[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] May 1st 1847 + This was an interesting day to the Hunters of the Camp of Israel. It was vary cold Ther stood at 30° with strong North wind. The Hunters put out & the camp started on the Journey. Before Breakfast [we] travled 6 miles & camped on the Prairie in sight of A Herd of Buffalo of 200 feeding on the Bluff to our right. Three ownly of the Hunters started out after them. They rode near them & left their Horses & cralled upon them to get a shot but they frightend the Herd & they run away.
A little previous to the main Herds being seen 3 Bulls were discoverd on the Bluff. O. P. Rockwell & two others went after them & wounded two but got neither of them.
We had not travled more than 2 miles before we discoverd Another large Herd of about 200 5 miles Ahead of us. The Hunters got together held a council & waited untill the Camp all came up. We were determined to get some of the Buffalo if possible.
We travled together untill we were within one mile of the Buffalo. We then made A Halt, & 15 Hunters started out.
Amasa Lyman & myself of the Twelve made two of the Number. We all travled together on to the Bluffs within A few rods of them & there divided out into companies. Br Grover & Luke Johnson went together into the Bluffs. O. P. Rockwell & Br Brown took the entire left & so we divided into companies on the right left & center.
I was in a company in the centre of the Herd & we all made A Charge upon them from the Bluffs & rushed on to the Plain. The Herd ran vary fast down the ruff Bluffs into the plain but when we came on to the Plain we soon came on to them each company singled out his game. We made choice of Cows generally. Then rushed up by the side of them & fired upon them with our Pistols such as Horse Pistols Rifle Pistols &c which are much better to carry than rifles as they are vary comberson in runing.
The first that we gave chase to was A Buffaloo Cow with her Calf. I rode by the side of her & fired two Balls from my Pistols into her. The other Brethren with me also fired into her untill we killed her. We cut her throat. I then run my Horse to the Assistance of another Party who had wounded one. That one was also soon dispatched.
I then saw O. P. Rockwell had 3 Bulls at bay on the Prairie. Br Pack & myself run our Horses to his assistance & Br Kimball came up at the same time. We surrounded them & commenced upon them. They bolted ahead. I put spirs to my horse & run in ahead of them. Was in about one rod of them they all Pitched at /me/ & gave me chase for fight & I had to be quick to get out of their way but soon cleared.
The two of them Broke for the Bluff. Br Brown Put for them. Rockwell Kimball Pack & myself stuck to the old Bull. I fired 2 Balls into him. Br Kimball one, Br Pack one & He fell dead. And we cut his throat & also shot a calf that was with him. The two that had left us that Brown was after was in the Bluffs more than a mile from us. Br Kimball & myself gave chase to them & as we got in about 20 rods of the Bluff we saw two come out & run for the main Herd. We gave chase for awhile but they were fresh & my Horse had run near 10 miles in the chase so we gave up the Persuit.
I returned to Br Brown in the Bluffs & found that one of the Bulls He Had given Chase to was near dead had lain down. But Br Brown Had no more Powder or Ball But Before I arived He Had got up & run into the Herd on the Bluff. So we all returned on our Chase ground to gather up the meat we had Killed. In all 3 Cows one Bull & 5 Calves making 11 in all.
Br Solomon Hancock went out in the morning onto the Bluffs to kill Buffalo on foot. He did not come in at night. We felt concerned about him. Early in the morning He came in Had Killed a 3 yer old Cow & watched it over night to keep the wolves from eating it & wolves came upon him. He shot one the rest run away.
This made 12 Buffalo in all that the Hunters Killed to day which we considered was doing vary well considering that we were nearly all strangers to that mode of Hunting. Is but vary few of us ever saw a wild Buffalo Before in our lives. We dressed our meat. Waggons came from camp to take it in.
A Part of this Chase was through one of the largest Prairie dog towns nearly ever seen. It was nearly ten miles long & 2 wide & full of Burrows nearly evry rod & great danger of a Horse steping into them & falling. There was no accident Happend at all to any one which was truly a blessing. My Horse stumbled once & came nigh falling but no harm done. This was the first Buffalo Hunt I ever took part in or saw.
We travled to day with the camp. 18 miles. We discoverd Indian fires on the south & west of us.
[source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
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