Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-04-05

interpreter, to the Meadows as soon as he IN be
got to help Carl Shurtz manage the Indis q"
did just as / was ordered. The Indians from
the north and about Harmony had already
started for the Meadows before / reached home.
Shurtz started Immediately to do his part. ar
rived at home in the night and remained till
morning. I thought over the matter, and the
more thought the more my feelings revolted
against such a horrid deed. Sleep had fed from
me. talked to my wife Rachel about it She
felt / did about about it, and advised me to
let them do their own dirty work, and said if
things did not go Just to suit them, blame would
be laid on NE. She never did believe In blood
atonement, and said it was from the devil, and
that she would rather break such covenant if she
had to die for 90 doing, than live to be guilty of
doing such act / finally concluded that
would go; that l would start by daybreak in the
morning and try and get there before the attack
was made on the company, and use my influence
with the Indians to let them alone. I crossed
the mountains by the trail, and reached the
Meadows between nine and ten o'clock in the
morning, the distance from my place being
about twenty-five miles; but / too late.
The attack had been made just before
daybreak in the morning The Indians
were refulsed with one killed and two
of their Chiefs from Cedar shot through
the legs, breaking leg for each of them.
The Indians were in terrible rage
went to some OF them that were in a ravine.
They told me to go to the main body or they
would kill me for not coming before the attack
was made. While / was standing there received
shot just about the belt, cutting through my
clothes to the skin some six inches across. The
Indians with whom l was talking lived with me
| at Harmony. l was an Indian farmer. They
| told me was in danger, and to get down into
| the ravine. said it was impossible for me to
| do anything there, and / dare not venture to
camp or to the emigrants without endangering
my life. 1 mounted my horse and started to
meet Carl Shurtz. / travelled sixteen miles, and
| stopped on Megotsy to bait my animal, as there
| was good grass and water / had rode it over
forty miles without eating or drinking This is
| the place where Tobin met his assassinator5.
| About sunset saw Shurtz and some ten or fifteen
white men, and about $50 Indians. We camped.
During the night the Indians left for the Mead
OWE. / reported to the men what had taken
place. They attacked the emigrants again about
sunrise the next morning, which was Tuesday,
and had one of their number killed and several
wounded. The white men reached the Meadows
about one p. m. On the way we
| met a small band of Indians returning
| with some eighteen or twenty head of cattle.
One of the Indians was wounded in the shout
der. They were encamped east of the emigrants
at some springs. On our arrival at the springs
we found about 200 Indians, among whom were
two wounded chiefs, Moqueetus and Bill. The
| Indians were in a high state of excitement.
| They had killed many cattle and horses belong
| ing to the company. / counted sixty head near
| their encampment that they had killed In re-
n.
| ance of Oscar Hamblin (brother of Jacob Ham
| blin) and Shurtz succeeded in getting the In
| dians to desist from killing any more stock.
| That night the company of emigrants had cor
raled all their wagons but one for better de-
| Tense. This corral was about 100 yards above
the springs. This they did to get away from a
ravine south, the better to defend themselves
| Attacks were made from the south ravine and
| from the rocks the west. The attack re-
newed that night by the Indians in spite of all
| we could do to prevent it. When the attack
| commenced, Oscar Harnblin, William Young
and myself started to 60 to the Indians. When
| opposite the corral to the north, bullets came
| around us like shower of hail. We had two
Indians with us to pilot US. They threw them
| selves fat on the ground to protect them
selves from bullets l stood erect, and asked
| my Father IN Heaven to protect me from the
| missiles of death, and enable me to reach the
| Indians. One ball passed through my hat and
| the hair of my head, and another through my
| shirt, grazing my arm near the shoulder. A most
| hideous yell of the Indians commenced. The
| cries and shrieks of the women and children so
| overcame me that forgot my danger and rushed
through the fire to the Indians and pleaded with
them in tears to desist l told them that the
Great Spirit would be angry with them for kill
| ing women and children. They told me to leave
| or they would serve me in the same way and
that was not their friend, but the friend of
| their enemies; that was a squaw, and did not
1 have the heart of a brave, and that could not
see blood shed without crying like a baby, and
| called me cry-baby, and by that name / am
known by all the Indians to this day. lowe my
| life on that occasion to Oscar Hamblin who was
a missionary with the Indians, and had much
| influence with the Santa-Clara Indians They
were the ones that wanted to kill me. Hamblin
| shamed them, and called them dogs and wolves
for wanting to shed the blood of their father
tmyself), who had fed and clothed them. We final
ly prevailed on them to return to camp, where we
would hold council that would send for the big
! Captains to come and talk. We told them they
had punished the emigrants enough, and maybe
| they had killed nearly all of them. We told
them that Bishop Dame and President Haight
would come, and maybe they would give them
| part of the cattle, and let the company go with
| the teams. In this way we reconciled them to
suspend hostilities for the present. Thetwo that
! had been with Hamblin and myself the night be-
/ fore said they had seen two men on horseback
come out of the emigrant camp under full speed
and that they went toward Cedar City. Wednes-
| day morning asked mani think his name
was Edwards-to go to Cedar City and say to
President Haight for Gods sake for my sake
| and for the sake of suffering humanity to send
out men to rescue that company. This day we
| all lay still waiting orders Occasionally few
| OF the Indians withdrew, taking few head of
| animals with them. About noon I crossed the
valley north of the corral, thinking to examine
their location from the west range. The COM
! pany recognized me white man. and sent two
! little boys about four years old to meet me- ibid
| from them, fearing the Indians who discovered
| the children. l called the Indians who wanted
| my gun or ammunition to kill them. I
| prevailed with them to let the children go back
| to camp, which they very soon did when they saw
the Indians crept up behind some rocks on the
west range, where had full view of the corral.
| In 1t they had dug rifle pit. The wheels of
| their wagons were chain I'd together and the only
! show for the Indians to starve them out or
! shoot them as they went for water. / lay there
tyrOh c4aS4
| and wept like child. When returned to camp
| some SIX or eight men had come from Cedar City.
| Joe White William G. Stewart and Elliott G.
| Weldon were among the number, but they had no
| orders. They had come merely to see how things
were. The Meadows are about fifty miles from
| Cedar City. Thursday the messenger from Cedar
| City returned. President Haight had gone to
| Parowan to confer with Col. Dame, and a COM
| pany of men and orders would be sent on to-mor-
| row friday; that up to the time he left the
| Council had come to no definite conclusion. Dur
ing this tune the Indians and men were engaged
! in broiling beef and making their hides up into
| lassoes. L had flattered myself that the blood
shed was at an end. After the emierants saw me
cross the valley they hoisted a white flag in the
midst of their corral.
Friday afternoon four wagons drove up with
armed men. When they the white flag in
the corral they raised one also, but drove to the
springs where were, and took refreshments
after which council meeting was called of the
| Presidents, Bishops, and other Church officers
and members, of the High Council, Societies,
High Priests, etc. Maj. John NJ. Higbee pre-
| sided as Chairman. Several of the dignitaries
bowed In prayer, invoked the aid of the Holy
| Spirit to prepare their minds and guide them to
do right, and carry out the counsels of their
| leaders. Higbee said President l. c. Haight had
been to Parowan to confer with Col. Dame and
their counsel and orders were that this emigrant
camp must be used up. / replied: MEN,
women and children" ALL said he aeycept