The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1857-06-20

both eyes. as he said to me, sshuCk your
SELF Wewurn't long sheddin' our super
Huous kiverin,' and at il we went. Nip and
tuck, up and down, rough and tunble, We
had it; bitin', and gougin'. ! tell you, Il
wur an awful scrimmage, and we both fcu't
beautiful. But it wurn't no use, 1ndl
might as well acknowledge the corn. ss
0Lige Simmons wur the best man; and
when he got to goin' into my stanick with
his meat t-maulers, had to blate out. and
Ben wurn't long in shown of the sLittle
Pike from that port, and l've never landed
there since.
eyes, stranger, Mudyille is what call q
snortin' place, with the, biggest eddy and
the meanest whiskey ever run inter; and
sLige Simmonsi is the fghtinest feller ever
met, which is sayin' durnad sight" M
y From the st. Paul Pioneer and Democrat, Nay u.
THE RESCUE or MRS. MARBLE.
Hon. Chas. E. Flandrau, Agent for the
Sioux Of the Mississippi, arrived in this city,
last evening, from the Sioux Agency, on the
Steamer Minnesota, accompanied by Mrs.
Margaret Ann Marble, one Of the women
taken prisoner by the Indians at Spirit Lake,
Iowa, in March lost, and whose release from
captivity has been briefly noted in our pa
per. From MIR. Flandrau we learn some
interesting facts, connected with the captiyi-
ty of Mrs. Marble, and her associates.
I Mrs. Marble states that on the 18th OF
March last, a party of Indians came to the
residence Of her husband at Spirit Lake,
Iowa, murdered him, and took her of as q
prisoner to their camp, in the vicinity Of the
Lake. At the camp, she found a Mrs.
Thatcher, Mrs. Noble and Miss Gardi-
ner, all Of whom had been taken prisoner by
the Indians, in their attack on the settlers
at the Lake. Mrs. Thatcher's husband had
escaped being killed, by temporary abb
sence from home, as we believe, had Mrs.
Mobiles, but the entire family Of Miss Gar
diner had been murdered.
The Indians broke up their camp at Spirit
Lake Immediately, and proceeded to Heron
Lake, distant about twenty five miles, where
they encamped and left their squaws and
prisoners, and started on an expedition.
Mrs. Marble, supposes to the Des Moines,
at Springfield, where they committed other
murders. They returned TO the camp at
Heron Lake, in about ten days, with a large
lot Of powder, dry-goods, guns, horses, &C.,
all of which, had probably been secured in
their attack on Springfield. On the next day
after their return, the Indians broke up their
camp and started westward. They were on
the march every day for upwards of month
and only rested at Skunk Lake, west Of the
Big Sioux river, and about one hundred
and twenty-five miles northwest of Spirit
Lake. Mrs. Marble estimated the distance
travelled at four to FIVE hundred miles, prob-'
ably owing to the torturous course pursued
by the Indians to avoid pursuit. She thinks
they arrived at Skunk Lake about the first
of May. Here they remained FIVE days,
when the fortunate circumstances transplr-
ed which resulted in the release Of Mrs.
Marble from captivity.
In relation to the trials and sufferings of
the unfortunate females, during the journey
to Skunk Lake, Mrs. Marbles narrative is
deeply interesting, and calculated to thrill
the heart of the most Indifferent, with feel
ings of horror, Indignation, and desire of
justice, if not revenge upon the cowardly
murderers.
Immediately on starting from Heron Lake,
Mrs. Marble states that herself and associ-
ates, were forced to carry packs, and per-
form the degrading and menial services in
the camp. She says the pack she was COM
PEELED to carry, consisted of two bags of
Shot, each weighing twenty-five pounds, and
lot Of camp furniture, increasing the
weight Of the pack to one hundred pounds.
on the top Of this heavy load, which this
weak, in-used and distracted waman was
forced to carry was placed the additional
weight of an Indian urchin of some three
years Of age. The snow was very deep; the
prisoners were but thinly clad, and, most Of
this time, suffering from hunger. The warm
clothing they had on them when they were
made prisoners, was taken from them by
the squaws, and in it's place, they received
but scanty supply, ill-suited to the wealth
er, and the exposure they were forced to un-
dergo. At times, the unfortunate captive
would fall to the ground, exhausted and ut
terly unable to proceed further. Then, the
inhuman wretches would place the muzzle
of loaded gun at her head, and threaten
her with instant death unless she would i'm
medately continue her weary march
| When horse stolen at the settlement would
die, or would be killed by the Indians for
food, the prisoners would be allowed to re-
cruit their exhausted strength, by a sapply
of horse flesh, but with these exceptions,
they suffered greatly from want of food,
and were glad to snatch up the bones thrown
down by the Indians, after their repast.-
Mrs. Marble states that they were often
forced to eat the wing feathers, plucked
from the ducks shot by the Indians, and
shrivelled before the fire, to save themselves
from starvation.
When the Indians would encamp for the
night, the captives were compelled to carry
wood and water, and build fires, put up the
tepees, &c. They were however, never al
| l.. a. a.
naturally rebelled at the treatment they re-
ceived, but the Indians beat them with clubs,
into submission to their orders. Mrs. Mar
BILE states that she soon discovered that the
only way to secure herself from i'll treatment,
was to perform the duties assigned her with
cheerfulness and alacrity. Herself, Mrs.
Noble and Miss Gardiner pursued this course
and We're treated more kindly than their as
sociate Mrs. Thatcher VINO was in delicate
health. and utterly unable to do the amour,
of work required of her. This lead to a
most tragic and horrible occurrence, wher
the party crossed the Big Sioux.
They arrived at this stream about fifteen
days after leaving Heron Lake. The Indian,
cut down several trees on each side of tht
river and thus made bridge across it,
When Mrs. Thatcher attempted to cross it
she was thrown into the river; she succeed.
ed in swimming to within short distanc,
of the opposite side, when one Of the indiana
deliberately shot her through the head, kill.
ing her instantly. The body Of the unfor.
tunate woman was left floating in the stream
Her death was hailed by the Indian women
with loud shouts Of joy and exultation. Tn,
feelings of the surviving prisoners, at thi
horrible murder, cannot be imagined. The,
beheld in Mrs. Thatcher's DEATH, the fat,
reserved for them, when overpowered by ia
tigue, they would be unable to proceed.
About five days after the party reached
Skunk Lake, two Lac-qui-P Parle Indians, o,
their spring hunt, made their appearance a
the camp Of nk-pa-du-tah's band. The,
were well received by the chief and his fol
lowers. A feast followed, at which the In
dams related their exploits al Spirit Lake
boasted of the murders they had committed
! the goods they had stolen, &c.
, The Lac-qui-Parle Indians remained il
the camp all night keeping very sharl
} look out, they informed Mr. Flandrau, OF
the movements Of pa.du-tah, who, the.
annrehnnded. wonld attemnt yiolence. 5T'h