Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1862-08-29

5000 Indians Advancing ON Fort
Dodge!
THE PEOPLE IN GREAT ALARM,
AND CALLING FOR AID!

THE PEOPLE IN GREAT ALARM
AND CALLING FOis AID!
Last evening Postmaster Harris received
the following startling letter:
| THURSDAY MORNING, Aug. rs, 1862.
| T. III. Cedar fatis,
| DEAR SIR The whole North West por
ton of this State is in terrible alarm from thu
Indians. They are reported to be 5000
strong. Yesterday morning DR.. Cutler left
Fl. Dodge, and arrived here last evening So
Letting aid. At 10 A. NJ. yesterday mess.
enger arrived at Fit. Dodge, and reported
them advancing on that place. Rev. Mr.
Kent Immediately left and arrived here at
midnight. They solicit all the guns and am
munition to be had. Ours have all gone of
by stage this morning. Mr.. Kent in behalf
of the Defence Committee Of Fl. Dodge, So
licits donation from your loyal citizens OF
powder, lead, caps, and buck shot, to be sent
by return mail stage, and addressed to the
Defence Committee, FIT. Dodge. Please supply
yourselves with good stock Of ammunition
and be in readiness to come out should a
messenger be sent to you.
Very Respectfully, A. W. ARNOLD, PM
a meeting was called last evening, in front
of the Carter House to act upon the sugges-
tons contained in the above letter. G. NJ.
Harris was appointed chairman, and S. H.
Packard Secretary. DR.. Cutler, of Wright
county was present, he having just arrived
from Fort Dodge, and he was requested to
address the meeting, which he did. His
statements corroborated those contained in
the above letter. The Indians are ad7anc-
ing down the East Fork Of the Des Moines
River, which would take them through En-
NETT, Kossuth, and Humboldt counties before
reaching Fl. Dodge.
1t is known that several families have been
murdered and probably great many. 1t is
also ascertained that there are white men
with the Indians. A boy that was shot had
his wound examined by surgeon, who de-
c)ared that he had been shot with one of the
latest improved mimic rife balls-proving
that the redskins have been recently supplied
with arms from some source. The people in
the section threatened are almost entirely
destitute Of ammunition. At the meeting
last evening Messrs. Goodrich and VanBus-
kirk were appointed a committee to raise and
send forward ammunition to the Defence
Committee of Fort Dodge. A contribution
for the purpose was taken up, and the COM
mittse sent by this mornings stage, forty
one pounds Of buck-shot, sixty pounds of
lead, thirty three pounds of powder, and six
thousand caps. Messrs. Mccoy, Patterson,
and Philpot were appointed committee to
raise guns and have them in readiness, should
they be needed. An enrolment list was also
drawn up, and was signed by sixty men,
pledging themselves to 60 wherever their
services shall be needed, and more names will
be added to-day.
The country above referred to is sparsey
populated, and band of Indians as large as
the number above reported could sweep
everything before them. The Indians are
Of the Sioux tribe, the same that have been
engaged in the late fearful massacre in Min =
nesota, and while we sincerely hope that our
State will escape the fearful atrocities that
have been visited upon our sister Safe we
have no good reasons for believing that we
shall be spared the horrors of an Indian
warfare unless we take prompt steps to pre-
vent it by force Of numbers and arms.
We await the arrival Of further news from
the West with great anxiety.
We learn from a gentleman just down
from the North, that the citizens of MINES
ota are Aocking into this State by the hun
dreds, leaving everything behind to be des-
troyed by the merciless savages.