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Show The Uneasy Peace 71 troublesome that Hollister and ourselves concluded to declare war on them ... so kept them off by taking a shot at them occasionally"; "Wednesday 9th-Thursday 10th . . . Indians on bluffs proffer friendship but we keep them out of rifle range by sending a bullet occasionally in their direction." 3 This kind of activity did not encourage a friendly attitude on the part of the Nuwuvi. The most serious incident in 1853 occurred when three Indians killed an emigrant's horse. In revenge, the concerned party fired on the next group of Nuwuvi to enter their encampment, killing one. These Nuwuvi turned out not to be the same as those who had stolen the horse. The incident enraged all of the Santa Clara Nuwuvi, who attacked the next company and wounded three whites, at least one fatally.4 The anger of the Nuwuvi continued through the winter, perhaps fueled by the Walker War being fought between Mormons and Utes to the north. George Lamphere was shot and killed between the Santa Clara and Virgin Rivers while accompanying the California Mail.5 As Solomon Nunes Carvalho, who had been with John C. Fremont on his 1854 exploring expedition as cartographer and illustrator, moved down the Virgin River on May 26, he noticed that "the high bluffs immediately over our camp are covered with Indians, all armed." 6 The Mormon Church in 1854 began the second phase of its southern settlement, which had begun with the Iron Mission's 1851 settlement of Parowan. Brigham Young's often-stated policy toward the Indians was that "it is better to feed than to fight them." This policy was grounded in self-interest. The idea was that if the Indians were dealt with in a friendly manner the tide of Mormon settlement could proceed at a smooth pace. The policy also was based on religious tenets. The desire to work for the Indians' "salvation" led to the establishment of missions in the heart of Indian lands. This was similar to the Spanish policy of taking the Indians into their missions in order to provide "salvation". In 1854, the Southern Indian Mission was sent to Nuwuvi country. Upon their arrival at Fort Harmony, the missionaries immediately set out to convert the Indians.7 John D. Lee had already baptized many of the Nuwuvi. Carvalho had found Nuwuvi as far away as Moapa who had been baptized.8 On the whole, though, the new |