The Salmon River Mission II

THE SALMON RIVER MISSION, AN ACCOUNT OF ITS ORIGIN, PURPOSE, GROWTH AND ABANDONMENT. BY JOHN V. BLUTH, CLERK OF THE WEBER STAKE OF ZION. II. Notwithstanding the danger foreshadowed by the news of the approaching army, brought during the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the entrance of the Pioneers into Salt Lake Valley, President Young was true to his promise to strengthen the Salmon River mission. A number of brethren and sisters were called, in the fall of 1857, to go on a mission to Salmon River. Most of these were called from around Farmington, though some of them had their residence in Ogden. The company, when organized, consisted of forty-three brethren and fifteen sisters, and a number of children, so far as the number can be ascertained at present writing. Of these, twenty-six had already spent a portion of their time at the mission, and thirty-two were going there for the first time. The twenty-six who were already acquainted with Salmon River are named as follows: Thomas Smith, president of the company; David Moore and his wife, Susan and daughter, Lousia; P. G. Taylor and wife, JaneN.; Francillo Durfee and wife; I. J. Clark, wife and son; Charles Dalton and wife; H. V. Shurtliff and wife, Alcemina;

THE SALMON RIVER MISSION. 901 Chauncey Hadlock, Richard Margetts, George McBride, Milton D. Hammond, Clifton S. Browning, Ezra Barnard, Baldwin H. Watts, Thomas Day, Thomas Carlos, Amos Wright, interpreter, and William Batchelor. The new members of the mission who left their homes for Salmon River for the first time are as follows: J. L. Dalton, son of Charles Dalton named above; James Wilcox; Eliza Jane Hadlock, wife of Chauncey Hadlock; Oliver Robinson, James Miller, Charles F. Middleton, Henry Smith and wife; Jesse Smith and wife; William Smith and wife; William Marler, Frederick A. Miller, Reuben Collett, Fountain Welsh, Orson Rose, Andrew Quigley, William Parry and wife; William Taylor, Levi Taylor, James Allred, Martin H. Harris, Jonathan Bowen and wife; Joseph Bowen, Stephen Ghean and wife; Henry Harmon and wife; and James McBride. While a large number of brethren were sent to Echo Canyon to aid in stopping the invading army, this company started for the north, in October of 1857. Those who lived in Weber County departed October 3, 1857, and were joined by other contingents until camp was struck some ten miles after crossing the Bear River, where President Smith arrived in camp, and where the party became fully organized for the trip. This company made the journey in several days shorter time than the pioneers of this mission had done, and of course did not suffer the same hardships, having better knowledge of the route, and the best camping places. Fort Hall was reached on the 13th of the month, a number of Shoshones having been fed on the way. Fort Loran was also reached on the evening of this day. In the morning, the camp awoke to find the fort burning, and, although there was strong suspicion as to who was the incendiary, the guilty party was never apprehended. On the 16th, they crossed Snake River and followed it past Market Lake, where they met Abraham Zundel and S. Collett on their way home. At this point. President Smith and two other brethren left the party to go ahead and apprise the mission of the coming of the new force. In another week, the party reached the headwaters of Salmon River, being met by a number of the "boys" from the fort who had come out to help them in. Fort

902 IMPROVEMENT ERA. Limhi was reached on the 27th of October, the twenty-fifth day of their journey. Arrangements were at once entered into for building a new fort some four or five miles below Limhi, thereby increasing the acreage and the strength of the colony, and also giving more room for the new arrivals. A number of log houses were erected somewhat on the plan of those at the upper fort, though more scattered. Milton D. Hammond was appointed president of this little community. Everything went along peacefully and all were taking hold of the needed work to prepare for winter. On November 28, President Smith and L. W. Shurtliff started with the mail for Salt Lake City, but were compelled to return, arriving on the 11th of December and reporting that the snow was too deep and that they had found it impracticable to cross. They got as far as Eagle Rock where the snow was twenty-two inches deep with a hard crust that would bear the men but not their animals. During the night, the Indians sought to secure their horses which were hobbled near by, but failed through the vigilance of a little dog that had insisted on accompanying them from the fort. The next morning Brother Shurtliff tramped seven miles through the snow to get the animals which had wandered that far towards home. That day they returned. In the meantime, on December 3, lots had been drawn for the land at the lower fort, which was thus equitably distributed among the people, while the threshing which had been continued at the upper fort all the fall, was completed by the middle of the month. The threshing was done by oxen. The ground was cleared in a circle of perhaps twenty to thirty feet in diameter, and the grain laid lengthwise along the edge of this circle, about six sheaves wide. The center of the ring was left bare. Five or six yoke of oxen were then fastened together, one yoke after the other, forming a circle, while the driver occupied the center of this circle; driving them thus in a continuous round, the grain was thoroughly tramped out, after which the straw was pitched away while the chaff and grain was pushed into the center of the ring. The edge was again filled with fresh sheaves and the process repeated again and again until a large stack of chaff and grain occupied the center of the ring. The threshing done, each

THE SALMON RIVER MISSION. 903 party had to await his turn with the fanning mill which had been constructed at the mission, and which moved from place to place until all the grain had been cleaned. This cleaning occupied all of the winter, right up to the time of the abandonment of the mission. Up to the time of completing the threshing, no trouble had occurred with the Indians. Their continual contact with the mountaineers, however, who in their turn drank in hatred and prejudice by visiting the camps of the approaching army, served to lessen the friendship heretofore shown to the missionaries by the red men. Notable among these mountaineers was a man named John W. Powell, who always associated with the unfriendly Indians; in fact, dressed and painted himself as they did, and was one of them in all their deviltry. To him the brethren attributed much of the ill-feeling that arose, and which finally ended in bloodshed and the loss of the mission. This man was not wholly bad, however, for when he saw the evil he had invoked would not cease with the stealing of cattle or burning of stacks, but would end in murder, and that he was powerless to stay the work of destruction he had incited, he sent warning to the mission that they might be prepared to resist. The missionaries were also placed in the delicate position of attempting to maintain friendship with Indian tribes who were at enmity with each other. Their friendship to the Nez Perces was a cause of irritation, if not downright offense, to the Bannocks and Shoshones, although they in turn were receiving the same kind treatment given the first-named. Onthe 21st day of December, forty lodges of Shoshones arrived at the Fort, and from that time the relations between the mission and the Indians grew more strained. These Shoshones were treated kindly and were fed by the mission, departing next day. They had evidently made a raid on the Nez Perces prior to their arrival, for, on the 26th, a band of the Nez Perces arrived on a hunt for stolen horses. They were also hunting for one of their chiefs who had been absent from them on some peace-mission longer than they thought was necessary, and they feared he had met with foul play. They had sworn that they would neither «at nor drink until they found him, so their joy was great to find

904 IMPROVEMENT ERA. him receiving the hospitality of the missionaries at the fort. They were well treated, boiled wheat being served to them, and room was made for them in the various log houses of the fort for the night. The missionaries gave them the privilege of placing their animals in the fort corrall. This kindness proved a help to the Nez Perces but an offense to the neighboring Bannocks, who, as was afterwards learned, had planned a raid that same night on the horses of the Nez Perces, but who were balked in their attempt by finding them enclosed in the fort corrall. The following day, a contention arose between the Nez Perces and the Bannocks over horses driven away in a former raid, a Shoshone Indian riding into camp with one of the stolen horses. This trouble was smoothed over, and the Indians became quite friendly, smoked the pipe of peace, and the Nez Perces departed next day in apparently good spirits. Their peace smoke, however, was but a cover for treachery, for that night they returned and stole some fifty or sixty Shoshone and Bannock horses, at least so the Shoshones reported, though some of the brethren firmly believed that this was a false report in order to have an excuse for war. These had not been placed in the corrall , the privilege not having been asked by the Indians. Thus, to have their attempt on the Nez Perces' horses frustrated through being corralled, and their own horses stolen (so they alleged) by the tribe thus befriended through their not being corralled, roused the ire of the Shoshones and Bannocks. Two days later, the Indians sought to persuade the wife of E. Barnard, an Indian woman whom he had recently married, to depart with them, and on her declining to go, they sought to take her by force. They failed in their attempt at this time, but accomplished it shortly afterwards. On January 13, 1858, six brethren, in charge of P. G. Taylor,, of Ogden, were sent out to the herd which was guarded some miles away, as the Indians had threatened to steal some of the cattle. On their arrival, they found that one or two head were already gone. They started in pursuit, and after a hot chase of twenty miles overtook the Indians and found them in possession of the meat from one of the stolen oxen, the carcass having been found some eight miles back. They demanded and brought away with them a horse as pay for the slaughtered cattle, though this

THE SALMON RIVER MISSION. 905 action was censured by those who understood Indian nature. It simply meant that their own horses would be taken whenever opportunity offered. For nearly a month, nothing of any noU occurred, the brethren continuing their wheat cleaning, in their turn, and in the performance of their daily routine of labor, having but little warning of the tragedy approaching the now fairly prosperous mission. That the brethren had made friends by their conduct was evidenced by the action of John Owens, Indian Agent in Bitter Root Valley, in the Flathead country. A man named B. F. Fickland, a volunteer officer in Johnston's army, was seeking recruita among the mountaineers for an onslaught on the fort to carry off the cattle and sell them to the army. When Owens heard of this, he sought out the leaders of some thirty mountaineers who were about to volunteer, and persuaded them to abandon their project by showing the good that the mission was accomplishing among the Indians. This was shown in his correspondence with David Moore, clerk of the mission. On the 7th day of February, a large band of Shoshones arrived at the fort on their way to fight the Nez Perces. They demanded to be fed and housed, which demand was complied with. It w5s with considerable relief that the mission witnessed their departure the following day. Two days later an Indian stole Colonel Smith's horse and escaped. A company was sent out, and, after considerable danger and labor, recovered the animal, having had to travel some eighty miles eastward in accomplishing this purpose, and using the best of judgment and precaution in order to get safely back. Seeing the necessity of taking more precaution than had been done heretofore, the families in the lower settlement were moved up to the fort on February 11, though the brethren continued their labors in hauling wood and timber and improving their homes. On the 24th, word was hastily brought from John Powell that the Indians were talking of burning the stacks and stealing the horses and cattle. President Smith sensed the dangerous position in which the mission was placed; still, there was but little apprehension that the Indians would do more than attempt to carry off some of the cattle, and the necessary precautions werenot taken.

-906 IMPROVEMENT ERA. February 25, 1858, however, proved that the plans of the Indians were of a more murderous nature, and all hopes of averting the threatened danger were dispelled. At 9 o'clock in the morning, while Clifton S. Browning and C. F. Middleton were cleaning wheat, the latter saw the Indians moving at a gallop towards the herd, grazing some two miles off, guarded by three brethren, Andrew Quigley, Orson Rose and Fountain Welsh. The Indians were first observed by David Moore and Charles Dalton, who were at work cleaning the mill race from ice, in order to start the grist mill running. The alarm was at once given by Elder Moore; and ten men were immediately dispatched in charge of William Taylor to aid the herders in keeping the cattle from stampeding. George McBride came tearing into the fort in great excitement, armed himself, jumped on his horse, and was riding out, louf^ly declaring what he would do to the Indians, when David Moore hailed him, and ordered him to proceed with the party of ten who had been sent out. It should be stated in passing that a military organization had been effected at the fort, by General Wells, during the visit of President Young and party, of which Thomas Smith was colonel and David Moore, first lieutenant. As Colonel Smith had ridden off that morning in company with E. Barnard, the command devolved on Lieutenant Moore, and McBride therefore obeyed the order and joined the party. The Indians reached the herd first, and began driving off the cattle. Fountain Welsh was rounding them up and trying to keep them together, never for a moment thinking the Indians would resort to murder. He was completely taken by surprise when they began shooting; and before he could escape, he was shot in the small of the back and fell while running away. When the Indians came up to him and lifted his head by the hair, he thought his scalp was gone, and it was all he could do to prevent betraying himself. He feigned death so well, even when the Indians stripped him and applied a whip to his body to see if life remained, that they rode off thinking him dead, and without scalping him, as they considered him a coward who was fleeing at the time of his death. When Andrew Quigley saw Welsh fall, he ran Tip a little mountain but was shot through the shoulder as he

THE SALMON RIVER MISSION. 907 reached the top, and fell. One of the Indians broke a hole in his skull with a gun barrel, and left him for dead. Orson Rose, the third herder, dropped into the heavy sagebrush, at the sound of firing. Here the Indians could not pass with their horses, and, •while they riddled the brush with a hail of bullets Rose escaped unhurt. He lay close until evening when he made his way to the fort. When the party of ten reached the knoll, George McBride was sent ahead to ascertain the state of affairs, so the party would know how to act. On reaching the top, he waved his hat around his head a few times, a veritable challenge, uttered a yell, and rode down among the Indians where he immediately met his death, being shot through the arms and body. The party followed him, but on finding Welsh, who in a weak voice called to them as they were passing, they stopped, picked him up and with him returned to the fort. Colonel Smith and E. Barnard had gotten about eight miles away from the fort when they noticed the actions of the Indians, and immediately set out on their return, their fears that something was amiss being verified when they heard the shooting. They were met by the Indians who were driving off the herd down the river, and were shot at. One ball passed through the colonel's hat, another grazed his arm, and a third cut his suspender, and struck his horse in the head. The animal reared and threw off Colonel Smith, who lost his revolver and hat in the fall, but the horse was caught by E. Barnard who aided the colonel in remounting, and both made good their escape. Upon arrival at the fort, the wounded horse, it was learned, had splashed blood all over the colonel, and it was feared that he was badly injured, but examition showed but a slight wound in the arm. The Indians drove off the entire herd, consisting of two hundred and thirty-five cattle and thirty-one ponies. As the Indians passed down the river with the cattle, the brethren who were at the lower settlement, moving and working, encountered them, and several narrow escapes were the result, while one of the brethren was killed. H. V. Shurtliff, Oliver Robinson, James Miller and Reuben Collett were working together when the Indians came upon them and began firing. Miller was

908 IMPROVEMENT ERA. shot through the body from side to side, as had been McBride, and was killed. Shurtliff and Robinson were directly in range of a bullet which passed through the former's arm, struck the latter in the hand, went through and hit him in the leg, the bullet lodging in his clothing. They at once made a run for the brush near the river where they separated. Shurtliff stole along in the water under the edge of a bank, step by step towards the fort, suffering keenly from his wounded arm. He had a dog with him who followed his course up the river. At times, when the brush was thick and the dog found difficulty in following his master, he gave vent to a snappy bark or yelp. Time and again Shurtliff was on the point of calling the dog to him and put an end to his life lest the noise should betray him, but each time he was spared. He passed two Indians stationed on a cliff above, but succeeded in eluding their vigilance and in reaching the fort in safety. Collett, who was loading wood at the time of the attack, whipped up his cattle, throwing the wood off as they went at a stampede speed, and made good his escape. Not knowing the fate that had befallen McBride, Quigley, Miller and two or three other brethren who were missing, a company started out to search for them. They found McBride killed where he had been shot off his horse on the other side of the knoll. He had been scalped and stripped. They at once returned to the fort with the body. Another party, among whom were F. A. Miller, Amos Wright and P. G. Taylor, were sent out to hunt for Quigley. Miller and Wright, having found seventeen head of cattle, started with them for the fort while the others continued their search for Quigley. He was found a mile from where McBride's body was discovered, shot, and his head badly crushed in by the blow from the gun barrel!. He was carefully placed on a litter improvised from the shirts which the searchers doffed, and was taken to the fort where the wounded were given such attention as the primitive condition of the mission could afford. At dark, another company started down the river to hunt for three of the brethren who were still missing. They failed to find them, but Henry Harmon and James Wilcox returned during the night unhurt. That night six men were stationed as guards, though it was held that there was but little danger of the fort being attacked..

THE SALMON RIVER MISSION. 909 Fourteen head of cov/s and young cattle, which had gotten away from the Indians, returned during the night. After a night of anxiety and watching, a third attempt was made to secure a report of the missing brother, James Miller. A company went down the river on the morning of the 26th, and finally found Miller's body, which had been completely stripped. For the next two weeks, the brethren spent almost all their time in building bastions, strengthening the fort, digging holes in which to cache their wheat and other provisions, and in standing guard, relieving each other every four hours; those called to this duty devoted eight out of every twenty-four hours to this work. The labor of superintending the guard and seeing to the wounded, was placed on D. Moore, first lieutenant, in fact all the military work and the orotection of the fort. On the 27th, a couple of Indians were seen circling around as if reconnoitering, but otherwise nothing occurred. On the 28th of February, President Smith called the brethren together and laid the situation before them, asking them for their counsel as to what was the wisest thing to do. Many were discouraged and desirous of abandoning the mission and going home. Others felt that it was their duty to remain until released by President Young, After considerable discussion, it was finally decided to remain, but to send a dispatch to President Young and apprise him of the situation. It was thought to be a very hazardous mission, but all promised that if chosen they would perform the duty, and notify the president, should they be able to push their way through. E. Barnard and B. H. Watts were chosen to carry this dispatch. The greatest secrecy had to be maintained in order to get them safely from the fort, two squaws, friendly to the Indians, being present through whom their intentions might easily be divulged; this was particularly feared, as these squaws had made several attempts to get away. The horses were taken to the corrall and shod, provisions were made up, and the dispatch was sewn in the lining of the coat of one of the messengers. When they departed in the night, they followed the east bank of the river a short way from the fort, and then crossed to the west where there was less likelihood of meeting the Indians. To the anxious listeners at the fort, it seemed as if the footfalls of the horses on the

910 IMPROVEMENT ERA. stones must surely be heard by the hostile Indians, whose keenhearing was proverbial, and thus bring disaster and perhaps death to the two brave men who were risking their lives to save the mission. The noise, however, died away in the distance without the messengers having been disturbed, and the inmates of the fort settled down to await the results, hoping for their success, and in; the meantime taking all precaution and increasing their defensive strength. Thus two weeks passed away awaiting news. On March 1, Margetts, the blacksmith, with the assistance of D. Moore, began the construction of a howitzer. It was made of iron staves bound together by wagon-tire bands. This was to be used in defense of the fort. The friendly Indians, who since the tragedy had settled near the fort, showed much curiosity as to its carrying power, and its destructiveness when fired. The missionaries did not scruple in their wonderful description of this gun, and there is no doubt that the hostiles obtained some information of the "big gun," and what it would do, and that it had some weight in preventing an attack. It was love's labor lost, however, for the first time it was fired it disappeared. Not a piece the weight of a pound could be found. Fortunately no one was injured by the bursting of the gun, the precaution having been taken of firing it from the inside of a log, bastion. On this day the fort was organized into companies of tens, to water and feed the cattle which remained, one company relieving another at stated intervals. March 4, was fast day, and the' fast meeting which had been regularly held at the mission was also held this day, partly in the house, partly outside on watch for the Indians. At this time, those of the Indians who had been baptized, but who had apostatized or had taken a hand in the robbery and murders which had occurred February 25, were cut off from The Church. Elder Moore states that all of the Indians baptized, unless it were one, were excommunicated, as they all had a hand in the trouble. By this time, the Indians were beginning to show sings of making a compromise, or were shamming peaceful intentions, in order to complete their murderous work. On the 5th of March, three Indians, among them "Old Dad," who had been the herder at the mission, came into the fort as delegates of the Shoshone chiefs,,

THE SALMON RIVER MISSION. 911 and said they wanted to make peace, and were willing to bring back the cattle they had in their possession. They said they had only about thirty head, as the Bannocks had carried off the remainder as well as all the horses. Colonel Smith ordered them to be fed and cared for, and they departed promising to bring the cattle the next day. It was not until March 8 that they redeemed their promise, when they brought back twenty-eight cattle, reiterating the statement that the rest had been taken by the Bannocks, with whom they had had a quarrel, during which a Shoshone squaw had been killed. On the 11th, they brought up eight more cattle which, they said, had been found since the 9th, but it was afterwardslearned that they were in possession of still more cattle and some horses, so that it was certain that their new friendship was not of a very deep nature. Particularly did this become apparent on word being brought of threats by the Indians to come up to the fort and shoot the guards. Up to the 21st of March, the brethren continued to work on the defenses of the fort, cleaning wheat and caching it; also in standing guard and in repairing their wagons should the word come to abandon the mission. That the mountaineers and the agents from Johnston's army were to some extent responsible for the murderous work at Fort Limhi, may be inferred from the statement afterwards made by the Indians that a majority of the stolen cattle was at once driven to the array for food, and exchanged for such articles as the Indians desired. In the meantime Barnard and Watts had made the best of their way to Salt Lake. Barnard was lame, but he was one of the most experit need mountaineers and guides at that time.. The snow was deep, and it was exceedingly cold. This trip was not only dangerous in the extreme because of the hostility of the Indians, but full of hardships and suffering, because of the cold weather and the precaution they had to take to avoid falling into the hands of hostiles. One of their horses grew lame. Barnard rode the sound horse, and Watts led the lame one, trudging on through the snow. This accident delayed them so that their provisions gave out, and for forty-eight hours they were entirely without food. At last they reached Barnard's fort on the headwaters of the Malad, where they secured fresh horses and food, and made-

^2 IMPROVEMENT ERA. such good time that two days later they arrived in Salt Lake City. Immediately on receipt of the news, President Young ordered out Colonel Thomas Cunningham with about one hundred mounted men and twenty wagons, with needed provisions, in order to help and escort the missionaries back to their homes. A company of fifty, under Captain Haight, also started from Farmington, though under Cunningham's command. An express of ten men was sent ahead to notify the mission of the approach of the relief expedition, and on the twenty-first of March, Sunday, this express rode into the fort, bringing the joyful news of help, in addition to letters from home. They had a narrow escape while coming down the canyon, at the head of Little Salmon River. The Indians were guarding the pass, and the express could see the sentinel fires along the road. A short consultation was held, and it was decided to run the gauntlet rather than turn back. Putting spurs to their horses, they passed the guard-fires while the sentinel, excited and taken by surprise, shouted to the camp in an attempt to rouse his companions. The express could hear the noise and shouting, but passed out of hearing and into safety as fast as their horses could carry them. Two days later, March 23, the company of mounted men arrived. Then there was joy and thanksgiving beyond description. The intense strain to which the brethren and their families had been put for a month past, was removed, and everywhere were signs of the relief brought by the expedition sent out by President Young, whose instructions were to abandon the mission and come home. The express of ten men immediately set out on their return to Salt Lake City,carrying with them the mail from the fort. Among this express were: B.F. Cummings, George W. Hill, Gilbert Belnap, Bailey Lake, Sylvanus Collett, John Galliher and E. Barnard, the last named having returned to Limhi with the express. On nearing the Bannock range, while passing through the narrows on Bannock Creek, near Cedar Point, they were ambushed by the Indians, and Bailey Lake was shot and killed. The other members of the express succeeded in making their way through. The day after the arrival of the relief expedition, a number of the Shoshones came in and had a peace smoke, and remained at the fort over night. The next day, a company of eighty men went down the river eight or ten miles and gathered up a few of the

THE SALMON RIVER MISSION. 913 cattle and colts that remained. Captain Haight's company of fifty arrived at the fort this day, March 25. The next two or three days were occupied in preparations to leave for home, and on Sunday, March 28, Fort Limhi was formally abandoned and left in the hands of the Indians. That day the company traveled fourteen miles and camped. The deep snow made travel very difficult. In many places the lariats had to be fastened to the wagons and the men had to aid the cattle in pulling through, but the party had plenty of provisions and were well prepared for the journey, so they suffered but little. They passed Blackfoot April 5, and on the 7th found a note from Colonel Cunningham who had left them two days before to go ahead with a number of his men. The note was dated April 5, and informed them that he had found the body of Bailey Lake, scalped; also one horse and a mule dead; also a saddle and leggings owned by B. H. Watts, abandoned on his trip to Salt Lake with the dispatch for President Young. This was the first news the party received of the returning express and the tragedy that had occurred. The mission arrived in Ogden April 11, 1858, at 3 p. m. Two births had occurred on the way, one of them to Elder Harmon's wife. The returning missionaries found their homes presenting a desolate appearance. All the way down, they saw the homes empty, and not until Box Elder was reached did they learn from one of the "detail" what was the trouble. Two-thirds of the people had already packed up and gone south. The "move" was in full progress to escape Johnston's army, and nothing was left the missionaries to do but to continue their journey, none knew where. Three days of rest, and, on April 15, most of them were again on the way south. Thus ended the Salmon River Mission. The effort to civilize the Indians and better their condition had been frustrated, and three of those who had only sought their welfare had been murdered. Years after, the land fell into other hands, and a government reservation was established some little distance above this point, and now appears on the maps as "Fort Lemhi," and "Lemhi Valley Indian Reservation."