I came across a story of the Mormon Pioneers in the Lagan Fontenelle book I just read. In 1834 the government by an act of congress laid aside the area west of the Missouri River as Native American territory. Of course many white people already lived in Bellevue. More showed up including the Mormons who had left Nauvoo and traveled across the state of Iowa:
A serious violation of this law took place, however, in the spring of 1846, when 5000 Mormons, driven from Nauvoo, Illinois, where they had been attacked by mobs, traveled cross-country in the customary western style to the Missouri River, which they were unable to cross on theiur way to the promised land.
At the head of the contingent was Brigham Young himself, who accordingly sent a message of appeal to Colonel Sarpy, the man of power and influence in Bellevue, and the owner of the only ferryboat. When Sarpy crossed the river to see for himself, he was appalled at the pitiable condition of the travel-worn women and children. Without hesitation he and his staff of workmen ferried the wretched travelers to Bellevue, where he served them food and clothing from his warehouse.
Being in daily contact with Sarpy, Logan took part in this mass transportation. Indians meanwhile watched and wondered. Logan and his tribesmen beheld for the first time a large invasion of their land by white people from the east.
There could be trouble in as much as the Mormons expressed their intention to remain for a time. Such an act would. be a grave violation of the law, and it would invite hostility fr4om the natives. Realizin this danged, Colonel Sarpy immediately sought, and before long obtained, governmental permission for the Mormons; and, since this stopping here meant temporarily occupying Omahas' land he introduced Brigham Young to Big Elk.
Mormon Chief met Indian Chief. They were not unlike in qualities of leadership. Thus, when the Mormon told the Indian that his people had been cruelly oppressed and compelled to leave their old homes, the Indian replied that he understood very well and he could sympathize, because his people had ben mistreated and driven from their old homes by the Sioux.
The two men arranged a meeting between the Mormon elders and the council of Indian chiefs. After much deliberation, The Indian council agreed with Big Elk that the Mormons should be allowed to tarry.
Big Elk then showed himself a noble spokesman. Rising to his feet, he struck the pose of a great orator. For almost five minute, he gave himself time to think, before addressing the assembly. Logan, who was present, wondered if his grandfather would talk at all; but in the meantime all eyes were fixed upon the old chief.
"My honorable white guests!" he began solemnly. "Our people have welcomed you. Through their council of chiefs, the Omaha Indians grant you sanctuary. As their head chief, I can explain what that means. It means that your lives are safe among us. It means that we shall be your friends. It means that we can trade together. It means that you need not hurry away. You may stay a year, if it pleases you, ot two years. I have spoken!"
Smiles and friendly nods followed Big Elk's hospitable speech. However, a misunderstanding when the Mormons refused to smoke the pipe of peace, the Indian custom of completing an agreement or treaty. Logan saved the situation, on demand of Brigham Young, by explaining that the Mormons' religion forbade the use of tobacco, whereupon the Omaha chiefs grunted their surprise.
But the Mormons would not let themselves be surpassed in acts of friendship. Their women, with renewed energy, at once prepared a big feast of wonderfully cooked food; and so those Indians who had been invited now hoped the Mormons woud never leave Bellevue.
When the feasting was over, Iron Eye asked Logan in the Omaha language if he noticed anything different about these white people as against other whites. "You know--they are not drinking whiskey?" His friend nodded, "It is against their religion," Explained Colonel Sarpy, who had overheard them. "I offended Mr. Young when Imnopened a jug especially for him. They don't even drink coffee."
In that respect , Logan and Iron Eye agreed, the Mormons would not harm the Omahas.
The chiefs then showed the Mormons where they could make their homes. This was a large wooded hollow in the bluffs but open to the east. There they would be protected from nature's storms. This place was then called Mormon Hollow, and it is still known by that name. This land along the river, they were told, could be used for fields, if the remained long enough to cultivate the soil.
In general the Mormons treated their hosts rather well. They gave them of their skilled cooking, which never failed to please the Indian appetite. They exchanged clothing for meat and skins. By signs and examples they explained their ways of working in field and home. Willing Indian women thus learned a few secrets from their visiting white sisters. New Moon (Logan's wife), likr many others, observed how the Mormon women dressed, acted among themselves, and treated their husbands and children.
In time Colonel Sarpy profited from the presence of the Mormons. A capavle and farsighted businessman, he shipped in whatever merchandise the Mormons eventually could use; and this merchandise they bought from him in large quantities.
As time passed, however, too many Mormons hunted game and cut down trees for their houses. The Indians now complained that they were being robbed; and they feared that, unless the plundering stopped, they would perish in their own homeland.
Matters became worse when a strange pestilence broke out--"a plague of scrofulous nature, which the Mormons called black canker." This terrible disease claimed victims from both races. Dozens of Omahas, including Logan's mother, Bright Sun, died of it after much suffering. Yet their losses were small compared with those of the Mormons. It was pitiful to see these people, far away from their homes, fall victims and leave sorrowing relatives in a strange land. Families lost one or more children. Husbands lost wives. Children lost parents. Wives lost husbands and children. Brothers and sister were parted. Friendships built on past trials and hardships were severed by the epidemic.
Then one day Brigham Young announced that the Mormons were leaving. He blamed the river for the wide spread sickness, saying that the bluffs prevented the Mormons from living at a safe distance. Consequently they would move to a place about thirty miles north, where they could live safely away from the Missouri, and yet near enough to ujse it for traveling purposes. They named this new location "Winter Quarters," today known as Florence.
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| Mormon Hollow trail |
