The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-01-23

cattle, and yoke or the pest AMI
! mails on the place was got ready and
hitched to the large sled. On this
| the twenty-nine refugees started on
the long cold drive. 1t was thought
the Indians might follow, but they
did not The oxen had hard work in
| the snow and unbroken roads, and
at o'clock in the morning the poor
animals were SO fatigued that they
could go no further. When day
| light broke bearings were taken, and
it was found that the party was only
| two and one half miles from the
Thomas cabin, having Travelled about
| in a circle. The settlers stopped at
! the cabin of a man named Granger,
| who was getting ready to join the
party in the pilgrimage to Fort
Dodge. Here, too, two other men,
bers of the Thomas cabin-two doc
tors who at the time of the attack
| were caring for man who had been
badly froZen-joined the party. The
journey to Fort Dodge was hard
one, and Mrs. Thomas lost another
Of her children, Marietta, aged ),
who died May 10, 1857, from expos
ure due to the journey.
Old Resident of Marshall County.
Mrs. Thomas, although participat
ing in the stirring events Of the
early days of northern Iowa, was
likewise a pioneer of this county.
Mis-. Thomas was born Irene
Clark. in Sangamon county, Illinois,
Nov. 80, 1924. She became the
wife of James B. Thomas Oct. 20,
1870, month before she was II
years old. She was only Is years
old when her oldest son, Frank NJ.
Thomas, was born.
The ThomaseS came to this county
shortly after their terrible expert
ences with the Indians, and settled
at Marietta. Later they moved to
farm three miles west of Albion,
which Mrs. Thomas owned at the
time of her death. Mr.. Thomas
died Feb. 8, 1866, and twenty-four
years ago his widow moved into
Albion. For his loss in the Indian
raid the government paid Mr..
Thomas $4,000. Mr.. Thomas was
always a cripple as result of his
injury at the hands of the Indians
gangrene having developed from the
wound, necessitatin the amputatlon
of the hand Later a second ampu-
II(lOu udu 10 NC pei III AACO.
Mother of Ten Children.
Mrs. Thomas was the mother OF
ten children, six of whom are liv-
ing. The oldest son, Frank, for
whom the local G. A. r. post and
w. r. C. were named, served with
Company l. Eighth Iowa Cavalry. as
quartermaster sergeant. Mr.. Thomas
enlisted in this city, and on July
80, 1864, was wounded in the leg at
Newman, Ga, and taken prisoner.
Confederate surgeons amputated the
leg, just below the knee. The in
jury and exposure and hardshlps
told on Mr.. Thomas in later years,
and he developed tuberculosis, dy-
ing at Washington, d. c., March +,
1873, while in Washington to get
papers signed that would make him
territorial governor Of New Mexico.
He had been elected twice as county
recorder here, and once as clerk,
shortly before he died. His body
was brought here for burial, and the
G. A. r. post, just about to be organ
lied, was named in his honor. Miss
Agnes Thomas, formerly of this city
but now of Portland, Ore, is the
only daughter of Mr.. Thomas, whose
widow is the present wife of DR..
Watson Roberts.
Three of Mrs. Thomas living chill
dren are also survivors of the In
dian massacre. They are Albert,
now of San Diego, Cal, who was -
at the time of the massacre; Syl
vester, OF Hunter, Okla, who was
about I years old at that time; and
Emma, now Mrs. Striker, OF Mum
cen, Kan. who was , wears old.
Frank and William and baby Mari
eta, completed the family at the
lime of RE massacre. Four other
children we're born to Mr.. and Mrs.
Thomas. Three of these are living,
in the persons of Rev. Valentine c.
Thomas. of Preston, Kan; George
Thomas, of Seattle; and Edward
Thomas, the youngest son, of Spo-
kane. In honor of the boy William.
who was killed, was named another
SOD, but he was always known as
Willie. He died twenty-eight years
ago and was buried at Albion.