Show AN VETERAN peter W cownover gives a sketch OF HIS EVENTFUL LIFE early settlement of provo indian fighting father of a large family peter W cownover a resident of third ward of this city ia one of the old time veterans who made aliis country ha was one of the first white settlers of provo he was chief architect builder and proprietor of the art log bahin constructed in this city for many years he held the office of briga dier general of tho utah militia and by virtue of said office bad charge of the forces of utah county numbering about 1000 men the indians knew and respected him and they also knew it safe to stand in front of hia old kentucky trifle within range in times of war he used hia rafla and in times of peace like cincinnatus he went back to his biow but unlike the roman general he waa compelled to grub sage brush dig ditches build bridges and roads and kill snakes before he could use his plow to advantage or with comfort pete cownover a ha was familiarly called was one of those men TOU scare worth a cent the old gentleman ia now in hi eighthly third year and is somewhat feeble in health his brain is detill active howe and his memory is laden with many interesting of the hardships and trials incident to th drat settlement of utah he was called upon yesterday by an ENQUIRER reporter to whom no gave the following sketch of his ov n eventful eveni ful life W use his own words as far as practicable prati cable I 1 was born september 19 1807 at woodford county kentucky 1 remained there working on toe farm until 1822 when I 1 left tor morgan county illinois I 1 carried the chain to lay out jacksonville on february 34 I 1 married ebeline golden and in 1835 we moved to a small place about six miles below what waa afterwards known as and pv been through the hell and beat of the aw eat bag ever since in 1838 the cormons mormons were driven out of missouri Misa ouri and came to nauvoo I 1 joined the church may and for two years was one ot the body guard of the prophet joseph smith in 1846 after the martyrdom of the joseph we went to nebraska and located at what we caled winter quarters I 1 helped to locate winter quarters and before its location I 1 helped to cut and atack tons af hay OB the site aher the town wag afterward built I 1 had charge of the militia at winter in the winter ot 1847 my wife died WB left winter quarters may 6 1848 and crossed tho plains to great salt lake valley I 1 had military command of bro hebar C kimballs Kim balls company my oldest son aaron houghton now a resident of idaho come to utah in in march 1849 thirty families came down to settle provo we made a treaty with little chief the chief of a band of atea and brother of manship wanship Wan ship who had his band near bialt lake that we were to occupy the land south ot ine river and thy were to remain on th other side we all commenced building log cabins on the edge of the river with the my boys I 1 completed my cabin and moved into it a little ahead of any of the others ve built a fort wall to protect ourselves our selve from the indians we organized the company of militia in 1849 in the prin of we laid out the town the old square west square was made the starting point and the town was made une mile square A man by the name of lemons laid out the rest I 1 carried tb chain lor both men for three years I 1 had been living without any wife but on the of married maryj mccarol I 1 have had considerable experience with indians and they need watching 1 never allowed them to get the advantage in 1850 I 1 was made brigadier general of the militia for utah county ve had skirmishes with the indians in february of that year we a whole week they killed on man joe and wounded eighteen others one day I 1 heard six shots whistle by my head but I 1 tell where they came from one of the ballots came so clofa that it left u red welt on my cheek it felt like a hot iron pasting oyer my face after the ahot had been fired caught abight of an indians head stuck from behind a tree I 1 fired with the intention of knocking his eye out but I 1 was a little too quick and hit him on the cheek he never fired any more at me after that the blood blinded him chis indian wa fisherman we atter warda became great friends he used to call and see me quite often the old fellow died a year ago last winter in the summer ol 01 53 a raid was made on and one man killed I 1 got word of it while I 1 was eating my breakfast by 11 1 was in payson with men but the indians had gone to the mountains we went on to salt creek CNe phi we stayed there that night fand then went on down to manti we got just iu time to save the town the indians had been there and had stolen two yoke of cattle I 1 sent 25 of the boys out to get the cattle the bos nad a little shooting match the indians and killed five or six of thara but they get the cattle they dad been butchered and the skins hung up to dry lieutenant general wells icho had charge of the militia fur the territory sent word not ta follow the indians into tho mountains BO we back home on the w ay back the indians tried to stampede our hoyals ai Wille creck we had a bard time of it but we succeeded in preventing the stampede we killed three or four n the indians none of cur boys killed in october 1853 arent over to gintic tintic after some indians who had been stealing rattle on the west side ot iho jake and had been killing a couple of the gerders herders her ders we folb wed the indians about thirty or furty auiles and got back the cat ie and about thirty girad of horses the baat indian wo done in A couple odden were killed at si fork in 1857 when johnsona John BOna arav trai on the road to butali I 1 benl enl to carson with fourteen men to bring in the mission we follow the road but went straight through by compass bridger in wyoming was left in charge of a straw man with a stick in bis arms it toofe Jo linson thre dava to capture the fort defended by thia father cownover is the aathar of twenty four children and th grandfather great grandfather and great areat of over three hundred children bilty of hid grand children are married Q |