On February 3rd, 1863, Elder Woodruff recorded the birth of his son, Ashael Hart, who was named after his uncle. He was the son of his wife Emma, and is now bishop of the Waterloo Ward in the Granite stake of Zion.
On the same date, Elder Woodruff gave an extensive account of the trouble with the Bannock and the Snake River Indians north of Bear River. They had been killing miners and emigrants, who were on their way to Oregon. He says: "Colonel Connor sent a part of his command to the Indians to get a white boy that was among them. They got the boy but killed a number of the Indians and then returned to Camp Douglas, near the city. Thereupon, the Indians began killing more white men. Col. Connor then sent against them sixty infantry and fifteen baggage wagons. Later, he sent three hundred cavalry. They found the Indians encamped near Bear River, which they had to ford in order to get to them. The Indians were camped in a big ravine. The cavalry made a charge upon them, but were driven back. They then left the horses and made a charge on foot, and were again repulsed. The third time, they made a charge and rushed into their midst. They used their revolvers and shot as long as they could find anything to shoot at. The result of the battle, as reported, was two hundred and twenty-five Indians killed, four hundred horses taken. The loss of Col. Connor's command was seventeen dead, forty wounded, and seventy badly frozen. Two officers were also wounded, and it is reported that Lieutenant D. Chase, once a Mormon elder, was mortally wounded. He was ordained into the Quorum of Seventies on the corner-stone of the Temple in Far West, at the time that George A. Smith and myself were ordained into the Quorum of the Twelve. Chase went to California where he apostatized and joined the army."
About the same time he recorded a visit of three Moquitche Indians with Jacob Hamblin to President Young. These Indians were entertained part of the time, during their stay, at the home of Elder Woodruff who made them very welcome, and of course learned from them and from Elder Hamblin all that he could about their lives and customs.
"The Moquitche Indians live in New Mexico, one hundred and twenty-five miles southeast of the Colorado, and three hundred and thirty-five miles from St. George. They live in a walled city built upon top of the rocks as a protection from their enemies. They do not go to war nor fight except in extreme cases of self-defense. They never scalp an enemy and do not like to shed blood. They cultivate the earth, raise corn, beans, melons, pumpkins, squash, red pepper, and a large quantity of peaches. They also raise cotton, keep sheep and goats, and spin and weave their own cloth. They have seven villages. The largest town has about three hundred families. All told, they number about two thousand souls. They are very intelligent and light colored. There are some with blue and some with hazel eyes. They have never mixed their blood with any white man or other Indian tribes.
"They have a tradition that good men will come from the West and bring them the truth. They think we are the prophets, and they have come as ambassadors to see the people and to learn if we are the ones they have been looking for. They seem anxious that we should instruct and direct them in their affairs. Their forefathers formerly lived west of the Colorado but their enemies drove them east of the river.
"Twenty-four men now went as a company to visit these Indians, and found them quite poor. They had been robbed by the Navajoes, they had few sheep, but a good crop of grain. During one of their drouths, Elder Woodruff recounts the fact that in answer to their prayers the snow fell to a depth of one foot."
Speaking of Elder Hamblin's efforts to bring the Indians North he wrote that when the Lamanites reached the Colorado, they were afraid to cross it; but upon being urged by Elder Hamblin to make the effort, they offered sacrifice in the following manner: "The Indians took some cotton thread of their own spinning, about eighteen inches long, and tied in each end a bunch of feathers as big as a man's thumb. They then placed it in the edge of the water, then they put some bread called 'piek' between the feathers. They also had some dried peaches which they put into the water. Afterwards, they sprinkled consecrated white cornmeal upon its surface, and later reached the opposite bank safely. They then proceeded to thank the Lord for bringing them over without harm."
On the 13th of February Elder Woodruff recorded the death of N. V. Jones of whom he says: "He has been a true and valuable man, always a minute man, ready to go at the call of the Presidency of the Church. From the time he was taken sick he felt that his hour had come."
At this time the leaders were greatly harassed by federal officers who sought to bring trouble upon President Young and other leaders of the Church. Those were exciting times and the people were often aroused to a spirit of determined resistance. On November 3rd of that year, Wilford Woodruff writes that a great mass-meeting was held in the Tabernacle to protest against the conduct of Governor Stephen S. Harding, and Judges Drake, and Waite, and to ask for their removal. An effort was then made to arrest President Young by military force on a charge of polygamy, but he opposed such an unlawful proceeding. Hundreds of men turned out to defend him, whereupon Col. Connor and his soldiers returned to the Fort. Excitement ran high, but there were no serious occurrences at the time.
As these events took place, they were recorded by Elder Woodruff in the dispassionate manner of the historian who seeks diligently to record facts. It is wonderful how quietly and effectively he could turn from exciting scenes to the ordinances in the house of God, and then to his labors about his home. His faith was a constant quality, and his administration was sought by the sick and afflicted. Orson Pratt at this time was in a critical condition. In administering to him Elder Woodruff said: "I told him in the name of the Lord that he should live and not die, for he had not finished his work in the flesh." He began at once to improve, and in a few days was able to attend meeting.