RESCUING THE JOHNSONS

Harvey Ingham, the son of W.H. Ingham, was a prolific writer. He wrote a series of short books on various topics of interest about the "pioneer days."  I was looking at one of them this week and had to

share an excerpt with you. It is from "Ten Years on the Iowa Frontier."  The book tells of the adventures of William Ingham on the untamed Iowa prairies.

The story told here actually occurred directly after the elk hunting trip that I shared with you several weeks ago.  Not yet recovered from their exhausting quest in pursuit of big game, William Ingham and William Campbell were at home in their cabin when a knock came at the door.  I will let Harvey take it from here.

A PIONEER RESCUE MISSION

        They were barely returned from this strenuous journey, when late on one of the bitterest nights of that bitter winter, Horace Schenck appeared at the cabin to appeal to them to set forth at once to rescue a family that had been abandoned near Armstrong’s Grove.  At 9 o’clock of that night John James, who was living about the Reibhoff cabin on the Black Cat, had heard some one calling for help and on going to him had found a man snow blind and lost, and badly frozen.  It soon appeared that he was a Mr. Johnson that had moved to the Tuttle settlement at the head of the East Branch late in the fall before; that he had made provision for an ordinary winter, but the season had been so extreme that Mr. Tuttle’s provision wagons had been blocked and it was plain he must reach the settlements.  Accordingly he had put his remaining food in the sleigh and started with his yoke of oxen, hoping to be not longer than two or three days on the road.  There were four members of the family besides an infant child, and his supplies were enough to last for five days.  Before he had gone many miles he found that the snow crust would not bear the weight of his oxen in the ravines where the snow was deep, and there was nothing for him but to shovel a path.  After six days of this tedious labor, his provisions were exhausted, and he had not completed half of his journey.  There was but one thing to do.  He brought his wagon to a sightly spot just south of Armstrong’s Grove, fastened the wagon covers down tightly, bade his family goodbye, and started on foot for the settlements twenty-four miles below.  The bright sunlight on the snow had inflamed his eyes and the strong wind only added to the irritation until in the afternoon he had lost his sight entirely and for several hours had wandered aimlessly.  On hearing the barking of a dog he had gotten his bearings and thus arrived at the James cabin.  A hurried conversation was held by the Schenck, Reibhoff and Moore families and a relief party was organized at once.  Peter Reibhoff, John James, George Tuttle and John Callander were to leave at 4 o’clock in the morning, provided with food for the family and also with fodder for the oxen.  But Mr. Schenck, feeling that the case was urgent and knowing that Ingham and Campbell were more experienced frontiersmen, instead of going home made his way three miles across the river valley to urge a second relief party, which should travel light and with all possible speed, leaving it to the others to bring up the supplies.  At first the two men demurred, assuring Mr. Schenck that the other party were fully equal to the situation, that they were worn out with their long tramp and wanted to hang up their snowshoes for the winter.  At that Mr. Schenck, intensely aroused, arose and made a plea for the exposed family out on the prairie miles away, that would have stirred far wearier men than they were.  Mr. Ingham turned to Campbell and said, “What do you say!”  His reply was quickly, “I shall go if you do.”  As the other party was to carry a full supply of provisions, a hasty breakfast was all they had, and at daybreak they were off.  Mr. Ingham writes:

        “We started at a rather lively pace, intending to make a fast trip of it, but we soon found that we were facing a strong, cold wind.  We soon came to a place where we should have found traces of the other party, which presumably had left at 4 o’clock n the morning, but we paid little attention to anything but keeping our direction.  At 11 o’clock it began to snow, and the wind soon blew strongly enough to stop us, and frequently to turn us backward.  For the first time that winter we were being frozen about our faces and hands.  We pushed forward, however, as best we could until about 1 o’clock, when the wind slackened and the worst part of the storm had passed by.  By 3 o’clock the sky was clear and we caught our first sight of the sleigh about two miles away and directly in front of us.  We quickly covered the distance, and shaking the stays of the cover vigorously we asked, “How are you getting along?”  For once we heard a response whose earnest thankfulness could not be mistaken.  But only one voice responded.  We had fears for the safety of the children.  Telling Mrs. Johnson to remain as quiet as possible until we could build a fire, we went to the foot of the bluff on the creek bottom, where Campbell began chopping wood from a dry tree while I found a place for the camp near a large down tree and cleared away about three feet of snow with one of my snowshoes and put up supports for the tent cloth to keep away the wind.  We soon had a fire started, a large rubber blanket spread on the ground and with other heavy blankets and a buffalo robe, had made a comfortable camp.  When we went to the sleigh Mrs. Johnson was the only occupant who was conscious.  We had some doubts about the recovery of a boy about 12 and a girl about 10.  But we got them all before the fire, and soon found ourselves fully occupied in keeping warm, for the night was coming on very cold.  At dark we began firing guns at intervals to attract the attention of the party having the provisions and kept it up until 9 o’clock, when we concluded they would not reach us that night.  The children had regained consciousness and we were safe if only the food would arrive in time.  When morning came we began firing again and kept it up until 8 o’clock, when we got our first response.  Soon after John James stood above us on the bluff and told us that the rest of the party were down the river some four miles, where they had dug a snow well and crawled into it.  They had spent the night without a fire and all of them were more or less frozen.  We urged him to hurry back and bring up the supplies.  A little before noon the whole party came up, and it was not long until they were enjoying our fire and we were enjoying what they had brought to eat.  The cattle were fed and shortly after noon we were ready to start.  I remember the picture as it was presented just then.  It would not have been taken for a rapid transit outfit.  We were soon off and by hard work managed to reach an island in the river not far about the mouth of Mud Creek for our night’s camp.  We then got the full story of the trials of the other party.  They had not started early in the morning as had been planned, and when the storm struck them they had turned to the timber on the river, which they reached after dark.  They had dug a well in the snow some eight feet deep and covered the opening with blankets, and in that way had kept from freezing.

        “The weather moderated during the night and in the morning we were off at an early hour.  About 11 o’clock Campbell and I left the party within a couple of miles of the Reibhoff Grove.  The Johnson family were hospitably taken in by Mr. Schenck and the remained with him until warm weather returned, when they went on their way south.”

CLOSING THOUGHTS

As always, I am amazed by the sheer strength and bravery demonstrated by our early ancestors.  They did not have insulated boots, coats or other insulated gear to keep them warm and yet they walked many miles in brutal winter weather.  I think of that poor father wandering snow blind for hours trying to save his family.  I think of that mother snuggled under the sleigh cover trying to keep her hungry children warm and safe against the elements, not knowing whether or not her brave husband would return or if they would be rescued. Finally, I think of those hardy pioneers who were unwilling to allow a family to perish and risked their own lives to save them.  

As we dig out of the Groundhog Day blizzard of 2016, I know my mind will continue to return to the story of how the Johnsons were rescued by some of the brave pioneers who settled Kossuth County.

Until next time,

Jean

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