I was born May 22, 1863 in Ogden, Utah, the son of Captain James Brown, the founder of the City of Ogden, and of Phebe Abbott Brown.
My first early impressions were of my mother having me kneel at her side and teaching me to pray. The sincerity of her expressions made me feel that we were talking to the Father in Heaven who was hearing our humble supplications.
As a child, she used to take me to Relief Society meetings, where I have had the privilege of hearing the testimonies of those wonderful pioneer women such as Eliza R. Snow, my grandmother Abigail Smith Abbott Brown and many others. They impressed me with a feeling that they were testifying of the truth of the Gospel of the Master, and that Joseph Smith was in truth a Prophet of the living God. Later on I had the privilege of hearing the testimonies of President Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff in the Ogden Tabernacle. These impressions never have left me.
I also remember an incident that impressed me very much. It was the testimony of Martin Harris, who bore testimony to the to the fact that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the Lord. That an angel from heaven brought the plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated and showed them to him, Oliver Cowdery, and David Whitmer, turning the leaves over which appeared to be of gold and declaring unto them that this was a history of the Nephites and Lamanites and that it contained the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
1875 Orson Receives the Aaronic Priesthood
There wasn’t much of any great consequence from this my early childhood until I was 12 years of age (May 1875). When I received the priesthood of a Deacon I remember that the three wards in Ogden City then were the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and as on that Sabbath day the Sunday meetings were held in the Tabernacle and it became the turn of our ward to be doorkeepers. How happy it made me feel when my turn came to be doorkeeper!
1880 Brown - Fife Family Move to Arizona
Then in the month of October of 1880, my stepfather William Nicol Fife, his two sons Walter and John and my mother, sister Cynthia and myself started on a trip to Arizona. We had one team of horses, two mule teams and three wagons as we traveled down through the settlements of Southern Utah. We arrived at Johnson, the most southern settlement in Utah, about the 20th of December we got on top of the Buckskin Mountains now known as Kiabab forest. There it snowed about six feet deep that night and one pair of our mules left us. We hunted them all day, but the snow had obliterated their tracks, so we had no success. I put a quilt over the back of one of the mules and went to Johnson, thinking they had gone there. I reached Johnson about two o’clock in the morning nearly frozen to death, but I was too shy to awaken anyone and crawled into a haystack beside some hogs and waited until daylight. The mules were not there, but I found a man with a bunch of horses coming from Montana and going to Arizona, so I arranged with him to borrow a pair of his horses to continue our journey to Arizona.
We came down off the Buckskin Mountains and arrived at Lees Ferry. There we met a company of men with teams and equipment going to work
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on the Santa Fe Railroad that was just being built. They told us that a man by the name of Johnson had found our mules and had taken them to a little town about 60 miles north east of Lees Ferry. My stepfather arranged with the Montana Man to let me have a horse and saddle to go after them. I left Lees Ferry in a snow storm and arrived at a little town called Peoria (79 T4) about four o’clock in the next afternoon, wet and cold. There I learned that Johnson had taken the mules to Hillsdale, 125 miles north east of Peoria. Instead of going to Hillsdale I returned to the town of Johnson where the father of the mule thief lived. Joel Johnson wrote his son in Hillsdale asking him to return the mules to Johnson. After waiting about ten days, Joel Johnson received word that his son had sent the mules with the mail carrier to a town of Kanab which was sixteen miles west of Johnson. I immediately went to Kanab and saw the mules in a corral. When the lady who answered the door of the house nearby told me that there was a $20.00 bill against the mules, I was sunk. Then she asked me to come in and wait for her husband who was the sheriff. She asked who I was and where I had come from. When I told her tears came to her eyes and she embraced me and said over and over again—“Can it be true? Is it possible? Why your father saved the lives of my father and mother and my husband’s father and mother together with their children. He saved then from starving to death!”
When the sheriff came in he said—“Look who is here—it is the son of Captain James Brown and Phebe, from Ogden.” The sheriff then embraced me and cried with joy.
1879 Christmas Dinner While Searching For Lost Mules
It was Christmas day (c1879) and of course I (16 yrs old) joined them in a big turkey dinner. When the meal was over, the sheriff went to the corral with me to catch the mules. He helped me saddle one of them, and he bucked and bucked all around the corral. “Young man”, said the sheriff “Do you think you can ride him? Why he’s never been broke yet.” “Yes, I can” I said “I have to this pony I’m riding is too weak to make the trip.” So he held him and I got on. He bucked around and around again, and then I got him under control. The sheriff’s wife brought me a great bag of food, enough to last several days. I told the sheriff I didn’t have the money to pay him for the mules and he said, “You don’t owe me anything, and when I catch that damn rascal who stole your mules I’ll put him in jail.”
I arrived at Johnson Town about sundown and spent the night there. The next morning it was snowing and sleeting and I arrived at the sheep camp about noon. The boys invited me to stay there, and it snowed the rest of the afternoon and all night. The next morning I started again. The snowing had stopped and it had turned cold and clear. That night I dug a hole in the side of the hill, but I had neither bedding nor any wood with which to make a fire, I very nearly froze.
The next evening I arrived at Lees Ferry and the next morning ferried across the big Colorado River. About noon of that day I saw a team of mules grazing. Imagine my joy at finding that it was my stepfather William Fife and his son Walter. We remained there that night and the next morning went to Willow Springs where mother and sister Cynthia and John Fife were waiting our arrival.
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That was indeed a time of rejoicing. Mother said that she knew we were coming for she had dreamed that she saw me come in with the mules.
The next morning we started out again. And after two or three days we arrived at the new colony Sunset, where President Lott Smith had established the United Order. It was a new experience for me to see all of the people of the colony sit at the long tables in the big hall and eat together. We remained there two or three days, and President Smith invited is to join the colony. They treated us nicely and it was some regret that we pushed on.
1880 Through Snowflake, Stories of Chief Victoria
We kept going south arriving at the Mormon colonies of H. Joseph Woodruff t Snowflake and to Fort Apache, where we were advised by the Colonel in command that the notorious Indian Chief Victoria had gone on the par path and had attached a government ambulance, killing some of the soldiers and mules. We stayed at Fort Apache for two days and then started south again until we reached Camp Tomas on the Gila River. On we went again for three or four days until we came to Pima, which was a new Mormon settlement.
1880 Beginning Work Hauling Lumber
We needed to go to work, so we made our camp and began hauling lumber to Tombstone. After a few months when I was seventeen (c. July 1880), I went up into the canyon to work at the logging camp. My job was the care of oxen. I had to take them up on the mountain at night and get up early enough to get them back down the next morning in time for the days work to begin.
We had been there a few days when a man by the name of Webbsfoot Smith arrived. He was a ferocious looking man, a typical mountaineer about 5 ft.6 inches tall, broad shoulders, large hands and $12 shoes. He had a heavy head of hair, black beard and little beady black eyes and weighed about 175 pounds.
We were having supper one night when he started to bait me. By some means he had discovered that I was a Mormon, and he began talking about them. He said he was from Missouri and Mormons were a bunch of thieves and murderers. He cited the Mountain Meadow Massacre, and said Brigham Young and the rest of the Mormons in Utah were a bunch of murdering thieves. At that, Samuel Ellsworth the boss said to me, “What about it kid?” and I replied, ”I don’t know who this man is, but he is a lying damn son of a bitch.” Smith jumped up and so did I. He said “I won't take that from any man. No one calls me that and lives.” I said “You’ll take that from me and swallow it!” Then I challenged him to a fight with a choice of any arms he wanted. He chose pistols and to fight it out the next morning.
After breakfast the men all gathered around to watch the fight. He asked me what my distance was. I took a red handkerchief from around my neck, took hold of one end of it and said “you take hold of the other end for this is my distance.” He had said to my boss “I don’t like to murder a damn kid.” When I offered him the other end of the handkerchief, he took his hand from his gun and turning pale said “My God, I don’t want to kill a kid.” Then I said “Then swallow what you told me last night,” and he replied, “Well, I guess I was mistaken, I beg your pardon.”
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After that he did everything possible to become friends with me. Two or three months later he came to me in camp and told me that he was in serious trouble. He said that he had been hunting and upon looking up had seen an Indian in the brush. He had shot him, another appeared. He had thought they were renegade Indians, but upon examination of them, found they were Indian Scouts of the Government. He dragged them into a small arroyo, covered them up and hid their guns. He asked me if I wouldn't go with him. He said, "You know that all good Indians are dead one." I told him that he had better get out of the country, that if he didn't they would get him for sure. He took his jenny and left. About a week later there arrived a Lieutenant and five soldiers together with ten Indian Scouts. They had found the three Indians and tracked Smith to our camp. They went on, taking up his trail, and about a month later some prospectors found Smith's jenny, so it was a foregone conclusion that they had indeed found Smith and killed him as he was never heard from again.
The sawmill and logging equipment belonged to Major Dawning, a fine specimen of manhood, standing 6 feet tall and weighing 200 lbs. He wore a gray mustache and goatee, looking very much the southern gentleman. He had come from California bringing about a hundred head of fine cattle, keeping them in Pioneer Canyon where his sawmill was then located. He had a California Mexican man in charge of his ranch. One time while he was in California two murdering bandits went to the ranch chopped the head off the Mexican and stole his cattle. When Major Dawning returned to the ranch he discovered that the cattle had been sold to some people in the Animas Valley by two men, Joe Goss and Dave Estes.
Ed Elwood, one of the logging contractors, had been following the outlaw and murderer by the name of Ben Taxer, and had camped one night in the San Solmon Valley when he was approached by three men who asked to be invited to supper. He complied and after the meal was over the men took all of his equipment, his horse, packmule, guns, and provisions and drove him out of his camp afoot. This occurred some months after the stealing of Major Dawning's cattle.
Elwood came to camp and became a partner of Sam Elsworth. Several months later, Elwood and Elsworth had gone to Tombstone with loads of lumber and to get provisions. They left me at the camp which had been temporarily closed because of bad weather. While they were gone Buckskin Joe Goss came to camp and stayed overnight. He bragged about his valor and his courage and his meanness and said, "I may die with my boots on, but I will never surrender."
When Elwood and Elsworth returned I told them about Goss. We three went over to the sawmill and talked with Major Dawning. Elwood said, "He is the man that held me up, stole my outfit and forced me from my camp afoot." Major Dawning said, "He is one of the men that killed my foreman and stole my cattle. Let's do something about it." And thus was born the vigilante committee that was to end the reign of outlaws and murderers in that valley.
They appointed me as scout and lookout man. A few days later I was on top of the mountain with my long spyglass when I recognized a lone rider coming up the trail as Joe Goss. I hurried to inform the men and they instructed me to lead him to Pioneer Canyon where he had murdered the Mexican cowboy.
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I went down the trail, met Goss, and started conversation with him. He asked if I had seen a hobbled bay horse. I directed him towards Pioneer Canyon where we found the horse, unhobbled it and then Goss offered to sell it to me. "I don't want a horse," I said. "Mules are much better for mountain work." "Well, then let me sell you four mules. You can pay me $200. down and $200.00 in three months. Or, let me sell you this horse. You could take him to Tombstone, but don't show him much around the street." I told him that I didn't want to do any of that kind of business, and we rode on down the canyon. About two or three miles up the canyon from the camp we met two men who knew me. I was afraid that they would give the play away, but they asked the time of day and went on. A little later Goss said, "There's some honey hives, I'll tip them hives over, and when we get farther down I'm going to kill old Major Dawning on sight."
When we got in front of the cabin I saw no signs of my friends so I jumped off my mule with my gun in my hands. The horse he was leading hung back, and as he was busy trying to get it loose, I got the bead on him, and told him to throw up his hands. He thought it was a joke and smiled. I told him to put them up and keep them up or I'd shoot him sure. Then I called and called for my friends. They came up out of the place on a run. We disarmed him, led him over a little creek and there under a juniper tree we put a rope around his neck. He cursed me roundly, swearing that if I hadn't held him up he would have killed the whole lot of them.
We hanged him there and before his spurs quit jingling we heard hoof beats of horses. We hid in the brush and the two men who rode up took one look at the outlaw and wheeled off as fast as they could ride. We took a board from the fence, nailed it to the tree and wrote "The End of Buckskin Joe Goss, the Bandit and Murderer. Any Other Of His Kind Coming Through This Way Will Suffer the Same Fate" and signed it…Vigilantes.
This was the beginning of the end of this class of people in the valley.
Some two months later there was a miners strike in Tombstone. Silver fell from $1.00 an ounce to 60 cents. The strikers burned the Grand Central Mining Plant and the smaller plants ceased operating. Major Dawning shut down his sawmill and returned to California, and the whole section of country was plunged into a depression.
I went to work with a man named Chris Grower building a concrete house. Shortly afterward Tom Kief came to Grower with a letter and said he was a carpenter and wanted a job. Grower hired him and he stayed about a month. Every once in a while he would mention Joe Goss and his hanging and intimated that I knew all about it. But when he asked me questions I evaded them and pretended that I knew nothing. We were living in a big tent and I overheard him and Grower talking. Kief said that he was a detective from San Francisco and bragged about his many exploits and talked of running down criminals. Among other things, he said he was in the party that ran down John D. Lee, the author of the Mountain Meadow Massacre. I heard him tell Grower that he was going to take me to Tombstone. Grower hired a light spring wagon from his neighbor in which to make the trip.
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I went to the pasture and saddled my horse to be ready for anything that might happen. We had just finished supper that night. Kief was sitting at the head of the table and I was at the foot. He pulled out his British Bulldog pistol and said to me, "Kid, you're under arrest, and you're going to Tombstone with me tonight." I said, "Alright, I like Tombstone pretty well, anyway." Just then Grower called from the outside that all was ready. Kief turned his head in the direction of the door and I pulled my pistol on him, covered, and I made him drop his gun, walked over and picked it up and then herded him out to the wagon with Grower and drove off. When they had gone a little ways I got on my horse, followed them and told Tom Kief that if he ever came up there again that the same Vigilantes that hung Joe Goss would serve him with the same kind of medicine. He never came back.
Footloose and More Indian Trouble
Since there was no work in that section of the country I left with two companions, Mike Brown and John Sponseller, starting for Phoenix. We made camp in a valley where the San Pedro River enters the Gila River. About ten o'clock in the morning we had a visit from five young Indians who wanted to buy cartridges from us. W refused t let them have any and they wanted to have a shooting match. Sponseller shot with their best man and won three times at a dollar a hot. Then during the night we heard their war dance and their singing. Sponseller and I crawled close to their camp and after watching them for a time decided to break camp and leave.
We followed the Gila River until we came to Globe where we had breakfast and then went on. We hadn't gotten very far when we heard riding fast. Looking back we saw the mail carrier coming full speed. When he reached us he said that the Indians were on our trail, and that they had already killed two brothers who had operated the trading post farther back, and the squaws were carrying the merchandise away. He said he had taken a cut-off and had seen the Indians coming this way as fast as their horses would run.
We rode into a little arroyo, got off our horses and climbed up the brow of the hill. One of the Indians was about 160 yards in front of the others. I said to John, "You shoot the horse and I will shoot the Indian." We shot together, and as the other Indians saw what happened they turned and ran. We went on, arriving at a little mining camp that evening and found that all was excitement for not only were the San Pedro Apaches on the warpath, but the Tonto Basin Indians had joined them and had killed a number of families.
We returned to Globe where the whole community was churning with fear of the impending Indian raid. Later that night word came that the sheriff and his posse of twenty-five men that had gone up the valley to rescue the families in Tonto Basin had had their horses stolen by Indians and asked for teams and wagons to bring them out. We went with the rescue party and helped bring families and posse back to Globe.
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After the scare had subsided we went our way making our first stop in Mesa where I found my mother's sister and family Edward and Emily Bunker. I stayed in Mesa three or four months then we all moved to Saint David on the San Pedro River. After a time in Saint David I had the urge to see my mother and sister who were still in the Sulphur Spring Valley.
Six o'clock on Christmas morning found me on my way. I had been to a dance the night before and before long became very drowsy. I unsaddled my horse, laid down and went to sleep. About sundown my dog Jeff began to whine and nudge and paw me. I jumped up to discover that my horse Whirlwind was snorting and raring. Then I knew there was something serious afoot. I saddled as quickly as possible and as I got onto the road discovered there were six horsemen closing in on me, three in the front and three in the back. I recognized them as Indians and I jerked my pistol and rode straight towards those that were coming to me from the east. The thought came to me quick as a flash that they wouldn't shoot for fear of hitting those behind me and those behind wouldn't shoot for fear of hitting those in front. They were going to try to take me alive. When I got within fifty yards of those in front I shot the horse from under the middle Indian and as he fell the other two in front ran off into the brush. As I came abreast of the fallen Indian he tried to get me with his rifle but I shot him before he could use it. Then I lay down on one side of my horse and let him run hard for a half mile until I reached a little ridge where I jumped off to rest both horse and dog and hid behind a big soap weed. The Indians had been chasing me all this time and now I kept shooting at them from behind this ridge. Suddenly they turned and ran off in the other direction.
When they were completely out of sight I started toward home, arriving late at night. The dogs at the ranch made an awful racket, waking my mother who recognized the dog first. "Oh, It's Orson"' she said, "I dreamed that you were coming, and I saw you have lots of trouble, but would arrive safely."
The Hunt Brothers Meet the Indians
Three or four days later we discovered that this band that had attacked belonged to a kid band of renegades and that they had attacked three American men the day before while the men were working in a hay field. They had surrounded me, killed them and burned them on a load of hay and made off with their horses and equipment. The day after they attacked me they had gone south to Rooker Canyon in the Chiricahua Mountains. There they came upon the camp of two Hunt brothers. One of the brothers was out looking for the horses and the other was lying wounded in the tent. The Indians surrounded the tent and as one came in the door the wounded man shot him and then one of the Indians shot Hunt.
The wounded Hunt brother had been a bandit in Tombstone and had been wounded in a gun fight with the sheriff's and had been in the hospital in Tombstone until his brother came from Texas to take him home.
After hearing the shots from the Indians the other brother rode to Camp Price about fifteen miles away where he spred the alarm. The colonel in command sent Lt. Glass with 25 soldiers and 10 Indians after the renegades. They surrounded them at Hunt's camp killed the four remaining Indians. It was the first time in
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many years that the United States had made a clean up of renegade Apaches.
1881 In Bisbee Hauling Lumber - Dan Dowd and the Hall-Buckles Ranch
Shortly after this occurrence I went to work for Morris & Cheers, hauling lumber from the Chiricahua Mountains to Bisbee, Arizona. I stayed at this work for about a year. It was during this time that I met Dan Dowd. He was a huge man about 25 years old, over 6 feet tall and weighed about 180 lbs. Dan Dowd was one of the drivers for the mine as I was, and we made several trips together through the mountains. We had to pass a little ranch on the White Water Creek located between the sawmill and tombstone owned by a half breed named Milt Hall and his partner Frank Buckles. Another driver, Delaney and Dawd became very good friends and often they would stop at this little ranch for house while on the road.
One day Dan Dowd declared himself. He said the world owed him a living and he'd be damned if he was going to work so hard any more. Then he quit his job and went away for about two weeks. When he returned to the Hall-Buckles Ranch he was accompanied by a chap named Johnny Heith, a dandy looking man who was well-dressed and riding a fine looking horse. He had two white-handled six shooters, a Winchester rifle and two belts of cartridges. Heith stayed at the ranch for a couple of days and then went off to Bisbee while Dawd went north. When Dawd returned to the ranch a few days later he brought with him three hard looking men, Red, Tex, and Kelly. And soon after when Hall and I came to the ranch with our oxen and loads of lumber we found five men there. Dan Dowd, Red Sample, Tex Howard, Dan Kelly, and Bill DeLaney. I asked Hall what they were doing there and he said they were looking for a ranch.
We traveled on and about sundown the next day we saw three horsemen off the east of us. We didn't recognize them but I knew two of the horses were from the Hall-Buckles Ranch. We made camp at the south of the Bisbee Canyon and the next morning as we were getting breakfast two men rode into camp. One was Heith. They drank a cup of coffee with us and told us there had been a hold up in Bisbee the night before. The bandits had robbed the Copper Queen Store and they had murdered two men and a woman. They said they were on their trail and that they had headed toward Tombstone.
My partner Walt was out rounding up the oxen and about an hour later five men approached. They had seen the smoke from our campfire and came over. It was Sheriff Daniels and his posse who had been following the trail of the bandits. They asked me whether I had seem any of them and I took Sheriff Daniels over to one side and told him what I knew.
I said that I had recognized two horses as being from the Hall-Buckles Ranch among the five horsemen that we had seen the day before. And that I suspected that Buckles himself knew something about it since these hard looking men in company with Dan Dowd had been at the Hall-Buckles Ranch the week before. I also told him of the two horsemen who had just gone by. The sheriff thanked me and sent two men after the horsemen. He and the others went immediately to the Hall-Buckles Ranch and arrested Buckles. Buckles turned states evidence and they took him to jail in Tombstone…
[Missing are pages 9, 10, 11]
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Turned his horse and shot Hall killing him instantly thus ending two more of the would-be bad men.
1883 Chief Loco Leaves the Reservation
When I arrived at the sawmill after the trip from Bisbee and the Bisbee murderer. I went home to the Fife Ranch [Oak Grove] and then shortly afterwards the bandit subchief Loco broken away from his Chief Geronimo from the San Carlos reservation with about 75 young warriors. They came down through the Sulphur Spring Valley and then crossed into the San Salmon county north of Fort Vuhi(sp) and when they got opposite of little town of Gayly(sp) Bill thirteen of them crossed over the mountain and into the Pionery(sp) Canyon. My step brother John Fife and two men one by the name of Tom Fernoy and the other John Lobby went up the canyon with four mules and two wagons after mining timber. When they had just crossed the Pionery(sp) Creek they were attacked. Tom Fernoy was shot through the head and killed instantly. John Lobby as he ran down the road was shot 7 times in the back and killed. John Fife was shot through the left forearm and in the right leg. Just about the wrist. He kept to the bottom of the canyon running as fast as he could arriving at the little mining camp by the home of Tip Top. He arrived at the little mining camp about three and one half miles from the place where he had been wounded.
A runner came to the ranch about midnight advising us of what had happened as we had had previous arrangement that in case of serious Indian troubles. We were to congregate at the Riggs Ranch about six miles north of our place. We had no wagons nor teams available. There were three of us men, John Sponseller, a man by the name of Stevens, and myself. We all got up and dressed. Also there was my mother, my sister Cynthia, Aunt Diana Fife, and her daughter Agnes. We all went over the trail on foot. I was taking the trail on foot ahead and the other two men coming behind the women folks. We arrived at the Riggs Ranch about three o'clock in the morning. About five o'clock Thomas Riggs hitched up his mules on his team wagon and went up the Tip Top to get Hon Fife. There was a man by the name of Colonel Clutt who was general superintendent of the Tip Top and mining and smelting company. When we got there up in the canyon a little ways we men, Colonel Clutt on horseback, a Lieutenant of the U.S. Army, and about twenty- five soldiers. Stringing along behind them was about seventy-five miners and other men from the camp. They had become stampeded, they were scared half to death, as we got up to the camp. John my brother was lying under a tree with five soldiers guarding him. They said, "If you hadn't arrived they were going to tie him on a mule and bring him out." We lifted him into the spring wagon where we had a mattress springs and started down the canyon.
Mr. Tom Riggs said to the sergeant in charge of the soldiers, "if we are attacked by the Apaches, what shall we do?" He said, "We'll run like hell."
And I said, "The first one that runs I'll shoot him. First you fellows stand hitch or there will be serious trouble."
We arrived a the Riggs Ranch about ten o'clock in the morning where there was a captain with 5 American soldiers and a doctor who dressed John's wound. There was a party of five of us went up the canyon to bury the bodies of Tom Furnoy and John Lobby. Before we got to where the bodies were we saw where some Indians had crossed the road, they were wearing moccasins. Two of us stood guard. One on each side of the canyon while the other three men went up and brought Tom Furnoy's
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body to where John Lobby's body was then they dug a hole and laid both bodies in it having wrapped them in a blanket.
Instead of going back down that canyon, the way we had come up, we decided on going into the Pine Canyon which was west of the Canyon where we buried the two men. I was asked to take the lead. As I came up a little divide between the two canyons I saw the fresh Indian track. I said to the two men behind, "Look out for I believe they're right here."
I had my pistol in my right hand ready for action. When the two shots being almost together. This Indian fell over backward and I shot, he jumped in the air and yelled like a wild animal throwing his gun over his head and falling dead. I emptied my pistol in the direction that I saw other movements and yelled to my companion to come on. As we rode around the bend of the canyon I stopped and waited for my companions to come up. The first one to arrive looked at me and went pale, he had seen a bullet hole in my jumper. I stuck my hand into the gusam of my shirt and pulled out the bullet, it was all flattened out. I didn't know that I had been wounded til I felt the blood running down my breast.
We rode on down to the ranch, staying there over night. The Doctor dressed my wound we were a pretty blood thirsty bunch of men, determined on revenge. We got two more men with us and the next morning we started up into the canyon where we had had the fight with the Indians, the evening before. On examining the ground where the first Indian had wounded me we found out that the bullet had hit a little limb which flattened it thus saving my life. We found also that the Indians had taken the two bodies of their dead companions, put them on one of the mules and had taken them up on a side of the mountain and put the bodies in a small cave that was there. Filling the mouth of the cave with brush and rock. After dragging the bodies out of the cave, we found out that one of the Indians had been shot at the left eye, the bullet coming out of the back of his head, and the other one was shot under the left arm the bullet coming out just about the right hip bone.
We followed the Indian trail and we found that they had gone up the top of the mountain, we went over to the Morris Sawmill and there got seven more men and we climbed the mountains in the night, leaving our horses under guard at the sawmill. When we got on top of the mountain as it was coming day light we saw to the sought of us, the mountain was on fire, we went over there and found that the Indians had left going south towards the Mexican border. They crossed into Mexico near the "Sierra Enmedio", going up the arroyo de Alisos, there was about 300 American soldiers following behind them, there was a ridgement of Mexican soldiers coming from the Yakke country in Sonora, being about five or six hundred of them. They were encamped in a bend of the canyon when the Apache Indians ran into them, neither of them knowing that the other was there. The Mexican soldiers immediately attacked the Indians surrounding them. Killing all of them but about 6 or 8 got away. After the battle was over the Mexican soldiers saw the American troops coming in sight, the American doctors attended to the Mexican wounded soldiers, and after a while, the Mexican General demanded the surrender of the American troops. The American Colonel refused and there came pretty near being a fight which was averted by the Mexican General rescinding his demand and allowing the America
to return to the U.S.A. thus terminating another Indian raid by the Chiricahua Indians.
INCIDENT AT THE FIFE'S OAK GROVE RANCH
I went to work building a little ranch about five miles to the east of the home ranch [Oak Grove Ranch], when one night my brother Charles Fife and William Nilson, who were living at the Fife Ranch, came to my camp and said that Aunt Diana Davis Fife had been murdered by a Mexican. I got my horse and started out, I found out that the murderer had gone to a ranch about seven miles north from the Fife Ranch and had gotten some supper that night at a small ranch belonging to Italian Joe. We called him and spent the rest of the night looking for this man at a little mining camp called "Dos Cabezaz"? We met Deputy Sheriff who had been advised of the killing and were on their way to the Fife Ranch. My brother Charly and Billy Nelson accompanied the two deputy sheriffs and I went by the Riggs Ranch to see if they had found out anything, one of the Riggs boys said to me, "YES, THEY FOUND HIM." and that was all he would say, as I came near to the Fife Ranch I looked at a big oak tree and there sure enough was the Mexican hanging with a rope around his neck.
I caught up with the deputy sheriff before they got to the ranch. They asked me if I had heard anything and I said "No, I haven't heard much, but I've seen the biggest acorn that I ever saw hanging to a black jack oak tree." One of them smiled and said "then they got him did they?" and I said, "Yes."A posse of settler's had captured him.
We went back to the ranch where they were getting ready to bury Aunt Diana Fife, the ranchers from all around the country that had heard of it were there. It was a very sad, sad funeral, this Mexican murderer tried to grab little Agnes who was 12 years old, and had made a proposal to the Mexican who was working on the Ranch that they burn the ranch, steal the horses, and take the girl, but the Mexican fought him and ran him off and went to the nearest ranch for help.
We buried the Mexican at the side of the hill and the coyotes in three days dug him up and ate him.
Fall 1884 Working the Chiricahua Cattle Co. Sheriff Daniels Killed
Just after this incident while working there the Chiricahua Apache Indian, Geronimo, and the balance of his renegade Indians came down through this country killing and murdering ranchers and stealing their stock. When they got near, where now is Douglas, Arizona on the American Mexican border, Sheriff Daniels and a companion hearing of the Indians murdering some ranchers down in the Sulphur Spring Valley went ahead expecting a posse of volunteers to follow immediately. The posse, for some reason or other, was delayed. The Indians, seeing Sheriff Daniel and his companion, laid an ambush, murdering both of them. When the posse arrived from Bisbee they found the sheriff and his companions dead bodies and that the Indians had crossed the border into Mexico.
This so infuriated the ranchers and people of this section of country that they demanded from the Government in Washington some protection or they would take the matter of their own protection in their own hands. General Miles, commander and chief of the U.S. army began a vigorous campaign against the renegade Apache Indians. And in 1886 having
[Pages 15 and 16 are missing from manuscript.]
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…
his hands on my head and gave me a blessing and promised me, that I would be blessed beyond all of my expectations and that I should have the privilege of many blessings that would be impossible to receive if I'd remain where I was.
1887 Orson Prepares to Leave Safford for Mission to the Mexican Mormon Colonies
So I began to arrange my affairs [and obtain my passport] and on the first of May 1887 I started on my journey towards Mexico. Apostle Thure (sp) on returning to Mexico had stopped at the Fife Ranch and there advised my Mother to go to Mexico. So I went to the Fife Ranch and from there to Ththur (sp) and on arriving there my stepfather who had brought his last wife and children from Ogden, was to have sold out his ranch and come to Mexico also. But instead of him coming to Mexico he sold out his ranch and went back to Utah. On arriving at Colonia Juarez, on the first day of June 1887 with my mother, I took down with the chills and fever that I had acquired while I was on the Gila River. We pitched our tent down by the side of the river and the people were very kind to us. I remember very well one incident that happened.
My mother had gone to get Pres. A.F. MacDonald to come and administer to me. He brought with him a man by the name of Doctor Metts. After they had administered to me I heard Pres. MacDonald ask Doctor Metts what he thought about me and he replied, "Poor woman, she is going to be left alone, he can't live till morning, I called Pres. MacDonald back and she he came back to my bedside Doctor Metts coming to the door of the tent, I said to Pres. MacDonald, "Dr. Metts don't know what he is talking about, I will live to see him buried and many of his kind. Don't bring him back again to administer to me and I began to get better because I depended upon the Lord. I know I had a mission to perform, as soon as I could walk around I went and presented my letter to President Teasdale and he sent me to Bishop Seavey and Bishop Seavey asked me if I could make some adobes they wanted to build the schoolhouse and not withstanding my weakened condition I told him, yes, that I had never made any adobes but that I could and would make them.
Just as soon as I got a little more strength I went to the mountains and began to haul a little lumber and gradually got my strength back. I built an adobe mill and began to make adobes. Later I went with President [Alexander Findlay] MacDonald to Galeana where we built a reservoir for men who had a flourmill. There I earned a little money. I courted a nice young lady by the name of Martha Diana Romney and in November we were married. Which made me very happy for she was a beautiful girl.
In May of 1885, 400 Latter-day Saint families were on the banks of the Casas Grandes River waiting for the negotiations to purchase land. On December 7, 1885 Mormon colonists set up their first camp in what would later become Colonia Juárez…
Many of the Mormons who moved to Mexico at this time were polygamists seeking refuge from the law, but the Nelsons and Romneys were not polygamists. They came to Mexico because the Mexican government had issued grants of land to the Mormons for colonization.]
They questioned me very severely and put me under some very strict covenants. One of them was that I would not introduce Mormon girls to outsiders and that I would do everything in my power to serve the Lord and keep all of his commandments including specifically the entering in and obeying the law of plural marriage.
[On September 2, 1886, Orson's only sister from Phebe and William Fife, Cynthia Abigail Fife married Joseph Layton in Safford, Graham, Arizona.]
1888 Orson Begins Career as Rural Police Officer
The next spring some of the colonies were losing some of their cattle and horses being stolen and in a priesthood meeting the question came up about what we could do about it. We had been complaining to the authorities in Casas Grandes but could get no protection. During the discussion in the priesthood meeting I suggested that we should stop them. After the meeting Apostle George Teasdale and his two counselors, Pres. [A.F.] Macdonald and [A.W.] Ivins, together with Bishop Seavey and his counselors Miles P. Romney and Ernest L. Taylor called me into council and gave me a mission to stop the stealing of the colonists horses and cattle. So after having made the adobes for the school house and helped Brother Philip Cardon lay them in the walls of the school house I graduated from adobe maker and mud carrier to a rural police officer of the colony.
The stealing of the cattle and horses stopped after
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arresting a number of thieves and taking them to Casas Grandes and suffering the inconvenience with Brigham Stowell, David Stevens and David Hawkins of being put in the Cases Grandes Jail for catching a bunch of horse and cattle thieves. We were finally released after 18 days. The judge in turn being given one year in prison for false imprisonment and the turning loose of the real thieves.
1888 Orson and Mattie's First Child Born
The next October [9-30-1888] our little daughter Carrie was born, which made us very happy. But to our sorrow, she passed on when she was eight months old [5-20-1890]. The in a few months [8-28-1890] a boy was born [Orson Pratt Brown II] and then to our sorrow again passed on at eighteen months old [4-10-1892], both dying with that terrible infantile disease paralyzes [polio]. Then we were made happy again [10-4-1892] by another boy, Ray, and after followed seven more, Clyde, Miles, Dewey, Vera, Anthony "Tony", Phoebe and Juárez Orson.
1893 Tomoche Indian Rebellion
It was in the year of 1893. The Tomoche Indians, intermixed with a few Mexicans, lived in a little town, in western Chihuahua, by the name of Tomoche.
Some two or three years before there had been a girl named Terecita de Cabora of Sinaloa, who claimed to have visitations of spiritual instructions. The spiritual messenger visiting her, had told her that the Catholic priests were not suppose to sell to the church the sacraments nor charge the people for sermons pertaining to the church. That they had through this sin lost contact with the Church of the Master.
These people at Tomoche, together with the people from the surrounding towns, as well as those scattered in the mountains, believing what they had heard of her, visited her at her home in her little mountain village of Cabora in northeastern Sinaloa. Among them went the President of Tomoche, Cruz Chavez, with several of the townspeople.
They returned to the homes very much impressed with the things they had heard and seen at Cabora with regard to the manifestations given to Teresita, Santa de Cabora.
When the priest from Guerrero came down to visit them in Tomoche, and was holding services in the church the people instead of going to these services went to the house of the President Cruz Chavez.
He had erected in his home and altar in his humble little parlor where the people of Tomoche were holding the Sunday services. This infuriated the priest of Guerrero and he forthwith went to the house of Cruz Chavez and started to tear down the altar and destroy the images that had been erected there.
Cruz Chavez in return entered and drove the priest out of his house and told him to leave his house and the town also.
The priest immediately went to Guerrero and informed his brother who was Jefe Politico, that he had be abused and driven out of the town.
The Jefe Politico sent an escort of seventy-five men to Tomoche with instructions to arrest all of the men and bring them to Guerrero.
Cruz Chavez anticipated this and made preparations for the
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reception of the armed men from Guerrero.
They sent out a messenger to meet the escort and tell them not to come into Tomoche or there would be bloodshed.
The soldiers instead of heeding Chavez's announcement kept on coming into the town.
Chavez and his men met them with a battle cry of freedom. In defense of their homes and their lives they opened fire and killed about thirty of the soldiers sent to capture them. The balance returned to Guerrero and reported conditions.
The Mexican Federal Government then sent three hundred soldiers to Tomoche to subdue the Tomoches. And in like manner they were received. Cruz Chavez and his men scattering in bunches of five hid in the brush around the village and as the soldiers advanced they shot down their officers first then played havoc with the soldiers killing over one hundred during the first battle.
Cruz Chavez and his men numbered only thirty-seven. Then the Federal Government sent down to Tomoche five hundred soldiers and the same thing occurred. The Tomoche killed the officers first, then the soldiers who happened to linger. Conditions became intolerable.
Next the Federal Government sent fifteen hundred soldiers to capture the Tomoches, dead or alive. The General in command formed an attacking party, sending five hundred soldiers around to the west to come down the canyon thus surrounding the town completely.
The men from the west who were coming down the canyon were the first to come near to the village. The Tomoches shot down their officers and disarmed the soldiers and drove them into the church. When the General on top of the mountain demanded that they surrender he was shot and instantly killed by a Tomoche.
The battle had raged for some hours when the Federal army fired some incendiary explosives into the church from a cannon, thinking the Tomoches had taken refuge in the church. The roof of the church was of lumber and immediately began to burn. The Federal soldiers locked in that church were cremated.
The Tomoches left, escaped to the mountains through the entrance left in the west where the soldiers had come down. The army followed them into the mountains and the death rate to the soldiers was terrible.
It was estimated that before these Tomoches left the country they had caused two thousand soldiers to lose their lives during a campaign of over two years.
c1895 Tomoche Indians Exiled to U.S. Return and Begin to Raid Colonies. Orson & Posse Outwit Tomoche Band
The remainder of these Tomoche Indians then went to the United States. They remained there for a couple of years. Then they wanted to return to their homes and families. They came by appointment to the border at Palomas. In the early morning they assaulted the customs house guards, wounding some of the guards and capturing the Customs House. They gave the Customs Administrator a receipt for the money and other things they took. They then started on their way south with the six horses and saddles from the customs guards.
At Colonia Diaz they stole four horses belonging to W.D. [William Derby] Johnson out of a pasture. Johnson immediately sent a runner to tell us, and
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give us warning so we could be on our guard against any stealing or plundering. Also about this time runners came in from Casas Grandes with the same warning of danger. At Casas Grandes the people had been warned by runners from Tamos where the Tomoches had stolen mules and all the provisions they could pack on their mules from wagons belong to the San Pedro ranch.
We knew the whole countryside had been warned as was the custom. Serious trouble lay in the air. I knew the symptoms well. My blood warned, and my heart beat faster, as we began to prepare for the fierce Tomoches coming.
I was at the house when the Mexican runner came. The first thing I did was to arm myself with pistol and rifle and belt full of cartridges. In the meanwhile some of my boys saddled my horse and brought him to me.
I rode over to brother Amos Cox place and I got Brother Cox to go up north of the Colony with me. Before we started off I sent a man named [Meliton Gonzalez] Trejo, a man working for me, to Cases Grandes to report and to ask them to send me some soldiers or volunteers to help out in case there was trouble.
On our way north we passed Brother Nielson's place. He was out in the field. He asked us where we were going. He knew by our serious and determined way that there was something up. I said to him, "We are on serious business. The Tomoches are on their way south and will very likely try to go through the Colony." He said, "I want to go with you." I said, "Good. We want volunteers. These Indians are horse thieves. I have just had word that they have stolen four horses from Brother Johnson at Colonia Diaz."
We waited till he went into the house and got his pistol and cartridge belt, and then all three stared up the west side of the river into Brother George F. Seavey, half way between his farm and the Colony. He was all excited and out of breath. A brave, strong-looking lad of sixteen or seventeen, by the look of concern on his fine honest face, I knew had bad news, and was speeding to the Colony to tell us. I called, "What is up?"
"Three suspicious-looking characters came up as near as the farm land of Loona Baker, who was at our place, she was standing at the gate when they happened by." They looked like Mexicans dressed in the ordinary Mexican camisa, sombrero, and American overalls, but they are strangers around these parts." There was not a doubt in my mind as to who these suspicious-looking characters were. They were the advance guard of the Tomoches coming to investigate at the farm to see if they dared to go through the colonies.
Loona Baker spoke Spanish fluently so they could talk to her, they asked her, "Where is the store?" "Did they have a good stock of flour, corn and beans?" "Did they have any Aguadiente, Mescal for sale? How about rifles? Cartridges, cloth to take to their families? How large was the store actually? Where was the door? Did she think they could buy cartridges there? How far from the farm? To the east or west? Sister Baker gave them very little satisfaction and answered their many importune questions vaguely.
Then they began asking about the Colonists. How many were there? Sister Baker answered, "Over a thousand." "Over a thousand men? They wanted to know. They did not believe it. She could see their incredulous faces. She pretended not to understand what they were driving at. Were all these men well armed?" Sister Baker answered promptly, "Oh yes, to be sure, everybody is armed and with the newest and best arms from the United States. All the colonies were well armed, particularly Colonia Juárez. There were always a few horse and cattle thieves. She finished, looking at their leader and spokesman.
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She finished looking at their leader and spokesman in the eye. She also added that the town of Casas Grandes was well-garrisoned. But they did not seem impressed with this information.
I interrupted Nielson and dispatched him up the river back to the Colony to call some of the Brethren together to go back around to the Seavey Farm and try to capture these three men. I sent Seavy on to the colony to advise Major Tom Downey of the situation. Major Junius Romney was head of the militia and I was his Captain. I said to Brother Seavey before he started off. Go first to Major Romney and tell him everything you have told me. Tell him that Brother Cox and I are going toward the Tinaja (the deep arroyo wash, it was like a gorge during the rainy season.) and ask him to send us some help.
After talking to Brother George Seavey I was pretty well satisfied in my own mind that these Tomoches were hiding in the Tinaja, watching for an opportunity to come through the Colony. I knew what they wanted above all things, they wanted to go to the store and loot the place. I started my horse at a smart, hard pace in the direction of the Tinaja, Cox following close beside me. "Come on Cox," I called as I felt him just behind me, "I have got to know the exact location of these Tomoches. They are dangerous and not to be fooled with." We knew them through reputation. We had heard of their spirited defense of a few years before, as did the whole countryside. I was half-thinking out loud, half-talking to Brother Cox who was a few paces behind me. "We must not let them get a foothold inside the colony or else we will have real trouble. We will probably have trouble anyway. But the families must be protected against fright as much as possible. We must meet them before they get in, and put the fear of the Lord into them. We must show ourselves well-armed, determined, without fear of hesitation to keep them out. The sooner we meet them the better. I could hardly restrain my horse he wanted to fly as I did, I was so anxious to get at them.
There was a narrow path leading to the Tinaja which had been walked through by the women and children going to gather small wood to start fires in the dry seasons. Or to take the small cattle for water during the rainy season. The young men sometimes took the path to hunt ducks and jack rabbits.
This was in the month of September and it was dry and dusty as we stepped on crunchy mesquite. As we were nearing the Tinaje we abandoned the well-worn path and struck out through the dry mesquite sacaton (tall grass) more carefully and slowly, to avoid the surprise, although I was a little too determined to be very cautions. As we arrived near the Tinaja and were scouting along the south rim a few yards from us, suddenly, without warning, we almost stumbled into three of them without realizing they were upon us. They raised up from behind big boulders with rifles cocked and pointed towards us they demanded that we surrender. We were surprised to find them so suddenly upon us but I jerked my gun out without an instant's loss of time and Cox followed me so that it seemed as if we had rehearsed when to jerk our guns. I demanded in turn, "Put down your guns. Neither side lowered their guns. Cox and I watching for the least movement, the slightest lowering of their guard. There we stood tense for what seemed minutes, but it was probably only seconds. Finally, the climax was reached and the man who appeared to be the leader, to
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group gave in and they lowered their guns. I signed in relief inside.
We had won the first round. There was a breathing spell. The third man had his gun on me. He was a pure blooded Indian. I knew the difference. A darker, deeper, richer color of skin, piercing black eyes, longer straighter blacker hair. He did not lower his gun with the rest. We went a step further, and half-distrustful, half-annoyed with the lowering of the guns of this leader and companion, he asked, "Are we going to surrender to these gringos?" He seemed to have more backbone, more boldness than the others, and I always suspected him of being one of the guiding spirit of the Tomoches. I cut in before they could say anything. "Of course, you will surrender to us. You are bandits and thieves going through the country stealing honest hard working people's horses and cattle!"
Their leader answered quietly, "No we are not thieves and bandits, and steal only when it is a matter of necessity, when we are hungry or to get home when we can no longer walk. Ours is another mission. We are on our way south to join our families and go back to our home. We have been away from them for a long, long time."
I told him: "You are Tomoches and have caused a lot of trouble for years, first in your home town with the federal soldiers then now with the officers at Paloma. We know all and now your have just stolen horses from Colonia Diaz, also mules and provisions from the San Pedro Ranch." They did not deny it.
"Now you want to steal from this colony. You want to go to the store perhaps and steal but I warn you that if you so much as steal one garment from this colony, I am here and I will follow you to the end, even if it leads to the very shore of the sea!"
They seemed impressed with what I said and remained quiet for a few seconds.
Finally I said, "Where are the rest of your companions?" The leader answered, "They are close by. Just about five hundred yards distant behind a little hill, still on our side of the Tinaja." I saw one of the men going out from their camp with a bucket in his hand for water from the Tinaja. This was about four or five hundred yards from where we stood. The Indian who had never lowered his gun said to the man in charge, "Why not send our companion down to the camp to tell the others to come up here?" That was all the third man needed, at that, he turned around to go. I called out sharply, "Stop or I will put a bullet through your back." He stopped and I went on. Even if you put two through me, I am in command here and you will do as I say."
The man in charge said, "You let us go to our camp and we will let you go to yours." We all agreed to this. But the Indian still did not lower his gun and I had to do something. I said, "If you do not lower your gun I will shoot you." As they stared toward their camp he gave in and lowered his gun but hesitantly and with very bad grace. As we turned to go to the colony their leader called to us, "There are three of our men down in your Colony and we recommend that you see to it that nothing happens to them. I called back, "All right."
As Brother Cox and I rode back, we came to the place where we had met Brother Seavey and there he was coming again. We stopped within a few yards of each other and I called, "What is new?" He said, "Brother Nielsen ran into the three men who talked to Sister Baker and followed them but when they saw they were being watched they beat it into the mesa east of the colony. Nielsen didn't
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give up and was still in pursuit." After I talked with George Seavey I had the feeling that those Tomoches were going to try and come into the Colony. I knew there was not time to lose. I sent Brother Cox down to Major Romney:
"Tell him to hurry the men to help out. Tell them I feel sure those Tomoches are going to try to go through the Colonies and I need some men to help me hold them back, quick, before they get a foothold . He sped off and Brother George W. Seavy and I started in the direction of the hills by the Tinaja where we had just had our short encounter with the Tomoches.
On our way to the hills I met Brother David Johnson coming toward us with some horses. I said to him, "What is up? Any news?"
He replied, "I just saw Brother Nielson following three men, riding fast toward the north. I did not know what to make of it so I thought I would come down into the Colony and find out." I said, "Good Heavens! He is following those three Tomoches." I thought out loud: "It is really dangerous for Brother Nielson to be following those three Tomoches alone. We had better follow him. That is the only thing to do, follow Brother Nielson. He is the one in most danger right now," I said out loud. But just as we turned north I saw some men coming toward us from the Colony so I waited.
Cox had met Carlton, Judd, Taylor, and Stowell on the way. Major [Junius] Romney had already sent them when I sent word by Cox the second time. I saw they were all well armed and eager and ready for any emergency. I sized up my little band mentally. All were men of extraordinary valor, they had proved it many a time in past difficulties. They could be depended upon in any situation. What was more important they had faith in their great Creator that he would protect them in doing their duty. With the exception of one, [?]
They have all gone before me to the other side. We reached the Tinaja and following along up the north ridge saw Nielson. He was riding back and forth with only four hundred yards between him and the three Tomoches he had been following. The Tomoches were beckoning for him to come to them. When he saw us within calling distance he said, all excited, "Come on Captain. We got'em now! I could not help laughing. We had them like the fellow who had the bear and had to have help to let him loose.
The three Tomoches were north of Nielson and still further north we saw another bunch of Tomoches, about twenty-five in all, coming up out of the Tinaja wash onto the mesa.
The main body of the Tomoches joined the three and they kept on beckoning to us. Nielson joined us and said, "I believe they want a parley." I said, "There is no doubt about it."
I rode up to within talking distance of them, followed Brother Carl Nielson and Brother Amos Cox and when I knew they could not help but hear m, I called, "Send one of your leaders to meet with me, alone, for a parlay." They assented and sent their second in command. He walked out from among the Tomoches, a tall, straight Indian. When I saw that he let his gun down I let mine down also and went out to meet him. We walked toward each other until we were about fifty yards from each other. There was dead silence in our respective little armies. Everybody was tense, waiting for the outcome of the parlay.
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I let him speak first. He said, "We are on our way south to join our families and go back to our homes after wandering for years and we want to go through the Colony." I knew why they wanted to go through our Colony, they wanted to replenish their supplies from our store. They want to rob us. I answered firmly.
"We will not permit you Tomoches to go through our Colony. You will have to go around it on your way home." He came back, "If you do not allow us to go through your colony peacefully we might go through anyway."
I answered just as quickly, "We have plenty of well- armed men, as you may see a sample yonder," and I swept my hand toward our men. "And we will clean you all out if you so much as try to go through the colony." With my hand then I proceeded to mark and point the way they should go.
"Besides," I continued, "you are bandits, pure and simple in trouble with the government and w are loyal citizens and cannot treat with bandits." Again I marked and pointed the way they should go. He left after that and went back to his people, and I rode back to mine. We could see that he was telling them what I had said.
We moved on up the ridge a little nearer to where I had left Brother Judd with some of the others to guard the canyon from a surprise attack. They were waving their hats back and forth three times, which was the signal of warning that the Tomoches were coming down to attack us.
As we got a little further up the ridge we saw six men on horseback, guns out, coming upon us. And as I looked down over the ridge, I saw ten men marching on foot to surround us from the other side. In an instant they had us almost surrounded. We were quite a ways down the canyon. For the moment it looked as if there was nothing to do but turn to run. I passed the word. We did start to run down the ridge. Then suddenly the thought came to me that they could roll rocks down and ill us like rats in a trap. I called to my companions to stop. They were only a few yards ahead of me.
With that we all stopped and I had them walk back and forth as if we had a lot of me. You see the enemy was over the brow of the hill and could not see us but we could see them. We were out of sight. It was a desperate bluff but we had nothing to lose and everything to gain. It worked.
Our attacking enemy stopped dead in their tracks when they realized that we were going to make a firm stand. Again I stepped forward and motioned them to come and finish the attack. There were only three of us behind the brow of the hill. There were sixteen of them surrounding us. They did not come on!
When I saw that our bluff had worked and that they had hesitated in their attack I knew we had won the battle. I motioned them again more calmly and more carefully the direction in which I expected them to pick their way south.
They turned from their original path and started in the direction I pointed. Five or six of us followed them. We kept them at a distance of five hundred yards, the rest of that day. By night we had located their camp. It was directly west of the Colony and McDonald Spring, on top of one of the mountains.
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We went back to the Colony that night. We found that Casas Grande had sent us twenty-five soldiers and twenty-five citizen volunteers, and ten gendarme, sixty men in all.
[gendarme - formerly, a French cavalry man commanding a squad; an armed policeman.]
We held a council of war.
The Mexicans from Casas Grandes said that they were very anxious to capture the Tomoches, dead or alive, as they had been a source of great trouble and bloodshed for many years. The government had a price on their heads and there would be much glory to be earned through their capture.
I told them that we were ready and willing to help in every way we could. With that I marked a plan by which we could surround them and capture them. They began to argue about the plan and were not too anxious to get started. "Let us wait till morning." they advised. The next morning we had another council. This meeting they said,
"Captain [Orson] Brown, you take the trail and when you have found out which way they are going come back and tell us and we will come immediately and destroy the whole bunch." At daylight I left with Ernest L. Taylor, Jerome Judd, Peter C. Wood, Carl E. Nielsen, Cox, and Brigham Stowell.
We rode to the top of the mountain, west of McDonald Spring, there they had had their camp the night before. There we found the remains of camp and that their trail lead directly south. We followed the trail for the greater part of the day until we hit a canyon or the stairs country because the rains had formed a little creek that had been flowing down the country through hundreds of years and the water had cut stairs down the mountain.
Instead of following the trail across the canyon and up the high ground we went right up the canyon. When we neared the pass we saw a saddled horse and almost immediately a man stepped out and shot his gun in the ground as a signal.
We had come upon them again suddenly. There was not time to stew or plan, I said to Brother Taylor, "You know the trail, take it."
As we ran by them they opened up on us. When we reached a little ridge where we had some sort of defense we stopped. I told my companions we would return the fire there. We opened up on them for about twenty minutes and kept it up. But neither side gained anything. We were too far to do any harm. Then I noticed that they were gradually creeping upon us. They had the advantage of the ground. I told our men, "We had better get away now before it is too late for the bullets will soon be coming where we are."
We went on down the ridge, the bullets began falling around us. One bullet struck a rock a few feet from Brother [Peter C.] Wood. He was hiding behind the rock and the hot lead sprinkled on his thin hair.
Quickly we moved further on and took a good position about five hundred yards from the Tomoches. There we waited the coming of the Federal soldiers.
They did not come. Finally, we spied them at a distance but they were hesitant of coming any nearer. I guess they were afraid. The only ones who separated themselves from the main body of men were the ten gendarmes. I could not understand what was the matter.
I decided that I go out and meet them while the rest remained
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in their fortified position.
Our last position was near the Alamita[Alameda] Ranch. In the meanwhile the Indians had come through the pass and were now onto the low ground. Their proximity was getting more and more dangerous, as the minutes went by.
As I neared I could tell the gendarmes were nervous. They did not seem at all anxious to meet the Tomoches.
Brother [Ernest D.] Nielson who had gone with [Ernest L.] Taylor recognized me. He called me: "Here is the Captain." He came forward to meet me with Brother Carlton. They were the soldier's guides. We held a parley with the Lieutenant in command of the gendarmes. He said: " I have instructions to tell you, mi capitan, to come on in to the Colonia."
It was an awful let down. We could have whipped them so easily. I could not fight that told my cheese alone with my bed. There was too much risk for so few. I could not fight the Tomoches alone with my men. There was too much risk for so few. I had no right to expose my men. That was not their mission. That was the duty of authorized government officials. We had done our part, and above all we had protected our homes and families. They had left even Johnson's four horses that the Tomoches had stolen from had been left for us by them.
I was baffled and furious at their cowardliness but there was nothing to do but to follow them into the town. We rode on into Colonia Juárez and I went straight to Major Junius Romney's home to report. He took us all up to Apostle George Teasdale's home. It seemed like everyone in the Colony had gathered at Brother Teasdale's. They were anxiously awaiting news of us. Brother Neilson unfortunately reported that the Tomoches had us surrounded and were surely going to exterminate us. There was some basis for his report. There were only six of us and the Tomoches counted thirty-seven.
When Brother Teasdale looked upon us, he blessed us saying, "Wherein you have protected your home town, the Lord will bless you and be with you and you will have power over your enemies and they will not have power to destroy you."
That afternoon we had a meeting at the schoolhouse building with the Mexican officials. These Mexicans instead of wanting to follow and capture the Tomoches were the most fear-filled lot of men I ever saw under arms. They tried to excuse their cowardliness by crying, "Those Indians have a charmed life and bullets will not harm them. Why one Tomache can whip a hundred ordinary men."
I could not make them budge. In vain I pointed out that the day before we had them bluffed and whipped them with only a handful of men.
As soon as dark came they sneaked off in the direction of Casas Grandes. Some of the more timid brethren were very much alarmed when they found out of the desertion of the Mexican soldiers and volunteers and gendarmes. They were sure the Tomoches were going to attack the Colony under cover of darkness. Again I pointed how twice with six men we had beaten them the day before. I said, "You need not fear that they will attack. For they
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too are afraid for their lives." These few words seem to calm the colonists. But just the same some of us stood guard most of that night in order to avoid a surprise attack.
The next morning a small number of men went back wit me to the Alamita Ranch. We went up as far as the Pass that we had christened Tomoche Pass the day before.
We found where they had killed three of General Terrazas' beef and only taken a small portion of the meat with them.
We followed their trail most of that day and found where they had gone to the west of San Diego. From there they continued their way south into the mountains. I knew I would know the Indian who had refused to lower his gun anywhere I might meet him.
Pablo Soso's Undoing
It was not long after that I arrested a couple of Mexicans for drunkenness and carousing. I handcuffed them and left them under guard of Pablo Soso at the store with my gun in his hand. I was going to take them into Casas Grandes. I went home for a bite to eat before starting out.
When I returned Pablo Soso was gone but the men were there guarded by a stranger who had my gun in his hand. I went to thank him and take my prisoners on to Casas Grandes. As I thanked him and shook hands with him I recognized him and I knew he recognized me but he did not let on he had ever seen me before.
It was no other than the Tomache Indian who would not lower his gun when Cox and I met the Tomoche up in the mountains. Here he was back again and Pablo Soso turned out to be his brother.
Pablo had gone on an errand and left him behind. He had gone back to the colony and Brother Stowell hid hired him to put up some fence posts.
A short time after Soso came to the Colony I employed him. One day he was up in the mountain behind the Colony working on the last of a piece of road I had given him to do. I happened on my way to the sawmill and stopped for a minute to give him some instructions. In a burst of confidence he said to me, "You people are the only outfit that ever opposed us Tomoches to the amount of anything. I have often wondered why we could not kill you. I have thought about it a great deal."
He said they had fired about 300 shots at us and had seen with their own eyes plainly that not one of us were hurt. He continued, "In the fight at Tomoche Pass you killed two of our men and wounded three others."
I knew in my heart the reason they had been unable to harm us. The Lord had protected us. If it had not been for his protection undoubtedly we would have been destroyed. There were fierce Indians who not only outnumbered us but had the advantage of ground and who not only long past had caused the deaths of so many Mexican soldiers.
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Juan Pablo Soso [Juan Sasa] came to a bad end. He was a natural bandit. He began stealing around Juárez and when they went to arrest him he tried to kill the police with a shovel and they shot him.
Church Officials Take Up Cause of Tomoche
A few months after the Tomoches passed through the country Apostle Teasdale and his counselors, Alexander Findlay MacDonald and Henry Eyring, learned the real reason of the uprising of the Tomoches. Some of the Mexican officials told them what it was all about. The Brethren saw the fairness of the fight in defense of their homes and land on the part of the Tomoches and they decided to take up their cause.
They directed a communication to President Diaz telling him the reasons for the uprising and asked that these men be forgiven for the past and be given another chance.
The President replied, as always, graciously to the Colony. He wrote that he and his cabinet were taking the Tomoches rebellion into advisement. As a result of our intervention these poor Indians were given a reprieve.
Teresita of Sinaloa de Cabora, the unwitting cause of all this loss of life had had to leave her native town and country because of opposition by the Catholic clergy there. She came out through the mountains and went down to Florence, Arizona, where the Mexican people all over the surrounding country, even from northern Chihuahua and Sonora visited her.
All who visited her returned to their homes greatly impressed and influenced by her words and counsel. She later married an American in Florence, Arizona and lost her power of influence.
What became of her I do not know.
Orson Seeks Mines with Aid of Tomoches
I had another encounter with the Tomoches of a different nature. It was a friendly and business meeting years later and it was then that I learned all the details of their rebellion.
I had been fooling around a mine for a long while. I could not help it. I had talked to prospectors, miners, mining engineers, had guided them through passes in the mountains, had warned them against Indians, so that I thought I knew something about mines and the time came when I began to dabble a little in mines myself. Of course, in that primitive country new travels fast and everybody knew I was a little interested in mining. So the second in command of the group who had tried t scare us on the march home in the south accompanied by one other Tomoches came. They had in the heads the history of three famous mines: La Guynopa, La Gunopita, La Tyopa.
They sounded interesting and worthwhile taking time to look into it was on this trip that they told me the whole story of their rebellion and the reason for it. At first we went over to find the famous Guynopa mine. This was in the month of July, our rainy season, and there had been some heavy rains. We never found it. When we came to the river the water was high and we could not cross. But on the trip we did find La Guynopa, an old rich silver mine. They had
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taken out much silver out of that mine. The Tomoches assured me that there was lots of gold bullion hidden in the Tayopa. It was suppose to be on the other side of the Arizona River but the river was too high to cross.
Another Incident 1893 Trip to Salt Lake City
In March 1893 together with my good friend Joseph F. Cardon and his wife Rhoda, we went to Salt Lake City and to Logan Temple where we had the privilege of having our wives sealed to us by Apostle Merrill President of the Logan Temple. Then we returned to Salt Lake City in time for the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple which was very inspiring privilege. While Joseph Cardon and his wife, my wife and I stood in the Assembly Hall of the temple we heard the most wonderful singing and while we couldn't distinguish the words we knew by the inspiration that came to us that they were the voices of angels. This gave us great satisfaction and joy.
We returned to Mexico with thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father for the privilege that we had had.
Orson Learns a Hard Lesson About Questioning the Decisions of Leaders
I am just reminded now of a very important incident and circumstance that came unto my life. There had been some discord and President MacDonald who was first counselor had gone out and who was President of the Juarez Colonization Company had gone to Mexico City and a false report had come to us that he was using his office as President of the Colonization Company to power his own personal interest.
The Bishop and about two thirds of the members of Colonia Juarez signed a petition and sent it to the Presidency of the Church asking that President MacDonald be removed from his office without having made proper investigation. The Presidency of the Church sent Apostles Brigham Young and John Henry Smith down and they together with Apostle George Teasdale called all of the Brethren together to find out what the matter was. After several hours of hearing it became evident that the complaint that had been sent was without foundation in fact. President MacDonald was exonerated with the satisfaction of the Brethren. But because of my stubbornness I was not converted. In the conference following I voted against President MacDonald and so Apostle Teasdale who presided over the Colonies instructed Bishop George Seavy and his counselors to call me before them to see if they could not convert me of the error of my ways. And that if they couldn't convert me to send me to him and as they didn't convert me they sent me to Apostle George Teasdale.
He was waiting for me in his office. I knocked on the door and he said to come in and as I entered, he said for me to take a chair in front of him and he said to me, 'My boy did the brethren convert you of the errors of your way?" and I said "no" I asked him this question "SHOULD A MAN FORGIVE HIS BROTHER WHEN HE DOESN'T REPENT?"
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He didn't answer but just looked at me as though he was looking clear through me. I hung my head in shame and when I raised my head I said to him in tears. "Forgive me Apostle Teasdale I know my duty now, for these words have come to me. 'Of you it is required that you forgive all men and I will forgive whom I will.'"
I was as humble as a lamb and he said to me, "My son as with Peter of old slight(sp)? And blood has not revealed this to thee? But my Father who art in Heaven. For I have been praying to Him that He would reveal this unto you." And as we stood up he clasped me in his arms and kissed me and blessed me.
It was another very important turning point in my life, forever since then I have known my duty, in regard to that great principle of forgiveness.
After the Tomache incident I went in business with Ernest L. Taylor and Joseph C. Bentley. In buying and selling of cattle and after the first year of successful business, Brother Bentley withdrew from our co-partnership. Brother Taylor and I continued in business for a number of years.
An incident…Kids Renegade Apaches..
The Apache Indians had been raiding through the country. They were called the Kids Renegade Apaches. They had killed a part of the Thomson family who were living at the Pratt's ranch, killing Sister Thomson and her oldest son and wounding her second son. The Apaches had been raiding and stealing stock in the colonies when Bishop Smith from Colonia Pacheco came down and advised President Teasdale and asked what could be done. They had just been another raid of the Kids Renegade Apache Indians and President Teasdale advised Bishop Smith to came and consult with me. I went to Pacheco with Bishop Smith and we organized a little party of men consisting of Bishop J. Smith, John Whetten, Jorge Nutly, Robert Beecroft, Samuel Jarvis and myself.
We left Colonia Pacheco in the morning going into the Gavilan country and making our first night camp on Quigley Creek about twenty miles west of Pacheco. The next morning we went into the Apache Valley which was at the head of the whole country about a month previous to going in there. There had been three prospectors, one man with the name of Quigly. When they got into the Apache Valley they saw an Apache Indian, he immediately ran and they made their way to the north of a very high mountain where they made their camp at the rim of the mountain. They stood guard that night. The very next morning just before daylight one of t hem was making breakfast, the other two making guard. Not seeing anything the one that had made breakfast told them to come and get their breakfast. They went down and were eating when three Indians raised up from behind the fortifications they had built and shot at them. They being in a low place their bullets went over their heads. They ran as hard as they could run and arrived at Colonia Juárez in two days and a half and the other two in three days and a half, all coming in separately. As I was saying before, when we arrived at the Indian valley we found one of the burros belonging to these Americans, we also found that the Indians had seen us and they went down to a box canyon on the right hand canyon. Going west we camped
that night in the box canyon where it rained and snowed all night. We knew that it would be impossible for us to follow those Indians any farther because the snow and rain would obliterate their tracks. After a council of war we decided on returning to Colonia Pacheco. We climbed up out of the deep canyon and when we got on top of the mountain we found about one foot of snow on the ground and it was still snowing very hard. The clouds were down on the mountain so that we couldn't see only a little distance ahead of us.
As we didn't have a compass we couldn't tell which direction we were going. We stopped and Brother Samuel Jarvis said he could lead us out of there blindfolded. So we told him to take the lead and after traveling about an hour we came back on to our own tracks. We had made a perfect circle. Brother Jarvis said, "Here's the Indians trail and when we examined the tracks we all decided that we had made a perfect circle getting back on our own trail. So we made camp tied up our animals so they wouldn't leave us. It cleared up and when daylight came. We found our way and arrived at Colonia Pacheco that night. Because of this trip through Gavilan Valley and country I purchased a Gavilan ranch from the Colonization Company. This was one of the best investments that I ever made for it paid me a profit first and last of approximately forty thousand pesos. It was another evidence to me that if I was willing to do my duty in defense of the interests of the people of the Colonies the Lord would open up the way and shower down his blessings upon me.
After five or six years of a coop partnership with Brother Ernest L. Taylor, which had been very beneficial to both of us. The fact that he had three or four grown up son's whom he desired to participate in the business of our coop partnership and he and his son-in-law. Joseph C. Bentley and his three oldest sons formed a coop partnership. Thus I operated from my own account separate from theirs. I prospered in my efforts very greatly not withstanding I had some reverses.
Kansas City, Missouri Trip
I went up to Kansas City, Missouri to settle up an old account. While I was there a very peculiar circumstance happened to me. I had learned the lesson that if I wanted to know the will of the Lord concerning me, to seek him in earnest prayer. I went down to Independence and there on the temple lot I saw a big oak tree and the spirit admonished me to seek the Lord in prayer.
I looked around and found that I was alone, and I kneeled down under that tree and I sought the Lord in humble prayer, asking my Heavenly Father to guide me and make known unto me his will concerning me. The spirit came over me and said, "My son, you are going to be called unto a special mission." I thanked him for this inspiration. I got up and hunted up the missionaries who were Mormons in Independence. I found them in a fast meeting. I had the privilege of bearing my testimony to them and the saints who were gather there. In the evening I accompanied two missionaries home and with five other missionaries I invited them out to supper at a large restaurant and took them all to a large theater then we all returned to the missionary home and talked till two o'clock in the morning.
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The next morning I took the train for El Paso, Texas. In the Pullman car that I boarded there was an English Lord who was a colonel in the British army and a millionaire financier from New York City. They had in the baggage cars their equipment including eight beautiful dogs, among them two staghounds and the others being bloodhounds. At a station in Oklahoma where there was a twenty-minute wait they got off to see how their dogs were getting along in the baggage care. I heard them talking about them, I got off with them to look at the dogs. I admired them very much and by this we struck up a conversation. They asked me where I was from and as we were journeying along a Protestant minister got on the train and came by bowing to these two distinguished gentlemen. Then this New York financier made the remark, "There goes one of those long-tailed hypocrites, you can tell them by their dress." And he said with a laugh, "They are the ____D __crooketest people in the whole world. They are educated to the science of bleeding people. One of them got into the confidence of my wife and beat her out of ten thousand dollars and tried to seduce my daughter." and he said, "They are the limit of everything that is low and full of deception. If Jesus Christ supports those kind of things and those kind of men then I don' want to have anything to do with them." Then I told them that I was a believer of the words of Jesus Christ and I told them that I was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "Well," he said, "Where is your paraphernalia, your long-tail coat and your collar turned the wrong way?" He told me I must not be a very good preacher. This gave me a wonderful opportunity to explain the principles of the Gospel as revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith.
I was so earnest in what I had to say and bearing testimony to these men of the simplicity of the principles of the Gospel that they were very favorably impressed. As we traveled along down into Mexico a man that we called Colonel Hunt got onto the train and I introduced him to these gentlemen. Colonel Hunt only rode from this station to the other. This English Lord said to me, "Of what regiment of the army does Colonel Hunt belong?" I said, "Colonel Hunt belongs to the army of construction rather than the army of destruction. We honor our men who are the captains, colonels, and generals of industry. Who are leaders in the opening up and development of the resources in the frontier." And then he said, "That is a wonderful idea. It is truly very commendable." Then they got off the train going into the White Mountains to hunt bears, lions and wolves with their dogs and equipment. This great financier from New York shook my hand very cordially and begged my pardon if he had offended me and said, "I feel that for once in my life I have met with a Christian gentleman and not with a ______hypocrite."
On arriving home at Colonia Juárez a few days later, we had a Stake Conference. In attendance were the presiding brethren of the Church, President John Henry Smith, who was counselor to President Joseph F. Smith. During the conference I was asked to speak. I recited the experience that I had just had with these gentlemen that I had met on the train from Kansas City to El Paso. I very emphatically suggested that our missionaries who were preaching the Gospel in the world that they were aping or following the customs of the ministers of the world, that it was my opinion that we should change our mode of apparel. That instead of following the system of the Christian
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ministers we should use neat business suits. President John Henry Smith followed me in speaking and said, "The remarks and suggestions of Elder Orson Brown are very timely and when I return to Salt Lake City, I, as Chairman of the Missionary Committee, will suggest the changes as suggested by Elder Brown. And it was done.
The change was made and the elders going in to the mission field from then on wore business suits instead of long-tailed Protestant minister suits.
I owe more to my mother than to any other person in the world. She taught me to pray and to have faith in the Lord and in his many great works, as Well as to have faith and reverence for the Prophet Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff and all of the apostles she constantly watched over me and I have heard her voice many, many times since she passed on.
The year that Apostle Reed Smoot was elected to the United States Senate (served from 1903 -1933) I had been to Denver, Colorado to purchase some mining machinery for the purpose of concentrating ore. On my return to El Paso from Denver Dalhart (sp) Texas, before the train arrived the conductor said to me, "You may be able to catch the Rock Island train to El Paso, which is due to arrive at Dalhart at the same time that we are due to arrive. But they have a different station than we have. It usually arrives a little late and we came into the Dalhart station he said, "There comes the Rock Island now, I think you can catch it. I took my overcoat in one arm and my suitcase in my other hand. I started along the Rock Island railroad track towards the Rock Island Station that was about 500 yards distance. Just before I got to the station I went to cross the railroad track, the engine had blown its whistle and started. I stubbed my toe and fell in front of the engine about 20 steps from it. The engineer saw me fall, it seemed to be a solar plexus blow for I could not move. He reversed the engine jumped down and he and the fireman picked me up within two steps of the engine. They took me back to the conductor who placed me on the car in charge of the Pullman porter who gave me a stimulant, to be more specific the stimulant was a glass of whisky, which revived me. The porter undressed me and put me to bed. The next morning on arriving at some station we met the eastbound train that had the latest newspaper and the account of the big fight in U.S. Congress over the seating of Apostle Reed Smoot in the United States Senate. The man who was in the seat just in front of me bought a paper as well as myself. This man's name was Watson who had been an ambassador or counselor representative of the U.S.A. in one of the smaller European countries. It seemed to be a highly educated gentleman. He was on his way to Tucson, Arizona to be with his son, who had been in the forest service but was now in a hospital, not expected to live. As result of fighting forest fire and getting to much smoke in his lungs. When he finished reading the article in regards to the seating Senator Smoot in the United States Senate he said to me, in a very vehement manner, "This is the most despicable and outrageous thing that I have ever read. These Mormons are the blackest spot in the American history and should be burned out and destroyed from the body politic. As well as religion being blotted out from America and this man Smoot, a Mormon apostle who undoubtedly is a polygamist should not be allowed to enter the sacred hall of congress of the U.S.A. Much less as a Senator of the U.S."
"Well, I said, "My friend you seem to have pretty hard feelings about these Mormons."
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"Yes," he answered, "I have, I've heard in Chicago that one wife of Brigham Young, Anna Liza Webb Young [wife No. 19] and her husband Dr.___, a Christian gentleman, tell of the damnable practice under the guise of the Christianity of the Mormons in Utah. Then I read their book telling of the most diabolical unchristian action of those debased Mormons of Utah."
"Well," I said, "My friend I guess that your prejudices are based upon hearsay, of unscrupulous people." Then I asked him if he belonged to some church, and he said, "Yes," that he belonged to the first Christian Church of Chicago, which church was commonly known as the Canvolight Church. Well, I said, 'I am really surprised that a man claiming to be a Christian should have formed such a dislike and a feeling of contempt for people that he knows nothing about, only hearsay," and then he said to me. "What Church do you belong to?"
I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ." Then he said, "We're brothers", and he began asking me questions about my faith and I began very earnestly seeking the Lord in secret to help explain to this man the principles of the Gospel. There were two middle age refined looking ladies that were seated across the aisle from us. They seemed to be very much interested in what we were discussing, the principles of Eternal Life. When he said,
"There is one thing that has been a stumbling block to me and that is this, When Columbus discovered America he found millions of people here who had never had the opportunity of receiving the Gospel of the Master and then the opportunity came to explain to them the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the principles the vicarious work that had been revealed through a prophet of God. For the redemption of those who had died without having had the opportunity of receiving the Gospel in this life. I also explained to him that this Book of Mormon was a record from the time of Adam down through the ages and that the Master told his disciples that he was going to preach the gospel to another people who were not of those people in Jerusalem. And after his resurrection he did come to this continent of America and established his church among them. with prophets, apostles and evangelists, and so forth. I told these people that when ever the Lord had people on the earth that kept his laws and commandments he'd always have prophets among them that would recognize and that he spoke through in other words a living divine prophet. That without revelation the people perished, that it was the foundation of Christian life. Then one of the ladies spoke up and said, 'Why Mr. those principles that you have been advocating are true Christian principles. Then Mr. Watson said, Mr. Brown they say there is no perfection in this life, but I pronounce you and the principles you have explained a 99% Christian.' and he said, 'What Church do you belong to?" I said, "I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, commonly called the Mormon Church." Then he said, "My God, is it possible?" I said, "Yes, it is possible, it is the truth." Then he said, "Do you believe in polygamy?" and then I said, "Yes" I believe in plural marriage, and I had the opportunity of explaining that wonderful principle to them. Then I told him who Anna Liza Webb was, and whose book he had read that made him prejudiced against the Mormon People. I said, "She was the wife of a man by the name of James Dee who drove her away from his home because she was immoral and was cohabiting with another man. He divorced her and married my sister Ellen Brown. After this Anna Liza Webb's mother went to President Brigham Young and told him that her beautiful
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daughter wanted to marry him. He married her and when he found out the deception that they had played on him he immediately divorced her and sent her home. Her first husband James Dee had two children that he kept and educated. And that was the class of woman Ann Lisa Webb Dee Young that married a Protestant minister and together they did all the harm they could against an innocent people. Mr. Watson was very much impressed, I gave him the address of the Elders in Chicago and later received a letter from him saying that he had been converted to the Mormon faith.
Ordained a Seventy - Spring 1885
When I was ordained to the office of a seventy by President Seymour B. Young the first president of the seven first presidents of the Church, there were present at the Ordination, Apostle Amos (Amasa) Lyman and John Henry Smith, they questioned me very severely and put me under some very strict covenants. One of them was that I would not introduce Mormon girls to outsiders and that I would do everything in my power to serve the Lord and keep all of his commandments including specifically the entering in and obeying the law of plural marriage.
1897 Mattie and Orson Proceed with Plural Marriage, Jennie Galbraith Joins Family
After coming to Mexico and getting married and seeking the Lord in earnest prayer in regards to my entering into this holy and sacred law of plural marriage I was reminded of the covenant that I had made when I was ordained a seventy. The spirit of the Lord admonished me that it was my duty to enter into this la and keep this commandment of plural marriage. My wife Mattie was very much opposed to it and no amount of explanation or argument on my part had any affect upon her to convert her to this principle. She would obdurate in regard to it. Just before Apostle Teasdale left for the U.S.A. I was at Colonia Diaz with him. Not withstanding the many times that he had blessed and assured me that as long as I was willing to protect the inte
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF ORSON PRATT BROWN - By Bertha Brown
