Major Powell Prepares for a Second Expedition

Utah Historical Quarterly

Vol. XV, 1947, Nos. 1-4

MAJOR POWELL PREPARES FOR A SECOND EXPEDITION

Early in 1870, Major Powell obtained a Federal appropriation of $10,000 to further his explorations of the Colorado River and its tributaries. With the opportunity afforded by government support, Powell made preparations for a second and more thorough survey of the river. The scope of these preparations is deserving of consideration, because it is indicative of the Major's characteristic determination.

A. H. Thompson, the Major's brother-in-law, was engaged as chief topographer and astronomer with the immediate responsibility of preparing a base-map of the river. Powell turned over to him the notes, maps, and sketches gathered by the first party. An assistant topographer, Walter H. Graves, was hired to accompany the Major in additional field work and to help later in the preparation of the map.

With these preliminaries under way, Powell proceeded to Salt Lake City, where he outfitted a small party. Thompson remained in Bloomington, Illinois, working over the notes and records, but Walter Graves and F. M. Bishop came west as members of the field party.

Major Powell had three principal objectives in mind for his 1870 land exploration: first, to locate several trails by which food supplies could be carried down to the river to replenish a river party, and thus spare them the near-starvation which had plagued the pioneer party of 1869; second, to learn, first hand, from the Indians, the true story of the murder of O. G. Howland, Seneca Howland, and William Dunn; and third, to visit the several Moqui (Hopi) towns of the "Tusayan province" of northeastern Arizona, to observe and compare these people with the Utes he had studied previously.

Major Powell consulted President Brigham Young and asked him to recommend someone as an interpreter and guide who knew the Indian's character as well as his language. Brigham Young recommended the far-famed Jacob Hamblin, who was promptly approached and engaged for the work.

Several accounts of the work of the 1870 expedition have been published and at least two other journals remain unpublished. Major Powell included an account in his official report (1875) and published a similar narrative in Scribner's. The Major's technical notes, which include descriptions of geological formations, records of fossils, and miscellaneous data, have never been published, except as incidental information in his monographic studies. F. M. Bishop kept a brief journal of his experiences, which is printed for the first time in this Quarterly.

In addition to these records, reference should be made also to the Annals of the Southern Utah Mission, and the biographical sketches of Jacob Hamblin by Little and Bailey.

Major Powell had already known of two routes by which the Green River could be reached from the settlements in Utah. One of these was at the mouth of the Uinta River and the other at Gunnison's Crossing (Greenriver), but only one of these would be usable because of their nearness to each other. The first of these appeared to be more convenient, and an instalment of supplies considered sufficient to last the projected boat party for three months was sent there.

During the latter part of 1870, therefore, Major Powell tried to locate a number of routes from the Mormon settlements in Utah down to the Colorado River. After the arrangements had been made, the Major proceeded with his party to the valley of the Sevier and passed up to its head near the southern boundary of Utah. From there the pack train crossed the divide by the headwaters of the Sevier and the Paria, and descended the Paria to its mouth. The Paria trail proved to be a second practical route by which supplies could be hauled down to the Colorado. The Major then returned by way of this canyon to the eastern base of tie Sevier Plateau, and, following a southerly direction, found his way to the town of Kanab. Supplies which had been ordered in Salt Lake City had already arrived, by way of St. George, and it appeared that no serious difficulties would be encountered when the river exploration got under way in the following spring. Powell waited a few days to rest his animals and to replenish the outfit.

During the stay at Kanab, Powell sent for a number of Indians to learn from them something of the country to the south. In mid-September, acting largely on information the Indians had given him, the Major started in a southwesterly direction for the Uinkaret Mountains, reaching them in three days. The party crossed the mountains and established a camp on the southern slope. Powell then sent out his Indian guides to contact the chiefs and principal warriors of the tribe which inhabited the region. When these chiefs had been gathered together, Powell explained the object of his visit, distributed a few gifts, and obtained a promise that he and his party could travel unmolested through their country. The Indians gave the Major information concerning trails and watering places, and furnished a guide. Within a week the Major had found another practicable, though difficult, route into the Grand Canyon.

During the stay among the Uinkaret Indians, Powell sent for a group of Shivwits who lived not far distant, and the following day some thirty braves of that tribe came for a council.

The story of the meeting between Major Powell and Jacob Hamblin and the Shivwits has been retold many times and need not be repeated here in detail. It is a touching tribute to the patience of Jacob Hamblin, the forbearance and sympathy of Powell, and the disarming honesty of the Indians. The Howland brothers and William Dunn had been put on the trail to Washington, ambushed, and filled with arrows. When the trio claimed to have climbed out of the canyons, the Indians disbelieved them and had assumed instead they were fugitive prospectors. All of these things the Shivwits admitted willingly.

Both Hamblin and the Major addressed the Indians, explaining the purpose of the expedition and asking for assurances that such a tragedy would not occur again. When promises were given by the Shivwits, the peace-pipe was ceremoniously passed around, and Hamblin gathered further details of the killing of the Howlands and Dunn.

Satisfied now that the most difficult part of the preparations for the Second Expedition through the canyons had been completed, the Major returned to Kanab. Additional supplies which might be needed during the coming winter were ordered, and the next two weeks were spent in making arrangements for procuring the food and equipment. Meanwhile, Powell had ordered by telegraph, a quantity of Indian goods to be sent to St. George and he had dispatched a wagon to meet them at that village. These articles were chiefly cloth, indigo, knives and files, which he believed would be desired by the Moqui Indians. This period was needed by the topographers to put the field notes and sketches in proper form for future use.

On October 11, everything being in readiness, the Major started once more for the Colorado River. This time the train was sent to the valley of the Skumpa (now Thompson Creek), with directions that it should proceed down the valley to the foot of the Kaibab Plateau, and from there, skirt the north end of the Plateau to the head of House Rock Valley, and from that point to the foot of Vermilion Cliffs to follow the cliffs of the Colorado River. Then, taking one companion with him, the Major crossed to the Kaibab and passed along its foot to the southern extremity. Powell climbed the plateau to obtain a good view between that point and the brink of the Grand Canyon. As he studied the character of the country from this vantage point, he concluded that it would be wise to explore still another route to the river in case some unforeseen difficulty should prevent the use of the trails which had already been explored. He then crossed the plateau to a point where the cliffs overhang the Colorado River opposite the mouth of the Little Colorado. This proved to be a keen disappointment because no way by which the river could be reached in this region had been discovered. Thereupon Powell passed along the plateau to the north, descended into House Rock Valley, and followed the trail made by his pack train, until he joined the party at the Colorado River.

It should be noted that, despite all of these preliminary explorations and the discovery of three, perhaps four, possible routes by which the river party could be replenished, it proved to be difficult, indeed, to meet the 1871 party at the prearranged points. Unforeseen difficulties and trying disappointments did occur, putting even the second party on "short rations."

On the 19th of October, Major Powell, Jacob Hamblin, and two men started in a southeasterly direction toward the seven "Moqui villages" of the so-called Province of Tusayan in northeastern Arizona. The route followed the base of a line of cliffs and along a good Indian trail which took them all the way to their objective. They had anticipated considerable trouble in finding water, but from time to time they met with springs and water pockets along the trail, these at frequent intervals, so that no serious thirst was experienced. In nine days they reached the ancient town of Oraibi. The simple people accepted the Major kindly; they knew "Old Jacob" well. Powell remained for five weeks among the Hopis, studying their domestic customs, arts, language, and mythology.

Major Powell decided to return to the East by way of Fort Defiance, and he suggested to Jacob Hamblin that he accompany the train as far as the army post. Perhaps the Navajos who had gathered at Fort Defiance to receive their annual bounty could be induced to halt their thieving depredations against the Mormon settlements and enter into a treaty of peace. Powell offered to use his influence to help accomplish the treaty which Hamblin had so long desired.

Captain F. F. Bennett called the tribal chieftains together and arranged for a meeting. Major Powell introduced "Old Jacob," praising his good works and noble mission, whereupon Hamblin made a plea for peace between the Navajos and the Mormons. A treaty was signed on November 5, 1870.

The topographer had been busy during the entire season, a set of barometric records had been kept and a large series of altitudes had been determined. A running geological section was taken across the entire route traversed, and vertical sections, where the cliffs presented interesting features, had been measured and sketched. The work being now completed, Major Powell sent his train back to Kanab in the care of Jacob Hamblin. He himself proceeded to Denver and returned by railroad to Washington, D.C., to organize the Second Colorado River Expedition.

WILLIAM CULP DARRAH.

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