Hysterical Journey To Historic Places

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OATMAN MASSACRE



Roys Oatman was a hard headed Dutchman. Once he set his mind to a task he would prefer to face calamity than to ever retreat. He was raised a Methodist in the Burnt Over District of New York State, but moved on to Ohio, and then Western Illinois where he fell in with the Mormons. Roys liked the teachings of Joseph Smith, but when Holy Joe was killed the church leadership broke into factions. Some followed Sidney Rigdon back to Pennsylvania, but most followed Brigham Young over to Iowa and onto Utah. Roys didn’t like either choice. He finally settled on James Colin Brewster as a spiritual leader. Brewster was only a child, but Holy Joe thought the lad had powers similar to his own. They had convinced each other that Brewster had come into possession of the Lost Book of Esdras and he was translating it although barely literate himself. At the time of his death Holy Joe was trying to find a way to exploit Brewster. When the upheaval in church leadership occurred Brewster reported that the Land of Zion was not in Utah at all. The Kingdom of Righteousness for the Mormons was in the lovely, fertile plains and valleys among lofty wooded peaks and clear streams at the confluence of the Gila and Colorado Rivers in Eastern California. Brewster sent his followers to set up a new Mormon Church in Yuma and that is where Roys Oatman was headed for when he said his final goodbyes to Illinois in 1850, and Roys was not a man to ever turn aside from a task. As the weary days drew on and on the journey west became more and more difficult for Roys and his family. By the time they reached Tucson they were destitute and their gaunt livestock could barely take another step. Most of the party that Roys was traveling with wisely decided to layover there to rest and recuperate before continuing on. The promised Kingdom of Righteousness was only about 250 miles further along. With God’s help surely they could make it that far. He was able to persuade a few of the party to make the attempt with him. All of them, except for Roys Oatman, fell out again at the Maricopa Settlements. They had reached the Gila River; all they had to do was follow it down on a good trail blazed five years earlier by the Mormon Battalion. They were nearly home. If the stock gave out they could make soup of the hooves and hides and carry their meager possessions on their backs that far. On the afternoon of February 18, 1851 Roys and his broken down destitute outfit pulled in to camp on a bluff overlooking the Gila River about 90 miles east of Yuma. Some Apaches found their camp and asked for some supper but Roys had nothing to spare. The Apaches took in what they saw, a starving family, two nearly dead oxen, and an empty wagon; and in an act of mercy clubbed them to death. The oldest son, Solomon survived his clubbing and walked back to Maricopa for help. The oldest daughters, Olive and Mary Ann, were taken captive and eventually sold to the Mohave. Olive adapted to her captivity well, but Mary Ann took sick and died. In 1857 Olive and her brother, Solomon, were reunited and lived long and productive lives, but they both left the Mormons. The photo shows the site where the Apaches mercifully ended Roys Oatman’s pitiful life. He may well have been the stupidest Mormon who ever lived.

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Photos

OATMAN MASSACRE
From Gila Bend go west on I-8 about 30 miles to Sentinel (Exit 87). Go north on Aqua Caliente Rd for 1.5 miles to Oatman Rd. Follow goog gravel road about 10 miles northward. Look for an unmarked left turn just beore Oatman Rd drops onto the floodplain. The site is about 1.5 miles further north. You should be in vehicle with a stout suspension and good clearance for the final leg.