History of the Spirit Lake Massacre and Captivity of Miss Abbie Gardner
Автор:Abbie Gardner-Sharp Год: 2011 Издание:Книга по Требованию Страниц: 184 ISBN: 9780857066381 The last Indian raid in Iowa The winter of 1856-7 was a particularly severe one in Iowa, with prolonged heavy snowfall across the region. In March 1857 a chronic shortage of game and other food persuaded the renegade Santee Sioux leader, Scarlet Point, to lead a band of fourteen warriors into the widely separated settlements near the Okoboji and Spirit Lakes, in north western part of the state close to the Minnesota border. Whether or not the violence that followed could have been avoided is unclear, but certainly the Indians had enough experience to know that they could expect little charity from the settlers who had treated them harshly in the recent past. The raid resulted in the deaths of some 35-40 pioneer settlers as the Indians plundered their properties for provisions. The war party also took prisoners-three married women and a girl-whom they dragged northwards into the wilderness. A relief party from Fort Dodge, hampered by the extreme weather failed to defend the...