Show I 1 A G S L CITY may 5 1859 KIRIC andraso ANDERSON fesq ESQ I 1 DEAR sis SIR I 1 returned yesterday from a laborious trip through the extreme southern portion of the territory a at t the same time interesting however the purpose of roy my visit was mas to see and learn the condition locality and character of the pi ute tribe of indi indiana ans and to bung bring certain children to this city the pi ute indians living in the southern part of the territory are divided into ten bands each band numbering from CO 60 to which live and roam on and adjacent to the southern california bearer to the california line and along the santa clara los vegas and rio virgin rivers there is 13 one principal chief whom all the bands re cognise cognize as such each baud has one or more sub chiefs I 1 saw all the chiefs and many of the indians during my recent visit the pi ute indians are not an exception tu the other indians in in the territory in in regard to poverty these are if any thing the most destitute there is is less game in in the country claimed bythe by the ri ate ute indians than in any other part of the territory everything growing grow ing i with ith a life sustaining principle roots seeds grass ac and a peculiar plant called umea all these are collected with great care A few bands cultivate small email patches of land already lio however Never most of the land which aich is 13 a advantageously located for irrigation is is occupied pled begging among the w lutes bites and all sw soi ts of indians merely sustain life and I 1 very much fear that necessity has compelled them heretofore to steal cattle horses ind and mules and to comer commit it the crimes too fresh in in our memory I 1 will render them such assistance in in future as will be in in my power pow er there was during last lasi winter and iq 11 still consi considerable considerate derAle travel atrayel on the alie southern california road most of the travel consisted in trams with goods from california for utah territory this was wag during the season of the year ear when the indians are most destitute indeed many in in a starving condition I 1 am informed that some of these trains were severely taxed by the indians you are well aware that owing to the entangled conda conaton cond ton IP n jo jd affairs here bere I 1 could do ao but little officially until last june since since then I 1 have been constantly engaged among the indians indian endeavoring to ameliorate their condition in in different dif different parts of the territory it a a as my desi reto have ave visited the pi utes m much h so sooner bootier otier this thia was impossible the i alful a awful mountain meadow tragedy was per I 1 1 pet rated in the pi ute country more of this by and bye I 1 fo found U nd in much uch of the road on ray my way south exceedingly bad in in consequence of snow mud tremendous hills and innumerable rocks and stones one wheel of each wagon and my carriage smashed flat besides minor minor accidents and occasionally the males mues straying away and always at a place irom 10 to 20 miles from anyplace any place patience being the only help under such circumstances cum stances never having had much to spare necessity and circumstance however have furnished me with some after I 1 got south of fillmore I 1 found it difficult on my way south to procure a sufficiency of grain for my stock for what A hat reason I 1 ca cannot ano t tell we however got to santa clara finally I 1 neglected mentioning that wr mr rogers accompanied and rendered me valuable assistance si I 1 reached the memorable mountain meadow valey laley miles south of this city wednesday WAnes day apal and at the spring in the south end of the valley arid and where the unfortunate emigrant party was camped from five n e to eight days the valley usually called mountain meadows I 1 13 about six six miles long south east and one to three wide and andal ala nosta ost a continuous meadowland meadow meado wand nd already excellent grass throughout the whole valley the road leading in into the valley from the east goes through a narrow kanyon the road from the valley south turns abruptly northeast north east and passes i over a considerable hill there are two narrow outlets out lets from the valley besides those already mentioned and through which the water runs the entire valley excepting the roads and outlets out oat lets above alluded to are surrounded by high hills bills with several small ravines or gillys between broken and abrupt hills from se verval points within the valey ley proper I 1 could have a distinct view of anything that might be transpiring in in the whole valley valle yi there is is one house with corrall ac in in this valley situated in in the east eael end I 1 have now traveled traded over much of this extensive territory Tern tor and the mountain meadow valleys 1 alley valley is ls the most extraordinary for formation matlon west best of the rocky mountains probably in 1 a I 1 than any jtb other er valley small email or arge ath on the continent yet jet a i continuous a meadow furni Ehin hiew s t i i i s j j gra grass a 9 for much stock but in too high an altitude ala for agriculture of any kind even it if it il would admit of agriculture nature has not supplied it with sufficient A ater water there being but two springs in the N whole hole valley in about the centre of the valley in what is is called the rim of thi the bast basin n 1 or point chere the water either finds finas its way to the pacific or lakes I 1 akes of utah territory nature always profuse in making provision for the weary traveler and his stock has it would extraordinary and beautiful see seem in designed this little valley in ad BO lagh an alti altitude that it can never be di dispelled despoiled by the hands of the agriculturalist for a resting m pw place e and re susi tating tho bro broken ken down stock of the anxious traveler before reaching the desserts that all travelers over the southern california road must encounter before re reaching achet 1 the healthful arid and rich california climate and soil and on which deserts are now bleaching the bones lones of thousands of human beings and of tens ens of thousands of animals I 1 fear I 1 have taken vp upton too much space in in di g the mountain meadow valley but the terrible drama in this little ittle valley hardly bardl eighteen months ago with the cries of women and children almost sounding in ones ears must necessarily make this peculiar valley vailey among the clouds a subject of to the enquiring mind I 1 informed my then guide and interpreter mr ira hatch that I 1 was anxious to see the spot where the massacre took place an and also where the dead were buried I 1 saw the three places where the dead are buried from information received from persons in in and out of the mormon church and observations ions m whilst hilst at the place enables me to say that the emigrant party in in question arrived and camped at the spring in the south end og of the valley friday sept ath ath or 1 8 ih 1857 the amount of pro property perty is is variously from to head and ten to thirty wap ag one OBB my own impression Is is that tha t they had COO head of cattle and about 40 wagons it is is said the firing commenced monday sept 10 before daylight and that the firing was by the indians fighting the said emigrant party then in camp at the spring as already stated the firing was continued some siy say five others say Ray seven days during the five or seven days of f iring arid and fighting by bv the indians the emigrant emi giant party was corralled that is is they made a corrall and temporary fort by their wagons and filled under dundei the wb wheels ls and to the bed of the agori with sand aad earth dug in in the centre of corrall I 1 saw the ditch and other evidences of there havig been a corrall beat lath 1837 morning a friendly indian india n and wh who could talk english came in the corrall the in inmates having then leen been without water from fie to beien days das made arrangements or treaty with said indian the indians to have the property and to spare the lives of the w hites and permit them to return retura to painter creek and cedar city from the spring and corrall to the place where it is is said sad they were murdered and where I 1 saw the graves or imperfect holes is at least one mile arid and a halt half I 1 walked over the ground where it is is supposed they were killed the evidences of this being unmistakable from skulls 0 other cherbo bones es and hair laying lading scattered over the ground there are there buried as near as I 1 can ascertain persons men women arid and children and from one to two miles further down the valley two or three who in in attempting to escape evere w ere killed partly up the hill north side of 0 the valley and there buried and three who got away entirely f but overtaken and killed at or near the vegas or muddy in in all 41 I 1 made strict and diligent inquiry of the number supposed to have been killed and is probably about the correct number april arrived at santa clara this afternoon ai aid d camped in in town hare here I 1 met mr jacob hamblin who rho has been in my employ since last fall collecting certain children and other business among the indians here santa clara myself and party were kindly treated during our stay two days I 1 say in in the beginning of my letter that I 1 purposed bringing to this city certain children remaining of the mountain meadow mass massacre acre these children sixteen in in number I 1 have now in an fn my possession thirteen I 1 got in in santa clara at mr J Hambli hambling who collected them in in pursuance to my directions ions sp and three I 1 got in in cedar city on our way home left there by mr ha hamblin ablin I 1 am pleased to say that mr hamblin has I 1 discharged his uty cuty e in in relation to the collection and keeping of those children the following is 13 all I 1 have been able as yet et to collect of the history of these unfortunate fatherless motherless and pe penniless penny 0 nyles less S children i 11 i john calvin now 7 or 8 years old does docs not his name says bays his family lived at horse head johnston co sas sag X ambrose about 7 years a i liam 41 years brothers brother t be lived in johnston co ti prudence angeline angelin e 6 yea i about 3 years these two are aree a reli tors N hl rebecca 91 years louisa 5 y eab e sarah 31 years from dunlap 6 and annie I 1 betsy years 3 years y to be sisters these know nothing oil i 1 family or residence t charles francher 7 or 8 years a sister annie ai 31 years 41 K I 1 1 sophronia Sophron la or wary mary hut huff 6 year Years elisha W huff 4 years iiii A boy no account of or him those aon fluom he lived call bim william francis hawn or korn 41 years ou old I 1 have come to the conclusion I 1 after ii i ferent conversations with these thes 0 chila that most of them co come me from johnst 4 arkansas most af 0 E them have told me that i they have grandfathers and the state slates ft mr Ilam blim has good reasons reason a tor ir 1 1 lieving that thata a boy about 8 years anibelo and brim belo 9 ing to the party in question IS among the alajos Ina indians ians at or near the CO colomal lOad river i J my aly communication is ig already tool too if but must ask your indulgence for a h f more inore 1 I 1 will ill keep the children under my littan in diate supervision until the appoint to take them to fort smith arrives 4 the massacred an entire tire train not hot one oin remaining to speak of detlie the dr drama arna buti teen fatherless mot motherless berless arid anil penn pennies pes childr children en supposed probably to be locco to give the affair tangibility aamot remain long uninvestigated the cause or reason for the comin coin Bisi fasl ot or a crime so terrible as that of killing ablit at least persons must assuredly become a of enquiry with the proper legal the plute pl pi ute tribe of 0 indians have im been ai are charged with the above crime list lai august my attention was called to th tin mountain meadow affair officially I 1 have made diligent enquiry statements of persons living ilithe neich lai hood and finally visited the southern souL bern co try and now after full enquiry and examination I 1 deem it to be my impel ath e daly to say that the indi indians ars had bad material aicard aid iri a assistance ss istance from arid and in my op the pite pinte pi te indians mould rot haie aerl rei t braked the terrible mass massacre acte kiib a 1 1 and anA assistance 1 I 1 mr jacob hamblin and others of swi clara expressed ouch much anxiety to arb g I 1 guilty to justice J f I 1 remain very respectfully yours ft J foit FOILS L |