The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-10-20

place where Peterson now stands they
not only killed the cattle of A. S. Mead
but they Knocked down his wife and
carried off his daughter, Hattie, as a
prisoner to the their camp; that they
also entered the cabin of E. Taylor
and after knocking him down and push
ing his boy into the fireplace dragged
his wife away as a captive. Both wo-
men were released, however, the next
day.
Delegations of citizens were dispatch
ed at once to Fort Dodge, Webster City
and other points to complain of these
outrages, and to get aid at once to
restrain and punish the Indians. Moth
ing however, came of these appeals for
help and the savages were permitted to
continue their depredations at their own
sweet will.
The winter of 1867 was about the
longest and hardest ever experienced in
the northwest The snow and cold
started early in November, and on De-
cember LIST, great snow storm set in
which lasted without any abatement
for three days and three nights, cover
ing the ground on the level to the depth
of three feet. This was followed by
storm upon storm, until the snow was
drfted in many places twelve and even
twenty feet in depth. Spring did not
come until the last of April, and then
it continued cold through May and
June, and some of the great snowbanks
in deep secluded glens had not entirely
disappeared even in July. The cold
and hunger suffered by the Indians in
such winter tended to eXasperate their
evil tempers, and gave them some eX-
cuse for taking provisions, but it is
quite evident that the main intent of
Inkpadutah and his band was to work
themselves up to the killing point-to
feel as it were, of the whites and see
how much fight there was in them and
if they were really dangerous.
From Gillett's grove near the present
village of Spencer, the Indians went
north some twenty miles to Lake Oko
boil place of Rest, where a few
settlers had located the summer before
They were: Rowland Gardner, his wife
and three children, and his son in law,
Harvey Luce. his wife and two child
rem, whose joint cabin lay farthest south
and who were the first actual settlers.
having come July 10th, 1856 from Clear
Lake, Iowa. About mile north of
them on the east side of the strait
connecting east and west Okoboii lived
ren; with him was stopping Mr.. Madi-
son and his eighteen yead old son, the
balance of the family not having yet
come from Delaware county, Iowa, where
also had been the former home of Mat
took. On the west side of the strait,
about one hundred rods from the Mat
tocks cabin stood log building, which
had been erected by a townsite COM
pany composed of Messrs. Freedom,
Lower, Granger. Sweeney, Harriott and
Snyder of Red Wing. Mimi, which com
pany had been formed in May, 1856 to
start townsite on the lake, and which
building was occupied by DR. .Harriott,
Carl Granger and Bartell A. Snyder.
Two or three miles further up the lake
on it east bank had located Joel Howe
his wife and six children, also son in
law, Alvin Noble, with his wife and
one child, and another son in law named
Ryan, while with Noble resided Joseph
Thacher and wife and one child. Three
or four miles still further north the only
settler OH Spirit Lake proper lived Mr..
Marble and his wife. This small isolat-
ed settlement seemed to Inkpadutah
and his warriors to offer the best oppor-
tunity in which to begin the massacre
they had planned The Indians arrived
at the southerly end of Lake Okoboji
OH Saturday, the 18th of March, 1857.
The band comprised twelve OF thirteen
warriors, besides two boys and number
of squaws and papooses Next morning
most of the warriors went up to Mr..
Gardeners house and demanded break
fast which was given them. They at
once became ugly and insolent and evil
IDENTIFY had intended to begin the massa-
ere there, but the prompt action of the
three men Gardner, Luce and Clark
who happened to be present, rather dis
them. On leaving the cabin,
they shot some of Gardeners cattle and
showed plainly that they were bent on
mischief After dinner they went to the
house of Mr.. Mattock. Just how the
trouble there was started will never be
known. The Indian story was, that it
arose over their taking some hay for
ihpir horSos r. Sapmc that II fook cnno