The Washington union., 1858-03-20
INTERESTING NARRATIVE OF THE ESCAPE OF
DR. HURT


We announced on The 18th December last The safe ar
IiSs III INC camp Of Col johnson d ii 6arland HrIs
Indian agent the only United states ofices ,vho remain
cd in Utah Territory at the time the other officers with
drew last spring The suboined narrative OF his escape
iroin the NORM win be read with interest
10 CSt ALLet s. Jhrsn Commander -etc Of he army for
LFah
sn: Having recently fed from the Indian settlement
on Spanisi, Fork, in the Territory of Utah. somewhat
preoipatey and reached your command October 23,
after wandering for twenty days through mountains
and deserts in company with Utah Indians Iyenture 10
trouble you with brief statement OF the circumstances
which induced to abandon the agency and htrust my
life to the care and protection Of the savages.
For tn,e previous TO my departure it had been
the settled opinion of the people Utah that the troops
could get further than Green river this Con
sequently concluded that the territorial officials would
not venture TO the mountains before spring and
under the embarrassed condition Ill which the retention
of the mails and the very unsettled state Of governmental
relations with Utah. had placed me- deemed 1t import
to seek interview with them before the winter set
in and as had been previously advised that no person
would be allowed to leave the Territory cross the
mountains without the humilatng ceremony of applying
to Brigham Young for passport, the alternative ot o.
ganzng Indian escort suggested itself to my mind
the first conception of which grew out of the deep
which these untutorcd creatures had for time mani
tested for my safety.
And was the more inclined to avail myself of this sug
gestion from the fact that several chiefs of the Uinta
country then visit at the farm soliciting to
accompany them to that valley FOR the purpose of inspect
ing the adaptation Of its climate and soil TO the cultva
ton of gran they had become much pleased with the
course OF policy we were pursuing toward the Indians in
Utah county On the morning OF September III while
was yet iscusshg the propicy of this resolution
half dozen Of the natives rushed into my office exolam
ing, .Friend, friend, the Mormons will kill you y 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 and, did not manifest quite so much con
the Indians thought the occasion justified, they
caught hold of and gave to understand that they
would not let me stay any longer.
/ commenced arranging my official papers to be
able 20 them instantly if necessary, for did not
understand what it all meant In few seconds another
Indian in to inform that the Spanish Fork Canon
was full of Mormons, armed with guns and pistols, who
said that they going to kill and he had scarce
y tell his story when another in great haste
and said thata Mormon squaw ut Springve had told him
to and tell me that the Mormons intended to kill me
He also reported large body Of armed the road
between Sprngvle and the Indian farm 1T also re-
ported by another Indian that the Mormons at Payson
the town the SOUTH all in arms, although it
the Sabbath -
The Indians would not quit my room, but began to
gather up my bedding and wearing apparel when my in
torpreter into the apartment in evident state Of
excitement, and exclaimed, poator, you re gone in!
asked what it all meant He said it understood all
over the country that about leaving with the In
dians, and handed me 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 in
force He felt il his duty to inform that could not
leave that they had resolved to enforce the law at all
hazards / regret having faslaid this letter, but the
above is its pulpor which revealed to the meaning
of so much military array. 70 think that officer Of
the government should be thus menaced while in the
peaceful discharge of his official duties could not fail to
excite in the bosom Of amy one possessed OF spark #
patriotism feelings Of the most indignant To be
detained by force, and used as tool in most reasona
bic opposition TO the laws Of the country occasion
III HAT yfa1
which seeks Qualification only in the sacrifice Of life was
| too hulniating to contemplate for moment
i determined extricate myself die in the attempt,
and turned TO ask some one to bring my horse but when
reached the door found that the chief son. spright
/ y boy had already performed that service, While he
was sailing him. gathered my papers and wearing ap
parel threw them into some meal sack, and pitched them
| out OF doors TO the Indians, who all seemed Co." ,o ~
sst me IN my escape. !" presence Of AN armed pop
niaee set ou! three Indian youths WHOSE are
PG.v SlNi and Shower Sboekets. Mr. Joseph Waters
of salt Lake City, aao accompanied me Instead of go
ing east, as our enemies expected, took western
course but when it discovered that intended to
reach the mountains by cireuitous route some half
dozen persons horseback out from the town Of
Payson to tap course Just ahead of We wheeled
short to the right but just in our front lay small
stream, so deep and mry that stock not in the
| habit Of crossing it.
| / urged my horse and he attempted to clear it at
single bound but, falling to reach the opposite bank with
his hind feet, he fell back into water and mud over
L
head and by pulling at the reins assisted him in extr
eating himself which be did after several desperate srug
giles. My comrades spurrcd down the stream little way
and had better Onr pulsuers by this time
within three 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
of low mountain ranging north and south We gained
it's summit just the setting, and debating the
proprety of pursuing further western but Just
at this time despatch brought to by two boys
from the old chief, telling to be to the
farm that night Under these circumstances we deter
mined to try fUnt We descended below the summit
only far enough to hide ourselves and then turned north
and continued that for two three miles uu
til thought pursuers about gaining the top
of the mountain Then turned again upon tho eastern
slope, and dropped into little hollow, where waited
for daylight to disappear This completely oiled our
enemies for the ground hard and stony that they
could not discover our trail
When the half fgrown began to shine upon the
mountain slope we rcInounted and bounded over the
prairie toward the spot from which had set out We
reached the farm at 3 p M, and found about hun
dred of red friends awaiting return who mani
tested great joy at arrival My first inquiry was
where the MorAOns were, when twenty voices shouted
"Cotch-cgury Mormon |" fNot here Mormon y ] had
left fory-fiye head of horses and mules and was
about inquiriDg what had become of them when dis
covered that most Of them had been mounted by the In
dans. They then related how they had sailed du
ring the day and driven the enemy from the canon by
threats of what they should pursue case and
my comrades were murdered
Taking bread and meat that we found in the eel
Inv