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Spirit Lake MassacreWild West | Single Page | 11 comments | Print This Post | Email This Post
At the agency, Abbie was presented, in the name of Dakota Chief Matowaken, with a beautiful Indian 'war cap' that had been secretly transported from the village on the James River. Subscribe Today
Each feather represented an enemy that the chief had killed in battle, and it symbolized Abbie's bravery during her captivity. While she retained the cap, it was supposed to place her under the protection of the Dakotas.
Abbie was escorted by a wagon driver, an interpreter and her three Indian rescuers down the Minnesota River to Fort Ridgely, where Captain Barnard Elliot Bee Jr. and his wife prepared dinner for them. Mrs. Bee gave Abbie several gold dollars, and Lieutenant Alexander Murray bought her a shawl and material for a dress. At the head of navigation at Traverse, they boarded a steamboat for the trip to St. Paul, where they docked on June 22, 1857. The following morning, the Indians officially delivered her to Governor Samuel Medary with much pomp and circumstance. The people of St. Paul presented her with $500, which she deposited in a St. Paul bank.
From St. Paul, Abbie, Governor Medary and his entourage took a steamboat for Dubuque, Iowa, where she debarked and traveled overland to Fort Dodge. There she waited to be picked up by her newlywed sister Eliza's husband, William Wilson, of Hampton, Iowa. She reached her sister's home on July 5. In Hampton, Abbie delivered to Elizabeth Thatcher's parents the final message Elizabeth had entrusted to Abbie just moments before her death. Things happened quickly for Abbie, mature beyond her actual 13 years. On August 16, 1857, she married 19-year-old Casville Sharp, a cousin of Elizabeth Thatcher.
About a year and a half later, Abbie returned to the house where her family was massacred and discovered that J.S. Prescott occupied the cabin. He reimbursed her only a small percentage of what the property was worth. In 1859 Abbie and Casville had a baby boy, Albert, and in 1862, a second son, Allen. In 1871 daughter Minnie was born, but she died at age 19 months. The Sharps moved to several locations in Iowa, Missouri and Kansas. Twice, house fires destroyed the family's possessions, and one of them consumed an early version of Abbie's Spirit Lake manuscript. In the late 1870s, the Sharps' marriage failed. In 1883 Abbie returned to the area of the Okoboji lakes and made money by soliciting speaking engagements, telling about her captivity. She finished her narrative of the Spirit Lake Massacre in 1885, and in 1891 she used the profits to purchase her family's cabin. She restored it as a historical site and opened it to the public, charging admission — 25 cents for adults and 10 cents for children. During the winter of 1893-94, Abbie lobbied the Iowa Legislature for money to construct a monument to the victims (about 40 people were killed) of the Spirit Lake Massacre. On July 26, 1895, about 5,000 people attended the dedication of a 55-foot granite obelisk that was erected near the Gardner cabin. Abbie's scars ran deep. 'Never have I recovered from the injuries inflicted upon me while captive among the Indians,' she said. 'Instead of outgrowing them, as I hoped to, they have grown upon me as the years went by, and utterly undermined my health.' Abigail Gardner Sharp died at Colfax, Iowa, on January 26, 1921.
After 1857 Inkpaduta was reportedly seen still lurking about the Spirit Lake area. His depredations led to the withholding of Dakota annuities until the guilty parties were turned over to authorities. Scarce supplies led to unrest among the innocent bands, which contributed to the start of the Sioux Uprising (also called the Minnesota Uprising) in August 1862; more than 600 white settlers were killed at New Ulm and elsewhere in southern Minnesota, and about 300 were captured. Inkpaduta again was involved in some of the atrocities. Once more, he escaped punishment and fled. He, according to Lakota holy man Black Elk, was present at the June 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn, where he reportedly led the Santees (another name for the Wahpekute and Mdewakanton Dakotas) against the 7th Cavalry. In 1877 he took refuge in Canada with Sitting Bull's band. Inkpaduta never returned to U.S. territory; he evaded capture and died in 1881 in Manitoba. Today, some New Western historians and others view Inkpaduta in a kinder, gentler light. He has been described as 'trustworthy,' 'a very humble man who tried to avoid trouble,' 'a figure of heroic caliber' and 'one of the greatest resistance fighters that the Dakota Nation ever produced.' But Abbie Gardner expressed the views of most Americans who survived those earlier days. 'By the whites,' she said, 'Inkpaduta will ever be remembered as a savage monster in human shape, fitted only for the darkest corner of Hades.' Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to
            Tags: Native American History, The Wild West, Wild West, Women's History
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11 Comments to “Spirit Lake Massacre”
I have a pamphlet that may be of interest to someone in the Spirit Lake or Okobojois area. This pamphlet appears to be over 100 years old and speaks of the cottages in the area and about the New Inn that would open in 1903. At the time of this book or pamphlet's publishing, Abbie was still alive and receiving visitors. per the book, she would tell an absorbingly interesting story of her life among the savages and experiences.
Even as old as this appears to be, it has still compelled me to someday visit your fine area.
If you would like to discuss this book, please feel free to contact me at the email address supplied.
By Penny Bumpus on Feb 16, 2009 at 1:50 am
HistoryNetStaff, I greatly enjoyed your article about the Spirit Lake Massacre. The facts of this incident have long been among our "family stories". However, my research only uncovered one mention of my great great Grandma, Emma Mead Hushaw and her sister, Hattie. I'm glad to see someone has fully researched the incident and reported all the facts. I can add two more: Emma was told she was taken to show the indians how to make "white man's bread" (?) and she was released because she hollered and carried on so much. Keep up the good work. Sincerely yours, Judith Mandernack
By Judith J. Mandernack on Mar 27, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Hi Penny,
I hope someone took you up on this, but if not, I'd love to buy it from you. I'm going back home to Iowa in October and can donate it to the Iowa State Historical Society or the county chapter inyour name.
Kat in NJ
pettycrewkd@yahoo.com
856-728-9546
By Kat Pettycrew on Aug 5, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Kat -
The cabin and a small historical interpretive center are still on Abie Gardner's cabin site. I am sure they would have a great intrest in the brochure / book. Contact info is below..
Mike Koppert
Box 74,
Arnolds Park, IA 51331.
Telephone: 712- 332-7248
Email: gardner@iowaone.net
By Brad from Iowa on Sep 8, 2009 at 1:36 am
I do not really understand the term "renegade" assigned by the HISTORYNET.com assign to Inkpaduta.
Does this mean that you will assign the same term on the brave patriots in European countries – among these my own – who fought bravely against the German invaders during the Second World War?
Inkpaduta was a great patriot and freedomfighter who saw no other way than to kill so many of the intruders as possible. Intruders who had stolen the land of his people and broken up their way of life.
Niels Jurgensen
Denmark
By Niels Jurgensen on Sep 19, 2009 at 2:31 pm
I've lived in Okoboji all my life 40 years and now that the big Corporations have moved in buying up all the property around the lakes and taking over all our local governments and law enforcement. OMG this place is now a hell hole of prudeism and bureaucracy pushing for a new world order & one world government. The level of corruption is unprecedented. I can fully sympathize with the Indian uprising.
Good news is the crimanals tyrony is being exposed and they are on their way out. Google search "The act of 1871" & "AMERICA The Corporaton".
By Kevin Black on Nov 5, 2009 at 1:55 pm
I thoroughly enjoyed this article. Thank you for exposing the atrocities committed by both sides. I fully agree that the Native American’s had their contentions, but we are now faced with revisionist history that paints (no pun intended) the Native Americans as peace loving nature lovers. How far is this from the truth! The disregard for human life and the brutality displayed to captives is not that of a peaceful people. The “white man” is not responsible for all the ills in the world; quite to the contrary, without Europeans coming to the New World this land would be in the sad shape that faces Mexico and many other Third World countries. We need to keep up on our history, but not rewrite it for guilt ridden liberals who want to appease those who seek to destroy us.
By B Hicks on Nov 27, 2009 at 12:56 pm
For B Hicks:
Your white approbation is showing. Not that you would understand if your rhetoric is any judge.
You are quick to point out that Native Americans weren't "nature lovers". Fine. And yet you are loathe to even admit White Americans were known for any atrocities whatsoever. The fact you even gloss over this is telling. Either you are ignorant and don't understand your own nation's history and the involvement of your own race, or you do understand and want to pretend it didn't happen. Either way is unconscionable.
Instead, you live in your own little half-baked conservative worldview where "this land would be in sad shape" if weren't for the White Man.
YOU are the one who is engaged in revisionist history. Just like most narrow minded and racially intolerant conservatives you let your own racial prejudices cloud your judgment.
Let me put it in simple terms so you can understand: You are entitled to your own opinion. You are NOT entitled to your own facts.
Yeah. Deal with it.
By Kenneth Mark Hoover on Dec 18, 2009 at 3:42 pm
According to local newspapers of the time Inkpaduta was in Dakota Territory during the Minnesota killings. Little Crow was considered the chief leader.In Minnesota, if Inkpaduta had been there Little Crow would have deferred to the first great Sioux hero. Inkpaduta was the chief leader in the later Dakota Territory battles against Sibley and Sully. And Inkpaduta was at the Little Big Horn and was said to be 79 plus years old and blind (birth date 1797-Little Big Horn 1876 look it up on the net) so it is very unlikely Inkpaduta led any warriors that day. Old newspapers, records & books of the day continue to be the best source of information…so look things up yourself for answers too.
By Matthew Max on Jan 1, 2010 at 2:25 pm
Please spare me of the bleeding hearts for noble red men and accusations of opportunistic white men.
The majority of people wanted to get along with day to day living regardless of the skin or customs. Every race has its vicious and its kind people. Once racial savage hatred begins, it starts roaring like an out of control fire that destroys everything in its path. The Spirit Lake events started out as tit for tat on both sides that brutally escalated. Unfortunately the victims (red and white) were not the people who began the retaliations in the Spirit Lake Settlement. Nothing was noble about the red or white men who had blood on their hands and revenge in their hearts.
Lets keep events in perspective.
By Carolyn Van Doren on Jan 19, 2010 at 11:06 am
Well put Carolyn. It is the innocents that usually suffer…as was the case there too!
By Matthew Max on Jan 21, 2010 at 10:40 pm