In May, 1876, Brothers D. H. Wells, Erastus Snow and other leading men
among the Saints, were sent to visit the new settlements in Arizona.
I was sent with them as a guide. The Colorado was then high--a raging
torrent. The current shifted from side to side, and the surging of the
waters against the rocks caused large and dangerous whirlpools.
We put three wagons and some luggage on the ferry boat. We were under
the necessity of towing the boat up stream one mile, to give a chance
for landing at the proper place on the other side of the river. When
taking the boat around a point of rock, the water poured over the bow.
Word was given to slacken the tow rope. In doing so, the rope caught in
the seam of a rock, and the draft on the boat continuing, the bow was
drawn under water.
In a moment the rapid current swept the boat clear of its contents.
Men, wagons and luggage went into the surging waters.
When I plunged into the cold snow-water to swim, my right arm cramped,
which caused me to almost despair of getting ashore. A large oar was
passing me, and I threw my arm over it to save myself from sinking.
About the same time Brother L. John Nuttall caught the same oar, so I
thought it best to try to swim with one arm. However, I was soon able
to use both, and went safely to shore.
I ran down the river bank, got into a skiff with two others, pulled out
to the head of the rapids, and saved a wagon and its contents on an
island. The other two wagons, with all the valuables they contained,
including the most of our supplies, passed over the rapids into the
Grand Canyon of the Colorado.
On getting together we found that Brother Lorenzo W. Roundy was
missing. He was said to be a good swimmer, and it is probable he was
taken with the cramp and sank at once. His body has never been found.
Brother Lorenzo Hatch sank deep into the river, but saved himself from
drowning and was picked up by the skiff.
Brother Warren Johnson and another man hung to a wagon until they were
taken up with the skiff, just in time to save them from going over the
rapids.
This unfortunate affair occurred on the 28th of May. We gathered up
what was left of our outfit, and visited the missions at Mowabby and
Moancoppy, and the settlements on the Little Colorado.
About the 1st of December, President Young desired me to take a small
company, and look out a route for a wagon road from Pierce's Ferry,
south of St. George, to Sunset on the Little Colorado; "for," said he,
"our people will want all the choice places where there is water and
grass."
Brothers Wilford Halliday from Kanab, Joseph Crosby, Calvin Kelsey,
Samuel Alger and Hyrum Williams from St. George, accompanied me.
We left St. George the 13th of December, 1876. We took a route to the
ferry a little east of our former one, in order to strike the new
crossing of the Colorado, five miles above the old one.
We remained at the river two days, and assisted Brother Harrison Pierce
to construct a skiff, with which we conveyed our luggage across; but we
forded our animals. After crossing the river, we still took a course
east of our former one and the first day arrived in Wallipie Valley, an
unknown country to me.
We camped on the north side of the valley under a bluff, where we found
a seep of water, or wet ground. We dug a little and found sufficient
water for our use.
The finding of this water was entirely providential, as none of us
were acquainted with the country, and we had no guide. It fulfilled a
promise made to us by President Young when we left St. George, that
when thirsty we should find water where we did not expect it.
In the morning we took with us what water we could. We traveled a
south-easterly direction, and, as fast as was practicable. At night we
made a dry camp, and guarded our animals. The next day we pursued the
same course as the day before.
During the long, weary day's travel, the brethren asked when I thought
we would get water again. I told them they knew as much about the water
as I did, on the course we were going, but we were going the course
President Young had told me to take, and I felt impressed that we would
get water that night.
We slowly wore away the miles, until, nearing the foothills of a
mountain peak, our hopes ran high on discovering signs of stock. Two or
three miles farther, as we turned around the point of a hill, we came
to a house and corral. We found the place occupied by a Mr. Stevenson.
He told us to turn our animals into his yard, and that there was a pump
and good water.
It was a mining camp, and water had been obtained by digging. From Mr.
Stevenson I obtained information of the watering places between there
and the part of the country I had before traveled over. This relieved
us from any anxiety about water.
The day we left Mr. Stevenson's we came to an old road which had not
been used for some time, but it could be followed. This led us to our
settlements on the Little Colorado.
Arriving there, we found the Saints feeling well. I was much pleased
to see my daughter Louise. One is likely to appreciate friends and
relatives when found by traveling in the desert.
After a short visit we started home, intending to return the same way
we had come. The third night out it commenced snowing and blowing. In
the morning we concluded that it would not do to continue our journey,
as we could see only a short distance on account of the storm.
The best available shelter we could find was a log cabin without a
roof, and the spaces between the logs unchinked. We had a wagon sheet
which we stretched over our heads, and we were partially sheltered from
the driving storm. There we remained two days and nights, during which
time it snowed incessantly.
The storm abated the third morning, but the snow lay very deep. Hunger
and cold had so used up our horses that we concluded to make the best
of our way south, out of the mountains. The third day we got out of the
snow, and to the sunny side of a hill, where there was plenty of green,
luxuriant grass for our animals. They had plenty, but there was little
food for ourselves.
Going out, we had cached supplies for our return trip, but being under
the necessity of taking a different route, it was not available.
We went to a military post called Camp Apache, and asked for supplies.
We were refused, as it would break orders from the government to let
us have them. We applied to a Mr. Head, who kept a sutler's store, and
made known our situation. He thought we ought to know better than to
travel without money.
I prayed to the Lord to soften the heart of some one, that we might
obtain food. I again went to Mr. Head, and told him that we were from
Utah; that when we left home we did not expect to see any one to spend
money with; that instead of money we took plenty of supplies, which we
left in the mountains to use on our return trip, but we could not go
the same way home on account of the snow, and if he would let us have
enough food to last us home we would send him the pay.
"Oh," said he, "you are Mormons, are you! What do you want to last you
home?"
He then let us have what we asked for.
Arriving at the crossing of the Colorado, south of St. George, we
found that the flour and meat we had left there had been used, but we
obtained some wheat which we boiled and lived on for five days, or
until our arrival in St. George.
I gave President Young an account of my trip. I had considerable
additional conversation with him, in which he said to me:
"I know your history. You have always kept the Church and Kingdom of
God first and foremost in your mind. That is right. There is no greater
gift than that. If there are any men who have cleared their skirts of
the blood of this generation, I believe you are one of them, and you
can have all the blessings there are for any men in the temple."
It was the last time I talked with President Young. He died the
following August. The assurance that the Lord and His servant accepted
my labors up to that time, has been a great comfort to me.
In the spring of 1877 I thought I would try to raise a crop. I found
that the land had been so divided in the Kanab field, that what was
considered my share was nearly worthless. I sowed some wheat, but it
proved a failure.
Some time in August I gathered up a little grain, and started for the
mill, about one mile and a half above Kanab, in the canyon. On the way
I met an expressman, who had directions for me to start forthwith to
the Navajo country, with Deputy-sheriff Fouts, of Richfield. A criminal
had broken from jail, and it was believed that we could prevent his
escape.
I took my horses from the wagon, agreed with another man to do my
milling, and in a very short time was on my way for the crossing of the
Colorado.
Here we first learned of the death of President Brigham Young.
We learned that the man we were in pursuit of had not crossed there. It
was thought advisable to visit the Moqui agency, and make arrangements
to secure his arrest should he appear in that part of the country. We
traveled one hundred and fifty miles east, in the hot days of August.
In passing through the Moqui towns, we found the people making much
ado to bring rain to save their crops. They scattered corn meal in the
paths leading to their fields; the women dressed in white, and sat on
the tops of their houses, looking to the ground through an opening in a
blanket wrapped around their heads.
Others of the people went about with solemn countenances to induce the
great Father of us all, as they express it, to send rain. By doing as
they did, they believed He would be more ready to pity them and grant
their request.
Several came to me and requested that I would pray for rain, asserting
that I used to help the Piutes to bring rain, and they thought they
were as much entitled to my prayers as the Piutes.
I felt to exercise all the faith I could for them, that they might not
suffer from famine. In all their towns there fell, the following night,
an abundance of rain.
Returning from the Moqui agency, we found the people of the towns
feeling well. They said enough rain had fallen to insure them a crop of
corn, squashes and beans. We noticed that in and around their towns and
fields it had rained very heavily, but on either side the ground was
dry and dusty.
On my return home, I found that the fall crop I had planted was too far
gone with drouth to make anything but through the blessings of the Lord
I was able to provide necessaries for my family.
This seems a fitting place to close this little narrative of incidents
in my life.
In my simple way I have furnished the facts for the pen of Brother
Little, with the hope that their publication may be a testimony to many
of the truth of the gospel, and of the power of revelation to all who
will seek for the whisperings of the Holy Spirit.
I desire this narrative to be a testimony to all who may read it, that
the Lord is not slack concerning any of His promises to His children.
My whole life, since I embraced the gospel, proves this fact.
If this little book shall leave a testimony of this to the coming
generation, I shall be satisfied.