Happy Halloween

What!? You think I'm crazy enough to blog on Halloween? I've got kids to escourt, candy to pass out and neighbors to meet. I'm out of here.

How do I verify a historical document?

[editor's note: this is continuation of my self education on historical research. If you would like to follow my entire process select Research from the labels on the left.]

I found a hitherto unused account of the Cane Creek Murders. How can I verify that what it says is true? My problem is that 1) it is a third hand, or more, account and 2) it is somewhat different from existing accounts, even to the point a naming names. And naming names is like acusing someone of murder, which may be fighting words down here in the south. So I want to be careful. My first step, I think, will be to verify the existence of the three or four people in the story. The witnesses were Rube Mathis, and Poole Talley. The source is Court Talley and the author Lesley Talley.

First stop is the Census (thanks Ardis). No luck in the 1880 Census and the 1890 is useless. So I looked in my favorite source: published genealogies. I do find a Ruben Mathis in the right place and of the right age. His mother's maiden name was Hinson (same as the leader of the mob) so it may be a plausible connection to the mob as indicated in the account. He did have one daughter and two granddaughters who married into the Talley family.
I also see a James Poole Talley in the right place and of the right age. And he is a grand uncle to a person named Court Tally who is also the right age to have been interviewed in 1974. Lesley's account said he was an "uncle", but I won't quible over minor differences. But with all the extensive published genealogy I don't see a connection from this Court Talley to Ruben Mathis. I see Court's parents and grandparents. I have not identified one set of great grandparents into which he might fit, but the lists of Ruben's children don't match. Ah, well, lack of proof does not disprove anything. Remembered genealogy is a funny thing. Recorded genealogy is iffy enough. But it does mean I have to look closer.

Oh and Lesley Talley? Though she would have been alive (attending college) when the books I have been using were published, she would have been young enough that it doesn't bother me she isn't in there. The Talley's are a big family in that part of Tennessee. Lesley never indicated how she was related to Court Talley, so it may be quite distant.

So what is my next step?

Random Research Find

Having just written that I am fortunate to live in Nashville because I have access to some materials about the Tennessee Mormon Massacre at Cane Creek not available elsewhere. On Tuesday I was waiting to use a computer at the Public Library and decided to browse the Tennessee Reference collection. I had earlier located an article in a Lewis County book that shed light about the fate of the Condor sisters. So I wanted to see what else there was. But instead of picking up another book on Lewis County I picked up a book on Hickman County which is just north of Lewis county. Flipping through the table of contents I saw "The Mormon Massacre". I thought perhaps this would quote the oft quoted WPA account used by most local history books. But, boy, was I wrong.

What I found was an account written in 1974 by Lesley Talley which compared the WPA account against the oral tradition passed down in her family. The oral tradition was gathered from a resident of Hickman County, Court Talley, who claimed his grandfather, Rube Mathis, was the member of the mob which let Elder Jones escape. He further claimed that his uncle, Poole Talley was a member the Cane Creek branch and witnessed the massacre from outside the Condor home. Court Talley's version of the massacre combines the oral traditions of these two men. Miss Talley then compares the motivations attributed to the mob by the author of the WPA to the motivations asserted by Mormon authors. She then claims the true motivations were the ones related to her by Court Talley, which were that "the tragedy was caused by jealousy and that the members of the mob were nothing more than roughnecks."

As you might guess, new material in such a polarized subject would need some kind of verification. Any suggestions on what I could try?

Cane Creek Murder Trial

I have decided that no trial occurred after the murders at Cane Creek. I have read conflicting stories about there being a trial or not being a trial. Some accounts appear to confuse the events with the Joseph Standing murder trial. They were at about the same time and in the same general area. The closest I can find was a note indicating that there was a grand jury which returned no indictment. I cannot even find confirmation of the list of the alleged perpetrators I found here. So I'm just going to accept that it probably didn't happen. I'll keep looking.


Part of my problem is that there is no definitive work on the matter. The most comprehensive treatment I have found has been an MBA dissertation by Patrick Mason, which looks at violence against religious outsiders in the south during the post civil war period. The other documents have been contemporary, or nearly so. B. H. Roberts wrote quite a bit. Marshall Wingfield wrote some good material. But none of the accounts comes close to the treatment other events in Mormon history. Being here in Nashville, just 80 miles from where it happened, I have access to some original documents I wouldn't have otherwise, so I've started collecting what I find into one place. Maybe I will find enough to justify publishing something.

Reading Manuscripts

Last night I sat down with my daughter and read a manuscript from 1844. It was a description of the Civil disctricts of Lewis County Tennessee. We marveled at the peculiar hand writing (the two slanted lines that were intended to be a capital M) and the use of words that my daughter never hears (i. e. thence). We had fun picking through the photo copy the manuscript library made for me.

I wanted to know where the people I found in the census actually lived, or at least close enough that I could get a feel for where they lived. Of course, it doesn't always go the way you want it. The map was nearly useless. The boundries were clear, but the was no point of reference. No cities, no rivers, nothing; Just the boundries. So we picked through the descriptions. In truth they were only a little better. "Follow along the old Wayne county line" only works if you knew where the old Wayne county line was. "Then along the road between Thomas' house and the widow's property." I'm sure they still live there.

But the process was fun. I spent an hour or so with my daughter working on a puzzle of sorts. And although I didn't come away with a closer understanding of where these people lived, I came away a little closer to the people who matter.

William Ervin Haley

While looking around for information on the Condor sisters that survived the Cane Creek Massacre, I found this article in Histories and Families: Lewis County, Tennessee.

William E. (Will) Haley was born to John and Nancy (Churchwell) Haley in the Trace Creek Community of Lewis County. John Haley (also known as “Doc”) was a self-taught, unlicensed “county” doctor and farmer. He devoted much of his personal time practicing “country” medicine in the local area. It was on one such late night that left him crippled for the remained of his life.

Will, Vicie, Linda, Annie and Johnny Haley

Will Haley married Vicie Jane Condor, of Mormon faith. They settled on the same farm where Will was born and raised. There they raised three children: Melinda (Lindie), Johnny and Mary Ann (Annie). After the death of John Haley, Will and Vicie took in Will’s mother to live with them. Also living in the same house was Vicie’s sister, Rachel. Will Haley believed in the family, and the fact that family stood by family. These women remained in that household until each of their deaths.

Six grandchildren resulted from the union of Will and Vicie Haley. Melinda married Ollie Barber and they had a son named Carroll. The only son, Johnny, died at age 18 without ever marrying. Mary Ann (Annie) married Val Tatum, and had five children: Clora, Dorothy, Mary Helen, Elsie and Ronald. Clora never married. Dorothy Married Ron Laxton, Mary Helen married Loyd Buie, Elsie married Clyde Webb and Ronald married Jewel Barber.

Will Haley was a life long member of Haley’s Chapel Methodist Church in the Trace Creek Community. An honest hard-working farmer and family man, Will Haley spent his entire life on the same farm where he was born and raised. He lived passed 90 years old and is buried in Dabbs Cemetery.

I have a little more which I’ll add in a future post. For now I’ll let this document stand as it is. Notice there is no indication of Vicie (born Lavicia) or Rachel being at the Cane Creek Massacre, nor is Vicie included in the statement that Will was a member of the Methodist Church.

From a research point of view, the book from which this excerpt came is a treasure. There are hundreds of short biographies maybe a third of them have pictures. I have so many names I want to look up. I'm not even sure where to start.

P.S. Sorry about the quality of the photo. The library did not have photo quality scanning capability. So this is a scan of a regular photocopy. My only other option is to bring some kind of scanner or camera in with me, and, well that not going to happen anytime soon.

State Archives

I spent my lunch hour, (hour and a half really. Don't tell my boss)at the Tennessee State Archives. Really I was quite surprized. I'm not sure what I expected. But it was basically a library without all the homeless people pretending to read the paper while really looking for a place to keep warm. (btw, I do not want to imply that I want to kick them out, just making an observation)

The big difference is that while the library near my office is a county service, and since I am not a county resident I can not join unless I pay a large annual fee. The Archives are a State service, for which I am fully entitled. The small difference is that the Archives do not allow you to check out books, but since most of the stuff I want can't be checked out anyway, that is no big deal.

I used my interest in Cane Creek and a jumping off point. I was asked by a commenter if I knew what happened to the two daughters who survived the massacre; Rachel and Lavicia Condor. Their brothers were killed and the parents moved the family to another county. Later they returned to Lewis county. Without going to the archives I have found some references to the two girls staying in Lewis county after the death of their father (1911) and mother (1916). Much of what I have found is like everything else you find on the internet; be thankful someone put it on there for you and then go verify it. This is what I hoped to do at the archives. So far, no luck. I ended up spending the time going through a vertical file on Cane Creek. The archive puts these together for subjects of common interest. The file is filled with newspaper clippings and photocopies of journal articles and the like. None of it helped me out for this particular topic, since it was all on the massacre itself, but there is much more at which to look.

I still have the census to look at; the Archives has a subscription to Ancestry. And unlike the Family History Library, the Archives are open when I can get there. Unfortunately the 1890 census, the one I want, was destroyed by fire. I still have to check to Social Security death index. And there are marriages to find. So much more to do.

Mormon Newspaper in NY Closed

In the September 29th 1857, Nashville Republican Banner is an article originally written in the New York Herald on September 24th.

The [M]ormon newspaper published in this city has suspended, after an existence of two years and seven months. A few days ago imperative orders were received from headquarters that all places of Mormon worship in this city be suspended, and the newspapers discontinued. The order was immediately complied with. The saints here are in a quandary, as no reason is given for this sudden movement, and were taken all aback. There were some fifteen Mormons connected with the paper, only one of whom is an American. During its existence they have been instrumental in forwarding some 3,800 persons to Deseret; many of them of the lowest class of European emigrants. The principle Mormon locality in this region is on Tom’s river, New Jersey. The Mormons connected with the printing here, and probably all, contemplate going to Utah next spring, it being now too late in the season to reach there. They were in hopes of arriving there in the spring, before the United States troops reached Deseret, as they supposed the troops would go into winter quarters. At first the Mormons here looked with little fear on the troops about to go to Utah, and only ridiculed them, thinking they would have no difficulty in throwing dust into their eyes. They don’t like the present commander, they are distrustful of him, and are down on Mr. Buchanan for appointing him. The newspaper here cost them $210 per week, and its stoppage was not for want of funds. They did their business with the Nassau Bank. Some three hundred missionaries have been sent to all parts of the world during the past two or three years, many of them on long missions and without a longer warning than a day or two. One of Brigham Young’s secretaries was ordered off in this way with but a night’s notice, and was compelled to leave his home and eight wives in the morning for a European mission, which may be prolonged until Brigham thinks fit to recall him. Individuals who are thought rather inquisitive are said to be frequently treated in this capital mode of getting rid of them for an indefinite period.

I have not yet found much about the details around this event. I think the paper was called "The Mormon" and was a weekly newspaper edited by John Taylor. I found the note about the attitude of the New York saints very interesting due to a story related about a great great grandfather of mine, which seems to say the same thing. As for the rest of the article, well, so much to say and so little time.

Descriptions of Early Salt Lake City

Quoted in the Republican Banner (Nashville, TN) on July 8th 1857 was an article by Frédéric Gaillardet who lived for a time in New York City writing articles on events in France for New York newspapers and on event s in the US for Paris newspapers. Originally written in French, the article was translated into English and reproduced in part. Below is an extract from the describing what we would know as Salt Lake City.

The colony chose a position extremely advantageous, upon the strait between the two lakes, and founded there the city of Deseret, a name which signifies “bee-hive” in the pretended “Reformed Egyptian” language. The aspect presented by this young city is very picturesque. It is divided into twenty quarters, each forming a separate inclosure (sic). The houses are built of adobe, or bricks dried in the sun, are only a single story, and are surrounded by gardens. The springs which descend from the mountains flow in little rivulets into the gardens and streets. The stores are numerous and elegant. The state house is 90 by 40 feet. The town is protected by a fortified inclosure (sic), and the number of inhabitants is about 30,000. The neighboring country is admirably cultivated, and returns with usury the products which are confided to it. The waterfall between the lakes is utilized for turning numerous mills.

Now I don’t know Salt Lake very well, but I see all kinds of errors in this article. Thoughts?

Expelled from the Creek Nation

From the Fort Smith Herald, quoted in the Nashville Daily Gazette on Aug 23 1857.

At a recent council of the chiefs and head men of the Creek nation a series of resolutions were unanimously adopted authorizing and commanding the National Light Horse, to find out and drive from the limits of the Creek community everything that [illegible] of Mormon

The illegible word ended in "-vored". Enough space was smudged for probably 2 letters. Any suggestions?

I had never heard of this particular event, though it doesn't surprise me that I had not. Anyone know any more about it?

Learning Newspaper Research

After a suggestion at Keepapitchinin that there was much work to be done looking in local papers for letters sent home from soldiers in Johnson's Army, I thought I might use this as an opportunity to learn how to do local newspaper research. Since I live in Nashville, and work very close to the archives, I can do this fairly easily. I'll post updates of what I find and where I have looked when I find nothing. I expect this will take some time.

On the first day of searching I found very little, but I did learn how to use the microfilm library (it has been a while), the newspaper index, and the very old microfilm reader. The librarian cautioned me to be careful since replacement parts were getting harder to find all the time.

After a few issues, I figured out where the "news" part of the paper is. Most of the rest is given over to advertisments products of indeterminate value. In the hour I spent I was able to go through all of July 1857. There are about half a dozen local papers covering the period.

This library also has several microfilms of original document collections. A few of them are from the 1857-1858 period and include letters to President James Buchanan from prominent local leaders. Since this war was big news at the time, I'm guessing "some" of them will bring it up. The only problem is there are so many. Again, I expect this will take some time.