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Show The Uintah Ute People 87 Paiute Counties were entirely abandoned, and many settlements in other counties were temporarily left. But in seven years of fighting, 1865-72, only about fifty Mormon settlers were killed.20 Probably many more People died. The Mormons had trouble stopping the attacks. By 1865 they threatened a war of extermination against the Ute People. That year Utah Indian Superintendent Irish acted to convince the Utah People to move to the Uintah Valley Reservation and, thus, halt the Black Hawk War. The Ute People agreed to move and signed a treaty to that effect. However, the Spanish Fork Treaty was not ratified by Congress, and the promises to the People were not kept. Autenquer continued to lead raids on the Mormon settlements. Even Tabby threatened to join him if the government did not provide supplies. However, the Mormon settlers increased in strength. In the summer of 1867 Autenquer appeared on the Uintah Reservation accompanied only by his family. He agreed to meet with Utah Superintendent Head. At that meeting he explained that "his Indians [were] tired of fighting and desirous of a permanent peace."21 The following summer Superintendent Head held a council with several of Autenquer's followers. They met in the Strawberry Valley. Head, with the help of Autenquer, negotiated a verbal peace treaty with these People.22 In 1870 Autenquer traveled to various Mormon settlements asking forgiveness for the attacks. He pointed out that raids were undertaken because his people were starving. As one of his following explained to trader Daniel Jones: . . . hunger often caused them to go on raids to get cattle to eat, always making the statement that agents stole what "Washington" sent them; that Mormons helped the agents to steal; that the Sanpete Mormons had stolen their country and fenced it up. The lands that their fathers had given them had been taken for wheat fields. When they asked the Mormons for some of the bread raised on their lands, and beef fed on their grass, the Mormons insulted them, calling them dogs and other bad names. They said when the Mormons stole big fields and got rich, other Mormons, who were poor, had to buy the land from them, they were not allowed to steal it from the first owners same as the first Mormons stole it from the Indians.23 |