Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-03-06
An Incident of Pioneer Life In
Franklin and Cerro Gordo
Counties In 1865
MISSOURI, RAIDERS STOPPED
People of Franklin and cerro Gordo
countie. Organize and Hold Up Rob-
bers From Missouri and Succeed in
Recovering Large Amount Of Stock
Stolen from Farms.
,necial to Times-Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Hampton. March 6. One Of the
most stirring events of frontier lie
which ever occurred in Franklin coun-
tv and which has never been record
ed by historians, was the hold-up Oh
a band of Missourians near the lit
tie village Of Maysville, forty years
ago this spring by company of men
from Franklin and Cerro Gordo coun-
ties.
In that early day the courts Of the
sparsely settled counties were very
slow to mete out justice and 1t was
sometimes necessary for the early
settlers to do the work of Judge and
jury. Such was the case IN early
spring Of 1866 when band OIL nttyi
families of Missourians were making
a raid thru Iowa, taking as they
Travelled, all the stock OF the settlers
which they could get. AS they were
on their way to Minnesota to form
n settlement they could use this stock
and preferred to take rather than puy
II. Thru northern Marshall and Har-
din counties as the towns and settle
ments became less frequent, this pand
of maurauders became more bold ana
took horses, cattle and sheep IN large
numbers. The settlers would hasten
to the camp and demand his STOCK
only to be told in the blandest OF IAN
guage that anything they could get
from the unionists they would Keep
and 1t would end by the settler be-
ing ordered from the camp. Plckets
were posted around this band as they
moved thru the country ana hnally
no settlers were allowed inside the
camp at all. Their demands FOR the
return of their stock were laughed at
and they were told to get 1t II they
could This condition Of affairs con-
tinued and the settlers were losing
their little punches of stock every day.
Finally some of the more determined
decided to follow the band and make
an attempt to induce others to join
them In recovering the stock which
was thus being driven away. by the
time this band had reached Franklin
county several settlers from Hardlh
county had ridden ahead and reached
Maysville. then a small village OF only
a few inhabitants. Here they Iounu
a number of men who at once sald
they would make an endeavor to stop
such outrages. Captain II. Q. CLOCK,
formerly of the Sixth Iowa Infantry
had lust returned from the war. he
was at once placed in command OF the
expedition and he sent horsemen thru
the settlement, up and down Maynes
creek. to gather together all the a.
vailable armed men the community
could furnish. Two men were also
dispatched to Mason City for REIN
forcements. Thru all the long dark
night in that early spring these men
rode from one settlers house to an
other asking for help. Every man res
pended, and before daybreak a party
of nearly seventy-flve men had gath
cred at Maysville. This party was af-,
forwards added to by another party OF
twenty-five men from Mason City. who
had ridden all night in order to be
there at daybreak. The party from
Mason City was headed and command
ed by Captain Smith of thecFifth Iowa
infantry and DR.. Card later the post
master at Mason City. Captain Smith
still recounts this experience as one OF
the most eventful times of his life.
The band of Missourians had camp
ed for the night about one mile south
of Maysvile, and as they were break
ing camp in the morning they discov-
cred the company of settlers surround
ing them. Realizing that they were
trapped they soon ran white flag up
and asked to be allowed to converse
with the leader. Captain Clock went
into the camp and when asked what
was wanted told them that return
of all property which they had taken
was demanded. They at first refused,
but upon being told that they would
have to fight If they preferred, they
grumblingly agreed and the settlers
were allowed to go into the herd and
pick out the stock which had been sto-
len from them. The band, which con-
sisted of about two hundred people,
was held for a few days to allow other
settlers to come and get their stock,
and then was allowed to move on. They
finally located in southern Minnesota.
Only few Of the men who particle
pated in this event are still alive for
most of them were at that time mid
dle-aged men, who went themselves
ather than allow their sons to go.
Captain Fl. C. Clock and j. III. Page
of Geneva both participated and are
both living as is also Captain Smith
of Mason City.