Mower County transcript., 1907-04-03
CHAPTER: XIV.

| He left Parowan the next morning
! to preach at one Of the little settle
| ments to the east. He was gone thres
days. When he came back they told
him that the train of MissOurians had
passed through Parowan and on tc
the south. He attended military
council held. that evening in the meet
ing-house. Three days of reflection
while it had not cooled the anger he
felt toward these members of the moi
that had so brutally wronged his
people, had slightly cooled his ardol
for aggressive warfare.
The following Tuesday he continued
south to Cedar City, the most popu
lous of the southern settlements
!. Here he learned of the campaigns
progress. Brigham'ss courier had pre-
!ceded the train on it's way south, bear
ling written orders to the faithful to
hold no dealings with it's people; to
sell them neither forage for their
stock nor food for themselves. They
had, it was reported, been much dis
tressed as result of this order. and
Cedar City, it being feared that they
might for want of supplies ~be forced
to halt permanently so near the set
tlement that it would be inconvenient
to destroy them, they were permitted
to buy so bushels of wheat and to
have it and some corn the Indians had
sold to them ground at the mill Of
Major Lee.
AS Joels informant, the fiery Bishop
Klingensmith, remarked, this was not
SO generous as it seemed, since, while
it would serve to decoy them on their
way toward San Bernardino, they
would never get out of the valley
with it. The train had started on,
but the animals were SO weak that
three days had been required to reach
Iron creek, 20 miles beyond, and two
more days to reach Mountain Mead
ows, 15 miles further south.
Here at daybreak the morning be-
tore. KIingensnith told him, . band
of Piede Indians, under Lees direc-
tion, had attacked the. train, killing
and wounding number Of the men.
Il had been hoped, explained Klingen-
] smith that the train would be de
stroyed at, once by hesIndians, thus
avoiding any call upon the militia;
but the emigrants had behaved with
such effectiveness that the Indians
were unable to complete the task.
They had corralled their wagons, dug
a rife pit in the center, and returned
the fire, killing one Indian and wound
ing two Of the chiefs, The. siege was
being continued.
Late on the following day, Wednes-
day, while they were anxiously wait
ing for news, messenger from Lee.
came with call for reinforcements.
TAs Indians, although there were 300
Of them, had been unable to prevail
over the little entrenched band of Gen
tiles. Ten minutes after the messen-
Gars arrival, the militia, which had
been waiting under arms, set out for
the scene in wagons. From Cedar
City went every able-bodied man but
two.
Joel Rae was with them, wondering
why he went. He wanted not to go.
He preferred that news of the ap-
preaching victory should be brought
to him; yet invisible hands had forced
him, even while it seemed that fren-
zied voices-voices without sound
warned him back.
The ride was long, but not long
enough for his mind to clear. It was
still clouded with doubts and question
ings and fears when they at last saw
the flaring of many fires with figures
lettering or moving busily about them.
AS they came nearer, strange,
rhythmic throbbing crept to his ears;
nearer still, he resolved It into the
slow, regular beatings of fat-toned
drum. The measure, deliberate, in
cessant, changeless-t same tones,
the same intervals, worked upon his
strained nerves, at first soothingly and
then as pleasant stimulant.
The wagons now pulled up near the
largest camp fire, and the arrivals
were greeted by q dozen or SO OF the
Saints, who, with Major Lee, had been
directing and helping the Indians in
their assaults upon the enemy. Several
Of these had disguised themselves as
Indians for the better deception Of the
besieged.
At fires near by the Indians We're
broiling beef cut from animals they
had slaughtered belonging to the 5Wag-
on.train. Still others were cutting the
hides into strips to be made into
lariats. AZ far down as the line could
be seen, there were dusky figures dart
ing in and out Of the f1relight.
"A council was at once called Of the.
Presidents, Bishops, Elders, High.
Priests, and the officers Of the militia
who were present. Bishop Klingen-
smith barred his massive head In the.
nrelight and opened the council with.
prayer, invoking the aid Of God to.
guide them aright. Then Major Hig-
bee, presiding as chairman. announced.
the orders under which they were as
sembled and under which tho train
had been STACKED.
IT i ordered from Headquarters