The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-10-31
CHIEF BLACK HAWKS LAST RAID "'s#

small flock of sheep In rounding mp
| the sIock The Indians ran across an
old gentleman named Gvic. who was
near The lower end of the field rcgula.
| ung the How Of water on his grain.
Had Mr.. Tyic been Younger and more
speedy he might have escaped. but he
was shot down without any ceremony
! by those whom II WIS ''chcaper To feed
than to fight The foregoing is but
ono OF scores of such incidents that
marked with crimson the early history
OF Utah
While the raid was going on in Round
valley, an almost tragedy was being
enacted near Oak creek. over the Can
non range 10 the west Jacob Croft. an
old gentleman who lived in Scjpio. had
. nerd OF stock at Oak creek which at
The l1mc, was merely a camp ground for
stock raiSers. The Croft herd WAS IN
charge OF q. w. Cropper. N youth Of
about eighteen years and stopson TO Mr..
Croft, and another youth named Oliver
iiarrS who was aiding Wise - in look
ing after tho stock. The bows were ont
early and had ridden 10 the top of the
ridge north of town. From tho ccdars
emerged fourteen redskins who greeted
The boys with earsplitting whoops of
victory at the same time lowering their
guns on the helpless ''prisoners Of
war AS Wise afterward said, cit
looked mighty tictlish for time, - but
unexpected aid came to their rescue.
Thirteen OF the Indians belonged TO
Black Hawks band, and it was their
intontion 10 roundup the Oak crock
stock and. crossing the mountain farth-
cr 10 the southeast, lOIn the main band.
At the instant of the lowering Of tho
rcdsklns guns the boys heard sound
that, mt that particular time, WAS sweet
IN than celestial music viii ever sound
N,r, l,.. t.-,,-
voice OF Indian Marccr. Il member Of
the PahYant band which had per-
mAncnt camp at Corn creek some twelve
miles southwest of Fillmore Although
he had participated in the massacre
OF Captain Gunnison in 1888, some thir~
" miles west Of Oak creek on the Sc
Yier river, Mareer was not destitute of
gratitude and loyalty 10 his. white
friends. Mr., Croft owned n "grist'
min at Fillmore. and was generous to
the redskins with donations Of flour
And IN those days if anything cOnld
touch the heart Of n Lamanitc it was
flour. In stcntorIan tones Marccr de-
mandcd truce. In broken Indian and
worse English he explained that Wise
was the "iped' (sOn) of his white
friend Croft, and asked for his life.
The Black Hawk reds refused. Mareer
then twittcd them with cowardice in
wanting TO shoot down 4 couple of I'M
armed boys, and pleaded that they be
given Il chance 10 run tho gauntlet
and that they have 100 yards the start
of the bullets and arrows The other
Lamanites consented 10 the 'sport.'
Chopper and his companion had gather
ed tho gist of the gibhcriSh. Each of
the boys was mounted on a speedy
horse, and wheeled them towards camp.
At the signal from Marcer they were
off like the wind Behind them rang
the cheering voice Of Marccr who. from
his great lungs. was bclching the words:
Puupero! Pungero! Pungcro.H which
being interpreted, means run, run, run,
At the allotted distance the rifles
cracked. and bullets whistlcd about
the boys. bat they escaped uDharmcd.
Even the redskins have sense of
Of the fleeing bows appealed to their
ideas, of sport. and that they merely |
wanted 10 scare them
As soon as the news of the raid |
reached Fillmore there was hustle cv
erywhcrc Every one knew that 1t !
would be q strenuous expedition, and |
only the Younger men were accepted |
for the arduous trip. 1t was discov
cred that NOT enough saddle horses |
could be secured il the place, and |
Bishop GllIlster. who was also colonel |
Of the Millard militia. detailed few
men 10 scout the nearby ranges and |
bring in Il band ot mustangs, Wives, |
mothers and sisters hurried with the
Of bread and dried beef. of
which lorge Quantities of the latter
we're KEEP in stock for Just such cmer-
gencics. Firearms were always ready, |
and nearly always in use on the range, /
10 the canyons and elsewhere.