Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1893-01-04
a3tiseeltaneons 8eading.
WITH A WAGON TRAIN.

WITH A WAGON TRAIN.
It has been proved beyond the shad-
dow of a doubt that after the Mormons
located at Salt Lake they bent all
their energies to two things-making
friends with the Indians and seeking
to prevent white people not of their
own faith from penetrating into that
country. They did gain the good
will of the several tribes of Indians
with whom they came in contact to
such degree as made it safe for
Mormon to 90 anywhere. Once in q
while one was killed before he could
identify himself but the man who
proved himself Mormon need have
no fear of the savages, who had been
trained from infancy to hate q white
man and take his scalp whenever op-
portunity offered.
This desideratum was accomplished
in various ways. They made common
cause with the redskin against the re-
mainder of the white race, promising
him all the scalps and plunder. They
made him presents, caused him to be-
lieve that they were prosecuted be-
cause they espoused his cause, and in
other ways got such firm hold on his
affections that he became the most
powerful ally that they could have Sc
lected. They made him arrow heads
and lance heads, they provided him
his first fire arms and best tomahawks,
they fed him when he was hungry, and
helped to outfit him when he went to
war.
When the California gold fever be-
gan to push long wagon trains across
the country, the Mormons saw what
the result would be unless they could
stop the rush. Left to themselves, the
savages would no doubt have attacked
in every case where there was hope OF
success, but not one person would have
been killed where ten actually yielded
up their lives but for the assistance OF
the accursed Danites. These were the
"good men and true" of the Mormon
church-the enthusiasts and fanatics
who could be depended on to carry out
any order and preserve the secrets OF
their church with their last breath.
They knew the country, the trails,
the streams, and ravines 'and valleys,
from Council Bluffs or St. Joseph to
their own doors in Salt Lake City.
They were strung out along over
the overland trail, and in constant
communication with the Indians.
They acted as guides-were elected as
captains of trains-sought every posi-
ton which would enable them to play
into the hands of their allies and work
the destruction of trains. This was
not even suspected, however, until
they had worked fearful slaughter
among the gold seekers. No living
man will ever be able to give figures
OH the train people murdered during
the many years in which the overland
trail was in daily use.
The first train / went out with, SAID
on old scout, consisted of fifteen wag-
ons and fifty persons. Ofthese twenty.
two were full grown men and we'll
armed, and each one fully realized the
perils which beset the route. 1t would
seem the height of folly for husband
to invest his all in span of horses
and wagon and set out for California
with q sickly wife and three or four
chilt.r,n, but plenty of them did so.
Indeed there was no train without its
women and children, and their pres
ence always increased the dangers.
Previous to leaving st. Joe, we had to
whose word should be law until we
reached the end Of our journey.
This position naturally fell to some
vetcran-some hunter, scout or Indian
fighter, who was posted as to the ways
and routes of the Indians. Some such
man was always going out with a train.
In our case the choice lay between
two-onc an old trapper Of many years
experience, who looked honest and
seemed to have plenty of experience,
and man who was stranger TO all,
but who was loud in his boasts of how
many Indians he had killed and what
O brave, careful man he was. l dis
liked him at first sight, as / know he
did me, but, though 1 did all 1 could
to defeat him, he was elected to the
position of captain. He was fellow
with an ugly, sulky look to his face;
eyes which were constantly roVlng
about and could never look you square
in the face, and in my heart believed
he meant us i'll.
I found one or two others who en-
tirely agreed with me, but the MAORI
ty were perfectly satisfied that he was
all right, and it would not be prudent
for us to say anything until we had a
better foundation than mere suspicion.
It would have been rebellion to speak
against him or refuse to obey his Or
ders, and he had the power to disarm
us and put us under guard.
At that date the train which pro-
gressed one hundred miles into Kan
sas was sure to find the advance guard
of the Indians. On the fourth day
out we sighted some at distance. l
narrowly watched our captain. He
closed the train up in good order,
stationed the defenders where they
could do the most good, and exhibited
such nerve and caution that l began
to feel ashamed Of myself for having
suspected his loyalty. But for one
circumstance, l should have banished
all SUSPICION.
We saw the first Indians two hours
before sundown. None of them came
nearer than half mile, seeming to be
content with an inspection OF our
strength. An hour later, and we were
within two miles of the spot where we
proposed to camp, the captain, whose
name neglected to state was Baker,
ran up green flag on one of the wag-
ons. This flag, rs we afterwards con.
cludcd, he must have had secreted
about his person. He explained that
if he ran up the flag the Indians would
conclude that there were soldiers with
the train and haul off, and 10 one-no
one but mc-qucstioned the truth or
policy of the proceedings. 1t struck
me that he raised the flag for signal,
and when l stated my suspicion to one
or two others of the band, they agreed
with me that he could have no other
object. From that time we watched
his every movement with the eyes or