2. Cowboy Days

When Hans' family settled in Ephraim, it was the same year of the great Utah cricket plagues. Food was scarce, so they lived off whatever they could find, barter for, or buy. As the oldest son, Hans was forced to work hard to help the family survive. There was little time for school, and Hans only recalls going to school during 2 winters where he was taught by two men, both of which, as he recalls, had only one arm.

Hans was baptized when he arrived in Ephraim, but little else is recorded on the subject of religion until he serves his mission. Undoubtedly his family was involved in the church, but there may not have been anything exceptional worth mentioning besides weekly attendance.

Hans was put to work right away helping to build the fort, plant and harvest food, and help with other necessities. For several summers he helped herd cattle and killed coyotes. He also learned how to swim and dive, a talent that would become very useful later. Because they were poor, for a while his clothing consisted of material from old tents and wagon covers, with wooden shoes.

For the benefit of the family, Ane married Mads Poulsen, a fellow immigrant who had lost his wife on the way to America. He had six children which increased their family size greatly, but also increased the amount of help available. Can you imagine living in a 12'x14' home with 11 people? Ane was good to his children and they considered her as their own mother. Several years later Mads would leave Ane to follow some RLDS "Josephite" missionaries to Missouri.

Because of the lack of food, Hans and his family soon moved to Provo where they were able to grow a little food. They also traded their best yoke of oxen for some corn to live off of. For several months they went without bread until they got a little wheat and Hans prepared it into flour and made some bread. With time, their situation got better, their vegetables and grain grew better each year.

In 1858, Johnson's army came into Utah to put down the "Mormon rebellion." The settlers in Salt Lake City were evacuated in preparation, and Hans helped to move them down to Fort Bridger. After the army moved to Camp Floyd, Hans worked hauling hay and straw to Camp Floyd and was paid quite well for his work. When the soldiers left in 1860-61, Hans was able to buy his first pair of leather boots and comfortable clothes, along with an army gun and sword.

Hans spent some time in 1862 working for the Overland Company, probably driving a team. In 1862, Hans was hired by Harvey Moyer to accompany him to the Salmon River. On the way, almost to the Bear River, they were met by Lot Smith who told them of a battle that had taken place between soldiers and some Indians. Hans went with Lot to see the battleground. As he rode, he counted 493 dead Indians along the river bank. This battle is know as the Bear River Massacre. Until recently, the number of Indians killed in this massacre was thought to be less than 400. With the evidence that Hans gives of 493 dead, the massacre seems to be much greater than previously thought. This massacre was the greatest single loss of Indian life in a single conflict in the history of the United States.

Hans then made his way to Bannack, Montana, and then drove teams and worked in Virginia City when gold was found there. During this gold rush, Hans records some interesting details about the types of people, the gold mining, and the vigilante governments that were set up. From his account it is obvious that Hans tried to distance himself from the "gamblers and miners", and was happy when law and order was established with the arrival of families, including women and children. When he returned to Goshen in November, with gifts for his family, some supplies for home, and a little gold dust, Moyer asked him to return to Virginia City with him, but he refused saying he had all the gold dust he needed for the time.

He records having many other experiences with Indians during his cowboy days, but there were too many for him to record. I wish he had gotten the chance to record them, but from his records it is obvious he not only had some conflicts, but was also friendly to some Indians and learned what he could from them.

I suppose Hans could have been a farmer or a blacksmith like his father, but the combination of hard circumstance and the work available made him into a cowboy. He formed associations with Indians and famous pioneers like Lot Smith and Porter Rockwell, he learned important skills like driving, riding, swimming and shooting. He witnessed history with the Bear River Massacre and the Virginia City gold rush. Yet his cowboy ways did not make him into a hard or greedy man. He could have returned to Virginia City to seek a fortune, but he understood the importance of family and the need help settle the land for church and community.