LETTER FROM SAN BERNARDINO
THE MORMON-INDIAN OUTRAGES ON THE PLAINS
San Bernardino, Cal., Nov. 1, 1857
Editor of the
Bulletin: For the last four weeks, the citizens of our
country have been more or less excited, from time to time,
on receipt of additional information from the plains. In
my last, dated 18th October, I gave you an interesting
narrative by Mr. S. B. Honea.…
Since that time,
I have been as far out as 65 miles on the emigrant road in
company with Mr. M. Babbitt, with a wagon load of
provisions, subscribed by our independent citizens for the
relief of the suffering emigrants who were so cruelly
mal-treated and robbed by the Mormons, and their allies,
the Indians. We sent another wagon load of provisions out,
which preceded us six days, and met the emigrant train
near the last crossing of the Mohave.
To do justice to
our Mormon neighbors, I must say, that on the arrival of
nine men who came in on foot from Cottonwood springs, a
distance of 250 miles from this place, to solicit
immediate relief for those remaining with their families,
some of the Mormons thought this a good opportunity to
redeem their characters by sending out a small portion of
provisions to their relief. This was done, and two or
three of their men went with it, and on meeting the first
division of the train which was some 30 or 40 miles in
advance of the other part of the train, Mr. Van Luvan, J.
H. Brook, and Peter Brown, who were Americans, distributed
their load to the suffering emigrants. The Mormons, Mr.
Daley and Whipple, gave out a portion of their load upon
the same terms; but the Mormons proceeded to the second
division, and there sold the balance of their load at the
following moderate prices: flour 8c, sugar 20c, coffee
20c, tobacco 75c per plug, &c., thus realizing a handsome
profit off what they sold, although the main part of their
load was given by the merchants and others not of their
fraternity. I mention this to show that their avarice
cannot be satisfied, even if they have to suck the heart
blood of their victims.
I found the most
of the people of this train short of provisions, enjoying
hearty appetites, and a determination to be revenged on
the Mormons for the injuries they have received at their
hands. I need not extend my remarks, as the statements of
the gentlemen of this train will suffice to convince all
candid persons that the Mormons are the leaders and
participators in these foul outrages practiced upon our
fellow countrymen… I enclose the following statement of
Mr. Geo. B. Davis, of Arkansas.
Mr. Davis says,
that during his stay in Salt lake City, of four days, he
found the Mormons very hostile to the government, and also
against the emigrants who were on their way to California.
The Mormons made no secrecy of their intentions; they
declared that the U.S. troops should never enter their
cities or settlements, and that if they did enter, they
would fire their cities, and lay it all in ashes, and
carry their provisions into the mountains, and then take
up their abode with their Indian brethren, and starve
Uncle Sam out of the Territory. He proceeded on his way as
far as Fillmore, when he was informed by the bishop and
the people that they were expecting to hear of the train
which had passed that place a few days before to be cut
off by the Indians. Because they refused to sell grain to
the emigrants, (according to the instructions of Brigham
Young,) a Dutchman became excited, and swore that if he if
he had a good riding horse, he would go back to Salt Lake
and shoot Young.
The threats very
much incensed the people of Fillmore, and the men
collected together their rifles, etc., to follow the train
and cut it to pieces. But, according to the bishop’s own
acknowledgment, he stopped the boys from doing so, by
promising to set the Indians upon them which would save
the credit of the Mormons.
The reason why
the bishop at Beaver became so communicative, and
confident with Mr. Davis, was because Davis did not oppose
them in their religious views and doctrines of polygamy.
This encouraged the bishop in his nefarious designs,
supposing that a little sophistry would convert Mr. Davis
to his views and finally persuade him to stay. He asked
Mr. Davis for his only daughter, promised great things,
etc.; but Miss Davis remonstrated, as also did her parents
at the first intimation of this matter. Mr. Davis saw
plainly his true position and the dangers which his family
would be subjected to if he stayed there any longer. So he
promised the bishop that he would go as far as San
Bernardino anyway. The bishop advised Mr. Davis, for the
respect he had for him and his family not to join the
Missouri train, then behind; for it would be dangerous, as
all the Mormons were
down on all the Missourians,
and he expected that difficulties with them and the
Indians would ensue. But, if he could not better himself,
he was to drop the two hindmost bows of his wagon, and
that would be a sign to the Indians. If Mr. Davis would do
so, the bishop would guarantee that not one hair of his
head should be hurt. Mr. Davis reviewed the whole matter,
and concluded to act the part of a
true
American
to join the train, and share the
dangers of the Missourians, and live or die with them.
The company
proceeded on their way, and passed through the troubles
described by S. B. Honea. At the Muddy, a number of the
members of this train, noticed a striking peculiarity of
the Indians which surrounded their wagons. It was noticed
that some of the painted Indians had blue, gray, and
different colored eyes; they had straight, curly, and fine
hair, differing materially from the other Indians in this
respect. Mr. Davis remarks, also, that a number of those
painted Indians had streaks, and spots of white in the
creases round their eyes, being in close proximity to the
eyeballs; also around and behind the ears it was
discovered that the skin of the white man was quite
apparent. The painted
whites
were shy; they did
not act with the same freedom and boldness as the
aborigines did; but undoubtedly they were the leaders of
the band of robbers that drove off the three hundred and
twenty-six head of cattle that night.
In respect to the
poison story as reported by J. Ward Christian, and
published in various papers in California, it is regarded
by every person in this (the Dukes] train as a
fabrication, on the part of the Mormons to clear
themselves of suspicion, and to justify the Indians in
murdering that company of emigrants. Our company camped
four days at Corn Creek, where the poisoning is said to
have been done, was there ten days after the other company
had passed, and at the same time as Wm. Mathews, of San
Bernardino, who started the tale, but during our stay, we
never heard anything of the poisoning. We used the same
water, and between five and six hundred head of our cattle
and horses used the same water, yet we discovered no
poison, nor heard anything of it, till we got to Parowan,
85 miles from Corn Creek, where Mathews started the story.
Mr. John
Hillhouse, another member of the train, says, that about
the month of July last, Mr. Angle, a nephew to Brigham
Young, told him in great confidence that Charles C. Rich,
late of San Bernardino, brought with him to Salt Lake
City, a wagon load of ammunition. And also, he was
informed by other persons, that Wm. Mathews had a wagon
load of gun-powder when he arrived at Salt Lake City last
spring, for the purpose of carrying on war with Uncle Sam…
…This train
consisted of seventy-one souls; Men, 27; women, 17;
children 22. The second division of this train, under the
supervision of Capt. Nicholas Turner, of Missouri, is
expected to arrive here in the course of five or six days.
It consists of ten men, five women, and fourteen children.
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