The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1848-12-28
DAVENPORT, SCOTT IOWA, THURSDAY

ing. and would go in larger parties
We accordingly returned; found tho 9th
ers had got in before US, but no traces %
the lost ones had been discovered. Fire,
were now kindled upon all the knol!s rount
about the house, and little after night
about twenty men joined us. The new.
had gone out through tho ncighborins
towns: and they oil turned out. every mar
with his bag Of provisions and his gun, de
iermincd, they said, to find them dead OF
alive.
IN the course Of the night, about thirty
more arrived, 80 that hy morning We mus
tered between fifty and sixty men. Nv
hopes nf finding them alive were gct,in1
very feeble, yc, spent tho nigh, in pray.
ing: % Lord save my poor little children.
The suilrrings Of my wife during that long
long, dark night. wcro awful, and may moi
be described. She sat in the door watch
ing for the first dawn of day, aud when she
saw the light, she lcared for JOY. as if the
day would bring back her lost Infants
'Ah! it has been long night! she said
| ',he longest and darkest that ever saw
Poor little Nelly--poor little jamie where
have YOU been al! the night? Why don't
YOU come TO your own mother, who has
watched all the night long COR Your com
ing?'
i thought my cup OF ntiliction was nl.
ready full, but ! now saw that mere might
he added. Twas afraid my vile was about
to lose her reason. On being pressed u
go and take little rest, she sazed on me
for moment and replied
Yes, John, | will rest. will try Il
give them up into tho hands oi God
Il ieii relieved; she promised To- 90 TO bed
and we all prepared to renew the search
AZ we were about 10 start, tho Squire
made his appearance, aud IN his back n
small kog Of whiskcy; DC said he h.d been
from home until late last night. or he
should have come sooner to onr assistance.
lie then drew some Of tho spirits, aud Of
lercd il To me.
NO. said l: esquire. have drank my
last glass, md j, Inns been ppid for By the
life OF my two lovely children
'What do you meant said the Squire
q don't understand you.'
'Wcll,' said !, III Ind not tarricd SIX
hours III your grindstone, as wc,.t out {,
mill should have 60, hume the same day
and my children would have all been here
this morning Yes, sir, have paid a fear
full price for nv las, glass either you or
are their mnrdercrs.
Il was sorry said quite so much to the
Squire, but felt all TINT said.
Some of the me n took little Of the spir
il, and o,ir plan Of operation being settled
we divided into two lines, extending from
the fields u the brook, one line moving
west, the other east. every man kecpin.
within few rods Of Eis right hand man
and in this order the whole line moved for
ward, making careful examination NJ The,
progressed. That day passed away like
the former; no gun was fired. no traces
found. At nieht We again met at the
house, tired and hopeless. Over ten miles
from cnst T. west, had been so closely cx.
amincd, Tint no living thing. the size Of d
wnod.chnck. could have escaped detection
The men Looked exhausted mud sad. All
hopes Of iining them nlivc had now fed
and hut little if any hnpcs remained, q
finding their bodies. Some seemed q
think any farther effort useless. Thought
so myself. aud vet trcmbled, lest they
should abandon the search. went into
the house, while The ,nen kindod their fires
and prepared 10 cock their supper. found
mv poor wife much calnlcr lhan when We
lett in tho morning. She said she was
sure TINT God would do right.
Our friend the Doctor. gave us all tho
consolation no could told Us how long n
person could live without food, and insist.
ed that there was still hope.
'Ifnny spark Of hope remained in our
hearts it had completely died away By
morning. Tint nigh, abont eleven o'clock,
some flashes of lightning were seen in the
south, aud in less ,han an hour mos, lear.
fiil thunder storm ragged nround us. Rain
fell in torrents. the wind blew with des,ruc.
tive violence. The crashing Of trees. torn
up by the roots, Or twisting, splitting md
swapping like reeds, seemed louder and
more dreadful than the roaring Of the thun-
der, or the Kissing flash Of the lightning.
! really thought could sec the huge md
broken limbs Of the falling trees mangling
the dead or dying bodies Of my helpless IN
fants. have seen no thunder storm like
tbat since. The morning at las. came; It
was mild and beautiful; tho sun rose with.
out cloud, and the men though much OK
posed 70 the violence Of the storm, during
It's continuance, had early re-kindlcd their
fires, cooking their breakfast, and were
preparing for another's DAYS search. The
plan was changed, and they went out in
two's snd tbree's, wherever each party
should think best; tho signals, however,
were to remnin the same as agreed on ut
first. This day, for the first time, beenn