The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-10-11
Attack ON an Iowa Train.
Correspondence of New York Tribune

SALT LAKE CRY, Sept 10 1862.
GA company from Warren county, Iowa left
there sometime about the middle Of May, final
IL left the Missouri River on the 18th Of May.
composed of the following persons: John Ad.
ANS Smith, Johnathan Smith, Lewis Smith,
Buchanan Smith, Joseph Jones, Hiram Baker
James Lynch, Taylor Warehouse, Elias Shaw,
Charles Blandus, Friedrich Heymen, Thomas
Rail-. John Ball, and Henry Ball.
Two other persons were in the train, but
their names could not learn, and with the
company were twelve women and about the
ssme number of children. Nothing occurred
in their journey till they reached, on the 26th
of August. Sublett's Cutoff, little to the
southeast Of Fort Hail. The Indians attacked
them there early in the morning, and after q
6eht of an hour and half, succeeded in driv.
ing away from the migrants forty-6ve oxen,
seyen horses, and four mules, leaving only six
oxen for twelve wagons. The company filed
one wagon with provisions, and FASTENED away
from the camping ground, as they dreaded the
return of the Indians, to pillage the wagons.
They travelled in fear, and before shutdown the
Indians greatly increased in numbers. came
upon them and renewed the attack. The i'm
grants attempted to reach some willow bushes,
in hopes of finding protection, but seeing
their intention, the savages reached it first
and eucircled the company, leaving, men
women and children without other shelter
than the stuuted sage bushes, that were no
barriers to the flight of the rifle ball.
The migrants fought with the desperation
of despair, till darkness concealed them. and
the Indians left them thoroughly despoiled of
everything but forty pounds Of -four, which
some, in fleeing from the wagon, had the pru-
deuce to retain. Several of the Indians were
killed or wounded, and of the migrants were
killed. John Ball, who left wife and two
children; Thomas Ball, whose wife and family
are in Warren county, Iowa; Thomas Heymen,
from Minnesota, and Taylor Warehouse, who
disappeared and was never found again. Capt.
Jonathan Smith was shot through both legs,
above the knees, and shot through the right
arm. His father was shot through the right
hand and his brother through the left hand
ball traversed the body of his wife, entering
her right and coming out at her left side
His daughter, four years Of age, was shot thro'
the body, and died the third day after.
The life of Capt. Smith is despaired Of, but the
others are recovering.
They placed the bodies of the dead side by
side and left them unburried, as they were
destitute of the means of ourrying them, and
we're uncertain of the position of the Indians.
The wounded were carried by the men who
were unhurt, and the children were carried in
the arms of the others. In this way they
travelled the first night, and afraid to venture
out in daylight, they rested in the bushes till
the return of darkness. The second night and
second day they travelled another path in the
direction of the settlements on Bear River
three of the men left in advance in hopes of
procuring aid aud travelled three more days
till they reached the Bear River ferry Here
their sad tale was heard, and a Mormon of the
name of Loveland immediately fitted out three
wagons with provisions and sent FIVE men to
bring in the destitute company. After FIVE
days absence the wagons returned, and on
Sunday last took the wounded and destitute in.
to Box Elder Settlement, where they will, in
oil PROBABILITY, remain during the winter. While
one of the company was relating to me what
have here written. his eyes were cleaning
with tears. "Yes," said he, ''the Mormon
people have been kind to us, we will never for
get them, yet all kinds of bad stories are told
against them by men who have an interest in
sending immigrants over that terrible road"
My narrative need 60 no further. only let me
say, immigrants abandon that northern route,
unles you 60 in force to bid defiance to the In
dams. O.