Mountain Meadows Massacre: Information Submitted by Ron Loving

Document is as it was copied from the original journal

DIMICK B. HUNTINGTON JOURNAL 1857

COPIED FROM MICROFILM ORIGINAL IN L.D.S. HISTORIANS LIBRARY S.L.C.

Ms d. 1419

P. I

August 10/57 "Went to East Webber to visit Little Soldier & Bam[?]. Found him much excited in consequence of an emigrant going from California to the States, who told the Indians that Brigham was a going to cut all the men's throats and take their women to wife.  I told Soldier to be Baptised and then he could tell when the gentiles told him a lie. He said Tom had been Baptised and lied all the time. He said that Brigham wanted to kill him.

p.2 ...

..... when he took their guns away from them in 53, but durst not. I told him that B[righarnl] foresaw that the time was near when the guns would be since & a famine was coming & he wanted them to learn to farm it as the Mormons did, gave them good homes but they set down on their but[t]s, howel like so many woolves until he saw it was of no use & told me to go & give up your guns again.

I asked him if he knew that the U.S. troops were a coming. He said yes, but he was afraid of them & he would go a way off into the mountains & wait & see how the Mormons come out. I told him that was right for the troops would kill them as quick as they would us. I told him to gather all the berrys that they could & then glean all the wheat they could & prepare for 7 years seage for B said so. & he said it was good & he would do it.

p.3... [August] 11. Went to Boxelder or the city of Brigham to visit the Shoshones in company with my son C. A. Huntington. Found [illegible, looks like: Kortatta Pigiband Katani Neat] & their different bands, 400 in number, men, women & children. Found them much excited, afraid of being poinend. Made them a feast. Killed 6 beeves & 3 wagon loads of bread, potatoes, corn & other vegetables. Gave them the President's instructions to gather all the berries & wheat & cash [cache] it.

p.4.       I had understood that some of the tribe had stolen some of the Calafornios cows, horses & mules.  The chief looked much down and after a little he said he had heard a little that they had & asked me if I was mad.  I told him no.  He then asked if Brigham was mad.  I told him no.  He could then tell me all abut it & even show me whare the horses was cashed in the mountains & left them feeling quite well.

p.5... [August] 12. Came to Ogden City. Stayed all knight with C. West, Bishop. Met Judson Stoddard & Geo Grant a going to see if [illeg] wanted an Indian guide.  We went back to Ogden Hole to Battatoes camp to get a guide.  He said he had no man that he could trust & sent a man up to Box elder to get Jud a gide.  Stopped at Ogden Hole & made a feast for 100 more Indians thare.  The brethren done first rate by the Indians.

p.6 ... Came home & found breathren a leaving going out east to meet an emigration.

[August] 16. Antero Weyeahoo(?] & wife and 8 more Yumpah Ut[e]s came to see Brigham & have a talk.  Exprest great fears about the troops.  Said he would go to the mountains & wait & see how we got along through the fight.  I told him that was good for did not want any help with these, we could get along with them, but he might look out when the troops killed us....

p.7 .... They would kill all of them. But the Indians might run off but God would feel after them they had got to fight them when the Lord wanted them to fight & they would not then be a fraid of them.  I told them how the Gentiles had treated the Indians in times past & said he would think of it.

[August] 18. S Goshah Ut[e]s come from Toeilla, stayed all knight.  Had a talk with them. They exprest great sorrow on the account of.

p.8 ....the lack of ammunition. Said they was afraid of the troops & would go home & wait and see how the troops came out. I told them that if the troops killed us they would then kill them all, that they & the Mormons was one, but the Lord had throwed the Gentiles a way.

Sept 30 [August 30] An express came in from Webber Vally stating that there was a great many Indians a gathering....

p.9 .... at that place & their intentions was not known.  The President told me to go & see to it.  I started the same day & went to Farmington.  Stayd all knight with Thomas Smith.  Next morning Brother Shepperst (?) took his horses & carriage & carryed me to the place whare the Indians were encamped, accompanied by Bishop Stoker & Hes[s]

p. 10 whare we found one hundred & twenty lodges & about one thousand men, women and children.  We met Bishop C. West from Ogden with 4 waggon loads of corn & mellons for the Indians.  We gave them 4 beef cattle & stayed all night & never saw so good a spirit before.  I told them that the Lord had come out of his hiding place & they had to commence their work.  I gave them all the beef cattle & horses that was on the road to Calafornia, the North rout, that they must put them...

  p. I I .... into the mountains & not kill any thing as long as they could help it, but when they do kill, take the old ones & not kill the cows or young ones.  They said it was some thing new.  They wanted to council & think of it.  Ben Simons, a Delaware Indian was thare.  I told him all a bout the Book of Mormon & he said his father had told him about the same thing that they would have to rise up & fight but he did .......

p. 12 .... not think it was so near.  He said tell Brother Brigham that we are his friends & if he says the soldiers must not come, it is enough, the[y] won't come in.  He said tell B that he can depend upon us & I come down to see & if he talk as you do, it is enough.

Tuesday Ist Sept.57. Konosh the Pahvant Chief, Ammon & wife (Walker's brother) & 11 Pahvants came in to see B & D &find out about the .....

p. 13 ...... soldiers. Tutseygubbit, a Piede Chief over 6 Piedes bands, Youngwuols [?] another Piede & I gave them all the cattle that had gone to Cal. the south rout It made them open their eyes.  They sayed that you have told us not to steal. So I have, but now they have come to fight us & you, for when they kill us then they will kill you.  They sayed the[y] was afraid to fight the Americans & so would raise grain and we might fight.

Sept 1/57 Anterro came to see the Pres. & he told him to be at peace with all men except the Americans & when an Indian stole from another not to be mad with any one else but the one that stole & when a Ute stole from the Snakes give up that lman that stole to the Snakes & let them do with him as they had a mind.  But be at peace with all other tribes.

Sept 8/57 Pouolesnoch(?) a Gosha Ute came over to see us & was told the same.

10 Tutsegubbets & Yungwid(?)  2 Piede Chiefs came from the Santa Clarra.  Brigham ordained Tutsegubbets an elder & said that the 2 Nephites that was to tarry would administer to him & told him to go & preach the gospel & baptize among the House of Israel.

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