The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-02-20
CATHOLIC CHURCH IN UTAH
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NNoHtIHuCu IIOu page l.!
earlier travels The misunderstanding betwee
the Mormons and the United States Governmer
having been settled and General Harveys exped
ton called back Father De Smet again returned t
st. Louis reaching that city September, 1858, whe
he rendered his resignation as chaplain in the arm
and prepared to resume his interrupted duties.
At about this time occurred the outbreak of tn
Indians in Oregon. Father De Smet was requested
by the Secretary of War to retain his commission
as army chaplain and again accompany Genera
Harvey, who was TO command the expedition
against the indians
This reappontment again meeting with the APP
proval of his sqperiors in the church, Father De
Smet left for Oregon, going via Panama, and ar
rived at Vancouver Oct. Is, 1858. The Oregon cam
paign, however was closed before he was able to
join the expedition reach the field of operations
But his long voyage was not without beneficial re-
suits, for he remained during the winter and the
greater part of the following spring and summer
directing his efforts toward the pacifcaton of the
Indians and in efectng peaceable and satisfac-
tory solution of the trouble with the mountain
tribes.
After his return from Oregon and the north
west he once more resumed his duties in St. Louis,
remaining until 1880 when business of the Society
again took him to Europe.
From this time his health which was failing
rapidly, together with increasing years, was I'M
equal to the wear and tear of the many Journey
which his duties and conscience imposed on him.
For the last twenty years of his life he was seldom
free from physical ailment of some sort brought
on, 10 doubt, by the hardships and exposure of his
missionary life To quote from one of his letters
will best illustrate the deprvations of his early
life:
n have been for years wanderer in the des
ert. | was three years without receiving a letter
from any quarter. | two years III the noun
tains without tasting bread salt, coffee tea, sugar
| was for years without roof. without bed. |
have been six months without shirt on my back,
and often [ have passed whole days and nights
without morsel of anything to eat"
With a life spent in this manner small wonder
that disease should lay heavy tribute on his de-
clining years.
On March 80. 1865, Father De Smet left St.
Louis on what was practically his last visit to the
Indians, and from secular point of view his most
important 1t was at this time that Sioux upris-
ing threatened all our northern territory. Father
De Smet was appealed to from Washington to pen
citrate the regions closed to all other white men,
reach the hostile Indians, and bring a deputation
from them to meet a Peace Commission, which
would convene at st. Louis. His mission was
crowned with success which always marked his in
tercourse with the Indians and once more he paved
the way for peace between the whites and the hostile
tribes.
Short
trip to Europe and on June l. 1870. started his
last visit to the tribes. ascending far as Grand
River Agency in South Dakota.
Increasing illness and bodily nfrmities now
weighed heavily upon him, and in 1871 he made
what was destined to be his last visit to Europe and
to he home of his birth.
He left Europe April II, 1872 completing hi.
rineteenth voyage across the Atlantic, and Will
his arrival in St. Louis ended, his lifes travels
which reached the prodigious total of 10000,
miles When a moments consideration is given tC
the crude methods of travel available at that time
and that much Of this distance was accomplished
by stage. wagon horseback and often on foot, hi,
work in travel alone bears convincing testimony OF
the arduous life he led.
FIe remained at the Jesuit College ST. Louis
till his DEATH which occurred ON May %, 1873, il
the seventy third year of his life
Following the examples of his predecessors Oh
foreign missions, Father De Smet observed closel2
the topography of the regions he visited, the eth
meal pecniarities of the tribes with whom he came
in contact and took notes in his wondrous travels
on every thing of interest to his successors and
students of the aboriginal history of the great
American desert.
These notes. the result of intelligent observa-
ton and an unique experience, Of imDortan;
scientific and geodetic value: Geographic stron