Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1852-06-09

80. 49, - 44W1Dyt~eet yuGIutty. Ou tue 1Utu
- 5d m. Hd6e, partner Of mine. started
10 Scott river 10 get some groceries that we
stood in need Of. distance Of II miles. Some
FIVE miles from where live there is large val
ley inhabited by Indians who have been com.
mitting depredations on the whites from time
to time. On the morning Of the l,th the Indi-
ans began to make strange maneuvres, and
feeling uneasy about VIM. Luce. D. Luce and
myself, in the afternoon set out to meet him.
but edid not meet him til We got to the place
where he had been detained on business, where
we stayed over night and started early on the
morning of the 18th for home keeping good
look out for Indians. On the road, Just above
some Indian houses we met some squaws with
baskets on their backs, crying They told US
some white men had been there that morning
and killed their men. Suspecting all was not
right We did not go by the houses but went a
short distance around them. When We got
home we learned the story. which is as follows.
The miners having heard of threats made by
the Indians, assembled their forces and at the
dawn of day, on the l2 h. and made a regular
attack. The whites were twenty two In num-
Der; they divided into two companies, fourteen
in one company and eight in the other. one
company on each side of the river On the
north side of the river they completely surpr-
sed the Indians and killed every man they al
so killed three squaws by accident and one on
purpose. The men would not come out Of their
houses to fight, hut kept their arrows flying in
all directions; this sqnaw kept picking up the
arrows and throwing them in ,he-houses. and
telling the Indians where the,yhaes stoodvand
they told her if she did not leave they would
shoot her: she did not pretend to hear, till she
heard her last. When the arrows ceased to fly
from the houses the whites made charge to
enter but were driven back with enc man Sc.
verely wounded by an arrow that entered his
left breast as he stood stopped looking in at the
door Of one Of the houses. The arrow passed
bdow three Of his ribs and entered his inside
.he pulled out the arrow leaving the dart in the
wound He was put to one side and the whites
proceeded more carefully. They made the
chiefs daughter set the houses on fire, which
being of pine were soon in blaze. Nowihe
scene became horrid, the squaws screamed and
the children cried. but in vain, the work ol
death was soon over. The Indians stood the
fire pretty well nrtil the roofs began to fall in
then one who seemed ready to die to save the
rest rushed out. and as he came out he shouted
'shoot'to the whites. His order was but too soon
ohcyed for him, for in the twin king of an eye
thirteen balls entered his body The rest OF
Indians thinking the guns of the whites empty
rushed to make their escape. but to their sur.
prise. when they ran out of the sitting smoke
and falling Goals. the whites drew their six
shooters and dropped them as fast as they came
but it was soon over, the last that came out was
partly baked by the fire Two men We're burn
ed up in the houses and also one child. One
more white man was slightly wounded in the
thigh. The other company Of eight men were
not SO successful in surprising the Indrn> on
the south side Of the river. as they were rathe,
too late. The Indians hearing the fight going
on up the other side of the river, three Went
over lhe river in a canoe, and the res,
seeing the whites broke to run. The whit es
fred at them and shot one that jumped in tb.
riverand lie never came up. Several more wer.
..auiy wounded and the rest, being but very
few. escaped. Two out Of the three that cross
ed in the canoe We're wounded but escaped fol
the time. and the whites then left the horrid
scene. There We're .ixteen indians killed and
burnt to death. 1t was cold morning for this
country, the mountains covered deep and ever
the low hills were white with snow: a cold
nosthwest breeze came rough and strong from
the dark waves of the Pacific thin clouds few
swiftly over the taps Of the mountains. sitting
nc q finea; but the wind died
sun. The white nser
Aas home in : canoe