The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1858-12-10
For The Cato CITY.
NEwrns. Nov. 20. 1853.

! MKssRs EDITORS: In the orth-pesfera
! O. ris.ian ADVOCATE Of the Gath inst, no
tice an article copied from your paper, rela-
tive to Spirit Lake, which being utterly
untrue in all it's essential particulars, l ask
the privilege Of correcting
have been a resident of Spirit Lake
with brief intervals Of absence on business)
since April, 1857, and my wife and six child
rem are now there. have lately passed
through, going and returning, with my fam
lily and teams, the entire northern frontier
from La Crosse to Spirit Lake. A party Of
hunters, several Of whom are members of
my own family, returned on the 9th instant,
having in the nineteen proceeding days ira
versed the country between Spirit Lake and
Rock River, down the Floyd and up tho Lit
tie sioux. left the Lakes on the I'D inst,
for this place and East for machinery for nv
mill; my teams and men in my employment,
are and have been constantly passing through
to aud from Mankeeto, Sioux City and Fort
Dodge; and the Mankeeto and Sioux City
mail carrier stops regularly at my house on
his route, as do also most Of the travellers in
those directions. From personal knowledge,
from every fact resting upon reliable in
formation, from the statements Of different
parties OF surveyors who have been travers-
ing the entire country between the Des
Moines and the Big Sioux during the last six
months, state that there has been and 10 n o
COLLECTION Of Indians upon onr northern
fronter," and not a single depreciation has
been committed upon the property Of the
white settlers at the Lakes, (says that few
shade trees standing before Mr.. VIM. Gay
lords house were cut down by the ,rhifs
especial messenger" who watched his OPP
portunity when none but u woman was at
honey No horses or cattle have mystic
riously disappeared, and Miss Gardiner lnow
Mrs. Sharpe,) is no, n resident OF Spirit
Lake or its vicinity, having been there only
on a brief visit, with no intention of remain
ing, and from my conversation with her
am confident she has seen none OF lnkpadu-
tabs band since her return, the remnant Of
which, with Inkpadutah himself, is we'll as
certained to be among band of Sioux,
about 800 miles north invest Of Spirit Lake.
| The sole and only collection Of Indians seen
or heard Of in the neighborhood Of the
Lakes, within the last six months, was band
Of FIVE, (three men and two squaws, witt
several small papooses not counted who
were passing, with an Agents pass, from
Forst Ridgely to the Cotton river, and VIII,
camped for few days on Spirit Lake ant
the Little Sioux. They disturbed. no one
meddlsd with no ones property, were per
fectly civil, and left when requested. Wit
reported neighborhood Of an Indian alon
our whole nothern frontier. From the BIZ
Sioux to the Des Moines, from Sioux CITY Il
Mankeeto, no Indians are found or indica
lions OF them seen, except along the border
of their own land, and not the faintest ru
NOR OF gathering, or band, or indication O
hostility to raise fear even in a woman
heart, has come to Us from any quarter ex
cert from this Especial messenger" will
"deepatehes' Of his own connecting. Gu
settlers dwell secure in person and property
our houses are not barricaded. and tn
Whole country is constantly being traverses
without thought Of fear or indication O
danger. have at this time four teams OIL
the road thither with provision and goods
each driven by singie unarmed man, and
would not give ono quarter of one per cent
for Insurance. That under such crcum
stances any man should constitute himself
ESPECIAL ngentr TO circulate such reports, 81
utterly destitute OF any foundation, exhibit
recklessness Of principle almost beyond be
lie'i that troop Of soldiers should be sen
to watch the fading trail of three Indian
, and couple of squaws, speaks not mucl
for the bravery Of over seventy men, vii.
arms 80 numerous that our wives threaten
/ throw them into the Lake as nuisances i
their way.
hold myself responsible 10 establish tn
above by satisfactory evidence, II called for
Respectfully yours,
: JOHN S. PRESCOTT.