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Show 87 from the s t a r t , as Ives perceived him t o be a Mormon as soon as he came on board. Despite his belief that Haskell was a Mormon spy, Ives did not conceal his intentions. After spending the night on the "Explorer," Haskell was returned to the shore where he reported to Hamblin that Lt. Ives "was exploring the river to see if supplies might not be brought into Utah cheaper than they could be brought over the plains."*^ At t h i s point, Leavitt and Knight were sent back to Las Vegas with the horses while Hamblin and Haskell continued their spying efforts on foot. The Indians had reported t o them that soldiers were marching up the river as well. In r e a l i t y , i t was Lt. Tipton with a supply t r a in that the Indians had seen. Although Hamblin was a t f i r s t determined to reconnoiter the government forces, the two missionaries had a sudden change of heart. "From dreams that night and being strongly impressed by the s p i r i t , we started for home next morning," wrote Hamblin.22 When they reached Las Vegas, they learned that Leavitt and Knight had met Ives's reconnaissance party as they were linking up with the Salt Lake-California road. The Mormons in southern Utah became convinced that the threat from the south was real. The Utah settlements could be approached in any season from the south-there were few natural barriers-and i t threatened to spread the the Mormons' defense perimeter ever longer and thinner. To combat an invasion on two fronts would be a d i f f i c u l t task for the ill-equipped Nauvoo Legion. The Ives expedition had been conceived before h o s t i l i t i e s with the Mormons had begun, but the Mormons were also correct in assuming that the expedition was more than s c i e n t i f i c . Lt. Ives and Captain Johnson were both aware of the present difficulties between the Mormons and the federal government before their expeditions got underway.23 Johnson suggested t h i s was the primary reason for the expedition. And Lt. White, who accompanied Johnson upstream, included details of the proximity of the Salt Lake road t o t h e i r navigations; although |
