Utah Historical Quarterly Volume IX

018_Across the plains in 1858, By Richard Thomas Ackley of Camden, New Jersey - 2

210 UTAH HISTORICAL QUARTERLY from them; merely throwing or rolling stones down would have been very destructive to our troops. Weber River at the mouth of Echo Canyon is quite a stream, which we travelled up some dis­tance. On leaving the river for the mountains again, I discovered an eruption on one of the high mountains close by which looked like a volcanic eruption, and some of us attempted to go to it but night coming on we were obliged to abandon the trip. Friday, August 27th. Our mules gave us some trouble today. Camped at night near the fork of the Big Mountain near a very pretty spring. This mountain is four miles to the top and in some places very steep, but we finally got to the top, where we took a good long rest. While here the mail coach for the States, drawn by six mules passed us. Among the passengers was Frank David­son, a Kentuckian, whom I had met in Weston, Missouri. Now we have got to the top, the worst was to go down. It was very steep; however, we locked our wheels good and made the start, our friend Douglass following close behind. The Madam made them all get out of the ambulance and insisted on me driving her down, which of course I did. At camp today our mules again strayed off. We have now another mountain to cross which is pretty near as big as the first. However, we got over it alright. When about five miles from the city we all took a regular clean­ing up before entering the city, where we arrived on Sunday after­noon. Was not long in cleaning ourselves, so as to get about town. Was offered a position by A. B. Miller. Sunday, August 29, 1858. We were up early, and such a cleaning we all did take you never did see, and all in full dress. We all by invitation took breakfast with Jim Douglass. Then we soon were on our way to the city. We had not gone far before Great Salt Lake City was in full view before us at the foot of the mountains, and now we began to feel as though our journey was at an end. In Douglass' wagon which was drawn by four mules, pretty well jaded, was James Douglass, Molly Douglass his wife, and little Mary about 11 or 12, and Ned, a young man about 25, going out to tend Billiard saloon for John Wallace. In our wagon, which was also drawn by four mules, was Tom Atkins, James S. Packard and myself. We drove around and finally got on the main street, and stopped at the Hotel known at that time as the Bassett House. I soon had a talk with the land­lord and found out that he would charge us $ 12.50 per week board; so Jim and I concluded we would try it for one week. Anyhow, we were shown up to our room, and after seeing that our baggage was safe inside, we started down to get shaved. When on my way out I was accosted by a gentleman whom I remember meeting first at Fort Laramie, and then again passed us in company with Henry D. Sherwood, and a young man known by the name of Kit Carson, who turned out to be Capt. A. B. Miller of the firm of ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1858 211 Miller, Russell and Co. and a branch of Russell, Majors and Waddell. He was very anxious to learn if I intended remaining in the city all winter, and if I would engage myself with him, at the same time assuring me that I should be well paid, and that I should have all the comforts the place could afford. I thanked him very kindly and told him I would let him know shortly. We walked on up the street where we were shown a barber shop, and I tell you everything was very nice and clean; it would compare to any you could find anywhere. After being relieved of my long beard, and had my hair cut and shampooed, we returned to the Hotel and put on our best Harness and prepared for a tour around town. Great Salt Lake City is one of the prettiest cities I know of anywhere. It is situated at the base of the mountains, in a very large valley of the same name, and about 20 miles back from the Great Salt Lake. The streets are all very regular, running north and south and east and west, and very wide. There are shade trees in abundance, and water running on each side of each street, fed by a large stream from the mountains and properly divided off. There is a large adobe wall 10 feet high which nearly surrounds it; the buildings are also all built of adobe. Outside north about one mile there is a warm sulphur spring that is very beneficial for bathing, 8 and three miles above there is a boiling spring; the water runs out of the side of the mountain boiling hot. 7 These springs will in a few years become very valuable as resorts for persons that are affected in various ways, rheumatic or scrofula particularly. The high mountains which surround the valley, look very grand, and many of them are constantly covered with snow. The Mormon people as a body, I like very much; I have seen none that were more hospitable than they, and there is but one great drawback to their sect and that is their plurality of wives, which seems very strange to us who have been taught differently. Here most everyone has three or four wives; and oftentimes but the one room to sleep in, and but two beds. Some are of course better provided, having six or eight wives, and live very nicely. A man is allowed here to have as many wives as he wants, and can get along with. Brigham Young is said to have forty wives, and as many more that he is, what they call, " Sealed to." He lives in a very large and fine house, 8 built of granite ( adobe) surrounded by a wall of stone twelve feet high, which occupies about one square of ground. I have seen a number of his children and was • Now known as Wasatch Springs Plunge, and municipally operated. " Warm Springs" have been well known since Mormon entrance Into Salt Lake Valley In 1847. A " Bath House" was opened here in 1850. ' Equally well known is Beck's Hot Springs, now about two miles northwest of the Warm Springs. ' Brigham Young's Mansion, stUl In use and known as the Bee Hive House, was built of adobe, not granite. It is regarded as one of the finest pioneer struc­tures in Utah. 212 UTAH HISTORICAL QUARTERLY introduced to two of his oldest boys. I have had women talk to me by the hour about polygamy, indorsing it in every way, and it is useless for anyone to undertake to argue with them on the sub­ject, unless he wants to get the worst of it, because they are so well posted in Scripture that they can quote it almost from be­ginning to the end. There are but few here that have but one wife. People in the East think, and are under the impression that where one man is living under one roof, with so many women there must be a great deal of jealousy, but to appearances there is not. I lived with these people for \ x/ 2 years and had a chance to find out something about them. The wives are taken after this manner; a man's first wife is the principal one of the house, and attends to, or superintends things in general; the next as they are taken, occupies different positions, such as cook or chamber maid, seamstress and so on, oftentimes having children by each woman in the house. This fall has been particularly gay here. The Mormons are great for parties and balls; they have a good theatre and circus here, which were weU attended. It so seldom rains here, that farmers and all others raising grain or vegetables cannot depend on it, so they are obliged to irrigate for the supply. The water in some locations in the Ter­ritory is brought for miles and then flooded over the garden or field as is required; the grain raised here, is much larger and firmer than that raised east, and the supply is equally as bountiful; the peaches, apples, grapes, fruit and vegetables in general are larger, firmer, and better in every way than in our eastern States. Well, to return to my first arrival in the country: After spend­ing a few days looking about the town, and learning the ways of the people, I concluded to accept the situation offered me by A. B. Miller of the firm of Miller, Russell and Co. So on the first of the month, September 1, 1858, I commenced. We had a large, and the very best, stand on the main street near the Hotel, with an immense stock of goods very poorly arranged on the shelves. Miller first took me upstairs and showed me the goods in store, and appeared to be considerably scared about the possibility of getting rid of them all, with instructions that to allow no one to go out if he had no money to pay for what he wanted; so I pitched in. There were thirteen of us in the store including the two partners and two Mormons. The store had been in full blast for some thirty days and everybody was green about the goods and store. Our sales were averaging $ 3,000 a day in gold, which was consumed by the paying off of men in the employ of Russell, Majors and Waddell; and the balance we sent into the States. Capt. A. B. Miller was at the head of the house, a Pennsylvanian by birth, but had always lived west; first went as a cook on a flat ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1858 213 boat on the Mississippi to New Orleans, where on the second trip he killed one of the men by shooting him, and was obliged to get away. Next he was clerk on a steamboat on the Missouri, the Captain on one of the up River Boats, then a gambling and faro dealer of considerable reputation, and after accumulating con­siderable money went up the river at Leavenworth in 1855, and went into business. In the winter of ' 55 and ' 56 the Kansas War broke out and Miller abandoned his business, and raised a company and did considerable service on the pro- slavery side. He was the terror of the U. S. Troops operating against him as his men were of the most desperate character. I knew many of them personally. They finally got to killing each other like Kilkenny cats. Charley Moorehead stood next; he was a young man of good character and good business qualities, but being generally over­ruled by Capt. A. B. Miller, soon became dissatisfied and left the country about December. H. D. Sherwood, the bookkeeper, was a young man of pretty good standing, tolerably well educated, at least enough to keep his mouth shut on all occasions, and had saved Capt. A. B. Miller's life more than once by conveying to him privately what the Free State party were doing in Leaven­worth. Of course the Captain became much attached to him. Sherwood was a New Yorker from Buffalo. John Lainhart, a Missourian by birth, belonged to Miller's company while operating in Kansas; was one of our salesmen. John was very excitable and a true friend of the Captain, would do what he was bid, from the killing of a man, to anything else that could be mentioned. John had charge of one of the trains that came out from the River and sold considerable goods to Trad­ers on the road, and had collected a great deal of money on the trip. The men in the train were aware of this, and they plotted a scheme by which they expected to kill John, and take possession of the train, and go across the country to Mexico. So one fine morning they made an attempt, by the leader of the party coming up while the train was in motion and catching John's mule by the head, made a demand for him to turn over to him all the money he had. Of course he was well armed. John very coolly remarked, " Just let me have time to get down," and as he got off on the op­posite side he cocked his double- barrel shotgun and let the fellow have one barrel in his head. He never spoke, was killed instantly; of course this created some little commotion. The rest of the party soon surrendered. After their leader was killed they were tied and well whipped within an inch of their lives. The man that was killed was named Brothers, and lies buried on the side of the road near where the road leaves Sweetwater at Devil's Gate. This was not the first man that John had killed by any means. He had coolly shot two 214 UTAH HISTORICAL QUARTERLY others that I knew of. John had a number of fights in the city that winter that I saw, and generally came off victorious. • On one occasion in the last of November, there came into the store one afternoon a young man with a letter for Chaby Moorehead and Ned Rollins to take down to the States with him. As he was leav­ing John hit him in the back of the head with a club, that made him fall like as if he was shot. He kept on thumping him, and had I not stepped in to his rescue, he would have killed him, for that was his intention. I afterward met the very fellow in Arizona, which I will speak of in the proper place. John on another occa­sion got in a quarrel with a fellow in the city and on his attempt to shoot him, the pistol exploded and besides hurting the man very badly, came near losing his own hand. John was a very bad fel­low, that almost everyone was afraid of. Next on the list was Ned Rollins, a young man who weighed about 220, well proportioned, stood over six feet and could back down and handle the best of them. He also belonged to Captain Millers Co. in Kansas; a Virginian by birth. They were all great friends of Miller's. Barker comes next on the program; he was the son of a great politician in Pittsburgh, who was a great friend of Mr. Russell. Barker whom we all had a good deal of fun with, really was no account in the house in any way. I had a fuss with him the second day I was in the store. He would make remarks and slurs at me because I was trying, and was determined to do something. So one day I walked up to him and shook my finger under his nose and told him if he ever did so again I would spoil the shape of his pretty nose. Barker did not stay with us long, and was very poor when he left. I among the rest helped him out of the country. Next comes little Johnny Scudder or Black John, as he was best known. John was a smart fellow, native of St. Louis; had always lived a gay, fast life; was a clerk on a steamboat on the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers; but like many others going on his westward trip, killed his man on his way out, which gave him considerable notoriety. John was good company, but would get on a spree once in awhile. George Hewitt, better known as George Harney, was a native of Washington, and a nephew of General Harney. George was a gay young fellow of more than ordinary ability and smartness; he was rather anxious, I always thought, to kill somebody. He wore a large pair of horse pistols for months, that were given to him by Hart, a noted gambler, that was in the country at the time. Har­ney always wore these pistols sticking out in front, and was a little too fond of pulling them out and cocking them on any person, that would give him cause. He had a great idea of being a large powerful man; used to sleep out in the snow to make him hardy, and was a great hand to exercise himself. He had a large sack of ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1858 215 flour, upstairs where he would go frequently and stand off and knock at it. On one occasion some of the boys put a large stone in the sack about the place where he used to hit it, and when he slipped up he split his knuckles in an awful manner. One day he was very anxious to know how and for why, people took Seidlitz powders. I made him a reply without thinking he would comply with it, so he got a Seidlitz powder one day from Sherwood, and mixed them up in separate glasses and took first one, then the other. Well, you would have thought he would have busted, the water flew out of his eyes and mouth. He was also a great glutton, so one night when he was out, the boys fixed some oysters for him and left them standing on the stove well mixed with red pepper and tobacco. George and I were always very much attached to each other. I forgot to men­tion an incident in regard to Lainhart; one day Hart came in ( who was a gambler and kept his deposit with us) and handed John a sack containing 5,000 dollars, telling him to have it placed to his credit. John threw the sack under the counter as he was busy, and thought he would attend to it after awhile. Well, so the matter rested for several days when Hart came in, and wanted to know how his account stood, and found that the sack given to John had not been credited. John was called up, and denied ever re­ceiving anything from Hart or knowing anything about it, but Hart, although a gambler, stood very high there, and his word was taken and the $ 5,000 placed to his credit. Some weeks after I was moving some old boxes out of the store, when out rolled this sack of gold, to the astonishment of everyone. John was pretty full of whisky at the time he had received it, and forgot all about it. Big Dick, from Buffalo, was a great big doublefisted fellow, that feared nothing or anybody; Dick was in many disturbances, and would shoot a man with as much grace as I would a chicken. One day a Mexican jumped over our fence after something, and he called me to see him shoot him. I walked back to look without thinking he would really do it; when he let drive and shot the poor fellow in the leg. He hollered like a good fellow, and was carried off by some of his friends. Capt. Holly, or Bishop, a very nice Mormon who was em­ployed to give the place cast. Old Holly had three wives. Mr. East, a native of Galveston, Texas, but a very nice Mormon with but one wife. Butcher, a son- in- law of Bill Hickman, a noted Mormon and the chief of the Danites. Butch was bad in every way; he got fifty dollars out of me one fine day. Negro Bill, the largest Negro I ever saw. He was a native of Missouri, and belonged to Tom Williams and had lived in the valley for years. So ends the chapter containing account of our employes. Now to return again to the time I first went into the store of 216 UTAH HISTORICAL QUARTERLY Miller, Russell and Co., everything worked very nicely with me. I soon got ahead of them all in the store. October 9, 1858. Capt. Grant from Fort Hall came into our place. I sold him a biU of goods; the Captain is a very large man about 60 years old, a New Yorker by birth. When very young was in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Fur Co., but was discharged several years ago for trading with the whites on their way to the gold country, which was against their rules. He then opened a trading post at Fort Hall about 200 miles due north of Salt Lake City. The old man came down all the way on horseback with his half- breed son and several Canadian French after goods for the winter. Capt. Grant first went in that coun­try in 1818, and has lived there ever since." John Owen, who lives several miles north of Fort Hall, is also in town. John is pretty fond of his whisky. He called on me several times while in town, to have a talk about some of his friends East. He is here buying a stock of Indian goods for his post ( Fort Owen), which is situated at the head of Bitter Root valley, and by all accounts is very nicely fixed there, where he has lived for 13 years, and has collected considerable stock around him. The In­dians have made several raids on him and cleaned him out en­tirely of his horses. He has a large picket corral where he keeps his horses at night; at one time the Indians dug two of the pickets up without making any noise, and succeeded in getting every horse out of the corral. They never missed the stock until morn­ing. John is at present the Agent for the Flathead Indians, a very desirable position for an old mountaineer to have. ' Captain Richard Grant was the first merchant in Great Salt Lake City. In Decem­ber, 1847, he visited the new Mormon settlement. The High Council of the city, on December 7, after conversations with him " on the subject of opening a trade with the Hudson Bay Co.," wrote a letter to the " Board of Management'" of the Hudson's Bay Company which was dispatched in the care of Captain Grant. This letter sug­gested that the Company might find it profitable to endeavor to supply the Mormon community, and communities thereafter to be established, with " articles of trade we shall need and be obliged to buy from some quarter before we can manufacture the same at home." It was admitted that Mormon produce might not attract the Company, but it was noted that " there is and will be more or less money in our midst and probably no inconsiderable share of peltry," and therefore the Board was requested to supply a list " of articles of use and necessity in our position, with the prices annexed . . ." In the event the Company saw fit to send its goods direct to Great Salt Lake City, the Mormons promised to use their influence to turn the channel of trade in favor of the Company, " to the utmost extent that your prices will warrant, when compared with what can be done in other directions." ( L. D. S. Journal History, December 7, 1847.) Grant established a store in Great Salt Lake City on November 19, 1848, arriving from Fort Hall " with pack horses, laden with skins, goods and groceries. He opened the store on the south side of the old fort." On September 28, 1854, examining the subject, " Merchandising In Utah," the Deseret News remarked, " Captain Grant, of Fort Hall, was the first person from outside our community, who brought goods to this market for sale. He sold sugar and coffee at one dollar a pint ( less than a pound), 25 cent calico at 50 and 75 cents a yard, and other articles in proportion. Why did he not sell higher? Per­haps he had some conscience, and it is probable he thought the then poverty of the settlers would not admit of any dearer rate, and It must be confessed the above were pretty high figures." p. 179, Storied Domain, by J. Cecil Alter Grant seems to have been undersold by Livingston & Bell, and other merchants who came during and after 1849. Jennie Brown, Fort Hall, will be found Informative about Grant's base of operations.- D. L. M. ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1858 217 The Mormons here held their regular State fair 10 in this city, ( October 4- 6), it lasted several days; one afternoon was set apart for the Gentiles as we are all called, and by a special invitation we attended. The exhibition would have done credit to any of the Eastern States. The productions of the soil such as vegetables, grain and fruit were particularly fine; of course the productions of the country are as yet not in such great abundance, but the quality is particularly fine. Everything grows to a much larger size here than East; it must be owing to the climate. The exhibition of the different mechanical and manufacturing branches was also most excellent, particularly the cutlery; fire arms of all kinds could not well be beat. The show of live stock was very fine; horses, cows, oxen, sheep, goats and pigs. There were a number of the heads of the church, who officiated in showing us around; a Bishop Hunter11 was particularly polite to me. By the by the Bishop is a Philadel-phian, and spoke of a Thomas Remington, who is a relative of ours. The winter has the appearance of being a very hard one on the plains east of us. We will have several trains, that owing to the lateness in starting, will not be able to get over the moun­tains. So our concern has proposed to build winter quarters east of Fort Bridger, off of the reserve. I have been offered the posi­tion to go there and take charge, but we have also a house at Camp Floyd, and many in course of time go there. As it will be the headquarters of the Army, there will no doubt be a great deal of business done there. Capt. A. B. Miller's family arrived out from the States, consisting of his wife, a tall fine looking lady with two children, a mischievous boy about 12 years old; the other a child in arms. His sister accompanied him, a young girl about 16 or 17 and pretty. After their arrival, Capt. took a house close by and several of us who up to this time had been living at the Hotel, went to board with him, where we lived off of the fat of the land. We were a jolly party and used to have some rich scenes occasionally. Poor George Hewitt or Harney, as he was better known, was always the subject of our fun. I was taken down with the mountain fever12 shortly after Mrs. Miller arrived ( along in October), and was obliged to keep 10 The annual fair of the Deseret Agricultural & Manufacturing Society, pre­decessor of the Utah State Fair, was first held in 1856. James Starley, whose journal is published in this issue of the Quarterly, served in 1857 and 1858 on the Society's Committee for Vegetables.- D. L. M. " Edward Hunter, since 1850, had been Presiding Bishop of the L. D. S. (" Mormon") Church. " Mountain fever is remembered as the illness afflicting Brigham Young at the time the Mormon Pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley. Sir Richard H. Bur­ton, in 1860, remarked, " Under the generic popular name ' Mountain fever,' are included various species of febrile affections, intermittent, remittent, and typhoid; they are successfully treated with quinine." (. The City of the Saints) Some authorities have thought mountain fever, typhoid. Probably it served as a con­venient designation for any fever not readily identifiable. In late years, however, it has come to be thought that " mountain fever" was Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, of which an excellent discussion is found in Hans Zinsser, Rats, Lice, and History.- D. L. M. 218 UTAH HISTORICAL QUARTERLY in my room, which was a small affair on the second floor over the store. Adjoining me in a much finer room, lay a Missouri gentle­man with the same complaint, who after all the care and attention that could be possibly shown him, died. His remains were boxed up and sent to the States in one of the return trains. I lay con­fined to my bed for over two weeks, most of the time was not able to move myself. There was a Dr. from the regular Army who was stationed in the city on account of some Officers that were sick here. He attended me also. His visits to me were twice a day. I never will forget his kind treatment to me. After I got well I became better acquainted with him. I really now forget his name, but he was from one of the Southern States. I offered to pay him but he would not accept any money. Several years later I met him again on the headwaters of the North Platte River, when I made him a present of a handsome tobacco sack made by a Snake Indian, and a large pipe, which was very valuable in its way. When this man died, who had the room along side of mine, it was proposed for me to move in, and an attempt was made to put me there one hour after. I had a colored boy, Bill, attending me at the time. I made him get me out of bed and assist me in getting to the door of this other room, when I gave him orders about cleansing the room thoroughly, the bed and bedding as well, and the bed turned around, for as I thought, it stood awkward. The next day I moved in. I had been very much reduced, and everyone thought I was going to die. Mrs. Miller and the sister called together, also Mrs. Douglass and her daughter, who were all very kind to me, almost every day sending me some little dain­ties that were very refreshing to me. I felt quite flattered with such good attention. The boys about the store and friends gen­erally would often have a good laugh at me about having my bed turned around before I would get in it ( they always said it was for looks). As the gentleman from Missouri had died in that room I had no notion of going into it without a change. One evening after we had got through the business of the day, John Lainhart, Harney and myself were sitting on the coun­ter smoking, when a Mr. Rucker of Kentucky came in the store and walked back to have a talk with Capt. A. B. Miller in the back office. Shortly after another man ( I forget his name) came in and inquired for Miller and walked on back. As he reached the back door Rucker was coming out. They met in the door­way. This second person says to Rucker, " I have come here to kill you," at the same time having a large Dragoon Pistol drawn on him. Rucker's reply was, " What do you want to kill me for?" The answer was, " because you have been cheating me." Rucker said, " well if you want to kill me you had better do it now." Of course not thinking he would do so, when he put the pistol within a few inches of his breast and fired. The ball passed all the way through him. ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1858 219 Rucker, who was always as quick as lightning, after receiving this death shot, drew his Navy pistol and fired at this man, the ball passing through his thigh. I jumped of course to try and pre­vent more shooting, but to no good purpose. Rucker lay on the floor and this other person laid by the door with his head resting on a sack. They were about 12 paces apart and kept on firing. Rucker emptied his pistol; one ball took affect in the jaw of this fellow and the other four went in the wall very near his head. The other fellow also kept on firing; his balls all struck the floor about three feet from Rucker, and as they glanced over him two of them cut the fingers most off of Rucker and passed out the front win­dow. Of course the shooting drew a number of persons about. I was the first one to be by their sides. I picked up the empty pistols. Rucker says to me, " I am a dead man." The other fel­low says, " Tell her I died game." Rucker was a gentleman of education, and had many fine qualities and had many friends who flocked around him, laid him on a lounge and my Dr., who at­tended me during my sickness, came in and examined his wounds. When they were pronounced fatal, he was told of his condition. When requested by him, I made a memorandum of his name in full and also that of his mother who lived in Kentucky, so that she could be written to. The poor fellow died soon after. The other fellow's friends carried him off down to the hotel, where he lay in a very critical condition for some time, a ball through his thigh and one in the side of his head. He finally left between two days, went north near Fort Hall, then to California and last heard of where he was finally killed near Denver City. A few nights before this, a fellow called Reddy was shot by someone just above our place. As the ball passed through his head it must have killed him instantly; he was found next morn­ing minus his hat, boots, coat and pants. There were a number of persons killed here during this winter. Some of them I wiU make mention of after awhile. There never was a place where there were so many desperate fellows as there were in Salt Lake City. The Danites, headed by Bill Hickman, Porter Rockwell and Eph Hanks were particularly destructive on a certain class of per­sons. One afternoon three different bands had a fight among themselves; it was a desperate encounter. Peg- leg Smith was also in the party, and was particularly spoken of as one of the most desperate of the gang. Along about the same time Bill Hickman was taken sick and was confined to his bed for a time, when some of his enemies made a desperate attempt to kill him by breaking open the window of his room and shooting at him several times, but somehow missed their mark. Cloud, a little red headed fellow from California, got acquaint­ed with a very pretty girl living with her parents. Cloud, although 220 UTAH HISTORICAL QUARTERLY having a wife in the States, became very much enamoured with this girl and frequently used to take her out riding. He proposed to run her down to Camp Floyd, which he did one day at the risk of his life, for there were several after him hot. They would have filled him with shot had they caught him. I often saw this girl after I went to live at Camp Floyd, where she lived for a time very comfortably with Cloud. She then went to New Mexico with Bob Radford, and from there she became very common. She was sold once in the Plaza at Las Vegas for about 40 dollars, when some person who had knowledge of her paid the claim. I saw her several years later in Santa Fe. Her parents were in good cir­cumstances, and frequently wrote to her to come home. A fellow here by the name of Magarie ( if I remember right), killed a fellow. Here, like all the other murders I ever heard of in this country, without any cause or provocation. The authori­ties took hold of the case to make an example of him. It was the first case on record ( in Utah), where a man had been arrested for murder. He was tried and convicted and sentenced to be hung. There was a big day in town. Mr. Magarie was dressed in a suit of black cloth and rode on his coffin to the gallows, smoking like a good fellow his pipe, to the amusement of the crowd who had collected around. This was the only case where a man was ever punished in any way for a serious crime in Utah Territory. 13 We made up a party one Sunday to drive over to the Lake, which, although some 18 or 20 miles off, can be seen very plainly from the city. The drive was a beautiful one. It was on one of those fine clear mornings, not a cloud to be seen, and a light breeze from the south, that made it most delightful. Our team consisted of 4 fine mules to an ambulance, as they are styled here. The party consisted of five gentlemen and the driver, Bill Eads, a noted character in his way in this country, principally for blowing. From the time we leave the city the country has a gradual slope all the way to the lake which is quite large, and in the center is a large island, where it is said the Mormon Church keeps its stock which consists of about two thousand head of fine horses and several " It is thought that Mr. Ackley's memory played him false in this reminiscence. The affair he mentions cannot be substantiated in the archives, and by all other ac­counts, the execution of Thomas H. Ferguson, on October 28, 1859, was the first execution of a white man in Utah; possibly Mr. Ackley had Ferguson's case in mind, although it would appear from his narrative that he had left the vicinity of Great Salt Lake City by that date. The first arrest in Utah for a charge of murder was that of Howard Egan, who in September, 1851, killed James M. Monroe. Egan was was tried on October 17- 18, 1851, and found not guilty. Thomas H. Ferguson, a 27- year- old New Yorker, was hanged for the homicide on September 16, 1859, of Alexander Carpenter, a saloon- keeper, who had accused him of robbing a shop next door. After a jury trial he was found guilty on Sep­tember 22, 1859, and next day was sentenced to be hanged on October 28. Judge Charles E. Sinclair found, however, that October 23 would fall on a Sunday, and Ferguson was re- sentenced to die on October 28. Actually, the first executions in Utah, however, were of two Gosiute Indians, Longhair and Antelope, for the murder of two Mormon herdsmen in Cedar Valley. The Indians were sentenced September 1, 1854, and hanged September 15.- D. L. M. ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1858 221 thousand head of cattle. 14 The water is extremely salty, much more so than the water in the ocean. The Lake is peculiarly situ­ated in many respects. There are several streams or rivers that flow into it; the Bear and Weber are the principal ones from the North, and Utah Lake, which is connected with Salt Lake by the Jordan, is also of considerable size. Salt Lake itself has no out­let, which is very strange to travelers. At times the lake is quite shallow; then the church takes the advantage of communicating with the Island for the purpose of taking on or putting off stock. Brigham Young has a very nice yacht15 laying on the beach, which in pleasant weather is used considerable. Salt in great abundance is manufactured here. During the fall of ' 57 when our troops were laying at Camp Scott, salt was very scarce among them and was sold readily for several dollars a pound. Brigham Young hearing of this, sent several teams loaded, across the moun­tains, and with a flag of truce they attempted to enter our camp, but Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston, who was commander- in- chief of the expedition, had all the salt destroyed. 16 After enjoying ourselves in bathing and loafing around the shore we returned home in the evening, stopping awhile at a cave which was quite a curiosity in its way, and proved very useful to stock in very stormy weather. The most fashionable ride in the country was to the warm and boiling springs just out of town. Our store at Camp Floyd had got fairly under way and Capt. A. B. Miller had proposed for me to go down and take charge of the books one week on trial. So I got myself all ready, and on the first day of December, 1858, I started in the mail coach. It was bitter cold; we had forty- five miles to go, and I was the only passenger. I could not get much of a view of the country owing to the weather. We arrived at Camp after dark. I had some trouble finding our store, it being Sunday night and a very dark one. There were but few persons about, and these only soldiers on duty. Finally I met a colored man, who was a servant to one of the officers, who very kindly escorted me to our store. I soon got in my new home and made myself known to the young man, George, who I found very sociable. Henry W. Tracy, who was in charge, soon came in. He was a jolly little fellow, about my " Mormon herdsmen began to use Antelope Island as early as 1849. In 1850 it was set aside by law as a herdground for the Perpetual Emigrating Company ( see Utah Historical Quarterly, vol. 8, p. 103, 189- 190.) Most of the cattle were taken off the Island in 1855, and it was chiefly used until the late 70' s as a herdground for the Church horses..- D. L. M. " Brigham Young's " yacht" was The Timely Gull, launched on the Jordan River on June 80, 1854. The Deseret News of July 6, 1854, says, " It is 46 feet long, will have a stern wheel propelled by horsepower, and is designed to be used mainly for the transportation of stock to and from this city and Antelope Island." This cattle boat was broken up in a storm, probably not long after Mr. Ackley saw it.- D. L. M. '" Johnston contemptuously refused to accept the salt; he did not order it destroyed. Dumped outside the camp, some of it was brought in and sold to the soldiers by Indians.- D. L. M. 222 UTAH HISTORICAL QUARTERLY size. In a little while you would have thought we had all been acquainted for years. We, Miller, Russell and Co., are the sutlers here for the Quar­termaster, which is considered to be a very big thing. At present there are upwards of 1200 men in the employ of the Quartermaster and Commissary Department. The wages run from 40 dollars gold to 300 per month and board; the poorest laborers here receive 40 dollars gold per month and rations; mechanics from 60 to 150 dollars per month; wagon masters from 75 to 200 dollars, and the head man in the department, 300 per month. As they were not paying this class of fellows regularly, they were allowed to pur­chase what they chose within the amount of their wages, of us. When they were paid off, we were always notified, so that we might be present with our claims. Sometimes these fellows would undertake to dispute the amounts, but it made no difference, the paymaster always paid on claim. Camp Floyd, named in honor of our worthy Secretary of War, is situated in the centre of Cedar Valley, forty- five miles due south of Salt Lake City. The place was selected by General Johnston as being the best place for a camp in many respects, al­though most of the officers thought it would have done better on the high tableland back of Lake Utah and near Provo, at the mouth of Provo Canyon. There were thousands of dollars laid out in ar­ranging the place for winter quarters, which consisted of fine adobe one- story buildings for the men and officers, laso fine stabling and store rooms with a very fine parade ground. There were upwards of 3,000 troops composed of Infantry, Dragoons. Cavalry and Artillery. There were five different sutlers aHowed, which are always appointed by the regiments which they serve, with and after the approval of the officers. It is always commis­sioned regularly as part of the fixtures of the Army by the Secre­tary of War. We received ours direct from Mr. Floyd, which created quite a commotion among the officers, because a sutler was allowed to a post without their sanction, something that was never heard of before. Our commission not only gave us the exclusive right to sutler at this post, but gave us the power of opening a sutler store for the use of the Quartermaster's men, or citizens, as they are more properly called, at any post in the Territories. in Utah, Kansas and Nebraska, which is considered the biggest thing out. Henry W. Tracy, who was in charge of the store, was a little red faced man, a native of St. Louis, where he has brothers still residing. At one time was in business at Sioux City on the Mis­souri River with Eugene Pappair, but became somewhat embar­rassed in business affairs, and being a very passionate and excit­able person, got into a quarrel with a big double- fisted fellow, who was also doing business in the same city. Tracy shot him through ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1858 223 and through and afterwards left the country and got out this way in company with a Capt. Paige ( who I will speak of afterwards), and who was Quartermaster on the Utah expedition, and came here with him. He was a very efficient man here for us to have at the head of our house, for we often had to deal very harshly with some of our customers. On several occasions they would play sharp and Tracy would invariably hunt them out. One fellow I re­member particularly who had been in the employ of the Govern­ment for a time, considered he would not pay us, and had suc­ceeded in some way getting his money from the Paymaster, with­out us being notified. Tracy came in very much excited about him, and borrowed a large pistol belonging to me, and went after him. He was soon found in company with some of his own friends, when Tracy not only took all the money he had left, but his coat and pants besides, leaving the fellow in rather a cool state. At another time there were two persons who came into our store and began to talk about some one of Tracy's friends. He in the first place told them to stop talking so about his friends, and then ordered them out. On refusing to go, he knocked them right and left. He had also a disturbance with a fellow over in Dobie-town, when I was very much afraid he would cause some trouble. He was always a great favorite with the Officers of the Garrison, particularly George Hull. One young man from one of the New England States, I think Vermont, was a very smart young man in the store. Our porter was a fine likely looking negro ( a slave) from Missouri. We all slept in the store, except the porter, and dined or ate at the mess house of Russell, Majors and Waddell, which was close by. Dr. Hobbs was the Superintendent of their business at this point. As I have said before, our business was confined to the employees of the post. We always kept a good supply of goods on hand which was replenished as required from Salt Lake. We were not by any means lonesome here, for just outside of Camp, over the Creek as we called it, was a small place which we called Dobietown or Frogtown ( Fairfield). It was quite a place in its way, built on two streets, principally occupied by drinking and gambling saloons and stores, some of them kept in very good style. The drinking saloons all had gambling going on in abund­ance. Besides these there were ten- pin alleys, billiard saloons, and a very good theatre which was well attended, and occasion­ally a circus. Christmas and New Year's day were spent rather gaily. Our Capt. A. B. Miller had sent us down a large lot of eggs, and we made plenty of egg- nog. The winter passed off very pleasantly; now and then we would have a Ball or a party somewhere. The first of the year ( 1859), we had a grand review of our forces by Albert Sidney Johnston, which were over 3,000 strong. 224 UTAH HISTORICAL QUARTERLY It was a very pretty sight; the largest body of troops that had been together for a good many years, anywhere in the United States. As Spring opened, the men were busy building and rearranging the garrison. Capt. Turnley, the Quartermaster of the post, was very efficient in his duties. A very large spring of water started close by, and the Captain had it nicely cleaned out and walled up. About one mile below, he dammed it up and built a mill for the purpose of grinding grain, for either flour or feed for the horses. Also a large lot of bath- houses were fixed for the purpose of the men bathing. The little lake formed by the dam, he filled with fish, which he had brought from Lake Utah. 17 As the United States courts were going in session at Provo, which was some 45 miles southeast of here, it was necessary to send down for the protection of the court a detachment of troops, which were soon got ready. They consisted of some 1500 Infantry, Cav­alry and Artillery. The court was in session some four weeks, dur­ing which time there were some very important cases tried-' murder, rape and arson. There was always a great trouble in convicting a Mormon on any charge, as the juries of course were always composed of residents of the county. The troops who undertook to keep a watch over the people, generally were very much an­noyed, often times at night, by the sentinels being run away from the post, either shot at several times or knocked down in various ways; sometimes stoned away. The court finally adjourned and the prisoners were brought to camp for safety and distributed in differ­ent guard houses at camp. There was great excitement in camp when they were brought up. One of those placed in the guard house of the 7th Infantry came very near losing his life. There were always a good many soldiers who were confined in the guard houses for some misde­meanor or other, and this one particularly, had ten who had at­tached to them a ball and chain. They worked through the day and were always locked up at night after they had quit work. This night particularly they were walking into the ceUs single file with their ball and chained attached, holding the ball in the right hand as they walked in. The Provo prisoners were lying in the hall of the guard house tired after a long march from Provo. One of these fellows let his iron ball drop, which weighed about 10 pounds, intending for it to strike the Mormon in the head, and " Judge John B. Cradlebaugh convened his Second Judicial District Court at Provo on March 8, 1859. The first detachment of soldiers encamped about the Old Semin­ary, in which court was held, about the time of the opening of the court. Cradle­baugh had requested their presence; Cradlebaugh continued to sit as a committing magistrate until April 4, when he adjourned his court and proceeded to Camp Floyd. Meantime the force of 100 soldiers brought to Provo had been increased to approximately 1,000. Governor Alfred Cumming protested such use of troops without his permission, and was sustained by the Attorney- General at Washington when the dispute was referred to him. An account of the proceedings in Provo is given with considerable documentary detail by B. H. Roberts. A Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints, vol. 4, pp 489- 494 ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1858 225 would have killed him had it not been that he threw up his arm to save himself, but broke his arm. 18 It is rather amusing to see the prisoners exercising themselves in the mornings, some with large sacks of sand tied to them, others with large logs of wood strapped to their backs for punishment, for some offense they had given. We are busy laying out a cemetery back of camp for the burial of soldiers and Officers. 19 There is a large amount of work being done there. At one time one of the prisoners attempted to escape. There was a general alarm and in fact a great excitement in camp. Speaking of prisoners, there was a fellow who came into camp and gave himself up who had been a deserter. He in the first place was a Mormon, but had enlisted in one of the Regiments regularly at old Camp Scott, and not liking the soldiers' life, de­serted, and in course of time wishing to come back did so, but was immediately placed in the guard house. Next morning Col. Charles F. Smith, who was in command of the Post, had him tied up to a wagon wheel and severely whipped. The poor fellow fainted twice under the treatment. In course of three weeks from this time, he escaped from the guard and got several miles off in spite of their diligence; but next morning after being captured he was again whipped severely. It is really astonishing the short time it takes for one's let­ters to come out from the States. The President's message arrived here in 11 days from the Missouri River, over 1300 miles. We think it pretty good time considering the condition of the country. No doubt in time it will be done much quicker. After you leave the settlements on the River there are no houses until you get to Fort Kearney, then from there to Fort Laramie, which is another much longer stretch of country to travel over, not a solitary ranch to stop at, then after leaving Larnard, Green River, then Fort Brid-f [ er, Salt Lake City and Camp Floyd. The Indians are more or ess troublesome all the time. Our Holidays here passed off very pleasantly, big dinners and evening parties were the order of the day. On New Year's day was a big time; business and work of all kinds was generally sus­pended, there was a grand review of all the troops just back of the camp by Albert Sidney Johnston, the day was beautiful. The winter passed off very pleasantly. Money is very plenti­ful around camp. The gamblers are all doing well, and that is al­ways a good sign in this country. We had two very nice billiard tables sent out from the States, and by permission of the Com­manding Officer, we put up a building for them near head- quar­ters. They were kept going night and day; no one was allowed to play but Officers. We had an old discharged Dragoon to take " Amone the prisoners taken to Camp Floyd were A. F. McDonald and Hamilton H. Reams. It was McDonald who was held by the 7th Regiment. The two men were held in prison until July 7.- D. L. M. '• The cemetery is the only remnant of Camp Floyd today. 226 UTAH HISTORICAL QUARTERLY charge of the tables by the name of Savage. His parents reside on Cooper's Hill, Camden, N. J. I often spent my evenings there and became fond of the game of pool. Sundays we would often ride for miles away. We had stationed here about 3,500 troops, and about 500 citizens employed, and say 1,000 followers of the army, together with the horses and mules, we were consuming a vast amount of flour, corn and grain generally, which on net calculation was costing the government near 30 dollars per 100 pounds of flour. Mr. Russell, the head of our concern, who al­ways had an eye open, saw this, and knowing that large amounts of wheat and corn were being raised in Utah, proposed to the Secretary of War to allow him to deliver what grain and flour he could at Camp Floyd, instead of transporting it across the coun­try. ( Mind what a big thing it was.) Wheat could be turned into flour for about $ 4.00 to $ 4.50 a hundred, delivered at camp, pay­able in merchandise, at 100 per cent, and we got about or near 30 dollars per hundred for it. I was started on a tour down through the Mormon settlements to Provo, SpringviUe, Goshen and other places to buy up all the flour and grain there was in the country, which I did. If it could not be had at one price, I was ordered to pay another. The trip I enjoyed very much. Provo is quite a town, situated at the mouth of Provo Canyon and at the base of the mountains on a plain and only a few miles back from Utah Lake, containing about six or seven thousand inhabitants. Spring­viUe is also a very pretty town, situated very much as Provo. The largest lot of wheat I bought here, of an English woman, about 5,000 bushels, ordered it sent to a certain mill and to have it ground and on the delivery of it at our store, we paid them in merchandise at good round figures. At this town I saw the prettiest Bay Mare pony with long tail and mane I have ever yet seen. She was a beauty, a little boy was riding it. I called on his father and bought the pony at his own figures and had her sent home, where she was always very much admired. On this trip, near Spanish Fork, I saw a great many Indians; they were on their way North to the fishing grounds. I was for pitching in to make money like the rest. Tracy and I had the control of a large boarding house, put up here for the Quartermaster's men, which we made several hundred dollars apiece out of in a very short time. We then bought out a saloon in Dobietown of Jake Swartz; also a brewery, where we made the only ale or beer that was ever made in the country. But the Dutchman we had to run the place got into a fight one night and some fellows killed him. So ended the brewery, and we soon sold out our saloon property. ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1858 227 There was a Masonic lodge opened here, and I was the first citizen that was taken in. 20 Along about the first of July, 1859, Captain A. B. Miller came down very unexpectedly in his carriage and alone. He said he wanted me to return with him to go to Fort Bridger to collect two sight drafts on W. A. Carter, the sutler, for about 32,000 or 33,000 in gold. So next morning, bright and early, we were up and rolled out, Capt. and I together, in his little no- top wagon and a pair of gray California and Utah horses mixed; the distance is 45 miles over a very hilly and mountainous road to Salt Lake City. The morning was a beautiful one. We started off so very brisk that I said to Captain, " are we not driving pretty fast considering the distance we have got to go?" He laughed and says, " Why Dick, I thought you knew something about driving; why I am only working the feed off of them." We drove this way until we came near the crossing of Jordan River, where we have a very long and steep hill to go down. I was really afraid, we drove so fast; I just sat back holding onto the seats. When we got to the half­way house, we jumped out; they were at breakfast, and we drank a cup of coffee and ate a biscuit and an egg, while a boy sponged the ponies. We drove into Salt Lake in less than 4 hours. This was what I call big driving in the Rocky Mountains. The boys in the city all looked well ( who I had not seen for months). I was well received; remained here several days waiting for the coach going East. Finally after getting my letter of instructions from Capt. A. B. Miller and Henry D. Sherwood, I rolled out one fine morning in the coach from California on its way to the States: It was crowded; there was three gentlemen from California, a gentleman returning who had been sent out concerning Russell, Majors and Waddell's business, Eugene Pap-pair of St. Louis, Jim Alexander, Col. Alexander and Son, and myself with plenty of everything to make the trip pass off pleas­antly. There was nothing of interest that happened worth noting, and we landed in Fort Bridger early one fine morning. The coach drove up to our store, where after remaining awhile, I bid them all good- bye and they made tracks for the States. I showed the boys my letters and took charge of the house, then went over and called on Mr. W. A. Carter, the sutler, and presented my draft which was accepted. I remained here several days, took account of stock, made out a report of the business and sent it in to the City. I then proceeded to Millersville, which lies just off of the Government Reserve and about 1 2 ^ miles below at the junc­tion of Smith's and Black's Fork. This place was built by our firm for a general depot for our stock. It has been badly managed. The young man in charge, Mr. Harris, ran off on hearing of my com- M An account of this Masonic Lodge will be found in S. H. Goodwin's Freemasonry in Utah, Rocky Mountain Lodge No. tOS, Salt Lake City, 1934. 228 UTAH HISTORICAL QUARTERLY ing out to relieve him, and the other young men about, I discharged on sight, and put new ones in their place. So I did at Bridger. I went through the same routine here; took account of stock and took charge of everything. In fact I was in charge of both houses, and the stock ( horses and cattle), which were over on Henry's Fork. I remained here making my home at first at Fort Bridger, until I concluded best to close out the house, when I took up my permanent abode at Millersville. The money from Carter was coming in very slow. I had placed a young man in charge of the Bridger house by the name of Sweet. On one occasion particu­larly as I was leaving to go to Millersville, I left 3,000 in gold with him, with orders to deposit it with Lt. Jones, the Quarter­master of the Fort, until I came back. I was gone about 10 days. When I returned I found Mr. Sweet in bad condition and the people had a great deal to say about him which I called him to account for. As he could not explain I ordered him to leave on very short notice. The three thousand dollars I left with him in­stead of depositing it, as I ordered, he kept in his pocket all the time, and he drank besides; had been gambling and making use of the firm's money, and had also borrowed a considerable amount of funds of the men about the garrison. I soon thought best to close our store at this place, so I moved all of our goods down to the lower place. Col. E. R. S. Canby, the Commanding Officer, was always very kind to me, his lady partic­ularly so. They had quite a large library which I had the liberty of calling on for books occasionally, together with her sister, Fannie, made everything pass off very pleasantly. The Officers here were a good set of fellows; there was old McNott and Lt. Gooding, both of the 10th Infantry. Thus the journal comes to an abrupt end, though the journal­ist visited elsewhere through the West, and finally returned East, where he was to pass away before the allotted span.