The Washington union., 1858-02-06
INTERESTING NARRATIVE OF THE ESCAPE OF



INTERESTING NARRATIVE OF THE ESCAPE OF
| DIR. HuRT aas
We announced the 18th December last tue sale ar
rival in the camp Of Col Johnson Q. Dr. Garland Hurt
Indian agent the cniy United States officer who remain
ed in Utah Territory at the time the other officers with
drew last spring The suboned narrative Of his escape
from the Aiormons viii be read with interest
10 Cl Albert s. Jotasto Commander ia-eiss VI he army for
. t. Gtah 81 ia 80. oy.s
sIs Having recently fed from the Indian settlement
on Spanish Fork, In the Territory Of Utah, somewhat
preciptatey and reached your command October 20
after wandering m twenty days through mountains
and deserts in company with Utah Indians, venture to
trouble you with brief statement of the circumstances
which induced me to abandon the agency and ntrust
life to the and protection OF the sava9es.
For time previous to my departure, IL had been
the settled opinion OF the people Of Utah that tho troops
could get further than Green river this Con-
seuent]y concluded that the territorial officials would
venture 10 cross the mountains 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 placed me, deemed it import
seek interview with them before the winter set
in and as had been previously advised that person
would be allowed to leave the Territory the
mountains without the humiliang ceremony of applying
to Brigham Young for passport, the alternative of
ganzing an Indian suggested itself to my mind
the first conception of which grew out OF the deep
which these untutosea creatures had for some time mani
| tested fox my safety. ,a fcsA
|
gcston from the fact that several chiefs Of the Unta
country then visit at the farm soliciting me to
accompany them to that valley for the purpose of inspect
ing the adaptation of its climate and soil TO the cNtva-
ton Of grain they had become mnch pleased with the
of policy pursuing toward the Indians In
Utah county On the morning of September 27 while
yet discussing the prop,ety OF this resolution
half dozen of the natives rushed into my Office exclaim
| ing s.Frend friend the Mormons will kill you T. and
pointed to the window the eastern side of the house
On looking out to my surprise saw from 10 to 100
armed dragons stationed In the road about mile from
the house; aid as did not manifest quite much
coin the Indians thought the occasion justified they
caught hold Of me and gave TO understand that they
would not let me stay any longer mt
commenced arranging my Oficel papers ito be
able to them instantly if necessary for did not
understand what it all meant In few seconds another
Indian in to inform me that the Spanish Fork Canon
was full of Mormons armed with guns and PISTOLS who
said that they going to kill and lie had scarce
time to ten his story when another in great haste
and said thata Mormon saunw ut Sprngvle had told him
to and tell that the Mormons intended to kill me
He also reported large body IF armed the road
between Springvle and the Indian farm 1t was also
ported by another Indian that the Mormons Payson
the town on the south, were all in arms, although
4 the Sabbath.
i The Indians would not quit my roon but began to
gather up my bedding and wearing apparel, when my In
terprctcr into tho apartment evident state OF
excitement and exclaimed Eccor, you're gone IN T.
asked what 1t all meant He said it understood all
over the country that was about leaving with the In
dams and handed note from Mr. Butler, the Bishop
of the Spanish Fork settlement, stating that he had
learned from various That intended going out
with the Indians In violation Of the martial law now in
force He felt 1t his duty to inform me that could not
leave that they had resolved enforce the law at all
hazards regret having mislad this letter. but the
above Is Its purport which revealed TO me the meaning
of 50 much military c..ay To think that M officer OF
tho government should be thus monaced while In the
peaceful discharge of his official duties could not fail to
excite in the bosom Of any possessed of spark OF
patriotism feelings of the most indignant seor To be
Inv fplf.a apa taot
bic opposition to the ,aHs Of the country as occasion
might require, OF 10 fall victim to that brutal revenge
which seeks qualification only In the sacrifice life was
too hGiniltang to contemplate for moment.
determined to extricate myself OF die in thc attempt
and turned to ask &c bring MY horse but when
reached the door found that the chief son. slrght-
ly boy, had already performed that service While he
was saddng him, gathered my papers and wearing ap-
pare threw them Into meal sack and pitched them
out OF doors To the Indians who al seemed eager to as
sist me in my Ia the presence of armed pop
naee set out with three Indian youths whose Names
Pete, Sam, and Shower Shockets. Mr. Joseph r. Waters
OF Salt Lake City, also accompanied Instead Of go
1 ing cast, enr enemies expected took western
course but when it discovered that we intended to
reach the mountains by circuitous route sunc hall
dozen persons horseback out from the town Of
Payson, to tap our course Just ahead Of We wheeled
short to the right but just In front lay small
stream, 50 deep and mry that stock were not in the
habit of crossing it,
urged my horse and he attempted to clear it at
single bound, but, failing to reach the opposite bank with
his hind feet, he fell back into water and mud over
the top of his hips aghted upon the bank over bis
head and by pulling at the rcins, assisted him in cxtr
eating himself which he did after several desperate sr
giles. My comrades spurrcd down the little way
and had better success Our pursuers by This time
within three or four hundred yards Of US. mounted in
haste and soon found to my great satisfaction that the
stamina of the noble animal had not been exhausted and
that, although had lost 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
its summit just the setting, and debating the
propricty of pursuing further western course but JUS,
at this time despatch brought to us by two boys
from the old chief telling to be ssure return the
farm that night. Under these circumstances we deter
mined to try fent. We descended below the summit
only far enough to hide ourselves and then turned north
and continued that for two three miles tr
til we thought pursuers about gaining the top
OF the mountain. Then wetuned again upon the eastern
slope, and dropped into little hollow where we waited
for daylight to disappear This completely foied our
enemies, for tho ground hard and stony that they
could not discover our trail
When the hall. grown began to shine upon the
mountain slope, reinouneI and bounded over the
prairie toward the spot from which we had set out We
dred of red friends awaiting return who mani
tested great JOY at arrival. My first inquiry was
where the Mormons were, when twenty voices shouted
left fortyfvc head of horses and mules and was
covered that most Of them had been mounted by the In
dians They then related how they had sailed du
ring the day, and driven the enemy from the canon by
of wins