Jackson County, Minnesota - Chapter 4: The Springfield Massacre - 1857, 1910

Chapter 4: The Springfield Massacre - 1857

THE massacre at Okoboji lakes had occurred without warning; the settlers there had no inkling that the redskins were on the warpath. At Springfield ample warning had been given.

During the winter the Indians of the Springfield settlement seem to have known, or at least expected, that therewas soon to be trouble between Inkpaduta's band and the wihtes. Some time during the winter Adam P. Shiegley, the trapper who made his home near the other whites of the settlement, had asked the daughter of Umpashota to marry him, but she declined his offer, saying that there was going to be war between the whites and Indians and that if she were to marry him the Indians would kill both of them. Mr. Shiegley did not mention the fact until after the massacre, and the information would probably have been considered of little importance if he had.

The first intimation that the people of Springfield had that there was a possibility of trouble came from a member of Inkpaduta's band. It was one day early in March, only a few days before the Spirit lake massacre, that Black Buffalo, one of the outlaw Indians with whom the Wood brothers were acquainted, came to the store at Springfield when George Wood and Jareb Palmer were there. Instead of going up the river to the Indian camp, as most wandering Indians were in the habit of doing. Black Buffalo remained at the store and spent the night there. He came from the direction of Spirit lake and said the band wa.s camped near there. The Indian bought a few cheap trinkets and a half bushel of potatoes, borrowed a sack to put them in, and promised to return the sack full of feathers to pay for his purchases. Before leaving, Black Buffalo told Mr. Wood that war had been declared against the whites and Mr. Wood told Mr. Palmer after the Indian had departed.

Black Buffalo was undoubtedly a spy, come to investigate conditions in the little «rtt]emcnt, but whv he told Mr. Wood of the intentions of the Indians is hard to understand, imless he personally was friendly to the storekeeper and desired to give him an opportunity to escape. At any rate the warning was not heeded. Mr. Wood seemed to place no confidence in the statement and treated the incident lightly. Mr. Palmer, in after years, wrote : "I must confess that for myself I regarded it merely as an Indian lie, or as we would call it, a canard, and I do not think that I ever thought of it again until subsequent events brought it vividly to my mind.'^

On March 9 (the Spirit lake massacre had comraenced the day l>efore) three Indians with their squaws and three or four papooses, came to tlie settlement from the direction of Spirit lake, all appearing to be very excited, to be in great haste and much fatigued. They came first to Dodson's cabin and a little later, after having been fed, they wont to Umpashota's camp. A little girl, seven or eight years of age, was completely worn out and fell down exhausted outside Mr. Dodson's cabin. She was unable to rise until a squaw gave her several energetic kicks, when she managed to get up and go into the cabin. These Indians probably came from Spirit lake after the massacre had started, either because they did not want to take part in it or for some other reason. They said nothing of the doings at Okoboji lakes to the whites, altliough they doubtless told their red brothers at IJmpashota's.

So far as I am able to learn, these were the only suggestions the people of Springfield had that conditions were not normal - and these could not properly be construed as warnings, except in the light of later events - until March 11. In this day of railroads, telephone and telegraph, with a home on every quarter section of land, such an event as the Spirit lake massacre would be known in the uttermost parts of the world within a few hours. Then the butchery of over forty people less than twenty miles distant was unknown in the Springfield settlement until three davs afterward, and it was only by chance that they learned of it then.

On the eleventh of ^lareh* there appeared in the Springfield i^ottlement Morris Markham, (ieorge (i ranger and a trapper, whose name is unknown, bearing the awful intelligence that the entire Spirit

'Mr. Holcombe. in Minnesota in Three Centuries, says that Mr. Markham did not arrive in the settlement until the seventeenth, but in this he is mistaken.

lake settlement had been wiped out by the Indians, that not one was left to tell of the awful carnage.- Now, strange as it may seem, this news did not create any great consternation or alarm at first, and by some it was not even believed in its details. Those living on the frontier in the early days were accustomed to frequent startling rumors of uprisings which had no foundation in fact, and all tales of Indian atrocities were received with allowance for future corrections.

The Wood brothers, particularly, did not place full confidence in the report, and as they were best acquainted with the Indians, their judgnu.nt was given due consideration.^ George Wood expressed the opinion that, although most people laid the Spirit lake murders to the Indians, he thought it likely the whites had got in a quarrel over the claims and some

^The Spirit lake massacre was first discovered by Morris Markham on the evening of March 9 and he bore the tidings to the Springfield settlement. On March 15 the work of the Indians was discovered by O. C. Howe, R. U. Wheelock and B. F. Parmenter, who carried the news to Fort Dodge.

Morris Markham was a trapper, who, late In the fall of 1856. had settled in the Spirit lake country. Soon after his arrival his two yoke of oxen strayed and he was not able to get any track of them until early in March. He then learned that they were in the vicinity of Mud lake. In Emmet county, and went after them. He found his oxen, made provision for their care by two bachelors who lived In the vicinity, and then returned to his home. There he found the dead bodies of the settlers, whom he correctly believed to have been murdered by the Indians, and his belief was soon verified, for he ran into the Indian camp. Fortunately he succeeded in retracing his steps without attracting the attention of the savages, who were then in their tepees, and made his escape. He visited .several cabins, in all of which he found dead bodies. Not feeling like spending the night in any of the cabins. Markham took a piece of board with which to build a fire and spent the night in a nearby ravine. He did not lie down during the night, but passed the weary hours standing upon his already frozen and still freezing feet.

In the morning Mr. Markham returned to a trappers* camp where he had been looking for his cattle and there spent the next night. On the morning of the lUh he and two trappers went to the cabin of George Gran^jer, who lived about six miles north of the present site of Esther vl He. The same day Mr. Markham, Mr. Granger and one of the trappers went up the river to the Springfield settlement. It Is awful to think what might have happened had not this warning been given.

of them had been killed.* There seemed to be some plausibility for this in that it was generally known at Springfield that there had been considerable quarreling about claims at the lakes.

But the majority of the settlers believed the storv of Mr. Markham and that the murders at the lakes was the work of the Indians. The necessity of doing something for their own safety and of rendering aid to any who might be left in the Spirit lake settlement became apparent and the whole settlement was aroused. All of the able bodied men except George Wood/ who remained to care for the store and to look after the women and children, gathered at the Granger cabin, down the river, on the morning of the 14th, intending to go to the Spirit lake settlement to the assistance of any who might be alive and to bury the dead. At Granger's the party was reinforced by the two trappers already referred to and a man by the name ox Hashman, making the party fourteen in number. They crossed the river on the way to the lakes, and then abandoned the project and returned to Springfield. They had talked the matter over and decided it would not be prudent to make the trip, as it was impossible to know how many Indians they might encounter. They deemed it best to return and make arrangedition to this WiUiam had treated Inkpaduta. as weU as the other Indians, with uniform kindness, and, indeed, familiarity; such as indul^ring them in tobacco and joining them In their amusements occasionally. William, from his remarkable physical proportions, with dark features and eyes and hair as black as that of the Indians themselves, and with his courage and facility in speaking their language, and being well schooled in all their ways, was well calculated to inspire them with an admiration for him. They familiarly called him Pa-sa-pa, which in English means Blackhead; and frequently called to him at his cabin to come down the river, a distance of perhaps over one hundred yards, to talk and visit them when the river was too high for fording, as they would be passing upon their trail upon the opposite bank of the river." - Extract from letter written by Mr. E. B. Wood, brother of William and George Wood.

After returning to their homes from the trip to Granger's the settlers of Springfield held a consultation. The advisableness of removing from the settlement was discussed, but it was decided it would be impossible to move the families on account of the difficulty in traveling because of the great depth of snow. Then it was decided to draw up a petition, stating the conditions, and send it by courier to Fort Eidgely, asking that soldiers be sent at once for the protection of the settlement. The petition was prepared, signed by the settlers, and was carried to its destination by Joseph Chiffin and Henry Trets. They started on their perilous journey on the 16th or ITth,** being accompanied as far as the Watonwan by Charles Wood.^

As the days passed the settlers at Springfield became more apprehensive, and the suspense became awful. After the departure of Chiffin and Trets the settlers began to make preparations for defense, that they might be prepared if an attack should be made before the soldiers arrived. It was decided that if the troops did not come the women and childr/3n should be removed to a place of safety so soon as the snow should melt sufficient to permit travel. Most of the people gathered in the cabin of James B. Thomas and the Wheeler cabin, while the Woods re-

-ThesG couriers arrived at Fort Ridgely, after traveling one hundred miles, on the 18th, after incredible hardships, and almost blind from exhaustion and the effects of the snow, and reported the conditions on the frontier. Judge Flandreau has written:

"At any rate the people of Springfield sent two young men to my agency with the news. They brought with them a statement of the facts as related by Mr. Markham, signed by some persons with whom I am acquainted. They came on foot and arrived at the agency on the 18th of March. The snow was very deep and beginning to thaw, which made the traveling extremely difficult. When these young men arrived they were so badly affected with snow blindness they could hardly see at all and were completely wearied out."

mained at their store and Mr. Shiegley continued to occupy his cabin. The Thomas house, which was the largest in the settlement and where were gathered the greater number, was put in a fair state of defense.

An incident which occurred on the 19th and information secured the next day left no doubts in the minds of the people of Springfield that Inkpaduta's band was on the warpath - if any liad existed before - and added to the belief that an attak was intended. On the afternoon of the 19th there came to Woods' store ((leorge Wood, Nathaniel Frost and Jarcb Palmer were there at the time) two of Inkpaduta's Indians, big, ferocious lookiug bucks. They were fully armed and acted strangely, carrying their knives in tlieir hands all the time they were in tiie store. They appeared sullen and not inclined to talk. They purchased a keg of powder, a sack of shot and a few Indian trinkets. For these goods and to settle an old account the Indians paid Mr. Wood $S2 in gold coin, which had undoubtedly been taken from their victims "at the lakes. These Indians may have come to spy out the situation at Springfield or they may have come witli the intention of murderincr George Wood.^

While the Indians were still at the store Umpashota came in and commenced talking to, or rather haranguing, the strange Indians. He was greatlv excited and exhibited considerable emotion, seeming so absorbed in what lie was saying that he paid little attention to the white men present, who could not understand what lie was saying. The local Indian had just come from the Thomas cabin, where he had been told the soldiers were on their

-"These Indians had very Ukely come to kiU George Wood, as he had been staying alone since the departure of his brother. Charles, but as they did not find him alone, they concluded to make some purchases for the purpose of disarming suspicion, and wait for a more auspicious occasion to commit their nefarious crimes." - Jareb Palmer.

way to the settlement. One can imagine that Umpashota was telling this to the other Indians and giving them some good advice. Upon the arrival of William Wood, who understood the Sioux language, the three Indians left, going in the direction of Umpashota's camp. That same evening Umpashota and his Indians moved from their old camp, just above the store, farther up the river to Gaboo's camp. This move may have been made through fear that the whites might do as the Indians were in the habit of doing - wreak vengeance upon the first of the race they came uj>on.

On the 20th, the day after the strange Indians had been at the store, Wilfiani Wood went up the river to the camp of (laboo and Umpa.s]iota. The latter admitted that the two Indians with whom he talked the day before had been engaged in the massacre of ihe people at Spirit lake, but said that those Indians claimed it had been a fair fight, starting over a dispute in regard to some hay which the redskins had taken without leave. The savages boasted, so Umpashota said, that they had killed over thirty people and taken four women prisoners without the loss of a single wairior. The local^ Indian did not say what were the intentions of the savages as to the future - whether they were to continue their bloodthirsty work or whether their thiist for blood had been satisfied.

Xot knowing whether or not the Indians had attacked the Marbles, wlio were known to have Iwated'on the west bank of Spirit lake, and desirous of giving warning to them if still alive, Mr. Morris Markham and ^Ir. tlareb Palmer set out from the Springfield settlement on the 21st to investigate. The gentlemen reached the Marble cabin and found evidence that th.o Indians had been there ahead of them, but did not find the dead bodv of Mr.

The Springfield Settlement

Marble, which the Indians had buried in the snow. Moccasin tracks, apparently only a few hours old, were found near the cabin and the hieroglyphics picturing the massacre at the Okoboji lakes were found blazed on a tree. The gentlemen returned the same day and reported their discovery. Mr. Palmer made a trip to the Granger cabin on the 23rd, expecting to find the inmates murdered, but there he found Mr. Granger and tlie Hashmans safe and prepared for attack. The finding of these people alive raised the drooping spirits of the Springfield settlers and led to the hope that the hostilcs had left tlie vicinitv and that thcv iniglk vet bo sj)ared.

The fighting force of the community was reduced on the 24th by the departure of Xathaniel Frost and William Nelson, who went to SlocumV, on the Watonwan, to try to bring in the load of provisions which William Wood had been obliged to leave on the prairie near there.

At a conference of the settlers it was decided to organize a party to go to the lakes and burv the dead, as it seemed to them almost inhuman to leave the bodies uncared for and exposed to the ravages of wolves and other wild beasts. TJjnpashota volunteered, through William Wood, to become one of a party to perform this duty." It was decided to make the trip on Thursday, Murch 26, but on the evening before the start was to have been made the expedition was abandoned, largely on the advice of Umpashota. That Indian, who seems to have played an important part in the affairs of the little communitv at this critical time because of his influence over William Wood, had been down to the store on the 25th and

-"The Woods seemed to have Implicit confidence in him [Umpashota] and thought it would be a grood thing to have him gro along, but most of the rest of us had less confidence in him and prepared to make the trip without his presence - but they did not make this fact known to the Woods." - Jareb Palmer.

gave notice to Mr. Wood that he would not accompany the whites to the lakes and advised against going. He stated that he thought Inkpaduta's band was still in the vicinity of the lakes, engaged in drying beef from the many head of cattle- they had slaughtered, and that it would l)e unsafe to make the trip. Concerning this advice Mr. Jareb Palmer has written : "Why Umpashota told this story is not quite clear, unless he wanted us to' remain that we might all be massacred, . for he surelv knew that the band was at that time at Heron lake, not more than eight or ten miles from Gaboo's camp, where Umpashota was staying." The Woods refused to accompany the other settlers after receiving this advice and the trip was abandoned.

When the morning of Thursday, March 26, dawned it had been just fifteen days since word of the massacre at the lakes had been brought to the settlement. They had been fifteen days of suspense to most of the settlers, but so long a time had now elapsed that hope was expressed that tho Indians had left the countrv and tliat an attack was not to ])c made. The vigilance that had been employed at first was relaxed to a certain extent; soldiers were expected to arrive from Fort Kidgely at any time; a more optimistic view of the situation was being taken.

On the fateful dav there were eleven able bodied men in the settlement, divided as follows: William Wood and George Wood at the store; Adam Shiegley at his own cabin ; Josluia Stewart at his own cabin ;"^ James B. Thomas, Jareb Palmer, David Carver, Jolui Bradshaw" and Mor-

^-The Stewarts had at the first alarm gone to the Thomas cabin, but owing to fear, the excitement and confusion consequent on so many being huddled together In one small house. Mrs. Stewart had become mentally deranged, and she and her hustjand and children had returned to their own cabin, where they were on the day of the massacre.

the Wheeler cabin. ^^ All the women and children of the settlement, except the Stewart family, were at the Thomas and Wheeler cabins. The only house in the settlement which had been put in condition to withstand attack was that of Mr. Thomas.

That immediate attack was not anticipated is evidenced by the fact that on the morning of the 26th all the men at the Thomas cabin took their axes, went to the woods nearby and cut enough fire-, wood ^'to last through the war/' as one of their number expressed it. Their guns had been left at the cabin, and had the attack been made during that time there can be no doubt that the twenty people who were temporarily living at the Thomas cabin would all have been massacred. It was during this morning that Dr. Strong went to the Wheeler cabin to make a settlement with Messrs. Smith and Henderson for the surgical operations.

To return to the Indians camped at Heron lake. On the morning of the 26th the warriors painted themselves in their most fierce and hideous fashion. They took special pains to communicate to the women captives, by signs and in their jargon, that they were about to attack the Springfield settlement. With rifles in their hands and with scalping knives in their belts they set out on their murderous mission. So far as Abbie Gardner, one of the captives, can remember, the names of the warriors comprising the band at this time were^* Inkpaduta, or

"Of the other men who were residents of the settlement at the time. Robert Smith and John Henderson were in a cripnled condition at the Wheeler cabin; Charles Wood had gone to the Watonwan; Joseph Chiffin and Henry Trets had gone to Fort Rldgely to notify the soldiers; William Nelson and Nathaniel Frost had gone to Slocum's; William Church had been absent all' winter.

Scarlet Point; Mak-pe-a-ho-man, or Roaring Cloud ; Mak-pi-op-e-ta, or Fire Cloud (twin to Roaring Cloud) ; Taw-a-che-hawa-kan, or His Mysterious Father; Baha-ta, or Old Man; Ke-cho-mon, or Putting-on-as-he-walks ; Ka-ha-dat, or Ratling (son of Inkpaduta) ; Fe-to-a-ton-ka, or Big Face; Ta-te-li-da-shink-sha-man-i, or One - who -makes -a -crooked - wind -as-hewalks ; Ta-chan-che-ga-ho-ta, or His Great (Jun; Hu-san, or One Leg.

Inkpaduta and his warriors came down to the Springfield settlement by way of Gaboo's camp and halted, a little after noon, on the east side of the river opposite Woods' store. Just what took place there will never be definitely known, except that both William and George Wood were murdered, as no whites except these two were witnesses. But various clews give us an idea of the circumstances. Apparently, William Wood had not even yet .lost confidence in the bloodthirsty demons, for when they appeared upon the trail across the river he started to go to them - perhaps in answer to a hail - as was his custom. While on the river bank he was shot from behind at close range with buckshot. Whether he had crossed the river and talked with the Indians and was shot as he returned or whether he was shot by Indians concealed in the grass on the west side, is not known. So close had been his murderer that burnt powder stains were afterward found upon his clothing. Aft^r the shooting the body was cut open with a tomahawk or a knife from between the shoulders, down the back, to between the hips.^*

George W^ood, from his position in the store, had seen his brother shot down and had started to run to warn the other settlers and to seek protection for himself.

"The conduct and actions of the Wood brothers, particularly William Wood, during: the days of suspense before the massacre have at times been unfavorably commented upon. The Woods did not Join the other settlers in their efforts to fortify one or two of the cabins, but re-

He succeeded in getting across the river on the ice, but, exhausted from running several hundred yards through the deep dHfts, he sought a place of concealment and crawled under a brush pile at a point a few rods from tlie river bank and some twentv or thirtv rods above the location of the present upper bridge in the village of Jackson. This point was near the Indian trail, upon which the Indians were running in pursuit, but because of a bend in the trail, surrounded bv trees, brush and weeds, he was temporarily out of sight of his pursuers. The unfortunate man was soon found in the brush pile and shot. So c^ose was the muzzle of the gun that the whole top of his head was blown off and powder stains were left on his cap.^® matned at the store, where aU their earthly possessions were. BeUeving, as they certainly did. that the massacre of the whites at Okoboji lakes was the result of a quarre^ and that the murders would not be continued, they saw no reason why they should desert the store. Of course, we can now see their mistake; their confidence in the red men led to their death.

One or two of the settlers who did not lik? the Woods pretended to believe that they were over friendly with the Indians, that they believed that even If the other settlers were attacked, their friendship would save them. Major Williams, of the Iowa volunteers goes so far as to intimate treachery, saying that the Indians were informed of the contemplated arrival of the soldiers by Wood and Gaboo. I can find no evidence that would indicate treachery on the part of the Woods and believe thit they were sincere in their actions.

Mr. E. B. Wood, who often talked with his brother, Charles Wood, after the massacre ani who made every effort to ascertain the facts, wrote to Mr. Jareb Palmer under date of November 23, 1897. as follows:

**I do not and never did believe that George or William ever gave information to the Indians of the coming of the soldiers. I believe that my brothers watched and expected each hour of the later hours of their lives for the soldiers to come, that they aimed to let the Indians believe that they trusted them implicitly, thinking tWs safest. Now. my friend n.nd comrade, for forty years myself and my family have had our hearts pained not only by the thought of their deaths and the damnable manner of their taking off, but mainly by this story of the possible treachery of my brothers in telling these Indians of the coming of the soldiers so as to receive benefits and safety for themselves to the possible damage of the other settlers. My brothers were nol»le hearted fellows and t do not think them capable of this and I do not think there is a particla of truth in it. That Gaboo, the half-breed, may have told them is possible."

"Another version of the killing of George Wood is to the effect that after he was shot the Indians piled brush on his body in an effort to burn It. but the best evidence points to his taking off as I have described it.

After the killing of the Wood brothers the Indians replenished their stock of ammunition from the store and then proceeded to attack the other inhabited cabins of the settlement. At the Thomas cabin, where were gathered the greatest number of settlers, a determined fight was put up bv the white men (with the ]>ossible exception of the ^Fattock cabin at Okoboji lake, the only place in either settlement where the Indians met with resistence) and they succeeded in standing off the redskins. Thig was due to the preparations that had been made and to the fighting qualities of the men and women there.'^

After the middav meal at the Thomas cabin all who were temporarily living there were sitting in the north room talking, while two of Mr. Thomas' children, aged seven and ten years, were playing in the yard. About half past two o'clock Willie, the younger of the boys playing outside, came running into the house with the announcement that an Indian was coming down the road from the Wlieeler cabin, which was to the north. As the* people of the cabin were hourly expecting the return of Joseph Cbiffin and Henry Trets from Fort Ridgely, some one of the party exclaimed, "I'll bet it's Henry," meaning Henry Trets. From their location in the north room, tlie door of which faced the timber, the people could not see anyone coming from the direction

"The Thomas house stood on the edge of the timber, being surrounded on three sides by woods full of logs, brush and stumps of trees; on the other side was prairie. Within six or eifi'ht rods of the cabin were a log stable, an old fashioned hny rack for feeding stock and a cattle yard made of logs and poles. A log partition divided the cabin into two rooms, connected by a door: at opposite ends of each room was a fireplace. The south room had a door and a window, both facing the prairie, while the north room had a door and a window, facing the timber, and a window looking upon the prairie. The window on the timber side had been secured by nailing two thicknesses of oak stakes across it. leaving a space about four Inches wide to serve as a port hole; on the prairie side the windows had been covered with shutters that could be taken out and put In as occasion required. The doors were fastened with pins stuck In holes in the logs.

indicated without going out doors. So there was a rush for the door. Miss Swanger, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Palmer and Mr. Carver went outside, where the two boys still were. Miss Swanger was the first one out and when she got to a point where she could see the person approaching she cried joyfully, "Yes, it's Henry." But when Mr. Carver got out where he had a good view he replied, "Xo, it's an Indian.*'

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than a tremendous volley, fired at short range from rifles and shotguns, was poured into the little company in front of the house ; the Indians had crawled up and hidden themselves behind trees, outbuildings and other places of concealment. Little Willie Thomas was killed instantlv. James Thomas received a musket ball in his left arm just below the elbow, which broke both bones and made necessary the amputation of the member. David Carver was wounded by a buckshot, which passed through the fleshy part of his arm above the elbow and penetrated his lung. Miss Swanger was wounded by a rifle ball, which passed through the upper part of her shoulder, inflicting a painful but not dangerous wound. Of those outside, Mr. Palmer and the older Thomas boy were the only ones unharmed ; it is a winder that all were not killed, and can be accounted for only by the poor markmanship of the Indians.

All succeeded in getting into the cabin, those who had received wounds being unaware of the fact until thev were inside. Although the surprise had been complete there was no confusion. Each seemed to know instinctivelv what^was to be done and commenced doing it. Had the Indians followed their first volley with a rush they would probably have succeeded in massacreing the whole houseful with little, if any, loss to themselves. The doors and windows were closed and barred, while Mr. Markham and Mr. Bradshaw, who had remained in the house, seized their rifles and commenced firing at the Indians, whose guns could be seen protruding through the hay rack. The battle was on.

I shall let Mr. Jareb Palmer, one of the defenders of the cabin and the historian of the massacre, tell of the interesting events that took place in the Thomas cabin during the next hour :

At first I busied myself in barricading the south room, and, as the shutters for the window in this room had unfortunately been left on the outside, we had to improvise something in its place. For this we used a table and some chairs. Having attended to this, I seized a gun, of which, fortunately, we had plenty, and looked around for a place to get a shot at the redskins, but found no chance, as they seemed to be all on the southwest side of the house, and there was no porthole in either the south end of the house or the west side of the south room, I seized an ax which was in the room and knocked out a piece of chinking from between the logs on each side of the fireplace in the south end of the house. I watched the hole on the west side of the fireplace -and the Thomas boy the east side. It was not until I had completed these preparations for defense that I learned the full extent of our loss, and my heart fairly bled for Mrs. Thomas.

\Vlien we rushed into the house at the Indians' first fire we did not notice that the Thomas boy was killed, and when he was missed and we ascertained that his boJy lay in front of the door, the lamentations of his mother were truly heartrending. Her husband was seriously wounded and bleeding profusely, her boy killed outside, and she was not able to have even the poor consolation of having his body brought into the house, for it would have been certain death for anyone to venture out to get it. Mr. Thomas and Mr. Carver were soon obliged to lie down, but Miss Swanger continued to render all the assistance in her power and never once laid down during the time we were in the house.

As it happened, we had plenty of guns and ammunition and kept busy .blazing away at nny thing we could see that looked like a face or a hand, a gun or a piece of blanket, and I assure you we burned a lot of powder and made a big noise whether we hurt anybody or not. The Indians continued to fire volley after volley at the house, some of the balls coming through the door, we protecting ourselves by taking up a portion of the puncheon floor and standing it against the door. At only one time did I have a fair view of any of the savages, and that was doubtless after they had concluded to abandon the attack. Then I saw three at one time with their backs toward the house and going as fast as their legs would carry them, and I was able to get only one shot at them before they were out of sight. As my duties kept me busy in the south room I didn't know much about what was going on in the north room except as I could hear the crack of the guns in the hands of Bradshaw and Markham.

However, I passed into that room two or three times during the fight, once, I remember, to make a porthole in the end of the house, and once to get a supply of ammunition, as the guns and ammunition were all kept in that room. Once when I was in there I saw, Mrs. Church fire through the .east window at what she said was an Indian, and she said she aaw him fall." This was no doubt the one first seen by the boysf as he was in nearly the same place as that one when seen.

I suppose I ought to tell you that after the excitement caused by the surprise had .*-omewhat abated, some of the ladies bethought themselves of the arm that is allpowerful to save and engaged themselves in earnest supplication to Him for help; and as , there seemed nothing better for them to do, I think we were all glad to see them thus engaged, for I am sure none of us had much hope of ever leaving the house alive, as we were but three able bodied men, contending, as we supposed, against the whole Sioux nation, and with but faint hopes of any human help being able to reach us.

After a while - probably an hour after the attack was begun - the fire of the enemy began to slacken, and then we saw sticks and clubs flying in the air toward the three head of colts which were kept there. In this way the Indians succeeded in driving them up the road and out of sight of us people in the house. They accomplished this without exposing themselves to our view. We had no thought at the time why they had done this, unless merely to see the horses run; but, as it afterward proved, they were about to abandon the attack and took this way to get the horses out of our sight that they might catch them and take them away.

I presume the Indians left soon after, although we had no thought they were going to abandon the attack, and when the fire abated we supposed they were lying in wait for some of us to expose ourselves that they might shoot us down. Notwithstanding the fife had abated, we did not abate our vigilance, but continued to watch through the portholes for lurking 5*avagc8, expecting momentarily a renewal of the attack with larger force and in some unexpected manner. But the fire finally stopped entirely. The Indians had slunk away as secretly and silently as they had come; but we had no idea they had gene until just before nightfall, when we saw

We at first supposed it to be an Indian and were holding ourselves in readiness to fire as soon as he came within gunshot, but before he came near enough to fire we discovered it was a boy dressed in white man's clothes. We still thought it might be another trick to draw us out .of the house, so we remained inside and hallooed at him through a porthole. He answered us and upon inquiring who he was, he told us he was Johnnie Stewart. We called to him, oi>encd the door and took him in. He was frigiitened nearly out of his wits, and well he might be.

During the time that the attack on the Thomas cabin was being made other members of the outlaws were meeting with better success in another part of the settlement. An Indian came to the home of Mr. Stewart, wlio seems to have been ignorant of the attack on the settlement, and was bargaining for the purchase of a small hog, displaying a number of gold coins to be given in payment. Mr. Stewart was shot down and killed bv other Indians who were Ivinff in wait for him. His wife, who had been sitting in a chair in the house, holding the l)aby, rushed to the door witli tlie baby in her arms and with a three year old child clinging to her skirts. On reaching the door she was r-hot down and the ])aby and little girl were knocked in the head with tomahawk?. While the mother and two little children were being murdered, little Johnnie Stewart, seven or eight years of age, slipped out of the house and eluded the Indians, hiding behind a log, three or four rods from the cabin, where he remained until the Indians had completed their atrocious work and departed. Then he came out of his hiding place, viewed the dead bodies of his parents and little sisters, and made his wav to the Wheeler cabin. Inside he heard voices, and, supposing the cabin was full of Indians, the little boy left and went to the Thomas cabin, as has been stated.

E. B. N. Strong, J. B. Skinner, Robert Smith, John Henderson, Mrs. Skinner, Mrs. William Xelson and baby, Mrs. Robert Smith and l^Ir. Shieglev's two vear old boy, had not been put in a state of defense, but it was fortunately located, being on the edge of the prairie. There were no shutters for the solitary window of the cabin, which, however, fortunately, faced the prairie, nor had any portholes been made. The Indians appeared at the cabin, fired several fihots through the door, but did not make any determined attack. The bullets passed through the thin boards of the door and into the wall opposite, one of them barely missing Mr. Henderson. An ox was kilic.l near the cabin and the T-cst of the stock was driven off. Neither Dr. Strong nor \[r. Skinner, the onlv able bodied men there, fired a shot from the cabin. It i< said the inmates attempted to protect themselves by ringing bells and beating on tin pans, which seems to have answered tlie purpose, for no one was injured.

The cabin of Adam Shiegley was not attacked and that gentleman knew nothing of the attack until later in the day, when he went to the Thomas cabin. He was much surprised to learn of the fighting

"Although Mr. Shiegley did not learn of the fight until after it was over, he was inclined to give evidence in regard to it, as well as every e\ent of which he had heard, and he often made himself the hero of startling situations. In 1895 he is report'^td to have said to a rei>orter for the Mankato Morning News:

"... When the Indians attacked the [Thomas] house they must have crossed the river not a hundred yards from where I was. But I couldn't see them because there was a bend in the river l>etween us. The first thing I knew was when I heard them yelling and the shooting. Then I ran up the bank, which was thickly wooded, and lay down flat on m>' face in the snow. There were at)Out twenty of the Indians yelling and dancing and firing into the house. They didn't care about the people in there, though. What they wanted was the four horses in the stable and they just fired to keep the folks inside. Well, I saw

Heron lake. Owing to the knowledge that the Indians were on the warpath and the determined fight put up by the men and women of the Thomas cabin, the results were not nearlv so disastrous as thev had been at the lakes. For the first time in the Indians' mad career since leaving Smithland thev encountered men who were not afraid to fight for their lives, and the attempt to wipe out the settlement failed. At that, onlv at the Thomas cabin was any resistence made, and but for the opposition they encountered there, there can be no doubt the Indians would have persevered until every white in the settlement was killed. But, baffled in their attempt to 'massacre those in the Thomas house, ignorant of the damage their first vollev had done and of the weakness of the fighting force left, anxious to take part in the looting of Woods' store, perhaps fearing the early arrival of the soldiers, they gave up the attack.

It is impossible to say just how many Indians were engaged in the massacre - probably not more than the fifteen of Inkpaduta's band.-^ It is not probable that Umpashota and his Indians took part in the actual killing, but there can be no question that that nominally friendly Indian assisted Inkpaduta in his designs and preparations. Nothing more was seen of Umpashota or any of his Indians ; they had gone to more congenial climes. Concerning the part this crafty Indian may have taken in affairs, Mr. Jareb, Palmer has written:

*»Major William Williams, the leader of the Iowa volunteers, among several other mistakes in matters of fact and conjecture In his official report, says of the number of Indians taking part in the Spirit lake and Springfield massacres:

"As near as I could ascertain, the Indian force was from 150 to 200 warriors. Judging from their encampments, etc. The number of Indians must be fifteen or twenty killed and wounded. From the number seen to fall killed, and judging from the bloody clothes and clots of blood in their encampments, the struggle at the lakes must have been very severe, particularly the one at the hause o( Ksquire Mattock. ... I am satisfied that the greater number of these Indians were from the Missouri, as they were strangers to the settlers where they appeared, and a portion of them were half-breeds."

"It has been reported that the Indians who had camped near the settlement during the winter were engaged in the attack and massacre at Springfield. Whether this is a fact or not I am unable to say. Some of those in the Thomas house with me say they saw and recognized Umpashota, but I did not see any Indian that I could recognize as one I had ever seen before. When Captain Bee arrived Umpashota and his band were gone and he found some of the goods that we^e taken from Woods' store in the possession of Gaboo^s Indians, but they claimed to have bought them of Inkpaduta's Indians, and this might have been the case, as Mrs. Sharp says when the Indians returned from the attac^k, they brought eleven horses and ponies with them, and I know they only got three from the whites at Springfield, so that it may be that Inkpaduta's band had traded goods for ponies. I have never since seen anv of the Indians with whom I became acquainted during that winter"