Spirit Lake Massacre

Men composing the Battalion who marched from Fort Dodge, on March 25th, 1857, to rescue the settlers under siege at Spirit Lake and Springfield.


Major William Williams, Commander
C.R. Bissell, Surgeon
George B. Sherman, Commissary

Company A

Captain Charles B. Richards
Lt. Franklin A. Stratton
Sgt. S.K. Wright

Privates

William Burkholder, Lost in snowstorm, never found

Henry Carse, William Ford, Geo.P. Smith, O.S. Spencer, C.Stebbens, Silas Van Cleave, All badly frozen

George W. Brazee, L.D.Crawford, J.W. Dawson, Cyrus C.Carpenter, Julius Conrad, John Farley, John Gates, Andrew Hood, ----- Chatterton, B.F.Parmenter, William Defore, Michl Maker, L.B. Ridgeway, Winton Smith, E.Mahon, Angus McBane, Wm.P.Pollock, William McCauley, Wm.F.Porter, R.A.Smith, R.W.Wheelock, David Westerfield

Company B

Captain John F.Duncombe
First Lt James Linn
Second Lt.Wm.K.Koons
Corporal Thomas Callagan

Privates

Jesse Addington, Hiram Benjamin, Jonas Murrey, all badly frozen

Morris Mackham, Robert McCormick, both slightly frozen

Daniel Okeson, discharged on third day because of snowblindness

Jno.O.Laughlin, discharged on the third day at Dakotah

A.Birch, Jeremiah Evans, A.E.Crouse, Albert Johnston, Geo.F.McClure, Michael McCarty, William Searls, Washington Williams, D.H.Baker, Rich Carter, Daniel F.Howell, Michael Cavanaugh, J.N.McFarland, Guernsey Smith, William B Wilson, Rheuben Whetstone, Orlando Bice, Orlando C.Howe, R.F.Carter, Daniel Morrissey, A.H.Malcombe, Jno.M.Thatcher, John White

Company C

Captain J.C.Johnston, lost in snowstorm, he was never found
First Lt.Jno.N.Maxwell, badly frozen
Second Lt.F.Mason
Sergeant H.Hoover
Cpl.A.N.Hathaway

Privates

Sherman Cassiday, Elias D.Kellogg, A.F.Fellis, all slightly frozen

J.C.Pemberton, badly frozen

A.S.Leonard, was snowblinded, discharged at Dakotah

John Gage, James Brainard, F.B.Barebone, Humphrey Hilton, Michael Sweeny, M.W.Howland, R.W.Moody
Alonzo Richardson, John Erie, Thos Anderson, John Noland, W.W.Ates, W.K.Laughlin, James Hickey, Wm.Church, Patrick Conlin, Patrick Stafford, Jareb Palmer

For More information on the Spirit Lake Massacre, visit these websites:

A brief history of Dickinson County

An Account of the Spirit Lake Masscre



Source: Early History Of Fort Dodge, From the notes of Major William Williams, Edited by Ed Breen
Links updated 06/19/06-KDJ


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