In Toone

During a tense 1852 wagon trek to Utah, English pioneer John Toone used his music to defuse a dangerous encounter with Native Americans in Wyoming. When a group of Sioux warriors surrounded his company, John defused the threat not with weapons, but by pulling out his cello.

The historical confirmation for this event comes directly from the journal of fellow traveler Thomas Condie, who wrote:

“Brother John Toone had a fiddle and the Saints sang. This so charmed the Indians that they departed in peace.”