Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1857-06-06
From the st. Paul Pioneer, May 81.
THE RESCUE OF MRS. MARBLE.

! From the st. Paul Pioneer, May 81.
THE RESCUE OF 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 prisoners by the Indians
at Spirit Lake, Iowa, in March last, and
whose release from captivity has been
briefly noted in our paper. From Mr..
Flandrau we learn some very interesting
facts connected with the captivity of Mrs.
Marble and her associates.
Mrs. Marble states that on the 18th OF
March laet, party of Iniians came to
the residence of her husband at Spirit
Lake, Iowa, murdered him, and took her
off as prisoner to their camp, in the vi
cinity of the Lake. AT the camp she
found a Mrs. Thatcher, Mrs. Noble and
a Miss Gardiner, all of whom had been
taken prisoners by the Indians, in their
attack on the settlers at the Lake. Mrs
Thatcher's husband had escaped being
killed, by a temporary absence from home
as we believe had Mrs. Mobiles, but the
entire family of Miss Gardiner had been
murdered.
The Indians broke up their camp at
Spirit Lake Immediately, and proceeded
to Heron Lake, distant about twenty i've
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, DC, all of which
had probably been secured in their attack
on Springfeld.-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
a month, and only rested at Skunk Lake,
west of the Big Sioux river, and about
one hundred and twenty five miles north
west of Spirit Lake. Mrs. Marble esti-
mated the distance travelled at four or
FIVE hundred miles, probably owing to
the torturous cours pursued by the In
dians, to avoid pursuit. She thinks they
arrived at Sknnk Lake about the first of
May. Here they remained FIVE days,
when the fortunate circumstances trans
pired 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 cal
culated to thrill the heart of the most in
different, with feelings of horror, indig-
nation, and desire for justice, if not
revenge, upon the cowardly murderers.
Immediately on starting from Heron
lake, Mrs. Marble states that herself and
associates, were forced to carry packs,
and peform the degrading and menial
services in the camp She says that the
packs she was compelled to carry, con-
sisted of two bags shot, each weighing
twenty-five pounds, and lot ofcamp fur
niture, increasing the weight of the pack
to one hundred pounds. On top of this
heavy load, which this weak, i'll used and
distracted woman was forced to carry was
placed the additional weight of an Indian
urchin of some three or four years fage.
The snow was very deep; the prisoners
were but thinly clad, and most of the
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 its place they re-
ceived but scanty supply, ill.suited to
the weather and the exposure they were
forced to undergo. AT times the unfor
tunate captive would fall to the ground,
exhausted and utterly unable to proceed
farther. Then the inhuman wretches
would place the muzzle of loaded gun
at her herd, and threaten her with in
slant death unless she would Immediately
continue her weary march. When a
horse stolen at the settlements would die,
or be killed by the Indians for food, the
prisoners would be allowed to increase
their exhausted strength by supply of
horse flesh, but with these exceptions,
they suffered greatly for 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 In
dians. and shrivelled before the fire, To
save themselves from starvation.
Wba, tba TnIiopS would a,.ar,,> 81,