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Show Morgan Pioneer History Binds Us Together Pioneer Interaction With the Indians Much of the land was purchased from the Indians and treaties made and kept by both parties, so they had little trouble with the Indians. The Indians used to come in and camp where ever they could find wood and water. Chief Washakie would go to the Bishop and ask for food for his people and he nearly always got what he asked for. The Chief of the Weber Utes Tribe was "Little Soldier." He was a friend of the white man and endeavored to keep his people from preying on their property. Not being able to control their thieving, he became disgusted and moved to Ogden where he ended his days. Ephraim Robison says that at one time in Porterville the Indians demanded flour or fight. Pres. Young had told the settlers to give the Indians food to keep them peaceable. So they gave them flour and beef and they rode away. Mr. William Dickson relates the following incident. "The Indians were very treacherous. They had fine horses, and they could go anywhere over the mountains. At one time I visited the camp of Washakie, the Shoshone chief, and his men when they were camped in Norwood Hollow, near Porterville. Washakie had been fighting with another tribe of Indians, and I saw hanging on sage brush, the wet and bloody scalps of the Indians that his men had killed and brought back with them. Mr. George C. Southam of Vernal says he has heard his father tell of the early days and that at one time his father and Maney Welch and others were sent to Devil's Slide to guard against the narrow pass where the tunnels are. Mr. Southam tells the story of a man, Mr. Calhoon, who was scalped by the Indians during the building of the Union Pacific Railroad. He says Mr. Calhoon always wore a cap after this, even while eating. After the railroad was complete he was given the position of conductor on the train. Mr. George Heiner says he was eighteen years old when the Morgan Militia were first mustered out to drill. He says there was real danger of the Indians everywhere at that time, and that they had to be fed to have peace. He has seen as many as 500 Indians go through Morgan County at one time. The Indians wanted to claim the valley. Settlers could not always pick berries. They were "Indian's berries." Once he and Joel Manhard were ordered up Pine Canyon, and over as far as the Bear River, and were gone for a week. Ephraim Robison of Ogden was a member of the Militia of Morgan County. He tells of an incident that happened in Morgan in the spring of 1865. It happened right in the heart of where Morgan City now stands. He and John Roe were standing together when a band of 500 Indians, many of them warriors crossed the river and rode through the town. They had long poles like fish poles, with scalps hanging from the ends of them. In the band was one white woman. "Never can I forget, says Mr. Robison, seeing her with a white handkerchief over her head tied Indian fashion, and her long fair hair hanging behind. She uttered not a word, and we didn't know when our time would come." Later we heard that between Green River and Rock Springs, a company of immigrants with wagons had all been killed but one woman. Chief Washakie |