in, asked for flour, and when Mr. Gard- ner turned to get it, they shot him through the heart. Then one leveled a gun to shoot Mrs. Gardner. Mrs. Luce, her daughter, grabbed the gun

The Indians staid about the house helpless babe of Mrs. Luce from the until nearly noon, and finally left, arms of the girl of thirteen, -now Mrs. Abigail Gardner Sharp,-to whom were clinging with the instinct of ter- after shooting some of the cattle and driving others before them. They went in the direction of the Mattock ror, not only the babe, but her six- *Ex-Gov. C. C. Carpenter, In Midland year-old brother and another little Monthly, July, 1895.

child of Mrs. Luce. Snatching all

THE SPIRIT LAKE MASSACRE.

The Massacre at the Gardner Home == Abbie Taken Captive. Mrs. Sharp's Recollection of the Tragedy, as Embodied by her in an Oil Paint- ing .- Midland Monthly.

PIONEER HISTORY OF POCAHONTAS COUNTY, IOWA.

three of these helpless little ones from six children, a young man, a young the dazed and paralyzed girl, they woman and four younger children. carried them outside the house and They next visited the Noble cabin, beat them to death with sticks of in which were Noble, his wife and in- wood. They ransacked the cabin, fant child, his brother-in-law Ryan, taking such things as curiosity or and also Mrs. Thatcher and infant their wants prompted, and then led child. As usual they feigned friend- away Abigail, a helpless captive, from ship on entering the house, and as this appalling scene to the Mattock soon as opportunity was afforded they cabin.

both Noble and Ryan. Seiz- shot

At the Mattock cabin the dead ing the two infant children from their bodies of the family were found scat- mothers' arms, they dashed their tered over the ground, the cabin was brains out against a tree at the door. in flames and two of the household After plundering the house, shooting had been left to perish in the fire. several of the cattle and killing the Here there had been an attempt at poultry, they left with their booty, defense, but they had become con- dragging the two helpless and horri- scious of their danger too late for or- fied women-Mrs. Noble and Mrs. ganization. Near the house Dr. Har- Thatcher-into captivity. On the riott was lying dead, his gun still be- route to their camp, which was near the Mattock place, they stopped at the cabin of the Howes where Mrs. Noble was still more horrified on see- ing the dead bodies of her mother, brothers and sisters.

ing in his hands. Snyder, also dead, was lying in the vicinity, indicating that when the attack was made upon the Mattock family, these two young men had, undoubtedly, crossed the straits to aid in the defense of their friends and had died with their faces to the foe. It was now evening and with savage intuition they celebrated the carnage of the day with an Indian war-dance at this place.

MURDERS AT EAST OKOBOJI, MARCH 9.

MARBLE GROVE, SPIRIT LAKE, MARCH 11

On the tenth of March they moved westward across West Okoboji, and the next day northward to Marble Grove at Spirit Lake. Here another opportunity presented itself to slake their thirst in blood. Living alone, far from neighbors, were these two young people, Mr. and Mrs. Marble. Before they were aware of the pres-

The next morning the savages, with appetites sharpened for blood, sallied forth on the war path for the cabins on the east side of East Okoboji. Here ence of a human being besides them- were living the families of Howe, his son-in-law, Alvin Noble, and Thatcher

selves, the Indians were in and around their cabin. As usual they pretended with whom was stopping a young man to be friends and made signs of good Ryan, another son-in-law of Mr. will. They invited Marble out to Howe, and all were entirely ignorant of the fate of their neighbors and of the presence in the neighborhood of Ink-pa-du-ta and his band. shoot at a mark. After a few shots, when his gun was empty, the target fell and they motioned him to set it up. His wife sitting at a window,

Mr. Howe, having started on an with a woman's instinct divined their errand to the Gardner cabin, was met purpose, and, as she suspected, when and shot a short distance from his he turned his back to set up the tar- home, and his head severed from his get, they shot him through the heart. body. The savages then went to the His wife in horror sprang from the cabin and murdered the remainder of house to run to his relief, but was led the family, comprising his wife and to their camp a captive. Before leav-

THE SPIRIT LAKE MASSACRE.

ing Marble's Grove they again repeated old son of Thomas, who had been play- the fiendish orgies of the war dance.

AT SPRINGFIELD, MINNESOTA.

After these events, the Indians moved northwestward with their four captives and booty. On March 26th, they were encamped at Heron Lake, about fifteen miles northwest of Springfield, Minnesota, and thither they started early in the morning of that day.

Their arrival here was, in some measure, anticipated. The day on which they had visited the Howe and Noble cabins, Morris Markham had gone fifteen miles east, to the Des Moines river, for a stray yoke of oxen. Returning to the Gardner cabin late in the evening and finding it a scene of destruction, he believed it to be the work of Indians and started for the Mattock place, where he was diverted from running into the Indian camp- located within the timber and brush- by the barking of the Indian dogs. Thence he hastened to the Howe and Noble cabins-the latter his own home-only to find them desolate, or strewn with the mangled remains of former friends. Having traveled thir- ty miles that day, without food or rest, he remained in the timber until daylight and then hastened to Spring- field, eighteen miles north, where, half-frozen and half-starved, he deliv- ered his startling message.

ing in the yard, rushed to the door, saying, "the boys are' coming," refer- ing to the two young men who had gone to Fort Ridgely and who were hourly expected. Quite a number of the people in the house came to the door, several stepping outside, when in an instant there sprang from be- hind the stable and the neighboring trees a score of Indians, who imme- diately fired a volley into the group of persons that stood in and around the door. The little boy, William Thom- as, who had been deceived by an In- dian dressed in a white man's suit, and who had called them to the door, fell mortally wounded in the head. Mr. Thomas was wounded in the wrist, causing the loss of an arm; David Car- ver was wounded in the left arm and Miss Drusilla Swanger in the should- er. But in the excitement and rush for the door, none of them realized that they were wounded, and little Willie, who had fallen unnoticed, was left outside, where he soon died of his wound.

Now began a fight for life. There were three men, Jareb Palmer, Brad- shaw and Markham, that were not wounded. The two latter seized each a gun, and, knocking the chinking from between the logs to get sight of the enemy, began firing. Palmer, as- sisted by Mrs. Thomas, barricaded the On hearing Markham's story, sever- al families assembled at the home of James B. Thomas, (father of Sylvester P. Thomas, of Havelock,) the largest home in the place and resolved to de- fend themselves to the end. They also dispatched two young men, Hen- ry Tretts and Mr. Cliffen, to Fort Ridgely for troops. At first there door, pulling up puncheons or timbers from the floor to strength- en it and protect the inmates from the shower of bullets that came against it. Miss Swanger, though wounded, and Miss Gardner, a sister of Abbie, ren- dered efficient service during the siege by casting bullets. Mrs. Louisa Church not only assisted by loading were twenty-two persons, old and guns, but stood at a port-hole and young, in the Thomas house, and here

fired at every Indian head she could most of them remained for seventeen see. It is believed that she fired the days.

only shot that really killed an Indian.

About three o'clock on the after- While this battle was in progress at noon of March 26th, a little eight year the Thomas house, a detachment of

PIONEER HISTORYIOF POCAHONTAS COUNTY, IOWA.

Indians attacked the store, killing undressed, taking no baggage and no William and George Woods, the pro- clothing except what they had on, and prietors, and carrying away their leaving the body of little Willie where goods. Others went to the Stewart he fell, sadly and silently started in cabin, where they killed Stewart, his the darkness of the night on a perilous wife and two children, one little boy journey down the valley of the Des of eight years saving himself by flight Moines to Fort Dodge, seventy-five and hiding behind a log. Two miles distant. They arrived in the cabins-that of Wheeler, where there course of time, in a forlorn and desti- were two men, Henderson and Smith, tute condition, having tarried two lying with frozen limbs, and that of nights and one day at the cabin of Sheigley, where he and his little son George Granger, the nearest settler on were momentarily expecting an at- the Des Moines, where is now the city tack, were overlooked and left undis- of Estherville, meeting. the Fort turbed.

Dodge volunteer relief company on

The assault on the Thomas house the afternoon of March 30th, and stop- was vigorously maintained and as vig- ping at the Irish settlement, fifteen orously resisted, till nearly sunset, miles north of the mouth of Cylinder when the Indians ceased firing and creek, on the way.

were seen throwing clubs at the horses The Indians, finding that a detachi- that were running loose around the ment of troops from Fort Ridgely had stable, to drive them beyond gun- arrived the next day after the battle shot from the house. About dark at the Thomas cabin, having killed little Johnnie Stewart was seen ap- thirty-three persons at the Okoboji proaching the house, creeping on the lakes, one at Spirit Lake and seven at snow amid the timber; and a little Springfield-total, forty-one *- fled im- later Sheigley arrived, wholly uncon- mediately with their four captives, scious of the tragic events that had Abbie Gardner, Mrs. Marble, Mrs. No- been transpiring."

FLIGHT FROM SPRINGFIELD.

Having no knowledge of the plans for their relief, and fearing the In- dians would fire their dwelling under the cover of night, about nine o'clock it was decided to leave the place. Finding a yoke of oxen left in the stable, they hitched them to the sled and the seventeen persons that were there, three of them having wounds Lake Massacre.

ble and Mrs. Thatcher, to the country west of the James river in Dakota.

The reason why the foregoing tragic events have always been called "The Spirit Lake Massacre," when Marble alone was killed near that particular lake, is due to the fact that at this early period, this whole lake region was known abroad as that of Spirit Lake.

*Major Williams' report in History of Spirit

THE RELIEF EXPEDITION TO SPIRIT LAKE.

"Ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito."-VIRGIL. "Yield not to misfortunes, but on the other hand, more bravely go forward." THE FACTS LEARNED. *

MONG the settlers ney were ended. Instead of the who had located in smiles and hearty welcomes, .that the Spirit Lake re- they had expected from the settlers gion during the fall with whom they had became ac- of 1856, there were quainted the previous fall, they were three men from greeted with the stony glare from the Jasper county-Orlando C. Howe, R. eyes of those who were cold in death. A. Wheelock and B. F. Parmenter-

They arrived first at the cabin of who, very fortunately , returned to Joel Howe, and here they spent the their homes after locating their night. In the morning they went to claims. About the first of March fol- the Mattock cabin, a mile an a half lowing they started from Newton distant, and found it in ashes and the again for the lakes, and their trials family murdered. These were gloomy during that journey, could they be moments for these men, and, conclud- narrated, would scarcely be believed. ing that the entire settlement had Their wagons were drawn by oxen, been wiped out, without tarrying for which, on good roads moved slowly further investigation, they hastened but when wollowing through the to return to Fort Dodge, where they sloughs barely moved at all, and yet arrived on the evening of March 21st, in an emergency of this kind they and delivered their startling message. made as good speed as horses and A public meeting having been called, more than a locomotive that was not nearly every able-bodied man attend- provided with a snow-plow. When ed and it was determined to raise they had arrived within a few miles two companies of volunteers to march of the lakes, on March 15th, their to the scene of the massacre for the oxen became completely exhausted purpose of rescuing any settlers that and they felt constrained to leave might have escaped, and, if possible, them and proceed on foot. They ar- to overtake and punish the Indians. rived at the lakes after the shades of £ That winter A. H." Malcolm_worked evening had fallen, and the darkness for GeorgeTH. Rogers, on Soldier was increased by the gloom of the creek, east of Fort Dodge. On the scenes of death and desolation that evening. of March] 23d, he went to met their gaze. All congratulations Fort Dodge, and receiving his first in- over the completion of a perilous jour- formation of the massacre, learned * A. H. Malcolm, Reveille, March 19, 1896. that a rescuing party was to leave in

PIONEER HISTORY OF POCAHONTAS COUNTY, IOWA.

the morning. Major Williams had or seven miles.

organized two companies of men from "The experience of camping on the Fort Dodge and Homer, who had open prairie, one night without fire, is elected as their captains-Company A, well remembered. We were some dis- Charles B. Richards, and Company B, tance east of the present town of John F. Duncombe. Runners had Bradgate. The night overtoook us at been sent to Webster City, and on a place where there was no timber or this same day, about thirty men had fuel, and we camped on an elevated marched across the prairie from that spot, from which the wind had blown place to Fort Dodge and organized by the snow. Our feet were wet and we electing J. C. Johnson, captain. A. pulled off our boots, wrung our socks, H. Malcolm became a member of put them on again quickly, lest they Company B. and Guernsey Smith, should freeze, and then to keep warm who also afterward became a resident trotted around the knoll most of the of Pocahontas county, joined this night. When morning came we pro- company. The battalion numbered ceeded to McNight's Point, where we about one hundred men and was under built a fire and remained the balance the command of Major William Will- of that day and night. One of the iams.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

The pioneer history of Pocahontas County, Iowa, from the time of its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 5

Author: Flickinger, Robert Elliott, b. 1846 Publication date: 1904 Publisher: Fonda, Iowa, G. Sanborn Number of Pages: 1058

Author: Flickinger, Robert Elliott, b. 1846
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Fonda, Iowa, G. Sanborn
Number of Pages: 1058