Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 3.djvu/291

 Scott decree in ignoring the dictates of humanity and the principles of equity.

Now began an era of inhumanity which has never been equalled in the history of our State. United States marshals armed with writs of ejectment came among the settlers and forcibly drove them from their homes, turning the women and children out of their houses to wander homeless over the prairies; while it was only by virtue of a State law that any compensation was wrung from non-resident speculators for the valuable improvements the farmers had for long years made on the homes from which they were driven.

The unfortunate farmers organized a “Settlers Union” for mutual defense and protection and in some cases reinstated the ejected farmers in their homes. In other cases they attempted to resist the marshals and their posses but in the end they were overcome and some of them imprisoned. The conflict was kept up for years but in the end the settlers were doomed to defeat. Their more discreet friends advised them to submit to the inevitable and apply to Congress for indemnity for the loss of their homes.

In February, 1870, Charles Pomeroy, member of Congress from the Sixth District which embraced most of the lands in controversy, introduced into the House of Representatives the following bill for the relief of the settlers: