The Relief of Circleville

THE RELIEF OF CIRCLEVILLE. BY SOLOMON F. KIMBALL, AUTHOR OF "THRILLING EXPERIENCES."

In 1865, Black Hawk, a renegade Ute chief, gathered around him about forty of the most turbulent savages that could be found in Southern Utah, and commenced a warfare against the border settlements of that part of the territory that cost the people not less than fifteen hundred thousand dollars. The majority of the people in these settlements were from the old countries, and unacquainted with the ways of the wicked wild

Photo by C. W. Carter. SALT LAKE CITY, Looking North from the Theatre. Taken in 1866.

946 IMPROVEMENT ERA.

men of the west. Whenever a favorable opportunity presented itself, these thievish redskins would swoop down upon the settlers, driving away their most valuable stock. Before winter fairly set in, they captured nearly two thousand head, besides killing about fifty men, women and children. Up to that time no organized movement had been made against

THE SCOUT.

THE RELIEF OF C1RGLEVILLE. 947

them, which, of course, gave encouragement to other bloodthirsty savages, and by the time winter broke up, Black Hawk's force had increased to upwards of three hundred men. The settlers of San- pete, Sevier and Piute counties became alarmed, finding them- selves unable to cope with so formidable a foe, consequently they called upon the authorities at Salt Lake City for help. In those days men were called upon missions to fight the Indians as they are now to preach the gospel to the nations of the earth. Their names were read from the stand and they were sus- tained by the people. Two companies of "minute men," composed

A CAMP OF THE SIOUX A Peaceful Oasis, hill-begirt, in the Prairie Country.

mostly of Indian war veterans, were soon mustered into service, Utah and Salt Lake counties each furnishing their quota of men. On May 1, 1866, in a drenching rainstorm, the Salt Lake boys, under Col. Heber P. Kimball and Major John Clark, left for the seat of war. Three days later they camped for the night near a small stream, between Fountain Green and Moroni. The night was as dark as pitch and the rain came down in tor- rents. Early next morning one of the camp guards discovered a dead

948 IMPROVEMENT ERA.

Indian in the creek, a few yards above the camp. It proved to be Chief Sanpitch who, in a skirmish with the Sanpete boys a few days before, had been wounded, but had managed to get to this place before he died. He was an own brother to the notorious Walker, king of the Ute nation, who died in 1855. That evening Col. Kimball, with his company of cavalry, reached Manti, reported to General Warren S. Snow, who was anxiously awaiting his coming. The Indians were committing all kinds of depredations in every direction, and the settlers along the Sevier river, when last heard from, were in desperate straits. Gen- eral William B.Pace, who was in command of the Utah coun-

ty boys, had not arrived, but he and the boys were on their way to the front just as rap- idly as good horses could carry them. Colonel Kimball had al- ready divided his forces, leav- ing forty men with Major Clark to guard the smaller settlements in Sanpete coun- ty, while he and General Snow, with the remaining twenty-five men, pushed to the relief of Circleville, on the head waters of the Se- vier. They started on this hazardous journey, reaching Gunnison late on the same day of their departure. The people of that place were al- most panic-stricken. The Indians had plundered the poor people of Salina until The Medicine Man. they were compelled to flee

to Gunnison for their lives, leaving practically all their earthly possessions behind.

THE RELIEF OF CIRCLEVILLE. 949

After leaving Gunnison, not a living soul was seen by the boys until they reached Richfield. The Indians had killed two men at this place, on the afternoon of the boys' arrival, and the same day a family in a light wagon, who undertook to cross the river south of Richfield, were carried down stream never to be seen again. The people were all excited and wondering what was coming next. The following day the Kimball party forded the river at the same place where the family was drowned, there- 1 '

by taking desperate chances, as the river was a raging tor- t*~

m Tf I rent. Two days later they B reached the crossing at Ma- rysvale, but found no bridge, and not even timber to make $*p a raft. Three of the tough- H est boys in the ped themselves to the crowd strip-

tied their clothing on the top skin, ( p »;' * ;i

% Q -*!- *^mi^^^^^KM

of their heads, plunged into the swam turbulent to the torrent, other They were not long in build- and side. $r ing a raft, which was pulled backwards and forwards a-

cross the raging river, until Three Belles of the Ute Nation. their outfit was safely landed on the other side. Then their poor, shivering animals were driven into the treacherous stream, one of them nearly drowning before it reached the other side. The party remained at Marysvale one night, enjoying a needed rest for both men and beasts. Everything was found just as the panic-stricken people had left it. Pigs were rooting around, there were plenty of chickens, lots of fresh eggs, and none to molest or make afraid. And oh! what a feast the boys did have that night, after working hard all day in a blinding snowstorm. That was the first night that singing was heard in camp since they left home.

950 IMPROVEMENT ERA.

On the 11th day of May they reached the stricken town of Circleville, which they had started out to relieve. It had stormed nearly every day up to that time, and the roads most of the way were well-nigh impassable. The "minute men" had turned their backs upon their own home affairs, and had traveled nearly three hundred miles to rescue a plundered people who were passing through un- told torments of fear. The Indians had stripped them of al- most everything. It was dreadful to be- hold aged men, wo- men and handsome young ladies, bare- footed, and with hardly enough cloth- ing to cover their nakedness. They had been living on cracked wheat for months, and on ac- count of fear of the Indians had scarcely enough wood to build their fires. They were destitute of every thing, and com- pletely broken down HEBER P. KIMBALL, in spirits. When the rescuing party came Born Kirtland, Ohio, June 1, 1835; died February 8, 1885. Son of Heber C. and Vilate Kimball. in sight, they threw

up their hands and wept for joy. The people from the su-rounding settlements, had gathered to this place for mutual protection, and they must have numbered one hundred. A few days before the "minute men" arrived, there were a number of Indians camped nearby who pretended to be friends to

THE RELIEF OF CIRCLEVILLE. 951

the settlers, but who were spies. They had killed one man and wounded another who had managed to escape. The people were so enraged at this that they made short work of the nine rene- gades who committed the treacherous act. The first move that Colonel Kimball made was to assist the poor settlers in rounding up what few horses and cattle the In- dians had left. After this had been accom- plished, the men of Circleville hitched up their teams and drove to Beaver for sup- plies, while the Salt

Lake boys guarded their families. It

took just two weeks to make" the round trip to Beaver.

While their hus- bands, fathers and brothers were gone, the women folks, to show their apprecia- tion of the great sac- rifices which the Salt Lake boys had made for their sakes, dec- orated the school- house and gave a very creditable en- JOHN CLARK. tertainment, which was greatly appreciated by the boys. To help matters along, Lieuten- ant Seymour B. Young, James Hague and others sang, "In Our Leaky Tents," lines written by Joseph (ioddard, while a blinding blizzard was sweeping over Circle valley. The first verse and chorus ran to the tune, "Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!"

In our leaky tents we sit, Thinking of the good old times,

952 IMPROVEMENT ERA. That in Salt Lake City We have spent so gay; And our hearts grow sad to think Of the long time we'll be gone From our dear old homes And friends so far away.

Chorus :

Snow! Hail! Rain! And windy weather, Pelting on our weather-beaten forms, Till it seems to us that winter With its white robes has set in, And we have to bear the brunt Of wintry storms.

After faithfully performing the missions to which they had been called, Col. Heber P. Kimball's rescuing party bade farewell to the good people of Circleville. The call was made for forty days, and by forced marches they would be able to reach Salt Lake City within that time. They paid their own expenses and fur- nished their own outfit besides. Six days later, they reached Manti, and found conditions theremuch worse, if possible, than when they left. Black Hawk had renewed his energies, and everything seemed to be in a chaotic condition. The Indians were raiding the settlements in every direction, killing tbe LIEUT. SEYMOUR B. YOUNG. settlers, and running off large

herds of stock. Instructions from headquarters awaited Col. Kim- ball at Manti, ordering him to remain in the field another forty days,

or until reinforcements could be sent to take his place. Without a murmur the boys, observing the situation, complied with the order and went to work with a vim. Black Hawk proved to be very much of a strategist in many

THE RELIEF OF C1RCLEV1LLE. 953

respects. Sometimes he would divide his warriors into two or three different bands and then raid the settlements in diffeient parts of the country all about the same time. His warriors would gather what stock could be found, and make a break for the moun- tains. At night his picket guards built signal fires on the tops of mountains, keeping their comrades in the field well posted on every important movement made by the "min- ute men." In this way the Indians gained advantages over the boys that were almost inval- uable. The boys were on the jump night and day, living on anything and every- thing they could secure. Most of their time was spent in chasing savages over a country that the Indians knew much more about than they did. On one occasion they followed a band of fleeing redskins nearly three hun- dred miles over the JAMES HAGUE, worst country in Born January 28, 1844. southeastern Utah. They remained in the thickest of the fight for ninety days. Reaching home, they and their poor animals looked as if they had been drawn through a knot hole. The boys were then lined up in front of the Court House, where President Brigham Young and other dignitaries, with deep emotion and grateful hearts, welcomed

954 IMPROVEMENT ERA

them home. The boys were so reduced in flesh, and their clothing was so badly worn and torn that their own parents hardly knew them. One of the boys was missing, having been killed by the Indians, and two of them had been wounded. These early guardsmen certainly deserve great credit for the efforts which they put forth to protect the strug- gling pioneers. If, as is now almost certain, those who remain shall receive any financial a i d from our country, it is clearly not unde- served. No emolu- ments of a financial nature can repay them for the sacri- fices which they gladly made. They should be held in re- membrance by the younger citizens of our great common- JOSEPH GODDAKD, wealth who are en- joying not only the Born April 5, 1843. ripe fruits of their labors, but also the rewards of the struggles and achievements of the pioneers whom they so nobly protected.

Salt Lake City, Utah.

Be a cheerful climber! Cheer spells confidence, confidence spells success. Men who succeed are cheerful Gloom is trouble, and trouble, failure. Men who fail are gloomy. Be a cheerful climber!