The Washington union., 1858-02-13
INTERESTING NARRATIVE or gIIE ESCAPE or
f1i1RI

INTERESTING lNABRATIVE or y1iE ESCAPE or
sv pa HURT
We anneuced on the 10Th December last the safe ar
tya in the camp ool johnson oi La. Garland Hurt
Indian agent the only United STATES officer who remain
ed in Utah Territory the ae the other ocrfs with.
drew last sping The suhjoned narrative OF his escape
from the Mormons via be rssd with interest;
II cl Abss s. Johnston t5andndr IL etf s.e army fer
rhe
sla favipr sruenty fed from The Indian settlement
on spanish Fork, In the Territory ID Utah somewhat
prccpttcly, and reached yoar command October 23
after wandering for tweptyseyen days through Io, ains
aud deserts, Ia company With Utah todia's venture to
trouble you with brief starnirt OF tbc circumstances
which itsdud n 70 sbindon the agency and intrt my
liir 70 tho eat and protection of the sayages
Fos time previous 10 my departure, ii had been
c settled opinion Of the people Of Utah that the troops
could not get further then Green river this Con
selueny, concluded that the territorial officials would
not Ncnsife 10 scoss the ouhains before spring and
under the embarrassed condition in which the retention
OF the mails and the very unsettled state OF governmental
relations with Utah, had rtced me, deemed il import
ant to seek ictsrWew with them before the winter set
IN and rs had been previously advised that person
would be allowed to leave the Territory cross the
mountains without the humilating ceremony Of APPLYING
10 Brigham Young for passport TIE alternative of
ganizng Indian escort suggested itself to my mind
the first conception OF which grew out of the deep
which these untutoed creatures had for time mani
tested for my safety.
And WAS the more inclined 10 avail myself of this sug
gestion from the fact that several chiefs of the Unta
country then visit at the farm soliciting to
accompany them TO that valley for the purpose of inspect
ing the adaptation OF it's climate and soil TO the cuya
ton of grain they had become much pleased with the
course of policy pus,ng toward the Indians in
Utah county On the morning of September ~, while
yet discussing the popiey OF this resolution some
half dozen OF the natives rushed into my Office exclaim
ing, Friend friend the Mormons will kill you! and
pointed to the window the eastern side of the house
On looking out, TO my surprise from 10 to 100
amed Dragons stationed in the read about mile from
the hcrr and AZ did not manifest quite much
oern the Indians thought the occasion ,stided they
caught hold of me and gave to understand that they
would not let me stay any longer.
commenced arranging my official papers to be
able 20 REMOVE them Instantly II necessary for ldd not
understand what it all meant In few seconds another
Indian in to Inform me that the Spanish Fork Canon
full of Mormons armed with guns and pistols, who
said that they were going TO Kill me; and he had
y time to tell his story when another came in great haste
and said t'lata Mormons1uaw ut Spngyile had told him
to and tell me that the Mormons intended TO Kill
He also reported large body f armed men on the road
between Spaingyille and c Indian farm 1t was also re-
ported by another Indian that the Mormons at Payson
the town the south, all in aims, although il
the sabbath,
The Indians would not uu. Ms room, but began to
gather up my lrdng and wearing apparel when my in
crrrrer nc into the apartment in evident state Of
excitement, and exclaimed, '.Eoctor you're gone in
i
the country that about leaving with the In
dams, and handed me note from Mr. Butler the Bishop
of the Spanish Fork settlement, stating that he had
learned from various sources that intended going out
with the Indians IN violation Of the martial law in
force. He felt it his duty TO inform me that I could not
leave that they had resolved to enforce the law at all
hazads y regret having mislaid this lettcr, bat the
above Is its urport, which revealed to the meaning
Of SO much military array. TO think that an officer OF
the government should b. tl,,,s mepnccd lille in the
peaceful discbarge of his official duties could fail
excite in the bosom pt any possessed OF spark of
patriotism teelings Of the most indignant 10 be
detained by force and used tool in seasona
bic opposition to the laws Of the country oeeason
might require, OF to fall yetim to that brutal revenge
which seeks qualification only in the sacrifice Of life
too hrmiating to contemplate for d moment t
determined % exrcate lnyself die in the attempt
and turned to ask 10 bring iose; but when
reached the door found that the chiefs ron, spright
y boy, Ind already performed that service While he
adling him. gathered iny papers and wearing ap
parcl, threw them into meal sek and pitched them
out of doors o the Indians who all seemed eager to
sst me in my escape. Ia the presence Of armed pop
ulace set out with three Indian youths whosc names are
Pete, sam, and Shower SheJlcts. Mr. Joseph 7. Waters
of salt Lake City, also accompanied Instead Of GO
ilg cast as our enemies expected we took western
; but when il discovered that we intended b.
reach the mountains by circnitons rouc, hal
dozen persons ON horseback out from the town OF
Payson, to tap Just ahead Of We wheeled
short TO the right. but just in front lay small
stream, so deep and my that stock not in the
habit OF crossing it.
urged my horse and he attempted to clear il nj n
single bound, but ilmg to reach the opposite bank with
his hind feet, he fell back into water and mud over
the top of his hips aghtcd upon the bank over his
head, and, by pale at the ,eins assisted him in ext
eating himself which he did after several dtsunte strg
giles Ny comrades spurrcd down the stream little way
and had better Success Our pu,sers by this time
within three four hundred yards OF ms ] mounted IN
hatc aud soon found, 10 my great satisfaction that ihc
stamina of the noble animal had been exhausted and
that, although had host my spur In the struggle could
dispense with its service
At the distance of about two miles reached the base
of low mountain ranging north and south We gained
It's summit just the setting. and debating the
Iropriety OF pnrsnn1 further western course but lust
at this time despatch brought 10 by two bows
from the Old Chief, telling to be return To the
farm that night. Under these circumstances wo deter
mined To try icint We descended lmlow the summit
only far enough to hide ourselves and then turned nr In
and continued on that ior two three miles nm
Til thought our pusucrs about gaining the topl
Of the mountain Then wctHncd iran upon the eastern
slope and dropped into - little hollow, where we waited
for daylight To- disappear This completely foiled our
enemies for the ground so hard and stony that they
could not discover trail
When the halfgiown moon began to shine upon the
prairie toward the spot from which we had set out We
reached the farm 1T s, p. m, and found about one hun
dral Of our red friends awaiting return who mani
Tested great joy at our arrival My first inquiry was
where the Mormons were, when twenty voices shouted
'Eotch carry Mormon y iNot here, Mormon y had
left forty five head of horses and mules and was
about inqurnS what had become of them when dis |
covered that most of them had been mounted by the In
ians They then related how they had sailed ont iu