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
Only one Indian disputed my progress. With one blow I stretched him on
the ground. All would probably have passed off well enough, had I not
kicked him as he fell. This was contrary to their code of honor, and I
paid a fine for this breach of custom.
I was acknowledged the victor, and it was decided that the squaw was
mine. I immediately turned her over to the Indian that she desired for
a husband.
This was my first and last fight for a squaw. It gave me a prestige
among them that greatly added to my subsequent influence.
This short and lonely mission was brought to a close by my return to
Harmony.
In the beginning of winter, I went down to the Santa Clara in company
with Brothers Ira Hatch, Samuel Knight, Thales Haskell and A. P. Hardy.
We worked with the Indians, and gained much influence over them. We
built a log cabin, and a dam to take out the waters of the Santa Clara
Creek to irrigate the bottom land. Hard labor and exposure brought on
me a severe attack of sickness. At the same time there came a heavy
fall of snow, which made it impracticable to get any assistance from
the nearest settlement, forty miles distant.
The brethren began to entertain some doubts about my recovery. However,
after laying sick fourteen days, with nothing to nourish me but bread
made of moldy, bitter corn meal, Brother Samuel Atwood arrived from
Harmony with some good things to strengthen me.
After a few days, I started with Brother Atwood on horseback, for
Harmony. I rode to Cottonwood Creek, where the town of Harrisburg now
stands. I felt exhausted, and could go no farther. I was assisted off
my horse and lay on the ground, where I fainted. Brother Atwood brought
some water in the leather holster of his pistol, and put some of it in
my mouth and on my head, which revived me.
With slow and careful traveling I was able to reach Harmony; but I was
so reduced in flesh that my friends did not recognize me.
As soon as my health would permit, I returned to the Santa Clara.
I have before referred to a custom among the Piutes of taking women
from each other. Sometimes two claimants decided who should be the
possessor of the woman, by single combat; but more generally, each
claimant would gather to his assistance all the friends he could, and
the fighting would be kept up until one side was conquered, when the
claimant who had led the victorious party, would take possession of the
woman.
I have seen such engagements last all day and a part of the night. In
one of these, in which over one hundred men took a part, some of the
combatants became angry, and fought in good earnest.
At the close of the day, it was still undecided who was the victor. At
night large fires were lighted, arranged in a circle, and some forty of
the combatants came in to decide the matter.
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