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
That winter, through the snow and ice, Hamblin led another party across
the Colorado out upon the desert, to bring home the remains of their
brother in the faith. The head and the larger bones were returned for
burial at Salt Lake City. It was learned that the attacking Indians were
from Fort Defiance and on this trip it was told that the Navajo
considered their own action a grave mistake.
A Seeking of Baptism for Gain
That the Shivwits were susceptible to missionary argument was indicated
about 1862, when James H. Pearce brought from Arizona into St. George a
band of 300 Indians, believed to comprise the whole tribe. All were duly
baptized into the Church, the ceremony performed by David H. Cannon. Then
Erastus Snow distributed largess of clothing and food. Ten years later
Pearce again was with the Indians, greeted in affectionate remembrance.
But there was complaint from the Shivwits they "had not heard from the
Lord since he left." Then followed fervent suggestions from the tribesmen
that they be taken to St. George and be baptized again. They wanted more
shirts. They also wanted Pearce to write to the Lord and to tell Him the
Shivwits had been pretty good Indians.
The First Tour Around the Grand Canyon
Hamblin's adventures to the southward were far from complete. In the
autumn of 1862 President Young directed another visit to the Hopi,
recommending that the Colorado be crossed south of St. George, in the
hope of finding a more feasible route. Hamblin had had disaster the
previous spring, in which freshets had swept away his grist mill and
other improvements. Most of the houses and cultivated land of the Santa
Clara settlement had disappeared. He was given a company of twenty men,
detailed by Apostles Orson Pratt and Erastus Snow. A small boat was taken
to the river by wagon. Hamblin's chronicle does not tell just where the
crossing was made, but it is assumed that it was at the mouth of the
Grand Wash. From the river crossing there were four days of very dry
travel toward the southeast, with the San Francisco Mountains in the far
distance. There is no reference in his diary to the finding of any roads,
but it is probable that most of the journey was on aboriginal trails.
Snow was found at the foot of the San Francisco Mountains and two days
thereafter the Little Colorado was crossed and then were reached the
Hopi, who "had been going through some religious ceremonies to induce the
Great Spirit to send storms to water their country that they might raise
abundance of food the coming season." This may have been the annual
Snake Dance. The Hopi refused to send some of their chief men to Utah,
their traditions forbidding, but finally three joined after the
expedition had started. There had been left behind McConnell, Haskell,
and Hatch to labor for a season, and as hostages for the return of the
tribesmen.
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