The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-04-27

There appears TO - sPiri. Of rsstlsss
nsss and re.alia.ios dnsse the Indian tribes
Of the whole Of the NsrsAwese, We have
srsady pssusAel ssessnas ofsheir dspre.
esssons Z lows aes Aisaesesa; the follow.
isg extrtess frso sAs ssrrsspondsnse 81
nlor Wxalass Of Fort Dstee, to Cover.
nss Crises, (ivss the fuiies. aad NEST cor.
rec account Of the Indian massacre in lows,
thai We yet have seen, Major W.. seised
three comPaniss Of thirty men sesh And
went ia pursat OF the Indians, He ssys;
We took NJ .osr Ina Of March "a ~ assl
Of March, and proceeded up the west branch
efsAs Dee Moines Rivsr to intercept the
savasss, Who, report said, we're abeut "a
sweep sli the set&lements, ON that river. By
fsresa marches through snow bake froa -
10 90 fsss deep. and swollen sueams. ws
torcs4 oat wAy up TO the Safe hne, where
We learnsd the ladisas were embodied two
or three hundred strsne ct Spirit Lake aud
BIZ Islam Groves. Mover ~ harder ser.
vice rsadsred b. any body sfmsn shan ~
those llc men under my command. We
had to ford strsams breast deep every fs~
miles. and at I'll SNOW banks or driits had
10 shovel rcads and draw our wagon through
By hand with tug ropes, ALEC the oxen and
horsss, All wsrs vet oil day up to the
middle at least, and lay out on the open
prairies At night without tents or Other COW
crins than . blanket or buffalo robe.
Abos, % miles up We met those who bad
escaped the massacre at Springfield, CON.
As~fe ~ k..v ~
and one female wounded and several WON
en- and children, in all numbering soms Is
or 20 psrsoss. They had escaped in the
night, carrying nothing With them bat what
they had on when taey were attscked-had
nothing 10 eat Ter two days and two nights,
They were shout exhausted and the IIdisns
on their trail pursains them. Had not our
sccots discovered thsa and reported, there
can be no doubt that they wosld have all
been murdered that night. We found them
ia 4 miserable condition. destitute Of every
thing ike clothing and food, three Of them
badly wounded and several Of the women
without shoes or bonnsts. They had nosh-
ing On them bot what they had the night
the aight they Asd. Tue poor women sa-
ding breast deep through SNOW and water
end carrying their children crying
The omeer in command OF the regulars
followed the Indians for while. but gave
up the huns when ~i,his half days march
oftnsn- Major w. continues:
Thess Indians commenced or down on
Little Sioux river, near the s w corner Of
Buena Vista county, and proceeded 10 de-
stroy and break up Ill the settlsmenss In
tia, county. and Clay. pietinson and Em-
mitt counties; Il en- Intended coming down
the West Branch a. far - they dare
Throughout their whole course they have
completely demolishsd svesy settlement,
killed eli the cattle. ravishsd the women
and seandslously abused ihsm- They stood
over the men 9Th their guns cooked. while
they were engaged in their heIlish outragss.
Along that river they approached. and
Tot into the houses through professions Of
friendship. and with . rush ssised the men
and arms. taking the people BY surprise. II.
lacking Ia such 4 way that one family could
not help the other; I'll STACKED amultane.
Gus ,. robbed them Of everything, and LEFT
them helpless in the midst Of cold weather
sad deep SHOWS. They !, ID no, commenced
xiii The settlers until they reached Dickinson
county. Al Spirit Laks il appears that the
settlers had prepared 10 defend themselves,
a. we'll ~ they could, and from all appear.
ances they fought bravsiy for their families.
The settles At Spirit Lake numbered over
forty souls, not one Of whom is left TO tell
the tale. Finding tbs, the troops from Fort
Rdsely had not 1urisd the dead, | detailed
q. men to proceed II niles to the Lake. and
reconnoiue thu, district, and If no Indians
were discovered. to inter the dead, - an oct
of humanitS.
Gusdes were procured, end they set out
under the comma nd Of Capt. Johnston and
Lieut. Maxse OF Company c. They
found no Indians, found their encampmen.,
and dreadful! destruction OF property. -
They performed the sad duty Of iatsrring
the dead 80 far as they could and any -
TAey found and buried ~ bodiss-found the
skulls and bones OF two who were burned
in the ruins of q house, which, with the
one buried BY the troops from Ridgely. made
in ill ~ dead found Al Spirit Lake. kill
ed at Springfield. and u missing At tie
Lake, ssrtsinly kiIled-it 10 supposed they
are lying OF at distance, killed in q.
tempting TO esczpe-some Two or three
we're found who had been sho, in attempt.
ing TO escape; four Of their women tsksn
of as prisoners, aad three badly wounded.
msy sum up a. follows:
In all ~ killed II missing, no doubt
killed; badly wounded, two fear mortal.
~; women prisoners, besides several men
from Boon river and counties east OF this,
xho crossed the Des Moines river with .
view Of gosag to Dickinson county and the
Lskes-haye never yet been heard from,
supposed to be killed on their way.
From oil appearances the Sioux Indians
have determined to wage war Of extermin.
alton on our frontiers. Is every thing goes
to show it II every point on the upper Dss
Aoines, Big Island 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. Atevery point they broke
up and destroyed eli furniture, burned the
houses, and killed the cattle-ovsr 100
mead of hns cattle were found shot down
and IN cuched in any way bu, shocking Of
the horns, sc7pose TO make powder horns.
heir whole course goes ~ show that they
intend 70 break up ard stop. the settlement
OF that north nd noyf n weaf rauntrv