Blythe, John Law, 1829-1893

File — Box: 5, Folder: 7

Identifier: III

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Diary, 1874. This short diary (24 pages) was begun February 6, 1874, and ended May 21, 1874. It records the trip and mission of a group called by Brigham Young to establish a mission at MoenKopi. The mission was led by John L. Blythe. William H. Solomon was the clerk and historian.

February 6, 1874: Blythe, his wife and boy, William H. Solomon, and Oliver Andersen were missionaries called to go to Arizona. Orvil Allen, John Everet, and Frank Giles-by, volunteers, left from Kanab, Utah.
February 8, 1874: A. W. Moss, leading a company of miners, passed on his way to the San Juan country. There were eleven men (two of whom were Chinese).
February 9, 1874: Stopped in Kanab to talk to Ira Hatch.
February 10, 1874: Ira Hatch will join the party as soon as he can get together a "fitout."
February 11, 1874: Jacob Hamblin came in with the story of the three Navajos being killed. He had held a council with the Navajo chiefs who demanded restitution.
March 13, 1874: Emma Lee read a letter from her husband, John D., stating the demands of the Indians: fifty head of horses and horned stock for each Navajo killed.
March 14, 1874: Jacob Hamblin, John D. Lee, John Everett, and five or six others came across the river. John D. Lee displayed a telegram from President B. Young giving the boat into John D. Lee's charge.
March 15, 1874: "Morning prayer, John D. Lee. A more pathetic prayer and fervent I have not heard for a long time and from the conversation which followed I should judge him to be a man full of zeal, energy and determination ... and that he has been the subject of much misrepresentations."
March 17, 1874: Lightened their loads leaving things with Emma Lee before crossing on the ferry.
March 19, 1874: Crossed the river.
March 21, 1874: Ira Hatch and Brother Mangum arrived with a letter of instruction for the United Order from John R. Young.
March 24, 1874: Met by four Indians--brothers and fathers of two of the Indians killed. They asked Ira Hatch and John Blythe to meet with them.
March 27, 1874: Arrived at the Oraibi farm. Chief Tuba came to visit. They seemed glad to see us.
March 30, 1874: Tuba gave them some land and water privileges.
March 31, 1874: Passed two resolutions about the United Order.
April 2, 1874: Blythe and Ira Hatch started out with Tuba to meet with the Indians and were met by three Navajos and a Piute. One was "Peokon."
April 7, 1874: Blythe and Hatch returned safely from the meeting. The Indians claimed Jacob Hamblin lied to them.
April 14, 1874: Worked on farm.
April 18, 1874: Continued operation of farm. Peokon and the Piute interpreter came into camp. They demanded restitution for the wounded man. Blythe told them they did not have the stock. Gave them beef and fed them.
April 19, 1874: Indians seemed more friendly and when leaving hugged Brother Blythe.
April 26, 1874: Thales Haskell, Samuel Knight, and Ammon Tenney arrived today. They had been called to assist and strengthen the settlement at MoenKopi. Received letters of instruction from Brigham Young and John W. Young.
April 29, 1874: Brother Allen, Jacob Hamblin, John R. Young, and twenty-two others from Kanab and Long Valley came to help settle Indian difficulty.
April 30, 1874: Sent a petition to the agency at Fort Defiance to consult on the matter.
May 1, 1874: Message from Brigham Young refusing to comply with the demands of the Indians and stating that the Mormons were not guilty. Brigham Young ordered them back to Kanab and Long Valley.
May 10, 1874: Held a meeting at John D. Lee's--blessed two of his children and baptized one of his sons.
May 21, 1874: Reached Kanab.

Dates

1857-1986

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.