Billy Fisher history by his son, Ray Fisher

Contributed By

William F. (Billy) Fisher-Pony Express Rider

By his son Ray H. Fisher, M.D. (1883-1952)

FAIRFIELD, Utah County-WANTED. Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over 18. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred.

This ad, in 1860, heralded the beginning of one of the most col¬orful chapters in western history: the Pony Express. From April 3, I860 to Oct. 24, 1861 riders thundered at breakneck speed between St. Joseph, M., and Sacramento, Calif., carrying the mail and bringing the news. The 2,000 miles were rough, tough and unre¬lenting.

My father, William Frederick Fisher was born in the County of Kent, England, of November 16, 1839, and came to Utah with his family in 1854. At age 20, he was one of the first Pony Express riders selected, along with his brothers, John, age 18.

When the Pony Express began in April, 1860, William (Billy) Fisher was hired to ride from the Ruby Valley Station to Egan Station. This was a 55-mile stretch in eastern Nevada which took him about five hours. On April 6, 1860, he carried the first delivery

of mail going east. He wrote the following: "I rode once a week each way, carrying the express matter until about the first of July, when Shoshone and Goshute Indians broke out on the war path, killing our brave riders, burning the stations and stealing the stock." He began his usual ride from Ruby Valley and on the route he found "several stations burned up ... and the animals stolen" and was forced to carry the mail all the way to Salt Lake City. "Robert's Creek was barricaded and prepared for trouble. I had ridden to Robert's Creek on account of the rider that should of gone west,

(See picture in photos: From Left to Right: Johnny Hancock, John Fisher, age 19, William F. (Billy) FIsher, age 21.)

being sick. As soon as the Dry Creek boys got rested and fed we started for Ruby Valley."

On the night of July 3, William F. Fisher and George W. ("Wash") Perkins set out eastward from Ruby Valley. They kept a sharp lookout and avoided those spots where an Indian ambush might be expected. At one of these points, however, there was no detour around the point of possible danger. Putting spurs to their horses they dashed through it. Indians were waiting for them, and before they reached safety a bullet went through Fisher's hat and an arrow lodged in Perkins' mochilla. Perkins remained at Simpson's Spring while Fisher rode on alone to Salt Lake City a distance of 300 miles, using six horses and two mules to alert the U.S. Cavalry. This was one of the six longest rides in Pony Express history.

After this. Fisher was transferred to the route from Salt Lake City west to Rush Valley, a distance of 75 miles. When riding this route, he earned the Presidential election return in November, I860. This was 75 miles in three hours and 45 minutes, using five horses. That's a 20-inile-an-hour average! The mail on this particular run was carried from St. Joseph to Sacramento in less than 8 days, the fastest time ever made by the Pony Express.

Fisher wrote of another difficult ride done in January 1861. "I was lost between Camp Floyd and Porter Rockwell's point of the mountain 'half way house', in a blizzard for 20 hours. Leaving Camp Floyd at 4 o'clock P.M. and arriving at Salt Lake City at noon the next day." He set out from Rush Valley and before he had gone a mile, a terrific snow storm howled down upon him. When he reached Camp Floyd the blizzard was so thick he had difficulty finding the station. The men there advised him to wait out the storm but his reply, "The mail must go through." Off into the storm he rode. Sometime later he almost collided with the lead team of Russell. Majors and Waddell wagon train bound for Camp Floyd, whose boss urged him to camp with them until the weather cleared. Declining the invitation, he rode on.

About a hour later he found himself lost among some cedar cov¬ered hills. After riding about for a time in an effort to gain his bear¬ings, he dismounted, turned the tail of his horse into the wind and sat down in the snow beside a cedar tree that partly shielded him from the storm. Soon he began to feel drowsy. Just as he was about to fall asleep a jack rabbit jumped upon his legs. This roused him enough that he realized his danger. Getting to his feet he stamped upon the snow and thrashed his arms about until he was fully awake and partly warmed. Climbing upon his horse he tied the bridle reins together, took a firm grip upon the saddle horn and gave the animal its "head". After an hour he found himself on the bank of the Jordan River and knew where he was. Following the stream he came to the town of Lehi whose people gave him food and hot drink.

When warmed and rested, he mounted his horse and again headed off for Salt Lake City, so he thought. At the end of a few hours he was halted by a deep ravine filled with snow. Now he real¬ized he was lost again. Fortunately he saw a light shining from the window of a ranch house across the ravine. Dismounting he left his horse where it was and wallowed through snow to the house. The kindly inhabitants took him in and one of the men got his horse. After being fed, rested and warmed he rode on to Rockwell's point of the mountain and got a fresh horse which took him on to Salt Lake City.

On October 21, 1861, the telegraph line was completed from Sacramento to Salt Lake City and his marked the close of the Pony Express which had served so faithfully for 18 months. There was no longer any use for the swift feet of the faithful horses as the dots and dashes of the telegraph were swifter still. So this glorious drama of the Old West came to an end.

On June 17, 1860, six weeks and eleven days after he made his first ride. Billy Fisher wrote the letter which follows to his sweet¬heart, Miss Millennium Van Etten, (should be Andrus) my mother. The two of them were married in Salt Lake City, January I, 1861. Three months later, before the Temple was completed, the ceremony was per¬formed in the Endowment House by Brigham Young. This devoted couple had eleven children and lived to celebrate their 55th wed¬ding anniversary. They made their home at Oxford, Idaho for 40 years. Father died September 30, 1919 and mother died three years later. Both of them are buried in Oxford cemetery in the shadow of Oxford Mountain that both of them so loved.

Ray H. Fisher, M.D.