USA > Minnesota > Jackson County > An illustrated history of Jackson County, Minnesota > Part 8
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When the morning of Thursday, March 26. dawned it had been just fifteen days since word of the massacre at the lakes had been brought to the settlement. They had been fifteen days of suspense to most of the settlers, but so long a time had now elapsed that hope was expressed that the Indians had left the country and that an attack was not to be made. The vigilance that had been employed at first was re- iaxed to a certain extent: soldiers were expected to arrive from Fort Ridgely at any time: a more optimistie view of the situation was being taken.
On the fateful day there were eleven able bodied men in the settlement, divid- ed as follows: William Wood and George Wood at the store: Adam Shiegley at his own cabin ; Joshua Stewart at his own cabin :1º James B. Thomas. Jareb Palmer. David Carver, John Bradshaw11 and Mor-
""The Stewarts had at the first alarm gone to the Thomas cahin, but owing to fear. the excitement and confusion consequent on so many being huddled together in one small house, Mrs. Stewart had become mentally deranged. and she and her husband and children had re- turned to their own cabin. where they were on the day of the massacre.
11Messrs. Carver and Bradshaw had returned from Webster City a little while before the massacre.
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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
ri- Markham at the Thomas cabin; Dr. E. B. N. Strong" and J. B. Skinner at the Wheeler cabin.B All the women and children of the settlement. except the Stewart family, were at the Thomas and Wheeler cabins. The only house in the settlement which had been put in condi- tion to withstand attack was that of Mr. Thomas
That immediate attack was not antici- pated is evidenced by the fact that on the morning of the 26th all the men at the Thomas cabin took their axes, went to the woods nearby and cut enough fire -. wood "to last through the war." as one of their number expressed it. Their guns had been left at the cabin, and had the attack been made during that time there can be no doubt that the twenty people who were temporarily living at the Thomas cabin would aff have been massacred. It was during this morning that Dr. Strong went to the Wheeler cabin to make a settlement with Messrs. Smith and llen- derson for the surgical operations.
To return to the Indians camped at Heron lake. On the morning of the 26th the warriors painted themselves in their most fierce and hideous fashion. They look special pains to communicate to the women captives. by signs and in their jargon. that they were about to attack the Springfield settlement. With rifles in their hands and with scalping knives in their belts they set out on their mur- derous mission. So far as Abbie Gardner. one of the captives, can remember, the names of the warriors comprising the band at this time were" Inkpadnta. or "Dr. Strong's family was at the Thomas cab- in: he happened to be at the Wheeler cabin at the time of the massacre.
pOf the other men who were residents of the Settlement at the time. Robert Smith and JJohn Henderson were in a crippled condition at the Wheeler cabin: Charles Wood had gone to the Watonwan: Joseph Chiffin and Henry Trots had gone to Fort Ridgely to notify the soldiers; William Nelson and Nathaniel Frost had gone to Slocum's; William Church had been absent all. winter
"As published in Mrs. Sharpe's History of the Spirit Lake Massacre.
Scarlet Point : Mak-jw-a-ho-man, or Roar- ing Cloud : Mak-pi-op-e-ta, or Fire Cloud tiwin to Roaring (loud) ; Taw-a-che-ha- wa-kan. or His Mysterious Father; Ba- ha-ta, or Old Man; Ke-cho-mon, or Pui- ting-on-a-he-walks : Ka-ha-dat, or Ratling ( son of Inkpaduta ) : Fe-to-a-ton-ka, or Big Face: Ta-te-li-da-shink-sha-man-i. or One - who -make- - a -crooked - wind -as-be- walks: Ta-chan-che-ga-ho-ta, or His Great Gun : Hu-san. or One Leg.
Inkpaduta and hi- warriors came down to the Springfield settlement by way of Gahoo's camp and halted. a little after noon, on the east side of the river oppo- site Woods' store. Inst what took place there will never be definitely known. ex- cept that both William and George Wood were murdered. as no whites except these two were witnesses. But various clews give us an idea of the circumstances. AAp- parently. William Wood had not even vet lost confidence in the bloodthirsty demon -. for when they appeared upon the trail across the river he started to go to them- perhaps in answer to a bail-as was hi- custom. While on the river bank he was shot from behind at close range with Inekshot. Whether he had crossed the river and talked with the Indians and was shot as he returned or whether he was shot by Indians concealed in the grass on the west side, is not known. So close had been his murderer that burnt powder stains were afterward found upon his clothing. After the shooting the body was ent open with a tomahawk or a knife from between the shoulders. down the back. lo between the hips.15
George Wond. from his position in the store, had seen his brother shot down and had started to run to warn the other sel- flere and to seek protection for himself.
1.The conduct and actions of the Wood broth- cis, particularly William Wood, during the days of suspense before the massacre have at times heen unfavorably commented upon. The Woods did not join the other settlers in their efforts to fortify one or two of the cabins, but re-
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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
He succeeded in getting across the river on the ice. but, exhausted from running several hundred yards through the deep drifts, he sought a place of concealment and crawled under a brush pile at a point a few rods from the river bank and some twenty or thirty rods above the location of the present upper bridge in the village of Jackson. This point was near the In- dian trail, upon which the Indians were running in pursuit, but because of a bend in the trail, surrounded by trees, brush and weeds, he was temporarily out of sight of his pursuers. The unfortunate man was soon found in the brush pile and shot. So close was the muzzle of the gun that the whole lop of his head was blown off and powder stains were left on his cap.16
mained at the store, where all their earthly possessions were. Believing, as they certainly did, that the massacre of the whites at Okoboji lakes was the result of a quarrel and that the minders would not be continued, they saw no reason why they should desert the store. Of course, we can now see their mistake; their confidence in the red men led to their death.
One or two of the settlers who did not like the Woods pretended to believe that they were over friendly with the Indians, that they be- lieved that even if the other settlers were at- tacked, their friendship would save them. Ma- jer Williams, of the Iowa volunteers goes so far as to intimate treachery, saying that the Indians were informed of the contemplated arrival of the soldiers by Wood and Gahoo. ] can find no evidence that would indicate treach- rry on the part of the Woods and believe that they were sincere in their actions.
Mr. E. B. Wood, who often talked with his brother. Charles Wood, after the massacre an.I who made every effort to ascertain the facts. wrote to Mr. Jareb Palmer under date of No- vember 23. 1897. as follows:
"I do not and never did believe that George or William ever gave information to the In- lians of the coming of the soldiers. I believe that my brothers watched and expected each hour of the later hours of their lives for the soldiers to come, that they aimed to let the Indians believe that they trusted them implic- itly. thinking this safest. Now. my friend and comrade. for forty years myself and my family have had our hearts pained not only by the thought of their deaths and the dam- nable manner of their taking off, but mainly by this story of the possible treachery of my brothers in telling these Indians of the coming of the soldiers so as to receive benefits and safety for themselves to the possible damage of the other settlers. My brothers were noble hearted fellows and I do not think them capable of this and I do not think there is a particle of truth in it. That Gahoo, the half-breed, may have told them is possible."
16Another version of the killing of George Wood is to the effect that after he was shot the Indians piled brush on his body in an effort to burn it. but the hest evidence points to his taking off as I have descrihed it.
After the killing of the Wood brothers the Indians replenished their stock of am- munition from the store and then pro- ceeded to attack the other inhabited cab- ins of the settlement. At the Thomas cabin, where were gathered the greatest number of settlers, a determined fight was put up by the white men (with the possible exception of the Mattock cabin at Okoboji lake, the only place in either settlement where the Indians met with resistence) and they succeeded in standing off the redskins. This was due to the prep- arations that had been made and to the fighting qualities of the men and women there.17
After the midday meal at the Thomas cabin all who were temporarily living there were sitting in the north room talk- ing, while two of Mr. Thomas' children, aged seven and ten years, were playing in the yard. About half past two o'clock Willie, the younger of the boys playing outside, came running into the house with the announcement that an Indian was coming down the road from the Wheel- er cabin, which was to the north. As the- people of the cabin were hourly expect- ing the return of. Joseph Chiffin and Hen- ry Trets from Fort Ridgely. some one of the party exclaimed, "I'll bet it's Hen- ry," meaning Henry Trois. From their location in the north room, the door of which faced the timber. the people could not see anyone coming from the direction
1"The Thomas house stood on the edge of the timber, being surrounded on three sides by woods full of logs, brush and stumps of trees; on the other side was prairie. Within six or eight rods of the cabin were a log stable, an old fashioned hay rack for feeding stock and a cattle yard made of logs and poles. A log partition divided the cabin into two rooms, connected by a door; at opposite ends of each room was a fireplace. The south room had a door and a window. both facing the prairie. while the north room had a door and a window. føring the timber, and a window looking upon the prairie. The window on the timher side had been secured by nailing two thicknesses of oak stakes across it, leaving a space about four inches wide to serve as a port hole: on the prairie side the windows had been covered with shutters that could be taken out and put in as occasion required. The doors were fasten- ed with pins stuck in holes in the logs.
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THISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
indicated without going out doors. So doors and windows were closed and bar- there was a rush for the door. Miss red, while Mr. Markham and Mr. Brad- shaw, who had remamed in the house. seized their ritles and commenced firing at the Indians, whose guns could be seen protruding through the hay rack. The battle was on. Swanger. Mr. Thomas, Mr. Palmer and Mr. Carver went outside, where the two boys still were. Mis Swanger was the first one out and when she got to a point where she could see the person approach- ing she cried joyfully, "Yes. it's Henry." But when Mr. Carver got out where he had a good view he replied. "No, it's an Indian."
No sooner were the words out of his mouth than a tremendous volley. fired at short range from rifles and shotguns. was poured into the little company in front of the house; the Indians had crawl- ed up and hidden themselves behind trees. outbuildings and other places of conceal- ment. Little Willie Thomas was killed instantly. James Thomas received a mus- ket ball in his left arm just below the e]- how, which broke both bones and made necessary the amputation of the member. David Carver was wounded by a buckshot. which passed through the tleshy part of his arm above the cibow and penetrated his lung. Miss Swanger was wounded by a rifle ball, which passed through the upper part of her shoulder, inflicting a painful but not dangerous wound. Of those outside. Mr. Palmer and the older Thomas boy were the only ones unharm- ed: it is a wonder that all were not killed. and can be accounted for only by the poor markmanship of the Indians.
All succeeded in getting into the cab- in, those who had received wounds being unaware of the fact until they were in- sido. Although the surprise had been complete there was no confusion. Each seemed to know instinctively what was to he done and commeneed doing it. Had the Indians followed their first volley with a rush they would probably have succeeded in massacreing the whole houseful with little, if any, loss to themselves. The
I shall let Mr. Jareb Palmer, one of the defenders of the cabin and the his- torian of the massacre. tell of the inter- esting events that took place in the Thom- as cabin during the next hour :
At first I busied myself in barricading the south room, and, as the shutters for the win- dow in this room had unfortunately been left on the outside, we had to improvise something in its place. For this we used a talde and some chairs. Having attended to this, I seized a gun, of which, fortunately, we had plenty. and looked around for a pdare to get a shot at the redskins, but found no chance. as they seemed to be all on the southwest side of the house, and there was no porthole in either the south end of the house or the west side of the south room. 1 seized an ax which was in the room and knocked out a piece of chink. ing from between the logs on each side of the fireplace in the south end of the house. I watched the hole on the west side of the fire- place and the Thomas bay the east side. It was not until I had completed these prepara- tions for defense that I learned the full ex. tent of our loss, and my heart fairly bled for Mrs. Thomas.
When we rushed into the house at the In- dians' first fire we did not notice that the Thomas boy was killeil, and when he was missed and we ascertained that his boly lay in front of the door, the lamentations of his mother were truly heartremling. Her husband was seriously wounded and bleeding profusely, ler boy killed outside, and she was not able to have even the poor consolation of having his body brought into the house, for it would have lwen certain death for anyone to ven- ture ont to get it. Mr. Thomas and Mr. Car- ver were soon obliged to lie down, but Miss Swanger continued lo render all the assistance in her power and never once laid down dur- ing the time we were in the house.
A- it happened, we had plenty of guns and ammunition and kept huy blazing away at anything we could see that looked like a face or a land. a gun on a piece of blanket, and 1 assure you we burned a lot of powder and made a big noise whether we hurt anybody or not. The Indians continued to fire volley after volley at the house. some of the balls coming through the door. we protecting our- seives by taking up a portion of the puncheon Noor and standing it against the door. At only one time did I have a fair view of any
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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
of the savages, and that was doubtless after they had concluded to abandon the attack. Then I saw three at one time with their baeks toward the house and going as fast as their legs would carry them, and I was able to get only one shot at them before they were out of sight. As my duties kept me busy in the south room I didn't know much about what was going on in the north room except as I could hear the crack of the guns in the hands of Bradshaw and Markham.
However, I passed into that room two or three times during the fight, once, I remem- ber, to make a porthole in the end of the house, and once to get a supply of ammuni- tion, as the guns and ammunition were all kept in that room. Once when I was in there I saw. Mrs. Church fire through the east win- dow at what she said was an Indian, and she said she saw him fall." This was no doubt the one first seen by the boys, as he was in nearly the same place as that one when seen.
I suppose I ought to tell you that after the excitement caused by the surprise had somewhat abated, some of the ladies be- thought themselves of the arm that is all- powerful to save and engaged themselves in earnest supplication to Him for help; and as there seemed nothing better for them to do. J think we were all glad to see them thus en- gaged, for I am sure none of us had much hope of ever leaving the house alive. as we were but three able bodied men, contending, as we supposed, against the whole Sioux nation, and with but faint hopes of any human help be- ing able to reach ns.
After a while-probably an hour after the attack was begun-the fire of the enemy be- gan to slacken, and then we saw sticks and clubs flying in the air toward the three head of colts which were kept there. In this way the Indians succeeded in driving them up the road and out of sight of us people in the honse. They accomplished this without ex- posing themselves to our view. We had no thought at the time why they had done this, unless merely to see the horses rim; but, as it afterward proved, they were about to aban- dlon the attack and took this way to get the horses out of our sight that they might catch them and take them away.
I presume the Indians left soon after, al- though we had no thought they were going to abandon the attack, and when the fire abated we supposed they were lying in wait for some of us to expose ourselves that they might shoot us down. Notwithstanding the fire had abated, we did not abate om vigi- lance, but continued to watch through the portholes for lurking savages, expecting mo- mentarily a renewal of the attack with larger force and in some unexpected manner. But the fire finally stopped entirely. The Indians had shmk away as secretly and silently as they had come; but we had no idea they had gone until just before nightfall, when we saw
18It was afterwards learned that none of the Indians was wounded.
someone coming from toward the Wheeler cabin.
We at first supposed it to be an Indian and were holding ourselves in readiness to fire as soon as he came within gunshot, but before he came near enough to fire we discover- ed it was a boy dressed in white man's clothes. We still thought it might be another trick to draw us ont of the house, so we remained in- side and hallooed at him through a porthole. Ile answered us and upon inquiring who he was, he told us he was Johnnie Stewart. We called to him, opened the door and took him in. He was frightened nearly out of his wits, and well he might be.
During the time that the attack on the Thomas cabin was being made other members of the outlaws were meeting with better success in another part of the settlement. An Indian came to the home of Mr. Stewart, who seems to have been ignorant of the attack on the settlement, and was bargaining for the purchase of a small hog, displaying a number of gold coins to be given in payment. Mr. Stew- art was shot down and killed by other Indians who were lying in wait for him. His wife, who had been sitting in a chair in the house. holling the baby, rushed to the door with the baby in her arms and with a three year old child clinging to her skirts. On reaching the door she was shot down and the baby and little girl were knocked in the head with tomahawks. While the mother and two little children were being murdered. little Johnnie Stew- art, seven or eight years of age, slipped out of the house and eluded the Indians, hiding behind a log, three or four rods from the cabin, where he remained until . the Indians had completed their atrocious work and departed. Then he came out of his hiding place, viewed the dead bod- jes of his parents and little sisters, and made his way to the Wheeler cabin. In- side he heard voices, and. supposing the cabin was full of Indians, the little boy left and went to the Thomas cabin, as has been stated.
The Wheeler cabin, which was occu- pied at the time of the massacre by Dr.
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
1. B. N. Strong. 1. B. Skinner. Robert Smith. John Henderson, Mrs. Skinner. Mrs. William Nelson and baby. Mrs. Rob- ert Smith and Mr. Shipley's two year old boy. had not been put in a state of de- fense, but it was fortunately located, be- ing on the edge of the prairie. There were no shutters for the solitary window of the cabin, which. however, fortunately. faced the prairie. nor had any portholes been made. The Indians appeared at the cabin, fired several shots through the door, but did not make any determined attack. The bullets passed through the thin boards of the door and into the wall opposite, one of them barely missing Mr. Henderson. An my was killed near the cabin and the rest of the stock was driven off. Neither Dr. Strong not Mr. Skin- ner. the only abh bodied men there. fired a shot from the cabin. It is said the in- mates attempted to protect themselves by ringing bells and beating on tin pans. which seems to have answered the pur- pose. for no one was injured.
The cabin of Adam Shiegley was not attacked and that gentleman knew noth- ing of the attack until later in the day. when he went to the Thomas cabin. He was much surprised to learn of the fight- ing. 19
The bloody work was completed and the Indians returned to their camp near
1.Although Mr. Shipley did not learn of the tight until after it was over, he was Inclined 10 give evidener in regard to it. as well as every event of which he had heard, and he aften made himself the hero of startling sitnations, In 1896 he is reported to have said to a reporter for the Mankato Morning News:
When the Indians attacked the [ Thomas] house they must have crossed the river not a hundred yards from where I WAS. But I couldn't see them because there was a bend in the river between us The first thing I knew was when I heard them yelling and the shooting. Then I ran up the bank, which was thickly wooded and lay down flat on my face In the snow There were about twenty of the Indians yelling and dancing and tiring into the hanse, They didn't care about the projde in there, though What they wanted was the
four horses in the stable and they just tired to keep the folks inside. Well. 1 saw them off and out of the way and then I went uje to the house. '
Heron lake Owing to the knowledge that the Indians were on the warpath and the determined fight put up by the men aml women of the Thomas cabin, the results were not nearly so disastrous as they had been at the lakes. For the first time in the Indians mad career since leaving Smithland they encountered men who we're not afraid to fight for their lives. and the attempt to wipe out the settle- ment failed. At that, only at the Thomas cabin was any resistente made, and but for the opposition they encountered there. there can In no doubt the Indians would have persevered until every white in the settlement was killed. But. baffled in their attempt to 'massacre those in the Thomas house, ignorant of the damage their first volley had done and of the weakness of the fighting forer left, any- ions to take part in the loting of Woods' store. perhaps tearing the early arrival of the soldiers, they gave up the attack.
The losses in the Springfield settle ment were :
KILLED
William Wood
George Wood
Joshua Stewart Mrs. Joshua Stewart
Two Stewart Children
Willte Thomas
WOUNDED
James B. Thomas
David Carver
Drusilla Swanger
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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
It is impossible to say just how many Indians were engaged in the massacre- probably not more than the fifteen of Inkpaduta's band.20 It is not probable that Umpashota and his Indians took part in the actual killing, but there can be no question that that nominally friendly In- dian assisted Inkpaduta in his designs and preparations. Nothing more was seen of Umpashota or any of his Indians : they had gone to more congenial chimes. Concerning the part this crafty Indian may have taken in affairs, Mr. Jareb. Palmer has written :
20Major William Williams, the leader of the Iowa volunteers, among several other mistakes in matters of fact and conjecture in his official report. says of the number of Indians taking part in the Spirit lake and Springfield mas- sacres:
"As near as I could ascertain, the Indian force was from 150 to 200 warriors, judging from their encampments, etc. The number of Indians must be fifteen or twenty killed and wounded. From the number seen to fall killed. and judging from the bloody clothes and clots of blood in their encampments, the struggle at the lakes must have been very severe, partic- ularly the one at the house of Esquire Mat- tock. I am satisfied that the greater number of these Indians were from the Mis- souri, as they were strangers to the settlers where they appeared, and a portion of them were half-breeds."
Major Williams seems to have prepared his report with very little data to work from.
"It has been reported that the Indians who had camped near the settlement dur- ing the winter were engaged in the at- tack and massacre at Springfield. Wheth- er this is a fact or not 1 am unable to say. Some of those in the Thomas house with me say they saw and recognized Um- pashota, but I did not see any Indian that I could recognize as one I had ever seen before. When Captain Bee arrived Um- pashota and his band were gone and he found some of the goods that were taken from Woods' store in the possession of Gaboo's Indians, but they claimed to have bought them of Inkpaduta's Indians, and this might have been the case. as Mrs. Sharp says when the Indians returned from the attack. they brought eleven horses and ponies with them, and I know they only got three from the whites at Springfield, so that it may be that Ink- paduta's band had traded goods for pon- ies. 1 have never since seen any of the Indians with whom I became acquainted during that winter"
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