Indians of North America -- Iowa; Spirit Lake Massacre, Iowa, 1857
Under the provisions of this act claims aggregating $7180.36 were
presented by Iowans to Superintendent Cullen.[341] Upon the submission
of required proof and the auditing of claims submitted, Superintendent
Cullen recommended a payment of $3156.36 to apply on supplies
furnished the Iowa relief expedition, and $1657.00 for services
rendered by individual members of the expedition, making a total of
$4813.36.[342] These claims were duly certified to the Secretary of
the Interior, and the auditors of the Department, after eight months
of examination of proof, advised the payment of $3628.43--a cut of
$1184.93 from the Superintendent’s recommendations.[343]
The act of the Thirty-fifth Congress was later supplemented by a
second and a third act by the Thirty-sixth Congress under dates of
June 19 and 21, 1860--the first[344] of which set aside $16,679.90,
and the second[345] $18,988.84 for the further reimbursement of the
State. These measures were further supplemented during the same
Congress by an act, under date of March 2, 1861, indemnifying the
“citizens of Iowa and Minnesota for the destruction of property at or
near Spirit Lake by Ink-pa-du-tah’s band of Sioux Indians”, to the
amount of $9,640.74.[346] By these acts the Federal government had set
aside a total of $65,308.48 to indemnify the citizens of Iowa and
Minnesota for lives lost, property destroyed, and expenses incurred in
connection with the rescue of the captives and the punishment of the
outlaws. Further than this Congress refused to act, the consensus of
opinion in Congress being that the States concerned should supply any
further needed relief.
Almost two years after Congress had officially recognized the need of
the State for assistance in handling the Indian frontier problem, the
Iowa legislature took action. On March 12, 1860, a bill was enacted
into law whereby “the sum of three thousand dollars, or so much
thereof as shall be necessary” was appropriated for the aid of those
members of the relief expedition who had drawn largely upon their
private means to finance the undertaking, but who had not been
afforded the expected relief by the Federal government.
Under the provisions of this act the Governor was made the auditor of
all claims presented in accordance with its provisions. He was
directed to secure copies of all claims filed with the Federal
government and, when satisfied by the evidence submitted that such as
were yet unpaid were just, he might issue an order upon the Treasurer
of State to pay the claims.[347] This law was supplemented on March
twenty-second by a second act looking toward the relief of persons
specifically named in the law,[348] although no additional funds for
such purpose were provided. Under the provisions of these acts there
was disbursed under order of the Governor a total of $1126.02, which
was distributed among eighty-two claimants.[349]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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