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Show DAILY Sunday, September 9, 2007 nn B7 HERALD "i THE HISTORY FAGE GOT HISTORY? The Daily Herald is looking for interesting stories about local history for this weekly page. Make suggestions or submit material by to Executive Editor Randy Wright, rwrightheraldextra.com. Or mail to the No phone calls please. Daily Herald, P.O. Box 717, Provo, UT 84603-0717- . rivalry a heap of trouble Ute-Shosho- ne After some tense moments in Provo, angry Indians shift fight to Pleasant Grove, where warriors engage in battle showing bravery the male egos of the Utah Valley tribe and allowed it to claim victory. This skirmish gave Indian Hollow in northeastern Pleasant Grove its name. and bluster but resulting in little bloodshed. Few D. Robert Carter order to maintain peace their native neighbors, Mormon colonists of Great Basin walked a tightrope strung the Utes of Utah Valley and the Shoshones who lived in Weber Valley. The two tribes had ruled their respective territories long before white settlers arrived. They were very possessive of their land, and encroachment on their home turf by the rival tribe was not tolerated. The Utes and the Shoshones remained enemies after the Mormons arrived, and any kindness or aid the colonists offered one tribe elicited a negative response from the other. As a result, a skirmish in Utah Valley between the Shoshones and the Utes almost escalated into open warfare between the Utes and the Mormons. During the summer of 1854, the Utes stole 22 horses from a group of Shoshones who were peacefully encamped near Ogden. The Shoshones did not strike back at their foes immediately. They bided their time, waiting for a good chance to hit the Utes when their guard was down. That opportunity came on Sept. 22 when a group of Utes camped behind Tanner's Mill on the northwestern edge of Provo near Dry Creek. The Ute camp would have been at about 400 North and 700 West. Their proximity to town may have given them a false sense of security. Barney Ward, a former mountain man who married a Shoshone woman and served the colonists as an interpreter, lived in Provo. He was out of town at the time, but his Shoshone brother-in-laJohn, and his wife were visiting Ward's family. These Shoshones camped amiably with the Utes. they could. Bean later wrote a letter to Brigham Young in which he described what raised the Utes' ire: "They were very angry to think we would stand by and See the Utah's killed by the Snakes and us living on their lands." The Ute Chief Petetania reportedly said he heard Brigham Young had told the Sk shones to attack the Utes. if In Shoshone raid At daylight, a Shoshone war George Washington Bean party put the number of Shoshones at 40, while County Sheriff Alexander Williams said there were 80 charged into the Ute camp, throwing it into disarray. The Utes, who were outnumbered and apparently too stunned to fight back, scattered and hid in barns and other outbuildings belonging to the settlers. The visiting Shoshones, John and his wife, were involved in the raid and became objects of Ute revenge even though they played no part in planning or executing the foray. The Shoshone woman hid a Ute child from her fellow tribesmen and saved its life. Later in the wild melee, a musket ball hit her in the knee, making it impossible for her to travel. John, who knew it would be extremely unhealthy for a Shoshone to stay in Utah Valley under the circumstances, rapidly gathered up as much of his camp equipment as he could and joined the other members of his tribe, leaving his wife to depend upon the mercy of the settlers. The Shoshone warriors killed three Ute men and wounded two or three others. They scalped the dead men, and since they faced no resistance, they rode to Isaac Higbee's house on the west side of 500 West between 100 and 200 North and asked for bread. Higbee immediately sent for George Washington Bean to act as interpreter. A curious crowd of townspeople gathered. They acted friendly toward the Shoshones, perhaps out of fear. Some of the colonists may have been happy to see the Utes, who more or less continually inconvenienced Provo's settlers, receive a drubbing. With Bean acting as their intermediary, the Shoshones received their bread and left town, traveling northward. When Utes who were watching the proceedings from their hiding places saw Bean talking with the Shoshones in a friendly manner, they concluded he was happy to see the Utes killed off so the colonists could seize land and fisheries. The impression was not easily erased At least 100 lodges of Utes were camped near Springville. When they heard about the Shoshone raid, approximately 40 warriors mounted for Provo. horses and rode Alexander Williams said that within an hour all the Utes from south of Provo arrived in town, and according to George Washington Bean they were "painted black and red and feeling devilish." The irate Utes gathered around Isaac Higbee's house where the wounded Shoshone woman had been taken for safekeeping. The wise Mormon leader knew the Utes would kill her on the spot pell-me- ll A . close call Bean tried to soothe the warriors' feelings by pointing out that the settlers protected Ute families from the Shoshone, but this failed to placate them. They begged for guns and ammunition with which to fight the Shoshones. When the colonists rejected the request, the Utes demanded possession of the wounded Shoshone woman. This situation came close to spinning out of control when warriors gathered around Bean while Chief Squash, a Ute who had been slightly wounded in the raid that morning, forced his way into Higbee's house to get the woman. Two or three of the warriors near Bean threatened his life and began to strike at him. Old Chief Peteetneet forced his horse toward the beleaguered interpreter. He bent over Bean and shielded him while pleading for the interpreter's life. At this point, the colonists ran for their guns. When they returned, the Utes gave up their assault on Bean but threatened to settle with him later. Inside Higbee's house, Squash found the wounded woman, rea put his gun volver to her head and pulled the trigger three times. Three caps burst, but the woman remained unharmed. Either Squash's pistol misfired or there was no ball in the chamber and Squash only intended to frighten the Shoshone. With much difficulty, men finally evicted him from the house. ll Out for revenge Seeking immediate revenge on somebody, the Utes rode to Barney Ward's house. Ward's Shoshone wife and family had left for a safer locality, and the Utes found nobody at home. They shot Ward's calf and either stole or destroyed almost all of his personal property before following the Shoshone warriors northward. This all happened before noon. By 12:30, the Shoshones had reached Pleasant Grove and stopped near the northeast corner of William Hawley's ranch. According to Pleasant Grove historians Beth Olsen and Mildred Sutch, this ranch would have been in the northeast part of town at about 8810 Canyon Road in what is now called the North Field District. The Utes under Squash caught up with their enemies at Pleasant Grove, and as they rode into the little hamlet asked a number of boys who were haying if they had seen the Shoshones. Squash told the flustered youths to speak fast. After receiving hurried directions, the Utes rode north to the place where the Shoshones rested. The Utah Valley Indians formed for battle on a bench above their rivals. The Mormon youths found theater seating on top of haystacks and watched the show. An entry in the IDS Historians Office Journal dated Sept. 22, 1854, says the Shoshones outnumbered the Utes 51 to 25, but the Utes seemed determined to do battle after a fashion. The Indian combatants fought by different rules than those used by the conventional military powers of the era. One Ute and one Shoshone at a time rode out about halfway onto the plain separating the two groups. These men shot at each other, often with bows and arrows, and then rode back to where their friends waited for a turn to prove their valor. This method of fighting was exciting, but it wasn't very efficient. After about 40 minutes, not a single combatant had been wounded. But "that was Indian-styl- e combat. Normally, their warfare was more about bravery than killing, unless the element of surprise put the odds heavily in favor of one side or the other. If scores of warriors were killed during a clash, these small bands would have no one left to play the game another day. After the individual shows of valor ended, it was time for mass gallantry. The Shoshone warriors charged the Utes assembled on the bench above. When one Shoshone was wounded, the scrappy warriors retired from the field and rode northward while the Utes galloped onto the war ground the Shoshones had formerly held. This enhanced i If you go What: Utah Valley Chapter, Historical Society Speakers: Ronald Rood, Robert Carter oh "Revenge and Retribution Traumatized Settlers and Ute" When: 7 p.m. Tuesday casualties Total casualties at Pleasant Grove: One Ute killed and several wounded; one Shoshone wounded. One of the wounded Utes was Queech, Chief Walker's brother-in-lan horses About a galloped into the happy hunting grounds after presenting the largest targets in the fight. Where: Provo City Library, 550 N. University Ave., Provo Info: 489-825- half-doze- Although the show was terribly bloody or deadly, it was entertaining. Edward Colton, a pioneer of 1847, told a Salt Lake Tribune reporter in 1906, "In all my frontier life, the most thrilling scene I ever witnessed was a running fight between a band of Utes and Snake Indians." Colton may have been one of the youths watching the battle from atop a haystack. In both skirmishes, in Provo and Pleasant Grove, the Utes suffered four dead and four wounded. Four Shoshones received wounds. The tribe from the north succeeded in stealing eight Ute horses. The Shoshones rode as far as Salt Lake City that afternoon. In the evening, they put the Ute scalps they had taken on poles and displayed them as they danced and sang about their bravery. The Utes returned to Provo at dusk in a greater rage than ever and proceeded to raise Cain. If they couldn't obtain revenge on the Shoshones, they would have it on the colonists. As soon as the skirmish ended, the Shoshones rode into Salt Lake Valley, and the Utes returned to Provo, where they tried once more to gain possession of the wounded Shoshone woman. The colonists again refused to give up their ward. George Washington Bean told the Utes the colonists intended to treat all Indians alike. They had protected the Ute families, and they intended to protect the Shoshone woman. On hearing this, the Utes flew into a rage. They threatened to close the canyons so the colonists could not get wood. They forbade the sowing of wheat, and said they would stop travel on the roads. The Indians ordered all Provo settlers to leave Ute land and move to Shoshone country, especially George Washington Bean, whom they now accused of encouraging the Shoshones to kill Utes. On their way back from Provo to their Springville camp, Utes shot John Turner's calf. They killed about 30 cattle before their excitement subsided. That evening Alexander Wil- liams, Utah County's sheriff, wrote a letter to Brigham Young. He described the day's exciting events and informed his leader that the Utes had commenced killing cattle. Williams wrote that the infuriated Indians swore "vengeance to all Citizens of the County & swear that no man shall touch the Road." Williams, who had been wounded in the Battle of Provo River in 1850, informed Young that the men of Provo had armed themselves for self protection, and he asked Young to send an armed force from Salt Lake City "to kill every darned Rascal" Williams ended his letter by saying he would inform the southern settlements of the Indian problem at daybreak so they could prepare for trouble from the Utes. Peacemaking effort In Salt Lake City, William J. Hawley and his son left Utah's capita for Pleasant Grove on the morning of Sept. 22. LDS apostle George A. Smith and Thomas Bullock accompanied them to Utah Valley. They arrived in Pleasant Grove at 3 p.m. and heard about the Indian skirmish. Smith and Bullock spent the night at Hawley's house and traveled to Provo in Hawley's wagon the next morning. After their arrival Bullock spoke at an 11 a.m. meeting in the bowery on the town square. Appropriately, he urged the men of Provo to finish their adobe wall surrounding the city plat. Smith spoke in the bowery in another meeting that afternoon. He put his considerable weight behind the peacemaking effort, but his influence seemed to do little good. On Saturday, the day Smith arrived in Provo, several Utes repeated their demand for the Shoshone woman and threatened to kill Isaac Higbee and George Washington Bean. On Sunday, they again demanded the woman or they would be friends with the settlers no longer. They backed up their remarks by killing two head of cattle. The next day, they killed seven animals in Isaac Bullock's pasture and left them to rot. The stock killing continued on Tuesday and the Utes added George A. Smith's name to their hit list. They threatened to dance around his scalp. . A horrific event occurred in Nephi, on Oct. 2, 1853, when colonists extralegally executed eight Americans Indians. Using militia reports, diaries, reminiscences, letters, newspaper accounts and other primary sources, Carter will describe this tragedy, as well as the events that pro- voked it and the retribution the event actuated. In August 2006 a workman excavating for the foundation of a new house discovered the bodies of seven of the victims of the Nephi tragedy. Using photographs of the dig, Rood will show how archaeology helped reveal details that enabled scholars to interpret what happened to the victims on that fateful day. Rood serves as assistant Utah State Archaeologist. His latest dig was located near the Utah State Prison at the Point of the Mountain. Carter, who received his B.A. and M.A; from BYU, taught history and English for 30 years in the Alpine School District. He has authored many articles for scholarly journals, and he wrote "The History Page" for the Daily Herald for three years. Carter also has written several books. Little did they realize, perhaps, that they could perform that task without killing the Mormon apostle. In fact, they could do it without causing him even minor discomfort. Smith wore a toupee. Brigham Young received Alexander Williams's letter early on the morning of Sept. 23. He wasted no time in firing back a refusal of Williams's request for troops to kill "every darned Rascal." Young's letter expressed a ciliatory tone toward the Utes. He was likely thinking of the heavy expenses derived from the Utah Valley Campaign against the Utes in 1850 when he wrote: "Endeavor to make the Utes understand that this is a difficulty with which we have nothing to do. ... Let them (the Utes and the Shoshones) have it out between themselves as much as possible, and let our people look out for themselves and their property and not interfere. ... I do not anticipate any regular attack by them." Easing of tensions Young instructed the colonists to protect Barney Ward's family and be careful not to go into the canyons or too far from the settlements unarmed. The Mormon president ended his letter with the following advice: "The Loss of a few cattle does not justify a retaliation sufficient for White men to kill the offenders, this is Indian politics in their savage state, & the white men's should be of a higher grade." Williams received Young's response on Sept. 24, and by that time many of the less excitable Utes had expressed their intention to be quiet. When Williams visited their Springville camp, they expressed fear of the Shoshones and asked for protection from the colonists. The bad feelings Williams harbored against the Utes can plainly be seen by a statement he made in a follow-u- p letter to Young. He wrote: "If you deem it proper you can give my respects to the Snake (Shoshone) Chiefs and tell them that I Can be a very good Snake and render them assistance should it become necessary." Williams particularly disliked the Ute Chief Squash who was wounded in the UteShoshone skirmish and was one of the Indians to agitate most actively for the death of Bean, Higbee, Smith and the Shoshone woman. Williams foreshadowed Squash's fate, possibly unknowingly, when he wrote to Young, "I have taken great interest in his welfare and got Brother Luke Johnson to administer to him in his illness but notwithstanding I think that he will die." Williams underlined the words for emphasis. The tension between the settlers and the Utes had eased toward the end of September, but the Indians had not quite forgiven Bean and Smith. Ute scouts visited Bean every day and threatened his life. He suffered the brunt of their persecution, and his family anguished over his safety. Bean clearly walked on the edge of eternity, and the Utes wanted nothing more than to guide his footsteps down the path to paradise. In an effort to smooth things over, Bean traveled his regular rounds with Maj. Stephen B. Rose, the Indian agent. This gave the Utes ample opportunity for revenge. On Sept. 28, Bean and Rose planned to meet George A. Smith, Thomas Bullock and William Wordsworth at LehL They hoped to check the depth of the Jordan River and do some exploring on Utah Lake. Bean and Rose stayed the night in Pleasant Grove and had just left that village in Rose's wagon when Bean spied a faraway cloud of dust that appeared to be caused by horsemen racing in their direction. Rose turned the wagon around and returned post haste to Pleasant Grove, where Bean mounted a fast " horse and raced for American Fork. As the harried horseman neared a farm in that settlement (where he frequently stayed overnight) he noticed men were busy stacking sheaves of grain in the barn. Bean told the farm hands he was being chased by Utes and in- structed them to keep stacking the sheaves. Then he unceremoniously crawled under some of the bundles. A group of 27 painted warriors overtook Maj. Rose in his wagon. They surrounded the vehicle, grabbed his horse's bit, treated him rather roughly and demanded to know the whereabouts of Bean. Somehow Rose managed to placate the Utes, and they rode on to American Fork where they spied Bean's horse at the farm and began searching for him. The farmhands continued piling the sheaves as the Utes trod through the stack, searching for their quarry. Bean heard their threats as they shifted bundles, looking for him. At one point, they actually strode over him. Finally, satisfied that Bean was not there, the Utes left. When he felt it was safe, Bean crawled out of the stack, rejoined Maj. Rose and drove for Lehi where the two met Smith, Bullock and Wordsworth. Bean and Rose, shaken by their experience, reported what had happened. That day Smith summarized the occasion in the Historian's Office Journal. In what appears to be an understatement, he wrote: "When Major Rose & G.W. Bean call & report the increased anger of the Indians & the threats to have G A Smiths & G. Beans scalps all the Indians having blacked their faces & being a little dangerous among Willows felt it wisdom to return to G S L C with Rose & Bean... with guns & pistols primed." The men didn't rest until they reached Salt Lake Valley. They stayed in Salt Lake City until the volatile Utes cooled dowa 'Disposed for peace' They didn't have to wait long. In a Sept. 30 letter to Franklin D. Richards, Smith wrote, "News has arrived this morning that the Utes have washed their faces which is a sign that they are disposed for peace." Brigham Young's conciliatory actions very likely averted another Indian confrontation similar to the Utah Valley Campaign of February 1850. In a letter to U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs George Manypenny, Young explained how difficult it was to keep peace between the Utes and the colonists when small bands near Provo and Nephi were "at times very ugly in their conduct and conversation, frequently taking garden vegetables, wheat &c. ...insolently in the presence of the owners, occasionally shooting cattle, and often threatening." Young said he found it a continual struggle to restrain the colonists and "induce them to realize the ignorance and degradation of the red men, and preserve peaceful relations; and how suddenly gross aggravation on the one hand and a hasty retaliation on the other, may result in bloodshed and rapine is not always foreseen." Keeping peace between the Utes and Shoshones was almost impossible, Young said, "unless force be resorted to, which I have invariably deemed it most prudent to avoid, even against the anxious desires of each party for us to side with Them." Walking the tightrope strung between the interests of the Utes and the Shoshones was a difficult achievement for the colonists of Utah Valley. Yet, with Brigham Young acting as the balancing bar, the settlers succeeded on this occasion as well as many others. I D. Robert Carter is a historian from Springville. He can be reached at 489-825- |