# History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/1/25

| MAJ. WILLIAM WILLIAMS | CAPT. C. B. RICHARDS Officer of the Relief Expedition of 1857 | CAPT. J. F. DUNCOMBE |
​THE news of the massacre at the lakes was carried to Fort Dodge by O. C. Howe, R. U. Wheelock and B. F. Parmenter, of Jasper County, who had taken claims the fall before at Spirit Lake. They started for the lakes early in March, and reached the Thatcher cabin at midnight on the 15th. No one could be aroused to let them in, but upon opening the door they came upon the lifeless bodies of Noble and Ryan. Horror-stricken by the sight, they next approached the house of Mr. Howe and there found the mutilated bodies of seven women and children. They now realized that the Indians had probably exterminated the entire settlement, and hastened back to Fort Dodge, reaching there on the 22d.
The terrible news aroused the people in every direction. Prompt steps were taken to send a relief expedition at once to the lakes. Major William Williams issued a call for volunteers, and in three days one hundred men were enlisted. They were organized into three companies—Company “A,” of Fort Dodge, C. B. Richards, captain; Company “C” of Fort Dodge, and vicinity, John F. Duncombe, captain; Company “D” of Webster City, J. C. Johnson, captain. So intense was the excitement and desire to overtake and punish the savages, that the little army started out in haste, poorly equipped for a long winter march over unsettled prairies. The winter, which had been the severest on record, was still unbroken.
The snow storms had continued for months, filling sloughs and ravines in many places to a depth of from six to fifteen feet. But few tents could be procured and the blankets, clothing and provisions that were hastily collected were insufficient for such an expedition. Major Williams, the commander, was a vigorous man but he was ​sixty-two years of age. He had been commissioned by Governor Grimes two years before to act upon his own judgment in any trouble with the Indians. News of the outrages perpetrated along the Little Sioux some time before had reached Fort Dodge and the people were not wholly unprepared for tidings of further depredations. Howe, Parmenter and Wheelock joined the expedition at Fort Dodge; J. M. Thatcher, at the Irish colony, Morris Markham, John Bradshaw and Jareb Palmer turned back with it, after conducting the Springfield refugees to safety. A hard crust on the snow rendered the march slow and difficult, as it was not sufficiently hard to bear the weight of a man. At the close of the second day the party camped at Dakota, in Humboldt County, but eighteen miles from Fort Dodge. From this place onward the obstructions, hardships and sufferings increased. In many places the ravines they had to cross were filled with snow in depth of from ten to twenty feet, in which the teams were helpless. Long ropes had to be fastened to the floundering horses and they were pulled through by the men one at a time. The loaded wagons were drawn through in a similar manner. Sometimes it required the entire brigade to haul one loaded wagon through the immense drifts. Often the men were compelled to wade two abreast in long lines, up to their waists in snow, to break a road for the teams and wagons.
On the third night the expedition was obliged to camp on the unsheltered prairie in the deep snow, without fuel, with a bleak northwest wind sweeping down upon the exhausted men. They made a supper of crackers and raw pork, chained the oxen to the wagons, which were arranged close together to break the wind, while the men crowded together on their beds of snow, to keep from freezing. The next day was a renewal of the hardships until night, when they were able to reach the shelter of McKnight’s Grove, where they found plenty of fuel to cook their food and cabins in which to sleep.
​On the morning of the 28th, after roll call, Major Williams made a brief address to his men, alluding to the hardships encountered and complaints of some of the faint-hearted. He told them plainly that greater sufferings were ahead of them and if any lacked the courage or endurance to encounter them, now was the time to say so and return to their homes. Nine men turned their steps homeward, leaving the command with weakened ranks to face the dangers ahead. No record has been kept of the names of these deserters.
On the 29th, the little army reached the Irish colony, near where Emmetsburg now stands and exchanged some of their worn out teams for fresh animals. They were also reënforced by several young men, bringing the number of the command up to one hundred and twenty-five. Dr. Strong, who had deserted his wife and child, was found here, but could not be persuaded to join the Relief Expedition. Major Williams knew that another day’s march might bring them within reach of the Indians, and so sent a company of nine picked men in advance as scouts. They were C. C. Carpenter. Frank K. Mason, J. M. Thatcher, W. L. Church, Wm. K. Laughlin, A. N. Hathaway, Wm. Defore and A. H. Johnson, under command of Lieutenant J. N. Maxwell. They carried corn bread to last three days. This was the 30th of March, and traveling northward about twelve miles, by noon, upon reaching an elevation, one of the company shouted “Indians!” Far away could be seen a party twice as large as their own, slowly advancing. Lieutenant Maxwell quickly formed his men in line for the attack, and followed a high ridge to keep in sight of the enemy, as the approaching party was seen to be preparing for battle. Coming nearer, Mr. Church, who was in advance, suddenly dropped his gun, sprang forward, exclaiming, “My God! there’s my wife and babies!”
Governor Carpenter, years after, thus described the scene which followed:
On the 31st the expedition pushed northward, finding frequent indications of Indians, until it reached the Granger house, on the west fork of the Des Moines River, near the Minnesota line. Here Major Williams learned that a company of soldiers from Fort Ridgely was at Springfield for the protection of settlers, and that the Indians had moved on westward. Learning that those murdered at the lakes were unburied, Major Williams called for volunteers to go to the lakes and bury the mutilated bodies. Captain J. C. Johnson, Lieutenant J. N. Maxwell, and Privates W. E. Burkholder, Henry Carse, W. N. Ford, J. H. Dailey, O. C. Howe, Geo. P. Smith, O. C. Spencer, S. Van Cleve, C. Stebbins, R. U. Wheelock, R. A. Smith, B. F. Parmenter, Jesse Addington, R. McCormack, J. M. Thatcher, W. R. Wilson, James Murray, A. E. Burtch, W. K. Laughlin, E. D. Kellogg and John Dailey promptly ​stepped forward and volunteered to go on the perilous mission. On the morning of the 2d of April, the command separated, the main body under Major Williams turned back to the Irish colony, while Captain Johnson’s party started for the lakes. They reached East Okoboji about two o’clock, guided by Thatcher to his own cabin. A horrible sight confronted him. His home was in ruins, and lying in the yard were the dead bodies of his friends, Noble and Ryan, as they had fallen three weeks before, when surprised and shot down by the treacherous Sioux. Inside of the cabin nothing was left but the ghastly forms of the two little children who had been snatched from the arms of their terrified mothers, Mrs. Thatcher and Mrs. Noble. The fate of the two young mothers who were dragged off by the Indians was then unknown. From cabin to cabin, all through the settlement the company went, burying the dead, until all were laid beneath the snow-covered ground.
Not a living person of the entire colony was found. Mr. Marble’s body had been buried by the soldiers from Fort Bidgely. The body of young Dr. Herriott was found near Mattocks’ cabin, with his right hand still grasping his broken rifle, the barrel empty, where he had fallen in a hand-to-hand struggle with the Indians, bravely defending his neighbors. The bodies of Luce and Clark were not found until some weeks later, near the outlet of the lake. Their sad mission ended, the burial party started on the 4th of April on their homeward march, their provisions entirely consumed.
The weather was warm and the melting snow filled the sloughs with water, in many places waist deep, through which the men had to wade, wetting their clothing to the shoulders. About four o’clock the wind, which had been in the south, suddenly changed to the northwest and in half an hour a howling blizzard was sweeping down upon them. Their clothes were soon frozen stiff. Some of the party had taken their boots off to wade the sloughs, and ​others had cut holes in them to let the water out. Many had their boots frozen before they could put them on and were compelled to walk on through the snow and freezing water in their stockings, which were soon worn out.
As night came on the piercing winds nearly chilled them to death. They dare not lie down in the snow for it was only by violent exercise that they were able to keep warmth and life in their stiffening limbs and bodies. They separated into two companies, one led by Captain Johnson, the other by Lieutenant Maxwell. They dare not go on in the blinding storm and darkness, fearing to lose their way, so all that long fearful night, they tramped back and forth in a desperate effort to save themselves from freezing. Often the weaker ones would fall down benumbed in the drifting snow and the stronger comrades would lift them up and force them to keep moving.
In the morning, says Lieutenant Maxwell:
As soon as the fire was well started, Maxwell and Laughlin, who were the strongest of the party, determined to cross the river and go to the Irish colony for help. They reached the settlement and sent assistance to their comrades, who were brought in badly frozen but alive. Major Williams gives the following account of the sad fate of Captain J. C. Johnson and Wm. E. Burkholder:
Eleven years after two skeletons were found near where they were last seen and identified by the guns and powder flasks lying by them as the remains of Johnson and Burkholder.
The main body of the expedition which had gone back to the Irish colony experienced no trouble until near night of the second day’s march. Having a very small supply of provisions they were put upon short allowance. The water in the river was now very high and the melting snow was filling the creeks and sloughs. When the command reached Cylinder Creek, late in the afternoon of April 4th, it had overflowed its banks and had spread out over the valley a mile in width and twelve feet deep, with a strong current in the channel. All efforts to find a place where it could be crossed failed. The wind had now suddenly changed to the northwest and it was rapidly growing cold. Captains Richards and Buncombe saw serious work and danger before them and sent Major Williams and Mr. Dawson (both of whom were old men) back to the settlement, while they sought for a way to get the men across the flooded stream. An effort was made to convert the ​wagon box into a raft on which to cross and with a long rope establish a ferry. But the raft was swamped as its four occupants reached the opposite shore and the rope was lost. A messenger was sent to the nearest house for help and material for a raft. Captain Richards says:
Governor Carpenter tells how they managed to save themselves.
Lieutenant Mason says:
The command now broke up into small parties and spread out over a wide range of country. In no other way could they find food in the scanty supply the few settlers had who lived along the river. The sufferings of some of the small parties reached the last degree of endurance as they traveled on homeward. But for the help of the settlers many must have perished. All at last reached their homes, however, except Johnson and Burkholder, though many were severely frozen.
​Captain Buncombe, in writing of this relief expedition thirty years afterward, says: