Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-04-08
THE MASSACRE
At SPIRIT LAKE
l. II
Story Of the Relief Expedition OF
1857 as Told by Lieutenant
John N. Maxwell.
HARDsHIPs OF THE MARCH
Found Murdered Men, Women and
Children Near East 0koboji
Lake.

\ From the History of Hamilton
County: 1--WE left Fort Dodge March
"a, 1857, but owing to our commits
sary being hindered in procuring
transportation, we were obliged TO
camp at Beaver Creek, not more
than four miles north. We built up
large camp fires, provided hasty
meal, dried our clothes as we'll as we
could and without tents we lay down
and slept soundly. On the morning
of the 18th we resumed our march,
crossing the east branch of the Des
Moines without difficulty and camp
ed at Dakota City. The 26th the
roads became more and more dlttl-
cult. In some places the snow was
so deep that it was necessary to
break a road before our teams could
pass through. In other places it had
drifted in the ravines to the depth
of eight or ten feet. The only way
to proceed was to wade through,
stack arms, return and unhltch the
teams, attach ropes TO them and
draw them through, then perform
the same operation with the wagons.
This performance took place every
mile or two and by such progress we
were two days reaching Meningitis
Point, on the east side of the west
branch of the Des Moines river,
twelve miles from Dakota City,
where we camped on the night of
the 27th
HHncAn the night of the 26th the
command camped out on the prairie,
but a detail under Captain Dun
combe had gone ahead to look out
the road to the Point. Duncombe
had been i'll during the day and he
became so exhausted that he had to
be carried into camp, and came near
losing his life. Resuming our march
on the 2Sth, we camped that night
at Shippy's on Cylinder creek.
con Sunday, the 10th, we reached
the Irish colony in Emmett county
and all were cared for by the set
tiers who had assembled for protec-
ton in case of an attack, and were
greatly relieved when we came in
sight The morning of the Goth
found the command greatly refresh
ed, having butchcred a COW that had
been wintered on prairie hay. The
beef was not exactly porterhouse
steak but it was food for hungry
men. We left or teams which were
nearly exhausted, and impressed
fresh ones. We camped that night
near Big Island grove. At this place
the Indians had kept lookout in
big cedar tree that grew on the
island in the middle of the lake, an(
their camp fires were still burning
A platform had been built in thi!
tree forty feet from the grount
from which one could easily SEE
twenty miles. The place had prob
ably been deserted for several days
except by one man who had remain
ed to keep watch.
THE morning of the 31st thu
command moved out early. Ten mel
were sent forward as scouts. Whe1
about eight miles out we met thu
Springfield refugees, the Churches
Thomases, Carver and others. W.
went into camp and our surgeon
dressed the wounds Of the feeini
party. On the morning of April Is
Major Williams sent an escort Will
the Springfield people back to tn
Irish colony, and proceeded north
west, with an advance guard ahead
We camped that night at Granger
Point near the Minnesota line. Her
we learned that the I. S. troop
from Fort Ridgley were camped a
the head of Spirit lake and that tn
Indians had fed to Owl lake som
eighteen miles away. AS we were O
foot and the Indians were suppos
ed to be mounted there was n
chance of overtaking them.
"A council was held and it wa
decided to return the main part c
the command to the Irish colony an
wait for the rest to come in. Twer
ty-siX men were selected includin
those having friends at the lake
cross the river, proceed to that poin
to bury the dead, reconnoiter an
see If there were any who had escaI
ed the Indians. was one OF tn
party. On the morning of the :
day of April, under Captain J.
Johnson, we crossed the Des Moin'
river and took south and west d
rection. The travelling was mut
better than it had been since we lie