- FEB. 28th, FIRST BATTLE WITH INDIANS IN UTAH, AT BATTLE CEEEK.
Copied from records in the L. D. 8. Historian’s Office.
A report having reached Salt Lake City that some renegade Indians were molesting the settlers, a company of thirty or forty men under Captain John Scott left Salt Lake City Feb. 28, 1849, in pursuit of some Indians who had been stealing and kill- ing cattle and running off horses from Willow Creek (Draper) and other places. The company proceeded to Utah Valley and met Little Chief and his band of Timpanogos Utes on the Provo River who told the military boys where the thieving Indians were en- camped. The company left the Provo river in the night, taking with them as guide Little Chief’s son who led them over the Provo Bench toward the creek (Battle Creek) north of the base of the mountains, whence from an eminence they discovered the fires of the Indians who were encamped on the creek which ran in the midst of willows and dense brush-wood in a deep ravine. The company was divided into four smaller bodies and posted north, south, east and west of the Indians, who, when they awoke in the morning, found themselves besieged. The savages packed up their baggage and ineffectually tried every way to escape. They then commenced to fight by shooting arrows and firing guns. This small predatory band of Indians consisted of two lodges under Kone and Blue-Shirt and numbered seventeen souls in all, including four men. The squaws and children were secured and fed and warmed. After a desultory fight of three or four hours, the four men who took every advantage of the brush for cover were killed. None of the brethern were injured. The skins of fifteen cattle, which the Indians had killed were found near by. During the fight Stick-in-the-Head and his band of Timpanogos Utes came up ready for a fight and took position on an elevation, whence they vainly called to the besieged and urged them to come that way. The company returned to Great Salt Lake City March 6th. The squaws and child- ren of the slain were taken to the City, and after being fed went to their friends among the other Indians. From this circumstance the creek on which the fight took place was named Battle Creek. The fight referred to was the first battle which the ” Mormon” Pioneers fought with the Indians in the Territory of Utah.
-From Journal History at the Historian’s Office.
