TragedystruckthevicinityofColdSpringsinthesummerof1863

whenOverlandStagedriverWoodReynoldsandexpressmessenger
ThomasOShonnison(responsibleforpassengers,mail,andfreight)met
theirdeathsonJune10th.
OnApril1st,adetachmentofFortDouglassoldiersunderthe
directionofLieutenantEtherattackedapartyofIndiansjustnorthofCedar
Fort.ThedefeatedNativeAmericansvowedrevengeonthemenwho
worethebluecoats.
OverlanddriverFrederickScarlettleftPorterRockwellsstationat
thePointoftheMountaindrivinganemptycoachtoFairfieldonJune9th.
NormallythecoacheswereferriedfromColdSprings,buttheferryboathad
sunkthepreviousdayduringhighwinds.
ScarlettdrovethestagefarthersouthtotheLehiJordanBridge,less
thanamilefromColdSprings.HereCarolineBall,wifeofthetollkeeper,
warnedScarlettthatIndianshadtoldhertheyweregoingtoattacka
stagecoach.
ThenervousScarlettdroveonacrossthehillstoFairfieldbutsaw
nothingunusualandapparentlydidnotreportthewarningtothestation
keeper.AT7:00a.m.thefollowingmorningReynoldsandOShonnison
rolledeastwardacrosstheflatstowardsLehi.Asthemailcoachrounded
theshoulderof the hill near the presentByronC. Dastrupresidence(11149
West8570 North),approximatelytwentyfiveIndians,who had been
concealedinBigWash,ambushedtheunsuspectingdriver.
TwelveyearoldLehiherdsmanGeorgeKirkham,atopaknolljust
westofColdSprings,witnessedthespeedingcoachtryingtooutdistancethe
raiderstotheferryatIndianFord.Thoughthemailcoachshorseswere
superiortotheIndianponies,threeoftheanimalswereshotforcingthe
coachtostopinthehighbrushapproximatelyonequartermileofftheroad.
Reynolds,ayoungtoughmanwhohadassaultedUtahGovernorJohn
W.DawsonthepreviousJanuary,stoodbehindoneofthehorsesandbegan
tofirerapidly.Despitehisgallantefforts,bothheandOShonnisonwere
quicklycutdown.
DuringthecarnageyoungGeorgeKirkhamdashedtotheJordan
Bridge,gaspedouttheterribleoccurrence,thenrantoLehianddelivered
thefrightfulnews.MeanwhileFrederickScarlett,whowastrailingtwo
horsesapproximatelythreemilesbehindtheReynoldscoach,hadheardthe
gunshotsandracedonahead.Heencounteredmassiveamountsofbloodon
theroadbeforeseeingthecoachaquarterofamileaway
Presumingarunaway,Scarlettrodeovertothevehicleandwas
stunnedbywhathediscovered.Therelaythebodiesofthetwomurdered
men,hereported,oneoneachsideofthecoachstrippednakedand
mutilatedinamosthorridmanner,piercedwithballs,arrows,andspears,
cutwithknivesandscalpedinanunusualway,asthehairypartoftheir
headshadbeenliterallyflayed.Bothmenalsohadtheirheartsrippedout
andpresumablyeatenaGosiutecustomafterkillingbravemeninbattle.
Seeingahorsemanonadistanthill,ScarlettfearingtheIndianshad
returnedmountedhishorseandheadedbacktowardsFairfield.
Encounteringanotherriderenroute,thetwomenreturnedtothesiteofthecarnage,whereth
otherman. The bodiesof the two
Overlandemployeeswere loadedinto the coach,alongwith all the scattered
mailthatcouldberecovered.Scarlettstwoanimals,hitchedtothestage,
conveyedthebatteredvehicleandthedeadmentoRockwellsStationthen
ontoSaltLakeCity.
TheIndianraidingpartyhadriddensouth,wheretheyencountered
WilliamBallwestofUtahLakeontheroadtoGoshen.Theyhadnot
quarrelwiththebridgetollkeeper,proudlyshowingBallthescalps,bugle,
andotherplunderfromthestagecoach.Theythenrodesouthtoasalt
workssevenmilesnortheastofNephi.RichardJenkins,ThomasBooth,and
aMr.Salisburywerethereworkingthemine.Theywerenotharmed,
althoughthemaraudersalsoshowedthemthescalpsbeforeridinginto
obliviontowardtheeastmountains.