The whistling slug from the rifle of a bloodthirsty Ute missed its mark way back in '66 and as a result John H. Woodbury, a pioneer of ‘47 is now able to relate his personal experiences in early Indian uprisings in Utah.

Although the bullet missed Woodbury, his mule was not so fortunate and with the collapse of his steed Woodbury faced the necessity of running and running fast to "Keep his hair on."

His experiences of the early days were recalled to the mind of Mr. Woodbury as a result of the "Covered Wagon Days" celebration, to be held in Salt Lake July 24-26, which he will attend, together with several other pioneers of' 47, as a guest of honor.

It was during the Black Hawk that Mr. Woodbury escaped the deadly intent of a warring Ute.

"I told 'em I couldn't leave and I gave twenty-five dollars to help in fitting out some else. Then toward evening Henry Dunwoody and Thomas McClollan came around and wanted me to take my team and drive some of the men to camp."

About sixty of us went from the city, fifty as infantry and ten on horse back. When we got to a camp between Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons nobody wanted me to go back so I went on with them and we all camped at the head of Spanish Fork Canyon for nearly a month.

"The Indians had been driving off cattle and horses of the settlers and taking them up into the Strawberry. We camped along the Indian's tails and tried to head them off but after we had been there a month and hadn't seen any Redskins we got kind of careless.:"

"One day when all the fellows on horses were out and there was not many of us left in camp. George Lambert rushed in and said he had just seen a big New Foundland dog. We guessed it was an Indian in bear skin. A little later we saw some figures moving in the brush and when we shot at them they went off. We found moccasin tracks and I told'em them Be a wonder if we don't see Indians before night."

"Just as I started out to round up the horses. I heard a gun go off I was on a mule, and I spurred him up towards the cedars to see what the trouble was. A couple of the fellows staggered out in the open. The redskins had got'em. one of them shot the mule I was riding through the hung and nose, but he sure missed me."

They had better guns than we had and more of'‘em. We only had two long range rifles in the camp. I ran to get mine, and as I got into camp. I saw a buck lenin' over Brown's body, ready to scalp him I shot and he dropped his knife and ran for his horse. We found the knife after wards.

Captain Dewey sent two express riders to Mt. Pleasant for help. The Indians kept coming back, and we had trouble with them all day. They were part of Chief Taby's tribe. He was friendly and wouldn't have let his Indians attack us, if he'd been there, but he was away, and , is son-in-law, started'em out. They got away with most of our horses before they were through. Suppose they took the herd up to Fairview or some place near, and sold them, for we never saw any of ‘em again.

Mr. Woodbury still has the gun he used on that day. It is a springield muzzle loader rifle,. Made in 1855, with a forth inch barrel.

"T can shoot half a mile with it easily" he said. Mr. Woodbury also possesses a U. S. Sword that was made in 1865. John Haskell Woodbury was born Sep.11 1845, on the farm which his family had purchased from Joseph smith in Nauvoo. Ill. Besides his parents there were Catharine W. Eldredge, Catharine Rebecca and Thomas Williams Henry, Warren Haskell, Hobart Woodbury and arrived, with their one small son the valley of the Great Salt lake in Sep 1847

About the first thing I remember, was moving from the out of Fort to our cabin down on the lot between fifth and sixth South and first and second West. It was known as old Orchard square as my father planted the first nursery in the state there, "went to school down on the corner of West Temple and Fifth South. A man named Parker was the teacher. "Pegleg" Parker we boys called him. The sides of the room were covered with willows, and the top was bush like the bowery. We had logs with legs in ‘em for benches.

"We were playin' King's base one day down by the school house, and Miles Romney was chasin' me. I looked backed to see how close he was and pout my leg in a cedar post hole. They all fell over me. I was laughing until I tried to get up, and then the boys found I couldn't walk. They carried me home. My leg was broken at the hip. It took three men to get it back in place, and I lay in bed six week with a box built around it for a cast. It was such a novelty that all the kids in town came to see it, and they fetched me the measles, whooping cough and chicken pox.;he added ruefully.

"The Indians used to call me little "White Head". When I got all dressed up in my suit of buckskin with a rabbit skin cap. I though I looked petty find.

Mr. Woodbury has farmed most of his life. When he was a very young boy he was sent down to his father's farm near Murray to take care of stock, and later went to Weber and Dixie. He moved to Granger on the site of his present home in 18983.

His wife who died several years ago. Was Sarah a. Bray, and of his nine children, four are living. They are Cather W. Eldredge, William Henry, Warren Haskell and Harrison.

Jeremiah Woodbury, Sixth child and second son of John Woodbury and Mary Ward, was born in Leverett, Franklin Co., Mass., Mar. 9 1791.

As he grew to manhood, he received what was considered at the time a liberal education. During the few years of his mature life. He followed the profession of teaching, and so far as known, contemplated making that his life work.

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