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Show A P P E N D I X THREE LETTERS BY ANDREW HALL By William Culp Darrah A long search rewarded by a "find," seemingly trifling in itself, may provide a clue, or even the solution to a tantalizing puzzle. The discovery of letters by Andy Hall, the youngster of the 1869 Powell party, culminating a search of nearly six years is indeed such a find. After Volume XV of the Utah Historical Quarterly had gone to press, Dr. Wallace Stegner, in the course of lively discussions about Powell source materials, called my attention to a copy of a letter by Andrew Hall in the Grand Canyon National Park Museum. Mr. H. C. Bryant, the Superintendent, referred me to the owner of the original, Mrs. Mamie Hall Laughlin, a niece of Andrew Hall. Mrs. Laughlin provided personal data about Hall, graciously consented to the publication of the letter written at the Uinta Reservation, and suggested that another niece, Mrs. M. S. Stetson, might have additional information. Mrs. Stetson had, among a considerable series of Hall letters, two pertaining to the Colorado River Exploration, one written from Green River, the other from Fort Mojave, and willingly granted permission for their publication. For the first time it is possible to give an authentic sketch of Andrew Hall's parentage and early youth. This information supplements and in some important respects corrects the fragmentary records hitherto available. Andrew Hall was born in Liddisdale, Roxburghshire, Scotland, in 1848, the son of William and Mary Hall. His father died suddenly, leaving a widow with three children, Ellen, William, and Andrew. Mrs. Hall brought her family to America in 1854 and settled shortly thereafter near Kewanee, Illinois. At the outbreak of the Civil War, William Hall enlisted, but Andrew, known to his friends as "Dare-Devil Dick," was rejected because of his youth. In 1862 or 1863 he joined a wagon train heading West and became a guard and Indian fighter full of wanderlust and daring. He remarked in one letter "many an Indian would be glad to get my scalp as my hair is about 14 inches long." By 1868 he was a typical frontiersman, taking his lot as he found it. A letter dated October 24, 1868, reveals that he was hauling wood for the Union Pacific Railroad in the vicinity of Green River City. 506 UTAH HISTORICAL QUARTERLY The original letters pay little heed to spelling or paragraphing. Nevertheless, so far as possible, they are here reproduced faithfully. Their simplicity, affection, and impulsiveness would be destroyed by alteration. In the first letter reproduced here, written from Green River, Hall informs his family of his determination to explore the Colorado River. Andy gives no hint as to the circumstances leading up to his meeting with Powell, but evidently is taken with the Major. The second letter, written at the Uinta Agency, reveals very little but exudes enthusiasm and optimism. The third letter, written from Fort Mojave, is a sober report reassuring his family of safe passage. There is much more in this letter, an expression of indignation over the Risdon story and condemnation of the trio who left the party at Separation Rapids. Here then is the final link in the chain of proof that the separation of the Howland brothers and Dunn was simple desertion-they refused to go farther. [Green River, May, 1869] Dear Mother; It is a long time since I wrote you but I want you to know I am still alive and well and hope you are the same. I can not write you any news at present for I have not time to write to you now. I am going down the Colorado River to explore that river in boats with Major Powell, the professor of the Normal college in Illinois. You need not expect to hear from me for some time ten or twelve months at least. You can write to me at Collvile, Arizona give my love to all. Yours till death Andrew Hall Dear Brother. II [Uinta Reservation, July 1, 1869] it is with the greatest off pleasure that I now set down to write you a few lines to leet you know that I am all right yet. I wrote a letter to mother before I started with Major Powell to explore the Colorado. We had the greatest LETTERS OF ANDREW HALL 507 ride that ever was got up in the countenent the wals of the canone where the river runs through was 15 hundred feet in som places, i think that we ar now through the worst off the water now. I write from the Unto reservation now but I will tell you more about it when i come home. The major is from near Blumington, 111. I suppose you never herd off him and he is a Bully fellow you bett. if you can gett the normal paper you can have the whole off the expedition. I have not time to write any more at present give my love to all and kiss Helen's baby fore me. Be kind to our mother No more at present Yours affectionate Brother Andrew Hall. Ill [September. 1869] Fort Mojava Friday the 10th Dear Brother It is with the greatest of pleasure that I once more sit down to write to you to let you know that I am still alive and well after coming through hard and perilous voyage. I turned up all rite at last, We have been reported all drowned by some lying scoundrel by the name of John Risdon from Illinois and he reported he was the last survivor of the party. There was no such man ever was with the party Who ever he is he is a liar and a scoundrel and it wont do for him to let any of us see him. We came through in from Grene river City in one hundred and eleven days to Vagus Wash where the exploration finished. The Major left us at a Mormon camp 25 miles above the wash and his brother Walter went with him. Out of the 10 men that started from Grene river only six came through. Just before we came out of the canyon three of the men left us on the head of rapids. They were afraid to run it so they left us in a bad place. We were then short of hands and we had to abandon the Major's boat. The name of it was the "Emma Deene." Then we still had one left for each three men. The first boat that run the rapid was the "Sister" as we called her. It is the boat that Bill Rhoads and I started from Greene river with. The Major was in the boat with us. We ran the rapid all right and gave a loud cheer. Next came "The Maid of the Can- 508 UTAH HISTORICAL QUARTERLY yon" named by J. Y. Bradley and the Major's brother. ^ Now I will give you the names of all the boats. "The No Name" wrecked on Green river, the "Emma Deene" abandoned in the canyon, the "Maid of the Canyon" and"Kitty Clyde's Sister" that was given to Bill Rhoads and me. The other was given to Bradley and Sumnar. We are now at Fort Majova. We start today for Fort Yuma, John Sumnar and I. The other two boys' think of going to Los Angeles by land. Write to me at Fort Yuma, California. Must close. Give my best respects to all. Write soon. Yours till death Andrew Hall |
