Firsthand Accounts of the Utah Black Hawk War

1856

In the year 1856, the Indians, a part of the Utes, again became hostile, and a sufficient number of them went on the war path to make it expensive and annoying to the settlers. The Indians were stealing cattle and horses in Utah and Cedar Valleys and a sub-chief of the Utes named Tintic was the ring-leader of the hostiles, some of whom dwelt in a valley subsequently called Tintic, and others in Cedar Valley; both of these valleys lies west of Utah Lake. The Indians killed two herdsmen,--Henry Moren and Washington Carson, Feb. 21, 1856. When these two men did not return when expected a search was instituted by the citizens.

A POSSE WENT IN PURSUIT OF CHIEF TINTIC AND BAND

"...The posse proceeded into Cedar Valley, and while Johnson (Thomas S.) with part of the men went to the north settlement, ten men were detached to go to the south fort, afterwards known as Camp Floyd. One division of the posse was under command of Deputy Marshall George Parish. The posse stayed at Cedar Fort during the night, and on the following morning sent interpreter John Clark to the Indian camp, about a mile southwest of the fort to talk to Chief Tintic and his followers. He went to the Chief's tent, where several Indians were present. Tintic treated the matter with contempt, and spoke vilely of President Young. The Indians were talking of keeping Clark there until dark, and when when he should start away, they would kill him. He (Clark) understood them; he had on an overcoat and carried two revolvers under it on his belt. He had walked to the camp, and as he was fast on foot (being considerable of an athlete) he intended on leaving to dodge round as he ran. Thus, if they fired at him, they would not likely to hit him, so he said afterwards.

While talking, a squaw on the outside called out, "Mommons coming." The Indians, while in conversation, had stripped and painted in their war-paints, and prepared for a fight; they had their spears set up against the tent handy to get at. When the company came up,  Deputy Marshall Parish got off his horse and came into the tent, walked up to Tintic, caught him by the hair with one hand, and with revolver in the other said; "Tintic, you are my prisoner." Tintic grabbed the pistol with one hand and jumped, the pistol went off and shot him through the hand; he broke loose and went through the back of the tent; then firing commenced. Tintic's brother Battest aimed his rifle at George Parish and fired, but the gun-barrel being knocked aside the bullet missed its mark. One of Parish's friends then drew his revolver and shot Battest through the head, killing him instantly. A general fight followed in which one of the posse, George Carson was mortally wounded, one squaw and three or four Indians were also killed and several wounded. At this juncture, John Clark, the interpreter, ran back into the tent and got two guns and four or five bows quivers of arrows, ran out, untied Tintic's horse and led the other. He laid down on the horse as he rode away, with bullets whistling by him, but escaped without injury. All went back to the fort.

THE BODIES OF JOSIAH CALL AND SAMUEL BROWN

FOUND MURDERED AT CHICKEN CREEK

November 3rd 1858

Juab County

On October 15^th, 1858,--The remains of and Samual Brown, of Fillmore, Millard County, were found is a state of decomposition near Chicken Creek bridge, Juab County. They had been murdered by Indians on October 7^th.

The following details of the murder are culled from the Deseret News of Nov. 3, 1858:

On Friday last some fifteen men started again to renew the search, they met Brother Shephard at Cedar Springs, who had just come in from the north. He told them that he saw a dead body about two miles south of Chicken Creek; accordingly they proceeded to the place and found both bodies within about two hundred yards of each other. Brother Brown was shot through the heart, scalped, and his throat cut. Birds had eaten the flesh from Brother Call's bones, with the exception of the left leg below the knee and his left arm; but it was evident he had been shot three times; once through the right breast, the ball lodging in the back bone; once through the left ankle and once through the head, the ball entering the back part of the scull near the seam and coming out at the left side of his nose. It supposed his throat was also cut, as the blood had run from where his neck lay and his right arm was entirely gone and was not to be found. They were both stripped of all their clothing except their under clothes, shoes and stockings. The remains were this day interred in the cemetery of this place, the occasion being one of the most soulmn I ever witnessed.

MURDER OF A PEACEABLE INDIAN BY OFFICERS FROM CAMP FLOYD.

Fillmore City, Apr. 10^th 1860.

From Deseret News:

Yesterday I heard of the most outrageous murder that has come to my knowledge for some time. When the company returned from Colorado they brought an Indian with them who  has been living at Cedar Springs with David Savage ever since. Some few days since, an Officer  by the name of Kirk, in company with one Johnston, came to the Springs with a  writ for the Indian, whose name was John. The Officer served the writ by arresting the Indian, then started with him immediately for Camp Floyd. Shortly afterwards a rumor reached our City to the effect that the Indian had been murdered on the Severe near the bridge, (he had been gutted and the cavity filled with rocks) and thrown into the river (Provo River). Bishop  Brunson and some others saddled their horses and rode to the place designated to ascertain the truth of the report; they made search and found the body in the river, a short distance below the place described. On taking the body from the water, they found it had been pierced with four bullets, two passing through near the heart.  The savage custom of scalping had also been performed upon the Indian. Such laurels are easier won than worn.

March 22^nd, 1860. The Overland Mail Coach with four passengers was attacked by Indians near Eight Mile  Station, Tooele County. Henry Harper, the driver, was killed and one passenger wounded. Judge Mott, Delegate to Congress from Nevada, who was in the  coach took the reins, drove for his life and escaped.

William Jackson Allred was the first Bishop of Circleville and led the massacre at Circleville that resulted in the murder of 26 individuals.. When that town was vacated on the 28^th of June 1866 he went to Parowan, Iron County, and later in the fall moved his family to Beaver. The next summer he worked a farm on shares at the Buckhorn Springs, south of Beaver, leaving his family at Beaver.

One morning (Nov. 10^th, 1868) when he got up, he sent his little boy to look for his horses and as the little boy was gone longer than he thought he should, he went to look for him. The boy who had found the tracks of the horses could see that they had been taken by the Indians, and showed his father the tracks. Allred then took with him his five-shot revolver and followed the trail of the thieves all day, going northeast through Cottonwood canyon. Having crossed Buckskin Valley into Hawkins Canyon, he discovered a smoke about a mile distant. He crawled carefully to the place where he saw the smoke and here the three  thieves were located in a deep wash sitting by the fire. He stopped to reflect as to what was best to do and seeing one of the Indians with a gun laying by him Allred fired at him, and he fell over; the other two jumped up and ran. He fired at one of them killing him, the other got away. When Brother Allred went down in the hallow  where he shot the Indian he found that the Indian was not dead as he raised up and shot an arrow at him; it grazed his face and went up through his hat. Allred then shot the Indian in the head. He recovered his horses, and before leaving the place he dragged the dead Indians together, covered them with brush which he set on fire, and got back in the night.

 

CHIEF TABBY SENDS WORD HE CAN NO LONGER CONTROL HIS INDIANS

August 12th 1872

On the 12^th of August (1872) General D. H. Wells received the following message from Colonel R. N. Allred of Spring City: Tabby sends word to all the Bishops, that he can control his men no longer. He was in Spanish Fork Canyon yesterday. I with a detachment brought  the heard from Thistle Valley yesterday, having started as soon as I got word of the raid at Fairview. The wounded boy Stewart is dead.

Next day R. L. Johnson of Fountain Green, telegraphed to Indian Agent Dodge for troops to defend the people against some of the bands of savages who had become incensed on account of obedience to Dodges orders not to feed them as he would furnish them plenty on the reservations.

 

INDIAN GRATITUDE

 The following incident as related by Col. John L. Ivie, to his son James O. Ivie:

During the Indian troubles in the 60's---the Indians had stolen some cattle, and driven them up North Creek Canyon, between Fairview and Mount Pleasant. Father John L. Ivie and his company of minute men were in pursuit, and going up the mountain they gathered up  several head of cattle which had been left along the trail on account of not keeping up with the herd. And up among the timber was discovered a lone Indian covered up with leaves; he was sick, and not able to travel with the rest. Some of the boys wanted to kill him, but father said "no, we will not shed blood, unless it is necessary," so they left him and went in pursuit of the Indians and stock till nearly night, when it was decided to give up the chase and return home, taking back what stock they had.

On their return they came across the sick Indian sitting up against a tree smoking a pipe. The men still wanted to kill him, but father wouldn't let them. Sometime after that father and two men were standing guard over some stock in the north fort of Mount Pleasant; they would frequently meet and report to each other during the night, and had got together at the north side of the fort, when they heard and saw the cattle getting up from their bed-ground and moving away from what they might be Indians crawling among them. The cattle kept getting nearer and nearer to where the three men stood, when father spoke to the others and said, "they must be close by." After that they saw the cattle moving as if something among them was going away from them. When morning came nothing had been molested.

In the beginning of the 70's---after peace had been restored, an Indian and his family came to our house and  spent a day or two. He told Father of the occurrence at the fort, explaining that he and four other Indians were there on that occasion and had their guns lying across a cow ready to shoot the three men, when they heard father speak and say, "they must be close by." He said he knew father's voice and would not let the others shoot as father had saved his life on the mountain when he was sick. In appreciation he had now saved father's life.

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