Letter 7 Transcripts |
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TERRITORY OF ARIZONA Office of the Treasurer Prescott Nov 5 1866 Porter Jones Esq Dear Sir and Bro Your letter Sept 6 1866 came duly to this hand this day and I hasten to reply. I and your son Wm P Jones arrived in this country at nearly the same time in the fall of 1863 and as there few persons here I soon became acquainted with him quite intimately especially as we soon found we were brotheren. He was a very adventurous prospector and he with his comerades [named Joseph Lennon, John A, Boggs and Theodore Boggs]were travelling over the country nearly all the time. On the Indian troubles commencing your son in comnay with some eighty more among them myself enrolled himself under Col. Woolsey to chastise the redskins and we made one expedition of 20 days together – This was in the monthof April ’64. In May Col. Woolsey issued another call for men to meet at his ranch on the first day of June 64 to go on another expedition. And over one hundred men met in response to the call among them was y our son, with his comerades. An arrangement was made by which yur son was not to go on the expedition and another oneof the Company [Theo Boggs] went with it. Your son was to stay and conduct the business of the Co. I went with expedition as I was the only Surgeon of the Country- I could not get off very well and the Company started on the first of June. Col Woolsey & myself did not start until the 2nd and overtook the party about thirty miles from the ranch. your son stayed all night of the first of June at the ranch the next day just before the Colonel and myself started- he started for his camp on the Big Bug Creek about six miles from the ranch. He never reached it when about 4 miles from the ranch he was attacked by a party of Indians numbering some 30 or 40. he being alone and was killed after having apparently made a desperate defence. The signs were that he had been ambushed by then and wounded at the first fire and thus rendered unable to escape although he had retreated a half mile or so from where he was first attacked. His body was found about two days after by a party who were out looking for him. He was shot full of arrows and his skull was fractured with rocks as is the barbarous custom of the savages The party who found him buried him at the spot where he was found as there was at that time no burial ground in this country. everything was of course carried off by the Indians. He had I understand some money with him at the time [which of course was lost] a mule &shotgun &pistol. None of these things were ever recovered. I did not hear of his death until some six weeks afterwards at Ft. Goodwin where we had come in for provisions. The expedition was out 87 days before returning. After we returned I learned the particulars I have written and soon after we obtained a dispensation from California and opened a lodge of F&A Masons at this place of which I had the honor to appointed Master. soonsfter the lodge was opened a Gentleman by the name of Robinson who had come into possession of his papers( they having been left at Robinson’s cabin by your son) brought them to me as Master of the lodge deeming me the proper person to take charge of them he [Robinson not being a Mason. Upon examination I found no papers of any real value they consisting of a few old letters, most of which were from friends in Nevada and some from Miss Kate Duval. There was no clue to any relations in the letters and believing that the young lady would probably know his friends and that any rate she ought to have her letters returned I wrote to her and returned her her letters. There was some other person in Missouri to whom I wrote [a gentleman] whose name I have forgotten having found a letter from him to your son. Such is the history of the meloncholy event. I do not think your son left any property here except it might be some mines. I know that located some mines and have seen his name upon the records, but I supposed they have been “jumped” as the phrase is before this as he was not here to represent them and keep his title good Your son still lies where buried, The fact is that until the last few months things have been so unstable and uncertain that it was not deemed worth while to “raise his body for more decent interment” Now however we have a properly laid out Burial ground and a certainty that this country will remain inhabited and that this place be a town. Some 2 months ago we sent our dispensation for a lodge under which we had been working to the Grand lodge of California from which it emanated with petition for a charter, Which has been granted to us but has not yet arrived here. as soon as it does arrive I will move in this matter and I have no doubt but we will bring the body of our Brother and your son to this place and bury him with the honors due to a deceased Mason. The brethern here have frequently talked about it & it would have been done before this but for the reasons given above I believe I have stated all the facts in relation to his untimely and cruel death. It created a profound sensation here at the time as he was among the first victims of savage cruelty in this part of the country and it was one of the causes of the unrelenting hostility of the people of this part of the country to the Indians. and of the no quarter system that is pursued by all citizens. No quarter is given or asked on either side- it is war to the death whenever citizens & Indians meet Wm Jones was my friend and was so far as I know the friend of every other man in this region of country. I have seen many lip compressed & eye flash when his murder has been spoken of. I most cordially sympathize with you in your bereavement and with your sorrow I greet you as Mason greets Mason whether soever dispersed around the globe and subscribe myself Yours Fraternally J.T Alsap
Object Description
TITLE | Letter 7: Dr. J.T. Alsap to Porter Jones. Prescott, Arizona Territory |
CREATOR | Alsap, J.T. |
SUBJECT | Jones, William P.; Mining; |
Browse Topic |
Family and community Native Americans |
DESCRIPTION | Letter from Dr. J.T. Alsap to Porter Jones announcing the death of his son, William P. Jones. The letter describes Jones' death as being the result of an attack by local Native Americans. |
TYPE | Text |
Material Collection | William P. Jones Collection |
Acquisition Note | This material was donated to the Sharlot Hall Museum Archives by Joyce Sackett in 2010 |
RIGHTS MANAGEMENT | Permission to publish material from this collection should be addressed to Sharlot Hall Museum Archives. Email us at: research_request@sharlot.org |
DATE ORIGINAL | 1866-11-05 |
Time Period | 1860s (1860-1869) |
ORIGINAL FORMAT | Handwritten letter |
DIGITAL IDENTIFIER | index.cpd |
Date Digital | 2010-07 |
REPOSITORY | Sharlot Hall Museum Archives |
Full Text | TERRITORY OF ARIZONA Office of the Treasurer Prescott Nov 5 1866 Porter Jones Esq Dear Sir and Bro Your letter Sept 6 1866 came duly to this hand this day and I hasten to reply. I and your son Wm P Jones arrived in this country at nearly the same time in the fall of 1863 and as there few persons here I soon became acquainted with him quite intimately especially as we soon found we were brotheren. He was a very adventurous prospector and he with his comerades [named Joseph Lennon, John A, Boggs and Theodore Boggs]were travelling over the country nearly all the time. On the Indian troubles commencing your son in comnay with some eighty more among them myself enrolled himself under Col. |
Sort Order | 00700 |
Description
TITLE | Letter 7 Transcripts |
CREATOR | Transcribed by Joyce Sackett |
DIGITAL IDENTIFIER | Jones7.pdf |
Full Text | TERRITORY OF ARIZONA Office of the Treasurer Prescott Nov 5 1866 Porter Jones Esq Dear Sir and Bro Your letter Sept 6 1866 came duly to this hand this day and I hasten to reply. I and your son Wm P Jones arrived in this country at nearly the same time in the fall of 1863 and as there few persons here I soon became acquainted with him quite intimately especially as we soon found we were brotheren. He was a very adventurous prospector and he with his comerades [named Joseph Lennon, John A, Boggs and Theodore Boggs]were travelling over the country nearly all the time. On the Indian troubles commencing your son in comnay with some eighty more among them myself enrolled himself under Col. Woolsey to chastise the redskins and we made one expedition of 20 days together – This was in the monthof April ’64. In May Col. Woolsey issued another call for men to meet at his ranch on the first day of June 64 to go on another expedition. And over one hundred men met in response to the call among them was y our son, with his comerades. An arrangement was made by which yur son was not to go on the expedition and another oneof the Company [Theo Boggs] went with it. Your son was to stay and conduct the business of the Co. I went with expedition as I was the only Surgeon of the Country- I could not get off very well and the Company started on the first of June. Col Woolsey & myself did not start until the 2nd and overtook the party about thirty miles from the ranch. your son stayed all night of the first of June at the ranch the next day just before the Colonel and myself started- he started for his camp on the Big Bug Creek about six miles from the ranch. He never reached it when about 4 miles from the ranch he was attacked by a party of Indians numbering some 30 or 40. he being alone and was killed after having apparently made a desperate defence. The signs were that he had been ambushed by then and wounded at the first fire and thus rendered unable to escape although he had retreated a half mile or so from where he was first attacked. His body was found about two days after by a party who were out looking for him. He was shot full of arrows and his skull was fractured with rocks as is the barbarous custom of the savages The party who found him buried him at the spot where he was found as there was at that time no burial ground in this country. everything was of course carried off by the Indians. He had I understand some money with him at the time [which of course was lost] a mule &shotgun &pistol. None of these things were ever recovered. I did not hear of his death until some six weeks afterwards at Ft. Goodwin where we had come in for provisions. The expedition was out 87 days before returning. After we returned I learned the particulars I have written and soon after we obtained a dispensation from California and opened a lodge of F&A Masons at this place of which I had the honor to appointed Master. soonsfter the lodge was opened a Gentleman by the name of Robinson who had come into possession of his papers( they having been left at Robinson’s cabin by your son) brought them to me as Master of the lodge deeming me the proper person to take charge of them he [Robinson not being a Mason. Upon examination I found no papers of any real value they consisting of a few old letters, most of which were from friends in Nevada and some from Miss Kate Duval. There was no clue to any relations in the letters and believing that the young lady would probably know his friends and that any rate she ought to have her letters returned I wrote to her and returned her her letters. There was some other person in Missouri to whom I wrote [a gentleman] whose name I have forgotten having found a letter from him to your son. Such is the history of the meloncholy event. I do not think your son left any property here except it might be some mines. I know that located some mines and have seen his name upon the records, but I supposed they have been “jumped” as the phrase is before this as he was not here to represent them and keep his title good Your son still lies where buried, The fact is that until the last few months things have been so unstable and uncertain that it was not deemed worth while to “raise his body for more decent interment” Now however we have a properly laid out Burial ground and a certainty that this country will remain inhabited and that this place be a town. Some 2 months ago we sent our dispensation for a lodge under which we had been working to the Grand lodge of California from which it emanated with petition for a charter, Which has been granted to us but has not yet arrived here. as soon as it does arrive I will move in this matter and I have no doubt but we will bring the body of our Brother and your son to this place and bury him with the honors due to a deceased Mason. The brethern here have frequently talked about it & it would have been done before this but for the reasons given above I believe I have stated all the facts in relation to his untimely and cruel death. It created a profound sensation here at the time as he was among the first victims of savage cruelty in this part of the country and it was one of the causes of the unrelenting hostility of the people of this part of the country to the Indians. and of the no quarter system that is pursued by all citizens. No quarter is given or asked on either side- it is war to the death whenever citizens & Indians meet Wm Jones was my friend and was so far as I know the friend of every other man in this region of country. I have seen many lip compressed & eye flash when his murder has been spoken of. I most cordially sympathize with you in your bereavement and with your sorrow I greet you as Mason greets Mason whether soever dispersed around the globe and subscribe myself Yours Fraternally J.T Alsap |