Mormon Settlement in Arizona: A Record of Peaceful Conquest of the DesertMcClintock, James H.
History
Mormon Settlement in Arizona: A Record of Peaceful Conquest of the Desert
McClintock, James H.
Arizona -- History -- To 1950; Latter Day Saints -- Arizona -- History
On December 8 seventeen miles were made northwest, to a dry camp, with a
view of the valley of the San Pedro. On the 9th, either ten or sixteen
miles, for the narrative is indefinite, the San Pedro was crossed and
there was camp six miles lower down on the western side. There is
notation that the river was followed for 65 miles, one of the camps being
at what was called the Canyon San Pedro, undoubtedly at The Narrows, just
above Charleston.
December 14 there was a turn westward and at a distance of nine miles was
found a direct trail to Tucson. The day's march was twenty miles,
probably terminating at about Pantano, in the Cienega Wash, though this
is only indicated by the map or description.
On the 15th was a twelve-mile march to a dry camp and on the 16th, after
a sixteen-mile march, camp was made a half mile west of the pueblo of
Tucson.
From Tucson to the Pima villages on the Gila River, a distance of about
73 miles, the way was across the desert, practically on the present line
of the Southern Pacific railroad. Sixty-two miles were covered in 51
hours. At the Gila there was junction with General Kearny's route.
From the Pima villages westward there is mention of a dry "jornada"
(journey) of about forty miles, caused by a great bend of the Gila River.
Thus is indicated that the route was by way of Estrella Pass, south of
the Sierra Estrella, on the present railroad line, and not by the
alternative route, just south of and along the river and north of the
mountains. Thereafter the marches averaged only ten miles a day, through
much sand, as far as the Colorado, which was reached January 8, 1847.
The Battalion's route across Arizona at only one point cut a spot of
future Mormon settlement. This was in the San Pedro Valley, where the
march of a couple of days was through a fertile section that was occupied
in 1878 by a community of the faith from Lehi. This community, now known
as St. David, is referred to elsewhere, at length.
Manufactures of the Arizona Indians
Colonel Cooke told that the Maricopas, near the junction of the Gila and
the Salt, had piled on their house arbors "cotton in the pod for drying."
As he passed in the latter days of the year, it is probable he saw merely
the bolls that had been left unopened after frost had come, and that this
was not the ordinary method for handling cotton. That considerable cotton
was grown is evidenced by the fact that a part of Cooke's company
purchased cotton blankets. Historian Tyler states that when he reached
Salt Lake the most material feature of his clothing equipment was a Pima
blanket, from this proceeding an inference that the Indians made cotton
goods of lasting and wearing quality. In the northern part of Arizona,
the Hopi also raised cotton and made cloth and blankets, down to the time
of the coming of the white man, with his gaudy calicoes that undoubtedly
were given prompt preference in the color-loving aboriginal eye.
Cooke's Story of the March
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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