Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-04-29

In a modest home, in the town of
Albion, lives a little old woman, bent
with age, yet bright and active for one
Of more than four score years. She is
the mother Of a soldier soldier
whose name has been preserved in
local history by having named in his
honor the Marshalltown post Of the
Grand Army of the Republic.
This little woman is Mrs. Irene
Thomas, mo Their Of Frank NJ. Thomas,
and if one could look forward to a life
that would meet with some OF the ex-
periences that Mrs. Thomas has had,
one would not expect to live to be S..
Mrs. Thomas is one of the few surviv-
ors of the early Indian mas sacres that
have been written in the history Of
northern Iowa and southern Minnesota.
Survivor Of Spirit Lake Massacre.
Mrs. Thomas is a survivor of the
Spirit Lake massacre of 1857, which
forms one of the most interesting chap
ters of pioneer Iowa history. Mrs.
Abbie Gardner Sharp, of Minneapolis
who still maintains the old Gardner
cabin at Lake Okoboji during the
summers, and receives the visitors
who are attracted to the historical
is generally conceded to be
the only survivor Of this terrible ana
bloody ARRAY between the Sioux and
the settlers. Strictly speaking Mrs
Sharp is the only survivor of the first
days massacre on March s. 1857, in
which twenty men, women and chill
dren We're killed, but the Indian raid
did not stop with the one days murder,
but continued for three weeks. and in
Guided territory for miles around, where
the bloodthrsty reds pillaged and MUIR
dered.
Settlers in Thomas Homo.
1t was at the James B. Thomas
home which was then just across the
Iowa line in Minnesota, at point where
the town of Jackson now stands, that
the settlers of northern Iowa ana
southern Minnesota gathered follow
ing the massacre at Spirit Lake. The
Thomas cabin was fourteen miles dis
tant from the scene of the first out
rage. in which SO many were killed
The Thomases owned a double log
ca bin. thru which twelve portfolios
were cut. and the barrels of twelve
loading rifles protruded. The
guns We're kept loaded all the time,
fearing an outbreak from the war
painted reds who were still known to
be in the country.
Long-Expected Happens.
The long expected attack finally
came, and altho ready, the settlers
were in way taken by surprise. At
about 4 o'clock on the afternoon of
March &c, 1857, while Mr.. Thomas and
his son William, II years old, were out
in the barnyard making sugar trouShs,
getting ready for the spring flow OF
maple sap, an Indian, tall and straight,
with his face painted and his feathers
flying, was seen at the lower end OF the
barnyard going toward the house.
Thomas and his son started for the
house, but the Indian made a friendly
sign, and the father and son slackened
their speed. No sooner had they stop
ped than rifles were fired from here
and there, behind haystacls and out
buildings Little William fell dead in
his tracks, shot thru the head at the
first volley Mr.. Thomas received a
ball thru his wrist. Not stopping to
care for his dead the father ran to the
house, the door was barricaded behind
him. and for the next hour a steady
exchange of shots between the Indians
and the imprisoned whites was kept up
A. Young Mothers Experience.
For Mrs Thomas, then only % and
the mother Of six children, with one Of
her little ones dead, her husband shot
and fainting every few minutes from
pain and loss Of blood, the experiences
of the long hour that seemed centuries
are hard to realize. Between the duties
OF caring for her husband and binding
up his wounded arm, and loading the
rifles as the men and older boys fired