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

Judas IN camp.
Then it was proposed that every man express
himself; that If there was n man who would
not keep close mouth they wanted to know il
then.
This gave me to understand what l might ex-
poet If | continued to oppose
Maj. higbee said: 1t Is right Let Brother
Lee take an expression of the people"
knew dare not refuse, so | had every man
speak and express himself. All said they were
willing TO carry out the counsel of their leaders;
that the leaders had the Spirit of God and
knew better what was night than they did
They then wanted 70 know my feelings. /
replied: - | have already expressed them"
Every eye was upon me rs | paused. but, slid
l. :" You can do as you please. will not op-
pose you any longer"
VIII you keep close mouth?" was the
question.
- Will try was my answer.
will here say that fear of offending Brigham
Young and George A. Smith had saved my life
L was near beng " blood-atouedn in Parowan
under }. 2. L. Smith in 1854, but of this have
spoken in my autobiography.
Saturday morning all was ready, and every
man assigned to his post of duty. During the
night, or rather just before daylight johnson m
Shurtz amh'lshed their Indians the better to de-
ceive the emigrants. About eleven o'clock H. M
the troops under Maj. Higbee took their position
on the road. The white flag was still kept up in
the corral. Highee called William Batcman. of
the ranks, to take flag of truce to the corral
He WAS met about half way with another white
flag from the emgr7lnt camp. They had a talk
The emigrant told that we had come to req
cue them if they woudtrust us. Both men with
flags returned 10 their respective places and re-
ported, and were To meet again and bang
word. Higbee called me out to 20 and in
form them of the conditions, and. If
accepted, Dan Mcfarland, brother to John Nc
Farland, the lawyer, who acted rs aid-de-camp
would hiring back word and then two wagons
would be sent for the firearms, children cloth
ing, etc. ] obeyed, and the terms proposed were
accepted, but not without distrust.
had as little 20 say IA possible. In fact, my
tongue refused to perform Its Office | sat down
on the ground in the corral near where soma
young men were engaged in paying their last re-
spocts to some person who Ind just died of
wound. large, iieshy old lady came to me
twice, and talked while sat there She related
thor troubles; said that seven of their number
We're killed and forty-nine wounded on the first
attack; that several had died since She asked
me IT was an Indian Agent. | said. In one
sense am, rs the Governor has appointed me
farmer to the Indians" told her this TO satisfy
her. i heard afterward that the same question
was asked and answered in the same manner by
Mcfarland, who had been sent by Hgbee 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, coun-
selor to Bishop 2. X. Smith (Klinger SMITH
drove out on the lead. His wagon had the sew
cnteen children, clothing and arms. Samuel
Knight drove the other team, with the five
wounded men and one boy about fifteen years
old. l walked behind the front wagon to direct
the course and shun being in the heat of the
slaughter; but this | kept to myself. When we
got turned fairly TO the east, l motioned to
McMurdy 10 steer north across the valley. | Mt
the same time told the women who were in the
next wagon TO follow the road up 10 the troops,
which they did. Instead of saying to McMurdy
not TO drive No fast, he to on my trial
sAid, to the contrary, to drive on, MS my Aim
to get ont of sight before the triug commenced,
which VIC did. We were about half mile ahead
of the company when we heard the first firing.
We had driven over a ridge Of rolling srsusd
and down ON u low fiat
Tho firing WAS simultaneous along the whole
line. The moment tho firing commenced
McMurdy halted and tied his lines across the
rod OF his wagon-box. stepped down. and
coolly with douhle-barrcled shotgun.
walked back - Knghts wagon, which had
the woundcd men, and about TWEEN
ty feet in The rear. As no raised his
piece, he said Lord, my God receive
their spirits, for il is for the Kingdom of liea-
ven's cake that do this, fired, and killed two
men. Saul Knight had muz2ls-louung rifle,
and he shot and killed the two men. then struck
the wounded boy on the head, who fell dead. In
the meantime | drew u tve-ahooter from my belt,
which accidentally went of, cutting across Nc
Murdy's bucsskin pants in front. MoMurdy saii
Brother Lee, YOU are excited. Take things
cool; yon was near killing me. Look whore the
ball cat (pointing 10 the place in his pantsl. At
this moment heard the scream of 4 child. |
looked mp and saw Indian have q little boy
by the hslr Of his head, dragging him out Of the
D., So lt1l,g
getting ready ~ cat his throat. | rprang for the
Indian with my revolver in my hand, and shout
ed m the top OF my voice: Ayick, coma cot
too scoet" (stop, You fool.) The child WIS ter
rDr-stricken. His chin WAS bleedng. | sup
posed II was cut by the knife, but after~ard
learned il was done by the wpcpu-boI, ms the
Indian yanked the bog down by the BAR Of the
head. | had no sooner rescued the child than
another Indian seized little gir by Inc hair. |
rescued her, and as soon as could speak told
the Indians they must not hurt the childten;
that would die before they should be hurt that
we would buy the children from thcir.
By this time the Indians had rushed up around
the wagon in quest of blood and dispatched the
two runaway wounded men.
In justice 10 my statement would say that IL
my shooter had not p5cmaturely exploded |
would have had hand in dispa4ching the five
wounded. | had lost control of myself and
scarce knew what was about. | saw AN Indian
punue little girl who was fleeing. He
caught her about one hundred feet from the
wagon, and plunged his knife through her. /
said ~ McMurdy be had better drive the chill
drcn to Hamblin's Ranch and give them rome
nournhment, while / would godown and get my
horse at camp. Passing along the road ! saw
the dead strung along distance Of about MALI
mile. Women and children were killed by the
Indians. | saw Snurtz with the Indians and
other white man with them. When / came 10
the men they lay about rod apart.
Here ! came up WITH Higbee, Bishop
Smith and the rest Of the company. As
! came mp Hgbee said b me: " Let us
search thee persons for valuables,' and asked
me b assist him, and gave me hat % hold.
Several men were already engaged IN searching
the bodies l replied that | Was unwell and
wanted 10 get upon my horse and 60 ~ the ranch