21st A cloudy morning. At about 9 oclock the call was made to
get up the Horses. I started for the Horses which was in the timber abou[t] [page covered]
half a mile from camp I got about two thirds of the way to the Hors[es] [page covered]
when one of the most exciting scenes wcommenced I ever witnessed
I herd the report of several ^guns^ in quick succession And herd the guard cr[y] [page covered]
Indians, Indians, And in less than A minute the timber & Bluffs were lined
with mounted Indians charging with all speed upon our guard, Horses &
camp they shot at two or three of the guard but missed them they
took one of the guard & tryed to carry him off on a horse He knocked one
of them down with his fist & got away from them some of the
Brethren snaped their guns at them but they did not go off, as
soon as I herd the report of the guns, & the cry of Indians & saw
them driving off our Horses & gathering thick & fast upon every
hand & being without either horse or arms I run to the camp with
all speed & gave the Alarm & called upon all to gather their arms &
mount their Horses. Brothers , , , & ^99^
several others sprung onto their Horses with their guns & pistols & run
to stop the Horses which the Indians were taking away one party of
Indians had driven 5 or 6 Horses & Mules over the Hills Br Kimball
took after them. two Indians had gone over the Bluff with my
Horse & Mule Brother Rockwood took after them At the same
time about 20 Horses came rushing toward camp which the Indians
had frightend Br with great exhertion with the assistance
of one or two other Brethren succeding in stoping them & getting
them into camp. As soon as I arived in camp I opened my trunk
took out my belt containing 8 pistol shots & harnessed it onto
myself as quick as possible put a saddle & bridle onto a broken
down Horse for the want of a Better one & I mounted without
spur or whip & started for the chase after my own Horses. I
could not travel vary fast over the rough ground & Bluffs on a
poor horse but I went as fast as I could. As soon as I left camp &
Began to rise the Bluffs I saw Indians gathering thicker & faster upon
every hand & began to close in between me & the camp As I passed
by one Indian He was priming his gun. But I continued the chase
As soon as my horse & mule got over their fright & got out of
sight of camp, they tryed to return to camp & troubled the Indians
about driving them And Brother Rockwood soon came near
them And one stoped & met him when they found they were
overtaken & professed friendship the other still tried to drive off
the Horses Br Rockwood fired A pistol at him & He run & left
the Horses & the other Indian left also & Rockwoow son soon started my
Horses towards ^me^ I soon came up to his assistance & some other Brethren Also
came up & assisted me in ketching them & while I was doing this near
40 Indians surrounded Br Kimball who started for the other
Horses. some of the Brethren started to his assistance after I had
started for camp with my Horses. Indians were also upon every
side of me untill I got into camp I secured my Horses insid the
camp And by this time about 150 warriors had gatherd together
close to our camp All dressed in the greatest stile for a war charge
And the old chif began to address to the top of his Horse voice
the Indians And also our camp, tlelling us they were good And
they thought we were or . When they found they could not
get any more of our horses & 3 had been retaken which they stole they then
professed friendship there was 11 Horses taken by the Indians they number
ed at about 200 warriors on the ground & well mounted & their was not over
20 of our men including the guard that was engaged in any way in stoping
the Horses, or saving them, or retaking those that were stolen. Br
took one Indian Horse & all And Another Indian brought Back Horse which was among the stolen & exchanged him for the Ind
ians Horse, this with my two Horses were the ownly ones retaken during the
skirmish. But when the Indians gatherd before the camp they saw we
as A body were Armed & that we knew them & had fed them & treated
them kindly while on our way to the valley. the old chief then proposed
that we smoke the pipe of peace. And also said that if our chief pointing
to President would go to their camp they would smoke with him
& give him up the Horses which his men had taken But Brother Young did
not feel well & we did not think it prudent for him to go, while in this
conversation Br who had been out on the chase after the Horses
returned bare Headed (Having droped his hat) was accompanied by Br [page covered]
& in riding into camp rushed his horse through the midst of the Indians
& they fearing some treachery or that He was an enemy coming upon them
in their rear, they instantly leaped upon their Horses, scattered & rushed from
the camp some runing into the creek all appeared in great fright. But as soon
as they saw there was no evil at hand they returned & took their places &
had A harty laugh at their fright. Br Kimball volenteered to accompanied
the chief into his camp in the place of Br Young that we might get our
Horses I volunteered & Also to go with Br Kimball
on the expedition so we three mounted our Horses & set out accompanied
by a Frenchman (who could speak a little language) & the Indians to
find their camp; they told us it was one mile we travled 7 miles over
Bluffs & valleys & came in sight of their camp some 3 miles from us
moving towards us. so we called a halt & waited for them to come up
they came & pitched about 100 lodges & their was about 600 Indians
many women & children & they brought with them about 1000 Horses &
mules nearly all of them we supposed were stolen from emigrants &
& other tribes. their encampment presented quite a grand, interesting & amusing
scenery among their Horses we readily discoverd ours which was stolen
the night we camped we camped with Br company we lost
49 that night which they had among their number. The old chief called
the war chiefs & placed them on his left hand & ourselves on his right & set down
upon the grass & filled A long pipe with Kennickenick & smoked & passed it
to his chiefs they smoked & passed it to us we also smoked He then pointed to
us to pick out our Horses which we undertook to do but found it no easy
task to pick out 7 or 8 Horses scattered through one thousand others for
one or two miles up & down the creek however after a laborious search
we got all but two that was stolen this morning. We then spoke to him
about the 49 Horses which they had stolen from us before, they ackn
owledged they had got the Horses & gave us some incouragement of
letting us have them when they got to but would not let us
have them then they however let us have one of them ownly the
brethren brought about 3 bushels of salt as a present to him we then
returned to camp with our Horses, which ended the business of the
day the camp did not move but few rods I travled about 18 m
It rained some during the night
