Cache Valley Massacre

When the school officially opened in the fall of 1861, teacher George A. Davy had 70 pupils in attendance. For wages, Davy received from families various kinds of produce such as cloth, molasses, and meat. Later in 1863-64, William Woodward taught school for $10.00 a month in which he also collected payment from each pupil and family. During school students used slates and pencils from slate rock found in the mountains east of Franklin. Then each Saturday the straw was removed from the floor where fresh straw was placed for Sunday Services. However, whenever it rained the children would leave until it had stopped as the roof was not waterproof. Overall, these were the humble beginnings of the education system in Idaho. Besides education

The Shoshones attacked the miners as they crossed the Bear River in Richmond, Utah. During which attack one miner was killed, and many wagons and supplies were destroyed. Afterward Bishop Mariner W. Merrill of Richmond, Utah, sent a report of the events to Salt Lake City and the commander at Fort Douglas. Warrants for the arrest of chiefs Bear Hunter, Sagwitch, and others were issued and Colonel P. Edward Connor from Fort Douglas prepared for the expedition with his California Volunteers into Cache Valley. However, he had no intentions of taking any prisoners, and stated in his report to the War Department of his intentions, “being satisfied that they were part of the same band who had been murdering emigrants on the Overland Mail Route for the last 15 years, these being the principal actors and leaders in the horrid massacre of the past summer. I am determined, although the season was unfavorable to military expedition in consequence of cold weather and deep snow, to chastise them if

A line of men remained at intervals from the location of the battle to Franklin, in which they would be able to relay the news to the Franklin settlers should the Indians prevail in the battle. However, the cavalry crossed the Bear River with much difficulty due to freezing water and floating ice. After crossing, a skirmish line was formed, and the first attack commenced. After twenty minutes of fighting, the soldiers were repulsed three times and again resumed the attack. During the battle, William Hull of Franklin reported seeing that, “the scene was terrible when hand to hand fighting began. In the midst of the fight, we saw seven young bucks each take one of the soldiers horses, (the soldiers having been killed by the first volley) and galloped toward the