
Description
Abbie Gardner Sharp Postcard Signed. A postcard depicting Abbie Gardner Sharp and the cabin she was abducted from during the Spirit Lake Massacre in 1857, measuring 5 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches. Signed "Compliments of Abbie Gardner Sharp" at the bottom edge of the recto. On the verso, Sharp writes, in full: "This is a picture of the original log cabin which my father built in 1856 and where the whole family who was at home when Indians came were killed except myself who was taken captive This picture was taken many years after the massacre the first anniver[sary] after I got possession of the home in 1892 myself and eldest son is represented at the South west corner of the house. This is now the only cabin left of the pioneers who was killed by the Indians." The Rowland Gardner family, nine in all, arrived in Iowa by covered wagon on July 16, 1856. Less than a year later, violence swept through their cabin near Spirit Lake; a renegade band of Sioux Indians attacked the homestead, killing every member of the family except for thirteen-year-old Abbie. Living with them at the time were members of the Luce family, who were also killed in the massacre. Those killed included Rowland and Frances Gardner, their children, Mary Luce and her two young children, along with Robert Clark, a temporary lodger, and Harvey Luce, who died while trying to warn nearby settlers. Abbie was taken captive by the band and held until May 30, 1857, when she was released through a hostage exchange at the Yellow Medicine Agency. In return, the U.S. government provided goods including blankets, horses, tobacco, and money. Years later, Abbie returned to Spirit Lake, purchasing her family’s cabin site and preserving it as a memorial to the lives lost. Condition: Lightly age-toned with a touch of thumb-soiling and very light staining to the verso. Minor edgewear. HID03101062020 © 2026 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice
Condition
Heritage Auctions strongly encourages in-person inspection of items by the bidder. Statements by Heritage regarding the condition of objects are for guidance only and should not be relied upon as statements of fact, and do not constitute a representation, warranty, or assumption of liability by Heritage. All lots offered are sold "AS IS"
Buyer's Premium
30%
Abbie Gardner Sharp Postcard Signed. A postcard
Estimate $800-$1,200
Starting Price
$500
$500
$600
$700
1 bidder is watching this item
Get approved to bid.
Historical Manuscripts & Texana - #6328
Feb 26, 2026 12:00 PM ESTDallas, TX, United States
TOP





![Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon Danville. Carte de la: Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon Danville. Carte de la Louisiane. [Paris], 1752. 36 x 20 inches (sight), matted and framed to an overall size of 42 x](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/906/405652/225275796_1_x.jpg?height=181&quality=70&sharpen=true&version=1770073208&width=181)





![Banastre Tarleton Handwritten Lullaby. Two pages: Banastre Tarleton Handwritten Lullaby. Two pages, 7 1/2 x 9 inches, [no place]; circa 1812. A patriotic song in Tarleton's hand, entitled in the](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/906/405652/225275802_1_x.jpg?height=181&quality=70&sharpen=true&version=1770073208&width=181)
![Banastre Tarleton Autograph Poem Signed to Lady: Banastre Tarleton Autograph Poem Signed to Lady Charles Bentinck. One page, 7 1/4 x 8 3/4 inches, [London]; June 26, 1812. Writing near the](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/906/405652/225275803_1_x.jpg?height=181&quality=70&sharpen=true&version=1770073208&width=181)




![Peter Force's 1833 Printing of the Declaration o: Peter Force's 1833 Printing of the Declaration of Independence. Copperplate engraving on rice paper, 25 1/2 x 29 1/8 inches, [Washington]; 1833.](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/906/405652/225275814_1_x.jpg?height=181&quality=70&sharpen=true&version=1770073208&width=181)


![Alexander Hamilton Letter Signed. Two pages, 7 1: Alexander Hamilton Letter Signed. Two pages, 7 1/4 x 9 3/4 inches, "Treasury Department," [Philadelphia]; December 21, 1790. Hamilton](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/906/405652/225275849_1_x.jpg?height=181&quality=70&sharpen=true&version=1770073208&width=181)
![Alexander Hamilton Letter Signed. One page, 8 x: Alexander Hamilton Letter Signed. One page, 8 x 9 3/4 inches, "Treasury Department," [Philadelphia]; October 29, 1790. Hamilton writes to](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/906/405652/225275861_1_x.jpg?height=181&quality=70&sharpen=true&version=1770073208&width=181)











