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Show 288 INDIAN DEPREDATIONS and drove off. Thompson and Beal drove the horses, while L. P. Christensen rode in ahead and gave the alarm. Soon two squads of men were on the tracks of the Indians. One posse of about thirty men went by way of Willow Creek Canyon, the others went up Ephraim canyon which was a more direct route to head off the Indians. This posse consisted of Tory Thursten ( Captain), P. C. Peter-sen, C. A. Larsen, Henry Oviett, Andrew 0. Ander-son, L. C. Larsen, Chris. Thompson ( Balla), Chris. Nielsen, George P. Jenson, John Thompson and Sam. Beal, eleven in all. When they reached the top of a high ridge between Willow Creek and Manti Canyons, Indians came out and fired on them, Thinking they could stop them or scare them back, they did not check up, but continued on about two miles farther to a small lake on the top of the moun-tain known as Eock Lake. Here they were fired upon by the Indians from ambush at close range. Three horses were wounded and one fell dead un-der its rider ( P. C. Petersen.) The horse fell on his leg and the dead horse served as breast- works and a rest to shoot from. P. C. Peterson who gives this information says that the battle lasted about an hour. The Indians were at a disadvantage, the brush that they were hidden in was thin and our men could see them and disabled some of them, which caused them to retreat and follow those who were driving off some horses and cattle. Further pur-suit was considered unwise owing to lack of horses and being but eleven in number. From Whitney's History of Utah. |
