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August 1, 2010
Nevada's Online State News Journal
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Regional History:
104 MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS.
D.
List of papers from the office of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, relative to massacres in Utah subsequent to that of Mountain Meadows.
1. Letter and accompanying papers from J. Forney, superintendent, &c., to Commissioner A. B. Greenwood, dated August 2, 1859.
2. Letter from J. Forney to Commissioner A. B. Greenwood, August 10, 1859.
3. Letter and accompanying papers from F. Dodge to Commissioner Greenwood, September 3, 1859.
4. Letter from Commissioner Greenwood to J. Forney, September 6, 1859.
5. Letter from Commissioner Greenwood to J. Forney, September 8, 1859.
6. Letter from Hon. D. R. Eckles to Hon. Secretary of the Interior, September 23, 1859, with accompanying papers.
7. Extract from Superintendent Forney's report of September 29, 1859.
8. Letter from D. R. Eckles to Secretary of the Interior, October 25, 1859, with accompanying papers.
9. Report of F. W. Lander, Superintendent, &c., to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, dated February 18, 1860.
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SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE, UTAH,
Great Salt Lake City, August 2, 1859.
SIR: Inclosed is a copy of a letter received yesterday evening, in relation to supposed Indian depredations several hundred miles north of this city, on the California road; also, a copy of my letter to his excellency Governor Cumming, on the same subject. I will leave in a few hours for Box Elder and such other points as may be deemed advisable.
I remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. FORNEY,
Superintendent Indian Affairs U. T.
Hon. A. B. GREENWOOD,
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D. C.
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BRIGHAM CITY, BOX ELDER COUNTY, U. T.,
August 1, 1859.
DEAR SIR: Agreeable to your request that I should inform you whenever any movement of the Indians took place, of any importance, in this part of your superintendency, I wish to say to you that some Indians came in yesterday from the north, with reports that some whites had been murdered some 200 miles north of this, on the California road. The reports were so vague and contradictory that at first
MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS. 105
I did not consider it worthy of credence ;. but having afterwards learned that some, Indians had in their possession some horses, mules, oxen, and other property unusual for them to traffic in, trying to trade the same to citizens in the suburbs of the city, I thought best to institute an inquiry in reference to the matter. I fear the report is too true, though there is much contradiction in regard to the circumstances and extent of the murder. One report is, that two Indians entered a camp of emigrants to do some trading, and were killed by said emigrants. The Indians then gathered their forces and revenged their death by killing five men and two women belonging to said camp. Other reports make the number of the whites killed more, and state other causes for the massacre.
I send this by Mr. Nichols, bishop of this settlement, who will give you further particulars. I also send by him a daguerreotype, which has been obtained from the Indians by one of our citizens and given to me to send down to you It is stated by the Indians to belong to some of the murdered party.
Yours, with much respect,
SAMUEL SMITH.
Dr. FORNEY, Superintendent Indian Affairs.
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SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE, UTAH,
Great Salt Lake City, August 2, 1859.
SIR: Inclosed is a copy of a letter just received. The bearer of the letter gives additional information, which, with the letter, leaves scarcely a doubt but that an emigrant train has been attacked, and a portion or all murdered by Indians, supposed to be from the State of Oregon. It is said the murder was committed near the Goose Creek mountains.
A small military force should be sent north. I will go north to-morrow.
I remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. FORNEY,
Superintendent Indian Affairs for Utah.
His Excellency A. CUMMING,
Governor of Utah.
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SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE, UTAH,
Great Salt Lake City, August 10, 1859.
SIR : I returned yesterday morning from the North, where I mentioned I was going in a letter to you by last mail, to ascertain the correctness of a supposed massacre near the Goose Creek mountains of a California train. Other information, and circumstances in addition to that herewith inclosed leave no doubt in my mind but that six men and one woman were killed and six men and two women wounded, several of the men it is supposed mortally. This occurred 24th July last in a cañon on Sublett's cut-off, fifteen miles from Raft river, in Oregon, by Bannack Indians from Oregon, and from fifteen to twenty
106 MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS.
Shoshonees, belonging to four bands in the northern part of this Territory. Those Shoshonee Indians were evidently participants, as they brought horses, mules, and cattle to the Indian encampment, adjacent to Brigham City, (sixty miles north of this city,) where I was last Saturday and Sunday. The Indians also exhibited Colt's revolvers, a few watches and jewelry, and gold coin. I was informed that the settlers refused to purchase any of the property. A very small number of the many passing emigrants bought a very few articles of those Indians, it is said. The Indians evidently had spies out, who communicated my movements to their camp, which was suddenly broken up the day before my arrival at Brigham City.
The place where the massacre was committed is about 140 miles from that city, and the distance, and no apparent necessity, and so much to do elsewhere, prevented my visiting the spot. The wounded, and those unhurt, and the property that was left, were taken in charge by another train, and were proceeding towards California. It is too true, I fear, that two Indians were shot by the train in question. At all events, this is the first train that has been in any manner molested this season, so far as I can learn, notwithstanding a very large number have passed over the roads—small and large companies, rich and poor. I passed sixteen trains day before yesterday in twenty miles travel.
Inclosed is a copy of a notice I have deemed it expedient to issue, which will, I trust, soon cause the delivery up of the criminals. The bands to which the guilty belong have gone north beyond the settlements.
A company of dragoons passed through this city to-day for the north, and may go in pursuit of the Indians.
Governor Cumming, on the 3d instant, at my request, made a requisition on General Johnston, in command of this department, for a suitable command to effect the arrest of the parties supposed to have been associated with the murderers and robbers of the train above alluded to. In consequence of which requisition, a detachment of the army was ordered to march, with the distinct proviso, that the order was given, not in consequence of the governor's requisition, but because he had credible information that certain hostile actions had been committed by Indians, and especially notifying the governor that his requisition was disregarded, except so far as it contained evidence of the necessity of exercising military authority, which would have had equal force and authority had the information been derived from any other credible source.
I do not consider it necessary to recapitulate, for the reason that it must be evident to the department that I cannot reasonably anticipate the entire control of the Indians in this widely-extended Territory unless I can be sustained by military power, obtained through the governor, or some other official, to be indicated by the President.
My remoteness from Washington, and the necessity for prompt action in these matters, must be received as an apology for requesting that orders may be issued, clearly defining the duties and obligations of officers on the subjects above referred to. In the meanwhile, during the seeming discrepancy of orders, the department may rest assured
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that I will endeavor to perform my duties in such manner as will conduce to the honor of the government and peace of this Territory.
I remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. FORNEY,
Superintendent Indian Affairs, Utah Territory.
Hon. A. B. GREENWOOD,
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D. C.
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NOTICE.
All persons, especially those residing in or passing through the northern portion of this Territory, are requested not to take or purchase (unless with a view to return it to the owners) certain property taken from a California emigrant train by Bannack Indians of Oregon, and Shoshonee Indians, of this Territory, such as horses, mules, and cattle branded S, pistols, jewelry, &c.
I especially caution, under the severest penalty of the law, persons not to harbor, give, sell, take, or buy anything whatever from any chief or from any of their men or squaws belonging to the three bands of Indians roaming in the neighborhood of Willow Creek and Brigham City settlements, and in Cache, Malad, and Bear River valleys, and in the northern portion of this Territory generally, until the twenty or more Indians who took part in the recent massacre on Sublett's cutoff, July 24 last, are delivered up.
JACOB FORNEY,
Superintendent Indian Affairs.
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OFFICE INDIAN AGENT,
Carson Valley, U. T., September 3, 1859.
SIR : The two widows and four orphans survivors of the late massacre on Sublett's cut-off, arrived here yesterday, wounded, overwhelmed in grief, and totally destitute of money, clothing, and provisions, their all and only dependence being lost in that deplorable affair; they are from Howard county, Missouri.
Application was made to this agency for assistance which was immediately rendered, and nothing in my power will be left undone, to ameliorate the suffering condition of these poor women and children.
I have the honor to inclose, for the information of the department, a copy of a letter addressed to me ; also a copy of a statement of that indiscriminate massacre, made in the presence of Judge Cradlebaugh and myself by persons, two of whom were on the spot, and the others in the immediate vicinity at the time of the tragedy.
This emergency devolves on me the responsibility of incurring some additional expense, but, under the circumstances, I feel confident the department will sustain me.
With great respect, your obedient servant,
F. DODGE,
Indian Agent.
Hon. A. B. GREENWOOD,
Com. of Indian Affairs, Washington, D. C.
108 MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS:
CARSON VALLEY, UTAH TERRITORY,
September 2, 1859.
SIR : We, having taken into our charge and brought thus far the widows and orphans of the late massacre on the Sublett's cut-off, at considerable expense, Mrs. Wright and her infant child being seriously wounded are unable to proceed further, and all being totally destitute, we respectfully request that you take charge of them, and furnish such aid as may be in your power.
ANTON W. TJADER, M. D.,
JAMES R. SHEPHERD,
OSCAR F. D. FAIRBANKS,
GEORGE EVERETT.
Major F. DODGE, United States Indian Agent.
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CARSON VALLEY, UTAH TERRITORY,
September 2, 1859.
About six o'clock, p. m., the 26th of July, when some men of a small emigrant train, camped at Cold Springs, on the Sublett's cut-off, eighty miles from Salt Lake City, were at supper, a party of eight Indians, armed with rifles, bows, and arrows, came down and asked for something to eat. Having obtained some bread, they started to a hill where the cattle were herded by two men. After saluting the cattle-guards, and passing them, one of the Indians suddenly turned his pony, lowering his rifle, shot one of the men, Mr. Hall, through the heart, killing him instantly. The other man fled to the camp. The Indians were in the meantime running off nine head of cattle and two horses.
At the time of this depredation there were only a small train of emigrants present, and some time afterwards at about nine o'clock, the horse-train led by Mr. Ferguson Shepherd arrived. The night passed on quietly, and in the, morning Mr. Shepherd's train left at seven o'clock, at the arrival of Mr. E. Skaggs's train.
At about half-past eight o'clock a party of Indians, twenty-five or thirty in number, came down over the hills from the Salt Lake road, and tried to run off the cattle grazing there. A man, on cattle-guard, in trying to drive down the herd, was wounded by a rifle ball in the fleshy part of the thigh, and by two arrows, one in the wrist and the other in the shoulder. The men at camp were armed hurriedly, and met the Indians, and, exchanging shots with them, killed two and wounded some eight or ten.
The Indians carried off, along with their wounded and dead, some twenty-one head of cattle.
The horse-train, which started out in the morning under Mr. F. Shepherd, was attacked in a cañon, seven miles from Cold Springs, and, while doctoring a sick horse, Mr. Ferguson Shepherd was shot down. Almost at the same time, Mr. James D. Wright was dangerously wounded through the chest and back. Bill Diggs, Clayborn F. Rains, and Wm. Shepherd, were killed in rapid succession, the
MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS. 109
Indians firing from behind the bushes on the ridges of the heights on each side of the cañon.
About one o'clock two men, James Ward and Geo. Everett, arrived on horseback, to the encampment at Cold Springs. Shortly after Geo. W. Parson and J. McGuire arrived; an hour later Mr. James R. Shepherd, wife, and infant, Mr. Townsend Wright, and Ignatius Smith, came down to the camp of emigrants at the spring, Smith being shot through the muscular part of the right arm. The rest of the fugitives were uninjured, though fired at by the Indians.
At five o'clock, p. m., the trains of Messrs. Fairbanks, Hereford & Pierce, came along, and united with the trains already at Cold Springs, and, after taking every precaution to guard against surprise, the night passed without being interrupted by any event of importance.
The next morning, at an early hour, the united trains, to the number of fifty-two wagons and two hundred men, started through the cañon. No Indians were to be seen ; but, at the place of the murder of the day previous, the bodies of Ferguson, Wm. Shepherd, Wm. Diggs, and C. Rains, were lying in the middle of the road, covered with blood and dust, and bloated by the heat.
The wagons were turned from the road, the ground being covered with feathers from bedding, and fragments of clothing. Under a wagon, with a crippled babe in her arms, laid Mrs. James Wright, with a serious wound in her back and inside the wagon, half delirious and exhausted by loss of blood, Mr. James Wright, mortally wounded. The poor sufferers were attended by a little son five years of age, who supplied their feverish lips with water, and also brought to them the sorrowful news that all their companions were either killed or had fled.
Mrs. Wm. Shepherd, who was the last one to leave the place of carnage, arrived the evening before at the camp of refuge at Cold Springs, but, previously weakened by attending a sick husband, they had to leave an infant of eight months in the bushes a few rods from the place of disaster. The babe was found by the advance party in the morning, and, although severely scorched by the sun, uninjured.
Mr. James Wright and wife, together with the four dead bodies, were put on board some wagons of Geo. M. Pierce's train, and conveyed eighteen miles further, where the wounded were attended to and received surgical aid. The four dead ones were buried in one grave ; and the next morning Mr. Oscar F. D. Fairbanks generously offered his carriage to convey the wounded. It was a spring carriage, better adapted than the wagon to carry them along ; and from this place to Genoa he and his sister paid the greatest attentions to the comfort of the sufferers.
Mr. James Wright did not survive but ten days, and was decently buried.
ANTON W. TJADER, M. D.
JAMES R. SHEPHERD.
OSCAR F. D. FAIRBANKS.
GEO. EVERETT.
110 MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS.
GENOA, CARSON VALLEY, UTAH TERRITORY,
September 2, 1859.
The foregoing statement was made and subscribed in our presence.
JNO. CRADLEBAUGH,
Judge Second Judicial District.
F. DODGE,
United States Indian Agent.
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Dr. A. W. Tjader's statement of condition of the wounded now living.
Mrs. Wright had a rifle ball shot in her back while leaning forward to button up the front part of the wagon. The ball entered half an inch below the right kidney, and passed directly downwards, grazing the sacral plexus of nerves, and pursuing its course downwards and ala, and turning inward, lodged somewhere in one of the lower vertebra or said bones. It could not be touched at a distance of twelve inches from entrance, and, not seemingly causing any discomfort, was allowed to remain. She is now recovering slowly, since any amount of clothing being partly removed and partly discharged from the wound.
A little girl, daughter of Mrs. Wright, aged about eighteen months, was taken up by the Indians and thrown against the rocks, whereby her left thigh was broken in the middle. The poor little thing was partly deranged for some time after so cruel a treatment. She is now bodily and mentally mending. The fracture is uniting, although the bone is slightly bent, the continuous traveling and want of space to apply a proper apparatus being the cause.
Another little girl, daughter of Mrs. William Shepherd, who was left in the bushes over night, was severely blistered all over neck and legs by the severe sun heat, had her neck injured, and remained in a pitiable plight for more than a week afterwards. She is recovering, although her neck is still very stiff.
The sufferers are now in the hands of Major F. Dodge, United States Indian agent, who is assiduous in his endeavors to render them all the assistance in his power. They are furnished with comfortable quarters, good nursing, clothing, and surgical aid.
ANTON W. TJADER, M. D.
GENOA, CARSON VALLEY, U. T.,
September 2, 1859.
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
Office Indian Affairs, September 6, 1859.
SIR : I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 2d ultimo, transmitting a copy of a letter from Samuel Smith, Esq., reporting an account of murders said to have been perpetrated by Indians
MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS. 111
upon an emigrant train whilst passing the road which leads from Brigham City to California ; and also the receipt of a copy of your letter addressed to Governor Cumming upon the subject.
Very respectfully,
A. B. GREENWOOD,
Commissioner.
J. FORNEY, Esq.,
Supt. Ind. Affairs, Salt Lake City, Utah.
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
Office Indian Affairs, September 8, 1859.
SIR : I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 10th of August last, reporting your return from the north, and also the supposed massacre, near the Goose Creek mountains, of a California train by Bannack and Shoshonee Indians.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
A. B. GREENWOOD,
Commissioner.
J. FORNEY, Esq.,
Supt. Ind. Affairs, Salt Lake City, Utah Territory.
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CAMP FLOYD, UTAH TERRITORY,
September 23, 1859.
SIR: I inclose to your address two affidavits in relation to one of the recent massacres on the Fort Hall road from the States to California, for your information.
My mind rests satisfied that these attacks—quite frequent of late—on parties of emigrants, are planned and led on by white men. In the first train attacked this season, on this road, there was a white woman ravished by five men, and then shot by them; but she lived until she was enabled to inform one of her party that they were all white men. They had not taken the precaution to paint the whole body.
You will see by the testimony of Nelson Miltimore, that the men that attacked Miltimore's train, on the 31st of August last, spoke good English to this witness, and to his comrade in iniquity. If we grant that Indians may learn to speak it so as to deceive a person under such circumstances, it would be very unnatural, indeed, for him to speak in our language to his fellow-highwayman, if he was an Indian, and that fellow reply in the same language; but add to this the facts that some of the party wore long beards, and one of them had light brown hair, and the proof is conclusive that they were whites in Indian disguise, to any acquainted with the Indians in these mountains.
In relation to the affidavit of Suberr, permit me to say that he was an unwilling witness, and refused to make an affidavit until he was compelled to do so. He stated to me the reason for refusing was a
112 MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS.
belief which he entertains, that if he did so the Mormons would assassinate him. I apprehend he knew the man at Salt Lake City that made the proposition to him to join this gang of outlaws. You will, however, see by his affidavit, that there were some dozen or more persons at the mail station on Sweetwater, near the South Pass of the mountains, and that from what he heard and saw there, he was led to believe that mischief was intended to this train of Miltimore's. No such number of persons belonged to this mail station, and I have re- quested the agent of the mail company here to make inquiry about who they were, and when and by what road they left.
On the 29th day of August another train was attacked, on the east side of Fort Hall, leaving the party that made it about time to come up with Miltimore's party, west of the fort, and I suspect they were the same party, joined by a few Indians.
These outrages seem to be systematically made in the State of Oregon, by persons in Utah,
You will also find inclosed the affidavit of C. F. Betz, of Iowa. It discloses facts of which we were previously advised by letters, and I send it for information also. They are beautiful emblems of peace !
I trust sir, that a few suggestions in relation to these Indian massacres, as they are called, will not be regarded as offensive. The Snake and Bannack Indians of this region have no agent where one is much needed. A general Indian war is, if possible, to be avoided, much as certain persons here may desire it. If our troops attack all the Indians they find on this road, a general war would ensue. General Johnston has but five companies of mounted men, and on this road alone there is near a thousand miles to protect. To protect emigrants on this road is therefore impracticable while the Indians are allowed to remain on it. Their agent should therefore be instructed to keep them off of the road, so as to justify the army in chastising such as are found on the road.
The road by this camp recently made by the army is more than three hundred miles the nearest, and much the best road from the States to California, and the public would soon follow it, but for interestedly false representations made to emigrants, and the fact that almost every train that has passed has been robbed of their stock by Mormons, and some of them almost in sight of our camp. Indeed, sir, travel is safe on no road through these mountains. By reference to a letter addressed to me about a year since by Mr. Vernon, then a high priest of the Mormon church, and now on file in the State Department you will see that we were forewarned of these troubles.
Should I receive further information that may be useful to your department I will forward it to you. In the superintendent here I have no confidence, and for that reason I send direct.
Your obedient servant,
D. R. ECKELS.
Hon. J. THOMPSON,
Secretary of the Interior.
NOTE.—I also send you a copy (printed) of the report of Lieutenant Gay of battle with the Indians who were of the party that ravished
MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS. 113
the white woman alluded to above, that you may note the conduct of his Mormon guide, and the place selected for defense by the Indians ; most likely whites made the selection.
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UTAH TERRITORY, Cedar county :
Lorenzo Suberr, being duly sworn, states on oath that he traveled from the States to the last crossing of the Sweetwater river, near the South Pass of the Rocky mountains, with a company of emigrants from Iowa, to California, consisting of Edward A. Miltimore and family, with others, nineteen in all; that, soon after, Miltimore's party left him, taking the "Lander's road," and, going by way of Fort Hall, he heard a man, whose name is unknown to affiant, talking to about a dozen other strangers, who were at the mail station, and said, "Aint I glad that the party" (meaning Miltimore's party) "have taken that road." After this I could not understand what was said by them, but the circumstances impressed me, at the time, with the belief that harm was intended to them. Affiant came on to Salt Lake City, where he remained for a few days, and, being acquainted somewhat with Mormonism, he induced the Mormons to believe that he had come to the Territory to find a permanent home. While there, a Mormon, who has a heavy scar on the forehead, over the left eye, but whose name he does not know, informed him that there were about one hundred and twenty-five or thirty-five Mormons and about three hundred and fifty Indians out in Goose Creek valley, and that if he (affiant) would go out there to them, he could make "a pile," meaning a quantity of money, and intimated to him that the money was to be made by robbing emigrant trains, in company with the parties above mentioned. He has since seen a portion of Mr. Miltimore's party here at Camp Floyd, who informed him that their party had been attacked and eight of them killed, about seventy-five miles bethre reaching Goose Creek valley ; and further saith not.
LORENZA SUBERR.
Subscribed and sworn to before me, September 19, 1859.
D. R. ECKELS,
Chief Justice of Supreme Court.
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Nelson Miltimore, being duly sworn, states on oath that he belonged to a party of emigrants going from the State of Iowa to the State of California ; that said party consisted of nineteen persons, viz: Edward. A. Miltimore, his wife Catharine, and nine children, of whom deponent was one, William Harrington and child, and whose wife is affiant's sister, Alford Hill and wife, Myran Cline, Nathan Titus, Hiram Marsh, and Franklin Hubbard; that they started on the journey in May, 1859 ; that they parted company with Lorenzo Suberr at the last crossing of Sweetwater, and went on the new road known as "Captain Lander's wagon road." About twenty-five miles west of Fort Hall this affiant was driving along the team in the rear wagon
114 MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS.
in the train, when he saw three men—they were Indians, or white men disguised as Indians—on horseback, coming up towards the train of wagons, through the loose stock of the company ; that his brother James was driving on after them, when the cattle took fright and ran off on the hills at the side of the road. When this took place, his brother William, who was driving the wagons and team next before witness, stopped his wagon to see what was the matter, when affiant drove on and passed him. His father was with the wagon of William, walking along by its side ; his mother and the small children were in wagons. These three men were armed with guns, and coming on up to the wagons. Two of them rode up to and were looking about the wagons; the other, who was the largest man of the three, kept off more from the wagons. One of the two who were about the wagons said to this, affiant, " Where are you going?" He replied, "To California." "No you are not," said he. "Well," said affiant, " we started for there, anyhow." We soon came to where were two tracks of the road, separating for a little way, when the man that had spoken to me rode out on one of them a short distance, and said to his companion, " There are no tracks going this way." His companion replied, "Take the other road," which he did.
These men spoke good English. There was no brogue on their tongues; and from hearing them talk, he would judge them to be white men, while their dress and color denoted Indians, except that the one that spoke to affiant had light brown hair, and several of the party had beard; one of them had long heavy beard that he particularly noticed. After passing along for a short distance, one of these three men gave a whoop, when others soon commenced coming in sight from each side of the road; affiant counted fifteen, and did not count all of them; he supposes there were about twenty in all. As they approached, one of the three got off of his horse and appeared to witness to be fixing the girth of his saddle, and remounted again, but very soon dismounted again on the side of his horse, opposite to where his father was walking by the side of the wagon, and, taking aim on the shoulders of his horse, fired off his gun at father, but witness don't think the ball struck him, when another of them fired, and his father fell. Our party soon scattered, and eleven of us made our escape. This affair took place on the 31st day of August last, near sundown. Three days after this, we came up with a party of United States troops, under command of Lieutenant Livingston, and he sent a party of nine persons to aid others to escape, if they yet lived ; when they returned they reported that they had found five dead bodies, and three are missing, including his mother. His sister, about five years old, was found with her legs and ears cut off, her eyes gouged out, and scalped. And further saith not.
His
NELSON x MILTIMORE.
mark
Subscribed and sworn to before me, September 20, 1859.
D. R. ECKELS,
Chief Justice of Supreme Court.
MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS. 115
UTAH TERRITORY, Cedar County:
Christopher F. Betz, being duly sworn upon his oath, states that he resides near Fort Des Moines, in the State of Iowa, and came to this Territory on business this season; that during last spring there was a man, about whose name he is not positive, but believes it was John Greene, a nephew of Brigham Young, who hired the stock-field of this affiant for a few days for the use of a large lot of work-cattle that he was purchasing to come across the plains ; that while there, said Greene showed him bills of purchases, made by him for the Mormon Church, to the amount of about a million of dollars ; among the items were ten pieces of artillery ; that he refused to permit him to look over all the items. He stated the government was trying to break up their church, (meaning the Mormon,) and they wanted these guns to protect it and keep up their government; and there was also 150 or 200 Sharp's rifles in these bills ; and further saith not.
C. F. BETZ.
Subscribed and sworn to before me, September 26, 1859.
D. R. ECKELS,
Chief Justice of Supreme Court.
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BOX ELDER, UTAH TERRITORY,
August 13, 1859.
SIR: I have the honor to report that, having arrived yesterday within six miles of this place, I went into camp, and two hours afterwards had reliable information that a large body of Indians were probably encamped somewhere in the cañon leading from this valley to Cache valley. I was informed, at the same time, that within five or six days past they had stolen a number of animals from this and the adjoining settlements ; and that they were the same party who had murdered and robbed an emigrant train on Sublett's cut-off.
I immediately resolved to attack them. At ten o'clock, p. m., I broke up camp, and moved quietly to this village. Here I left my wagons with a guard, and proceeded with a command of forty-two men, taking with me four pack mules, with four day's rations, in order to be prepared, if necessary, to pursue them in the mountains. By two, a. m., I had everything prepared for the march, and having procured a. guide, who professed to know the Indian encampment, entered the colon. After a rapid march of two hours, the encampment was indicated by a number of ponies grazing, and in a moment afterwards by the Indians jumping up from their beds under the bushes, and running up the mountain sides, which were here covered with undergrowth. I immediately formed my men, and charged upon the main body of them ; in the charge several of the enemy were killed and wounded.
They then scattered, and took positions behind rocks, &c. Here they were charged and driven up precipices, beyond the reach of men
116 MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS.
or horses. I then dismounted my men, and kept up a fire for at least an hour and a half, which for an hour was briskly returned by the enemy ; but he gradually ceased to fire. The precipitous nature of the ground rendering it utterly impossible to pursue him, I drove off his horses and returned to this place. The attack commenced just before the dawn, and continued until after sunrise.
I am satisfied that the encampment was selected with a view to defense, and for this purpose they probably could not have found a more admirable place in the whole Wahsatch range of mountains. (It is known as Devil's Gate cañon.) As soon as the Indians were discovered, my Mormon guide " slid" quietly from his horse, and was seen no more, until on my return near this town I overhauled him. He was unable to give any satisfactory reason for his desertion. I have since learned that he came into town during the action, and reported " that we never would get out of that place." The horse he rode was one I had furnished him, and, strange to say, was found with an Indian on his back; the latter was shot, and horse taken. If my guide had desired to lead me into a fatal ambuscade, he could not have taken me to a spot better adapted for the purpose.
The guide and many others estimated the Indian force at from 150 to 200 warriors. The number killed was about twenty, as near as we can calculate. I had no men killed, but four severely, though probably not mortally, and two slightly, wounded. Nine of my horses were wounded.
The number of horses taken was twenty, nearly half being American horses.
It is a source of great satisfaction to me to know that one of the horses captured proved to be one which the Indians had taken from the train on Sublett's cut-off, at the time of the massacre of July. Probably more belonging to the same train would have been captured had not the Indian animals stampeded during the action, which could not be prevented, owing to the small guard which could be spared from the company for the purpose of securing property.
I am much indebted to Lieutenant Ryan for his services on this occasion, which were performed with a masterly intrepidity and coolness during the whole action.
Assistant Surgeon J. Moore receives the heartfelt thanks of myself, as well as the soldiers under my command, for his immediate and kind attentions to the wounded on the field, during the action, and his continual personal attendance since.
The company behaved nobly on this occasion. I have the honor to refer the general commanding to the list of wounded accompanying the report.
It is rumored to-day that 200 Bannack Indians arrived in Cache valley yesterday. These, with the number of Indians already there, will make probably about 500. A large emigration is near a point on Bear river, twenty miles from this (Cache) valley. I shall wait here long enough to care for my wounded and recruit my horses, when I
MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS. 117
shall proceed to Bear river, in order to prevent the Indians from interfering with emigration.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
E. GAY,
Second Lieut., Company G, Second Dragoons, Comd'g.
Major F. J. PORTER,
Ass't Ass't Gen'l, Department of Utah.
Box ELDER, UTAH TERRITORY,
August 13, 1859.
Company y, Second Dragoons.—List of men wounded in an action with Indians in Devil's cañon, near Box Elder, Utah Territory, on the 13th of August, 1859 :
First Sergeant Thomas J. Durnion, slightly.
Corporal R. F. Cordua, severely.
Bugler Henry Winterbower, severely.
Private Jacob Eggersteal, slightly.
Private Samuel Smith, severely.
Private Michael Tierney, severely.
E. GAY,
Second Lieut., Company G, Second Dragoons, Comd'g.
__________
Extract from Superintendent Forney's report of September 29, 1859.
NORTHERN DIFFICULTY. ,
On the 3d of August last I received a letter from a reliable person in Box Elder, in the extreme northern part of the Territory, advising me that an emigrant train had been attacked by Indians on Sublett's cut-off, in Oregon ; that the Indians had brought into the settlements horses, mules, cattle, and other property, which they attempted to sell to the inhabitants, but without success.
Upon the receipt of that information, I addressed a note to his excellency, Governor Cumming, requesting that a military force be dispatched without delay to that point, and proceeded myself immediately to Box Elder. Upon my arrival, I learned that the Indians had fled with their stolen property, and had gone north, through Cache valley, towards Bear River lake. I was subsequently advised by his excellency, the governor, that General Johnston, commander of this department, had ordered a company of dragoons to repair to the northern settlements. I have no information relative to the character of the orders issued by General Johnston to the officer in command of this detachment.
I was further advised by his excellency, that the general in command of this department had notified him that the military force had
118 MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS.
been ordered north, not in consequence of his official requisition, but as a matter of public service, based upon what seemed to be reliable information. I therefore inferred that the general in command had assumed the exclusive control of all matters connected with these Indian outbreaks, and acted in virtue of his command of the army in this Territory. Under the circumstances, I deemed it proper to return to this city, where my presence seemed more likely to promote the public interest, than by remaining where my official authority, to say the least, was considered questionable.
Soon after my return, I met Lieutenant Gay, who was in command of the company of dragoons above alluded to, who was then en route to the north. Our interview was entirely unofficial, he making no report to me in relation to his orders.
Under the circumstances, however, I deemed it my duty to furnish him with every item of information that might facilitate him in operating successfully against the hostile Indians. I have been informed (unofficially) that Lieutenant Gay had a skirmish with a party of Indians near Box Elder.
This officer subsequently formed a junction with Major Lynde, who, in command of four companies of United States troops, was on his return march from the Humboldt river and Goose Creek mountains.
Since that time, I have learned that another train has been attacked and destroyed near. Marsh creek, in Oregon.
After inquiry on this subject, I am induced to believe that the parties who have committed these outrages are renegades from the Bannacks of Oregon, and Shoshonees; depredations of a similar character have been committed by these outlaws for many years.
I presume the proper department will consider it necessary to establish permanent posts between Fort Hall and the Goose Creek mountains.
The Shoshonee Indians of the Humboldt and the Goose Creek mountains, and who claim a home in Utah Territory, have not committed any depredations since my visit among them last Fall. It is quite obvious to me that the Bannack Indians of Oregon have instigated all the northern difficulties ; and that the Shoshonees of this Territory are only performing a secondary part.
__________
CAMP FLOYD, UTAH TERRITORY,
October 25, 1859.
SIR : Inclosed, please find the affidavits of Thomas Wright and William Jones, as to the character of the persons who perpetrate the massacres on the Fort Hall road from the States to California.
The party of pretended Indians seen by these affiants about the first of September were, I presume, the same that made the attack on Miltimore's train, on the 31st August, on their return to the South Pass.
With the Indian savage, one of the principal inducements to murder is to plunder. Horses and cattle are most prized ; the first to ride and
MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS. 119
the last for food. The cattle of Miltimore's train was not disturbed. In it there was a sorrel horse answering to the description of the one traded by these painted white men, to the party with which Wright and Jones were traveling. The general travel for this year is over, and nearly all the troops have returned to their quarters, here. Next season we may expect a renewal of these outrages. No country in the world is better suited to the purposes of bandits than this ; and, it will give us trouble to rid the roads through these mountains of them. A party of Delaware Indian spies could be made very useful to the army in breaking them up, and giving aid to the emigrants.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
D. R. ECKELS.
Hon. J. THOMPSON,
Secretary of Interior, Washington, D. C.
__________
UTAH TERRITORY, Cedar County, ss :
Thomas Wright and William Jones make the following statement under oath, viz: "We were traveling this season from the States to California, in company with William Bradbury and Louis Montando and others, twenty-one in all, on the road known as Captain Lander's wagon road, from the upper and last crossing of the Sweetwater river, near the South Pass of the Rocky Mountains, until where it again intersects the old Fort Hall road, in Oregon. About twenty-five miles west of Fort Hall and east of the Goose Creek mountains, we found four wagons which we have since been informed, and believe, belonged to Miltimore's train that was attacked on the 31st of August last. We found there eight dead bodies ; among the number were found an old man and a woman and a child by her side. We also found a place where we supposed two others had lain, but had been dragged away by wild beasts. The dead we found were torn and disfigured by wolves or other wild animals. Some of the contents of these wagons were taken by men in our party. Two and a half or three miles from the wagons we found twenty-nine head of horn cattle, which we gathered together and drove on here to Camp Floyd, where we found the remnant of the Miltimore party who claimed and have now these cattle.
At several different places on the road before we came to the last crossing of Sweetwater, persons came to us and insisted that the Lander's road was the nearest and best road to California, and that we should travel it. We are now satisfied that these representations were false, and intended to deceive emigrants and get them on it to be plundered and robbed.
On this road, between the Sweetwater and where we found the Miltimore wagons, about the first of September last, we saw a party of from twenty to thirty persons either Indians or in the disguise of Indians. We then (and yet) believed them to be whites in disguise. They came to our camp in a evening from out of a mountain, and traded with our party a fine American horse for a rifle gun, powder, lead; and caps. This horse followed after our wagons, and we believe,
120 MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS.
was the horse of some party that had been accustomed to that mode of travel. He was a sorrel gelding with one white hind foot. Five or six of these real or pretended Indians had long heavy beards, and three of them had yellow hair. We noticed none of them that had the long coarse black hair of the Indian. This fact was spoken of by one of our party in their hearing, and it produced quite a sensation among them. These pretended Indians spoke our language well, as well as any American speaks it; there was no brogue on their tongues, and they talked it to one another as well as to us. They had some mutton with them that they tried to sell us for mountain sheep. They knew the value of powder, lead, caps, and guns as well as we did, as well as the cost of such things in the States. They also purchased some things of our party and, paid for them in American gold coin. After they had sold the horse and received the pay in exchange, one of their party jumped on the horse and attempted to make off with him, but was caught by a man of our party and the horse taken, but no violence was offered. They visited our camp both in the evening and the morning ; but some of those who came in the evening did not return in the morning, but others who had not been there before came in place of them. There were three women in the party that were not dark enough for Indians; at best they could not be more than half-breeds. Before reaching Miltimore's wagons, we saw where at least three trains had been burnt, and the wagon-irons left lying on the ground.
THOMAS WRIGHT,
WILLIAM JONES.
Subscribed and sworn before me, October 21, 1859.
D. R. ECKELS,
Chief Justice Supreme Court, U. T.
MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS. 121
Report of F. W. Lander, Superintendent, &c., to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
WASHINGTON, February 18, 1860.
SIR: In pursuance of the letter of instructions of Acting Commissioner Charles E. Mix, of March 26, 1859, I have carried out the specifications therein embraced, visited the tribes enumerated, and have the honor to report :
THE EASTERN SNAKES.
On the 2d day of July, the principal payment was made to the Eastern or Washikeek band of Snake Indians, at the crossing of Big Sandy river, forty miles west from the South Pass, in the presence of a large number of emigrants. Subsequent payments were made to small parties of this tribe as the expedition proceeded.
No instance is on record of the Eastern Snakes having committed outrages upon the whites. The presents were given as a reward for their good behavior in the past, and as a payment for the destruction of their root and herding grounds by the animals of the emigration.
They were requested to aid overland travelers by every means in their power, to restore strayed and lost stock, and in case of any outrage being committed upon them by emigrants, to refrain from reprisal, but, report it, through their chief, to proper authorities. These points were explained to them by excellent interpreters, were agreed to, and have been implicitly regarded. The life of an emigrant was saved by an Indian at " Green river crossing," and great assistance rendered at the same dangerous ford in passing trains, by the mounted warriors of the tribe. Lost stock has been driven in, and, by a paper bearing over nine thousand signatures, the emigrants state "that they have been most kindly treated by the Indians."
At the payment, the emigrants were given to understand the object of the disbursement of presents, and have treated the Indians with consideration and respect.
The Eastern Snakes range from the waters of Wind river, or latitude 43° 30' on the north, and from the South Pass to the headwaters of the North Platte on the east, and to Bear river, near the mouth of Smith's Fork, on the west. They extend south as far as Brown's Hole, on Green river. Their principal subsistence is the roots and seeds of the wild vegetables of the region they inhabit ; the mountain trout, with which all the streams of the country are abundantly supplied; and wild game. The latter is now very scarce in the vicinity of the new and old emigrant roads.
The immense herds of antelope I remember having seen along the route of the new road, in 1854 and 1857, seem to have disappeared, These Indians visit the border ground between their own country and the Crows and Blackfeet for the purpose of hunting elk, antelope, and stray herds of buffalo. When these trips are made they travel only in large bands, for fear of the Blackfeet and Crows. With the Pannacks and parties of Salt Lake Diggers they often make still longer
122 MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS.
marches into the northwestern buffalo ranges on the headwaters of the Missouri and Yellow Stone.
These excursions usually last over winter, the more western Indians who join them passing over a distance of twelve hundred miles on the out and return journey.
They are at peace with the Flatheads, hunting with them on the buffalo grounds. They seem to have no discretion in the killing of game. The antelope "surrounds," in which the whole tribe often engages, are made at that season of the year when the antelope is heavy with young, or has the fawn by her side. I witnessed one of these "surrounds" on the headwaters of Green river in 1858. On this occasion the whole herd of antelope was slaughtered indiscriminately. Washikeek, the principal chief of the tribe, is half Flathead. He obtained his popularity in the nation by various feats as a warrior and, it is urged by some of the mountaineers, by his extreme severity. This has, in one or two instances, extended so far as taking life. The word "Washikee" or "Washikeek" signifies " Gambler's Gourd." He was originally called "Pina-qua-na" or "Smell-of-Sugar." "Push-i-can" or "Pur-ehi-can," another war chief of the Snakes, bears upon his forehead the scar of a blow of the tomahawk given by Washikee in one of these altercations. Washikee, who is also known by the term of "the white man's friend," was many years ago in the employment of the American and Hudson's Bay fur companies. He was the constant companion of the white trappers, and his superior knowledge and accomplishments may be attributed to this fact.
He is very light colored, remarkably tall and well formed, even majestic in appearance, and, in my own opinion, an undeniable half-breed. He is desirous of visiting Washington with the principal warriors of his tribe, never having been further east than Fort Laramie. The policy of making provisions for this visit is evident, many of the more warlike tribes in his vicinity, and some of the Eastern Snakes, having been led to believe that the whites are very few in number. I have not heard the chiefs of the more western tribes speak of such a visit, but they would probably join in it. As my instructions did not direct any such arrangement, I could only inform the chief that I would make his wishes known to the Great Father.
Washikee expresses himself in favor of the reserve system, and has named a section of country near the Medicine Bow butte, on the border lands of his tribe, as a suitable place for farming purposes. I should anticipate some difficulty at the present time in any endeavor to unite the Eastern Snakes upon a reserve. I made them offers of seeds and utensils, which were not well received.
They express themselves very favorably in reference to herding, and might be restrained to habits of discipline and self-denial in this respect were suitable agents appointed to reside among them.
They are a wandering tribe, and range at different seasons of the year, as necessity calls, over the entire region I have described.
The Salt Lake Diggers intermarry with the Eastern Snakes, and are on good terms with them.
Among these Indians are some of the worst in the mountains.
MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS. 123
Washikee will not permit a horse thief or a vagabond to remain in his band, but many of the Mormon Indians go about the country with minor chiefs calling themselves Eastern Snakes.
Old Snag, a chief sometimes seen on Green river, who proclaims himself an Eastern Snake, and friend of the Americans, but who is, I am informed, half Pannack, is of this class. His character is very doubtful. Although no actual proof exists of his participation in robberies, he has been known to permit young men to travel in his band who have stolen horses from emigrants. An instance of this sort has occurred the present season, to which I shall refer in my remarks upon the Pannack tribe.
Southern Indians pass, on their way " to buffalo," (a technical term,) through the lands of the Eastern Snakes and Pannacks, and the latter are often made to bear the blame of their horse-stealing proclivities. The Southern or Salt Lake Snakes or Diggers are, as a class, more civilized than Washikee's band. Many of them speak English exceedingly well, and are very good farm laborers. They are the most dangerous Indians in the country, and if they could be gathered on reserves during the passage of the emigration, where they can be made to support themselves much more readily than the northern Indians, it would be a matter of great benefit to the overland travel.
Any steps which could be taken to augment the power of Washikee; who is perfectly safe in his attachment to the Americans and northern mountaineers, would also prove beneficial.
A depredation was committed in the Eastern Snake country, by Salt Lake Diggers, on their way " to buffalo ;" a fine ox being shot down, owing to a quarrel, which grew out of a horse-trade with an emigrant, named Amberson Huff. The man could not have gone on without another ox, which was purchased for him out of the funds of the wagon road expedition, and charged to your bureau.
The Eastern Snakes speak the same language as the Camanches, and often visit that warlike tribe.
The Southern Snakes or Diggers have slightly different pronunciation for some words. Their language is called by mountaineers Digger Snake.
The Western Snakes, who go about the country with the Pannacks, also use a slightly different pronunciation from the Camanche or pure Snake of the eastern mountains.
THE BANNACKS OR PANNACKS.
Mr. C. C. Menshall, who received my instructions to pass in advance of the main expedition to Salt Lake City, organize a party of Mormons, load a train with flour for the main expedition, repair the western end of the mountain section of the new road, and thence working towards the eastern approach, join me on Salt river, first met the Pannacks near Smoky cañon, (so called.) They were in force, but treated his party with civility. Apprehensions had existed of difficulty with the Pannacks, who had stolen horses near Camp Floyd, and were unsuccessfully followed by the troops during last winter. Edward Williamson, who brought the information from Mr. Menshall of the state of the new
124 MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS.
road and of his arrival at Smoky cañon, came express over two hundred miles of distance entirely alone and without molestation, although meeting many small parties of these Indians.
I made my first payment to them July 20, on Salt river.
Only twenty lodges were present, though other small bands were afterwards met ; Mopeah (in English, " Bunch of Hair in the Forehead,") calling himself a friend of the Mormons, was chief of the party. They range through Blackfoot valley, where are large kamass root grounds, and fine opportunities for taking mountain trout. The latter are caught and dried in large quantities for winter use. This band goes " to buffalo," and will not part with good buffalo horses. Their usual route is through the pass at the head of Marsh creek, a tributary of the Snake. The divide at the head of Marsh creek is low, and they can return during winter ; sometimes they come back by way of the South Pass and Fort Bridger. Some of Mopea's band hang about Cache valley, and among the very bad Indians known as the Cache Valley or Salt Lake Diggers. To the latter, and the Western Snakes, may be attributed the outrages recently committed on the overland emigration.
Mopeah's band may be said to number forty-five lodges, or about three hundred souls. They have large numbers of horses. The evening after the presents were distributed, a war party of about thirty Indians, under the direction of Tash-e-pah, arrived.
TASH-E-PAH.
Tash-e-pah, or Louis, who is a noted horse-thief and war chief, is half Flathead. He is friendly to the Americans. I met him in 1857, when he had just arrived from Oregon, with a band of horses stolen from the Cayuses. Tash-e-pah left most of the disaffected Pannacks at Salmon Falls ; but two or three accompanied him. A slight difficulty occurred with the latter. The train was encamped in a commanding position, overlooking the Indian lodges, which were pitched along the valley near a small brook, lined with willows. At about the time of changing the first guard, some of the disaffected Pannacks shot from these willows at the embers of the camp fire, where Walter Briscoe and myself were seated. Two shots were fired, one passing very near Briscoe. A bucket of water was dashed on the fire, and the men were turned out without noise. The herding horses were then led into the encampment, and the mules surrounded to prevent a stampede. The horses were then saddled. While this was going on, taking with me fifteen of the most reliable men of the train, experienced in mountain life, I entered the willows and secured the Indians between the camp on the hill and the mountain.
Tash-e-pah and Mopeah, with several of the older warriors, remained in the lodges, and on the men raising a shout as they charged on the ambush, they called out, in Snake, for us not to shoot, at the same time kindling a fire in the lodges. In my opinion, it would have been entirely out of place to have killed the young men whom we made prisoners. My reason for not doing so was simply the fact that the road in the rear of the train was at this time crowded with small parties of emigrants, men, women, and children, many of them unarmed.
MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS. 125
The Pannacks, although reported at Salmon Falls, might have been in force in the neighboring mountains.
The very fact that Mopeah had visited me with the women and children of the tribe, and brought with him a large band of valuable buffalo horses, was conclusive that he did not intend hostilities. I had proved the friendship of Tash-e-pah (or French Louis) years before, when, with one companion, I passed through his country from Oregon. Mopeah explained the affair by saying that there were two young men in his band who were fools, and angry because they had not received blankets and presents with the rest of the tribe. They arrived after the payment. Several of these Indians were, however, held as hostages, and traveled with the train to Raft river. After receiving their presents they were sent out to bring in the Salmon river party. They would undoubtedly have brought them if we had not fallen in, at the designated rendezvous, with Captain Wallen's command, a military force just arrived from Oregon.
The expedition halted about a week for the hostiles, when the presents intended for them were taken on to California and sold to the credit of the department.
The Pannacks are not irreclaimably hostile. They are well-disposed to the whites, but their horse-stealing proclivities prevent amicable arrangements with them, to become lasting, if it is to be made a cause of war against the whole tribe, Washikee told me that there were a good many young men among the Pannacks who would not acknowledge their chiefs' authority. He also said that when the Pannacks came from buffalo, these young men often stole horses from the Snakes, and he did not go to war about it, because the tribes intermarry and are friends. Mopeah said that the tribe went to visit the soldiers at Fort Bridger, to prove their friendship, and did not get presents. This enraged them, and they stole horses on starting to return to their own country. This is the time they were followed by the troops. Malicious parties, said by the Indians to be Mormons, told the Pannacks that the troops were coming against them during the summer, and seeing the soldiers they necessarily refused to come in.
I was informed by Ten-toi (Snake and Pannack) that he would aid in punishing any horse-thief or murderer, and that he did not care how soon they were hung, if the leading friendly Indians of the tribe were present; but if war was made indiscriminately, and his relatives killed, he should have to fight. Ten-toi is the son of the noted chief and friend of the whites, "Old Buonaparte," now dead. He is not a chief, but has very great influence with the tribe, and has distinguished himself in wars with the Blackfeet.
Our expeditions of the last three years, and the whites generally, are under obligations to this fine Indian. He has, at much loss and expense, and at some risk to himself, several times recovered stolen horses. He saved the lives of two Nez-Percé prisoners taken by the Pannacks. Five of the horses stolen last winter by whites were recovered and returned by Ten-toi ; so, too, two mules taken from the Mormons. He is the Indian referred to in my report to the honorable Secretary of the Interior, of last year. I presented him with a fine Hawkins rifle the present season.
126 MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS.
While on my way to Raft creek, intelligence arrived of the stealing of three horses at Salt river on the new road, by some Salt Lake Diggers who were traveling with " Old Snag." This Indian I have already named as of doubtful character. They took the horses in an easterly direction, on their way to " buffalo." Two other horses were stolen, and recovered. These, with the shooting of an ox, already referred to, were the only depredations committed on the new road, although reports have been made to the contrary. The Indians who stole the horses were of the Cache valley band, and out of their own country. At the time this was done I was two hundred miles in advance, the emigration having nearly all passed. If I had returned, followed the Indians, and recovered the horses, I should not have been able to meet the Pannacks at the proposed rendezvous. My advance party of thirteen men on Humboldt river would have also been out of provisions ; other circumstances precluded my sending back a party and awaiting its return. I, therefore, placed the charge of the recovery of these three horses with Thomas Lavatti, a very reliable half-breed interpreter, and Ten-toi. Thomas Lavatti is referred to in my letter to Mr. Forney, superintendent of Indian affairs, at Great Salt Lake City, of August 16, 1859.
Statements were taken from the emigrants losing the horses, and the papers are forwarded herewith, for your inspection and decision upon the merits of the case. As the men were on their way to California, they will probably make application for payment through some member of Congress from that State.
If an expedition goes out next season, the commanding officer will probably receive the animals from Ten-toi or Lavatti. They will necessarily be of no use to the emigrants, who, in my opinion, are entitled to payment if there is any law under which they can receive it.
Mr. William H. West was sent back to the South Pass to inform emigrants that bad Indians were on the road, and direct them to look out for their stock. He was instructed to bring such intelligence of the conduct of the Indians as he might be enabled to gather. On his return he passed over the route of the recent massacre at about the time of their being committed. He escaped the hostile bands by night travel. He is entitled to honorable mention for daring and successful service, and for the exposure and hardships of his trip. The journey was made in saddle, over a distance of six hundred miles, and at the rate of sixty miles to the twenty-four hours. He traveled with a single blanket, and was without food for forty-eight hours at a time.
This massacre, the murder of the Miltimore train, referred to in Judge Eckels's letter to you, did not take place upon the new road, as stated.
The following report of August 16, refers to it:
CAMP ON WEST BRANCH OF RAFT RIVER,
15 miles from City Rocks, August 16, 1859.
SIR: I have the honor to transmit to you the following important information, regarding a transaction of which you have already probably received some intelligence.
MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS. 127
An Indian lad, named No-e-no-kook, in English, " The Boy that Runs Fast," about fourteen years of age, belonging to Pocatara's band of Western Snakes, came into my camp to-day, accompanied by two other Indians of the same tribe, and informed me of the massacre of a small party of emigrants, about twenty miles east of the junction of the Fort Hall and Hedspeth roads, on the west branch of Raft river.
The attacking party consisted of about thirty warriors of the Salt Lake or Southern Snake Indians under the direction of a chief named Pag-e-ah, or, in English, "The man who carries the arrows." This chief was the leader in the massacre. Two other principal men were present, one named Sow-with, which, translated, means nearer than anything else, "The steam from a cow's belly," and another called Ah-gutch, or, "The Salmon." There were other Indians present whose names are Pah-win-poah or the " Water goes in the path," Pag-en-up, or, "The mist after the rain," and Wah-me-tuh-mah, which hardly bears translation.
Four white men were killed, one man and one woman wounded. After the massacre, the Indian party divided, a portion crossing the mountain towards the Humboldt, but the larger number and the two chiefs going back with the stolen property towards Salt Lake City. They are now said to be either at Rush valley, a favorite haunt of theirs in the Mormon settlements, or nearer the city. The boy brought to camp a blanket taken from the emigrants during the massacre, and which was given him by one of the murderers. He is much frightened, having been present during my treaty last season with Pocatara's band. His idea was to come in and give up the blanket and tell all he knew of the matter. He assures me that none of Pocatara's band were engaged in the affair, which I have little reason to doubt, as they have several times passed small parties of unarmed men, having valuable mules and horses in their possession, through their country since the treaty of last year.
I find it impossible to induce the boy to accompany the, bearer, Thomas Lavatti, my interpreter, to the city. He is more afraid of the Indians than of the white men. I do not like to use force, as it might prevent another disclosure of crime, by destroying the trust of, the Indians of this vicinity in the propriety of making such facts known. I send, therefore, the blanket and the uncle of the boy, who is in possession of all the facts, and can point out the Indians designated. Mr. Lavatti is also perfectly conversant with all the facts of this case, as related by the boy.
The boy met some of the murderers near Rush valley on their return from the fight, and they then told him they had stolen thirty cattle and a number of mules. Three lodges of this same tribe, or Pag-e-ah's band of Mormon Snakes, have been on the new road via Salt river valley the present season on their way "to buffalo" with the party of Ti-wan-doah or " Old Snag." They stole five horses from emigrants, two of which were recovered. Snag can point out the Indians who stole these horses, and should be made to do so on their return home. Ten-toi and other leading Indians of the Upper Snake and Pannack tribes desire these difficulties ended, and will give all the aid in their power to accomplish such a result. This can hardly take place, how-
128 MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS.
ever, until some of the worst of the Indians are punished. The Pannacks are now quiet. I have met about forty lodges. The Kamass Prairie and Fort Boise Pannacks have refused to come into the payment, being afraid of the troops, but have sent back three horses stolen from the whites.
I commend to your notice Thomas Lavatti, who has accompanied me among the Indians when it was impossible for me to obtain another interpreter, and when my party had been deserted by every other mountaineer from apprehensions of Indian troubles. Lavatti rides express to bring the intelligence I transmit, and from the nature of it will encounter much risk not only now, but hereafter.
It is my opinion that these marauding bands are stimulated by inhabitants of Utah Territory to steal cattle, horses, and mules for their (the whites) benefit. All my observations of the last and present season favor this supposition, and I have no doubt that the stolen property of this last massacre will be found in such hands as to fully justify the observation.
I have the honor to request that this letter may be laid before Governor Cumming and General Johnson of the Utah army, and that a copy of it be transmitted to the honorable Secretary of the Interior.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
F. W. LANDER,
Superintendent, &c.
Mr. FORNEY,
Superintendent Indian Affairs, Salt Lake City.
The very important papers addressed by Chief Justice Eckels to the honorable Secretary of the Interior in relation to these massacres, and referred to your bureau, rendered necessary a review of this whole subject. The Secretary, in fact, has especially required from me an explanation of the matter. Nor is this to be wondered at.
It must be inferred by Judge Eckels's letter, that he believes emigrants were advised to take the new road that they might be robbed by Indians or evil-minded white men. He also says : "The road by this camp (Camp Floyd) recently made by the army, is more than three hundred miles the nearest, and much the best road from the States to California, and the public would soon follow it, but for interestedly false representations made to emigrants."
Now this is wholly incorrect; the road is, by actual measurement, only six miles nearer than the one built by me to Carson Valley, it is actually longer to Honey lake, and it is declared by the officers who surveyed it, and by General Johnston, a matter of doubt whether it will ever be suitable for a large ox-team emigration.
In the opinion of mountaineers it never can become an emigrant road.
As to the "interestedly false representations made to emigrants," Edmund L. Yates, Esq., expedition road agent at the South Pass wrote to me: "On entering upon my duties I had the misfortune, as you were duly informed, to meet with considerable annoyance from parties, owners of ferries on the Salt Lake road, and Mormon agents from Salt Lake City."
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Your instructions to me of 6th of July, in reply to my complaint, were as follows, viz:
"Respecting the traders of Green river and the Mormon agents, we cannot do more than simply inform the emigrants of the actual facts in regard to our road. Let them choose which of the two roads they care to travel, it is nothing to us; we comply and plainly obey instructions from the department, therefore do not persuade any one to take the road, although we know it to be best."
So far from being recommended to take it, it appears that emigrants were recommended by designing parties not to take it, and that the only persons who gave simple and reliable information about it, were the officers of a government expedition, appointed under the direction of the honorable Secretary of the Interior. Is it to be supposed that any member of my expedition would make designedly false representations to emigrants ? But the following statement of the letter of Judge Eckels is important, viz:
"You will, however, see by his (Suberr's) affidavit that there were some dozen or more persons at the mail station, on Sweetwater, near the South Pass of the mountains, and that from what he heard and seen there, he was led to believe that mischief was intended to this train of Miltimore's. No such number of persons belonged to this mail station ; and I have requested the agent of the mail company here to make inquiry about who they were, and when and by what road they left."
A party of Mormons, or citizens of the Mormon settlements, had a blacksmith shop near Pacific Springs, ten miles from the South Pass, on the Salt Lake road. They were often at the mail station, on the opposite side of Sweetwater river, from Tim. Goodale's lodge, where Yates resided. Some of them endeavored to prevent emigrants from taking the new route, and may, perhaps, have been affiliated with the parties who stimulated the Indians to murder and rob the emigrants who did so. In fact, from their attempting to influence the emigration, a collision occurred between these parties and Goodale. During last winter, one of the most reliable men of the expedition, left at the South Pass in charge of government property, was murdered at this station. A very bitter feeling has been created among southern traders by the turning of the emigration over the new road. The opportunity is lost to them of purchasing, at low rates, the cattle disabled in crossing the desert now avoided by the new road. The business of the many ferries across Green river is also injured. Fully two thirds, Mr. Yates says nine tenths, of the emigration went by the new road, but on account of the misstatements of the parties referred to, some of it kept the old line of travel. Next year very few of the emigrants will travel the old road, and many of the traders have moved their stations to the new one.
The great freighting trains and the mails turn off at the South Pass, but the emigrants, as a class, do not wish to go through Salt Lake City, and have heretofore very generally avoided it by the winding route of the old road along Sublett's cut-off, Bear river, and the
130 MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS.
Hedspeth and old Fort Hall roads. Some small trains, generally inexperienced travelers, sometimes pass through the city, either to purchase flour, or from curiosity. The following statement, signed by sixty persons, explains their reasons for disliking the route, viz :
"The undersigned, emigrants from Iowa and other States to California, desire to state, for the benefit of those who may emigrate hereafter, that they traveled the road leading by Salt Lake, and found it very mountainous and rough, and most of the streams on said road bridged and ferries established, over which exorbitant tolls were exacted for the passage of trains and teams, and where there were no bridges or ferries over the streams, the fords were not only difficult, but dangerous. They would also state, for the benefit of those who may emigrate hereafter, that they were compelled to pay from twenty-five cents to five cents per head a night for pasturage of their stock at Salt Lake, and as far up as Bear river, a distance of nearly one hundred miles. That for about one hundred and twenty-five miles from the South Pass; towards Salt Lake City, the country was nearly destitute of grass, and might almost be called a barren waste, and the road strewn with carcasses and bones of dead animals, lost the present and past seasons, caused doubtless by the great scarcity of grass ; and they especially advise all future emigrants not to travel the Salt Lake road."
Signed by John E. Movers and fifty-nine others.
The many editorials of leading papers of California in praise of the new route, the proof that thirteen thousand (13,000) individuals passed over it and signed papers in favor of it the present season, and the state of the stock of the wagon road expedition, sold at a large profit to the department, after traveling upon it, are plain arguments as to the importance of the route and of its future adoption by the emigration.
The peculiar manner in which this road has been assailed in official papers reaching your bureau has alone compelled a recapitulation of these details, such as are not usually embraced in an Indian report.
How outrages upon emigrants may be prevented, or the instigators of them brought to justice.
Reliable Indian agents should be appointed, who will reside with the tribes owning the country over which the new road passes. These tribes should be held responsible for its protection. The leading warriors have too much good sense to permit Indians from distant localities to commit outrages upon it, if they are paid to guard it. I believe these murders and robberies are caused by whites, who purchase the stolen property, and sometimes join the Indians in making their attacks on trains. It would be a hard thing to say that these are all Mormon outrages, but the property stolen certainly often finds its way into the upper Mormon settlements. Here the marauding bands are organized. They winter about the Cache and Rush valley settlements, are fed by Mormon farmers during the winter, and are on good terms with them.
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But the population of these upper settlements, as a class, are thrifty and industrious, and, I believe, law-abiding citizens. On their way to and from the Salmon river settlements, Mormons have often been murdered by Pannack Indians. Only last year some mules were stolen from a Mormon train. The Salmon river settlements were broken up by Pannacks. The statement made in the last annual report of the honorable Secretary of War, that the Mormons are never molested by the Indians, must therefore be regarded as grounded on false intelligence. The presence of the agents residing with or accompanying the tribes would in time prove who the instigators of these murders are, and whether Gentiles or Mormons, they could be brought to justice. In almost all communities remote from centers of civilization, especially in the Rocky mountains, are to be found desperate men, often fugitives from justice, and ready for any enormity. Some of the murders and robberies committed in this region were perpetrated by Gentiles. I have good reason to believe that Gentiles stimulated the Pannacks and Snakes to attack Mormons and steal from them. I know the names of two of a party of Gentile horse-thieves myself, but it would interfere with proper inquiry into other outrages if I were to mention them in this public paper.
My suggestion in reference to the employment of agents to reside on the emigrant roads requires this qualification. Men unacquainted with Indian habits and manners, or used only to settlement life, can be of no service. They can in fact do great harm, being liable to be deceived by designing individuals and led astray by false intelligence. Properly chosen agents might have the power of arrest and the means of arresting bad white men. They would be aided by the chiefs of the tribes in taking charge of bad Indians. They should be furnished with enough transportation to enable them to pass backwards and forwards along the road during the emigration. I know many men of that country who can stand exposure, want no extra equipments, and on the common Indian ponies of the Rocky mountains, can travel from sixty to one hundred miles a day. Such men go about the mountains with a single blanket and rifle. They know the Indians of the various tribes individually, and although many of them are extremely bitter against the Mormons, I believe would try to do justice in official relations. The recommendation of the honorable Secretary of War's report, that enlistment of frontier citizens should be made for the purpose of protecting the emigrant routes is a very highly important one as regards the roads through northern Utah. It has been my own experience in my years' travel in the interior, that although the officers of the regular forces of that country, after any really hard experience of rough mountain service, bear comparison with any leaders of troops, and from their military education would certainly appear the best fitted for this practice of their own profession, yet the rank and file are not up to the mark required. They are mostly foreigners, recruited in the large cities of the East, and do not shoot, ride, or bring to the exposed rapid marches of Indian warfare that spirit and energy which seems to be the inherent gift of our frontier population. One hundred rangers from Oregon, and the same number from California, furnishing their own horses, can probably protect the emigrant roads from those
132 MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS.
States to the head of the Humboldt and Fort Hall, on the two roads most traveled by the ox-team emigration. The southern line, recently opened by Captain Simpson, is more particularly a mail than an emigrant road. My own experience of overland mail contractors, at least of the central route is, that they do not care to have either soldiers or emigrants along their routes. The latter, especially, with their large herds of stock, destroy the grass and interfere with the travel of the mail.
I think that dangerous portion of the upper or Northern Utah roads, lying between the head of the Humboldt and Snake rivers and Green River valley, should be patrolled during the emigration by a mounted force of one hundred rangers, which, broken into small parties, would be susceptible, by keeping express communication open, of sudden concentration at any named point. Such a force could be raised in the mountains. To do efficient service, each of these men should be provided with two horses, one of them, the better class of ponies of the mountains, might cost from seventy-five to one hundred dollars, the other, an acclimated American or half-breed horse, would be worth in that country, under any demand, about two hundred dollars.
If a force went up from the border to protect the roads of Northern Utah, it should start from the 15th to the 20th of April, taking forage the first three hundred miles, and move with mules, the American horses being led or driven loose. The class of horses worth two hundred dollars in the mountains, cost from one hundred and thirty-five to one hundred and sixty dollars on the border. Such a force as I describe would not require practice on the march, and could reach Green River valley in forty-five days, hauling all camp equipments and sixty days' rations. It would arrive ahead of the emigration. Here, in the country of the friendly Snakes, an encampment being made, the riding horses would, within ten days after their arrival, be fit for fast service.
By using the mules of the train for all common or ordinary trips, (in this case taking the place of ponies,) the horses would be kept in such heart that a summer campaign against the Indians would be a fully successful one.
Before the sixty days had elapsed, an ox train from Salt Lake City or Fort Laramie could arrive, with heavy freight of supplies and fat beef cattle. Leaving the horses to winter in the mountains among friendly Indians, the expedition could return in the fall. The programme may be varied or improved upon, the simple idea being to have efficient rangers, good shots, and riders mounted on a better class of horses than are ridden by Indians, fresh, and fit for service, in the Indian country, at the proper time to protect overland emigrants. The selection of such horses as combine speed and the form which enables them to keep in good order for work on mountain grass, is as important.
The Indians I have described keep runners out during the entire season, and, by short cuts over mountains not often penetrated by whites, furnish intelligence to distant bands of the approach of troops. They are always ridiculing the attempts made to overtake them by the regular army. When not in force to fight at extreme odds in their favor, they are seldom or never found, where thus followed. I think
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the old, reiterated report of army officers, on their return from such expeditions, "that they saw no Indians," is proof enough of this; and my only reason for these suggestions is that, if suitable agents and presents sent into the country are not deemed sufficient to protect the road, a class of troops fully capable of doing so may be present.
THE WESTERN SNAKES, OR HUMBOLDT RIVER INDIANS, AND SALT LAKE DIGGERS.
After leaving Raft river and the tribes along the new road, to which my attention was particularly called by the instructions given. I made fruitless endeavors to find Pocatara's band. This chief, who last year had promised to meet me near City Rocks when the grass was beginning to dry, had been captured and put in irons by Major Lynde's party, while visiting his camp the present season. Prior to the arrest of Pocatara, he had visited Chief Engineer Wagner's advance party, and received presents. I am not able to say whether his warriors were engaged in the Miltimore and Shepherd massacres or not. At the time of writing my letter of August 16, to Superintendent Forney, I did not believe it, but I did not then know that Pocatara had been caught and ironed. He is a very wild and reckless chief, but I am not disposed to alter my opinion of him until further light is thrown on these transactions.
He has great influence in the country, and we might" better spare a better man." Pocatara's band could have robbed Mr. Wagner's party of their valuable outfit, or have molested his progress, if he had been so disposed. In my wagon road report to the honorable Secretary of the Interior, of last year, I said: "The Western Shoshonees, termed by mountaineers the Sho-sho-kos, hold the country west of the Pannacks, on the road to California. They are a very dangerous and warlike tribe. It is a well-known fact that the Western Shoshonees, of Humboldt River and Goose Creek mountains, have sometimes ventured to attack an equal number of overland emigrants. They fight with the utmost determination, and with the advantages which Indians inevitably procure in assailing whites, have often been successful in the destruction of small parties of our overland emigrants.
"They generally assail them from the willows of Humboldt River valley. When I heard that these Indians had broken into hostilities, had stopped the United States mail, and killed some of the emigrants; who were, in small parties, endeavoring to reach California from Salt Lake City, I thought it proper to visit them, taking; with me 'Shoshonee Aleck,' the interpreter ; my engineers, Messrs. Wagner, Long, and Poor, Mr. Campbell, and the mountaineers, Justus, Gabriel, and Williamson. On my way, I procured the services of a leading warrior of the Pannack tribe, and by his kindness and discretion I was enabled first to obtain an interview with ten warriors, an outlying party of the band of Pocatara, or the 'White Plume.'
" The leader of those ten warriors told me that he would visit Pocatara's camp in the mountains, but that the chief's heart was bad, and that he would not listen to soft words from the whites. I sent by this messenger a few small presents to Pocatara, inviting him to
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come to me, and have a talk. He came with fifty-five mounted warriors, and treated me and my small party with the utmost respect and consideration.
" I have to place on record before your department the simple fact that this young chief, known to be hostile to the whites, treated me with an attention which I have seldom know manifested by the wild tribes of the interior, whom I have repeatedly met, from the very fact that I had thrown myself upon his hospitality and kindness, without an escort or a large amount of presents, with full faith in the better attributes of the Indian nature. He said to me his tribe had received what he termed in the Indian language, so far as I reach the interpretation, 'assaults of ignominy' from the white emigrants on their way to California; that one of his principal men had his squaw and his children killed by the emigrants quite recently ; that the hearts of his people were very bad against the whites; that there were some things that he could not manage, and among them were the bad thoughts of his young men towards the whites, on account of the deeds of the whites towards his tribe. Many of the relatives of his young men had been killed, and nothing but the death of white men could atone for this ; nevertheless, I had come to him like a man, and he would meet me like a man ; that his father, 'Big-um,' (referring to Brigham Young, of the Mormon population,) had sent to him many presents ; but he knew, for all that, that there was a greater man than Big-um, the Great Father of the Whites, before whom Big-um was as a little finger to the whole hand, and much frightened. Big-um, with all his warriors, had run away towards the South when the blue caps, or soldiers, the bands of the White Father, came in sight; therefore, he knew and respected the power of the White Father, and that whenever he should feel certain that the White Father would treat him as well as Big-um did, then he would be the kindest friend to the Americans that they had ever known. I told him that, if after the conclusion of the present year I heard good accounts of him and his people, I would endeavor to bring to him full proof of the estimation of the Great Father of the Whites when I came to see him the succeeding season.
" The whole conclusion of this statement in reference to the Western Sho-sho-kos or Snakes is, that either out of a portion of the wagon road appropriation, or by the action of Congress, or from the contingent fund, as in your view most expedient, a sum of money should be devoted to the purchase of presents to be donated to these Indians on my going into their country, that I may once more visit them and bring home to their uncultivated, but stern and true, natural minds the fact that the disposition of this government is not to oppress or harass them, but to gain their confidence and win their friendship towards that nomadic population which must inevitably pass through their tribes, on its way to California and Oregon."
In a subsequent note I continued to remark : " I learn with great solicitude from the letter of a correspondent in Salt Lake City that difficulty is apprehended with the Goose Creek or western band of Shoshonees. These Indians arc not under the direction of Washikee. The leading chiefs amongst them have a jealousy of him. They are more properly termed the Sho-sho-ko or Digger Indians. They are
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the Indians visited by me, with a small party. They were visited after their attack upon trains and after robbing the mails. Their good faith and kindness were manifested by the first tribe or band (Pocatara's) sending runners the whole length of Humboldt valley, a distance of 400 miles, in order that thirteen of my men, unprotected and imperfectly armed, might on their arrival be passed through the various bands of this tribe in safety to Honey Lake valley, the country of the Western Utes.
Now that the Mormon war is over, and this new road is constructed, saving the emigration the tolls of the ferries and bridges, and the passage of the alkali plains, with their deleterious waters, the South Pass route will be thronged as it always has been by emigrants seeking a passage to California and Oregon. Should any difficulty occur with these Indians, who can easily be held in check or managed by the disbursement of a few thousand dollars' worth of presents—any difficulty from the mismanagement of agents who are not disposed to take the risk of going among them with small parties, meeting them at their own camp-fires, smoking their pipe of peace with them, and gaining their confidence ; or by military men acting under false impressions gained from those who are sometimes disposed to create Indian wars for the purposes of speculation --- I shall feel that the exposure, immediately after these outrages were reported to me, of my own life and the lives of the few excellent men who accompanied me in my visit to this tribe has been a foolish and useless risk. I made these Indians some few presents, all that I had at that time, as tokens of good will. They made me presents in return of equal value. I cannot but believe, should information reach your department conflicting with the views which I have expressed, that there is some misunderstanding which can readily be adjusted; and I offer my services in any direction which you may think it proper to order me on my return to the mountains, to prevent difficulties between the white men and the Indians on the emigrant route."
Again it must be remembered that the boy who with his two relatives came to my camp and told me of the massacre of the Miltimore and Shepherd trains, had no reason for doing so, or for taking this risk so soon after the outrage was committed.
These three Indians were all of Pocatara's band; they gave me the names of the murderers and the elder of the two men accompanied Lavatti to Salt Lake City alone. It was in my view entirely out of place to confine this Indian as was done by the military commandant on his arrival with Lavatti.
Pocatara, when in confinement, was visited by James Duckworth, one of Menshall's party, an old friend and member of the wagon road expedition. Pocatara, who speaks some words of English, refused to recognize Duckworth, or hold any communication with him. It must seem evident that the whites who are to act between these wild tribes and emigrants should possess full knowledge of the Indian character.
They are extremely jealous and suspicious to the last degree; perfect frankness and trust secures their confidence. If agents are appointed who fear to trust them, and dare not travel among them without large escorts, I am of the opinion that complications will ensue more serious
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than have yet arisen along the emigrant routes. In this connection the interesting report of Mr. Wagner herewith submitted, who went in advance of the emigration, in fact was alone in the Indian country, with a party of twelve men, during the spring and early summer, is important.
As I was detained repairing the new road, and did not arrive in Pocatara's country until late, and after he was arrested, and the troops were then in the vicinity, (a contingency not foreseen in making my report of last year,) I trust that this explanation will be satisfactory. In fact we had neither the transportation, the authority, or the time to control the Indians of the whole emigrant road. In several instances I was unable to meet and confer with the Indians because of this presence of troops.
I think the agents should either have some voice in the movement of troops in that country, or the officers of the troops should be the agents. I had no power, for instance, to request Captain Wallen's command to march out of Raft River valley, that I might call in the Pannacks, and had no authority or transportation to scour the mountains or hunt up the band of white men who, I am convinced, instigate these hostilities.
If the rangers were raised as recommended by the honorable Secretary of War, and officered by gentlemen of the army of long experience in interior life, those especially noted for energy and success, I do not know why they would not be suitable agents.
After leaving the country of Pocatara's band, we saw but few Indians. The 25th of August, an emigrant guarding a band of cattle near the willows of the Humboldt, saw an Indian, as he believed, endeavoring to drive away and secrete an ox. He shot at and wounded the Indian, who escaped.
I was not advised of this circumstance, or should have sent an express to warn the emigrants that they would be attacked. The day after it occurred we reached the same point on the river, and as we were about making camp for the night, heard firing in advance. Leaving the train in charge of John C. Burche, disbursing agent, I mounted four men on the few horses of the train suitable for such service, and went on as fast as possible. We caught up with the emigrants, a small train, not apprised of the collision of the day before, just as the Indians had retired after killing one and severely wounding another man. The dead emigrant was lying on the ground, shot through the body, and stripped of clothing, but not scalped.
The wounded man had made his escape. The party to which they belonged were three miles ahead, having joined another train, and gone into camp in a secure position. It was at this time quite dark. The Indians, about fifteen in number, were followed, but, taking to the willows in the darkness, made their escape. This would not have occurred, at least without punishment, if I had felt justified in setting fire to the willows. The grass was dry, and the road back thronged with emigrants, which prevented it. When the train arrived, the body of the dead man was taken to his relatives.
The morning after, with a party of five men, I took the trail. We followed a long distance, and until fires raised on the surrounding
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mountains showed us that the Indians had obtained too great a start to permit of our overtaking them without halting the expedition several days. Dr. John W. Stittinus, physician of the train, took charge of the wounded man, who eventually recovered.
__________
Schedule of the number of the various bands referred to in this report, or visiting the emigrant roads via the South Pass.
I have estimated seven individuals to the lodge. This is a larger number than is usual in a buffalo country, where the skin lodge is less costly than among the Snakes.
SHOSHONEES OR EASTERN SNAKES.
Chief, Wash-i-kee or Wash-i-keek ; in English, " Gambler's Gourd ;" or Pina-qua-na ; in English, "Smell of Sugar." Lodges, 125; subsistence, buffalo, small game, fish, wild roots, and seeds ; range, Green river country ; horses, a large number.
SALMON RIVER SNAKES, BANNACKS AND SNAKES AND SHEEP-EATERS.
Chief, Qui-tan-i-wa ; in English, "Foul Hand," with "Old Snag;" and the Bannack "Grand Coquin." Lodges, 50; subsistence, salmon and trout, elk, deer, and antelope ; range, on Salmon river and the mountains north of it; horses, a small number. A small band of the Sheep-eaters are very fierce and wild, rarely visiting whites.
WESTERN SNAKES
Chief, Am-a-ro-ko; in English, "Buffalo Meat under the Shoulder." Lodges, 75 ; subsistence, buffalo meat and wild vegetables ; range, Kamass prairie ; horses, large number. Po-ca-ta-ra's band, Goose Creek mountains, head of Humboldt, Raft creek, and Mormon settlements; horses, few.
BANNACKS, OR PANNAKEES OR PANNACKS.
Chief, Mo-pe-ah ; in English, "Horn of Hair on the Forehead." Lodges, 60; subsistence, buffalo meat and wild vegetables ; range, in the country of Salt river and tributaries; horses, large number.
BANNACKS OF FORT BOISE.
Chief, Po-e-ma-the-ah ; in English, "Hairy Man." Lodges, 100; subsistence, salmon fish, wild vegetables, and roots ; range, in the neighborhood of Fort Boise; horses, large number.
SALT LAKE DIGGERS, LOWER OR SOUTHERN SNAKES.
Chief, (Indian name unknown,) in English, "Long Beard." Lodges, 50; subsist amongst the Mormons and by hunting and plunder ; range, around Salt lake; horses, few.
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WARRARICAS, (IN ENGLISH "SUN-FLOWER SEED EATERS,") OR DIGGERS OR BANNACKS) BELOW FORT BOISE, WEST OF BLUE MOUNTAINS.
Chief, Pash-e-co or Pa-chi-co; in English, "Sweet Root," medicine-man, and head of all the Bannacks or Pannakees ; thought a wonderful prophet by the Snakes. Lodges, 150; subsistence, roots, and the kamass, with plunder; range, head of John Day's river and west off Blue mountains; horses, very few. They steal the latter from the Cayuses.
The above Indians travel together and intermarry. They hold the entire country, consider the Eastern Snakes as in some measure isolated from the rest, and as being more particularly under the direction of the reliable chief, Wash-i-kee.
If the leading men of the disaffected tribes could be induced to visit Washington, it would serve an important purpose. They know nothing of the number and actual power of the Gentiles, so called, and, in my opinion, are constantly deceived in regard to them.
I recommend to you any of the following individuals as suitable persons to carry out your views in reference to the collection of any information required, or the establishment of agents in the country: Timothy Goodale would make a suitable agent for the Eastern Snakes ; he is very reliable, and has great influence with the chief, Wash-i-kee. From circumstances occurring which led me to doubt some of the statements of individuals having influence with the tribe, and present at the payment, I sent a night express after Goodale, and he was of great service to me at that time. He is now in this city; if required: for service would need a notification, as he is a mountain trader, and will soon leave for the border.
Thomas Adams, a citizen of this district, but who has passed the last seven years in the Rocky mountains, is well known among those Pannacks and Western Snakes who range east of Salmon falls and north of Snake river. He is also familiar with some of the Salt Lake Diggers.
Old Richard Grant, who was for many years the Hudson Ray factor at Fort Hall, understands these western Indians perfectly, and is now in that country. His son John Grant, who is married into the Western Snake tribe, and is brother-in-law of the celebrated Ten-toi, is not so well educated, but can give much information about them. He was born and reared in the vicinity of Fort Hall.
Thomas Lavatti, the half-breed already referred to in this report, is one of the best men in the mountains—brave, reliable, and sensible in all his views in relation to the Indians. I think his advice as to the best method of approaching and controlling the Western Snakes and Pannacks to prevent war, by the use of presents or by a little timely severity to the worst members of the tribes, in concert with their chiefs, might be received with consideration. He is a most excellent interpreter.
Isaac Frapp, or Shoshonee Aleck, the half-breed, who has been two years in the employment of the expedition, is a very excellent and faithful man. He is both brave and honest. His services of the present season are referred to in Mr. Wagner's report.
I think it will be necessary to have a road agent at the South Pass the coming season to inform emigrants of the new road, and to prevent the emigration being directed across the desert by interested parties, who pick up the abandoned, or buy, at low prices, the tired cattle of overland travelers. This road agent should have the protection of a few companions.
It is my opinion that Indian presents should again be sent into the country, for the agents can do nothing without them.
For these purposes I have advised the sending up of a small train by the Interior Department out of the remaining funds of the wagon road expedition. If it is sent, arrangements can readily be made for the transportation of the goods and further communication with the Snake and Pannack Indians.
If Mr. J. C. Campbell is not sent to the California end of the road on business for the department, he can be of service in these operations, from his knowledge of the country. He has been employed upon the wagon road expedition since the commencement of the first explorations, and was in charge of that portion of last year's outfit which was wintered at Salt Lake.
Mr. C. C. Wrenshall, a young man of great energy and force of character, I can particularly recommend in any movements of the kind proposed. He has distinguished himself during his connection with the expedition in various ways, and is fully capable of selecting and purchasing the stock, and of equipping and managing an expedition in all its details while in the field. At least that is my experience of him.
The picked men of the old command are still along the border, and if orders emanate from the department prior to the twentieth of March there will be no difficulty in a train reaching the Indian country before the emigrants.
Much extra labor has been thrown upon Mr. James A. Snyder, the commissary of the expedition, in carrying out the instructions of your bureau, and in the disbursement of the Indian presents. He has had the entire management of this important service under my own direction. He is another gentleman of long experience in mountain life and intercourse with Indians, whom I can particularly recommend to you as an energetic, faithful, and conscientious public officer.
None of the gentlemen of the expedition, called upon to do (sometimes quite severe) extra service in the Indian department, a service for which they were never retained, have ever claimed or received compensation.
The extreme length and discursive style of this report may be excused from the importance of the subject treated.
The pacification or proper restraint of the wild tribes in the vicinity of the Mormon settlements, and along the great central route of overland emigration, cannot be too closely considered.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
F. W. LANDER.
Hon. A. B. GREENWOOD,
Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
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Part 1 (Secretary of War); Part 2 (Commissioner of Indian Affairs and Secretary of the Interior); Part 3 (Commissioner of Indian Affairs - Subsequent Massacres)