Show IEeort J fi i i 1 oJpector 3e3eraI Xat I tUQa St Yterday f 1 j > = WFB1 > G43VROR W18T rJ t k > If bm ir v A DRECT WIAL O D V i tJ tTjI c S tJtiP iJI 5 > tiP S r I f S r Jl f 4 T W1t1iser TJter r kt i4re4Ini11 s IltFo i oiorahomepeu 1 Crtu1atedViea tJie t 5 c fi I > r iE WPMJeclc N GU 3 43Yfl1jhis 0 rorf or bs PJlutitheTte i nvarfonC The i te o rttjfc ttbrl given f ba1oit f SaltLice City Dec IS1Sit1 To tHis xoeH ncy i BTon Caleb lT West Conw derin > CWeft TJ TtG X bee the honor to transmJt iwre with a repw 9f my do4ngsin connect tion wlth ihe invasion of San Juan and Grand courffifes Utah > The invasion seems to lave commenced com-menced In NovemfoerlM and conlln u d into Xtecknrber In obedience tAf your order ot Deco Dec-o 1 went MoabGrandrpoUoty i Utah reaching the place at 6 j m Dec 6 OX the five cases of carbines ana lOOC rounds of ammunition taken with mt jfor distribution under your order took with me to oabon the th onlj one case of gunBandl000 rounds Qi cartridges KorlacXof Hranspqrtastion the malflderjotbeguns and ammu Jiitton did notreaclr Moab until th E evening of the7th J JefMhree cases of guais and 4000rrounds of ammunition ammuni-tion at 1IOSIbo r distrIbution under dteoijoa of county officials Prop receipts w nit ii > therefor which was duly forwnrdod rio you by mail On the morningof 8 I left foi Mpnficello accompanied by a driver 1 1 camped for herslght at what Is known as Hotel Tlanch irCDry Valley ThE march tor journey was resumed Dec 9 and continued alUday through Dry ralley and up the Blue mountains The last seven miles otthe journey were passed through a blinding snow storm awl bllrzard Manitlcello was reached at 630 p rib Dry Valley is situated in San Juan county aid affords winter win-ter feed and water for the herds and stock men in much if not all the surrounding sur-rounding fry Ifhastoeen depended depend-ed upon for this purpose for years past To be deprived of the use of thE pasture arid wajter of this valley es pcfdally meant starvation to the cattle cat-tle sheep and horses belonging to the oitizena of Utaih The loss resulting from such deprivation could not be easily calculated tout it would surely be enormous The TJte Indians ball driven herds of ponies goats and sheep into this amd adjolning valleys taken possession of all watering places at or about the valley and by eo doing do-ing aiad deprived the settlers and stockmen of the use or benefit ol either pasture or waiter These Indians In-dians came from their reservation in Colorado without authority or right They brought rio cattle with them For their meat they depended upon the choicest beeves of the settlers The evidence is conclusive that when meat was needed by any of the Indians a fine beef from the herd of some white settler was slaughtered No thought of paying for such beevss was indulged in In crossing Dry Valley numerous camps of Indians were seen at or near tire watering places skirting such valley val-ley Several bands of ponies were also seen in the valley Monticello Is a hamlet of thirty or more excellent families It is situated near the geographical center of San Juan county on the crestof the Blue mountain range and near the base of She peaks It is fifteen miles travel from such reservation to Dry Valley Indian Valley and other rich pasturelands pasture-lands of the surrounding country Prom this it will < be seen that the people of Monticello and Verdure seven miles south were particularly exposed to danger from trespassing or hostile Indians The people of tooth these places are a bright honest thrifty and courageous class They > were defenseless had no arms nor other means of defense The Indians in the vicinity of Monticello were defiant de-fiant and impudent Many of them would demand food and if given to them uncooked would demand cooked food Others would thrust themselves into the houses of the people and require the privilege of eating at the family table In these and many other ways they became a nuisance and were at all times a menace to the peace and security of the people Likewise Like-wise Monticello seemed to be the headquarters head-quarters of the trespassing Indians On Monday Dec 10 the commander inchief arrived In the evening an informal conference was held at bead quarters with Ignacio and several of his subchiefs It was revealed there from that all the Utes except siX or seven families were In Utah at or about Dry Valley and they proposed remaining there indefinitely The aggregate ag-gregate number of Indians In Utah from the reservation would therefore exceed 800 The conference resulted in no agreement It was deemed prudent to send to Moab for two cases of carbines car-bines and 3000 rounds of cartridges to prepare the citizens of Monticello Verdure and Bluff for an emergency or attack Transportation with proper escort was immediately started to Moab for the guns and cartridges The two cases of guns and 3000 rounds of ammunition reached Monticello in safety Thursday afternoon but the necessity for distributjon or use had in the meantime happily passed by Wednesday afternoon and evening a formal conference was held with Ig natio his subchiefs and other ttndiams In this conferense the commanderin T TT chief Colonel Lawton U S A and Indian Agent Day took prominent parts The Indians seemed defiant and said they would occupy and retain the land regardless of orders They openly open-ly said they would not vacate even if the order came from the president of the United States They were told they could go back peaceably or troops would force them back Thus the matter mat-ter stood at the end of the conference Necessary preparations were made and orders given to remove the Irodi runs if they should adhere to their determination to remain Thursday morning the Indians announced a willingness Ingness to go on condition they were furnished rations and feed for their animals while going back The agent Day at once acceded to the proposition proposi-tion and the Indians began to move That very efficient officer Colonel Lawton Law-ton was authorized to and will see that all the Indians go in good faith to the reservation The result of this will be farreach ing and end not only an the final removal re-moval of the Utes proper from the territory but also the removal of all the wandering unattached or renegade rene-gade Indians It will also rid the territory and especially San Juan county of the Navajo Indians who have been trespassing on the southern portion of the county S The guns and ammunition will be returned to the proper place in due time Friday morning Dec 14 I left for home and reached Salt Lake Saturday Sat-urday night The people of the territory ought to be congratulated upoii the success of jour efforts in averting what threatened threat-ened to toe a bloody war This remark re-mark Is made from personal knowledge knowl-edge of what was said and done from an inspection of what would have been the fields of conflict and a careful study of the accurate topographical maps prepared for me In conclusion permit me to thank you for the uniform kindness and courtesy extended to me at all times J J J S t j t P of l S jvTi 1 mail m-ail Otecafefons during Ut 0 t 1Trepk with wtoora we rcame Ia Jeactjn qth Grand and San Juan uties are ajl entitled to hQIo eon I e-on There can be fouhd nowhere 9tthe Klofce braver truer more loy 1l or dvoted people than they No Wtywits requiredwhich J was Qti peril ojut hertIior them io willingly and jtatIy undertake Sad perform No mgea wever great could arise1 to I fc implicit cftwJience to eiecutfbn 1 f Orders AH theae people aided reatiy Ilu brlngkag about t iir pecc rJI 10 eyAeMttxhfcrit tire pro 1 Son synpaihyand tbank o of the eople of the tepit and llation hOravta1n Mustard J3apiaimieamioa IeliiI Lieutenant c E West e desertr > BSrfof much credit forTthe i oqipt arid fteient I wOrk done by > tJjem and the WflJlgtbedJer1ce to t ordersIwithto jecommend eachoaidorncers for rmntlon 4 CVr 1 f 1dive tlie honor to ievery raspect fully S C f B w LtTLOCK > 11 InsistorGenbr I IN GU 5 |