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tants in the vicinity of Spirit Lake, in the spring of 1857, and they and other Indians were in the habit of stealing horses, killing the cattle of the settlers, and committing other outrages; growing more and more bold and daring in their inroads, so much so that on the 15th of June, 1861, a band of eight or ten were in the Little Sioux Valley stealing horses and within three miles of Sioux City; Thomas Roberts and Henry Cordua, a couple of members of the Frontier Guards, were murdered by them while plowing potatoes in the field.

So great was the excitement that a company of minute men from Mills county marched to the scene of difficulty, but as the Indians were not in force and had fled they returned home.

In the month of September Col. Hubbard got authority from the War Department to raise a company of cavalry for frontier defense, and they were mustered into service for that purpose about the middle of November.

The people along our western and northern border seemed to have a presentiment that in the bosom of the near future was hidden an immense bomb, labeled "Indian Depredations," that would soon burst upon them, and as already 20,000 of the flower of our sturdy yeomanry had been enlisted and sent from among us to fight rebels in the south, we were not in a good condition to meet the explosion of such a bomb. The little preparation we had made for the defense of our frontier, known as it was to the Indians, undoubtedly prevented its descent in our midst, and our sister State upon the north became the doomed object.

About the middle of August, 1862, the work of devastation and destruction in Minnesota began, and within a few weeks over 1,000 men, women and children were massacred, and 5,000 were driven from their homes. Houses were pillaged and burned, stock driven off and killed, fields devastated, and women and children to the number of 250 captured and carried into captivity.

Of the Indians and half breeds engaged in this massacre 425 were afterwards arrested and tried for their crimes by court martial; 321 were found guilty and 303 condemned to death. The President ordered thirty-nine of these to be hung and the remainder remanded to prison. Some of them were kept in jail at Davenport for some time, but they were finally released and turned loose on the west side of the Missouri river.

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It is supposed by some that the Indian outrages committed in succeeding years were instigated by these Indians thus turned loose, in revenge for their punishment.

Mr. C. E. Flandrau, in writing of this Indian war says:

'In the numbers of Indians engaged, together with their superior fighting qualities, their armament, and the country occupied by them, it ranks among the most important of the Indian wars fought since the settlement of the country on the Atlantic coast, but when viewed in the numbers of settlers and others massacred, the amount of property destroyed, and the horrible atrocities committed by the savages, it far surpasses them all.''

The citizens of Iowa escaped all this, in consequence of the vigilance, the alertness and pursuit by our Frontier Rangers of the small bands of roving Indians that were committing these depredations on our border the year before, for at that time they learned that we were prepared to, and would give them a warm reception if they attacked us.

Five hundred Iowa cavalry were afterward sent into Minnesota from Iowa to pursue and help subdue these Indians.

As early as March, 1860, so fearful of Indian raids were the settlers in the northwestern part of the State, that a law was passed at that time providing for the enrollment of a company of minute men to act as a military police force to watch the Indians along the border.

As soon as news was received of the descent of the Indians upon the peaceful citizens of Minnesota, and the extent of their depredations, a fear that amounted to an alarm

ing consternation, seized the whole people of the northwest part of Iowa, lest they should be subject to a like catastrophe from the same source.

To learn the true state of affairs with reference to the Indians, Geo. L. Davenport was sent by the Governor into Minnesota, and he had a conference with Gov. Ramsey of that State, who furnished him with all the facts in his possession, which corroborated all that had been reported as to the massacre of the population, the capture and carrying into captivity the women and children, and the plunder and pillage done by the Indians.

Gov. Ramsey stated that he would soon have 4,000 troops. 1,000 of which would be cavalry for the protection of the Minnesota frontier, and that for 200 miles on a line extending north from Spirit Lake, in lowa, he would erect stockade forts which would be garrisoned with fifty men each, and they would serve as a refuge for the citizens in case of an attack.

This was reported to Gov. Kirkwood on the 17th of September, and Mr. Davenport adds:

"I am much alarmed in regard to the safety of the settlements on the northwestern border of our State. I think they are in imminent danger of an attack at any moment, and will be in constant alarm and danger during the coming winter, as the Indians are driven back from the different parts of Minnesota towards the Missouri slope, and will make inroads upon our settlements for supplies of food and plunder.

"They are much exposed to attacks from the Sioux passing from the Missouri river to Minnesota. Among the Chippewa tribe great dissatisfaction exists."

On the 8th of September the following telegram was

sent:

Hon. Edward M. Stanton, Secretary of War, Washington City:-I have reliable information that the Yankton Indians are on our western border north of the Missouri river; that they have joined with the hos tile Indians in Minnesota and threaten our whole northwestern frontier. The settlers are flying by hundreds. I have ordered out five hundred mounted men. We lack arms and equipments and must have them. I beg you will order Gen. Harney to Sioux City immediately

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