Jacob Hamblin: A Narrative of His Personal Experience as a Frontiersman, Missionary to the Indians and Explorer, Disclosing Interpositions of Providence, Severe Privations, Perilous Situations and Remarkable Escapes: Fifth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series, Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day SaintsHamblin, Jacob
History
Jacob Hamblin: A Narrative of His Personal Experience as a Frontiersman, Missionary to the Indians and Explorer, Disclosing Interpositions of Providence, Severe Privations, Perilous Situations and Remarkable Escapes: Fifth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series, Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints
Hamblin, Jacob
Frontier and pioneer life -- Utah; Hamblin, Jacob, 1819-1886; Indians of North America -- Utah; Latter Day Saint churches -- Utah
I afterwards learned that as he went on, he met two others of our
company and passed them safely, as their guns also missed fire. When
the company gathered back to the place from which they scattered, we
learned that not one was able to discharge his gun when within range of
an Indian. One of the company received a slight arrow wound, which was
the only injury inflicted.
In my subsequent reflections, it appeared evident to me that a special
providence had been over us, in this and the two previous expeditions,
to prevent us from shedding the blood of the Indians. The Holy Spirit
forcibly impressed me that it was not my calling to shed the blood of
the scattered remnant of Israel, but to be a messenger of peace to
them. It was also made manifest to me that if I would not thirst for
their blood, I should never fall by their hands. The most of the men
who went on this last expedition, also received an impression that it
was wrong to kill these Indians.
On a fourth expedition against them, we again surprised their camp.
When I saw the women and children fleeing for their lives, barefooted
over the rocks and through the snow, leaving a trail of blood, I fully
made up my mind, that if I had anything more to do with the Indians, it
would be in a different way.
I did not wish to injure these women and children, but, learning that
"Old Big Foot" was there, and feeling that he deserved killing, I
soon found his trail and followed it. There being snow on the ground,
his trail was easily seen. It passed along the highest ridges. As I
approached a cedar tree with low, thick foliage, a feeling came over
me not to go near it. I passed it under the brow of a steep hill. When
beyond it, I saw that no trail had passed on. I circled around in sight
of the Indian, but he in some way slipped off unobserved.
Afterwards, when trying to make peace with these Indians, "Big Foot"
told me, that himself and party had laid their plans to kill me and my
wife and child, the summer before when in Pine Canyon, had we remained
there over night. During the same interview he said, placing his finger
on his arrow, "If, when you followed me in the cedar hills, you had
come three steps nearer the tree where I was, I would have put an arrow
into you up to the feather."
I thanked the Lord, as I often felt to do, for the revelations of His
Spirit.
After returning home from the expedition, in which I had followed the
trail of "Old Big Foot," I dreamed, three nights in succession, of
being out west, alone, with the Indians that we had been trying about
three years to destroy. I saw myself walk with them in a friendly
manner, and, while doing so, pick up a lump of shining substance, some
of which stuck to my fingers, and the more I endeavored to brush it off
the brighter it became.
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