Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1857-04-29
EIGHTEENTH Y EA II,

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ahd Uis1saEgs 80 sSSSs ~ sdssasss8 gssss
We hsse had, for several weeks past, srume
! LEI sfrnIpgs d seiticneul and tndrderings
settlers ia Aorshern and North western Iowa,
the Indiass, bat nothing sde6siis, and re,iah
has come before the pubEc. until tbs followi,
ofscial communication from. MAJOR Wil!isfisa
Gosernor Grimea, which We are permitted
copy. u will be seen that accounts alreas
published have fallen shortof the reality, whit
isOf the most startling character. somethir
should be done for the protection OF fronti
settlements from future depredations, and he
sayAgcs should be chastised for this tcrrib
tforas ss 49,. -
!, Hosr DoDoE, Iowa,
!. lea4ss, se April, II, ST.
70 NJ Eaerllrscr, ',l'ss Fl S.
ID Es w CRIMES, d. ..sl 1. .Ss
Gorernor Of the State Of .lora. 81
4 ssia - 4.
4 Being called upon BY the frontier settle,
! for aid In checking the horrible outrages con
/ hitting upon the citizens living on the aLittl
Sioux River, in Clay County, ii the Spirit LAX
Settlements, and in Emmett County, by the siou
Indians, by authority you vested in me, raise
and organized aud armed three companies Of n
men each, which we're as we proceeded increas
i ed to over 80 men each. We took up our lin
of march on the 25th Of March, and proceede,
up the west branch Of the Des Mones River I,
intercept the sayages, who, report said, were
| about to sweep all the settlements on that river
BY forced marches through snow banks from II
TO 20 feet deep, and swollen streams, We forced
our way up to the State line, where we learned
the Indians were embodied or 900 strong a,
Spirit Lake and Big Island groves. Never was
harder service rendered by any body of men
than by those Ito men under my command.
Wehad to ford streams breast deep every few
miles, and at all snow banks or drifts had to
shovel roads and draw our wagons through by
hand with tug ropes also the oxen and horses,
All were wet all day up to the middle at least,
nd lay out on the open prairies at night with
out tents or other covering than q blanket or
Buffalo robe. sssa ess
About so miles up we met those WHO had es-
capped the massacre at Springfield, composed Of
three men unhart, two wounded, and one fe-
male wounded and several women and children,
in allnambering some Is or 90 persons. They
had escaped in the night, carrying nothing with
them but what they had on when they were at
tacked-had nothing to eat for two days andone
night. They were about exhausted and the In.
dams on their trail pursuing them Had not our
scouts discovered them aud reported, there can
be no doubt but that they all would have been
murdered that night. Wefound them in a mis-
cradle condition, destitute Of every thing like
clio hing and food, three Of them badly wound
ed and several Of the women without bonnets or
shoes. They had nothing on them but what
shey had the night they fed The poor wome n
wading breast deep through snow and water and
carrying their crying children. -s 7W 3,
We halted at small Lake that furnished suf
fcient timber to make fires and warm them
furnished them with provisions and gave them
blankets to shield them from the severe wealth
or, aud gave them all the relief iii our power.
Our surgeon dressed the wounds of the wound
ed, whose wounds were in bad condition. We
encamped there with them that night, posting
sentinels and pickets, expecting to be attacked.
Next morning we sent them on with our scout
to what is known as the Irish settlement, to re-
main until we returned, the settlers above that
led themselves at that place where they were
| engaged in building Block House. We pro-
ceeded on our march, throwing out in advance
some 80 scouts accommodating and examining
every point where the enemy might possibly be
found-every point of timber, lake and stream
was closely examined, and found very fresh ira
ccs of the Indians throughout the day. From
these tracks and trails they had all taken their
course for Spirit Lake, or in that direction. BY
forced marches VIC reached the State line, near
Springfield, and encamped about shutdown on
| the margin of q grove--detailed so men, arme i
with rifles and six.shooters, with orders to cook
their suppers and supply themselves with cold
rAtions, each company their own, and be ready
TO march all night, in two divisions of 80 men
zach, and surprise the Indians before daylight
aext morning. Furnished them with guides,
as the information we had just received was
that the Indians were embodied at or near the
trading house of a half-breed by the name o.
| Caboo.
/ We proceeded with great hopes Of overtakins
Aud giving good account of them; butt ou'
great modification, we found they had all flee
upon the approach Of so regulars from Fl Ridge
| ley. Woods l. Caboo, traders, gave them tht
information that the troops were coming, an,
whose movements they sent their runners t.
watch. Had they not sent to Ridgeley TO
troops We would most certainly have oyertakel
them. sg 5ohi na
The conduct Of the troops from Fort Ridgele,
IL hard to be accounted for. On Thursday, thu
27th Of March, the Indians attacked Springfield
and ueighborhood. The citizens defended them
selves as well as they could. The battle an
pillaging lasted until nightiall, when the Indian
withdrew. On Friday in the afternoon the troop
from Ridsely arrived all well mounted on mule;
Those troops lay atSpriug6eld, ~, day Saturday
and assisted in burying some ofthe dead. Thei
. officers counselted with! the hali-breed, Gabot
who was the only one left unharmed, and know
to be acting with unidentified with the Indian
and whose squaw Che is married to squaw wa
4 at that time wearing the shawl Of Mrs. Churc
with other articles taken from the citizens. Sa
lofficers lay over from Friday evening till Sunda
morning without pursuing or making any efo
: to, overtake the Indians, who, they must ha'
a known, had taken off four white women as pris
II On Sunday morning he set out on theirtra
and followed them half the day, finding The
3 camp.6res--overtakingt three or four stragglil
! squaws, let them gc--and finding al kinda
! 4 goods thrown and strewed along their trail
!. tighten their loads and expedite their fight.
e When he could not have bcen over half . da
he march of them, he stopped and returned :
s same evening SUNDAY to Spring field VII
he orderedthe men 70 return they expressed
be wish to, follow on. and said they would put
- with half rations if he would allow Of it.
- r,ofy was he had no orders ia follow them