The following letter from President Brigham Young so well illustrates
his peaceable and civilizing policy towards the Indians, that I think
it should find a place in this narrative:
"PRESIDENT'S OFFICE, Great Salt Lake City, March 5, 1858.
"DEAR BROTHER:--Your note of the 19th of last month came to hand on
the 3rd inst. I was happy to learn of the success and the general
prosperity of the mission, and trust that the genial and salutary
influences now so rapidly extending to the various tribes in that
region, may continue to spread abroad until it shall pervade every son
and daughter of Abraham in their fallen condition.
"The hour of their redemption draws nigh, and the time is not far
distant when they will receive knowledge, and begin to rise and
increase in the land, and become a people whom the Lord will bless.
"The Indians should be encouraged in keeping and taking care of stock.
I highly approve of your designs in doing your farming through the
natives; it teaches them to obtain a subsistence by their own industry,
and leaves you more at liberty to visit others, and extend your
missionary labors among them. A few missionaries to show and instruct
them how to raise stock and grain, and then not eat it up for them, is
most judicious. You should always be careful to impress upon them that
they should not infringe upon the rights of others; and our brethren
should be very careful not to infringe upon their rights in any
particular, thus cultivating honor and good principles in their midst
by example as well as precept.
"As ever, I remain your brother in the gospel of salvation,
"BRIGHAM YOUNG."
The sending of an army by the general government to look after the
affairs of the Saints, occasioned some excitement and much talk among
the people. The terrible wrongs and persecutions of Missouri and
Illinois came up vividly in the minds of those who had suffered in
them, and greatly intensified the public feeling concerning the wrongs
which the general government evidently intended to inflict upon the
Saints in Utah.
Elders coming in from the European missions, by way of California,
thought the government would send a force into Southern Utah by that
route.
It being expected that I would visit the Indians and look after matters
a little in that direction, in the spring of 1858 I took five men and
went by way of Las Vegas springs to the River Colorado, at the foot of
the Cottonwood Islands, 170 miles from the Santa Clara settlement.
As was my policy at all times, I cultivated the good feelings of the
Indians in that country.
A small steamer lay at the head of the islands, and a company of men,
with animals, were making their way up the river, on the opposite side
from us. I requested Brother Thales Haskell to hail the boat's crew
from a thicket of willows, while the rest of the company remained
secreted. If a boat were sent to take him over, he was to pass as a
renegade from Utah, and learn who they were and their intentions.
Brother Haskell was soon taken on board of the steamer.
I prayed for him that night, for my mind was filled with gloomy
forebodings. I dreamed that the officer in charge of the boat, offered
the Indians a large reward for my scalp.
At day dawn I sent two men back on our trail to see if there was any
one on it, with instructions if they saw anything wrong to not return,
but go on their way homeward.
Soon afterwards we saw the yawl from the steamer land Brother Haskell.
He informed us that the company was of a military character, and
exhibited very hostile feelings against our people; that the expedition
had been sent out by the government to examine the river, and learn if
a force could be taken into Southern Utah from that direction, should
it be needed, to subjugate the "Mormons."
We were soon on our way homeward.
The first night out from the river, a Las Vegas Indian overtook us, and
informed us that soon after we left the river, the steamer came down
below the Cottonwood Islands, brought a large amount of blankets and
other goods ashore, made some presents to the Mohaves and Piutes, and
offered to pay well for the capture of any "Mormon" they found in their
country.
When we overtook the brethren sent out early in the morning, they told
us that they met two of the boat's crew examining the trail we traveled
on to the river. The two men started for the steamer, and the brethren
traveled the other way.
At this time there were three or four brethren at Las Vegas Springs,
laboring to make a settlement. We counseled together, and it was
thought advisable to vacate the place. Some of them started for home.
My brother, Oscar Hamblin, remained to assist the Indians in putting in
their crops.
Brother Dudley Leavitt and I went thirty-five miles west, on the road
to California, to a lead mine, to obtain a load of lead.
As I had some knowledge of smelting the ore, our efforts were a success.
The evening after completing our load, I started up the mountain on
the side of which the mine was located, to look at it before leaving.
I stepped back, and calling Brother Leavitt, I told him that an Indian
was watching our horses, and if he did not bring them in and tie them
up, they would be run off as soon as it was dark.
He replied that he would see to it. Being strongly impressed with the
danger of losing our horses, I warned him a second time, to which he
made an indifferent reply.
When I returned it was nearly dark and Brother Leavitt had just started
for the horses.
All we ever saw of them afterwards was their tracks, and the trail of
the Indian that had driven them off.
The Indians in that section of the country did not keep horses, and
therefore were not accustomed to the use of them, but stole them for
food.
Brother Leavitt was under the necessity of going to Las Vegas,
thirty-five miles distant, to get my brother to come with his team to
take our wagon home.
As he did not return as soon as expected, I started to meet him. Not
meeting him the first day, I stopped in a small cave for the night.
I had nothing to eat, and gathered some cactus leaves, or pods, to
roast for supper.
They were a new variety to me, and had scarlet spots on them. (I
afterwards learned from the Indians that they were poisonous.)
After cooking them in the embers, I ate a little, but they did not
taste right. They produced a burning sensation in my stomach and pain
in the glands of my mouth and throat. I soon became satisfied that I
was poisoned.
My misery increased, and I became dizzy-headed. With no help near, I
felt that my earthly career was nearly terminated, unless the God of
Israel saved me, as I knew He had done many times before. I knelt down
and earnestly asked Him to be merciful to me in my extremity, and save
my life.
I then became very sick at the stomach, and vomited freely. Great
thirst succeeded, and I soon exhausted the small supply of water in my
canteen. This I soon ejected, when I became easy and lay down and slept
until morning.
Not knowing whether my brother would come or not, I continued on my way
to Las Vegas.
I was lank and hungry, and if I ever felt the want of food it was then.
About noon I saw my brother coming to my relief. It was a welcome sight.
Still farther west from the lead mine, there were two roads for about
thirty miles. One of them was not usually traveled, but came into the
main road. Some time before we were there, a company that had taken
this by-road, had left wagons on it, and we were desirous of obtaining
some of the iron.
When my brother Oscar and I arrived at the lead mine, we concluded to
leave the lead where it was, and go west on this unfrequented road, to
a spring, twenty-five miles from the lead mine, and get the iron that
was left there.
On arriving at the spring we did not find as much iron as we expected,
but we put what there was into the wagon.
Before I went on this trip to Las Vegas and the Colorado River, my
team, driven by my Indian boy, Albert, had gone with Brother Calvin
Read to Lower California. They had been gone nearly three months.
The morning after our arrival at the spring, when at prayer, the Spirit
showed to me a company of our people, a few miles still farther west,
on the by-road. I told my brother this, and that my team was with them,
and my Indian boy was herding the animals on one side of the wagons
near the spring.
I proposed that we unload the iron and drive in that direction.
My brother objected and said he had never heard of water in that
direction short of twenty miles.
After much persuasion, my brother consented to unload the iron, but he
drove on very reluctantly, telling me that I was a visionary man, and
always seeing something.
We traveled about three miles, and came in sight of a camp. I found my
boy Albert watching the horses; there was a good spring of water and
plenty of grass. Just beyond were the wagons.
The brethren said they never rejoiced more to see anyone than they did
us. They were unacquainted with the country, and needed our help to get
into Las Vegas.