The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-01-16
INTERESTING NARRATIVE OF THE ESCAPE Oh

\ INTERESTING NARRATIVE OF The EoCAPE Or
4 DIR HURT
/ We announced on the 18th December last the safe
rival in the camp OF Col johnson of Dr. Garland Hurt,
Indian agent the only United States officer who remain
ed in Utah Territory at the time the other officers with
drew last spring The subjoned narrative of his escape
| from the Mormons will be read with interest
10 Col. Hilbert 8 Johnston, Commander ia-e Of The crr'y for
| eaaa Utah
| SIR Having recently fed from the Indiauettleiaent
ON Spanish Fork in the Territory Of Utah, somewhat
precpiteIy and reached your command on October 23,
after wandering for twenty days through mountains
and deserts in company with Utah Indians, venture to
trouble you with brief statement of the circumstances
which induced To abandon the agency and intrust
| life to the and protection Of the savages.
For time previous to my departure, 1t had been
the settled opinion Of the people OF Utah that the troops
could not get further than Green river this Con-
sequentiy concluded that the territorial officials would
not venture the mountains before spring and
nde the embarrassed condition In which the retention
of the mails and the very unsettled state Of governmental
relations with Utah, had placed me, deemed 1t import
seek interview with them before the winter st
In and as had been previously advised that person
would be allowed 70 leave the Territory the
mountains without the humilRtng ceremony of applying
70 Brigham Young for passport the alternative OF or
ganzing an Indian escort suggested itself tommy mind
the conception of which out Of the deep concern
which these untutored creatures had for time mani
| tested for my safety.
And was the more inclinedt to avail myself of this sg
gestion from the fact that several chiefs of the Uina
country then visit at the farm soliciting to
acconpiy s W a' Nnoy ~, s'lo ~ - ,is
.. my 'ne wv ~, ~ -, ., , p ,J -; y, ~,
course of policy pursuing toward the Indians in
Utah county. On the morning of September ~ while \
yet discussing the propriey of this resolution some
nan uoEeii ~ nc ~, III ~ nj Ia
pointed to the window the eastern side OF the house
on oonnb oe.' ~ -, =. .i %" 49,. IN, 60
s,isu a'soo'iS a1 y, wy t" ~ III
'ne ioe GIN , wv To- a., ; ;,;aa ~
'ein 90 ~, ~, ,s ~, 800 80. ~ - - ~ ,. -
cauSh. hoiu Oh me "h' a~Ne ie W "''''" '' 'os
"uV,u nov is ,no $500. s."s s,s ' 10
commehce'i %iiss my o ~ palo's o. 90 ~ :.
anie 10 remove .neih ,ns'a'y Il NECESSARY, 10, uo ~.
understand wna' !. an mean. Ia sw se.onss ailoer
ihuh.i ran -, I, ~ ny ,' .. .e
was luii % Monons a.u w,,' eu''e ' p'o'', VIZ
saa una. they we'e sos ~ Mn he ai ~ i.u h
~ une TO te n,s story "heh aiohei c'e IN sre'. hs'c
ana sau tata MORMON s!""w AZ Npl.s iie nau o,u nun
70 run ana teii me .ha' the "oiohs nsedeo 70 xii me-
ne also iepot'eo laiss uooy " 'iineu men "ii 'e ioa
between cpflnsViile ana 'he hu'ah latin Az was sofe
ported by another indian that he Moinons AT fayson
the town on 'ne sou'h' were al III a''s' "osi WIS
the sabbath
The Indians would mol gum my room oue began 10
gather up my peoThg anu wearing apparel Wheh my IN
terpreter CAME INTO the IN an evident state OF
excitemen1 ana exciaiheo, DOCTOR, you re gone M
asked what 1t all meant de sad u was understood aii
over the country that was about leaving WITH the IN
dams and handed me note from MI butter the bishop
OF the spanish FORK settlement sa.ing mat ne haa
learned from various sources that intended gong out
with the lndians IN violation OF the marital law now IN
force lie fe!t his duty TO inform me that could not
leave that they haa resoVel 10 enforce inc law az nj
hnzl's. ! regret having misaid TINS letter put the
above Is lts puIpoft "hch revealed 70 me inc meaning
OF SO much military array 10 think that an ofccr OF
the government should De mus ine'aeed WINE IN inc
peaceful discharge OF ms ocai duties could not ia 70
excite 10 the bosom OF any one possessed OF spark OF
patriotism feehn9s OF the most indignant scorh 10 be
detained by force and used as tool IN most tcasona
BILE opposition to the laws OF the country as occasion
might require or to tall victim to that brutal revenge
which seeks gatcatlon only IN the sacrifice OF ie was
:, too Illuminating to contemplate tor moment
! determined TO extrcatc myself OF Gle IN the attempt,
and turned to ask some one TO bring my morse but when
reached the door found mat the chei son, sprSht
~ roy hau ALREADY performed that service. WINE ne
was saddlng him. gathered my papers ana wearing APP
parel threw them INTO some meal sack, ana tched them
out OF DOORS TO the lhans Wh an seemed eager 70 as
sst me III my escape IN the presence OF an armed pop
uiace set out Win tiree lpuhh youths whose names are
Pete, SAM and Shower Shockets. MI Joseph T. Waters,
OF oait Lake Clty, also accompanied me- instead Oh go
! ing east as our enemies expected we TOOK western
course put wen IL was dco'efe' that we intended 70
reach the mountains by efcWto"s route, some nan
dozen persons on horseback came OUT fom the town OF
fayson 10 TAP our course just aetu Oh US we Wheeied
short TO the right put Just IN our ifohs iay small
suean so dcep ana hiry tiat stock were hot III the
haoit oI crossing IL.
urged my hoise ana nc atceH,pfu 70 GEAR IL az ~
single pound, put g 70 reacn 'he opposite plk with
ms nina isct, ne Ken Dack INTO Wate, anu mud over
.he Top OF ms hlfs aigheu upon .ne M,nk over ms
heau ana, Dy punS ae inc ei's asssea hiih IN eAIi-