DEATH OF CAPTAIN GUNNISON AND COMRADES. 
73 
ing with him of his escort, to replenish their ammunition ; and having brought up and saddled 
their horses, in thirty minutes they were moving rapidly towards the scene of that fatal disaster, 
hoping to rescue all who might yet survive and perform the last mournful duties of humanity to 
those who were known to have fallen. 
The man who first reached camp was the corporal of the escort, who had made his escape 
on his horse, and had ridden him until he could go no further, leaving him at our camp of 
the previous day, whence he ran on foot fourteen miles—twenty-five in all—arriving, without 
arms, in the condition I have described. Another of the escort reached campon horseback, 
before Capiain Morris’ departure; and two others were met by him in the course of the after¬ 
noon, making their way towards camp. The horses of Dr. Schiel, who had accompanied Cap¬ 
tain Morris, and of his sergeant and several of his men, gave out during their rapid march, and 
their riders were left straggling behind; but eventually all arrived safely in camp—-the sergeant 
and some of the men, from their own folly, in a poor plight. 
Before Captain Morris’ departure the train animals were driven in, with the intention at first 
of removing the train to a more secure place, with the two young gentlemen, Homans and Sny¬ 
der, and the teamster force, some of whom were unarmed, to guard it. But it was subsequently 
determined to break up the camp altogether, and move towards a convenient point, where Cap¬ 
tain Morris and myself could meet on the following or succeeding day, and take such measures 
for future operations as circumstances might require, with better means within our reach than we 
could command at any other point. 
Crossing the river at the camp, we took the shortest line to escape from the sand, which 
proved far heavier than that of the previous day, but it was 7.44 miles in a southeast course, 
beyond a border of small cedars a mile wide, among which the sand was so drifted that it was 
only by innumerable windings and contortions of teams and wagons, that we at last escaped from 
it and reached the plain of grass a mile or two wide, which here lies on the gradual slope of the 
mountain. Here we encamped. In crossing the sand-hills numerous fresh Indian tracks were seen, 
notwithstanding the prevalence of a high wind; but the night passed quietly, and at sunrise we 
travelled southward along the base of the mountain, hoping to escape a continuation of the sand 
of the previous day, in which we were only partially successful, however, as it continued heavy 
for ten miles. We then passed a spur of the mountain and changed our course from south to 
southeast, and struck the trail we had made in going from Cedar spring to the Sevier river, six 
miles from the spring, at which we found a large camp of Mormons, on their way to settle at 
Parawan, near Little Salt lake. Here we encamped and turned our animals out to graze on 
the hills; the 20.93 miles of to-day being the severest day’s labor performed by them, although 
the day was cool, during the whole course of our long summer journeyings. The last of our 
animals were not out of harness when Captain Morris arrived, confirming our worst fears for 
the fate of our late comrades. 
Captain Gunnison had encamped early in the afternoon, while the wind and storm were yet 
fresh, and doubtless feeling the security which men come to indulge after passing long periods of 
time surrounded by savages without actually encountering them. The abundant grass and fuel 
of a little nook in the river bottom, sheltered by the high second bank of the river on one side, 
and thick willows, distant scarcely thirty yards, on two of the others, with the river in front, 
offered a tempting place of comfort and utility, which was perhaps accepted without even a 
thought of danger. It was known to the party that a band of Indians was near them, for we 
had seen their fires daily since entering the valley; but an unusual feeling of security against 
them was felt, as Captain Gunnison had learned that a recent quarrel, resulting in several 
deaths, which they had had with emigrants, had terminated, and that notwithstanding this 
difficulty they had remained at peace with the neighboring settlers, which had been confirmed 
and guarantied for the future in a “talk” held with some of the Indians of this band, by an 
agent of the governor of the Territory, during our stay near Fillmore. This information, Cap- 
10 gt 
