When the unsuccessful expedition turned back to Utah in the summer of
1873, there remained John L. Blythe of Salt Lake and a number of other
missionaries. They located among the Indians on the Moen Copie, where
they sowed the ground and planted trees and grapevines, also planting at
Moabi, about seven miles to the southwest. Blythe remained at Moen Copie,
alone with his family, until 1874, including the time of the Indian
trouble more particularly referred to in this volume in connection with
the work of Jacob Hamblin.
The failure of the Haight expedition in no wise daunted the Church
authorities in their determination to extend southward. In general,
reports that came concerning the Little Colorado Valley were favorable.
Finally, starting from Salt Lake October 30, 1875, was sent a scouting
expedition, headed by Jas. S. Brown, who had a dozen companions when he
crossed into Arizona. This party made headquarters at Moen Copie, where a
stone house was built for winter quarters. Brown and two others then
traveled up the Little Colorado for a considerable distance, not well
defined in his narrative, finding a fine, open country, with water
plentiful and with grass abundant, with good farming land and timber
available. The trio followed the Beale trail westward to a point
southwest of the San Francisco Mountains, where there was crossing back
to the Little Colorado. Christmas Day, before Moen Copie was reached,
the scouts were placed in serious danger by a terrific snowstorm. Brown
returned to Salt Lake with his report, January 14, 1876, after traveling
1300 miles, mainly on horseback.
Here might be stated that Brown was none other than a Mormon Battalion
member who had participated in the discovery of gold at Sutter's Fort in
California. At some time prior to coming to Arizona he had lost a leg,
shot off by hunters who had mistaken him for a bear. He should not be
confounded with Capt. James Brown of the Battalion.