The Spirit Lake Massacre - free ebook by Thomas Teakle

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The Spirit Lake Massacre

Thomas Teakle

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EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION

EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION

The massacre of the white settlers in the region of Lake Okoboji and Spirit Lake in 1857 by a band of Indians under the leadership of Inkpaduta has come to be known as “The Spirit Lake Massacre”, although the tragedy was for the most part enacted on the borders of Lake Okoboji. There seems, however, to be no substantial reason for renaming the episode in the interest of geographical accuracy; and so in this volume the familiar designation of “The Spirit Lake Massacre” has been retained. Benj. F.

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AUTHOR’S PREFACE

AUTHOR’S PREFACE

It is probable that no event in the history of northwestern Iowa has aroused more popular interest than that of the Spirit Lake Massacre of March, 1857. Not alone in northwestern Iowa but also in the adjacent sections of Minnesota and South Dakota is the story of its events and associated incidents well known. The Spirit Lake Massacre came as the culminating episode in a long series of incidents intimately connected with the settlement of northern and western Iowa. For years previous to 1857 the

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I THE ADVANCING FRONTIER

I THE ADVANCING FRONTIER

Clothed in myth and legend and held in sacred awe by the Siouan Indian, Lake Okoboji and Spirit Lake had rested in seclusion for ages at the headwaters of the Little Sioux. To the red men these lakes had been a sort of Mecca, second only to the red pipestone quarry to the northwest, for the silent adoration and worship of the Spirit. [1] Although the region had been little disturbed by the whites the Sioux were becoming uneasy as the frontier continued its westward advance. By the middle of the

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II INDIAN WRONGS AND DISCONTENT

II INDIAN WRONGS AND DISCONTENT

Unhappily the relinquishment of the Iowa country had not been free from a strong suspicion of wrongs done the Indians. The Indians had obstinately contested the giving up of these lands, and at no time was a treaty of relinquishment signed that may be said to have expressed the tribal will. These treaties of cession had instanced bad faith toward the natives, unwarranted interference on the part of the trader element, compulsion which at times approached intimidation in the securing of signature

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III THE UNPROTECTED FRONTIER

III THE UNPROTECTED FRONTIER

While failing to protect the Indians against the traders, the government also failed to protect the frontier in an adequate manner against the vengeance of the Indians who had a desire to even matters. Apparently the government failed to realize that as the frontier expanded to the west and northwest in Iowa there was also a growing need for protection. Many unfortunate incidents had occurred along the border before a government surveyor by the name of Marsh, from Dubuque, was attacked near the

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IV THE GRINDSTONE WAR AND THE DEATH OF SIDOMINADOTA

IV THE GRINDSTONE WAR AND THE DEATH OF SIDOMINADOTA

The strained relations between the whites and the Indians resulted in unfortunate incidents which served to intensify the bad feeling already engendered. Of these, two may be noted as especially significant in the frontier history of northwestern Iowa. Thus, in 1854 and 1855, the so-called “Grindstone War” caused the whites to abandon the frontier for a time and spread alarm far and near. This incident might properly be said to have had its origin in intertribal hatred. For some time a group of

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V THE FRONTIER AND THE WINTER OF 1856-1857

V THE FRONTIER AND THE WINTER OF 1856-1857

With the Indians in a most unhappy and vengeful state of mind the Traverse des Sioux Treaty lands were thrown open for settlement in 1853. For several years people had settled along the border of this territory patiently awaiting the opening. Assurances were given the settlers that the Sioux were all established upon their reserve seventy miles north of Iowa’s northern boundary. With these assurances of safety, the settlers rapidly pushed to the westward of the Des Moines River which hitherto ha

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VI OKOBOJI AND SPRINGFIELD IN MARCH 1857

VI OKOBOJI AND SPRINGFIELD IN MARCH 1857

Of the settlements made or projected in northwestern Iowa previous to 1857, those having preeminent interest in this connection were along the shores of Lake Okoboji and Spirit Lake in Dickinson County. Although this lake region had been visited many times in the spring and summer of 1855, no settlements had been made at that time. The visitors had simply planned to return as soon as arrangements for permanent occupancy could be perfected. They had been attracted thither by the tales told by Ind

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VII THE JOURNEY EAST FOR SUPPLIES

VII THE JOURNEY EAST FOR SUPPLIES

By February the unusual severity of the winter was occasioning some alarm at the lake settlements—particularly as the stock of provisions laid by for the winter was nearing exhaustion. In view of the deep snow and the intense cold it seemed more than foolish to think of attempting to make one’s way even to the nearest depot of supplies—which was Fort Dodge. The banks of snow were fifteen and often twenty feet high and offered an almost impassable obstruction to the use of teams. Add to this the

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VIII THE INKPADUTA BAND

VIII THE INKPADUTA BAND

For a number of years preceding the killing of Sidominadota another Indian band, similar in character to that led by the murdered leader, had roamed the country and terrorized the people between the Des Moines and the Big Sioux rivers. Under the leadership of Inkpaduta or “Scarlet Point”, this band had frequented in particular the headwaters of the Des Moines: they resorted to the Big Sioux and beyond only when fleeing from punishment. [112] Their refuge beyond the Big Sioux was with the Yankton

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IX INKPADUTA SEEKS REVENGE

IX INKPADUTA SEEKS REVENGE

Burning with hatred for Indians and white men alike, Inkpaduta and his band left the Fort Ridgely Agency of the Lower Sioux in the autumn of 1856. They appear to have gone westward to the Big Sioux, where they spent some time in hunting and fishing. Their next and final move, before entering camp for the winter, was to the Yankton camp near Spirit Lake, South Dakota. There Inkpaduta planned to spend the winter of 1856-1857 with his well-tried friends and protectors. Doubtless during the fearful

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X THE SMITHLAND INCIDENT

X THE SMITHLAND INCIDENT

The approach of Inkpaduta and his band to the white settlements was unobserved—due probably to the fact that the severity of the winter had driven into the settlement all the traders and trappers who were commonly the purveyors of such news along the frontier. Although the Indians appeared at Smithland on the Little Sioux in southeastern Woodbury County unannounced, no alarm was felt since they had been there before and seemed quite friendly. Even now they bore, outwardly at least, every indicat

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XI FROM SMITHLAND TO OKOBOJI

XI FROM SMITHLAND TO OKOBOJI

After leaving Smithland the next place visited by Inkpaduta and his band seems to have been Correctionville—a place about twenty miles up the course of the Little Sioux. Here the Indians appear to have been friendly at first; but they were not long in the settlement before their begging and thieving led to opposition from the whites. Indeed, during the later portion of their stay they used their guise of friendship only for the purpose of securing an entrance to the cabins of the settlers, and h

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XII THE FIRST DAY OF THE MASSACRE

XII THE FIRST DAY OF THE MASSACRE

Nothing is known of the Inkpaduta band from the time of the episode at Gillett’s Grove until its appearance at the lakes on the evening of Saturday, March 7, 1857. From events that followed, it is inferred that they were in a fiendish temper at the time of their arrival and that this temper developed in intensity during their stay upon the Okoboji shores. The Indians celebrated their arrival by holding a war dance. Mrs. Sharp refers to this ceremony as a scalp dance; but such it could not have b

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XIII THE SECOND DAY OF THE MASSACRE

XIII THE SECOND DAY OF THE MASSACRE

Although the scalp dance had continued far into the small hours of the previous night, the Indians were astir early on the morning of the ninth of March. They were determined upon completing the fiendish work which they had so well begun on the previous day. No council was held so far as the only white inmate of their tepees could discern. At the same time every Indian seemed to know where to go and what was to be done. There was no confusion of plans or hitch in their execution at any point. It

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XIV FROM OKOBOJI TO HERON LAKE

XIV FROM OKOBOJI TO HERON LAKE

Following the massacre little was done by the Indians except to search the vicinity of the lakes for the homes of other settlers. And so for a brief time scouting parties were at work; but obviously no other cabins were found, since the parties returned empty-handed. On the morning of Tuesday, March tenth, the camp was broken, West Okoboji was crossed on the ice, and after a move of three miles to the northwest, camp was again pitched in what was known as the Madison Grove. The Indians seemed in

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XV NEWS OF THE MASSACRE REACHES SPRINGFIELD AND FORT RIDGELY

XV NEWS OF THE MASSACRE REACHES SPRINGFIELD AND FORT RIDGELY

Morris Markham, who had followed the Okoboji settlers to the lake region, spent the winter in trapping along the lakes and in the marshes of the Upper Des Moines. He had brought with him a yoke of oxen which, during the early days of the winter, had strayed away and were thought to be somewhere in the valley of the Des Moines. But they could not be located; and finally the effort to trace them was abandoned. No information concerning their whereabouts had been received until the sixth of March,

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XVI RELIEF SENT FROM FORT RIDGELY

XVI RELIEF SENT FROM FORT RIDGELY

Charles E. Flandrau was at this time the agent for the Lower Sioux, and as soon as he was informed of the situation to the south he proceeded at once to Fort Ridgely, which was located on the Minnesota River fourteen miles southeast of the agency. Here he immediately had an interview with Colonel E. B. Alexander of the Tenth Infantry who was then in command of the post. As the result of this conference, Colonel Alexander, on the morning of the nineteenth, ordered Company D of the Tenth Infantry,

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XVII PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENSE AT SPRINGFIELD

XVII PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENSE AT SPRINGFIELD

Springfield had been located and platted by the Indian traders, George and William Wood, who built their post on the west side of the Des Moines; while the settlers who came later, mostly from Iowa, selected claims and built cabins on the east side of the river. The cabins of the settlers were not closely grouped, but were scattered up and down the river valley for seven or eight miles. Owing to this isolation the settlers could not be of much service to each other in the matter of defense. More

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XVIII INKPADUTA ATTACKS SPRINGFIELD

XVIII INKPADUTA ATTACKS SPRINGFIELD

The morning of March twenty-sixth dawned bright at Springfield; and the settlers at the Thomas cabin were astir early making preparations for the expected attack. The messengers from Spirit Lake had returned and no one longer doubted the strong possibility that Springfield would be visited by the Indians. While the supply of food, fire-arms, and ammunition which they had procured was sufficient for a resistance of some days, there was a shortage of wood. And so, on the morning of the twenty-sixt

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XIX THE SETTLERS FLEE FROM SPRINGFIELD

XIX THE SETTLERS FLEE FROM SPRINGFIELD

When quiet had reigned for some little time and darkness had fallen, there being no signs that the Indians would reopen their attack, the inmates of the Thomas cabin began to discuss the best course to pursue. It was the general belief that they would again be attacked if they remained: in fact they reasoned that to remain would be to invite an attack. But would not the soldiers from Fort Ridgely soon bring relief? And yet they had no means of knowing whether their messengers had ever reached th

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XX RELIEF ARRIVES FROM FORT RIDGELY

XX RELIEF ARRIVES FROM FORT RIDGELY

On the morning of March twenty-sixth the relief expedition from Fort Ridgely was laboriously seeking to make its way through nearly impassable drifts of snow. Captain Bee had scarcely struck camp that morning when two white men from the Des Moines River—probably Nelson and Frost from Springfield—came in for supplies. They reported that the Indians, to the number of thirty lodges, were encamped at Coursalle’s Grove about eight or nine miles to the north of Springfield. Coursalle, known as “Gaboo”

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XXI ORGANIZATION OF RELIEF AT FORT DODGE AND WEBSTER CITY

XXI ORGANIZATION OF RELIEF AT FORT DODGE AND WEBSTER CITY

When the citizens of Fort Dodge and Webster City were convinced by repeated tales of Indian horrors that assistance was needed they organized a relief party to fend off the savage forays of the Sioux. The trials and sufferings of this little volunteer band have few if any parallels in the pioneer history of the Mississippi Valley. Unprepared for such a venture as the journey proved to be, they nevertheless met its ordeals with a courage that attests the hardihood of the pioneers who chose the ta

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XXII THE MARCH FROM FORT DODGE TO MEDIUM LAKE

XXII THE MARCH FROM FORT DODGE TO MEDIUM LAKE

Though somewhat delayed by inability to secure transportation, the relief battalion from Fort Dodge and Webster City got under way about noon on Tuesday, March twenty-fourth, within four days after receiving the news of the massacre. [228] The first day’s march did not record much progress, as the men had advanced only about six or seven miles when they encamped at the mouth of Beaver Creek. By this time they had begun to realize that they were no more than raw recruits with no knowledge or appr

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XXIII FROM MEDIUM LAKE TO GRANGER’S POINT

XXIII FROM MEDIUM LAKE TO GRANGER’S POINT

On Monday morning the expedition set out very much refreshed; for the men had not only feasted the evening before but that morning they “butchered a cow that had been wintered on prairie hay. The beef was not exactly porterhouse steak, but it was food for hungry men.” [248] The day’s march was a hard one, and when Big Island Grove near the Mud Lakes was reached the men were so exhausted that they threw themselves on the ground, rolled up in their blankets, and went to sleep without supper. Ex-Go

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XXIV THE BURIAL DETAIL

XXIV THE BURIAL DETAIL

When morning came the conclusions of the council were reported to the command, and volunteers, not over twenty-five in number, were called for to serve on the burial detail. The report met with a most cordial response and the full quota of volunteers was obtained at once. Those who signified their willingness to serve were: Captain J. C. Johnson and Captain Charles B. Richards, Lieutenant John N. Maxwell, and privates Henry Carse, William E. Burkholder, William Ford, H. E. Dalley, Orlando C. How

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XXV RETURN OF THE RELIEF EXPEDITION

XXV RETURN OF THE RELIEF EXPEDITION

From Granger’s Point the return of the main body of the command was uneventful until the Irish settlement was reached and passed. It will be recalled that when the burial detail was outfitted nearly all of the scanty rations then remaining were turned over to them because of the probable hardships which would be encountered in venturing into the hostile lake region. Thus the main command was hard pressed in the matter of providing itself with adequate supplies. By the end of the first day the co

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XXVI THE DEATH OF MRS. THATCHER

XXVI THE DEATH OF MRS. THATCHER

From March twenty-sixth to April tenth, while the relief expedition from Fort Dodge and Webster City was making its way painfully to and from the scene of the massacre at the lakes, Inkpaduta and his band continued their flight. When Lieutenant Murry’s men had been sighted by the look-out, warning of their approach was communicated through the Indian camp. The warriors crouched among the willows along the creek ready to spring out upon their pursuers, while the squaws and children made hurried p

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XXVII THE RANSOM OF MRS. MARBLE

XXVII THE RANSOM OF MRS. MARBLE

In view of the events which followed the camping of the Indians at Skunk Lake, it may be well to take note of the attempts made by the Indian agent and by the Territory of Minnesota to rescue the captives and punish the Indians. When the news of the massacre reached St. Paul and other Minnesota towns it created no little excitement. The Sioux were blamed as a nation, and this gave rise to a demand for their punishment without just regard for the identification of the actual perpetrators of the d

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XXVIII THE DEATH OF MRS. NOBLE AND THE RANSOM OF ABBIE GARDNER

XXVIII THE DEATH OF MRS. NOBLE AND THE RANSOM OF ABBIE GARDNER

From Mrs. Marble was obtained the information as to the whereabouts of the other captives. Without delay Agent Flandrau and the Rev. Stephen H. Riggs began to lay plans for their rescue. A dominant motive in Agent Flandrau’s desire to reward the brothers was to stimulate interest in the rescue of those who remained in the hands of the Indians. In this he was successful; for at once a number of whites and Indians proffered their services. It was not, however, deemed desirable that the rescue shou

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XXIX PURSUIT AND PUNISHMENT OF INKPADUTA

XXIX PURSUIT AND PUNISHMENT OF INKPADUTA

Immediately after the departure of Abbie Gardner, Agent Flandrau and her rescuers returned to the Yellow Medicine Agency. Here Agent Flandrau proceeded to make a settlement with the Indians who had so well demonstrated their good faith. Without difficulty the matter was adjusted upon the basis of a four hundred dollar cash payment to each or a total of twelve hundred dollars. [321] The legislature of Minnesota Territory had acted in the matter while these Indians were on their mission; and the p

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XXX THE MEMORIAL TRIBUTES OF IOWA

XXX THE MEMORIAL TRIBUTES OF IOWA

From what has preceded one might conclude that Minnesota Territory alone was sufficiently interested in the welfare of the captives and the punishment of the marauders to take official action relative thereto. Although such was not the case, it is true that Minnesota Territory through its legislative body was the first to take official notice of the situation and attempt a remedy. To be sure the Governors of Iowa had for several years been insistent in making demands upon the Federal government

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XXXI CHANGES OF SIXTY YEARS

XXXI CHANGES OF SIXTY YEARS

When one looks back over the sixty years that have elapsed since Ma-za-ku-ta-ma-ni delivered his bitter invective against white infidelity at the Upper Agency on the Yellow Medicine, one can only wonder at the transformation which has been wrought in what was popularly known east of the Alleghenies as the Great American Desert. In sixty years the frontier has moved steadily westward until to-day it is gone not alone from the Mississippi Valley but from the American continent. What was a vast exp

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CHAPTER I

CHAPTER I

[1] See Richman’s John Brown Among the Quakers, and Other Sketches , p. 203. [2] Senate Documents , 1st Session, 32nd Congress, Vol. III, Doc. No. 1, p. 411. [3] Flandrau’s State-Building in the West in the Collections of the Minnesota Historical Society , Vol. VIII, pp. 483, 484. [4] Judge Charles E. Flandrau’s State-Building in the West in the Collections of the Minnesota Historical Society , Vol. VIII, p. 483. [5] Rev. Moses N. Adams’s The Sioux Outbreak in the Year 1862 in the Collections of

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CHAPTER II

CHAPTER II

[19] The Indian Chief Jagmani said of this treaty: “The Indians sold their lands at Traverse des Sioux. I say what we were told. For fifty years they were to be paid $50,000 per annum. We were also promised $300,000 that we have not seen.”—Bryant and Murch’s A History of the Great Massacre by the Sioux Indians, in Minnesota , pp. 34, 35. See House Executive Documents , 1st Session, 35th Congress, Vol. II, Pt. I, p. 401. [20] Senate Documents , 1st Session, 32nd Congress, Vol. III, Doc. No. 1, p.

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CHAPTER III

CHAPTER III

[32] C. C. Carpenter’s Major William Williams in Annals of Iowa (Third Series), Vol. II, p. 150; Senate Executive Documents , 1st Session, 31st Congress, Vol. II, pp. 235, 242, 243. [33] This fort was established by Brevet Major Samuel Woods, Sixth Infantry, with Company E of the same, from Ft. Snelling, Minnesota. It was established by General Orders No. 19, War Department, Adjutant General’s Office, of May 31, 1850. Major Woods and men were detailed by Orders No. 22, 6th Military District, St.

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CHAPTER IV

CHAPTER IV

[56] Petition of R. B. Clark, et al, to Governor Hempstead, July 6, 1854, in the Public Archives, Des Moines, Iowa; Report of Major William Williams to Governor Hempstead, September 1, 1854, in the Public Archives, Des Moines, Iowa. [57] Mrs. Abbie Gardner-Sharp’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre (1885 edition), pp. 24-31; Flickinger’s Pioneer History of Pocahontas County, Iowa, pp. 28, 29. [58] Fulton’s Red Men of Iowa , p. 298; Gue’s History of Iowa , Vol. I, p. 292; Ingham’s Ink-pa-du-tah’

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CHAPTER V

CHAPTER V

[78] Smith’s The Iowa Frontier During the War of the Rebellion in the Proceedings of the Pioneer Lawmakers’ Association of Iowa for 1898 , p. 56. [79] Smith’s The Iowa Frontier During the War of the Rebellion in the Proceedings of the Pioneer Lawmakers’ Association of Iowa for 1898 , p. 56. [80] Carpenter’s Major William Williams in the Annals of Iowa (Third Series), Vol. II, p. 151. [81] Ingham’s Ink-pa-du-tah’s Revenge in the Midland Monthly , Vol. IV, p. 272. [82] The Spirit Lake Massacre and

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CHAPTER VI

CHAPTER VI

[93] Mrs. Sharp’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre (1902 edition), p. 7; Lee’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre , p. 7. [94] Mrs. Sharp’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre (1902 edition), pp. 8-14; Lee’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre , pp. 7, 8. [95] Mrs. Sharp’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre (1902 edition), pp. 14-35. [96] Lee’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre , p. 11; Carpenter’s The Spirit Lake Massacre in the Midland Monthly , Vol. IV, p. 17; Mrs. Sharp’s History of t

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CHAPTER VII

CHAPTER VII

[111] Some authors give only three, Robert Clark, Enoch Ryan, and Jonathan Howe, as accompanying them upon their return. There seems good evidence to support the claim that Asa Burtch also made the return trip. See The Spirit Lake Massacre and Relief Expedition in the Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers , Vol. VI, p. 893; Mrs. Sharp’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre (1902 edition), p. 51; Smith’s A History of Dickinson County, Iowa , p. 64; Carpenter’s The Spirit Lake Massacre in the Midland

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CHAPTER VIII

CHAPTER VIII

[112] In spite of their villainous character the Sioux pitied the ap parent misfortunes of the Inkpaduta band and explained their unhappy lot as follows: “Long ago some chiefs and principal men of the Iowas returned from Canada to Prairie du Chien in the winter, and attempted to pass through the Dakota territory to their own country. They were kindly received and hospitably entertained by the Wabashaw band, who sent messengers to the Wahpekutas, then encamped at Dry Wood, requesting them to rece

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CHAPTER IX

CHAPTER IX

[134] Hubbard and Holcombe’s Minnesota in Three Centuries , Vol. III, p. 223. [135] Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers , Vol. VI, p. 892; Fulton’s Red Men of Iowa , p. 301; Smith’s History of Dickinson County, Iowa , p. 53; Hubbard and Holcombe’s Minnesota in Three Centuries , Vol. III, p. 223. [136] Robinson’s History of the Dakota or Sioux Indians in the South Dakota Historical Collections , Vol. II, p. 344. [137] The strength of the band was not great. Originally it is said to have numbered o

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CHAPTER X

CHAPTER X

[140] Smith’s A History of Dickinson County, Iowa , p. 53; Flickinger’s Pioneer History of Pocahontas County, Iowa , p. 29. [141] Flandrau’s Inkpaduta Massacre of 1857 in the Collections of the Minnesota Historical Society , Vol. III, p. 388; Mrs. Sharp’s Spirit Lake Massacre (1902 edition), p. 60; House Executive Documents , 1st Session, 35th Congress, Vol. II, Pt. I, pp. 358, 389; Senate Documents , 1st Session, 35th Congress, Vol. III, p. 146; The Spirit Lake Massacre and Relief Expedition in

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CHAPTER XI

CHAPTER XI

[144] W. S. Dunbar and Company’s Biographical History of Cherokee County, Iowa , p. 242; Fulton’s The Red Men of Iowa , p. 303. [145] Peck and Montzheimer’s Past and Present of O’Brien and Osceola Counties, Iowa , Vol. I, p. 38. [146] Gillespie and Steele’s History of Clay County, Iowa , pp. 56, 57; Mrs. Sharp’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre (1902 edition), p. 61; Smith’s History of Dickinson County, Iowa , p. 56. [147] William H. Hart’s History of Sac County, Iowa , p. 38; Gillespie and S

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CHAPTER XII

CHAPTER XII

[150] Pond’s The Dakotas or Sioux in Minnesota as They Were in 1834 in the Collections of the Minnesota Historical Society , Vol. XII, pp. 436, 437. [151] The Spirit Lake Massacre and Relief Expedition in the Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers , Vol. VI, p. 893; Mrs. Sharp’s Spirit Lake Massacre (1902 edition), pp. 63, 64; Smith’s History of Dickinson County, Iowa , p. 65. [152] Concerning the events at the Gardner cabin we must, of necessity, rely upon the statements of Mrs. Abbie Gardner Sharp

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CHAPTER XIII

CHAPTER XIII

[160] The Spirit Lake Massacre and Relief Expedition in the Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers , Vol. VI, p. 894; Mrs. Sharp’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre (1902 edition), pp. 76-78; Smith’s History of Dickinson County, Iowa , pp. 68, 69; Gue’s History of Iowa , Vol. I, pp. 300, 301 Mrs. Noble and Mrs. Thatcher in later relations of the massacre spoke of their children as having been killed at their own cabin. If such were the facts then their dead bodies must have been carried to the How

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CHAPTER XIV

CHAPTER XIV

[162] Mrs. Sharp’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre (1902 edition), pp. 81, 82. [163] Agnes C. Laut’s Heroines of Spirit Lake in Outing Magazine , Vol. LI, p. 692. [164] Gue in his History of Iowa , Vol. I, pp. 301, 302, says that Marble fired first at the target, and when he went out to see what had been the result of his shot the Indians fired on him; while Carpenter in his article on The Spirit Lake Massacre in the Midland Monthly , Vol. IV, p. 22, states that when Marble’s gun became empt

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CHAPTER XV

CHAPTER XV

[168] Carpenter’s The Spirit Lake Massacre in the Midland Monthly , Vol. IV, p. 23; Mrs. Sharp’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre (1902 edition), pp. 85-87; The Spirit Lake Massacre and Relief Expedition in the Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers , Vol. VI, p. 895; Smith’s History of Dickinson County, Iowa , pp. 72, 73. [169] The Spirit Lake Massacre and Relief Expedition in the Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers , Vol. VI, p. 895; Smith’s History of Dickinson County, Iowa , pp. 73, 74. [170]

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CHAPTER XVI

CHAPTER XVI

[175] This was the Barnard E. Bee who was later to win fame as a general of the South during the Civil War. During that conflict, he it was who fastened the sobriquet of “Stonewall” upon the Confederate General Thomas E. Jackson in his now famous charge to his men—“For God’s sake stand, men. Stand like Jackson’s brigade, on your right, there they stand like a stone wall.” Bee was killed in an attempt to hold his brigade in line of battle against a murderous fire in the first battle of Bull Run,

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CHAPTER XVII

CHAPTER XVII

[182] Palmer’s Incidents of the Late Indian Outrages in the Hamilton Freeman (Webster City), July 23, 1857. [183] Hubbard and Holcombe’s Minnesota in Three Centuries , Vol. III, pp. 226, 230; Palmer’s Incidents of the Late Indian Outrages in the Hamilton Freeman (Webster City), July 23, 1857. [184] Hoover’s The Tragedy of Okoboji in the Annals of Iowa (Third Series), Vol. V, pp. 19, 20; Palmer’s Incidents of the Late Indian Outrages in the Hamilton Freeman (Webster City), July 23, 1857. [185] Hu

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CHAPTER XVIII

CHAPTER XVIII

[192] Carpenter’s The Spirit Lake Massacre in the Midland Monthly , Vol. IV, p. 23; Mrs. Sharp’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre (1902 edition), pp. 94, 95; Hubbard and Holcombe’s Minnesota in Three Centuries , Vol. III, p. 229. See also a different version in Palmer’s Incidents of the Late Indian Outrages in the Hamilton Freeman (Webster City), July 30, 1857. [193] Hubbard and Holcombe’s Minnesota in Three Centuries , Vol. III, pp. 229, 230; Laut’s Heroines of Spirit Lake in the Outing Maga

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CHAPTER XIX

CHAPTER XIX

[202] Palmer’s Incidents of the Late Indian Outrages in the Hamilton Freeman (Webster City), July 30, 1857; Mrs. Sharp’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre (1902 edition), pp. 102-104. [203] Charles Aldrich in an address at the unveiling of a commemo rative tablet in the Hamilton County Court House in Webster City, Iowa, on August 12, 1887, states that they started about midnight. It does not seem, however, that such a late hour could have been possible under the circumstances.—See the Annals o

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CHAPTER XX

CHAPTER XX

[208] Hubbard and Holcombe’s Minnesota in Three Centuries , Vol. III, p. 239. [209] Report of Captain Barnard E. Bee in House Executive Documents , 1st Session, 35th Congress, Vol. II, Pt. II, Doc. No. 2, p. 146. [210] Mrs. Sharp’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre (1902 edition), pp. 160-162. [211] Quoted from the St. Paul Pioneer and Democrat for May 16, 1857, in Holcombe’s Minnesota in Three Centuries , Vol. III, p. 240. [212] Mrs. Sharp’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre (1902 edition),

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CHAPTER XXI

CHAPTER XXI

[214] For information concerning the journey and findings of Howe, Wheelock, and Parmenter see The Spirit Lake Massacre and Relief Expedition in the Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers , Vol. VI, pp. 895, 896; Mrs. Sharp’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre (1902 edition), pp. 125, 126; Smith’s History of Dickinson County, Iowa , pp. 49, 74, 75; Carpenter’s The Spirit Lake Massacre in the Midland Monthly , Vol. IV, p. 26; Flickinger’s Pioneer History of Pocahontas County, Iowa , p. 35; Gue’s His

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CHAPTER XXII

CHAPTER XXII

[228] Address of John N. Maxwell in the Annals of Iowa (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 526. [229] Hoover’s Expedition to Spirit Lake in the Hamilton Freeman (Webster City), August 20, 1857; Address of Capt. Charles B. Richards in the Annals of Iowa (Third Series), Vol. III, pp. 510, 511. [230] A Paper by Michael Sweeney in the Annals of Iowa (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 539; The Narrative of W. K. Laughlin in the Annals of Iowa (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 542; Hoover’s Expedition to Spirit Lake in

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CHAPTER XXIII

CHAPTER XXIII

[248] Address of John N. Maxwell in the Annals of Iowa (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 527. [249] Carpenter’s The Spirit Lake Expedition in the Annals of Iowa (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 483. [250] Carpenter’s The Spirit Lake Expedition in the Annals of Iowa (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 500; Address of John N. Maxwell in the Annals of Iowa (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 527; The Narrative of W. K. Laughlin in the Annals of Iowa (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 542. [251] There seems to have been some di

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CHAPTER XXIV

CHAPTER XXIV

[260] Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers , Vol. VI, pp. 922-937; Smith’s History of Dickinson County, Iowa , p. 84. [261] Address of Captain Charles B. Richards in the Annals of Iowa (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 515; Smith’s History of Dickinson County, Iowa , p. 84. [262] The reputed finding of the body of Joel Howe may well be questioned. The evidence presented tends to show that the headless skeleton found by Mr. Goodenough could not have been that of Howe. Of the party that took the trail ro

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CHAPTER XXV

CHAPTER XXV

[274] Address of Capt. Charles B. Richards in the Annals of Iowa (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 516. [275] Captain Richards speaks of their attempt to secure supplies at the settlement upon their return as follows: “The settlers at the Colony were on short rations and could spare nothing. We decided to buy a steer and kill for the party, but we had no money and the owner refused to sell without pay. We offered to give the personal obligation of all the officers, and assured him the State would pay

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CHAPTER XXVI

CHAPTER XXVI

[284] Republished article from the St. Paul Pioneer of May 31, 1857, in the Hamilton Freeman (Webster City), July 13, 1857. [285] Mrs. Sharp’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre (1902 edition), p. 150. [286] Mrs. Sharp’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre (1902 edition), pp. 151-156, 168. [287] Mrs. Sharp’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre (1902 edition), pp. 168-171. This stone is more familiarly known in mineralogy as catlinite—being so named from George Catlin, the noted traveler, who fi

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CHAPTER XXVII

CHAPTER XXVII

[295] The Ink-pa-du-ta Massacre of 1857 in the Collections of the Minnesota Historical Society , Vol. III, pp. 392-394; Robinson’s A History of the Dakota or Sioux Indians in the South Dakota Historical Collections , Vol. II, p. 238. [296] Robinson’s A History of the Dakota or Sioux Indians in the South Dakota Historical Collections , Vol. II, p. 238. [297] Robinson’s A History of the Dakota or Sioux Indians in the South Dakota Historical Collections , Vol. II, p. 238. [298] Republished article

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CHAPTER XXVIII

CHAPTER XXVIII

[304] Ma-za-ku-ta-ma-ni was at this time the President of the Rev. Riggs’ Hazelwood Republic. This Republic was a rather unique attempt at self-government upon the part of Christianized Indians of the Yellow Medicine Agency under the guidance of the Rev. Mr. Riggs. It was “a respectable community of young men who had cut off their hair and exchanged the dress of the Dakotas for that of the white man.... They elected their president and other officers for two years, and were recognized by the Ind

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CHAPTER XXIX

CHAPTER XXIX

[321] Flandrau’s The Ink-pa-du-ta Massacre of 1857 in the Collections of the Minnesota Historical Society , Vol. III, p. 400. [322] Flandrau’s The Ink-pa-du-ta Massacre of 1857 in the Collections of the Minnesota Historical Society , Vol. III, p. 397. [323] Lee’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre , p. 42. [324] Flandrau’s The Ink-pa-du-ta Massacre of 1857 in the Collections of the Minnesota Historical Society , Vol. III, p. 401. [325] Flandrau’s The Ink-pa-du-ta Massacre of 1857 in the Collect

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CHAPTER XXX

CHAPTER XXX

[339] Letter of Governor James W. Grimes to the Iowa Delegation in Congress, January 3, 1855, in the Annals of Iowa (Third Series), Vol. II, pp. 627-630; Letter of Governor James W. Grimes to President Franklin Pierce in the Annals of Iowa (Third Series), Vol. III, pp. 135-137. [340] United States Statutes at Large , Vol. II, Ch. 163, p. 363, 1st Session, 35th Congress, June 14, 1858. [341] Copies of Claims Submitted in Auditor’s office, in the Public Archives, Des Moines, Iowa; Statement from t

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CHAPTER XXXI

CHAPTER XXXI

[359] Mrs. Sharp’s History of the Spirit Lake Massacre (1902 edition), pp. 274-282, 340. [360] Judge Charles E. Flandrau in The Ink-pa-du-ta Massacre of 1857 in the Collections of the Minnesota Historical Society , Vol. III, p. 399, has this to say of Mrs. Marble after leaving St. Paul, Minnesota: “The bank [where her money had been placed] failed, and that was the end of Mrs. Marble so far as I know, except that I heard that she exhibited herself at the East, in the role of the rescued captive,

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