Traveling Over Forgotten Trails, II

Traveling Over Forgotten Trails By Hon. Anthony W Ivins .

2 —Navajo Depredations in Southern Utah As stated in a previous article, it was but a short time after the acquisition of Arizona and New Mexico, in 1848, that war broke out between the United States and the Navajo Indians. In fact, United States troops marched against them, and invaded their country, before the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed. It was not until 1864, that the Indians were finally whipped into submission, and placed upon a reservation. In January of that year the celebrated scout, Kit Carson, who had been given a colonel's commission in the United States army, was placed in command of an expedition, with orders to invade the Navajo country, kill the men, make prisoners of the women and children, destroy the houses and fields, and capture the flocks and herds. Colonel Carson marched to the Canyon de Chelly, a stronghold which was thought by the Indians to be impregnable. The Canyon de Chelly is a deep and wide chasm in the table land, which forms the northern part of the present Navajo Reservation. It is about thirty miles in length, from east to west, and can only be entered at a few points, and there only by narrow, winding trails. In places the canyon widens out into miniature valleys, with springs of water, and tracts of arable land, where the Indians cultivate small farms, productive orchards, and graze their flocks and herds. It was to this rallying point that the Indians fled when their country was invaded. At the extreme eastern end of the canyon there is a trail which leads to the bottom, about 1,500 feet below the surface of the surrounding country, but this trail is not passable, except for men on foot. A few miles west, however, there is a place where the bottom may be reached with animals, provided care is exercised in making the descent. Colonel Carson divided his forces into two divisions, sending Captain PfeifFer to enter the canyon at the east end, while he, with the larger detachment, entered from the west, at a point near where the Chelly Creek empties into the San Juan River. These forces marched through the canyon from opposite directions, until they met, killing a large number of Indians, taking many captives, destroying houses, and capturing a large number of sheep, goats and horses. According to the report rendered, 3,000 peach trees were cut down on this expedition.

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Their strongholds invaded, property destroyed, and many of their people either slain, or made prisoners, the Navajos finally surrendered, and, in 1864, were removed from their country, to a point in New Mexico called Bosque Redondo, (Round Forest) where they were placed on a reservation, under control of the War and Indian Departments. The site selected for a reservation, at Bosque Redondo, was not well chosen. There was little pasturage for live stock, the soil was not pro- ductive, and a number of Apaches, with whom the Navajos were not at peace, had already been collected there, the result being that the Indians were reduced to a condition bordering on starvation. In 1868, after three years of crop failure, it was decided to return them to their own country, and establish a reservation there. About 3,700 Indians were re- turned, taking with them the rem- nant of their property, which con- sisted of 550 horses, 20 mules, 940 sheep and 1,025 goats. Ten years later, the tribe numbered 11,000 eouls, and possessed 20,000 horses, 1,500 cattle, 500,000 sheep, and cultivated 9,192 acres of land. In 1888, they had increased to 17,000 souls, and were the owners of 35, 000 horses, one million head of sheep, and were cultivating 15,000 acres of land. They probably num- ber today between thirty and forty thousand persons, and their wealth has increased until they are an in- dependent and wealthy people. While the great majority of the Navajos surrendered to the United States forces, and went to the reservation, at Bosque Red- ondo, a considerable number of the more independent and adven- A Typical Navajo Indian turous families retired to the coun- trv near the San Francisco Moun- His dress is of velvet, made by him, or his wife. Tlie but- tains, and the Painted Desert, betons, beads, belt-buckle and yond the reach of the soldiers, bow-guard are of silver, and where they became a scourge to made by a Navajo. He is a the early emigrants who went inreal man, the type whom James Andrus and his militia- to Arizona, and through to Calimen met in their battles. A fornia, over the Whipple trail, worthy foeman, on any field. which bore west from Albuquer*

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que, in New Mexico, to the Zuni Villages, thence down the Colorado Chiquito (Little Colorado), and on South of the San Francisco Peaks, to California. In time these roving hands crossed the Rio Colorado, (Red River) and committed depredations against the exposed settlers in Southern Utah. As recounted in the Era of February, 1916, the first act of hostility committed by the Navajos against the settlers of the Dixie country, was the killing of James M. Whitmore and Robert Mclntire, at Pipe Springs, in January, 1866. The raids were always executed during the winter months, and usually when the moon was full. At this season, the Colorado River was at its lowest water mark, and could be forded at certain points, and the full moon enabled the Indians to operate during the night. The purpose of the raids appeared to be plunder, and the Indians avoided taking life, but did not hesitate to kill, where the success of their marauding expeditions were at stake. For the protection of life and property, a militia organization was effected, and a very efficient force thus created, a force which rendered splendid service, as will be shown. Among the officers of the organized forces referred to, who were most successful in repelling attack, and punishing the perpetrators, were Major Augustus P. Hardy, Col. John D. L. Peirce, Capt. Willis Copeland, and Capt. James Andrus. The service

James Andrus Frontiersman, Scout, Indian Fighter, Statesman, and Financier

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rendered to the State of Utah, then a territory, by these men, was never appreciated, nor did they ever receive compensation for it. Major Hardy was of Puritan descent, a cavalier in mien and manner, kind and chivalrous, a thorough soldier and gentleman. Colonel Pierce was a Virginian by birth, with a long line of soldier ancestors behind him, a born soldier, who loved his occupation. Captain Copeland was a Texan, served in the war of independence waged by the Lone Star State against Mexico, was with Crocket, and was among the number who, on one occasion, drew beans to determine who should be executed by the Mexicans, and was fortunate enough to draw a white one. A born leader of men he was one of the bravest, and at the same time wisest, officers who participated in our Indian wars. Captain James Andrus was the son of Milo Andrus and Abigail Jane Dailey, and was born at Florence, Ohio, June 14, 1835. In 1846, he started west with his parents, remained at Winter Quarters during the winter of 1847, and in 1848, his father having gone as a missionary to Europe, James, then only 13 years of age, went on to Utah with his mother and family, driving a team of two yoke of oxen, and a yoke of cows, the entire distance from the Missouri river to the Salt Lake Valley. Soon after his arrival in Utah he went to northern Montana with Van Netten, where he engaged in trade with the Nez Perce, Flat Head, Black Foot and Shoshone Indians. During the time occupied in these trading expeditions, he became familiar with Indian character, and to an extent with their languages, which fitted him for the work he was to do, in the stirring events which occurred in Southern Utah, where he went with the Dixie Pioneers. He was made a captain of militia, and no other name was so well known, and universally feared, and in some instances thoroughly hated, by the Indians, as that of Jim An-du-ru, as he was called by them. He was present and participated in the activities at Pipe Springs, at the time of the killing of Whitmore and Mclntire, and commanded a detachment of militia which followed the Indians to the Ute Crossing on the Colorado. On this expedition a fight occurred on the Kaibab Mountain, to which reference will be made later. With a small detachment of men he later overtook and fought the Navajos, at Bull Rush, near Pipe Springs, inflicting the most disastrous defeat the Indians ever suffered, and led many other expeditions against them. While performing splendid service for the state, James Andrus was equally loyal in his obligation to the Church, and was

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a missionary of peace to the red men, as he was an enemy in war. In 1857, he went as a missionary to Europe, pulling a hand cart from the Salt Lake Valley to the Missouri river. He crossed the great plains seven times, made three round trips over the old trail, from Utah to California, went as a missionary to the Ute Indians in the Uinta Basin, in 1859, and was a missionary to the Oribas, with Jacob Hamblin.

fSome of the old campaigners, who fought the Navajos, and always conquered. They illustrate the type of men whom the Navajos met in theirf raids upon the settlements, and are: mounted, James Andrus; seated, from left to right, E. M. Brown, Andrew Sorenson, James B. Bracken.

He was a successful rancher, merchant, banker and statesman, having served as representative in the State legislature, and was for many years bishop of the combined four wards of St. George; one of those rare temperaments in which the qualities of the soldier, statesman, financier and churchman are so harmoniously blended, that not any one dominates to the exclusion of the others. He died at St. George, December 8, 1914, the last of Utah's great frontiersmen, scouts, and Indian fighters.