Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-04-05

chickens and threw them into his
wagon that the widow Evans said,
"Gentlemen those are my chickens !;
please don't kill them {; am poor
widow" That they ordered her to
''shut up'' or they would blow her
id brains out, etc. that they had
been raising trouble with all the settle
ments and Indians on their way; that
we were threatened on the north by
Johnson's army, and now our safety
depended on prompt and immediate
action that a company Of Indians had
already gone south from Parowan and
Cedar City to surprise the emigrants,
who were then at the Mountain Mea-
dows, and he wanted me to return
home in the morning Sunday and send
Carl shurtz, Indian interpreter, from
my home (Harmony) to raise and
wounded him. 1 asked him how he
knew the wounded Dutchman got back
to the emigrants' camp. He said
because he was tracked back, and they
knew he was there.
The plan agreed upon there was to
meet them with flag oftruce, tell them
that the Indians were determined on
, their destruction; that we dare not OPP
pose the Indians, for we were at their
mercy; that the best we could do for
them (the emigrants) was to get them
and what few traps we could take in
the wagons, to lay their arms in the
bottom of the wagons and cover them
up with bed clothes, and start for the
settlement as soon as possible, and to
i trust themselves in our hands. The
small children and wounded were to go
with the two wagons, the women to
follow the wagons and the men next,
the troops to stand in readiness on each
side of the road ready to receive them.
Shurtz and Nephi johnson were to con-
ceal the Indians in the bush and rocks
till the company was strung out on the
road to a certain point and at watch
word. "Halt :? do your duty!" each
man was to cover his victim and fire.
Johnson and Shurtz were to rally the
Indians and rush upon and dispatch the
W omen and larger children.
Saturday morning all was ready, and
every man assigned to his post of Gnty.
During the night, or rather just before
daylight, Johnson and Shurtz ambushed
their Indians, the better to deceive the
emigrants. About II O'Clock A. NJ.
the troops under Maj. Higbee took their
position On the road. The white flag
was still kept up In the corral. Higbee
called William Bateman out of the
ranks to take flag of truce to the
corral. He was met about half way
with another white flag from the emil
grants camp. They had talk. The
emigrants was told we had come to
rescue them if they were willing to
trust us. Both men with flags returned
to their respective places and reported,
and were to meet again and bring
word. Hiebee called me out to go and
inform them the conditions, and, If ac-
cepted. Dan Mcfarland, brother to
John Mcfarland, lawyer, who acted as
aid-de-camp, would bring back word,
and then two wagons would be sent for
the firearms, children, clothing, SC. l
obeyed, and the terms proposed were
accepted, but not without distrust.
had as little to say as possible-in
fact my tongue refused to perform its
office. I sat down on the ground in the
corral, near where some young men
were engaged in paying the last re-
spects to some person who had just
died of wound. A large, fleshy old
lady came to me twice and talked while
1 sat there. She related their troubles;
said that seven of their number were
killed and forty-six wounded on the
first attack that several had died since.
She asked me if was an Indian agent.
1 said. SIN one sense 1 am, as govern
ment has appointed me farmer to the
Indians" 1 told her this to satisfy her.
I heard afterwards that the same ques-
ton was asked and answered in the
same manner by Mcfarland, who had
been sent by Higbee to the corral to
''hurry me up for fear that the Indians
would come back and be upon them"
When all was ready Samuel McMurdy
counsellor to Bishop P. K. Smith
(Klingensmith,) drove out on the lead.
His wagon had the seventeen children,
clothing and arms. Samuel Knight
drove the other team with five wounded
men and one boy about fifteen years
old. walked behind the front wagon
| to direct the course, and to shun being
in the heat of the slaughter, but this l
kept to myself. when we got turned
fairly to the east motioned to Nc
Murdy to steer north across the valley.
I at the same time told the women,
who were next to the wagons, to follow
the road up to the troops, which they
did. Instead of my saying to McMurdy
not to drive so fast, as he swore on my
trial, l said to the contrary, to drive on,
as my aim was to get out of sight before
the firing commenced, which we did,
| We were about half mile ahead of the
company when we heard the first firing.
We had drove over ridge of rolling
ground and down on a fiat. The firing
was simultaneous along the whole line.
The moment the firing commenced
McMurdy halted and tied his lines across
the rod of his wagon-box, stepped down
coolly with double-barrel shotgun,
walked back to Knights wagon, who had
the wounded men, and was about TWEEN
ty feet in the rear. As he raised his piece
he said. ssTOrd. NV God. receive their