It was 1857, the year our community was named Webster City and our county was named Hamilton County. Our city had about 400 residents at this time struggling through a hard winter. On March 21, Major Williams, leader of the now closed military fort at Fort Dodge received word that a renegade band of Sioux Indians had attacked and killed settlers in Spirit Lake and Okoboji. He sent a messenger to Border Plains, Homer, and Webster City the next day.

Judge J. D. Maxwell, Webster City, called a meeting of the people of Hamilton County to organize a company of men to form a relief expedition. He requested that all who were willing to go should step forward. All stepped out. Since this was more than needed, Judge Maxwell selected a group of 32 men. The citizens of our town went to work to provide food, clothing, arms, blankets, and a wagon. Two yokes of oxen were also provided along with two horses. Those raising the supplies were Walter and Sumler Willson, Charles Fenton, S. B. Rosenkrans, Jacob and William Funk, and B. S. Mason.

John C. Johnson, of Bach Grove, was elected Captain of Company C of Webster City. Other officers elected were John N. Maxwell, First Lieutenant; Frank R. Mason, Second Lieutenant; Harris Hoover, Sergeant; and A. Newton Hathway, Corporal. The party left in the afternoon of March 23 and arrived in Fort Dodge that evening. They joined Companies A, headed by Capt. Charles Richards, and Company B under the command of Capt. John F. Duncombe. Major Williams, now 60 years old, was elected Commanding Officer. The three companies now numbered about 100 men. Major Williams appointed George Sherman as acting commissary, and Dr. C. R. Bissell, surgeon.

The men left Fort Dodge on March 24. Since Fort Dodge had trouble procuring transportation, they managed to move only five miles north, camping on Beaver Creek in the snow. The next day, they resumed marching and camped at Dakota City. After that they headed for what is now Algona, but the deep snow, two feet on the prairie and up to ten feet deep in the ravines and ditches, made travel very difficult. Many times when crossing a ravine, they had to stack arms, walk back and forth across the snow to beat down a track, and then pull on ropes to get the wagons across. It took them two days to make the twelve miles from Dakota City. William Church joined the expedition at this point. Capt. Duncombe was sent ahead to find McKnight's Point. He became very ill and returned so exhausted that he had to be carried back to camp. He nearly lost his life.

The expedition moved on, arriving in Irish Colony (now Emmetsburg) on the March 28 and were well cared for by the inhabitants. Williams purchased a cow which was butchered. It was reported "It was not exactly porterhouse steak, but it was food for very hungry men." Here they left their oxen and horses and changed them for fresh ones. They continued their march and camped the next night at Big Island Grove, where there was evidence that the Indians had kept a lookout. The following day, March 31, Williams sent out a scouting party of ten men. They had traveled about eight miles when they encountered a party of survivors, including Mrs. William Church, her babies, and her sister, Drusilla Swanger. Lt. Mason ran the eight miles back to camp to inform Williams. Richards, Duncombe, and Mason, along with the surgeon, hurried back to help the survivors reach the main party campgrounds. The scouting party continued their western march, camping the next night at Granger's Point on the Minnesota state line. Here the scouts learned that United States troops from Fort Ridgley, Minnesota, reported that the Indians had fled the area and headed to Owl Lake, about 18 miles away. Since the Indians were mounted and the expedition was on foot, it was decided to give up chasing the Indians. The scouts returned to Irish Colony to report to Major Williams.

In council it was decided that one party of 26 men volunteer to continue the march to Spirit Lake to bury the dead. This party was led by Capt. Johnson and Lt. Maxwell. The main group would remain at Irish Colony for their return.

It was warm and clear on April 2 as the burial party arrived at Spirit Lake. At the Thatcher cabin they buried two men. At the Howe cabin they buried seven bodies, all in a common grave. They next divided into two parties to bury eleven bodies at the Mattock cabin, more at the Harriott cabin. They found Mr. Howe dead out on the ice. He was buried on a bluff southwest of his cabin. Others buried the victims at Granger's cabin. They found about 40 slain cattle, all with parts removed by the Indians. The last place visited was the Gardner cabin where they buried the dead. The men were tired and hungry by this time and had nothing left to eat. One of the men remembered that Gardner had buried potatoes under the floor of his cabin. Two bushels were found and were roasted over a campfire.

On the morning of April 4 this party started back, hoping to reach Irish Colony by dark. In the forenoon it was warm, the snow was melting and travel became more difficult. Sometimes, they waded across streams waist deep. The men were wet when the wind changed. About 4 o'clock in the afternoon, a blizzard struck. The temperature quickly dropped to 20 degrees below zero. In a very short time their wet clothing had frozen stiff. The men became afraid of losing their way back. When they discovered a township corner stake, they marched back and forth all night to keep from freezing. When one of the men would fall, others would pick him up and march along with him to keep him moving. During the night some men begged to be allowed to lie down, claiming it was useless to keep moving. One man had taken his boots off and could not get them back on. He wrapped his feet is strips of his blanket. This action sustained him until morning. Then his wraps wore out and he became delirious. Maxwell, with help from Henry Dalvey, succeeded in getting him to the river. A fire was started and when the fire was going, they cut the remaining rags from his feet. Much of the skin came off with them. Poles were laid across the thin ice, and the men crawled across the river on them to get back to Irish Colony.

The next morning after the blizzard, the main party continued their way back to Fort Dodge. At Cylinder Creek the expedition broke up into squads, some heading directly for Fort Dodge, others heading to Webster City by a northern route. C. C. Carpenter, later to become our state governor, got some men to go with him to try to find his good friend, Burkholder. After searching for nearly a day, the men gave up and returned to Fort Dodge. Mason came back through Fort Dodge while Pvt. Laughlin and Maxwell came the northern route. These brave men battled the weather and returned.

Captain Johnson's party found a trapper and decided to follow him. They, too, faced the blizzard and their party broke up, some going one way, some another. Captain Johnson and Private William E. Burkholder became lost in the blizzard and froze to death. Their bodies were not found until eight months later.

Thirty years later, in 1887, it was decided to have a brass marker made honoring those who marched on this expedition. It was dedicated on August 12, 1887, in a ceremony at the Hamilton County Courthouse. The crowd grew to over 2,000 people so the ceremony was moved to the east entrance. Governor William Larrabee occupied the Chair. Other dignitaries were Board of Supervisor's Chairman C. T. Fenton, Mayor McMurray and Charles Aldrich. Seven participants accepted invitations to narrate their recollections. These men were Capt. John F. Duncombe, Capt. Charles Richards, Lt. John N. Maxwell, Lt. Frank Mason, Privates Cyrus C. Carpenter, W. K. Laughlin, and Michael Sweeney. This marker was moved to the present courthouse in 1976 and is today located on the north wall of the first floor lobby. As you view it, pause and reflect on the difficulties these men endured for our community. Also note that the names of Mrs. Church and her sister, Drusilla, are mentioned. They were saved by this expedition.

Charles Aldrich, editor of the Freeman Journal, later became the curator of the State Historical Society. He encouraged these seven men to write up their accounts of the expedition. These were all published in the "Annals of Iowa" over a period of years. A special grave marker was created for those serving on the expedition. A picture of the marker is shown in this article.