Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-04-27

and helped to keep the road open by
trampng snow, to enable the teams 10
pull through into the valley,
In the spring Of 1851 he was called
upon a mission with others to carry
the mail across the plains to Indepen-
dence, Missouri The Indians being
very troublesome and dangerous at
that time. This was the last mail car
ried across the plains by the Nor
mon" people prior TO what was called
the Mormon" war. He met Johnst.n's
army, then en- route to Utah, at the
Big Blue river in Kansas. not far from
the Missouri river After delivering
the mail they were Informed by the
postal authorities that that was the
last mail that would be entrusted to
the "Mormons" He returned TO Utah
with what was known as the "Y. X"
company, bringing back goods and mer-
chandise.
He took part in the Tintic war with
the indians, aud later on while keeping
the mail station Of the Pony Express
in Egan canyon, Nevada, with one 9TH
er man was captured by Indians. over
one hundred red skins surrounded the
station and prepared a fire to burn
Wood and his companion, They held
the Indians at bay with their rifles
IN hand for some time determined to
sell their lives as dearly as possible.
A large Indian stood near Wood taunt
ing him endeayoring to get him to
come out from the door OF the cabin.
when, just in the nick Of time.
a troop Of soldiers hove in sight, fight
ensued, resulting in the killing of is
Indians ana the wOunding Of many
more Wood made sure OF the big
brave that had been tormenting him
at close range, and as he made off.
blew a large hole clean through him;
he never stirred after he fell one
soldier was killed out Of the troop Of
", and two We're wounded. The fleeing
Indians that night went TO the Shell
Creek station killed the three station
keepers, burnt the building. and drove
off the horses.
Wood was with the company that
went to Cedar valley to arrest the IN
dian Chief Tintic and upon serving
the papers in the lodge, a fight com
menced In which several Indians were
Killed and George Carson, one of the
Mormon party lost his life.
He took an active part in guarding
the city of Provo in early days, and
was foremost In repeling the insults Of
the soldiery from Johnson's army, who
were stationed in Provo around the old
seminary building, where Judge Cradle
baugh was holding court The same
spirit that actuated Wood" In Mlssou-
ri in defending the Mormon" people
made Itself very apparent at this time
Incidents Of this bravery and hardI-
hood are numerous and are fresh in the
memory Of those who lived here at
that time.
His wife died In 1873, leaving to his
care three sons and four daughters,
the youngest a little girl OF three
months since that time he has been
engaged in freightiug and farming
Although not a very large man to
look at, yet he was a yeritable masked
battery OF bone and muscle, actuated
and impeled by spirit whose brave
ny and daring was unquestioned, sell
dom edualed, and very rarely, fever,
excelled.
Henry Woodville Wilson may Justly
be regarded as one of the foundation
stones Of the western commonwealth;
although not so polished as many Of
the accessories that today adorn the
superstructure, yet his arduous labors
in the early days stamp him as one of
the main stays upon which the struc-
ture rests.