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
The Piutes, to a man, were willing to go the way I desired. The
brethren took the lower trail, and on we went. I remarked to them that
our trip to the Moquis was a failure. When we arrived home, we learned
that the Navajos had been into the settlements north of where our
people had guarded, and driven off twelve or fifteen hundred head of
animals, among them many valuable horses and mules.
I afterwards learned from the Piutes, that if the company had taken
the Ute trail, we would have met the raiders with all these valuable
animals on the open plains, after they had crossed the river. I felt
vexed that I did not take the Piutes with me and save this valuable lot
of stock for our people.
I slept out many cold nights in the winter of 1869-70, watching and
guarding with the Piutes. One Navajo was shot when two or three hundred
yards ahead of his company, which was driving out a small band of
horses. The raiders were much frightened, threw down their luggage and
wanted the Piutes to let them go home. The Piutes consented to let the
Navajos go if they would leave what they had. They gladly accepted the
terms. This took place in the Pahreah Pass, about twenty miles east of
Kanab.
The Navajo that was shot was only wounded. I followed his trail the
next day, to see what had become of him. I found where he had been
picked up by his friends and carried two or three miles. Near him was
another camp of raiders, resting.
One of the Piutes who was with me at the time, and had been told in a
dream to go with me, shot two of this company, scalped one of them, and
said that the other had sandy hair, and he dare not scalp him, for he
seemed too much like a white man.
At another time, when Captain James Andrus, with a company of men from
St. George, was with us, a few animals passed us in the night. We
supposed there were three Navajos with them.
We followed them one day. By taking a circuitous route we came within
range of them unobserved. Some of the company fired before the others
were ready. Two of the raiders fell; the others, quick as thought,
drove the horses upon a sharp point of rocks, where they took shelter
in such a way that they could guard their horses without exposing
themselves.
We endeavored to approach them to advantage, but without success. I was
fired at several times, as also were several of the other brethren.
Once, as I was secreted behind a cedar tree, a Navajo crawled up behind
a sand rift, fired at me, and the bullet just missed my head.
Finding that the Indians had the advantage of us, we left them, only
getting one of the horses. The Navajos secured ten horses and lost
three of their men.
Captain Andrus and company returned to St. George, and left Brothers
John Mangum, Hyrum Judd, Jehiel McConnell, my son Lyman, myself and the
Piutes to watch the frontiers, as we had done through the winter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account