The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-04-29
The Sioux Indian War.

ments are CASH. l.'-fi-
''i n'al The Sioux Indian War;.
The commander of the volunteers from To-
wa, who assembled to pursue the Indians
ha after the massacre at Springfield, has commu-
80 Ircated detailed report of his operations to
Governor Grimes, in which lie gives distress
ing accounts of the march, which recall the
horrors Of Indian wars of former days. lie
O. was accompanied by 1lO men. lie says:
''We took up our line of march on the 25th
. OF March, and proceeded up the West branch
OF the Des Moines river to intercept The saya-
q yes, " hoIn. report said, were about to sweep
all the settlements ON that river, BY forced
marches, through snow banks from 10 to 20
feet deep, and swollen STREAMS, we forced our
lr way mp To the State line, where We learned
the Indians were embodied ? or 300 strong at
Spirit Lake and Big Island groyes. Never
was harder service rendered by any body Of
ca men, than by those lilo under my command.
We had to ford streams breast deep every few
miles, and, at all snow banks and drifts, had
a. to shovel roads and draw our wagons through
by hand with tug ropes, also the oxen and
horses. All werc wet all day up 10 the middle
at least, and lay out ON the open prairies at
nightswithout tents or other covering than a
blanket or buffalo robe.
~ About 50 miles up, We met those who had
escaped the massacre at Springfield, COM mposed
of three men unhurt, two wounded and one
female wounded, and several women and chll-
drsn, in all numbering some 10 or 20 persons.
They had escaped in the night, carrying moth
ing with them but what they had on them
when they were attacked; had nothing to eat
for two days and one night. They were about
exhausted, and the Indians on their trail pur-
suing them. Had not our scouts discovered
them and reported, there can be no doubt but
that all would have been murdered that night.
a We found them in ablecondition, des-
titnte of everything like clothing and food
three of them badly wounded, and several of
the wOrfenwithout bonnets or shoes-the poor
women wading breast deep through snow and
water, and carrying their crying children.
We halted at small lake that furnished
- sufficient tim ber 10 make fires and warm them
furnished them With provisions, and gave
them blankets to shield them from the severe
weather, and all the relief in power. Our
-s1siIrgeon dressed the wounds OF the wondcd
whose wounds were in bad condition. We
encamped there with them that night, post
ing senIinels and Pickets, expecting TO be at
tackled. Next morning We sent them on with
, our scout to what Is known as the Irish set
tlement, TO remain until We returned, the set
tiers above that point having abandoned their
homes and embodied themselves at that place,
where they were engaged in building a block
house, 'if0OH I9F7r ~
.vsis The Iowa troops pursued their march with
every Indication that they were in close pur-
suit of the Indians. They marched all night
through the deep p<snows, expecting to sur
prise the Indians in their camp before morn
ing at a trading house, kept by an Indian ira
der named Caboo; but the approach of fifty
U. S. Dragons from Fort Ridgely, in anoth-
er direction, whose coming had been made
known to the savages by the treacherous ira
der, had enabled them to escape. The U. S
officer, instead Of pursuing them, halted fol
two days, and then turned back; the Indian.
were allowed to make good their retreat
The attack on Springfield had been made OF
Friday the 27th of March; the citizens de-
fcnded themselves as well as they could; thu
battle and pillage lasted all day till nightfall
and the only. white man left uninjured wa,
20 the Indian trader, Caboo. The u. S. troop
y'i arrived, we'll mounted on mules, soon afte
the Indians fed, and remained inactive abou
80 the town till Sunday the 18th. On Sunda,
y morning the L. S. troops followed a shor
distance on the Indian trail, overlook fou
struggling squaws, and found the trail strew
ed with the plumber which the Indians in thei
haste had thrown away. When he could no
have been but few hours behind the sava
ges, the officer in command of the u. S. troop
turned back, and, on Sunday evening, re-en
tered Springfield after this brilliant campaign
. His troops were well mounted on mules, an
unencumbered; the Indians were loaded dow
with plumber, and horses and mules, and car
Ia, rying off with them four respectable worne
as prisoners. The Indians were known to hav
some 20 or 30 head of horses and or /
mules, taken from the settlers. This gallar
and enterPrising officer, whose name is nc
given, the nextda marched up to Spiris LAX,
the scene of the first massacre, found on
dead body, buried it, and then returned to hi
quarters at Springfield, where, up to the la.
accounts, his military exploits ended. =
The Indians commenced their depreciation
low down on the little Sioux River near N
= southwest corner of Buena Vista count,
and proceeded to break up and destroy all II
settlements in that county, Clay, Dickinso
and Emmitt counties; then intended comm
down the West Branch as far as they dare
a., Throughout their whole course they ha,
y completely demolished every settlement, xii
cd all the cattle, rauished the women an
most scandalously abused them. They stoc
80 over the men with ther guns cooked. whi
they were engaged in their hellish outrage
Along that river they approached, and g
into the houses through professions of frien,
ship, and with rush seized the men al
arms, taking the people by surprise, sttac
ing in such way that one family could II
"a help the other; all attacking Simultaneous
robbed them of every thing, and left the
helpless in the midst of cold weather n
= deep SHOWS. They did not commence to K
- the settlers until they reached Dickins
county. There at Spirit Lake it appears tn
the settlers had prepared to defend ther
selves, as well as they could, and from all a
pesrances they fought bravely for their fal