Jackson County, Minnesota - Chapter 8: The Belmont Massacre - 1862, 1910

Chapter 8: The Belmont Massacre - 1862

IT IS not my intention to tell of the Sioux war of 1862, except so far as Jackson ^.county enters into the history. But it may be of interest to learn the magnitude of this famous Indian war. The outbreak was the most remarkable and noteworthy incident of the kind in American history. More white people perished in that savage slaughter than in all the other massacres ever perpetrated on the North American continent. Add the number of white victims of the Indian wars of New England during the colonial period to the list of those who perished in the Wyoming and Cherry valleys, and to the pioneers who were killed in the early wliite occupation of the middle west and the south, and the aggregate falls far short of the numl)er of the people of Minnesota who were slain by the Sioux in less than one week in that memorable month of August, 1862.^ About eight hundred people were killed within a few days, before any effective resistance could be brought against the red demons. Only two Indians were killed outside the battles and legitimate skirmishes. One of these was at a point below Jackson, near Spirit Lake, where three settlers were attacked by a superior force but won the fight by their bravery and drove off the savages. They killed an Indian named Big Head and wounded three others. The testimony of the Indians was that they found the Minnesota settlers "as easy to kill as sheep."

The attack on the Norwegian settlement of Jackson county occurred on Sunday, August 24, 1862, and for the second time in its history the soil of Jackson county was crimsoned with the blood of its citizens as the result of Indian attack; for the second time the county was abandoned by white men. Thirteen whites were murdered, a few others were wounded, and many narrowly escaped with their lives.

So early as June reports reached the Belmont settlers that there was likely to be trouble with the Indians. On only one occasion, however, did the Indians who sometimes visited the settlement show any signs of hostility; the exception was the wanton killing of an ox belonging to Ole Larson, of Christiania township. Finally the rumors of an outbreak were confirmed. A German fleeing from New TJlm brought news of the attack on that village, which had occurred only a few days before. He could not impart the details of the tragedy on account of his inability to speak English, but the settlers could understand enough to know that

The Behnont settlers seem to have been undecided what course to pursue. Nights they gathered at the dilTerent cabins that seemed to offer better protection or where the firearms and ammunition were kept; their fears were not so great during the day time, and generally they returned to their homes in the morning to attend to the farm work. A decision was finally reached tliat stockades should be built, and Monday, August 25, was the date set for the settlers to get together and select the sites. On the dav before this was to have been done the attack was made and there had been enacted the drama of brutal and beastly bloodshed which depopulated the county.

It was a few days after the attack on the Lower Agency and four days after the massacre at Lake Shetek, in Murray county, that about fifty of White Lodge's band of Sisseton Sioux proceeded down the Des Moines river, apparently to repeat the performance of Inkpaduta of five years before.^ They proceeded as far south as Englebret Olson Slaabaken's home on the southeast quarter of section 22, Belmont township, without making their presence known.^ Then instead of proceeding down the river, they began the at-

^The route of the Indians into Jackson county is not known definitely, but It is supposed they came by way of Fish lake, Lower's lake and Independence lake. Had they followed the river bank, it Is almost certain they would have been discovered before reaching the point where the attack was beerun.

-So far as is known. Lars Olson was the only man in the settlement who saw the Indians In a body; consequently he was the only competent authority as to the number participating. He estimated the number at fifty. Mr. Olson, who was an old man livingr on section 30. Christlania, had been down into Belmont township on Sunday, and while returning, when a little north of the Ole Fohre home, he came upon the party of savages in the woods, before the attack was begun. He was not seen by the Indians, nor were the Indians recognized as such by him. He supposed they were soldiers, come to the defense of the settlers, and was accordingly thankful for their arrival. Mr. Olson continued his journey home, and neither he nor his wife saw the Indians afterward, although the red men must have passed close to his house.

The attacking savages divided into small parties, and, going swiftly from cabin to cabin, they took the inmates by surprise and encountered no resistance except in one instance. The men, women and children were sTiot down without warning and without an effort to save their lives except in flight.

At the Ole Fohre home, on the northwest quarter of section 22, Belmont, several families had gathered, namely, Johannes Axe and wife, Lars G. Jornevik and wife, Mrs. Carrie Fohre, the wife of Ole Fohre, and her twelve year old son, Ole Olson Fohre, and eight small children belonging to the several families. Here the massacre was begun at ten o'clock in the forenoon. When the Indians were seen approaching, Mrs. Fohre, Mrs. Jornevik and Mrs. Axe with the eight small children went into the cellar, the trap door was closed, and twelve year old Ole Olson Fohre piled clothing, boxes and trunks over it. The othei-s remained upstairs. They barricaded the doors, but being with* out arms, their efforts to guard the cabin were futile.

The Indians approached the cabin from the east and burst in the east door. All who were in the cabin, except the boy, were instantly killed, and no one knows the particulars of their taking off. Johannes Axe was evidently pounded to death, as no bullet wounds were found on his bodv. Lars Fumes and Lars G. Jornevik"* were shot.

<Lars G. Jornevik was a man with a violent temper and in some particulars lacking in Judgment. When he was advised, some days previous, that it wns probable the Indians would come and to prepare himself. Mr. Jornevik flew into a violent rage, stating that he was ready for the Indians any time they wanted to come. He filled his pockets with stones and considered himself amply protected. VThen his dead- body was found, his pockets were filled with the missiles which he had not opportunity to use.

When the east door was broken down and the Indians entered the cabin, Ole Olson Fohre, the boy, who was standing guard at the west door, bolted out that door and ran down a trail that led to a spring. Hearing the door slam, the boy looked over his shoulder while running and saw an Indian taking aim at him. With presence of mind he made a quick jump to the left into the brush. He dodged just in time to save his life, for the bullet struck him, tearing away the tip of his right elbow. Ole hid in the brush, and the savage who had fired followed and searched for him. When the Indian was only about three feet from the boy's hiding place, he gave up the search and returned to his companions at the cabin - the Indian's love of "firewater" saved a life. One of the first acts of the savages was to search the wagons, which had been brought from Mankato the day before, loaded with provisions, and just as the Indian was about to discover the boy in the brush, the others at the cabin found a jug of whisky in one of the wagons and raised such a shout of joy that the one after the boy gave up the hunt and hastily rejoined the others. Safe from immediate pursuit, Ole ran through the timber down the river to find a place of refuge and to notify the other settlers of their danger.

About the time these events were taking place at the Pohre home, Ole Fohre, the owner of the cabin, was found by the Indians in the timber, between his house and the river, and killed. The place of this murder was on section 21.

The anxiety of the fugitives in the cellar while the murders were being committed over their heads cannot be described; so still were they they scarcely breathed. Their fears were made worse by the crying of the two year old babe of Mrs. Lars C. Jomevik. That lady, with heroism seldom equaled in the annals of Indian warfare, knowing tl)at the painted demons surrounded the house, deliberately came out of the cellar to accept her fate. To the other ladies she said: "I understand my time has come; I must go up a^ain. Your children are smaller than mine and they keep quiet; if I stay here the Indians will find us." She came up from the cellar with the child and was killed, her body being horribly mutilated. Fortunately the Indians were busy with their whiskv and did not learn from whence Mrs. Jornevik had come.

The child was unharmed, but soon it began to cry. The door of the cabin had been left open, and the baby was frightened at the hogs, which came into the cabin. One of the ladies came up, found the child in its mother's blood, and took it back into the cellar and cared for it.

Then it was learned for the first time that the savages had left the vicinity. For the time being let us leave the two women and the children in the cellar, debating the course of action to pursue, while we consider events that were taking place in others parts of the settlement.

Close to the Fohre home, Mikkel Olson Slaabaken was killed and his nephew, Anders Olson Slaabaken, the thirteen year old son of Englebret Olson Slaabaken, was seriously wounded and left for dead. The Englebret Olson Slaabaken home was half a mile south of the Fohre home, and also on section 22. About the time the attack was begun, Mikkel and his nephew started from that place for the home of Ole Fohre. They he^rd the firing but thought nothing of it, as they supposed the neighbors were shooting blackbirds. They soon ^became aware of the seriousness of their condition. The Indians were stationed along the trails in the timber, and the unfortunate white men were soon discovered. The savages fired and the white men set out on a run through the timber. Mikkel was hit at the first fire and exclaimed: "I am wounded and cannot run any farther.^' Immediately he was hit again and killed instantly.

A bullet from the first volley passed through the hat brim of the boy, and a moment later another one inflicted a slight scalp wound, plowing a furrow through his hair. Anders was not stunned or badly hurt, but he was so scared that he fell and lay with his face to thp ground. The savages came up and one of them plunged a knife into his left side and, as the victim described the event in after years, "twisted it around before he pulled it out." The Indians left him for dead and Anders lost consciousness. When he came to his senses he crawled to his father's home. There was no one there; the Indians had visited the place and taken everything in the line of provisions. The wounded boy made his way to the log stable and hid in a manger, where he remained three days with nothing to eat except two raw eggs. When the cows came home at night he tried to milk them, but they would not allow him to approach them on account of the blood on his clothes. From the time of the attack on Sunday until Wednesday Anders remained in the manger; then he was found by a rescuing party and taken to Estherville, where he slowly recovered from his wounds.*

From the Fohre house the Indians went to the home of Englebret Olson Slaabaken, a half mile south, but all the whites there, except the two mentioned, had gone to church. Here, after ransacking the premises, the Indians gave up the idea of going farther south, and began their trip to the north. Had it not been for the faet

*Anders Olson Slaabaken later returned to Jackson county, and after his father's death became the owner of the Belmont farm. He became a respected resident of the county and died on the old homestead on September 26, 1885.

that many of the settlers were away from home, gathered at the Ramlo house and other places in religious worship, there is every reason to believe that the massacre would have been much more terrible than it was. When the murdering savages came to the house of Englebret Olson Slaabaken and the houses of others who were at the meeting and found th§m unoccupied, they feared the settlement was aroused and that the people had gathered at some place to put up a fight. As an Indian detests a fair fight more than anything else, they decided not to go farther south, but to begin their bloody woric and make their escape before it became necessary to fight.

On their trip north (probably), at a point a few rods west of the Ole Fohre home, the Indians came upon Knud Midstad and his wife Breta and murdered them. These unfortunate people lived on the west side of the river, and were on their way to Ole Fohre^s when they were ambushed on the trail.

To return to the women and children in the cellar of the Ole Fohre cabin. When it was learned that the Indians had left the immediate vicinit}^ Mrs. Fohre and Mrs. Axe decided to seek another place of concealment. Accordingly they came forth with the children and hid in a cornfield. The savages, returning from their visit to the Slaabaken home below, again came to the place of the original attack, and when they found that refugees had been hidden in the cellar at the time of the first attack but had now escaped, they were very angry and spent considerable time searching for them. After the murderers had gone the second time the women started out with the children for the south and spent Sunday night in a blacksmith shop on the Englebret Olson Slaabaken farm. The next morning, not having had anything to eat since the attack.

The Norwegian Settlement

they started out again for the south in an endeavor to find a place of safety. They had proceeded ta a point southwest of the present site of Jackson when they met Knud I^ngeland returning from Spirit I^ke, and were piloted to a place of safet3\

After the second visit to the house of Ole Pohre, the Indians (at least a part of them) crossed the river to the west side, but did not encounter any whites and returned.* Then the band proceeded up the river to the home of Knud Langeland, who resided with his familv on the southeast quarter of section 16. There no warning had been received, and five human lives were taken. Mr. Langeland was down by the river rounding up his cattle at the time of the attack and so escaped. At the house his wife, Anna Langeland, and four children, Anna, Aagaata, Nicolai John and Knud Langeland, were murdered. Martha Langeland escaped the fate - of the rest of the family by hiding in a com field. Two of these children who were killed were hid in the corn field at the time of the attack, but when they saw the Indians attack their mother they rushed out to her assistance and were murdered. Mr. Langeland went to the house after the Indians departed and viewed the terrible work of the monsters. He thought' lie witnessed signs of life in two of his children. Gathering them in his arms, he carried them all the way to Spirit Lake. One of the children died soon after his arrival ; the other recovered.^

-It must not be understood that the movements of the Indians are srlven from definite knowledsre or that the chronological order of eventa Is strictly observed. It is known to what homes the savages came, but the exact time at which, they appeared and the definite course they took are unknown. For instance, the only evidence we have that the Indians crossed to the west side of the river Is the fact that one of their guns was found at a point opposite the Fohre home, twenty rods from the river. As It is known that none of the homes on that side was visited, we conclude that the red men soon after returned to the east side.

Prom the Langeland home the Sioux proceeded on their way up the river to the homes of Ole Estenson and Ole Torgenson, where they arrived in the evening about dark. These men were the only ones in the settlement to make any effort to save their lives except in flight; they had the old Berserker blood in them and put up a good fight. Messrs. Estenson and Torgenson barricaded one of their houses situated on the southeast quarter of section 31, Christiania township, and made other preparations to defend their families. They had guns and ammunition and the knowledge and disposition to use them. When the Indians appeared, they called to the white men to come to them. Instead, the white men ordered their families to lie down and returned the fire of the enemy so successfully that they fought off every attack. Volley after volley was poured into the house, and the bullets penetrated the walls and roof, knocking down several articles that were on shelves.* The white men loaded their army muskets with slugs, and, as it had become dark, they fired only at the flashes of the Indians' guns. No one within the cabin was hit, and the attackers finally departed. The defenders did not know whether or not they hit any of the ravages, and had no evidence that they did.'

mentioned as having been killed. If that is a fact, only twelve met death in the Belmont massacre. Mr. Ole Anderson, who has furnished me much of the data concerning: the massacre, places the number killed at thirteen, but is uncertain in regrard to the Langreland children.

-An amusing: feature of this attack was the rage of one of the Norwegian women. A cooking utensil was knocked from Its place on the shelf, and the lady of the house became so angry she Jumped up vowing vengeance on the redskins. Had she not been restrained it Is possible she would have rushed out and put the savages to flight.

-This statement is made on the authority of Ole Anderson, who Interviewed Messrs. Estenson and Torgenson a short time after the massacre. The author of Minnesota In Three Centuries, recently published, was Incorrectly informed in regard to the result of this flght, for he said the defenders believed that they had wounded several of the savages and knew that they had killed one, because his carcass lay fifty yards from the cabin for anyone to see.

After their repulse the Indians went down the river and made camp Sunday night on the southeast quarter of section 8, Belmont township.'^ The next day they proceeded up the river on the east side without renewing hostilities. The Des Moines river was crossed, and Monday night camp was made on the southwest quarter of section 24, Delafield township. Thence the Indians continued their journey to the north and out of Jackson county.

The Belmont massacre was over. Thirteen innocent people had been murdered in cold blood. Several of the bodies were mutilated, but no scalps were taken. None of the cabins and no property was burned. The savages carried away much property, and some of this was abandoned or destroyed on the march out of the country; otherwise there was no destruction of property.

"The statement has been made that the attack on the Chrlatlanla home was not made until Monday, after the Indians had left this camp, but the best evidence is to the effect that the attack was made Sunday evening.

"For some reason no authentic account of the Belmont massacre has heretofore been written, and there is a wonderful lack of general knowledge of the details of the terrible affair. There are differences of authority even as to the date of the massacre in Jackson county. The inaccuracies of the printed accounts of the affair are shown In the following extract from Norwegian Settlers History, published In the Norwegian language in 1908 by J. M. Holland, A. M.. of Bphrlam, Wisconsin:

"On Sunday morning. August 24, 1862, before any preacher ever found his way to this wilderness, the new settlers, after having an abundant harvest, felt thankful and happy to God and gathered to a prayer meeting in Mrs. Holsten Olson's house. She had a sweet voice and had just finished a hymn when the door flew open and a half-grown boy, the son of Ole Forde, entered, dripping with sweat and blood. 'Hurry up! Hurry upl' he screamed, gasping for breath, 'the Indians are coming!* They were so astonished and frightened that they rushed to the door to escape, but were too late. The Indians had surrounded the cabin. Then followed a hopeless fight with bare fists against the Indians' bright tomahawks and bullets. The women's praying for mercy was mixed with the Indians' yeUs of exultation over

Fortunately some of the settlers were gathered in religious worship at the house of Taral Ramlo, on the southwest quarter of section 34, on the west side of the river, and so escaped the awful carnage, as the Indians did not go farther south than section 22.^^ Holsten Olson was presiding over the meeting. The congregation was just beginning a hymn when Ole Olson Fohre, the boy who had been wounded but who had escaped from the savages, arrived with the startling intelligence that the Indians were murdering the settlers on the east side of the river.^^ their victory. The women were compelled to stand while the Indians took the children by their heels and crushed theh* skulls afi^ainst the trees."

"This meeting: had been called at the instance of Holsten Olson and was for the purpose of attempting a consolidation of the two religrious factions in the Norwegrlan settlement. Holsten Olson was the leader of one faction and Burre Olson of the other. Burre Olson did not attend, but he and a few of his friends held another meeting: at his house on the southwest quarter of section 11, Des Moines township, at the same time.

"Ole Anderson, now a resident of Jackson, was a playmate of the Fohre boy and was the first to see him as he came running to give the alarm. He met him some distance from the

The bloody condition of the boy added to the alarm his words conveyed, and all was confusion. The people were panic stricken and huddled in groups around the log building. Excepting one gun, they were without arms or ammunition.

Like the pioneers of the Springfield settlement had done five years before, the panic stricken people decided on flight to the Iowa settlements. Some of the people had come to the meeting with ox teams. These were quickly hitched up, the elderly people, the little children and the wounded boy were loaded into the wagon boxes and hay racks, and the start for the south was begun. The main party was preceded by Ole E. Olson Slaabaken, son of Englebret Olson Slaabaken, and Sigur Chesterson, son of Hans Chesterson (Kgostolson), who ran ahead and notified the settlers on both sides of the river, thus performing a daring and (if the Indians had come) valuable service. The boys spent Sunday night at the home of Henry Olson, on the state line, and Monday carried the news of the massacre to Estherville.

When the party had proceeded only a short distance on the way south, at some point on section 3, Des Moines, they saw someone in the distance to the north, and their fears were redoubled. Holsten Olson, the only grown man in the party, deserted the others at this point and started off across the prairie alone.^* Simon Olson, who in later years was Jackson county's judge of probate, went from Mr. Ramlo's house to that of Holsten Olson, three-quarters of a mile north, secured what guns and ammunition were there, and then hastened south, going down the meetingr house and ran with him to warn those erathered at the house. When they grot within hailing' distance It was Ole Anderson's lusty voice that gave the alarm.

"A little son of Holsten Olson followed his father and overtook him. Mr. Olsoa and the boy went first to his house and then struck off across the prairie and in time reached Mankato.

east side of the river. When he had proceeded on his way nearly a mile he discovered that he had forgotten the percusion caps. Although haunted by the fears of danger from lurking savages, he bravely retraced his steps, secured the caps, and again hastened on his way.

When Holsten Olson left those who were going down the west side of the river, that party consisted of three or four women and many children, and it was a badly frightened, terror stricken little band of refugees that sought safety in flight that Sunday afternoon. They continued their journey to a point where the business center of Jackson is now located ; then forded the river and arrived at the house of Joseph Thomas. Before the party went up to the Thomas home, Mrs. Kirkevoldsmoen sent her two children, Ole (Anderson) and his little sister, to reconnoiter while the rest remained hidden in a ravine. The children silently climbed the hill through the woods and when they came in sight of the premises were overjoyed to see Simon Olson, who had arrived a little before, on top of one of the buildings on the watch for Indians. The children returned to the others and all proceeded to the house.

Other settlers of Belmont who had escaped the tomahawk and rifle of the Indians made their way south on the east side of the river in little groups. On the way througli Des Moines township other settlers, till then ignorant of the danger that threatened, joined the fleeing groups, all in.stinctively going to the Thomas home. Most of these parties had arrived bv four o'clock. A few of the settlers farthest up the river did not get out of the country until the next day, and, as has been told, the women and children who had been at the Fohre home spent Sunday night at the Englebret Olson Slaabak-

When the fleeing refugees reached the Thomas place that gentleman advised them to stop there, offering to turn his house into a fort and to help build a stockade. He believed they had enough arms and ammunition to hold tlie place until soldiers who were stationed at Estherville could be summoned. Mrs. Thomas dressed the wounds of the injured boy and distributed food to the hungry and frightened people. After supper had been eaten tlie Norwegians decided to continue the journey south. As Mr. Thomas could not hope to defend his place alone if the Indians came he decided to accompany the others. Accordingly they helped him hitch up his oxen to a wagon, a few goods were loaded in, and the whole party set out down the river a little before dark, traveling together. Darkness came upon them when they were in Petersburg township, and a rain came up. Camp was made near the state line and a restless night was passed in the rain. The next morning they proceeded on their way to Estherville and met a rescuing party near that town. None of the refugees got as far as Estherville on Sunday.

News of the hostility of the Indians and the massacre in Belmont township was carried to Spirit Lake, and on Monday, August 25, a detachment of mounted men proceeded to the Indian scourged country.^** After reaching the Des Moines river this party was joined by another which had started from Estherville on the same mission,^** and all proceeded to the scene of the massacre, which was reached cither Monday evening or Tuesday.

-jlief expedition beggars description. Ly- ' ing here and there on the prairie and in the woods, just as they had fallen, were the bodies of the victims. The dead were buried where they were found," and tlie twelve or fifteen men, women and children who had been unable to get away were cared for. These were found hiding in various places, almost too frightened to recognize their friends. The grief and distress of the survivors was heart rending. Of one family only one helpless child, too young to fully realize its condition, was left; of another, only the father, who had escaped by being in some distant field, had returned to find his dear ones lying about, murdered and horribly mutilated; of one or two families not one was left to tell of the awful deeds.

The relief party scouted the country for Indians, but found none. They spent a few days hunting for and assisting the frightened survivors out of the country. Some of the stock was rounded up and driven to the owners at Estherville and Spirit Lake. When it was learned that the savages had left the vicinity a few of the settlers came back for their live stock and goods, but they made haste to again get out of the country, leaviiig everything that was not easily moved. Many of these stopped at the home of Rev. Peter Baker, in Petersburg township, on their way to the Iowa towns. Phina Baker, in a letter written January 19, 1899, said:

"In November, 1899, the bodies of the victims were disinterred by Ole Anderson and relnterred in the city park in Jackson. Through the efforts of Mr. Anderson and other residents of Jackson county and of Representative John Baldwin and Senator H. E. Hanson the Minnesota legrislature of 1909 appropriated $2,000, available July 31. 1909, for the erection of a monument in the village of Jackson to the memorj' of those killed in this massacre and those in the massacre of 1857. Ole Anderson, T. J. Knox and Henry Anderson were named a commission to superintend the erection. The monument was erected in the fall of 1909.

in the cellar when the Indians came and looked down, but who were so still that they were not found and escaped, came to our house; some that were in hiding fled from the soldiers, thinking they were Indians. For the first two days I think mother's table was never cleared, for as soon as one lot left another took its place. Field corn was just large enough to cook, and the big wash boiler was kept full and boiling all the time.

For a short time the county was entirely deserted; not a human being had Iiis habitation within the boundaries of Jackson county. The county government was suspended, the officers fled, and most of the records were lost. Jackson county was put back to where it had been before 1856. Most of the Norwegian families went to Winneshiek county, Iowa, and Houston county, Minnesota; the other settlers made temporary homes at Spirit Lake and in other nearby settlements. Xews of the great Sioux war, which was being carried on in all parts of Minnesota, came to the settlements on the frontier and ihe greatest alarm prevailed. Concerning conditions in the Spirit Lake settlement, Mr. H. L. Bennett in 1885

This intelligence created the most intense excitement. The settlements in the county [Dickinson] at this time were Spirit Lake*, Tuscuhim, Okoboji and two or three families on the Little Sioux^ southwest of Milford. Messengers were soon sent to all these points, and the settlers, greatly alarmed, hastily gathered their most needful and valuable articles and hastened to Spirit Lake, where preparations were already being made for defense against the Indians. The court house windows were bricked up, leaving portholes to shoot through. All guns and ammunition were gathered up and everything was done to make the defense as complete as possible considering our numbers and the limited means at our disposal. A company was organized for defense, composed of every man capable of bearing arms. Officers were chosen, and everything was done in as military a manner as possible. Pickets were kept out at all times at various distant points to prevent a surprise.

The people of this county remained at the court house most of the time for about three weeks. The loss to settlers in various ways by this mode of living was very great. A good deal of stock was left to run at large, and as a consequence nearly all the crops were destroyed, causing considerable suffering. In doing chores, looking after stock, etc., two or more young men would make the tour of the various neighborhoods, being careful to be well mounted and armed and to keep a good lookout to prevent surprise from any Indians who might be lurking about.

One or two families attempted to leave the county during these trying times, but were detained, as it was determined that all should stay and help make a defense till help came from some direction. About this time the feoMiers . . . arrived from Sioux City, and a blessed relief it was to the settlers, who now returned to their homes. Quite a number of families left about this time, and but few came in.