Utah's rich and diverse history is well-documented in Peter Gottfredson's classic "Indian Depredations in Utah." The book provides a firsthand account of the tragic Utah Black Hawk War, which took place from 1847 to 1872. This conflict is a significant chapter in the history of the American Frontier, illustrating the clash of cultures and the struggle for land and resources. Peter vividly describes Mormon colonialism and the devastation of Native American Tribes, particularly the Shoshone-Timpanogos of the Great Basin. Peter, who was a friend of Black Hawk and about the same age, was known by the Timpanogos as the "Sheep Captain" due to his occupation of herding sheep and his close association with the Timpanogos Tribe during the Indian war years in the 1860s. Gottfredson's book was first published in 1919 by Skelton Publishing Co. in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is considered a cornerstone in the annals of Utah's history, highlighting its historical importance.
At the tender age of eleven, Peter Gottfredson embarked on a life-altering journey with his parents and two siblings from Denmark to New York City. After a 65-day voyage on the John J. Boyd, they arrived on the shores of New York in 1855. Peter's grandmother had raised him on a remote farm in Denmark since he was six. The influence of his grandmother shaped Peter's formative years in Denmark and later by Mormon missionaries who converted his parents to a religion deeply influenced his perspective on life. See Peter Gottfredson's Autobiograpy
Peter famously wrote, "I have often queried, why should those conditions be forgotten, and why has so little interest been taken in keeping memoranda and records of events and conditions of those early and trying times?" Peter became a passionate journalist for the Richfield Advocate reporting the Black Hawk War. He was a storyteller, and author when he came to America. He was acutely aware of living in a historical time that genuinely motivated him to record his personal experiences for posterity. Peter compiled numerous firsthand accounts of Mormon colonization. From when he left his home in Denmark and throughout his life, he lived in a mercurial world fashioned from violence and danger. The human suffering he witnessed and the cruelty surrounding him were the crucibles that shaped him. It was his environment that defined him.
Peter Gottfredson Historian & Author 1836 - 1934
Peter spent several years in the 1860s living among the Shoshone Timpanogos Nation during the Utah Black Hawk War. He lived with his family in Mt. Pleasant, Utah, a place most frequented by the Timpanogos. He was a friend of their Black Hawk; they were about the same age and were camped nearby at the Black Hawk Mountain area near Fairview, Utah. The Timpanogos of the Great Basin were the ruling Tribe when Mormon colonists arrived in 1847. His days were filled with interacting with the children, helping the Tribe gather food, and herding sheep, which was his livelihood and earned him the nickname 'Sheep Captain '. See Hans & Peter
Merrill Gottfredson lived with his grandfather Peter for many years during his 
teens. Merrill said, "Grandpa Pete was invited into the camp of Chief Black Hawk on numerous occasions. Later in life, Peter became a Mormon bishop in Glendale, Utah, for twenty years. Still, he found himself in the company of Native people, the Koosharem Paiute, who had great respect for Peter. I can still see Peter get on his horse and ride off to get just one more story for his book." (Photo: Peter, with beard, is seen with the Koosharem.)
In 2002, historian Will Bagley wrote a review of Peter’s book published in the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper. Bagley described it as, “A product of its time, Indian Depredations is bitterly racist: the Utes and Paiutes are “skulking savages,” “murderous marauders,” “Mr. Redskin” and “the sleepless foe.” But the book reports any number of white depredations that would otherwise be unknown, and like the Iliad, the losers are often more courageous and noble than the victors, he said. See Tribune Article
Indeed, the stories Peter published in his book are racist, as Bagley points out. His book is a compilation of firsthand accounts of Mormon settlers who took part in settler colonialism—remembered today as the Utah Black Hawk War. It is a testament to Brigham Young’s "Extermination Order" and forced removal of the Timpanogos Nation from their ancestral homeland. The depletion of their natural resources resulted in widespread hunger, disease, violence, and senseless massacres. See Excerpts from Peter's book.
Out of respect for Peter and the Gottfredson family, I, Phillip B Gottfredson, must honor our ancestor's legacy and preserve the dignity of his work with this official first edition of Indian Depredations In Utah. It is an exact republication of Peter's book, which he gave to my father, Merrill Gottfredson, in 1919. It is the first of two printings of Peter's book by Skelton Publishing before they went out of business.
I hope you will support preserving Peter's time-honored work by purchasing the official republication of Peter Gottfredson's first edition. People find great value in this book; I think you will, too.
Reading Grandfather's book was like letting a genie out of a bottle for me and my late brother David. After that, we wanted to understand better what it was like for Peter to live among the Timpanogos people. It was like magic that led us on a serendipitous twenty-year journey into the world of Native Americans throughout North and South America, which forever changed our lives. Like Peter, eventually, I fell into the company of the Timpanogos Tribe of the Great Basin in Utah. Now I understand why my great-grandfather loved spending so much time with them.
In 2019, I wrote and published a companion book to Peter's titled My Journey To Understand Black Hawk's Mission of Peace. Mary Meyer, Chief Executive of the Timpanogos Nation and the Council, collaborated with me on the book to ensure accuracy. See Black Hawk's Mission of Peace
Folks you might like to read Peter’s autobiography; it is a fascinating account of Peter’s journey from Denmark to his days in Mt. Pleasant, Utah. Peter died in 1934. See Peter Gottfredson's Eulogy.
Thank you for letting me share with you; I hope you will enjoy reading Indian Depredations in Utah and Black Hawk's Mission of Peace. -Phillip B Gottfredson. See Phillip's Biography
Get your copy of Peter Gottfredson's Indian Depredations in Utah authorized original version on AMAZON and Abe Books
This old house in Springville, Utah was a log cabin that Peter built. His son Edward built around the cabin the structure we see today. This is actually where Peter wrote his book. Then in 1953 My parents purchased the house. I lived here for about 10 years when we moved to Provo. The home next door was my uncle Wilford Gottfredson's. My cousin Bob and I ran around togeather growing up. Also in the photo I and my awesome friend Gary Lee Price are having a fun day with his wife Leesa, we were touring around Springville.
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Phillip Gottfredson
2019