170 years ago today - Dec 9, 1846

[Hosea Stout]
This morning about three oclock I was called up by S. A. Dunn one of the police then on guard. He said that there was a difficulty amongst the Omahas camped North of town & some had been shot.& I was wanted at President Youngs so I went there and called up some more of the police & some others as I went

When I got there I found this house crouded full of the Omahas who had fled there for shelter. One squaw had been shot through the arm which was shattered to atoms & an old Indian picking out the little bones with his fingers. Her arm was cut off the next day by Dr. Cannon

Old Big Head a chief was shot in the head arm & had his thumb shot off[.] He was badly wounded some were missing and supposed to be dead.

The utmost confusion reighned with them and they appeared frightened badly. I here learned that they had been attacted by a party of the Iowas who came to their lodges at this dead hour of the night and fired upon them & then fled[.] I in company with a party of police and some others went with some of the Indians to their Lodges to see if any thing more was done and to hunt for the missing

Their lodges were in a gore of blood but could not find any one. However after a long while one of the old Indians raised a howling yell & was answered not far off where we found the one we supposed to be dead[.] He was at Charles Pattenshe was very badly wounded a ball passing in near the left eye. The ball was started out of its socket[.] I did not think he would live.

We then went back and after seeing that all was put to rights came home & yet it was not day[.] While at their Lodges we could hear the Iowas howling on the other side of the river.

About the middle of the forenoon I went up again to see how matters were going on[.] I found the wounded Indians located in a sod house where they had been put by order of President Young and doing as well as could be expected.

The rest of the Indians moved their lodges by President Youngs house as they were afraid to stay any longer where they were least they should be attacted agan

I went and examined the Lodges and found that the assailants had shot through them and of course what had been done was by a random shot.

[Source: Diaries of Hosea Stout]

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