Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1857-04-29
~. bars completely demoitahed ever,

got iuf0 stne en0nseA: 1Ar0u&nf pc01eeeaOna!
! friendship, and vita ssTash seised the ines 81
5 srms, taking the people br surprise, attackf'
b In ssch = swsy. shss one family could not be
0 the oshss;Gali astscked simulsaneously, robt,
! them 81 every thing, snd le.t them helpless
, the n,idst ~of cold weather and deep siaows.:
They did not eommence to kill the settlers vi
/ I'll they reached Dickinson county. There
lSpiri. Lake appears that the settlers had fs
, pared 70, deicDd themselves, as wen as TIE
could, and from all appearances they iougl
bravely for their families. The settlers at Spir
I Lake numbered over forty souls, not one 4
whom is left % tell The tale. Finding tha. til,
troops from Fort Ridgely had not buried Ii
dead, detailed 25 men TO proceed is miles 4
the lake, aud reconnoitre that district, and !
no Indians we're discovered, TO inter the deaf
as. an act of humanity. Guides were procured
4 and they set out under the command of Cap
Johnston and Lieut.. Maxwell Of Company c
They could find no Indians, found their encamr
ment, aud a dreadful destruction of property
They performed the sad duty of interring tn
dead 80 far as they could 6nd any. They fount
and buried 90 bodies-found the skulls. and
bones of two who we're burned in the ruins o
q honse, which, with the one buried BY til,
/ troops from Ridgeiy, made in all SO dead fount
at Spirit lake. killed at Springfield, and 1:
missing at the Lakes, certainly killed-it i.
supposed they are lying off at distance, killed
in attempting to eseape-some two or three
were found who had been shot in attempting to
escape, four of their women taken of as pris
| oners, and three badly wounded. r go
may sum up as follows: ,as ..s.e,f
| In all Al killed; IL missing, no doubt killed.
3 badly wounded, two fear mortally;4 women
| prisoners, besides several men frorn Boon River
and counties east of this, who crossed the Des
Moines river with aview. of going to Dickinson
county and the Lakes-have never yet been
heard from, supposed to be killed on their way.
From all appearances the Sioux Indians have
determined to wagea war of determination on
our frontiers, as every thing goes to show it at
every point on the upper Des Moines, Big Is
land Grove, Spirit Lake, and all points where we
found traces of them. They had left the most
threatening signs, stakes set up and painted red,
trees barked and painted, representing men
pierced with arrows, &C., &c. At every point
they b1 oke up and destroyed all furniture, burnt
the houses, and killed the cattle-over 100 head
Of fine cattle were found shot down and un.
touched in any way butknocking off the horns,
suppose to make, powder horns; their whole
course goes to show that, they intend to break
up and stop the settlement of that north and
northwest country.
Too much praise cannot be bestowed on the
men have had under my command on this oc-
casion. Officers and men, without exception,
have done their duty; they endured the great
est privations and fatigue without nurmur--
for seventeen days they pressed forward on
their march, waded rivers and creeks breast deep,
and tugged wagons through snow banks. Sleep
ing on the prairies frequently; in their wet
clothes, expecting every mile after reaching 30
miles, to meet the Indians, as their threat was
at Sioux river, that they would sweep the Des
Moines river settlements. Our men suffered
very much, owing TO the severe change and
zen and two lost, Capt. Johnston of Webster
city, and Mr.. Burkholder Of this place, both fro
zento death in a show storE-they were sep
Aarated in returning from the Lake. From the
state of the men who succeeded in getting back
to camp, both Of these men must be dead: eve
ry search has been made for them, but no dis
covery, as yet. So severe was the weather that
those who were picked up and did get in, were
so much frozen and exhausted that they were
crawling on their hands and knees when found,
sund three or four of them had lost their minds,
becoming perfectly deranged for time, knew
nc one. z, ,...,. tif.-..f....tI1 l.
As near as Icould ascertain, the Indian force
was from so to goo WARRIORS judging from their
encampments, &C.; the number of Indians must
be from Is to 20 killed ind wounded. From
the number seen to fall killed, and Judging from
the bloody cloths and clo.s Of blood in their
encampments, the struggle at the Lakes must
have been very severe, particularly the one at
the house OF Esq. Mattocks. Eleven dead bodies
were found at this house, together with several
broken guns-they appear to have fought hand
to hand. -.-. @sta
hayeto inform your excellency that we have
driven out Of the north part of the State every
Indian, and can say that at present there are
no Sioux in the State, unless it be in that part
near the mouth of Big Sioux The whole body
have fed in the direction of the Missouri, cross.
Ii ing the Big Sioux. / shall not be surprised to
hear Of an attack ON Soiux City. I am satisfied
that the greater number of these Indians were
from the Missouri, as they were strangers to the
settlers, where they appeared, and portion of
them were halfbreeds. Never in the history of
our country has SO outrageous acts been COM
mitted on any people We have no account Of
! Indians committing such outrages on females
as they have done--no doubt committed by the
thalf breeds. 1t is to be feared that they will
repeat their depredations, if some measure are
not taken to prevent it. They are well armed
and well supplied with ammunition. They took
II kegs of powder with buckshot and lead from
1 Woods, ut Springfield, burnt his store, and kill
ed him, &c. We have host of destitute and
wounded persons thrown upon US to provide TO,
both from Little Sioux River and the Upper
pes Moines river as well as our own frozen anG
l disabled men. sss5;zs5 zsfIa3
i l forward this hasty and somewhat confused
report; will give another soon, more in detail.
instructed Capt. Richards, Mr.. Morrison ant
Others, to forward to you the aifidavits. &c, Il
! apprize you Of our marching to relieve the from
tiers, DC. Ia Very respectfully yours, &c. =
s5ass5s 8t5a asYtHaag aass W..WILLIAMs.
4 There is q difference Of opinion among the
ultra Southern journals Is to the effect Of tn
q Dred Scott decision. The Charleston Mercur.
q denounces with much sarcasm and bitterness
the Southern politicians who assume that tn
question is settled, and utters the following
gloomy forebodings: saE xsE 98s mss saa
"The victory we have won may indeed be slo
rious, more glorious because of the disaster o
4 the engagement. But ii is q victory more fatal
perhaps, than defeat, the forerunner Of complet
subiection. Like the soldiers Of the Revolution
they rise up stronger from each struggle, wit
a renewed yigor aud more determined resolution
~ IT. AxhauSted by every effort stricken intim