The Military History of Cache County

The first settlers of Cache County found that large and beautiful valley and the mountains surrounding it, swarming with Indians. They existed in different bands, but were all known by the general name of Shoshones. It was but natural these ignorant natives should look upon the settlers upon what they claimed as their country, their hunting and fishing grounds, as trespassing upon their rights; and that they should revenge themselves for the scaring away or taking of their game, by killing the cattle and stealing the horses of the settlers, or even by murder, should occasion serve.

One of the first and most urgent necessities therefore, was the adoption of an efficient system of self-defense. With that aptitude and genius for organization so remarkably developed among the Mormon people, the settlers immediately organized as a military body, under command of Ezra T. Benson as Colonel, and Thomas E. Ricks as Major in command of a body of mounted men known as "Minute-Men," so called because they were expected to be ready for service at any moment, day or night. They were organized in companies, each consisting of five "tens." Each "ten" consisted of a Second Lieutenant, Sergeant, nine Privates and a teamster, with team and wagon for hauling the baggage and provisions of the "ten." Every man provided himself with necessary arms, ammunition, blankets, provisions and cooking utensils; and the "Minute-Men," in addition, kept on hand horses, saddles and bridles.

The militia thus organized, were frequently drilled in military exercises by Adjutant William Hyde, and James H. Martineau, Captain in the Corps of Topographical Engineers, both of whom had seen service in the United States Army in the Mexican War; and frequent Indian alarms served to keep the people continually on the alert.

But while the militia were required to be always ready to defend themselves and property from the Indians, they were strictly enjoined by President Brigham Young to give the natives no cause of offense. The whites were enjoined not to kill the game nor take the fish, which the Indians claimed as theirs, but to buy what they needed of them. This would give the natives means of subsistence without begging or stealing from the whites. The settlers also must always treat the natives justly and regard their rights sacredly as their own. But while they were to treat the natives kindly, they were to be treated firmly and kept at arms length— Not to be allowed to trample on the rights of the settlers. President Brigham Young always maintained that it was "Cheaper" —financially— "to feed the Indians than to fight them" and the history of Utah fully substantiates the assertion. The above summary of Brigham Young's Indian policy is here introduced as a key to that pursued by the settlers, not only of Cache County but of all Utah; and it may be remarked in passing, that while this policy was pursued no trouble of any moment ever arose between the settlers and natives.

By the years 1859 and 1860, strong settlements were planted at Wellsville, Mendon, Hyrum, Millville, Providence, Logan, Hyde Park, Smithfield, Richmond and Franklin. At this time and for several years after, Franklin was supposed to be in Utah, the line separating Utah and Idaho not having yet been located.

To impress upon the Indians the fact that the settlers were always read for service, frequent musters and drills were held, and parties of Minute-Men often patrolled the country. Sometimes indeed, it was necessary in order to recover stolen cattle and horses, but a minute account of all the expeditions of the whites and of Indian raids, would occupy too much space in this article. A brief notice of the most important only, will therefore be noticed in this paper.

On the 22^nd of July, 1860, a fight occurred at Smithfield, in which two whites were killed and two wounded and two Indians were killed. The Indians sought to liberate one of their number who had been captured for stealing horses, but in the melee the guilty Indian and another was killed. Pervious to this time, the Indians made a similar attempt at rescuing another, at Logan; but the whites rallying quickly and in force, defeated the attempt.

About the middle of June, 1861, a large body of Indians from Oregon, more than one thousand in number, entered the valley and avowed their intention to clear the country of whites. They encamped on what is now known as the Brigham Young College Lands, in a position well chosen to guard against surprise. The value of the military organization now became evident. The infantry of each settlement were underarms night and morning and prepared with teams, wagons and supplies for instant service at any threatened point. Strong guards watched the herds by day and protected each settlement by night. The battalion of Minute-Men was kept ready for service at a moment's warning; and a body of fifty picked men, commanded by Major Ricks, with George L. Farrell as aid and James H. Martineau as adjutant, were posted about a mile from the Indians as a crops of observation, occupying that position about two weeks. During this time the Minute-Men kept close watch of the movements of the invaders, often sending out scouting parties. The Indians also sent out parties, seeking a vulnerable point of attack, but finding none and the whites everywhere ready for them, gave up the enterprise and returned to Oregon. But they did not go empty handed. In spite of the utmost vigilance they took away many horses. The substantial result, however, was a victory for the whites, whose firm attitude preserved them from a bloody and expensive warfare, in which many men, women and children must have found bloody graves. The closing scene of this drama occurred the following winter, when Peads-wick, chief of the invading Indians, together with about forty of his principal braves, perished in a snow-slide in a mountain gorge in Idaho.

Nothing of moment occurred after Peads-wick's invasion, except that drills and musters were frequent, the settlers keeping in mind Cromwell's celebrated advice to his soldiers to "Trust in God and keep their power dry."

On the 17^th of July, 1861, a strong party of Minute-Men under Colonel Ricks with George L. Farrell as sergeant of the guard, James H. Martineau, topographer and Israel J. Clark as interpreter, started on a reconnaissance of the country lying east of Cache Valley. They crossed the main range of the Wasatch Mountains, explored the Bear Lake country and mountainous region east of that valley, returning by way of Soda Springs and Marsh Valley, Idaho. The expedition was absent eight days, encountered no hostile Indians and reported that country eligible for settlement although lying at an altitude of about six thousand feet above the sea.

On Sunday, September 28^th, 1862, while the people of Logan were at church, word came that a band of northern Indians had run off a band of horses from a point about two miles from Logan. Meeting was instantly dismissed; and volunteers called for to pursue the marauders and recover the animals, if possible, the Indians having about twelve hours head start. James H. Martineau, Thomas E. Ricks, John B. and Moses Thatcher, with about twenty others, hastily took their horses and arms and in twenty minutes were in hot pursuit of the Indians. The pursuers waited not for dinner, neither took any food or blankets with them, knowing the importance of time in all such enterprises. The party went north, being reinforced by Minute-Men at Hyde Park and Smithfield. Bear Hunter, who was then at Hyde Park, a chief of a local band of Indians, sent runners ahead to apprise the hostiles of the force in pursuit, which ultimately enabled them to escape with eighteen horses out of thirty with which they first started. The party pressed the hostiles vigorously, over mountains, rocks and defiles and when in the mountains east of Franklin, detached J.E. Hyde to go to that place, get provisions for the party and overtake them as soon as possible. The pursuers caught up to the Indians just at dark, on Cub River, having ridden since noon about twenty-five miles, and having lost considerable time in hunting the trail in rocky and other unfavorable ground, the Indians trying as much as possible to conceal it. While the foremost pursuers were waiting for the rear to come up, some of their horses being much jaded and the Indians offering battle, night suddenly threw a pall over the scene, it became so dark neither party could move and both were compelled to camp, which they did in close proximity.

The day had been very cold and the men were chilled through; and to make their position worse, a cold, sleety rain began to fall, accompanied by a furious wind which continued at intervals all the long anxious night. The men had no bedding, but lay on the cold wet ground, covered as much as possible from the driving storm by their saddles and saddle cloths, —without food or fire, not daring to make any on account of the known proximity of the hostiles. During the night one of the guard thought he heard some one passing by, but thinking it an Indian, kept still waiting further developments. It afterword appeared that the footsteps were those of Hyde and two men from Franklin, with two horses packed with provisions, who were searching for the party, but who not only missed their friends at this time but passed through the very camp of the Indians. The latter did not molest them, fearing the main party, whose sentinels were only a few rods from their own. We may here say that these three men with the provisions did not find the main party until the third day, wandering all that time among the mountains, but happily without falling in with any hostiles. Three others of the pursuing party, who became separated from the main body in the pitch darkness, sat all night long holding their horses by their bridles, exposed to the pitiless rain and piercing winds, only rejoining their comrades when the morning light revealed their position.

At the earliest dawn the whites mounted in pursuit, but the Indians had also taken the trail; and not until noon did the pursuers begin to come up with them. At that time a favorite horse belonging to Moses Thatcher, which had somehow escaped the Indians, was recovered and unmistakably manifested his joy at again meeting his master. From this time until the pursuit was finally abandoned, horses that had given out were retaken, covered with foam and trembling in every fiber. The Indians gained time by concealing their trail whenever practicable and the time spent by the pursuers in finding it again was used to the best advantage by the marauders. The pursuers followed along rocky defiles and up mountains so steep that each rider dismounting, and clinging to his hors's tail, with difficulty accomplished the ascent —and again descending with almost as much difficulty and greater danger, they kept their tireless way. Some of the men whose horses were exhausted, followed with such animals as were overtaken from time to time, abandoned by the raiders. Indians in such cases generally shoot the animals or prisoners they are compelled to abandon, but in this case they feared to reveal their position by discharging their guns. The pursuit, which begun Sunday, was untiringly kept up until Tuesday night, when the Indians, finding themselves unable to escape in a body, separated in every direction to again meet in some distant and safe locality. They scattered in a dense pine forest, which utterly precluded pursuit. A hurried council was held, in which the men said they would willingly go another day without food —the fourth— if they might recapture all the animals stole, but as there was no possibility of this, they reluctantly turned homewards. It was afterwards ascertained that at this time the hostiles were so near, they saw the council held, and lay in ambush, determined, if longer followed, to fight to the last.

About midnight of the 30^th the party accidentally met the provision escort. The night was intensely dark, but both partied happened to be on the same trail, and each hearing the others' tread and supposing the others to be Indians, halted and prepared for fight. The main party hailing, a glad response proved the others friends and —best of all— with food for the company which had now been about three days without anything to eat except a few handfuls of dried rose buds, plucked by the way. The party reached home without further incident, having recovered eleven out of thirty horses, one horse having been shot by them at the start.

This account is given in so much detail, to show the prompt and decisive manner in which the militia treated Indian raids. We may here remark that it also exemplifies the practical working of the military system of the whole Territory from its first settlement. As it is also a type of scores of similar expeditions, others of the same kind will not in this article, be specially described.

Without such quick and decisive action of the settlers, they could not have maintained themselves as they did in an Indian country, for no assistance was ever rendered them by the United States troops stationed in the Territory, except that given by General Connor, which will be spoken of hereafter.

On Wednesday, October 1^st, 1862, word was received at Logan that the Bannock Indians were mustering at Soda Springs, Idaho, for a raid upon Cache Valley in strong force. Preparations were made for their reception, and twenty-five men were sent to Franklin to reinforce that place. But the Indians finding by their scouts that the people were read for them abandoned the enterprise. During the remainder of the year Indian alarms were quite frequent and parties of twenty-five to fifty Minute-Men were frequently sent out to patrol the country and show the natives that the settlers were ready for them. It was well known that Indians will never, unless circumstances are greatly in their favor, attack those who are prepared for them; and thus a thorough state of preparation for an Indian war will often prevent one from occurring.

On Sunday, November 23^rd, 1862, seventy United States Cavalry from Camp Douglas had a fight with Bear Hunter's band of Indians at the mouth of Providence Canyon, near Providence, which lasted forty-five minutes but without loss of life on either sides. The Indians were posted among rocks and cedars and finding the troops making ready for a charge, yielded up a white child, said to have been taken in a massacre of whites in Oregon and the rescue of which was the object of the expedition. Some of the whites in Cache Valley had seen the child with the Indians and although the latter had painted its face to resemble themselves, its light hair and blue eyes betrayed its race. The whites tried to get the child, but the Indians refused to let it be ransomed and finally kept it secreted. Colonel Connor, being made aware of this, sent his men, who, as before started, accomplished by force what could not be done by peaceful means. On Monday, the 24^th, the troops returned to Camp Douglas.

The following day, November 25^th, the Indians mustered in strong force near Providence and made hostile demonstrations against the inhabitants, who being not a hundred strong, desired assistance. The hostiles charged the people with sheltering and feeding the troops and thus showing themselves hostile to the Indians. About seventy men quickly started from Logan to assist the people of Providence, when the Indians seeing themselves unable to cope with the militia, sent an interpreter, desiring a "Talk." They demanded two beef cattle and a large quantity of flour as a peace offering; and Colonel Ezra T. Benson and Bishop Peter Maughan, considering it the best and cheapest policy, finally acceded to their demands. The citizens of Logan furnished the supplies required.

In January, 1863, Colonel Patrick E. Connor, with about four-hundred United States Troops fought the Battle of Bear River, about twelve miles north of Franklin. This action, though more properly belonging to the annals of the United States Army, we think should be noticed in this conation, as it had an immense influence in settling Indians affairs in northern Utah and especially in Cache County. Indians outrages against settlers and travelers had grown more and more frequent and audacious, until they became unbearable and Colonel Connor determined to put an end to them. Making forced marches from Camp Douglas to Franklin during an intensely cold winter and through deep snow, this command left Franklin some hours before daylight and after a march of twelve miles, found the Indians, numbering about four-hundred warriors, very strongly posted in the deep ravine through which Battle Creek enters Bear River. To attack this natural fortress the troops had to cross an open plain a half a mile in width, in plain view of the Indians, who were hidden behind the steep banks of the stream. The troops reached Bear River early in the morning of an intensely cold day. The river was full of running ice, but was gallantly forded, many of the men getting wet and afterwards having their feet and legs frozen.

As the troops advanced they met a deadly fire from the Indian rifles; but without wavering pressed steadily on and after a bloody contest of some hours in which the Indians fought with desperation, the survivors, about one hundred in number, fled. Pocatello and Sagwitch, two noted chiefs escaped, but Bear Hunter was killed while making bullets at a campfire. When struck he fell forward into the fire and perished miserably. For years he had been as a thorn to the settlers and his death caused regret in none. A simultaneous attack in front and on both flanks finally routed the Indians, whose dead as counted by an eye-witness from Franklin, amounted to three-hundred sixty-eight, besides many wounded, who afterwards died. About ninety of the slain were women and children. The troops found their camp well supplied for the winter. They burnt the camp and captured a large number of horses. The troops suffered severely in killed and wounded, besides a great number who had their feet and legs frozen by fording Bear River. The morning after the battle and an intensely cold night, a soldier found a dead squaw lying in the snow, with a little infant still alive, which was trying to draw nourishment from her icy breast. The soldiers, in mercy to the babe, killed it. On their return the troops remained all night in Logan, the citizens furnishing them supper and breakfast, some parties, the writer among the number, entertaining ten or fifteen each. The settlers furnished teams and sleighs to assist in carrying the dead, wounded and frozen to Camp Douglas. In crossing the mountains between Wellsville and Brigham City the troops experienced great hardships. They toiled and floundered all day through the deep snow, the keen whirling blasts filling the trail as fast as made, until, worn out, the troops returned to Wellsville. Next day Bishop William. H. Maughan gathered all the men and teams in the place and assisted the troops through the pass to Salt Lake Valley.

This victory was of immense value to the settlers of Cache County and all the surrounding country. It broke the spirit and power of the Indians and enabled the settlers to occupy new and choice localities hitherto unsafe. Peter Maughan, the Presiding Bishop of the Country, pronounced it an interposition of Providence in behalf of the settlers; the soldiers have done what otherwise the colonists would have had to accomplish with great pecuniary loss and sacrifice of lives, ill spared in the weak state of the settlements. This was the universal sentiment of the County. It made the flocks and herds and lives of the people comparatively safe; for though the survivors were enraged against the people of the County, whom they regarded as in a manner aiding and abetting the troops, they felt themselves too weak to forcibly seek revenge.

On September 14^th, 1864 the small town of Franklin narrowly escaped destruction and massacre. A drunken Indian endeavored to ride his horse over a white woman and to beat out her brains with a club. To save her life the woman was compelled to seek shelter under the horse's body, though encountering thus a peril almost as deadly as that threatened by the war cub of the savage. A white man shot the Indian to save the woman and at once the whole band of savages flew to arms, threatening death and destruction to all unless the offending white man was delivered to them to be killed. The Indians, three-hundred in number, seized a white named Mayberry and for a long time threatened him with death from knives held at his throat and tomahawks shaken at his head. In a short time a messenger reached Logan and gave the alarm, while others warned the people of Oxford and Stockton in Marsh Valley, some twenty or twenty-five miles north.

During the night about three-hundred Minute-Men arrived from Logan and other places, under command of Major Ricks, accompanied by Bishop Peter Maughan. The Indians were greatly astonished by this unexpected arrival of militia, having endeavored to prevent the settlers from making their danger known; and seeing themselves unable to cope with so formidable a force, were willing to "Talk" and released Mayberry from threatened torture and death. An agreement was finally reached, and the Indians returned to Idaho. A singular incident transpired at this time. Just as the head chief was departing, he said to Bishop Maughan— "We have acted badly, but we don't want you to talk to the Great Spirit about us. Don't tell him to do anything to us— don't tell him what we have done." The Bishop answered that he talked to the Great Spirit every day and could not make the promise desired. The Chief urged his request again and again, but being firmly denied, went his way with a downcast look. Two days afterward, the Chief sent back a hundred horses they had stolen from the range, but kept about as many more stolen in the valley, saying they needed and must keep them. As by this time they were beyond pursuit, they escaped with their booty. The people were glad to get off so well and without loss of life; for had not help so quickly arrived, Franklin would have seen a desperate and bloody fight and many must have fallen. This sudden and unexpected Indian difficulty, so quickly arising and so suddenly and effectively averted by the militia, gives a striking illustration of the necessity and wisdom of its organization and the vast benefits resulting there from. And in fact, the history of the county from its earliest settlement demonstrates the pressing need of just such an organization of the settlers.

Except the assistance rendered by General Connor in the case already noticed in this article, the settlers of Utah were never assisted by the United States troops, but were left to carry on long, expensive and bloody Indian wars as best they could. Our object in noticing this fact is not to complain, but to show that if the United States troops failed to protect the settlements and people, they must of necessity protect themselves, which they did— learning by experience an invaluable lesson of self-reliance.

August 5^th, 1865, the militia were reorganized into a Brigade, consisting of one Regiment of Cavalry, or more properly, Mounted Infantry and two of Infantry. New settlers had been constantly arriving until their numbers justified the step. A general muster of the militia of the whole County was held at Logan, on what is now known as the "Temple Bench," at which President Brigham Young and several officers from Salt Lake City were present. About eight-hundred cavalry and infantry were present and unanimously elected the following brigade and regimental officers: Ezra T. Benson, Brigadier General; William Hyde, Adjutant of Brigade; Peter Maughan, Brigade Quartermaster; William K. Robinson, Brigade Color Bearer.

The cavalry regiment consisted of three-hundred seventeen men well mounted and well armed and was composed of men who had seen considerable Indian service. There were three battalions and six companies, each subdivided into "platoons" consisting of a second lieutenant, sergeant, teamster and ten privates, in accordance with Pace's Military Tactics. The infantry regiments had a similar organization as to company officers and platoons, the first infantry consisting of six battalions and ten companies, aggregating four-hundred ninteen men; the second infantry having three battalions and eight companies, with a total of three-hundred forty-two men. The strength of the brigade was one-thousand ninty-four men. Besides the men thus organized, there were several hundred not enrolled being over forty-five years of age. In seasons of Indian difficulty, these men usually constituted a ""Home Guard," for the protection of the settlements where they resided and sometimes were known as Silver Grays.

After the election of officers, President Young admonished the militia not to relax their vigilance, but always remember the Indians were an ignorant, unreliable and excitable people; liable at any time to become hostile through unwise or thoughtless actions of the whites; that Indians always respect a brave and well armed people; and that being always ready for war was the best way to preserve peace with them; and to be always careful not to infringe upon their rights or give them a just cause of offense.