Browsing Tag

nauvoo il

63 posts

    PORTER, Sanford: A Visionary Man

    The last night there came a Voice–clear, audible, and distinct, "There is a God, and He has known the desires of your heart this number of years. I will instruct you three times this night the way that is right- -that you need never again doubt, but shall be satisfied in your mind concerning God.”
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      HIGGINS, Nelson: Through it All

      Prior to leaving Nauvoo, Daniel Allen, Nelson Higgins, and Samuel Shepherd were called as a committee to sell properties belonging to the saints in the Bear Creek area. They were successful in collecting a good deal of money for the saints, but when they returned, the mobs had hit Nauvoo and the exodus had already begun (4). This is the first thread we find that ties the families of Nelson Higgins and Daniel Allen in their dedicated struggle for survival. Their relationship must have been a close one because Daniel’s daughter, Diantha, married Nelson’s son, Alfred. We know Daniel was one of the last three families to leave Nauvoo, so there is a good possibility that the other two wagons were those of Nelson & Samuel. Also, Daniel went to Manti to set up a tannery in 1854, and the two children were married in 1858, so their friendship must have lasted a lifetime.
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        ORR, Robert Ustain: A Short Biography

        Robert Orr was quite the character on the stage, taking mostly comedy roles. Adept at showing the humorous side of life, he was a good pantomime and had plenty of chances to use his talent. When they were able to have a stage curtain made, he was in charge of running the curtain up and down and kept the coal-oil lamps all clean and filled. The first play they put on was called "Ten Nights in a Bar Room", which Robert had a part. This play was a favorite for many years and they played it at the opening of each season. They also took their plays over to Camp Floyd, Eureka and Tooele.
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          YEARSLEY Sr., David Dutton: Giving His All

          The Yearsleys made their way through the bitter cold winter weather to Winter Quarters. The hardships were so extreme that some entire families were buried along the way. “Thus, from day to day, slowly and wearily traveling, went the exiled Saints across the undulating surface of snow-covered Iowa. The Roads were very bad, the weather cold and stormy, and the streams, now frozen, now swollen by spring freshets, almost and at times quite impassable. Again and again they were obliged to double teams on the heavily loaded wagons, to drag them through deep streams and miry marshes on their line of travel. Some days three or four miles would be the extent of their journey. Many a halt was made, at times for weeks (5).”
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            SMITH, Joseph Johnson

            How happy they must have been to be in “Joseph’s City”. But the happiness didn’t last long. Within three months after arriving in Nauvoo, little Mercy became ill and died. Joseph’s wife, Mary, grieved with Joseph, but within two months, she and Joseph became excited again because she was going to have another baby. But again, the excitement was blunted by death as Mary died a week after her baby son, Joseph, was born and baby Joseph died twelve days later. Joseph now was left with just three year-old Caroline. His parents and two sisters and three brothers were still with him in Nauvoo, but how hard it must have been to have sacrificed so much in such a short time.
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              PETERSON, Charles Sreeve

              Mr. Powell, tried to persuade him to give up his faith or otherwise he would have to surrender his work position. He flatly told him no, as to deny his knowledge that he had received would be the greater sin. In his words, “I knew it would be a great sacrifice to me to give up my employment and the comfortable home which I appreciated so much, but to give up the principles which I had received and which I knew to be true would be a far greater sacrifice, and of the two I would choose the lesser … no position, wealth or earthly honor could move me from my convictions and purposes at that time…”
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                MOLEN, Jesse: The Life and Struggles

                Upon arrival in Salt Lake City they had very little food or other provisions. They were required to subsist on plant roots to supplement the little other food they had. The next year they experienced the cricket infestation and lost most of their crop. The rigors of the struggle to travel west plus chills and other conditions had taken their toll on Jess’s health.
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                  HASKELL: George Niles

                  President Young told the men; "There would be no death from fighting befall you, if you keep the Lords Commandments. "There shall be no fighting except with wild beasts." The wild beasts turned out to be wild bulls of which there were several injuries and mules gored. The Battalion shot over twenty bulls before they quit charging the men, mules, and horses. George Niles Haskell enlisted at the age of 49. They journeyed on to Winter Quarters where he took his wife, one girl and a son and proceeded on to Kegs Creek, where he left them with friends and acquaintance. Malinda had married prior to this time. The men then left for Fort Leavenworth where they received their gear and proceeded toward Mexico. The family was to await the return of George Niles Haskell and the military pay from the Army was used to help to support them. President Young made arrangements with the Army and Govt. to remain here on Indian Land for the duration. George was Private #46 of Company B. Many of the Mormons traveled to the Missouri River with the enlisted men. He had enlisted for a year, 16 July 1846 to 16 July 1847.
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