JANUARY,
1858
Fri 1 of January 1858. Put An handle on my knife T.S. Smith came Down
here in the Evening with Some Others + we had a little Dance Fine Weather
Sat. 2 cutting Poles. Sun. 3. At meeting Pres. T.S.Smith was with us
he Compared the kingdom of god to a Ship + made Some good remarks upon
it. He gave us Some good Counsel. Mon. 4. Hunting Ebenezer Cow. I Wrote
Letters to my Wife + Brother Tues. 5. Took Letters up to the Fort. Drove
Evenezer Cow + Calf Down with me, it Snowed about 4 inches Last night
Wednes. 6. Went to the Fort + got a load of Straw John Barnard + Wm.
Perkins Started with mail to slat Lake Valey. Clear cold weather
Thurs. 7. Went the Fast meeting had a good time Cold weather Fri. 8
Went With J. Miller Wm. Tayler Lew Tayler + Dug a grave for an Indian
+ Buried him Sat. 9 made me a chair Clear Cold Weather Sun. 10. At meeting
Green Tayler + Bro. Derfey was with us gave us Some good teachings they
visited us as teachers Mon 11. Went with A. Quigley to the heard with
Some Cattle. Tues. 12. Came home. Fine Weather. Cold Nights Wednes.
13. Got Some timber for A Chair. Thurs. 14. Made a Chair. Some Indians
Stole an Ox From the heard Tues. Night last they killed the Ox Fove
of the Boys Went in Pursuit Returned with a Poney for the Ox. Fri. 15.
Put A Bottom in my Chair. 2 Indian Squaws Died last Night M.D. Hammond
J. T. Miller J. Slrodd (?) Dug graves for them Sat 16 Commenced A Chair
for Wm. Smith girl moderate weather Sun. 17. At meeting had a good meeting
Commenced Acting in the Office of Coock. Mon. 18. Washed Coocked Worked
at Chair. Tues 19. Baking Wednes. 20 Finished my Chair Thurs. 21. Baking
at meeting in the Evening fine Weather Fri 22. Snowed About an inch
last Night Went to the Other fort Sat 23. Baking had the tooth Ache
for the last week more or lefs. Sun 24. At meeting Pres. Smith Was with
us Spoke to us Concerning our Mifsion Among this People + Prosperity
of the Work of god in these the last Days. At meeting the Evening Mon
25. Sewing on My Buxkin Shirt. Tues 26 baking snowed about 2 and a half
inches today. Wednes 27 sewing on my shirt gave Powel a mountainier
100 lbs of flour for a gun clear day. Thurs 28 tooth pained me considerable
went to the other fort to get it pulled but did not get it done. Warm
day. Fri 29 Sat 30 cooking warm pleasant weather. Sun 31 at meeting
Bro. George McBride was with us at meeting in the evening. Pleasant
day.
FEBRUARY, 1858
Mon 1 of Feb 1858 made some beet molasses. Fine day. Tues 2 baking.
Wednes 3 washing went to the upper fort with George McBride some 60
or 70 sho indians came to sing + plus before us for something to eat.
We would not notice them according to Pres. T.S. Smith council but gave
them some wheat which satisfied them. Thurs 4 at fast meeting to the
other fort also in the evening. Fri 5 came home. Baked bread. Warm day.
Sat 6 making beet molasses. Clowdy day. Sun 7 at home the coldest +
stormiest day we have had this winter. The wind blowed hard from the
east + snowing all day + very cold. Some 40 Shoshonies indians started
out a war scout in the Nepresia country. Mon 8 baking clear cold day.
Wind blowed very hard last night from the east. Had a bad tooth ache.
Tues 9 went to the fort + Wm's derbey cut me a shirt. Bad tooth ache.
Bro. Perrey cut the nerve of my care (?) clowdy cold day. Wednes 10
making my shirt tooth stopped aching. An indian stole one Thomas S.
Smith horses last night. They followed him all day come to the fort
to stay all night some of the cattle was found + plus drove down to
the fort. Clowdy day. The devil is at work among the Lamanites. Thurs
11 working on my shirt 10 of the boys started for Beaver head after
Pres. Smith horse. Also to learn if there was soldiers as the indians
reported. Cool day. Fri 12 working on my shirt the horses + cattle was
drove down here yesterday for us to herd. Wm J. Smith, Wm. Perrey, Henry
Harmon, S. Gene moved to the upper fort. Sat 13 finished my shirt. Cold
wind from the north blowed. Sun 14 at home pleasant day Pres. Smith
thought it the safest + best plan to us to live in one fort accordingly
those that had families here moved. Thursday + we expect to move in
the spring. Mon 15 commenced making my pants. The boys pastured with
Pres. Smith's horse and got him about 80 miles from here. They had a
stormy time. They learnt that there was soldiers over there. South wind,
snow melting very fast. Tues 16 baking. Thawing very fast. Wednes 17
working on my pantaloons and had a snow squall towards night. Thurs
18 sewing on my pants. Fri 19 sewing on my pants. Baking traded for
a horse. Commenced making a gun case. As we are calculating to move
to the other fort we thought it best to (?) up the mess as there was
no need so many being together we thought it would be for the best.
Commenced settling. Sat 20 finished my pants James went to the fort
with a load of logs. Warm weather. My cow had a calf Thursday last.
Sun 21 at home. The boys went to other fort. Warm day. At meeting in
the evening settled some of our (?) concerns after meeting. Mon 22 commenced
moving to the other fort. Went up to the fort with a load also baking
+ washing. Tues 23 helping load timber. Fine warm weather. Wednes 24
went up to the fort with 2 loads of house logs.
Description of Shoshone Attack Near Ft. Lemhi
Thursday 25th went up to the fort early in the morning + took up most
of our clothing + house hold furniture. While going back we met some
indians 2 of which run our cows from the bench where they were feeding
to the brush on the river. I went after them + they left the cows yet
some of them said that they were going to hunt for bear also we J.D.
Wilcox being with me, could see a great many indians going up towards
the upper fort (they were mostly on the other side of the river). Which
movements we did not like. Shortly after we commenced loading up E.J.W.
Barnard concluded (as he had his horse here) to go + see what so much
stir amongst the indians meant after we all got loaded. 5 of us started
about 1 o'clock pm with 2 loads of hay + 2 loads of wood + timber. We
also had two cows with calves + one yearling driving loose, we had not
gone far untill we could see that the indians had taken the herd + was
guarding them on the bench where that the trail crosses about half way
between the two forts One number consisted of the following named persons
James D. Wilcox, Milton D. Hammond, James J. Miller, Hascal V. Shirtliff
+ myself. We concluded to take the bottom road + had not gone far before
the indians see us + began to come towards us whooping + yelling but
we continued to drive on untill we got near the crossing of the creek
about which time old Rocky Kay shot at M.D. Hammond + myself as we were
standing close together. The indians continued to come off the bench
towards us. The bottom seemed to be literaly covered with horseman riding
in circles + throwing up their blankets in defiance to us, just before
we got to the crossing of the creek. Cartoos (a Shoshone) shot H.V.
Shirtliff in the arm + the same ball hit me in the right hand after
part of the teams had got accrossed the creek. We concluded to leave
our teams + take to the brush on the river we had not gone far untill
a ball hit J. T. Miller in the left side he sprung forward + said that
he was shot but continued to run with the rest of us. After we had got
about 10 rods from our teams (which was about half way to the river)
M.D. Hammond called on us to stop on the open pararie upon which we
turned on the indians. They wheeling at the same time for fear of being
shot after they turned back we continued on towards the brush About
this time J.T. Miller handed his pistol to J.D. Wilcox + said that he
could not do any more the pistol [a six shoot had some to pieces. They
were trying to get it together after we got to the brush. We separated
some crossed the river, I went up the river not crossing it but kept
in the thickest brush I could find. After I had got into the brush a
little ways I had to stop + tare off some of my clothing + bind up my
hand as it was bleeding verry bad. I continued on up the river up the
brush stoping once in a while to rest myself.
I got to the fort about 5 o'clock pm. The indians had not been to the
fort at all, George McBride was brought in a short time after. There
he was shot through the body sideways the ball from appearances hit
or went close to his heart. He was badly scalped + was dead when he
was found. He was at the fort when the fuss commenced + went out on
horse back to try + save the cattle. H.V. Shirtliff had got in before
me. He was shot in the left arm. The ball passing through the mussle
in front of his arm above the elbow. Fountain Welch had been brought
in before I got here. He was shot in the back the ball hitting his backbone
+ going up his back without going into the trunk of his body, Pres.
Smith was shot in the right arm just below the elbow, another ball passed
through his hat brim - close to his head. Also one ball took a button
off from his pantaloons + cut a hole through his suspender + the horse
that he was riding was shot in the side of the lower jaw. Andrew Quigley
was brought in about sun down. He was shot in the right shoulder the
ball ranging up + towards his neck. He was struck several times in the
head one stroke denting in his skull bone. He was left for dead. M.D.
Hammond + J.D. Wilcox got in about two hours after dark without being
hurt. J.T. Miller did not come in + did not consider it wisdom for anybody
to look for him until morning. M.D. Hammond, J.D. Wilcox + myself went
to H.V. Shirtliff's to stay. Friday 26th ten men started early this
morning to hunt for J.T. Miller. They found him about 20 rods from we
left the waggons lying on his face + to all appearances he had fell
dead the indians had stripped him, he was shot through the left arm
the same ball passing through his body sideways also one ball entered
his right side just below the other shot. He was stabbed in the left
side the indians had burned the two loads of hay. They got 200 head
of cattle + 30 horses. I lost one yoke of oxen, one bow + ball + one
horse. The wounded boys are improving. George + James was buried this
evening near the saw pit in the cattle corral. Saturday 27th the time
is occupied by the mission in fixing to cache our wheat. Two indians
rode close to the fort today + rode the war circle + left.
Oliver Lee
Robinson Diary