Читать книгу The History of Salt Lake City and its Founders, Volume 1 - Edward William Tullidge - Страница 11

ARRIVAL OF CAPTAIN STANSBURY. HIS INTERVIEW WITH GOVERNOR YOUNG GOVERNMENT SURVEY OF THE LAKES. COMMENCEMENT OF INDIAN DIFFICULTIES.

In August of that year (1849) Captain Howard Stansbury, of the United States Army Topographical Engineers, with his assistants, arrived in the valley for the purpose of making a government survey of the lakes. He was accompanied by Lieutenant Gunnison who was, like Captain Stansbury, one of the earliest and most intelligent writers upon the Utah community. Of his arrival, Captain Stansbury thus reports to the chief of his department: "Before reaching Great Salt Lake City, I had heard from various sources that much uneasiness was felt by the Mormon community at my anticipated coming among them. I was told that they would never permit any survey of their country to be made; while it was darkly hinted that if I persevered in attempting to carry it on, my life would scarce be safe. Utterly disregarding, indeed, giving not the least credence to these insinuations, I at once called upon Brigham Young, the President of the Mormon Church and the Governor of the Commonwealth, stated to him what I had heard, explained to him the views of the Government in directing an exploration and survey of the lake, assuring him that these were the sole objects of the expedition. He replied, that he did not hesitate to say that both he and the people whom he presided over had been very much disturbed and surprised that the Government should send out a party into their country so soon after they had made their settlement; that he had heard of the expedition from time to time, since its onset from Fort Leavenworth; and that the whole community were extremely anxious as to what could be the design of the Government in such a movement. It appeared, too, that their alarm had been increased by. the indiscreet and totally unauthorized boasting of an attaché of General Wilson, the newly appointed Indian agent for California, whose train on its way thither had reached the city a few days before I myself arrived. This person, as I understood, had declared openly that General Wilson had come clothed with authority from the President of the United States to expel the Mormons from the lands which they occupied, and that he would do so if he thought proper. The Mormons very naturally supposed from such a declaration that there must be some understanding or connection between General Wilson and myself; and that the arrival of the two parties so nearly together was the result of a concerted and combined movement for the ulterior purpose of breaking up and destroying their colony. The impression was that a survey was to be made of their country in the same manner that other public lands are surveyed, for the purpose of dividing into townships and sections, and of thus establishing and recording the claims of the Government to it, and thereby anticipating any claim the Mormons might set up from their previous occupation. However unreasonable such a suspicion may be considered, yet it must be remembered that these people are exasperated and rendered almost desperate by the wrongs and persecutions they had previously suffered in Illinois and Missouri; that they had left the confines of civilization and fled to these far distant wilds, that they might enjoy undisturbed the religious liberty which had been practically denied them: and that now they supposed themselves to be followed up by the General Government with the view of driving them out from even this solitary spot, where they had hoped they should at length be permitted to set up their habitation in peace.

"Upon all these points I undeceived Governor Young to his entire satisfaction. I was induced to pursue this conciliatory course, not only in justice to the Government, but also because I knew, from the peculiar organization of this singular community, that, unless the 'President' was fully satisfied that no evil was intended to his people, it would be useless for me to attempt to carry out my instructions. He was not only civil Governor, but the President of the whole Church of Latter-day Saints upon the earth, their prophet and their priest, receiving, as they all firmly believed, direct revelations of the Divine will, which, according to their creed, form the law of the Church. He is, consequently, profoundly revered by all, and possesses unbounded influence and almost unlimited power. I did not anticipate open resistance; but I was fully aware that if the President continued to view the expedition with distrust, nothing could be more natural than that every possible obstruction should be thrown in our way by a 'masterly inactivity.' Provisions would not be furnished; information would not be afforded; labor could not be procured; and no means would be left untried, short of open opposition, to prevent the success of a measure by them deemed fatal to their interests and safety. So soon, however, as the true object of the expedition was fully understood, the President laid the subject matter before the council called for that purpose, and I was informed, as the result of their deliberations, that the authorities were much pleased that the exploration was to be made; that they had themselves contemplated something of the kind, but did not yet feel able to incur the expense; but that any assistance they could render to facilitate our operations would be most cheerfully furnished to the extent of their ability. This pledge, thus heartily given, was as faithfully redeemed; and it gives me pleasure here to acknowledge the warm interest manifested and efficient aid rendered, as well by the President as by all the leading men of the community, both in our personal welfare and in the successful prosecution of the work.

"Matters being thus satisfactorily adjusted, as the provisions which had been laid in at the beginning of the journey were nearly exhausted, I left the city on the 12th of September, with teams and pack-mules, for Fort Hall, to procure the supplies for the party which had been forwarded to that post by the supply train attached to Colonel Loring's command; and at the same time to carry out that portion of my instructions which directed me to explore a route for a road from the head of Salt Lake to Fort Hall. The main party was left under the command of Lieutenant Gunnison, with instructions to commence the survey upon the basis already laid down."

Returning from his exploration of a route from Great Salt Lake City to Fort Hall, and reconnaissance of Cache Valley, Captain Stansbury continues a narrative intimately connected with the early history of this city. He says: "Upon my arrival at Salt Lake City, I found that the camp, under Lieutenant Gunnison, was then about sixty miles to the southward, upon Utah Lake. I accordingly joined him as soon as possible. The work, during my absence, had been carried forward by that officer with energy, industry and judgment.

"I had hoped, from the representations which had been made to me of the mildness of the two previous winters, that we should be able to keep the field the greater part, if not the whole of the season; but, in the latter part of November, the winter set in with great and unusual severity, accompanied by deep snows, which rendered any farther prosecution of the work impracticable. I was therefore compelled to break up my camp, and to seek for winter quarters in the city.

These were not obtained without some difficulty, as the tide of emigration had been so great that houses were very scarce, and not a small portion of the inhabitants, among whom was the president himself, were forced to lodge portions of their families in wagons.

"Upon terminating the field-work for the season, I dispatched three men, one of whom was my guide and interpreter, with a small invoice of goods, to trade for horses among the Uintah Utahs, with directions to await my orders at Fort Bridger. Reports afterward reached us that a bloody fight had taken place between the Sioux and the Yampah Utahs, which latter tribe reside in the vicinity of the Uintahs, and great fears were entertained that the little party had been cut off by one or the other of the contending tribes. Such a calamity, aside from the loss of life, would have been of serious consequence to the expedition, as the horses I expected to obtain were almost indispensable to the return of the party to the States, the number of our animals having been much diminished by death and robbery.

"It may as well be mentioned here, that the party thus dispatched subsequently joined me in the spring, as soon as the melting of the snows rendered communication with Fort Bridger practicable, bringing with them a drove of twenty-five horses. They had met with very rough usage from the Indians, having been robbed of a number of their horses, besides the whole of what remained of their goods and narrowly escaped with their lives.

"From the report by Lieutenant Gunnison of his operations during my absence, I make the following synopsis.

"A thorough exploration was made, with the view of ascertaining the points for such a base line as would best develop a system of triangles embracing both the Salt Lake and Utah Valleys.

"A line was selected, and carefully measured by rods constructed for the purpose, and tripod stations erected over the termini, which were marked by metal points set in wooden posts sunk flush with the surface of the ground. The length of the base is thirty-one thousand six hundred and eighty feet.

"Fourteen principal triangulation stations were erected, consisting of large pyramidal timber tripods, strongly framed, to be covered, when required for use, by cotton cloth of different colors, according to the background. The triangles extended to the south shore of Utah Lake, and embraced an area of about eighty by twenty-five miles.

"A survey and sounding had been made of the Utah Lake, and also of the river connecting it with Salt Lake: this operation requiring a line to be run of one hundred and twenty-six miles, principally by the back angle, with the theodolite.

"Although such a result, from less than two months' labor, would be entirely satisfactory under ordinary circumstances anywhere, and would reflect credit on the energy and capacity of the officer in charge of the work, yet it may be remarked that it would be very unfair to judge of it by a comparison with similar results obtained in the Eastern States. There, all the accessories to such a work, especially water and timber, are abundant, and generally at a convenient distance: here, on the contrary, both are very scarce and hard to be obtained.

All the water, for instance, used both for cooking and drinking, that was consumed on the base line, (requiring seven days of incessant labor in its measurement,) had to be transported upon mules from the river, which lay a mile east of its eastern terminus; and the force employed in the erection of most of the triangulation stations had to be supplied in a like manner. But the principal difficulty was the scarcity of timber. Wood grows nowhere on the plains; all the wood used for cooking in camp, and all the timber, both for posts on the base line and for the construction of the stations, had to be hauled from the mountains in many cases fifteen or twenty miles distant, over a rough country without roads. Almost every stick used for this purpose cost from twenty to thirty miles travel of a six-mule team. This, together with the delays of getting into the canyons, where alone the timber can be procured, cutting down the trees, and hauling them down the gorges by hand to the nearest spots accessible to the teams, involved an amount of time and labor which must be experienced before it can be appreciated. All this had to be done, however, or the prosecution of the work would have been impracticable.

"Before leaving the Salt Like City for Fort Hall, I had engaged the services of Albert Carrington, Esq., a member of the Mormon community, who was to act as an assistant on the survey. He was without experience in the use of instruments; but, being a gentleman of liberal education, he soon acquired, under instruction, the requisite skill, and, by his zeal, industry, and practical good sense, materially aided us in our subsequent operations. He continued with the party until the termination of the survey, accompanied it to this city, [Washington] and has since returned to his mountain home, carrying with him the respect and kind wishes of all with whom he was associated.

"The winter season in the valley was long and severe. The vicinity of so many high mountains rendered the weather extremely variable; snows fell constantly upon them, and frequently to the depth of ten inches in the plains. In many of the canyons it accumulated to the depth of fifty feet, filling up the passes so rapidly that, in more than one instance, emigrants who had been belated in starting from the States, were overtaken by the storms in the mountain gorges, and forced to abandon everything, and escape on loot, leaving even their animals to perish in the snows. All communication with the world beyond was thus effectually cut off; and, as the winter advanced, the gorges became more and more impassable, owing to the drifting of the snow into them from the projecting peaks.

"We remained thus shut up until the 3rd of April. Our quarters consisted of a small unfurnished house of unburnt brick or adobe, unplastered, and roofed with boards loosely nailed on, which, every time it stormed, admitted so much water as called into requisition all the pans and buckets in the establishment to receive the numerous little streams which came trickling down from every crack and knot-hole. During this season of comparative inaction, we received from the authorities and citizens of the community every kindness that the most warmhearted hospitality could dictate: and no effort was spared to render us comfortable as their own limited means would admit. Indeed, we were much better lodged than many of our neighbors; for, as has been previously observed, very many families were obliged still to lodge wholly or in part in their wagons, which, being covered, served, when taken off from the wheels and set upon the ground, to make bedrooms, of limited dimensions it is true, but yet exceedingly comfortable. Many of these were comparatively large and commodious, and, when carpeted and furnished with a little stove, formed an additional apartment or back building to the small cabin, with which they frequently communicated by a door.

It certainly argued a high tone of morals and a habitual observance of good order and decorum, to find women and children thus securely slumbering in the midst of a large city, with no protection from midnight molestation other than a wagon cover of linen and the regis of the law. In the very next enclosure to that occupied by our party, a whole family of children had no other shelter than one of these wagons, where they slept all the winter, literally out of doors, there being no communication whatever with the inside of their parents' house."

Stansbury's report to the Government also supplies the initial pages of the Indian history of Utah. He says:

"The native tribes with whom we came in contact in the valley were the most degraded and lowest in the scale of being of any I had ever seen. They consisted of the ' root-diggers,' a class of Indians which seemed to be composed of outcasts from their respective tribes, subsisting chiefly upon roots dug from the ground, and the seeds of various plants indigenous to the soil, which they grind into a kind of flour between two flat stones. Lizards and crickets also form a portion of their food. At certain seasons of the year they obtain from the tributaries of both the Salt Lake and Lake Utah, a considerable quantity of fish, which they take in weirs or traps, constructed of willow bushes. Those that we saw were branches of the Shoshones or Snakes, and from the large and warlike tribe of Utahs, which latter inhabit a large tract of country to the southward. They are known among the traders by the designation of 'snake-diggers,' and 'Utes;' those of the latter tribe, which inhabit the vicinity of the lakes and streams and live chiefly on fish, being distinguished by the name of 'Pah Utahs,' or 'Pah Utes,'—the word Pah, in their language, signifying water.

"While engaged in the survey of the Utah Valley, we were no little annoyed by numbers of the latter tribe, who hung around the camp, crowding around the cook-fires, more like hungry dogs than human beings, eagerly watching for the least scrap that might be thrown away, which they devoured with avidity and without the least preparation. The herdsmen also complained that their cattle were frequently scattered, and that notwithstanding their utmost vigilance, several of them had unaccountably disappeared and were lost. One morning, a fine fat ox came into camp with an arrow buried in his side, which perfectly accounted for the disappearance of the others.

"After the party left Lake Utah for winter quarters in Salt Lake City, the Indians became more insolent, boasting of what they had done—driving off the stock of the inhabitants of the southern settlements, resisting all attempts to recover them, and finally firing upon the people themselves as they issued from their little stockade to attend to their ordinary occupations. Under these circumstances, the settlers in the Utah Valley applied to the supreme government, at Salt Lake City, for counsel as to the proper course of action. The President was at first extremely averse to the adoption of harsh measures; but, after several conciliatory overtures had been resorted to in vain, he very properly determined to put a stop, by force, to further aggressions, which, if not resisted, could only end in the total destruction of the colony. Before coming to this decision, the authorities called upon me to consult as to the policy of the measure, and to request the expression of my opinion as to what view the Government of the United States might be expected to take of it. Knowing, as I did, most of the circumstances, and feeling convinced that some action of the kind would ultimately have to be resorted to, as the forbearance already shown had been only attributed to weakness and cowardice, and had served but to encourage further and bolder outrages, I did not hesitate to say to them that, in my judgment, the contemplated expedition against these savage marauders was a measure not only of good policy, but one of absolute necessity and self-preservation. I knew the leader of the Indians to be a crafty and bloodthirsty savage, who had been already guilty of several murders, and had openly threatened that he would kill every white man that he found alone upon the prairies. In addition to this, I was convinced that the completion of the yet unfinished survey of the Utah Valley, the coming season, must otherwise be attended with serious difficulty, if not actual hazard, and would involve the necessity of a largely increased and armed escort for its protection. Such being the circumstances, the course proposed could not but meet my entire approval.

"A force of one hundred men was accordingly organized, and, upon the application of President Young, leave was given to Lieutenant Howland, of the Mounted Rifles, then on duty with my command, to accompany the expedition as its adjutant: such assistance also was furnished as it was in my power to afford, consisting of arms, tents, camp-equipage, and ammunition.

"The expedition was completely successful. The Indians fought very bravely, but were finally routed, some forty of them killed, and as many more taken prisoners; the latter, consisting principally of women and children, were carried to the city and distributed among the inhabitants, for the purpose of weaning them from their savage pursuits, and bringing them up in the habits of civilized and Christian life. The experiment, however, did not succeed as was anticipated, most of the prisoners escaping upon the very first opportunity.

"On the 22nd of February, about three p. m., a slight shock of an earthquake was felt in the southern part of the city, the vibrations being sufficient to shake plates from the shelves and to disturb milk in the pans."

The historical importance of the first Indian expedition of this Territory, which was the beginning of the organization of the Utah militia, calls for the following supplementary pages to Captain Stansbury's report.

The organization of a militia for the protection of these colonies in an Indian country was an imperative necessity, and to Daniel H. Wells, who had already distinguished himself in military affairs, was given the task of creating it, and the rank of Lieutenant-General was conferred upon him by the Governor.

The first company organized was under the command of Captain George D. Grant, who was afterwards Brigadier-General. They were called " Minute Men," a name which soon became famous in the Indian service throughout Utah. The company originated in Great Salt Lake City, and from time to time it was called out to the relief of those colonies which were sent from the parent colony to explore and populate the country. The first engagement of any importance was on the spot where the city of Provo now stands; there had, however, occurred a slight affray at Battle Creek, at which Colonel John Scott commanded, but none were killed on either side.

On the call by Governor Young for one hundred mounted men General Wells immediately dispatched a company of fifty under the command of Captain George D. Grant. Among the subordinate officers were William H. Kimball, James A. Little, James Ferguson and Henry Johnson, the two latter having been officers in the Mormon Battalion; and among the privates were such men as Robert T. Burton, Lot Smith, Ephraim Hanks, Jesse Martin, Orson Whitney, and others who afterwards figured prominently in the Utah militia.

The second fifty was forwarded under the command of Captain Lytle, who was an officer in the Mormon Battalion.

The company under the command of Captain George D. Grant started from Great Salt Lake City on the 7th day of February. The men marched all night in the snow for the purpose of coming upon the Indians unawares. The weather was intensely cold; from ten to twelve inches of snow covered the entire Utah Valley. They arrived early in the morning of the 8th, having suffered severely on the march from the inclement weather.

The Indians had fortified themselves on the Provo River. They were encamped in a bend of the river bottom, under a low bluff, from which the ground receded to the river. All this bottom, at that time, was covered with willow brush and cottonwood timber, some of the latter having been cut down by them to construct their fortifications.

These Indians were of a warlike tribe, under the command of Old Elk, and not of the lower class of which Stansbury speaks. There were about seventy warriors, possessing arms equal to those of the expedition sent out against them,—their arms having been obtained from the mountaineers, traders, and settlers. Their squaws and children were sent into the canyons, while the warriors thus strongly fortified awaited the attack. They also held possession of a double log house. The settlers had retired to the shelter of their fort, but some of them joined the assailants on their arrival and did effective service in the defense of their city.

Thus fortified, the Indian warriors kept the militia at bay till the evening of the second day, before the latter obtained any decided advantage. Meantime the Indians had killed one and wounded five or six. They frequently sallied out from their entrenchments, delivered their fire, then quickly retreated to the brush. At length Lieutenant Howland, of Stansbury's command, suggested a moveable battery, which was forthwith constructed of plank, laid up edgewise on the top of runners, over which were thrown camp blankets and buffalo robes.

This battery was handled by the assailants effectively and pushed towards the Indian line of defense. On the afternoon of the second day, a small company of cavalry (sixteen in number) was ordered by Captain Grant to make a charge upon the Indian quarters, and especially to get possession of the log house, previously referred to, from which the Indians had greatly annoyed the men. The little company of cavalry made a dashing charge, but were met with such a volley of fire, wounding two or three of their number, that the impetuosity of the charge was for a moment checked, but Burton and Lot Smith, dashing on, succeeded in riding their horses into the passage that divided the rooms of the double log house, of which they took possession, the Indians having deserted it at the onslaught. The Indians, recovering from the surprise of the charge, fired on the remainder of the detachment with such violence that the men had to take shelter under the end of the house, but seven or eight of their best horses were shot down in a very few minutes. Between the firing the men got into the house, upon which the Indians continued to fire for several hours. In this company of sixteen picked men were Lot Smith, Robert T. Burton, William H. Kimball, Jas. Ferguson, Ephraim Hanks, Henry Johnson, Isham Flyn, (who was wounded,) Orson Whitney, and eight others whose names we have not been able to obtain.

This charge was complimented by Lieutenant Howland as being as fine as regular cavalry would make. It gave the advantage of the engagement into the hands of the militia; for the Indians retired in the night after the charge, leaving their dead on the ground, carrying their wounded with them; but before their retreat they supplied themselves abundantly with the horse beef.

So much bravery was exhibited by the Indians, and such a desperate defense made, that dispatches had been sent to Great Salt Lake City, repeatedly requesting General Wells to come and take personal command, which he did, but arrived after the second day's engagement. There was afterwards quite an engagement on the south end of Utah Lake, at which General Wells was present and had personal command.

Captain Stansbury omitted to mention that Dr. Blake, of his command, was in this expedition, but his presence and services to the wounded have been remembered and gratefully acknowledged by the commanding officers of the old Minute Men. And it is worthy of note that it was this very expedition which brought out the men who have since figured as generals of the Utah militia. In it Lot Smith and Robert T. Burton for the first time met, and with that charge together on the log house began the lifelong friendship of these two men who, next to the Lieutenant-General, Daniel H. Wells, have figured the most conspicuously in the military history of Utah.

Having completed their surveys and explorations, the topographical engineers left the City of the Great Salt Lake for home on the 28th of August, 1850, Stansbury, closing the record of his sojourn among the founders of this Territory, with the following tribute to them: "Before taking leave of the Mormon community, whose history has been the subject of no little interest in the country, I cannot but avail myself of the opportunity again to acknowledge the constant kindness and generous hospitality which was ever extended to the party during the sojourn of rather more than a year among them. The most disinterested efforts were made to afford us, both personally and officially, all the aids and facilities within the power of the people, as well to forward our labors as to contribute to our comfort and enjoyment.

Official invitations were sent by the authorities to the officers of the party, while engaged in distant duty on the lake, to participate in the celebration of their annual jubilee, on the 24th of July, and an honorable position assigned them in the procession on that occasion. Upon our final departure, we were followed with the kindest expressions of regard, and anxious hopes for the safety and welfare of the party upon its homeward journey."