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Show I II I II I T WHEN fflEN THE TKE UTES UIES INVADED IMVADED UTAH UTAHI UTAHSeveral UTAHSeveral I ( Several months ago The Times-Independent Times Independent - liublished Ubhshed mbiis1ied an article from thtpen the thepen thepen I pen of Frank SI1\ SI1 Sih Sihey SI1ey \ ey cy , de describing cnbmg the invasion mvaslon of southeastern Utah b the South SOuth- SOuthern SOuthem Southern - em ern Ute Indians IndJans in the yc-ir yc ir ye'll yell ycir ' - " 1893 The story . was W1.S W1S w'as ' very interesting mterestmg ' : and md attracted attracteda a great deal of attention throughout the intermountam country . . The fol1owmg following followingarticle followingarticle I Iarticle article , written tnltten by General GenC"al Gene'ral GenC "al al " ' John Q Cannon , an officer of the Utih Uhh territorialmilitii terntoria terrItorial terrItorialmIldl militn mIldl\ mIldl militi-i militi i mIldlgIves ' \ - , gives further interesting Intereshng data regarding regardin the Indnn Indi'in Indiin ' troubles m in Grancand Grand GrandI Grandand Grandand I and San Juan counties in m the early nineties ninehes The article was first published pubinlied pub hed inthe m in mthe inthe the Improvement Impro\ement Impro ement Impro \ % ement Era of Noi November NO\ember NO ember \ ember , 1928 Through the courtesy of C . L Chns- Chns Chris- Chris Chnsj.ij.uau Christensen - - I ChnsI tensen . . , , . , . . . of Moab . . The . . . . . . . to the . ? ? j.ij.uau jij.uau jijuau "i i "ii.iAiAv3.nn.ni " Tnnes-Independel1t Tnnes Independel1t Tunes-Independent Tunes Independent TunesIndependentis -i.iAiAv3-.nn.ni iiAiAv3nn.ni i.iAiAv3 iiAiAv3 .nn.ni nnni - - ; ; > ; "uc uc " tL lis jia is pnvIleged privileged pnvni-ficu pnvni ficu - lu re-prmt re prmt re-print print rc-i rc i - r iik lilt ; mtereshng interesting mtereshngstory interestingstory UlLt.lcsim UlLtlcsim I mtereshngI story . \ Mr 1\Ir 1 Ir iIr . Christcnsen ChrIstensen himself Iumself played an important part in m the peaceful pe\ceful pe ceful peiceful ' \ set settle- settle settle13ent tIe- tIe tIeI tIeJ)1ent - I nient J)1ent J1ent 13ent . ) of the Utcs utes ' invasion mvaslOn , and his Ius version of the dtfflcult difficulty d.ifficuitj difficuitj . ; w will wili l abo also aL > o be publislied pub- pub pub1Jshed pub - ! lished 1Jshed lislied m 111 ui an early issue ISsueEdItor's -EdItor's EdItor's EdItors - Editor's Editors ' Note ) . I ( By Geneial Genelal John Q Cannon ) I The July number of the Era refersto refers refersI refersI refersto refersto I I to what came caine peiilously pelilously peillously near being a aI acattlemenIndIan acattlemenIndian acattlemen-Indian acattlemen Indian I cattlemen-IndIan cattlemen IndIan cattlemenIndIanVal - \ wai \Val Val which could couldI couldeasily couldeasily couldeasily aI I easily have cost great loss of life hfe andthe and andthe andthe I the destruction of the few and feeblewhite feeble feeblei feeblewhite i white settlements in Grandl Grand ! and San Sani SanJuan SanJuan i Juan counties countles This was in m the late latefall . fall fa11 and early winter wmter of 1894i 1894Having 1894 i Having Havmg had a modest part in avert- avert avertmg avertmg avert-mg avert mg - mg that , conflict , it has occurred toI tome tome to I me that a brief recltil recit\l recit l reclt'U recltU ' \ ' of the U1e tle incident Incidentas , , as zeflected eflected ieflectecj I in my own experiences inconnection In InII inconnection connection with it , might be of presentInterest presentInterestIt present presentInterest presentinterest II IIconnection interestIt Interest It v . was as a season of Intense cold and andI anddeep anddeep anddeep I deep sno'o\ sno'o snoo snows sno'os snoas ' \ s During several weeks I Islept Islept I II Islept I slept and ate and traveled in and upon uponand uponand ' and through an unending blanket of I ofI ' , the beautiful , , ' ' varying in depth froma from a few Inches m In the lower valleys tothiee to toI tothl tothice thice thl ee fett or more on the high mesas mesasand , I and from that to fifteen fifteei fiftee feet in the theI theswales theswales I swales , and canyonsII canyonsUtah canyons canyonsUtah Utah was then a Territory Terntory , though thoughwith thoughwith wIth imminent prospects of being soonadmitted soon soonadmitted II admitted to the sisterhood of statesCaleb states statesCaleb statesCaleb Caleb W WVest West \Vest Vest \ was Governor , , and theNational the theI theNational theNational I National Guard had only recently been beenorganized beenorganized organized The first service requiredof reqUlredof reqUlred required I of the latter was in connection withI withIt with withthe the advent of the western division of ofthe ofthe It the so-called so called - Cox Coxey y s army-a army a - bizarre bizarreI bizarreindustrial bizarreindustrial I industrial movement which , though in- in inI Interesting - I teresting terestlng and at tunes tImes exciting , was wasI wasnever wasnever wasnever never very serious The Guard Guards Guard s sec- sec see- see second seeend sec second - I ond end service seemed likely llkely to be againsta against I a more formidable foe-Ute foe Ute foe - - Ute Indians Indiansfrom I from Colorado who wi Wlt:1 Wlt1 witji ) : i flocks and andI andherds andherds herds in large numbers , were tres tres- trespassing trespassmg tres- tres trespassing - - t trest passing passmg upon the th e winter wmter grazmggiounds grazinggiounds grazmg glounds giounds of Utah cattlemenf cattlemenA cattlemen , A delegation of citizens from that thatI thatsectIOn thatsection thatsection I [ sectIOn waited upon Governor west Westand Westland andl and laid the case before him where where- whereupon whereupon whereupon - upon heproceeded he-pr.Q.ceeded heprQ.ceeded he pr.Q.ceeded prQceeded hepiqded ' - _ . in i h person to Moaband Moab Moaband I Iand and Monticello Monticello Ifonticelio and held conferencenot conference , I not only \ with \ Ith the leading leadmg men and thechiefs the thechIefs thechiefs chIefs of the Indians , but also 'aith aith 'aithCol \ ' Ith IthI I Col Lawton USA U S A , in command of ofI ofthe ofthe ofthe I the Fedeial troops in Coloiado ColOlado The TheI Theresults Theresults Theresults results of this confeience confel ence appeared tobe to tobe tobe I be satisfactory It was admitted thatthe that thatI thatthe I the Indians had no business off theirreservation theIr theIrreservatIOn theirreservation reservatIOn , and they agreed , though thoughsullenly thoughsullenly thoughsullenly sullenly , to go back After seemg seeing seemgthem seeingthem seeingthem them headed eastward and apparently apparentlypersuaded apparentlypersuaded apparentlypersuaded persuaded that the retreat movementwould movement movementwould movementwould would be carried out in m good ! ) faith . , ColLawton Col ColI ColLawton ColLawton I Lawton and his party hastened backto back backI backto backto to Colorado , and Governor West returned re returned re- re returned - - I turned to Salt LaLe Lat.e Late Lake . City . . I A few d dzys d.Y3 diys \.Y3 .Y3 ' \ . later lat.er . , however , a second secondI seconddelegation seconddelegation I delegatIon called caned on the Governor and andI andaserted andasserted I a aserted erted that the Indians Indans ! were stillthere sti11 still sti11there stillthere there in even larger numbers than be before be- be before before - fore , that their promised retirementhad retirement retirementhad retirementhad had only been a feint femt , ending endmg in a detour de- de detour de detour - - tour which brought byought bought ! them into local local- localI localiUes localities localItles - ities iUes Itles where the settlers settler . would be at attheir attheir attheir their mercy , and that they claimedthey claimed claimedthey claimedthey I they had been authorized authonzed and evenadvised even evenadvIsed evenadvised advIsed by their agent to stay wherethey where whereI wherethey wherethey they were , , wherefore they truculentlyrefused truculently truculentlyrefuse truculentlyrefused I refuse refused to leave Telegraphically the theI theagent theagent theagent agent denied all this , reiterating Teiteratmg that thathis thathis thathis I his Indians were all on their reserva reserva- r reservaLion reservation rva- rva rvation - - tion Lion and would 'aouid aouid v . ' ould stay there It was wasthen wasthen wasthen then that the Governor , as Command-er-m-chief Command er m chief Command- Command CommanderInChIef Commanderinchief - er-In-ChIef er In ChIef - - of the Territory s 5 forces , i&sued isued Sued iisued ! : > & , orders for George W Gibbs ancJohn and andJohn andJohn John Q Cannon , the former a captainof captaIn captaInof of artillery , and the latter a captain o of ofcavalry olcavalry ! cavalry , to proceed procted with all dispatch dispatchto dispatchto to the region affected ' , make a personal personalexamination personalexamination personaexamination ! examination to determine detenmne the qucstiorof question questionof of veiaclty velacity veiacity thus raided ralced raied : and collectsuch collect collectsuch collectsuch such information informatlon as should furnistmaterial furnish furnishmatenal furnishmatenal matenal for a piesentation plesentatJOn of thewhol the thewholp thtwhole wholp whol matter to Washington author author- authorities authoritles authorities - ities itles Our orders were to discounten dIscounten- dIscountenance discountenance discountenance - - ance anything that might tend to aggravate ag- ag aggravate ag aggravate - - gravate the situation or precipitate sconflict a aconflict aconflict conflict We were merely to Investi investi- Investigate investigate Investigate - - gate thoroughly , and make report oiactual ot of otactual ofactual actual fmdings-all fmdings all findings-all findings findings - - all this as speedily as asthe asthe the nature of the duty and the exist exist- existIng exist- exist existIng existing - . - ing conditions permitted ) We did not notwear notwear nowear ) wear uniforms . . II IIThe | 1The I IThe The day after receiving these order orders orders'ae ; we 'ae ae \ ' ' ; e were in Moab on the south side o3the of ofI ofthe I the Grand ( now called the Coloradoriver Colorado ] ) river , and at once began our nqwry Inquiry ! inquiryIt nqwry'It 'It It ' It being bemg reported that a small en- en enI encampment encampment en encampment - - I campment of Indians was v.as vas 'aas aas . ' in an al- al alContinued alContinued al- al - - - l ( Continued on last page ) I fWHEN ii1iEN THE TIE UTES VIES INVADED UTAH UTAHContinued UTAH . ( Continued Contmued froow fronll from first page ) most inaccessible inaccesslble nook a few mile m11e3 m11e3"down miledown down "down " the river flver , we proceeded proceedea thitheunder thithea thIther thithe thItherunder thitheaunder -under under - the guidance of two cowboys cowboys"Silk , , -"Silk "Silk Silk 'SIU SIU 'Sltk Sltk - " " ' . " Snell and John Robinson , bott both botl both'Of botl'of bottof ' ' -of of 'Of - whom claimed to have seen many manthe man ; r .uf uf . < of the Colorado Utcs utes in their thelr range- range rangendmg rangeriding rangending - . ndmg riding and to ha\e ha e have \ been threatened by bythem bthem b ; them Sure enough , we came upor upon upoi ' - the encampment comprising compnsing compnshg some half halfdozen haldozen hal : : dozen lodges , whose principal princlpal person person- personage personage personage - age appeared to be a one-legged one legged - and andiP3rtly am ampartly ancpartly [ iP3-rtly iP3 rtly partly - educated native natlve named DaveHe Dave.He Dave DaveHe -He He -.He .He . ' - - - spoke good English Engbsh , and under the the.lmpreS th thlmpres th.impression thimpression ( .lmpreS lmpreS . . lDn lon that we were prospectorshe prospectorsThe prospectors prospectors"he , , "he he -he The " - talked freely , giving glvmg us th the number numberof numberof numbeiof of his own o\\'n o 'n n ' \ ' party , the size of then- then their thengoal - goal goat goatand goa goaand goaland , - -and and - pony herds which we saw grazing grazingon grazingon grazingon on the far side of the ' uver 'lver lver 'rver rver , , the loca- loca locatlon locattion loca location - tion tlon ttion < of other encampments which wluch we we'might we weniight we"might wemight ; -niight niight 'might might " - ' encounter in ourandeungs our \ wandenngs \\andeungs andeungs wandeiings , - " concluding "concludmg concludmg conclnhng with the positive poslthe statement statemen statementthat statementhat sfcatemenithat ; that their agent in Colorado had tolethem told tole toldthem toldthem them to duft drift o\er o er 0er over 0\ 0 \ \ er into mto Utah m ordei order ordeithat , ' -that that - that their livestock might mlght obtain ticIorage tne tic tneIorage thelorage Iorage IoragehlCh \ which \\hlCh hlCh , through over-grazmg over grazmg over-grazing grazing overgrazingtheir over-grazingtheir over grazingtheir - , , thelr their own reservation reservatlOn no longer af- af afforded af afforded - forded fordedThe The interview mterVlew ended , I ubuttoned ubuttonedmy ur upbuttonecmy ! } buttonec buttonecmy my blouse blome : to consult myatch my \ watch \\atch atch to see sec secnhethei seewhethel nhethei ' \ hethel there \ was as enough of daytimeleft daytime ; 1eft left " eft to warrant , a return to Moab thanight thai that tha thatntght thainight . - -night night -ntght ntght - It , was vvas .as as . an ill-considered ill considered - gesture gestureDave's gestureDave's gestureDave's gestureDaves Dave's Daves ' eyes fastened upon my armsbelt anny arm3 annybelt arm3belt belt and pi tol , and his Ius suspicions m- m mstant1 in instantly - ' stant1 stantly stantb took tlie the form fonn of clam-like clam like - - Sl- Sl Sllencenot si silence - lence-not lence not lence - not another word dide did \ we \\e e get oul out outf outof -f f of - { ) > f him hun But that wa was , ; not the v.orst vorst worst v.orst'Ve worstWe . worstWe worstWeere 'Ve Ve We ' \\ere ere v.ere vere Here . \ \ soon scon to learn that , , travel as asrapldly a arapidly asrapidly rapldly rapidly as v . we e nught-and nught and might-and might might - - and we rode rodestrong rodestrong rodestrong strong , grain-fed grain fed - horses-the horses the horses - the news oiCTQUT of ofroll of oftour roll t-our t our ' - ! " presence and the nature of our ow ourmqUU'Ies owmquirres ouiinquiries mqUU'Ies mqUUIes mquirres ' had pieceded pleceded preceded us , , and wefaura we we"fouro ' - -"fouro "fouro fouro -faura faura fourox - " . t"b.e tb.e tbe 't"he the he ' " " . transients uncommumcaUve uncommunicative uncommunicativeand uncommumcaUve.and .and and . gu'ileful guileful guTIefu1 ' Only a fevy few hours lat.er later latercon . , , . con ( on am-Mng am Mng arrnmg arriving - at Monticello , sixty miles mile milesa milesaway : away a w , the storekeepci storekeepel storekeeper told me he had hadneard hadheard had"heard hadheard neard heard " his Indian customers CUSW"l1ers CUSWl1ers " talkmg talking talkmgmystenously talkingmysteriously talkingmysteriously mystenously mysteriously about a 'Meucat Meucat ' 3 ' Mcucat Metrcat Capi'tain Capl- Capl Capi- Capi Capltam Capi-"tain Capi "tain tain - - - tam 'tain tain " ' tamho " \ who \\ho ho hoas \ was \\as as m 111 their midst fIshmg fishmgfor fishingfor for or information mformatlon It was a convincingdemonstration convincingdemonstration convincing convincingdemonstration demonstration of the uncanny abor abor- aborJ.gmal abor- abor aboriginal aboriginal - - . iginal J.gmal Jgmal faculty for transmitting transmltting ne\\ ne news nes \ s 1 1do I Ido 1do do not pretend to say they employed employedtelepath employedtelepathy employedtelepathy telepath telepathy ) , , "underground underground " . telegraph t.elegraph " ofany or of or'any oiany 'any any ' other of the mental ment31 or |