Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-04-04

| day morning asked a mani think his name
was Edwards-to go 10 Cedar City and shy 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 l 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- hid
| from them fearing the Indians who discovered
the children. l called the Indians, who wanted
my gun or ammunition to kill them. /
prevailed with them to let the children 90 back
to camp, which they very soon did when they saw
the Indians. l crept up behind some rocks on the
west range, where had full view of the corral
In 1t they had dug rife pit The wheels of
their wagons were chained together and the only
show for the Indians was 10 starve them out er
shoot them rs they went for water. | lay there
some two hours and contemplated their situation
and wept like n child. When returned 10 camp
some six or eight men had come from Cedar CITY
Joe White, William G. Stewart and Elliott e.
Weldon were among the number, but they had no
orders. They had come merely TO see how tilinrs
were. The Meadows about fifty miles from
Cedar City. Thursday the messenger from Cedar
City returned President Haight bad 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 time The Indians and men were engaged
in broiing beef and making their hides up into
lassoes. had tiattered myself that the blood
shed was at an end. After the emgrants saw me
cross the valley they hoisted white flag in the
midst of their corral.
Friday afternoon four wagons drove IN with
armed men. When they saw the white flag in
the corral they raised one also but drove to the
springs where we were, and took refreshment,
| after which a council meeting called of the
Presidents Bishops, and other Church officers
and members, of the High Council, Societies
High Priests, etc. Maj. John Nj. Higbee PIE
sided rs Chairman. Several of the dienitares
bowed in prayer, invoked the aid of the Holy
spirit to prepare thor minds and guide them to
do right, and carry out the counses of their
leaders Higbee said President |. G. Haiehs had
been to Parowan to confer with Col. Dame and
their counsel and orders were that this emigrant
camp must be used up l replied Men,
women and children" "All," said he. except
| such as are too young to tell tales, and if the
Indians cannot do it without help, we must help
them" | commenced pleading for the compt-
ny, and said though some of them have be-
haved badly they have been pretty well chas-
tsed. My policy would be to draw off the
Indians, let them have portion of the loose
cattle, and withdraw with them under the
promise that they would not modest the company
any more; that the company would then have
Told them that this course could not bring them
into trouble. Higbee said, The white men
have interposed, and the emigrants know it, and
there lies danger in letting them co.
mid, "What white man interfered7- Tie re-
piled that in the attack on Tuesday night two
men broke out of the corral and started for Ce-
dar City on horseback; Mat they were met at
Rcheys Spring by Stewart, Joel White and an
other man whose name has passed from me-
Stewart asked the two men their Names when
they met at the Spring, and being told in reply
by one of the men that his name was Alden, and
that the other Dutchman from the emf
grants company, Stewart put n pistol ut Adens
breast and killed him. saying: Take that
curse you" The other (the Dutchman) wheeled
to leave Ms Joel White fired and wounded him
asked him how he knew the wounded Dutch
man went back to the cmgrant's camp. Re s;lid
because he tracked back and they knew he
was there. l again said that it was better to
deliver the men to them and let them do any
thing they wished with them. and tell them We
did not approve such thing. Ira Allen, High
Counselor. and Robert Wiley and others spoke
reproving sharply for trying to dictate to the
priesthood; that it would set at naueht all au
thority; that he would not give the life of one
of our brethren for n thousand such perpons
"If we let them go" he continued, they
Will raise hell in California, and the re
suit will be that our wives and children will
haze IL be butchered. and ourselves too and
they no better TO die than ours, and | am sur-
prised TO bear Brother ltc talk as he does as he
has always been considered one of the Nauuchest
in the Church; now he is the frat to shirk from
his duty said, Brother the Lord must hard
en- my heart before can do such thing" Allen
said, a." it IL not wicked u obey the counsel" At
this lunc+ure ! withdrew. walked of some Fifty
PAGES, and prostrated myself on the ground, and
wept in the bitter anguish Of my soul and o. ed
the Lord to avert that evil. While in that situa-
ton, Counselor O. Ii. Hopkins u near friend of
mine, came to and said Brother Lee
come, get up, and don't draw of from the prlcet-
hood. You ought not to do A.. You are only en-
dangering your own life by standing out IOu
can't help IT. If this If wrong, the blame won't
rest upon you" said. Charley, thil is n worse
move than this people ever made. | feel it," He
said, Come, 60 back and let them have their
way went back, weeping like child, and
took my place, and tried 10 be silent and wac
until Higbee said they the emigrants) must be
decoyed out through pretended friendship |
could no longer hold my peace, and said !, "Jo-
seph Smith said that God hated traitor. and 10
do l. Before | would be traitor | would take
ten men and 60 10 that camp and tell them they
must die and now to defend Themselves and
give them show for their lives. That would be
more honorable than to bttTay them like judas
Here got repsoof, and was ordered 10 hold my
pa>-oe.
The plan arrced upon there was to meet them
with flag of truce; tell them that the Indians
were determined on their destruction; that we
dare not oppose the Indians, for at their
mercy; that the best could DO for them tthe
emigrants) to set them 4nd what few traps
could take in wagons, TO lay their arms Ia the
bottom of the wagon, and cover them up with
bed-clothes and start for the settlement IA
Boon AZ possible, md 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 10
stand IN readiness the east side Of the road
rs receive them. shurtz and Sephi johnson were
to conceal the Indians in the brush and rocks
till the company strung out on the road % a
certain point and at the watchword, Halt do