Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-03-20

promptly headed northward, COM
manded by Major Williams, and all
old settlers will certify that March,
1857, was still bitter winter weather.
The march consumed four days, and
several men were quite badly frost
bitten before reaching Spirit Lake.
The facts connected with the massa-
Gre, as Mr.. Anderson understands
them, are as follows: Early in the
morning cs the Sth of March a big In
dian visited MI. Gardeners house and
asked for food. Gardner had arranged
to start to Fort Dodge, and the family
were astir early. His son-in-law, Luce.
had hurried through his breakfast and
had gone off in another direction.
Eight others soon followed and after
being fed to the ability of the supplies
the family had on hand the red devils
began to ask for about everything
there was in the house. Gardner de.
cided that it would not be prudent to
leave, and finally prevailed on the
band to leave. The Indians then went
to Mr.. Maddox's house. whore they
murdered Maddox, his wife and their
three children, burning two of the ia
mily in the building. The band re-
turned TO Gardeners house about 9
o'clock at night. Gardner was not in
favor of admitting them, but his wife
advised their admission, believing they
could be humored. Gardner went to
the flour barrel to got them some flour
and was shot dead while STOPPING
over. The band then dubbed
Mrs. Gardner and Mrs. Luce to
death with stovewood. Gardeners
little boy and Mrs. Luce's boy were
killed in the same way, but Abbie
Gardner was spared. That night or
next morning the band killed all the
Noble family except Mrs. Noble, who
was held captive with Abbie Gardner.
Mrs. Thatcher and Mrs. Marble were
alone spared from her household. A
day or two later. Mrs. Thatcher, while
crossing q stream on some logs. was
thrown into the icy water by a savage
behind her and then shot several times
by the others. Her body was never re-
covered.
Captains Johnson and Duncombe
buried decently all the dead they could
find, some of the corpses having been
hideously mutilated by the fiends. A
squad of Federal troops from Fort
Ridgely had visited the spot, but Mr..
Anderson thinks they had done moth.
ing and had departed before the vol.
unteers arrived.
Bad weather set in about the time
the sad offices were completed, and
discipline appears to have been re-
Taxed. for the men began to start back
in squads. Mr.. Burkholdor, a brother
in-law OF Governor Carpenter, got
astray from the rest, and was never
heard from till eleven years later hi
skeleton was found in Pocahontas
county, his gun, by which he was
partly identified, lying by his side
Captain Johnson also went astray and
his remains have never been recovered
II is believed he was drowned in one
of the rising streams. Several of the
returning men contracted rheumatism
on the homeward march, the weather
changing from rain to sharp cold.
Abbie Gardner, MIR. Anderson says,
was delivered to the federal authorities
at st. Paul Juno 90 or 90 following
The volunteers have never received q
penny or other acknowledgment OF
their services and privatioDs. and
hence Mr.. Anderson's proposition tina,
each shall receive q silver medal from
the state is n that deserves consider
alton from the present legislature.
III.
Another account relates that Inkpa
dutah was considered q castaway or out
law both by the whites and the Sioux
ohieftains. About 1S45 he had killed
Sioux chief. Tasagi, and several of his
relations, and after that time had beer
a wandering marauder about the head,
waters of the Des Moines. In 1855 and
1856 he received annuities for clever
persons, though the number Of his
band fuctuated according to the self
interest of others of like desperate
character. During the fall and winter
of 1856 ~Inkpaduta's band came into
collision several times with the settlers
at and about Spirit Lake. The band
becoming insolent, the settlers de-
prived them of their guns and drove
them from the neighborhood. Recov-
ering some of their guns, or, as some
say, digging up a few old ones they
had buried. they proceeded to the set
Element at Spirit Lake and demanded
food. This appears to have been given
to a rort;Nr of tho hand nb;ob Grut nv