The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-05-06
|, of Mr.. Thomas aged about twelve

reached Springfield. The Indians being
advised of their approach fled towards
the Missouri. The government troops
did not march in pursuit until the Sun
day morning following, and having come
within half a days march of the sava-
ges, as indicated by their camp fires,
were ordered back. It is said though
short of provision, the soldiers were will
ling to 90 on with half allowance, but
their gallant leader declined the gcuer-
Gus offer, concurring in the trite axiom,
that prudence is the better part of val
or. Great fault has been found with
this gentleman, blu, not being duly ad-
vised of his military movements and the
propriety of his conduct on the occasion
we must withhold censure, leaving it to
the scrutiny of the proper tribunal, and
should he escape with credit to himself.
it is certain he need not regard any fault
finding from US or others.
1t was found the Indians had con-
structeu fourteen large tepees, and from
all sources Of iuformtion, it is believed
there were some two hundred warriors
collected in Southern Minnesota, and
that it was their intention to attack in
turn all the settlements on the Des
Moincs river as far down as this
place.
The Indians having fed, nothing
remained for our relief party, ex&Pt
the solemn duty of consigning to their
last resting place, the bodies of the muir
dered5dead, d company of twenty-thEee
left the main body, for that purpose
1t may be proper to remark in this con
-z.Yo, .hoE n Iato chnanf IF S0no ten
of the troops sent over to Spirit Lake
on the 9th or 2Sth of March, buried
one body and returned, leaving twenty
nine unburied. Those buried by our
party we're A. Noble, wife and child, Il.
Ryan, Mrs. Joel Howe and five children,
child of S. NJ. Thatchel, man unknown,
found at Grauger's and supposed to have
been one of that name, w. w. Mattock.
wife and four children, eldest IA years
old, Robt. Clark, of Waterloo, in this
State, j. II. Harriet. Jos. Harshman,
chopper, supposed by some to be
one of Changers mon, namo unknown,
Rowland Gardner, wife and child IL
wears old, Mrs. Mary (wife of Harvey
| Luce, Albert and Amanda Luce.
There calmly let them rest. From
ilTlerlNS anu kluureH, "iu ~
tude, by stranger hands were the mother
aud the child committed to their last
resting place, aud many a heart in an
euish bied, and many an eye with tear
drops wept their fate, by death untime-
" sealed. The bones of two men par
TALLY consumed by fire, were found in
the ruins of Matteck's house.
Among the missing were Mrs. Thatoh'
err, Jos. Howes, Sardis Howes, daugh'
ter of 7. Howes, aged ID, three children
of Mattock's, Harvey Luce, and Ablga'
Gardner, four of whom ARE known &c
have been taken captive by the Indians
There were may circumstances. prov
ing that tbs settlers at Spirit Lake madC
a determined resistance, and, at thu
same time, even more than savage bar
barity prevailed on the part of their as
sailants. All bore marks of having re
ceivtd from two TO four death shots anC
even aftrr life had fed tho marks of vi
olence upon their ~lifeless bodies only at
tested the ieud like spirit of their muir
dere-s. Heads partially split open, OF
ten severed in twain and from the body
AID limbs mutilatcd, were cVeryyher
exhibited
} Not content with the destruction @
human life, everything fell beneath thei
fury, ard our party counted betweeI
!, forty and fifty cattle killed, and for tn
i most part cut to pieces. All kinds o
6 personal property were either take
! away OIL. broken to pieces. Their inten
: to destr7 the settlement was fully accom-
plished.
Too much credit cannot be AWARDED
to the generous souls who voluntcere
: ~.relief. All ale justly entitled to tn
highest ard equal praise, Few ca.
form the least idea ofthc privatious an
tolls they endured, many days being IN
able to march over I've or six miles, an
r frequently being compelled to swim th
t swollen streams and in their wet clothing
4 of en- without food, slept on the col
ground on the open prairie, and in al
e respects endured hardships and danger
j which none but the most resolute woul
, dare to undertake.
The members of the Irish settlemen
G in Palo Alto county, have received an,
doubtless justly merit, the warmes
+ thanks ior their generous hospitnlit
/ shown or party of relief. Everythini
in their power to do was done, and til
world renowned hospitality of the Emer
AID Isle found in them additional proof
: of their we'll earned reputation.
Captain J. G. Johnson, of Compan,
. c., of Webster city, and William Burk
holder, Esq, of Company A, volun
teered to go with those who went from
: Grauger's claim, twelve miles east O
Spirit Lake, to the latter place, for tn
! purpose of assisting in burning the dead
After performing that duty, they at
tempted to return, but disagreeing wit
the other men in relation to the prope
route home, parted company, since whic
nothing has been heard from them
Their boots had been frozen 50 hard a
night hat they could not get them or
and they were last observed tearing u
their blankets and binding them upo
9 their feet. Burkholder has been elect
/, ed county Recorder during his absence
i Both arc noble fellows, and we yet hop
g and believe they will return. A ma
I named Carse, also one of the Lake de
o tachment, was at the Colony, exhauste'
g with fatigue, and somewhat frost bitten
+ He is where good caro- will be taken c
9 him, and he will no doubt soon return
fully recovered.
I ST.. LOUIS, May lst.-The Democra
: has advices from Fort Des Moines, Iowa
to the 9th ult., stating that from so