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Show CHAPTER XV A PLAN FOR PEACE With a f f a i r s in Parowan s e t t l e d , Colonel WilliamAH.'Dame and Nephi Johnson left for church headquarters on June 18. Five days l a t e r they arrived in Provo carrying the map and other papers supplied by Martineau before leaving Meadow Valley. Dame l i g h t l y penciled in h i s l a s t movements between Meadow Valley and Parowan, writing "Low Mountain Pass" above the l i n e of t h i s new t r a i l . On June 2h the two men p e r s o n a l l y reported t h e i r mission t o Brigham Young and presented him with Martineau's "Chart" and a d e t a i l e d d e s c r i p t i o n of the country contain- 2 ing an evaluation of i t s water, grass, s o i l , and wood resources. Young approved of their labors, and the two Iron County men returned home on July 2, t h e ir mission terminated. At t h i s point President Young was a l l but i n d i f f e r e n t toward the White Mountain Expedition. Once the centerpiece of the kingdom's defense posture, the expedition was now only a few p i t i f u l farms so s c a t t e r e d and d i s t a n t from the settlements and on land so marginal as t o make them almost v a l u e l e s s . Two thousand miles of d e s e r t had been searched-a tremendous p r i c e for such l i t t le gain. In t h i s whole expanse, the expedition had found but 150 acres worth farming in a two and a half month search. But a t t h i s l a t e date, the f a i l u r e to find f e r t i l e valleys for settlement meant l i t t l e . The s i t u a t i o n had a l t e r e d d r a s t i c a l l y since t h e dark days of l a s t winter when each succeeding California mail brought more bad news for the S a i n t s . In April the Mormons had swallowed t h e i r pride and allowed Alfred Cumming t o enter the Territory as t h e i r governor, but the people had sworn never t o submit t o an -48 |