The Spirit Lake Massacre Part 21

542.

[251] There seems to have been some disagreement as to who had charge of the advance guard. For the view taken by the present writer see Smith's _History of d.i.c.kinson County, Iowa_, p. 80.

[252] _Frank R. Mason's Recollections_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, pp. 532, 533; Carpenter's _Spirit Lake Expedition_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 484.

[253] For an account of the discovery of the Springfield fugitives see that of _Frank R. Mason's Recollections_ in _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, pp. 532, 533.

[254] A quotation from Carpenter in Gue's _History of Iowa_, Vol. I, p. 314.

[255] _Frank R. Mason's Recollections_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 533; Smith's _A History of d.i.c.kinson County, Iowa_, p. 82.

[256] _A Paper by Charles Aldrich_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 548.

[257] _A Paper by Charles Aldrich_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 548.

[258] _Frank R. Mason's Recollections_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 533.

[259] _Address of Capt. Charles B. Richards_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 513; _Address of John N. Maxwell_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 528; Duncombe's _Spirit Lake Expedition_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, pp.

502-504.

CHAPTER XXIV

[260] _Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers_, Vol. VI, pp. 922-937; Smith's _History of d.i.c.kinson 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 d.i.c.kinson 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 route to the Mattock cabin from Howe's, H. E. Dalley is the only one who in late years has survived, and in fact he was about the only one of the Johnson party who survived the fearful storm of the fourth and was able to give a coherent tale of what they had done. The leader of the party and its second most active member both were lost in the storm. Mr. Dalley in relating the facts of the burial of Howe has always maintained that Howe's body, complete and not headless, was found but not buried at the same spot. Instead the party carried the body to the Mattock place where it was interred.

He has ever st.u.r.dily maintained that this act of the party is the most vivid recollection of the whole experience. Lieutenant Maxwell has also maintained that the body was not headless when found. There is a discrepancy between the number of bodies disinterred in the vicinity of the Mattock cabin and the number of people reported to have been killed there.

The place and conditions under which the skeleton was found also lend an air of controversy. The skeleton is said to have been found about eighteen inches deep under a cow-path and at the head of a small ravine worn back about thirty feet from the lake sh.o.r.e. In soil conditions as they exist at the lakes, such a ravine would not have been the result of years of work, as is implied, but would have been the work of a freshet. That the wearing back was the result of the work of years is implied in the statement that "Turning at the head of this recession is a cattle path." Here the inference is plain that the cattle for years had turned to avoid the ravine. Once started, the spring freshets and summer rains would have rapidly worn the ravine back to a greater distance than thirty feet. All those stating that the body was buried where found say it was buried upon the summit of a bluff. The conclusion is evident that a thirty foot backward recession of a ravine would hardly have occurred in the face of a bluff. By its finders the body is said to have been buried only about eighteen inches deep. With the eroding effects of a cattle path would it have been still that depth below the surface after a lapse of nearly a half century? One would think that such could hardly be. For discovery and interment of the remains of Joel Howe, see _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. XI, pp. 551-553.

[263] There will probably always be more or less controversy as to the number of bodies found and buried. The present writer has sought to be conservative in accepting evidence. See Smith's _A History of d.i.c.kinson County, Iowa_, pp. 88, 89; _Address of John N. Maxwell_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, pp. 539, 540; _The Narrative of W. K. Laughlin_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 543; Mrs. Sharp's _History of the Spirit Lake Ma.s.sacre_ (1902 edition), p. 74.

[264] Smith's _A History of d.i.c.kinson County, Iowa_, p. 90; _Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers_, Vol. VI, pp. 922-937.

[265] Smith's _A History of d.i.c.kinson County, Iowa_, p. 90.

[266] Smith's _A History of d.i.c.kinson County, Iowa_, pp. 91-94.

[267] _The Narrative of W. K. Laughlin_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 544.

[268] Smith's _A History of d.i.c.kinson County, Iowa_, pp. 98, 99; _Address of John N. Maxwell_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 530; _The Narrative of W. K. Laughlin_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 544.

[269] _The Spirit Lake Ma.s.sacre and Relief Expedition_ in the _Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers_, Vol. VI, pp. 995, 996; _Narrative of W.

L. Laughlin_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 544; _Address of John N. Maxwell_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 531.

[270] _Address of John N. Maxwell_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 531; _The Narrative of W. K. Laughlin_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 544.

[271] _The Narrative of W. K. Laughlin_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, pp. 544, 545.

[272] _Address of John N. Maxwell_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, pp. 531, 532; _The Narrative of W. K. Laughlin_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, pp. 544, 545; Gue's _History of Iowa_, Vol. I, p. 317.

[273] Captain Johnson had come to Bach Grove on the Boone River Troy Towns.h.i.+p, Wright County, from Pennsylvania. Mention has been made of the manner of his enlistment. Upon his failure to return, his mother disposed of the claim and returned to Pennsylvania. When the bodies were found, Angus McBane of Fort Dodge took charge of the remains and sent them to his mother for burial. The remains of Burkholder were taken charge of by his brother-in-law, Governor C. C. Carpenter. They were given a military funeral at Fort Dodge, conducted by Major Williams. All the members of Company C that could be brought together at that time attended.--_A Paper by Michael Sweeney_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 541.

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 a.s.sured him the State would pay a good price; but this was not satisfactory. We therefore decided to take one _vi et armis_, and detailed several men to kill and dress the steer. They were met by men, women and children, armed with pitchforks to resist the sacrifice, and not being able to convince them either of the necessity of the case or that they would get pay for the steer, I ordered Lieut. Stratton and a squad of men with loaded guns to go and take the steer; when ... the hostile party retired."--_Address of Capt. Charles B. Richards_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 517.

[276] Duncombe's _Spirit Lake Expedition_ in the _Proceedings of the_ _Pioneer Lawmakers' a.s.sociation of Iowa for 1898_, p. 45; _Address of Capt. Charles B. Richards_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, pp. 518, 519.

[277] Captain Richards is quoted as follows in Gue's _History of Iowa_, Vol. I, p. 318, concerning the attempt to cross at this point:--"The wind was now blowing a terrific gale and the cold was intense, so that our wet clothing was frozen stiff upon us.... When help and material for a raft came, so strong and cold was the wind, and so swift the current, filled with floating ice, that all of our efforts to build a raft failed. It was now dark and still growing colder, and the roar of the blinding storm so great that we could no longer hold communication with our companions on the other side. We were benumbed with cold, utterly exhausted, and three miles from the nearest cabin. We were powerless to aid our comrades, and could only try to save ourselves. It was a terrible walk in the face of the terrific blizzard, our clothes frozen, our feet freezing, and our strength gone."

[278] _Address of Ex-Governor Carpenter_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, pp. 486, 487.

[279] Hoover's _The Tragedy of Okoboji_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. V, p. 24.

[280] _Frank R. Mason's Recollections_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 535.

[281] _Address of Ex-Governor Carpenter_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 487.

[282] _Frank R. Mason's Recollections_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, pp. 535, 536.

[283] _Letter from Mrs. Collins_ in the _Annals of Iowa_ (Third Series), Vol. III, p. 549.

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 Ma.s.sacre_ (1902 edition), p. 150.

[286] Mrs. Sharp's _History of the Spirit Lake Ma.s.sacre_ (1902 edition), pp. 151-156, 168.

[287] Mrs. Sharp's _History of the Spirit Lake Ma.s.sacre_ (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 first studied it. See Hodge's _Handbook of American Indians_, Vol. I, pp. 217-219.

[288] Mrs. Sharp's _History of the Spirit Lake Ma.s.sacre_ (1902 edition), pp. 152, 153.

[289] Mrs. Sharp's _History of the Spirit Lake Ma.s.sacre_ (1902 edition), p. 172.

[290] Robinson's _A History of the Dakota or Sioux Indians_ in the _South Dakota Historical Collections_, Vol. II, p. 237.

[291] Gue's _History of Iowa_, Vol. I, p. 322; Mrs. Sharp's _History of the Spirit Lake Ma.s.sacre_ (1902 edition), p. 175.

[292] Gue's _History of Iowa_, Vol. I, p. 323; Robinson's _A History of the Dakota or Sioux Indians_ in the _South Dakota Historical Collections_, Vol. II, p. 237; Mrs. Sharp's _History of the Spirit Lake Ma.s.sacre_ (1902 edition), pp. 175, 176.