Hello, folks! I wanted to follow up on a message I sent a week or so ago regarding the 1870 Mortality index. I found time to pull the microfilm of the original pages on Saturday - as you'll see, I should have done that to begin with! -- and I think I've solved all the mysteries. But what I found was fairly interesting and I wanted to share it with you and, again, with James Sechrist. As some of you suspected, "Ida Schemnerhem" from the index was actually "Ida Schermerhorn." The writing is hard to read but if you know Lincoln County names, it is easier! "James H. Shande" is, of course, "James H. Strange." In trolling through the index, I missed three names; frankly, I think I missed them in part because they shouldn't be there! And after seeing the original page, I think I know why they are. As I said before, the mortality schedule was supposed to include deaths a year previous to June 1, 1870. The infamous raid of 1869 was on May 30, and all of those listed with the exception of Mrs. Alderdice died at the scene. In other words, they did not die in "June," as the enumerator indicates, but in May - not within the scope of this census. And in fact, Mrs. Alderdice did not die in Lincoln County at all, but was murdered in Colorado territory. Why, then, did the enumerator include them? One theory would be that he was confused as to the date of the attack. The county in those days was barely formed and no official records were being kept (although I would imagine that that date would be hard to forget for those who were living there). But once I saw the page I realized that was not the case. The enumerator, R.D. Mobley (or so the name appears to be), was angry. Very angry, it seems - and not only with the Indians. In "Remarks" at the bottom of the page, Mobley has added a note. I have tried my best to read it but there are parts I just cannot make out. If someone would like to pull the microfilm at the Kansas Historical Society and try to fill in the blanks, I'd sure appreciate it. Here is Mobley's note, as best as I can make out: "Eight of these persons were murdered in cold blood by hostile savages of the Sioux and Cheyenne tribes. While the government was pretending to protect the [three words unreadable] at Leavenworth, St. Louis and other points from one to five hundred miles in the interior settlements. Mrs. Alderdyce was taken captive [one word unreadable] slave for four long months and then [unreadable] and then murdered by the indians to prevent her escape [Unreadable] some of Red Cloud's good Indians." The first group of unreadable words - what the government was pretending to protect - I would swear is "white hoof statemen" but how could that be? Unless he was implying the troops were protecting cattle or cattlemen instead of the settlers? The other mystery - that of Mr. and Mrs. Lowrey, allegedly killed by Indians in January of 1870, according to the index - is also solved. While the names are definitely "Mrs. Lowrey" and "John Lowrey," the original page indicates they were killed in June, not "Jan." as the index said. This certainly suggests they are, in fact, Mr. and Mrs. LAURITZEN. The fact that they are listed as being born in Germany supports that theory as well. It always seemed doubtful that the county's historians had missed two people killed by Indians, and it really gives me a chill to see so many mistakes in that index. Below is the full entry from the original. As you can see, Mobley listed nearly everyone involved in the raid. He did not mention the Daly boy (a son of Mrs. Alderdice's by her first marriage) or the Schmutz boy, but the Schmutz boy actually died at Ft. Harker, in Ellsworth County, so that makes sense. I've included name, age, place of birth, month of death; occupation; cause of death. James H. Strange, 14; Indiana; June; Farmer; murdered by Indians Mrs. Lowrey; 40; Germany; June; keeping house; murdered by Indians John Lowrey; 34; Germany; June; Farmer; murdered by Indians E. Petersen; 22; Denmark; June; Farmer; murdered by Indians (first name actually Otto) H.I. Bateman; 28; Missouri; March; Farmer; lung fever A man, name unkown; unknown; Germany; June; Farmer; murdered by Indians (this must be Fred Meigherhoff) George Winchell (actually Weichell); 30; Germany; June; Farmer; murdered by Indians J.P. Miller; 20; Indiana; March; farmer; lung fever Ida Schermerhorn; 8 mos.; Kansas; April; no occupation; cause of death unknown Mrs. Alderdye; 32; Pennsylvania; August; keeping house; murdered by Indians T. Alderdyce; 2; Kansas; June; no occupation; murdered by Indians I will post the information above on the Lincoln GenWeb page at some point. I also pulled the 1880 Mortality schedules while I was at it, and they are really interesting and sad. More on that another time. Tracee