Wilford Woodruff, Fourth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: History of His Life and Labors, as Recorded in His Daily JournalsWoodruff, Wilford
Religion
Wilford Woodruff, Fourth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: History of His Life and Labors, as Recorded in His Daily Journals
Woodruff, Wilford
Woodruff, Wilford, 1807-1898
"Brother Rockwell and three others had gone in the morning {273} again
in search of the horses which the Indians were supposed to have stolen.
Toward evening they returned and reported that they had been attacked
by fifteen Indians, who were in ambush in the grass. They came upon
them, determined to take their horses from them, but the brethren kept
them off by their rifles and pistols. The Indians were armed with guns
and bows. When they found that they could not scare the brethren, they
professed friendship to get to them; but the brethren were resolute and
determined not to move but to fight, though only four to fifteen. The
Indians finally rushed upon them to catch the horses by the bits. The
brethren drew their pistols upon them, determined to fight and do their
best. The Indians, seeing their determination, broke and ran, but fired
their guns upon the brethren. The balls whistled around them, but no
one was injured. The brethren did not return the fire, not wishing to
kill any of them if they could help it."
The morning of April 28th the company reached the eastern end of Grand
Island. There Elder Woodruff accompanied the hunters, but a wolf and a
goose were all they secured. In the evening, they camped on Wood Creek.
Great numbers of deer could be seen on the island, but President Young
thought it dangerous to cross over, as the Indians might be in ambush.
The morning following was very cold. The camp was moved at five
o'clock; and after a drive of three miles, a stop was made for
breakfast. Here the hunters explored Grand Island which they found
covered by rushes and cottonwood. The grass was now in greater
abundance. The cattle and horses were greatly in need of improved feed;
and better grazing meant the entrance into the lands of the deer and
buffalo. They saw great numbers of antelope, but could not reach them.
The hunters killed four geese. Elder Woodruff killed two of them and
shot one deer which he could not overtake.
On May 1st the pioneers were well into the home of the buffalo. It
was a great day for the hunters and welcomed by the pioneers who were
greatly in need of fresh meat. Those who knew President Woodruff's
ardent love of the chase will read the experience of his first buffalo
hunt with some appreciation of what that day meant to him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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