The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-02-14
Early Mormon Settle
ment in Lemhi in 1855

Continued from page one)
counties; a few from Salt Lake City
Our officers were Col. Andrew Gun
bingham, from Salt Lake City, Capt
christopher Layton from Kaysvillt
and Gilbert Belknap of Ogden, with
other minor officers.
Early in the month of March We
left Ogren City for Fort Lemhi We
went up thru Malad valley, crossed
| the divide into Marsh valley, down
Marsh creek to the Portneuf river
entered Snake river valley near
where Pocatello now stands, crossed
the Snake river on the ice near
where the Blackfoot river enters into
the Snake river, passed up the west
side of Snake river valley, up Birch
| creek over the divide on to the Lemhi
arriving at Fort Lemhi, the latter
part of March. Possibly about two
weeks, or little more, on the road.
The settlers were surely glad to see
us.
Thomas s. Smith of Pennington.
Davis county, Utah had command of
the fort. The fort was in the form
Of hollow square fortified by set
ting logs into the ground two or
three feet and forming palisade
nine or ten feet high. The houses
We're built with the back part Of the
house against the wall around the in
side the fort, one large gate on the
east side. s,-
The Indians were camped below
the fort on the Lemhi, about eight
or ten miles. There were few
friendly Indians hanging around the
fort
The next day after our arrival, the
cided to send one of the friendly
Indians down to the main camp and
invite some of the head men to come
up to the fort, as Captain Smith
wished to talk to them. We had two
interpreters with us, George Hill of
Ogden and Amos Wright, who in
after years lived in the Bear Lake
valley country. They told the
friendly Indians not to say anything
rived at the fort.
In due time ten Indians came up
thru the bottoms below the fort,
whooping, yelling and firing their
guns. When they arrived at the fort
the gate was thrown open; they all
rode in and the gate was shut. We
kept them inside until morning, then
leaving part of our company to
guard the fort and the women and
children, the rest of us went down to
the main camp. They appeared
friendly. One of our interpreters
talked with them and they said the
Indian who made the raid were away
in the mountains with most of the
best of the settlers horses. We got
what was left and what cattle thew
had not killed and went back to the
fort.
We then set about making ar
for the homeward start.
The settlers had built little burr
mill for grinding their grain. We
were now pretty short Of flour. We
ground up all the wheat and we ate
it bran and all, and glad to get it.
All things being ready for a start
home, ten men were chosen as an eX-
press to go ahead and inform Gov
ernor Young of our success so far
remember the names of a few Of
them: Daley Lake, Balda Watts.
George Barber, George Hill and John
Blanchard. The day after the ex-
press started home we broke camp
and bid goodbye to Fort Lemhi. We
travelled slowly, but everything went |
all right until we crossed Snake river
and started up small creek called |
Bannock creek some distance west |
Of where Pocatello now stands.
About the middle of the afternoon |
one day, we saw one of the advance
guard riding back in great hurry: |
when he came up he said they had |
found a dead man on the opposite |
side of the creek. We formed CAM
as soon as possible and placed out |
guards looking. to the safety of the
women and children. We then went |
TO see who the dead man was. 1t
proved to be Bailey Lake, one of the
ZEN men sent on with the express. At
\ point of the mountain covered with
,edars just ahead, some Indians am
pushed the boys and when in firing
distance they began shooting. Our
Boys left the road and turned to the
light attempting to cross the creek.
The crossing was quite muddy and
4ake's horse mired. A ball from one
If the Indians guns hit him and he
ell dead.
The Indians took all his clothes,
lis horse, saddle and bride and gun
We expected of course, that the other
men had suffered the same fate, but