Black Hawk Indian Incident

During the years of 1865-1867, Elijah Hancock was called to go to Gunnison, Utah (Sevier Co.) to fight the Indians and help build the fort (In later years, her received a pension from this war service). One man named Tunbridge was shot through his leg by the Indians. The bugle had been sounded to retreat and all had to run and did not notice that one man was wounded, but John Tanner and Elijah saw him and would not leave him to die. They stayed with him while the Indians were shooting all around them. Tunbridge was shot in the left leg and was bleeding very badly, so Elijah took his handkerchief and tied it around his leg. Elijah knew the "charm" of stopping blood so it soon stopped bleeding.

They tried several times before they could get the injured man on he mule. Every time they would get Tunbridge on the mule, it would jump from under him and try to throw him off. The Indians had stopped shooting at them, as they were laughing too hard. They could have easily killed all three of them. They finally succeeded getting Tunbridge on the mule. A short time after peace was declared, Elijah got his leg cut very severely and blood poison set in. He buried it in the mud and it drew the inflammation out, and by his faith, he was cured, as also at many other times when he was given up to die. One time he was working in the mountains and a black timber tarantula bit him. He was very sick, but his life was spared.

Taken from Elijah and Francis Hancock, by Spencer Palmer