President Young kept the Hopi in mind, for the following year (1859) he
sent Hamblin on a second trip to the Indians, with a company that
consisted of Marion J. Shelton, Thales Haskell, Taylor Crosby, Benjamin
Knell, Ira Hatch and John Wm. Young. They reached the Hopi villages
November 6, talked with the Indians three days and then left the work of
possible conversion on the shoulders of Shelton and Haskell, who returned
to the Santa Clara the next spring. The Indians were kind, but
unbelieving, and "could make no move until the reappearance of the three
prophets who led their fathers to that land and told them to remain on
those rocks until they should come again and tell them what to do." Both
ways of the journey were by the Ute ford.
Navajo Killing of Geo. A. Smith, Jr.
In the fall of 1860, Hamblin was directed to attempt to establish the
faith in the Hopi towns. This time, from Santa Clara, he took Geo. A.
Smith, Jr., son of an apostle of the Church, Thales Haskell, Jehiel
McConnell, Ira Hatch, Isaac Riddle, Amos G. Thornton, Francis M. Hamblin,
James Pearce and an Indian, Enos, with supplies for a year. Young Ammon
Tenney was sent back. This proved a perilous adventure. Hamblin told he
had had forebodings of evil. Failure attended an attempt to cross the
Colorado at the Paria. For two days south of the Crossing of the Fathers,
there was no water. The Navajo gathered around them and barred further
progress. There was a halt, and bartering was started for goods that had
been brought along to exchange for Indian blankets. At this point, Smith
was shot. The deed was done with his own revolver, which had been passed
to an Indian who asked to inspect it. The Indians readily admitted
responsibility, stating that it was in reprisal for the killing of three
Navajos by palefaces and they demanded two more victims before the Mormon
company would be allowed to go in peace. The situation was a difficult
one for Jacob, but he answered bravely, "I would not give a cent to live
after I had given up two men to be murdered; I would rather die like a
man than live like a dog." Jacob went out by himself and had a little
session of prayer and then the party started northward, flanked by
hostile Navajos, but accompanied by four old friendly tribesmen. Smith
was taken along on a mule, with McConnell behind to hold him on. Thus it
was that he died about sundown. His last words, when told that a stop
could not be made, were, "Oh, well, go on then; but I wish I could die in
peace." The body was wrapped in a blanket and laid in a hollow by the
side of the trail, for no stop could be made even to bury the dead.
About a week later, Santa Clara was reached by the worn and jaded party,
sustained the last few days on a diet mainly of pinon nuts.
That winter, through the snow and ice, Hamblin led another party across
the Colorado out upon the desert, to bring home the remains of their
brother in the faith. The head and the larger bones were returned for
burial at Salt Lake City. It was learned that the attacking Indians were
from Fort Defiance and on this trip it was told that the Navajo
considered their own action a grave mistake.
A Seeking of Baptism for Gain
That the Shivwits were susceptible to missionary argument was indicated
about 1862, when James H. Pearce brought from Arizona into St. George a
band of 300 Indians, believed to comprise the whole tribe. All were duly
baptized into the Church, the ceremony performed by David H. Cannon. Then
Erastus Snow distributed largess of clothing and food. Ten years later
Pearce again was with the Indians, greeted in affectionate remembrance.
But there was complaint from the Shivwits they "had not heard from the
Lord since he left." Then followed fervent suggestions from the tribesmen
that they be taken to St. George and be baptized again. They wanted more
shirts. They also wanted Pearce to write to the Lord and to tell Him the
Shivwits had been pretty good Indians.