Show written for this paper PLUNDERED BY INDIANS in september 1850 1850 a large party of mounted men under the command of general H S eldredge arrived at farm 1 ington where the writer then resided about ii 11 p m they came from wt salt lake city and other places near by and were on their way north to the rescue of settlers living in what was known as browns settlement now ogden an express brought word to salt lake city ity that men had bad been killed and houses bouses plundered and burned and that unless help could speedily come the settlers were in danger of extermination more afore men being called lor for I 1 with others in farmington pot ready as quickly as possible taking nothing but horse saddle a single blanket a rifle and powder za aad bt baillet illet no provisions tents or bag leace go of any kindland kind and started on about Id night arriving at browns settlement just before sunrise we found the ett lers from the scattered farms gathered at captain browns place with such few things as they had taken from their homes in their flight and all in I 1 great reat alarm A white man U V stewart had killed white cloud a big chief plome of ome northern tribe for taking some veen green corn in his lot the indians in revenge had killed one white man another narrowly escaping death ha had plundered and burned some houses and Z had gone taking nearly all the horses of the settlement stopping only for a hasty meal we ched pushed on in pursuit hoping to recover toe ibe horses stolen but the indians had wo too much the start and we could not overtake them their trail was plainly wad by the plunder lunder they threw away toads to lighten their loads the pursuit was finally abandoned at the crossing of bear river north on the return march lieutenant james ferguson Eer guson put us through the drill morning and evening captain burton also putting us through our paces on ane the morning of the day we expected to reach browns nelson S was sent on in advance to have provision made for us upon our arrival while the detachment came on more leisurely marching in columns of twos and aW strung out nearly half a mile chattine ftc telling stories and singing songs peter eter was regaling lot smith harlan mcbride myself and others with a song at the extreme rear when we suddenly saw the head of the column strike out on the run and word came hack along the line to prepare for busi ness those in advance on coming to the brow of a slight ridge saw our messenger about a mile ahead ol of us pursued by a party of fifteen or twenty mounted men and he running his horse for dear life ot of course we wanted to save our comrade and raced at the top of our speed to overtake his pursuers however when they saw us pursuing them they turned aside towards ogden hole canyon and were soon out of sight after an exciting race of a couple of miles and halting to breathe our animals we found ourselves in a sorry plight we had not tightened our saddle girths births when the chase began and as a consequence many had bad lost their saddle blana bets some had lost all their bull bullets eLS others had spilled their powder from their powder horns and one man had lost his holster pistol in the two mile run lot smith saw the pistol lying in the road and was reaching down to pick it up while his horse was in lull full run a feat he and many utah boys could do when some ones horse struck his nearly overthrowing both lot and his horse so he left the pistol lying there as I 1 saw passing by after him the men pursuing proved to bea be a scouting party under a lieutenant green who thought to give our messenger a good scare and they did the whole party were court mar dialed that evening and sentenced to be reprimanded lieutenant green to be severely reprimanded but the penalty inflicted did not seem to trouble them much that night a tall finished the events of the day but as I 1 was on duty guarding about fifty squaws squads and papooses oses lieutenant green had captured during our absence north and which were penned up in a big cattle corral I 1 did not dance the squaws squads were of the friendly indians who lived near by reaching salt lake city we were complimented upon our efficient service and dismissed to our homes in truth our service was most timely for had we not come as we did to the rescue ot of the settlement there might have been a bloody massacre the indians being enraged by the murder of their great chief white cloud an act wh which i ch resulted in the death of an innocent white man the loss of many horses the plunder and destruction of dwellings and loss of time of hundreds of men amounting in all to many thousand dollars the story ot of this disturbance with a lew few changes dependent upon local circumstances cum curn stances will apply to many others which occurred during the twenty five following years when all was in perfect peace apparently a sudden alarm would call lor for quick and energetic action to which the settlers instantly responded spon ded volunteers expected no pay lor for time spent nor waited for tents baggage wagons or supplies of provisions 6 but often started out without any rations whatever except perhaps a little dry bread tied behind the saddle or rolled up in the single blanket he carried time was an all important factor in such cases for if the indians had much start it was nearly impossible to overtake them when we were in pursuit puch much time was frequently lost in trying to follow their trail which they were very skillful in concealing and unless a party could keep on their trail pursuit had to be abandoned often they would march in single fie each indian stepping exactly in the track of his leader and one or two indians in the rear would place an ox hoof carried for the purpose over the tracks made by the men making it appear that cattle had bad passed that way but no indians in rocky ground they stepped from stone to stone for long distances thus leaving no trail at all and hours were sometimes lost lose in finding their route again I 1 in such a school many whites became expert trailers trailer 3 and could follow swiftly on the trail of an indian where an inexperienced eye could not perceive the slightest indication of a footstep A blade of grass broken or bent a gravel stone displaced a twig freshly broken were all fresh signs to the experience experienced scout whose perceptions had become by continual necessity wonderfully acute J H MARTINEAU june ath 1896 |