The Southern Indian Mission

THE SOUTHERN INDIAN MISSION

Compiled by Esther B. Judd

The Edward Robinson family was living in American Fork, Utah, when he was called to the Southern Indian Mission. Taken from the microfilm record of American Fork Ward at the Genealogical Association for 1852 to 1860 is recorded the following information: "On March 28,1852,11 o'clock the American Fork Ward met at the waters of baptism: We find Edward Robinson was rebaptized, John Robinson was rebaptized, Mary Robinson, William _ Robinson rebaptized, and Elizabeth Wootton baptized for the first time by John Mercer. All were confirmed at the school house the same day.

"Aug. 1, 1852-- Edward Robinson, rebaptized by Alfred Cordam.

"Feb. 13, 1853--11 o'clock a.m. Richard Robinson and George Robinson, rebaptized by John Mercer.

"Oct. 10, 1853--Meeting at Bro. S. E. Harrington's home when Bro.

George A. Smith selected the following persons to go to Fillmore and Iron County: EDWARD ROBINSON and family to Fillmore. Seven other families were to accompany them along with three families assigned to Iron County. The brothers selected were to learn the Indian language and teach the gospel.

"Mar. 19, 1854--Bishop Harrington and council met at Bro. Cook's home to appoint persons according to the request of Elder P. P. Pratt to go on mis¬sions to the south part of the territory, among the Lamanites. The following were selected: Stephen Mott, RICHARD ROBINSON, Amos Thornton, and John Singleton.

From this record and tradition we see where Richard Robinson took the place of his father Edward Robinson and answered the call to the Indian mission.

Tradition is: Edward said to Richard, "I have traveled far enough. My roots are now planted deep in this good soil here. Why don't you go on this mission to the Lamanites for me?" Richard answered, "If Elizabeth (Wootton) will go with me, I will go." Richard Robinson and Elizabeth Wootton were married after Edward's call in Oct. 1853 and spent the winter getting ready for their mission. When Parley P. Pratt and company came from Salt Lake in April 1854, they joined them and were on their way to the Southern Indian Mission.

On Friday morning April 14, 1854 six wagons gathered at the home of Parley P. Pratt in Salt Lake City, Utah prepared to start on an Indian Mission to the southern part of the Territory. They had been called at the October conference. (Jensen Church Chronology, page 49.) Thursday, Oct. 6, 1853-¬The general conference of the church was commenced in Salt Lake City. It continued four days. Apostle George A. Smith and Erastus Snow were called to gather fifty families to strengthen the settlements of Iron County. They had been given the winter in which to make ready. Some of them studied Spanish in order that they might be better interpreters; all of them tried to arrange their families and business affairs for a long absence. On the Monday preceding, most of them had met and been set apart for their mission.

Rufus C. Allen was captain, David Lewis and Samuel F. Atwood 1st and 2nd lieutenants. Since some lived in the settlements to the south, they would join the company as it passed through their settlement.


Thomas D. Brown was recorder for the mission and from his pen we get a most illuminating account of the activities and attitudes of the missionaries. His volume has two hundred and forty-three pages. (See Church Historian's Office--Salt Lake City, Utah.)

Garland Hurst, Government Indian Agent for Utah, wrote of this group:

"They embrace a class of rude and lawless young men, such as might be regarded as a curse to any civilized community." Agent Hurst found it hard to find any good in any Mormon, and since the missionaries were young men who would not fit into his idea of the calling (missionary) his remarks are perhaps not to be wondered at. These men were well fitted for the assign¬ment, however, for they were learned in the ways of the frontier, they were resourceful and they were fearless. Most of all they had an abiding faith in their leaders and in the importance of the task to which they had been called.

The company pulled out of Salt Lake City in regular order. At Lehi they were joined by two more and at Provo, Capt. Allen and Isaac Riddle made the group complete: They numbered twenty-one men, with two young boys accompanying their fathers. .

The historian lists them giving their age and rank in the priesthood and quorum. Listed according to age they were as follows: Hyrum Burgers 17, Ira Hatch 18, Benjamin Knell 19, Thales H. Haskell 20, Amos G. Thornton 21, Samuel Knight 21, Augustus P. Hardy 23, RICHARD ROBINSON 23, Isaac Riddle 24, Rufus C. Allen 26, John Lott 26, John Murdock 27, Samuel F. Attwood 29, William Henefer 30, Lorenzo Roundy 34, Jacob Hamblin 35, David Lewis 40, Elnathan Eldridge 42, Thomas D. Brown 46, Robert M. Dickson 46, and Robert Ritchie, 47 ... They included one priest, six elders, twelve seventies. and two high priests.'

Their outfits were listed as: 10 wagons, 25 horses and mules, 6 cattle, 7 cows, 4,420 pounds of flour, 20 wheat, 10 corn, 18 axes, one saw, 20 guns, three pistols, two swords, five plows, with full ammunition and many "fixings."

On April 25th near Fillmore the recorder wrote: "A fine morning. After leaving camp up to Corn Creek, very wet and heavy driving, about 20 Indians of Walker's band came and surrounded the wagons and finally crossed the road and stood ahead of us. After many strange gestures and much loud speaking by the eldest of them, a blanket was thrown down. We all under¬stood this to be a demand for toll for passing over their land. We all con¬tributed some bread and flour and tobacco. They sat down and seemed to enjoy the bread. We passed on and soon came to some more down the creek, they too had to be satisfied."

Parowan and Cedar City were towns only three years old. The mis¬sionaries stopped to visit friends and to accept donations of food and seed, each gift was carefully listed. They arrived at their destination, Fort Har¬mony, on May 2, 1854. Here they selected a site for their headquarters, surveyed it, and divided it into acre plots, one for each missionary, which were assigned by the drawing of lots. So diligently did they work that at the end of two weeks they had cleared sixty four acres of land and had begun to make a canal eight miles long, six feet wide and three feet deep.

John D. Lee, in the fall of 1852, had taken a small company and estab¬lished a colony at Harmony where they built a fort on Ash Creek. There were 15 men there.

On May 17, 1854 President Brigham Young and his party, consisting of 82 men, 14 women and five children visited Harmony. Since there were only the 15 men of the fort and 21 missionary families they were hard put to entertain the visitors as they would have liked.

President Young in a meeting that evening told the missionaries: "You are not sent to farm, to build nice houses and fences, fine fields, not to help the white man, but to save the red ones. Learn their language, and this you can do more effectively by living among them as well as writing out a list of words. Go with them where they go. Live with them and when they rest let them live with you; feed them, clothe them, and teach them in their own language. They are our brothers; we must seek after them. Commit their language; get their understanding and when they go off in parties you go with them."

With these teachings ringing in their ears, the missionaries decided that while some might remain to finish the ditch and plant the necessary crops, others should begin at once at their labor of teaching the natives.

Richard is not named among the eight men who left, so he must have stayed at Fort Harmony.

When six of the eight missionaries returned they found the ditch would not hold water--it was porous as a sieve in places. It was finally decided that a few of the missionaries would remain at the Fort and farm and contact the Indians near there, while others went to the settlements in the north to work for provisions. This group who returned to the tribes on the Santa Clara Creek had what they called a very successful mission. The report of 23 year old Richard Robinson shows clearly their methods and problems. (The original letter is on file in the Journal History of the Church under the date of its writing.)



Fort Harmony, July 13, 1854

Dear Parents,

I have been amongst the Indians on a mission with others. I now intend to give a short sketch of my travels among them. On the morning of the 21st of June, I with five others, with Bro. Lewis as our captain, and an Indian guide started in a western direction to strike the headwaters of the Santa Clara. We traveled about 30 miles then struck the California road. We took down this road and passed through the little valley where I was snowed in when I went to California. This little valley put me in mind of the hard snow storm that I and many others endured who are still in that country (California); here we found some Indians who were tilling the earth. Our guide told them we were friendly. They came up to shake hands, some of them knew not how they would lift up their arms and place their wrists in our hands. Some of them were afraid and trembled like a leaf. '.

We told them what we came for, to learn their language and do them good. We sang a hymn and prayed, they invited us down to their wickiups which were about 2 miles below. We camped under a large cottonwood tree. The Indians had heard that we baptized other Indians about our Fort; they wanted to be baptized and to be Mormons. We baptized and confirmed eight and laid our hands on one old man for his health. Our captain talked to them as well as he could through one of our boys, and told them they were Mormons now; they must not steal, but do as we told them and the Lord would bless them.

The next morning we bid the Indians farewell and traveled down the river about 16 miles over rough country; sometimes on the barren bench and sometimes on the river bottom, till we came to the wickiup of the "Big Chief," as the Indians call him. He came out to meet us and showed us where to camp. He is about as large an Indian as I saw in the nation. He is a stern, sober looking Indian, and looks as though he would be a friend, whilst friendly, and a fearful enemy while at enmity

He asked for some tobacco to smoke. Our captain gave him some.

We then had a friendly smoke, and after we had done smoking, we sang and prayed, which we always did every night and morning. We told them that we had come .to learn their language that we might be able to talk with them and tell them many good things. We told them we had a book in our possession that was the history of their Fathers and was written many years ago and spoke about them and that we would tell them more about the book when we could talk to them. This seemed to please them and gradually the stern and sullen expression of the Chief's countenance gave way to a smile. He wanted to look at it. We showed him where it was; that it was plates of gold and that this was the writing on paper; he seemed pleased.

We talked through one of our boys who understood a little Indian to our guide and gave him a few leading items to tell the Indians. He got up, told them the Great Shenowah, which means God, had told our great captain to tell us to leave our squaws to come to them to do them good, to teach them how to work, to build houses, and to be like Mormons. The chief got up and said he was friendly and believed we had come to do them good, and believed that God did talk to our big captain.

We sang and prayed, laid hands on a little child and then dismissed them. The next morning before the sun was up the chief came to us with a child for us to bless; we did so. They have great faith in the laying on of hands, although they knew nothing about it till we went among them. After breakfast and prayer he invited us to his wickiup. He gave us some victuals to eat which were not very palatable--we partook very slightly; afterwards we had a smoke all around. We then sang and prayed. They delight in singing, which art they have lost; they do nothing but hum.

The chief said he wanted to be baptized with many of his band. We baptized and confirmed 66 that afternoon. We told them through our guide they were Mormons now and must not steal nor fight other Indians but be good. The next day we baptized 15 more and confirmed them. We then formed a circle and Bro. Lewis stood in the middle of the circle and addressed them. All were there that had been baptized at this place. He said, "I wish I could talk to you in your own language and be able to tell you who you are and where you came from." He told them to be faithful and the Lord would bless them; their minds would be enlightened and they would become like the Mormons, etc.

He called for two volunteers to go to the Muddy and tell the Indians there we would come among them if they wanted us, and spoke many good things to them. We then told it to our guide and he got up and told things to them. They said "Joy" which meant all right. The chief got up and spoke very lengthy, exhorting his people to be faithful and then calling for two volunteers to go to the Muddy. Two readily volunteered to go. We then ad¬ministered to a good many and then dismissed them.

Night came on and we were soon locked in the sweet embrace of slumber.

The next morning Bro. Lewis requested me and another to go up with him to see the chief. We were received kindly. We told him through our guide that we would like him to let his children go to our schools and learn to read and write, to build houses, make farms and live like us. He seemed to like the idea and said he wanted them to learn to sing too, which he is very fond of. We left him in good humor.

Their farms are small. What little wheat they have is ripe. They are harvesting it and it is as large as any I ever saw. Their corn is over knee high. They make dams and have water sects, which they make with sticks formed something like a canoe paddle.

The next morning as we were fixing for going the Indians gathered around to bid us goodbye. We shook hands, they looked sorrowful. We mounted and Bro. Lewis said, "Be good, don' t steal and be faithful and the Lord will be good to you and bless you." We rode down the river, camped another night and saw more Indians the next day. Bro. Lewis became sick through intense heat and our provisions being low, we started home to our wagons across the mountains irregardless of any trail. The country was broken and very rough. We saw some of the curious carvings of nature and returned home to our wagons in safety.

/s/ Richard Robinson



The summer of 1854 was spent by the Indian missionaries, in small parties, visiting and instructing the natives in the south. Those not engaged in those visits labored with the settlers at Harmony building the fort and farming.

The walls of this fort were 300 feet square. The houses on the east were one-story and the walls were 10 feet high. On the west the houses were two stories high and the wall sixteen feet high. The walls were two feet thick. In the center a well was dug which was one hundred feet deep. It supplied the culinary water.

As summer advanced, in 1856 , the water at Harmony was found insufficient to sustain much of a settlement there; therefore part of the people settled on the Santa Clara and others at Pinto. The following brethren went to Pinto: Rufus C. Allen (captain), Samuel F. Atwood, Lorenzo W. Roundy, RICHARD S. ROBINSON, Amos. G. Thornton, Prime T. Coleman, Benjamin Knell, Robert Dixon, and David W. Tulhus. Rufus C. Allen finished the first dug-out on Pinto Creek and two families, RICHARD S. ROBINSON and Rufus C. Allen and a number of unmarried men spent the winter of 1856-57 on Pinto Creek. These dug-out (houses) were rooms dug out of the ground and covered with poles and willows and clay for roofs and served the settlers for this first winter.

When the first California immigrants passed through in the spring, they had heard of the place and as they approached in the evening they saw a light. They rode upon what they thought was an elevation to look about. The elevation proved to be a cellar and when the horsemen forces their animals upon it a man came running out from below begging the intruders not to ride over his home. (H.R.J.) History, Richard S. Robinson.

Recorded in the joint records of Washington and Kane County, Book B in Kanab, Utah, page 23, we find: "Be it known by those present that I, Richard Robinson of Fort Harmony, Washington County, Utah Territory, the rightful claimant and owner of lot No. 30 in Fort Harmony ... sold to Gilbert Morse all my claims for $80.00. (Oct. 17-1856, Richard Robinson, Co¬Clerk.) "

Richard S. Robinson was one of the missionaries to help build the rock fort at Santa Clara. Mary M. Judd said in her journal in April 1856 when the men with families were asked to leave the Santa Clara settlement because of Indian trouble, that the company consisted of four wagons, and eight mounted men (Robert Richie, Richard S. Robinson, Samuel Knight, Prime T. Coleman, Isaac Riddle, Oscar and Dudley Leavitt.)

Jacob Hamblin writes: "In the winter of 1855-56 we were instructed to build a fort for our protection. There were at that time on the Santa Clara, ten missionaries and four stone masons from Cedar City. We employed Indian help. In less than ten days we built a fort 100 ft. square of hammer faced rock, the walls two feet thick and twelve feet high." The first record of Washington Courts bearing date of Feb. 23 1856: "Court met at Probate Judge John D. Lee's home, Fort Harmony. Selectmen Elisha H. Green, Henry Barney RICHARD ROBINSON, clerk, Rufus C. Allen, assessor and collector of Washington Co."

In 1857 Rufus C. Allen presided over the Pinto settlement for the first six months. In the spring of 1857 Jacob Hamblin, president of the Indian mission, appointed RICHARD S. ROBINSON to preside at Pinto. (Sept. 1857 the Mountain Meadows Massacre took place a few miles southwest of Pinto.) After the first two winters of 1857-58 and 1858-59 most of the families moved down on the Santa Clara for the winter returning to Pinto Creek in the spring.

The principal industry during the first two years was stock raising and dairying and the little settlement soon became noted for its excellent cheese and butter. Grass was good and plentiful all over the hills and valleys. In a few years as the range began to give way and more settlers arrived more attention was paid to agriculture. Grain, grass and vegetables were raised on a small scale because of scarcity of water.

On May 21,1859, Richard S. Robinson received his patriarchal blessing at Pinto Creek, Washington County, Utah Territory. Following is a copy of the blessing:

A Patriarchal Blessing by E. H. Grove upon the head of Richard Robin¬son, son of Edward Robinson and Mary Smith, born November 25, 1830 in the town of Upton, Cheshire, England.

"Brother Robinson, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth and by virtue of the Holy Priesthood in me vested, I place my hands upon thy head to seal upon thee a Patriarchal or Father's Blessing, which shall rest upon thee and thou shall realize the fulfillment thereof because of thy faith and the integrity of thy heart thy sins are remitted unto thee. Thy name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Thou shall increase in knowledge and understanding and pro¬gress as the principles of light are revealed, thy guardian angel will be with thee, not leave nor forsake thee but thou shall be delivered from thy common enemy, thou art called as a missionary to the Lamanites, many of whom shall yet look unto thee as a Father. They will hearken to thy council and thou will be able to go at the head of a portion of them when they shall go through among the gentiles agreeable to the records in the Book of Mormon. Thou shalt as assist in the redemption of Zion and the avenging of the blood of innocence upon them that dwell upon the earth. The angel of vengeance shall be with thee, he will strengthen thy nerves, thy sinews that like upon Ammon, no power shall be able to withstand thee. Thou shall become a mighty counselor in Israel, a man of judgment and decision able to fill any mission or station where unto thou mayest be called. Many of thy kindred, both of the living and of the dead shall be brought by thee to rejoice in the mansion with thy Father which has been prepared for thee. Thou art of the seed of Ephraim, a lawful heir to the fullness of the Holy Priesthood which thou shall receive in due time that thou mayest be able to stand in thy proper lot and station in the redemption of thy progenitors, many of whom shall be made known unto thee by holy messengers who shall reveal unto thee the genealogies of thy fathers. Thou art a father in Israel, thy posterity shall multiply and become numerous upon the earth.

"I seal upon thy head the blessings of thy fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Thy name shall be perpetuated in the last generations. Good order shall rest in thy habitations, wealth in great abundance shall flow into thy hands and all things needful to render life happy and aggreable. Thou shall behold the corning of the Redeemer, the reign of peace established upon the earth, enjoy the blessings of the fruits of the vine and olive yard, receive many blessings and privileges in the Temple in Zion, be anointed a King and a Priest unto the most, high God, receive thy crown, kingdom, dominion, power, and eternal increase, be numbered with the 144,000. Thy inheritance with the faithful of Ephraim's sons of Zion. These are thy blessings, they shall be shown unto thee. I seal them upon thy head in the name of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, even so. Amen."



July 17, 1859 Pinto was organized. Richard S. Robinson was president of the branch, with Amos G. Thornton, first counselor, and Benjamin Hulse, second counselor. Thales Haskell was clerk. At this time the settlers of Pinto were the four above named men, their families, Prime Coleman and family, widow Eccles and family,.- Benjamin Knell, and George Day. This Pinto branch, as well as the settlers of Pine Valley at this time, were at¬tached to Santa Clara ward organization.

1860. At the March term of the Washington County Court, Pinto was organized as a precinct of Washington County and Richard S. Robinson was appointed road supervisor.

The settlers settled on Pinto Creek. They built their houses close together in fort style, making two rows of houses. They had no trouble with the Piute Indians, but the Navajo Indians about 1886 stole some stock from the range.

The first meeting house in Pinto consisted of a small log house about 15 x 16 ft. It was built in 1860. In 1866 a rock meeting house, 24 x 34 ft. was built and was used as the school house for many years:

Richard S. Robinson was sustained as presiding Elder of Pinto Branch in Feb. 1867 but at the meeting held at Pinto July 11, 1867, he was chosen as bishop of the place and ordained such by Pres. Erastus Snow. His coun¬selors were Amos G. Thornton and Benjamin R. Hulse, not long after Brother Hulse left for a mission and Prime T. Coleman Was chosen as second coun¬selor in the bishopric.

In June 1868 the Union Iron Company .commenced operating at Little Pinto.

July 1, 1869 Mountain Meadows settlers and those at Pinto Iron Works and at Little Pinto were attached to Pinto Ward.

Elder George C. Lambert who visited Pinto in the spring of 1871 writes: Pinto is a thrifty little settlement of about 14 families. Bishop Richard S. Robinson is a stirring, enterprising man and under his supervision the people have organized a cooperative stock herd which is now in successful opera¬tion and in connection with which a dairy is soon to be started.

Under date of April 17, 1871, Bishop Richard S. Robinson wrote the Deseret News from Pinto--"On Friday 14, I visited the Iron works in our ward and saw the brethren actually making iron. (He writes a long letter trying to get financial aid for this project.)

March 17, 1874--Pinto Ward was organized to the United Order--Richard S. Robinson, Robert Knell and Amos G ThorntonI vice presidents, with Joseph Eldridge secretary. Monday, June 18, 1877 I Robert Knell was made bishop, this ward consisted of 170 souls. In the Pinto settlement there was a Relief Society, a Sunday School, a YMMIA and Young Women's Retrenchment Association and a day school. The people paid tithing in livestock and the church soon had a great herd of cattle called the Canaan Livestock Company. James Andrus was general manager. In 1876 they took a number of their cattle to Upper Kanab, a place about thirty miles northeast of Kanab. Outside interests bought into this company and soon the Church sold out.

With the decision to colonize the cotton mission in the south of Deseret, the work of civilizing the Indian took a minor position. Now there were more people than the land at Santa Clara would support, the Indian missionaries were called to other parts of the Territory where their services were more needed. Work of converting the Indians was virtually stopped, the settlers found them a burden to feed and a problem to be dealt with. However seri¬ously the missionaries had labored they could see that they had made little headway. The Indians kept many of their barbarous customs, fighting for their squaws, abandoning their poor and aged, and continuing to live in filth. They had learned that new Clothes accompanied the baptismal service so some applied annually for baptism in the hope of getting another shirt. The missionaries own struggles to make a living was such as to take their full time and energy.

So the Southern Indian Mission as such passed out of existence and the natives received little attention until years later.

(Much of the above information was obtained from Under Dixie Sun, a history of Washington County.)