Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-04-27
INTERNAL REDSKINS.
The Indian Massacre at Blackburn
Ferry Cal

The massacre st Blackhurn's Ferry
Cal, was but one of the many scenes of !
blood that marked the intercourse of |
the two races for several years. The
ferry wss established in the spring OF |
1851, and was under the charge of the |
man from whom 1t derived its name, |
sho was living there with his wife and |
two assistants. The proprietors were
Gwin r. Tompklns and Cha les McDer- |
NIT, the LIST er of whom sf erward be-
came colonel In the army and fell in
battle with Indians in Nevada in 1866
line manager and his wife occupied a
small shaky shanty not far from the
river bank, while the three assistants
slept in tent near by. Between these
was an open space used for kitchen
and dining-room. Mrs. Blackbu
was a noble woman of that pioneer
class, who have been led by love to fol-
low the footsteps of their idols into the
very heart of the wilderness. She no
ticed one day that the stock of bull
lets was ntary exhausted, and
with the usual promptness of
such people at oEcs nodded 3
large quantity. Some would call it
providential, and SO it was-a providen-
| tlal precaution. The ferry had never
been molested by the Indians, and
they felt no unusual alarm, and yet
that very night had been fixed upon for
a rs assacre of them sill. As the evening
shadows blended in q universal gloom
the Indians gathered in the forests
about the abode of their intended vic.
| TINS and waited until their eyes were
closed in peaceful slumber and the
place was wrapped in a mantle of
| silence.
When the night was so far advanced
that they felt free from the interruption
of belated travellers, the savages crept
stealthily to the tent where the three
men lay sleeping and commenced the
WORK of death. Besides bows and ar
rows, these Indians were armed with
long knives, guns not having yet fallen
into their possession. Two of the men
we're instantly killed, while the third,
badly wounded, sprang to his feet and
rushed towards the cabin, crying loudly
for help. He had taken bat few steps
when he fell under the blows of a dozen
Indians who had remained outside the
tent. Aroused BY their slumber by the
cry and sounds of struggle, the inmates
Of the cabin hastily barricaded the
door and prepared for defense. Their
arms consisted of two rifles and re-.
volver, and thanks to the woman's care,
plentiful supply OF bullets. The
night was dark and foe could not be
seen, but their continued yells and vol
legs of arrows were even the more
horrible on that account. Blackburn
maintained an incessant fire in all
directions, his wife re!eading the weap-
ons as fast as he discharged them. All
that long and terrible night the defense
was made, until the yells died out about
daybreak and the enemy departed.
Early in the morning, A. II. Raynes,
William Young and William Little sp-
peared on the opposite side of the
river and shouted to arouse the ferry
man. Blackburn emerged from the
house and walked down 10 the boat,
saying:
'I'm glad 10 see you, boys. They are
all killed but myself and wife"
As he ferried them over he related
the details of the attack and how the
defense had been made.
Did you kill any of the devils ,"
asked one.
81 don't know; the right was dark, 1
could not see"
"Well, let US take a shin around and
see what We can find. They always
carry off their dead and wounded, and
you never can tell whether any are
killed or not"
"Here is one they didn't cart of, ~
said one, as he noticed a body about
100 yards from the house. "No," he
added, ''it is white man."
They FASTENED to it, turned no the
face TO get better view, and Black
burn exclaimed, Great Godl it is my
father"
The old gentleman had not seen his
son for ten years, and had followed him
to California. He started from Trini-
dad with pack train, which camped
that night some ten miles from the
ferry. Too eager to wait, the anxious
father pushed on alone and fell be-
meath savage knives. in sight OF his
sons cabin.