One of the greatest of Hamblin's southern visitations was in the autumn
of 1870, when he served as a guide for Major Powell eastward, by way of
the Hopi villages and of Fort Defiance. Powell's invitation was the more
readily accepted as this appeared to be an opening for the much-desired
peace talk with the Navajo. In the expedition were Ammon M. Tenney,
Ashton Nebecker, Nathan Terry and Elijah Potter of the brethren, three of
Powell's party and a Kaibab Indian.
According to Tenney, in the previous year, the Navajo had stolen
$1,000,000 worth of cattle, horses and sheep in southern Utah, Tenney, in
a personal interview with the Author in 1920, told that the great council
then called, was tremendously dramatic. About a dozen Americans were
present, including Powell and Captain Bennett. Tenney estimated that
about 8000 Indians were on the council ground at Fort Defiance. This
number would have included the entire tribe. It was found that the
gathering was distinctly hostile. Powell and Hamblin led in the talking.
The former had no authority whatever, but gave the Indians to understand
that he was a commissioner on behalf of the whites and that serious
chastisement would come to them in a visit of troops if there should be
continuation of the evil conditions complained of by the Mormons.
Undoubtedly this talk had a strong effect upon the Indians, who in Civil
War days had been punished harshly for similar depredations upon the
pueblos of New Mexico and who may have remembered when Col. Kit Carson
descended upon the Navajo, chopped down their fruit trees, and laid waste
their farms, later most of the tribe being taken into exile in New
Mexico.
Dellenbaugh and Hamblin wrote much concerning this great council. Powell
introduced Hamblin as a representative of the Mormons, whom he highly
complimented as industrious and peaceful people. Hamblin told of the
evils of a war in which many men had been lost, including twenty or
thirty Navajos, and informed the Indians that the young men of Utah
wanted to come over to the Navajo country and kill, but "had been told to
stay at home until other means of obtaining peace had been tried and had
failed." He referred to the evils that come from the necessity of
guarding stock where neither white nor Indian could trust sheep out of
sight. He then painted the beauties of peace, in which "horses and sheep
would become fat and in which one could sleep in peace and awake and find
his property safe." Low-voiced, but clearly, the message concluded:
"What shall I tell my people, the Mormons, when I return home? That we
may live in peace, live as friends, and trade with one another? Or shall
we look for you to come prowling around our weak settlements, like wolves
in the night? I hope we may live in peace in time to come. I have now
gray hairs on my head, and from my boyhood I have been on the frontiers
doing all I could to preserve peace between white men and Indians. I
despise this killing, this shedding of blood. I hope you will stop this
and come and visit and trade with our people. We would like to hear what
you have got to say before we go home."
Barbenceta, the principal chief, slowly approached as Jacob ended and,
putting his arms around him, said, "My friend and brother, I will do all
that I can to bring about what you have advised. We will not give all our
answer now. Many of the Navajos are here. We will talk to them tonight
and will see you on your way home." The chief addressed his people from a
little eminence. The Americans understood little or nothing of what he
was saying, but it was agreed that it was a great oration. The Indians
hung upon every word and responded to every gesture and occasionally, in
unison, there would come from the crowd a harsh "Huh, Huh," in approval
of their chieftain's advice and admonition.
A number of days were spent at Fort Defiance in attempting to arrive at
an understanding with the Navajo. Hamblin wrote, "through Ammon M. Tenney
being able to converse in Spanish, we accomplished much good."
On the way home, in a Hopi village, were met Barbenceta and also a number
of chiefs who had not been at Fort Defiance. The talk was very agreeable,
the Navajos saying, "We hope that we may be able to eat at one table,
warm by one fire, smoke one pipe, and sleep in one blanket."