Elders assulted at Pine Bluff

Quoted in the Latter-day Saint Southern Star on September 9, 1899
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ELDERS ASSULTED
President J. Urban Allred wrote the following particulars relative to the raiding of the meeting at Pine Bluff, sixteen miles from Dover, Stewart county, Tenn.: "While holding the last of a series of meetings at Pine Bluff on Sunday night, we were disturbed several times by a mob throwing stones an eggs at the school house in which we were preaching. When [the] meeting closed the crowd dispersed. We expected to be assaulted, so Elders Stewart, Poole, Thurber and myself went with the largest crowd and Elders Hyrum Olsen and H. C. Pettey went in another direction. Our party escaped violence, but the other Elders were attacked with rocks from men in ambush. The rocks falling in the purpose for which they were thrown, one of the fiends fired a shot which hit little Mary Harden. The child was just 12 years of age, and her frantic screams on having the ball pierce her leg caused the would-be muderers to flee. As soon as the shot was fired all lights were extinguished, so had any more shooting taken place there would be nothing to determine the exact location of the Elders. Robert, the childs brother, was very much excited until he found that the wound was not fatal. The doctor thinks it necessary to remove the ball.
"Our meeting at the above named place was a most successful and pleasant one. We baptized one honest soul and left the majority of the people our friends, who say the dastardly, and disgraceful affair will be vindicated. A searching party with bloodhounds has been organized to search out the guilty party or parties. It is to be hoped that justice will be meted to those who attempted the lives of the Elders."

The Chattanooga Times had the following account:

MORMON MEETING RAIDED.
Dover, Tenn., Aug. 29,--(Special.)--While two Mormon Elders were holding services at Vinson's school house, fifteen miles below Dover, Sunday night, a raid was made upon the audience by unknown parties. Several rocks were thrown into the crowd. Pistols were fired, and one little girl was shot through the leg. The neighborhood is very much wrought up over the affair, and an effort to detect the guilty parties by aid of bloodhounds is being made.

The same paper of September 1 says:

SUICIDE THOUGH REMORSE.

Dover, Tenn., Aug. 31,--(Special.)--Baston Winson, a farmer of this county, committed suicide Monday night by shooting himself with a pistol and then cutting his own throat. Bloodhounds which were put on the track of the parties that broke up the Mormon meeting and shot a little girl Sunday night tracked up to Vinson's premises, Monday. No arrest was made, however, but Vinson was supposed to be one of the guilty parties. It seems from writing he left on a pillow case that he thought he had killed the little girl and then committed suicide to rid himself of remorse of conscience. The writing was to that effect, and stated that he shot at one of the Mormon Elders and did not intend to hurt anyone else.

Such instances as these impress one very forcibly with the peculiar manner in which the law of retribution works. Those who violate the laws of God must answer for the same, and the fact that men commit sins and are not overtaken in this life does not prove that they escape the hand of justice.
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[Editors note: Today Pine Bluff is a shadow of its former self. Some of the land was flooded when the Kentucky Dam was finished in 1944. The land that wasn't flooded - including the Vinson School where they met - was formed into the Land Beween the Lake National Recreation Area in 1964. The remaining residents were relocated over the next four years.]

First Convert Baptism in 63 years

Recently I was given a copy of this article. From the Deseret New 9 November 1949, it recounts the baptism of Horace Campbell Cooper Talley, who at the age of 73 decided he wanted to get baptised. By then the Hampshire Branch of the LDS Church had been organized in neighboring Maury County. Bud, as he was called by his friends and family, was the son of Bash and Eliza Talley who were members of the Cane Creek Branch in 1884. He was at home when the Massacre happened but he heard the shots. His mother, Eliza, was at the Conder house during the Massacre.

The article was written by Bruce E Belnap, a missionary serving in Lewis County at the time, and also a grandson of Hyrum Belnap, one of the early missionaries to Cane Creek. He says that Lewis county was closed to missionary work until 1947.

I have been trying to prove or disprove a claim made in more than one written history of the Massacre, that after 1884 no more baptisms had taken place in Lewis County until 1949; a claim made without documentation. Apparently the documentation is here. But I have been able to find a few baptisms in Lewis county prior to this; All of them with a post office address of Hohenwald. A few of them were children of the Carroll family (nieces and nephews of Malinda Conder), which I suppose you could put in their own classification. One was a 40 year old Michael Spears [my best guess at the name from the hand writing] on Apr 28, 1915. The Book of Baptisms for Middle Tennessee, from which I am working only covers up to 1920.

Of course, having a Hohenwald post office does not mean you lived on Cane Creek. The Carrolls did not live on Cane Creek. But it does mean the claim for there to be no baptisms in Lewis County for 65 years is a little to general. But perhaps that may be true if you qualified it for just Cane Creek. At least this article got the title right.

Gibbs and Berry Return: The legend lives on

If you have been reading this blog long you will know I have been trying to track down the source for the urban legend that the Cane Creek area was reopened to missionary work by a descendant of Elder Gibbs and a descendant of Elder Berry. Click here to see my other posts on this subject.

Recently I have been corresponding with the daughter of Elder Eugene Jens Gibbs. This Elder Gibbs served in the Southern States Mission from 1942 to 1944. I first found Elder Gibbs in a Deseret News Article dated 9/18/1943. The article has some errors, but the general idea is that there were several companionships made up of an Elder Gibbs and an Elder Berry: 1884, 1885, 1899, and 1943. I have also found evidence of Elders in 1906.

The 1884 one we know about. But actually Elders Gibbs and Berry were not companions. Not that it matters, but Gibbs and Jones were companions and Berry and Thompson were companions. Detail, details...

Shortly thereafter the brother of Elder Berry and the brother of Elder Gibbs are said to have served in the Southern States Mission. I have no dates or verification. This does not appear to be true. None of the surviving brothers of Gibbs or Berry served missions after 1884. But I do see William Henry Gibbs, who may be the first cousin of John H Gibbs who arrived in the Southern States Mission in October 1884. He stayed until 1887.

The early 1899 companionship, according to the article was supposed to be the son of Gibbs and the son of Berry. However, Elder Gibbs only son, John H Gibbs Jr., served his mission from 1905 to 1907. Elder Berry had two sons serve in the Southern States Mission. John William Berry and Jesse A. Berry both served from 1899 to 1900. John served in Southern Tennessee, and Jesse served in North Alabama. Neither of them served with the son of John H Gibbs. John William Berry did have a companion named William Henry Gibbs Jr. Since first writing about him I found he maybe a first cousin once removed to John H Gibbs. They worked together in Hamilton County just north of Chattanooga, Tennessee. They never went near Lewis County.

As I said before, Elder Gibbs only son served in the Southern States, but he served in Virginia (May 05 - Feb 06) and South Carolina (Mar 06 to Mar 07) with a short stay in the mission office in between. At the same time Elder George Berry served in the same mission. But this Elder Berry is from South Carolina, not southern Utah, and is no relation to the Elder Berry killed in 1884. I don't see that they ever served together.

And the 1943 companionship? Well, according to Eugene Gibbs daughter, her father told her that he along with a companion named Elder Berry (Alfred Oron Berry) were indeed called upon to open the Cane Creek area to missionary work and that the Mission President made a special trip to take them there. I do find Elder Berry in the Southern States Mission at the same time. So far I can document that he was serving in Florida. And Elder Gibbs was in the Southern States Mission too. He was serving in Mississippi and North Alabama. It isn't a perfect fit for the urban legend. This Elder Gibbs is a second cousin twice removed of John H Gibbs. And this Elder Berry is the great grand nephew of William S Berry. Both relatives, but not descendants. But did they re-open the area as Elder Gibbs daughter says? Maybe.

I have two problems I can't reconcile. In 1943, Cane Creek, Tennessee was not in the Southern States Mission; It was part of the East Central States Mission, and had been since 1928. I know that extra mission activity was not unheard of, I can think of a couple examples off the top of my head, but I would expect them to be better documented. Which brings me to my second problem. Why would such an event not have been chronicled in the Liahona: The Elders Journal? It would be like a BYU newspaper not writing that BYU had beaten U of U at football.

So these Elders had two mission presidents William P Whitaker, and Heber Meeks. Both have papers donated to manuscript libraries, Idaho State and BYU respectively. If one of them made the effort to take two of his missionaries out of the mission to open an area of historical significance, I would expect it to be in his journal. I am too far away to do this myself. Any takers? It may be a wild goose chase. It may have been a mission president from the East Central States Mission. It may have happened at the end of their mission as they were on their way home. It may not have happened until 1947 (see below), after the Liahona ceased publication.

[On a side note. Bruce E. Belnap, a missionary working in Lewis County in 1949, claimed that the area was closed to missionary work until 1947, and that in 1949 he witnessed the first baptism from Cane Creek since 1884. Bruce E Belnap was the grandson of Hyrum Belnap one of the early missionaries to Cane Creek. I'll have more on that in my next post.]

James Roskelley

I had given up. Elder Ross Kelley was nowhere to be found. Then just the other day I was referring back to an article in the Millennial Star. At the bottom of the article was the beginning of the next one. It read "Almost Another Martyrdom: Elder James Roskelley, of Smithfield, Shot and Wounded." Like a ton of bricks it hit me that I knew that name! I had recently posted about Elder Ross Kelly. But I was unable to locate him in all the other usual sources. Now I know why.

Armed with this new information I find him elsewhere. In the Deseret News, 27 Aug 1884, (quoted from the Logan Leader) is an article about the shooting of Elder James Roskelley. There is some understandable confusion with the Cane Creek Massacre. Other than that it matches the Millennial Star Article which it says is quoted the Utah Journal. (See below)

James Roskelley was born on 10 January 1865, in Smithfield Utah; the son of Samuel Roskelley and Rebecca Hendricks. Samuel was a Bishop, Recorder for the Logan Temple and later Patriarch for Smithfield. In an answer to a prayer Samuel once saw Nephite warriors guarding the temple against Federal agents intent of using temple records to prosecute polygamists. But that is another story.

James left on his mission in May 1884 and served in the East Tennessee Conference. Their headquarters was Lee Valley, Tennessee; a small rural community east and north of Knoxville.

On one occasion Elder Roskelley participated in the healing of the son of a prominent man. Colonel Green was well known, as was the condition of his son, who was very sick with typhoid fever. He had been delirious for a days. Knowing that the Elders preached healing of the sick, the family asked the Elders to administer to their son.

"They did so, the delirium was rebuked, and in five minutes the patient was asleep, the first rest he had had for three days and nights"

As you can guess this caused quite stir in the community. Many people would come to the Green home to talk with the Elders.

On the 8th of August 1884, while conversing with someone who had come to inquire about the church,

"they saw a negro walk along the road past the house. A moment after the negro had disappeared from their sight, they heard the sharp report of a pistol, and at the same instant Elder Roskelley felt a sharp pain in his left arm."

A doctor was called and Elder Roskelley was treated. The bullet had actually grazed him across the chest before it entered his left arm. Mr Green roused his neighbors to look for the shooter. He was soon found a brought before a magistrate.

"He plead in court that he was shooting at a tree, and that the wounding of Elder Roskelley was purely accidental. The magistrate placed no confidence in this story, which was too evidently a miserable subterfuge and bound the negro over to await the action of the grand jury at its next session"

Elder Roskelley expressed the desire to finish out his mission, and I expect he did. His wound was not life threatening, though it easily could have been. His story would have made bigger news of it had not been for what happened two days later at Cane Creek.

I have found nothing about the fate of the man accused of the shooting. Did he make it to a trial? Was he lynched? or released by someone who put him up to it? I have no idea.

After Elder Roskelley returned home he married Frances Annie Emery on 18 Sep 1890 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He served in the YMMIA Stake Presidency until November 1893. In 1905 was named as a deputy county assessor with a pay of $2.50 per day. Later that same year he appears to be involved in the Cache Commercial Club, an organization like a modern Chamber of Commerce (Interestingly enough, also on the club is John H. Gibbs, son of the Elder Gibbs shot at Cane Creek. The younger Gibbs would begin his mission to the Southern States in April 1905). In September 1910 Roskelley was considered for the position of Sheriff of Cache County. Then he disappears from public record so I'm guessing he didn't win.

He and his wife would have 14 children before he died on 8 May 1919 in Smithfield, Utah at the age of 54.

William Alma Young

William was born 28 Aug 1805 near Springfield, Robertson County, Tennessee, son of Jacob & Mary Boren Young. His mother divorced her husband and moved away from Tennessee. But later she would remarry and move back to Tennessee (Gibson County). There William would marry Leah Holland Smith on 11 Nov 1826. In 1841, while several members of the family were gathered together, they were taught by Elder John McIntosh and Elder Timmons. William and others his family joined the Mormon Church.

William and his brother Alfred "were so excited about their new religion that they traveled back to middle Tennessee to find their natural father Jacob Young and his family, with the intention of converting them also. In connection with others, they were involved in preaching the gospel of the Mormon church to relatives, friends and other people in Tennessee until about 60 had joined. During this time, they were impressed with the power of the new priesthood they possessed, and became more convinced than ever that the principles of the church were true."

In Utah, William was a private in Company I in John D. Lee's 4th battalion in the Iron Military District; As such he has been identified as one of the shooters at the Massacre at Mountain Meadows. He ultimately testified at Lee's trial.

He died 2 Sep 1875 in Washington City, Washington Co Utah and buried in the old section of the Washington City cemetery 3 Sep 1875. He was one of the first settlers in Washington City, Utah.

Elder Gibbs meets Parsons Vandever & Henson

The following passage is quoted from an undate entry in Elder Gibbs journal. The entry is on page 26 of the first volume. This journal entry and an interview with John Westbrook in the Deseret News, are the only two sources for claiming David Hinson was a Minister. Both claims are quite weak. The Westbrook interview I'll quote later. This one you can judge for yourself. Note that there were at least two unrelated Hinson families in the area, both were large.

Dialogue between a Mormon
Preached and two Reverand Divines
named respectively Vandever & Henson
of the Baptist and Methodist faith.
At Hohenwald I was riding through
the Main street in Company with Elder
Jones and came up to these Ministers,
the following ensued dialogue passed,
Mormon. Howdy Mr. Vandever?
Baptist. I have no howdy for you.
Mr. Are you well Mr. Vandever?
Bap. None of your business- you can go
right along that road Mr Gibbs, I have
no use for you, and dont want you
around.
Mor. What have I done Mr. Vandever?
Bap. Nothing- but-but-I dont want you
around my premises. I have bought
and paid for this place and it is my
own and I dont want you here.
Mor Have I ever disputed your right and
title to these premises Mr. Vandever?
Bap. No- but- but- they are mine &
I dont want you on them
Mor. Wheren have I offended or done
you any wrong?
Bap. No where mor at any time but
I have no use for you. so you
can go right along the road.
Mor. Guess we have a right away
to the road. Mr. Vandever?
Have I ever offended you in any
way, or done you any harm?
Bap. No but your presence annoys me,
Mor. Oh! well M: Vandever if my
presence is odious to you why I
will leave. good day Mr. Vandever
good day Mr. Hensen.
Bap. & Methodist was silent.
[23] I omitted the part of the methodist
After speaking to the Baptist Minister
& recd. no reply. I turned to Mr.Henson
the Methodist minister and said to him
" How do you do? But recd no answer
Here is an instance where two representatives
of righteousness collueagued against a poor
mormon for telling them their errors.

I see nothing to indicate this Rev Henson is the same as the David Hinson who was killed at the Cane Creek Massacre.

History of the Cane Creek Branch from 1879-1883

Missionaries first showed up in Cane Creek, Lewis county in 1879. Elder Martin Garn and Joseph Argyle met Isaac "Thomas" Garrett during a visit he made to Shady Grove. Impressed with what he heard, Tom invited the elders to visit him on Cane Creek. The Elders agreed to visit.

As promised the missionaries, Elders Garn, Argyle, and later Edward Stevenson, made their way to Lewis county. They met with Tom, but he never joined the Mormon Church; no reason is given. Regardless, he became a committed friend of church in Cane Creek. And a few of his friends and neighbors joined. So far I have identified Elisha and Barbara Talley, W. James Condor, Buwell Blanton and John Lancaster and his sister Rachel Lancaster who were baptized in 1879.

A few more were baptized in 1880 and some more in 1881. Late in 1880, Tom's daughter, Lizzie Garrett told one missionary she would get baptized when her school was out of session. She was a school teacher. I have no record of her actually getting baptized , but I did find an unnamed young woman's baptism at Cane Creek in early May 1884 told in a newspaper article. She was described as being so intelligent and well respected that news of her planned baptism brought crowds to see if she would actually go through with it. She was further identified as being the daughter of a man very friendly to the church who never joined because he was "inclined to infidelity."

Other Mormon missionaries taught and baptized on Cane Creek. Franklin Spencer, George Carver, Hyrum Belnap and Lorenzo Hunsaker just to name a few. Hyrum Belnap wrote much about his mission to Middle Tennessee. Some missionaries later became leaders in the Church. Edward Stevenson, and B. H. Roberts both served in the Presidency of the Seventy (J. Golden Kimball was as well, but he never served at Cane Creek).

According to B. H. Roberts, by the time Elder John H Gibbs arrived, a branch of about 31 members had been formed at Cane Creek. I have identified 17 of them, from journals and letters. There were several (9 at least) children in families where the parents had been baptized but for whom I have no record of the childrens' baptism. For some reason, many of the baptism records for the period have been lost.

We do have some written records. Starting around 1901, a book was kept with baptisms for the Middle Tennessee Conference. It is handwritten and many of the names have been crossed out making it even harder to read. An attempt was made to go back and record earlier baptisms as well. Most of the baptisms prior to 1901 are in the same handwriting and appear to have been added at the same time. Unfortunately only some of the baptisms I have identified from other sources are in the book; most are not. I have a few theories, but I'll get into that later.

Jeremy Ricketts claimed that many of the members of the Cane Creek Branch had joined the church somewhere else and had moved there. I'm still looking for industries or another source of employment that would have drawn members from elsewhere. The only one I have found was a couple of short lived iron foundries that might have started prior to 1884. But in truth, I have not yet found people listed in the journals and letters who were not baptized in the area.

An Affidavit about Robert Edge

The following was dictated and signed by two of the men who had been taught by Robert Edge.
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Lexington, Henderson Co., Tenn.
June 15. 1890

Historical sketch of how we became acquainted with the doctrine of Christ.

In May 1878, a man by the name of Robert Edge came in this neighborhood, preaching the gospel after the apostolic order.

He delivered a series of sermons on the principles of the gospel and the apostacy (sic) of the primitive church, dwelling at length upon the apostolic order with the exception of baptism for the remission of sins, informing us that it was figurative and would be revealed in due time, proving by the Holy Bible, without a doubt, that the Roman Catholic Church is the mother of harlots, and that the churches of modern Christianity are daughters and granddaughters of her, and that they are officiating in a deluded and false priesthood. Also all the secret combinations and institutions of men, and masonry as now practiced by modernites (sic) are all false counterfeits and an abomination in the sight of the Lord. Then called on all to come out of Babylon who were willing to forsake man made institutions and follow Christ, and assist in rolling forth the purposes of God, and prepare for the great Millennium, which will soon be ushered in. Then will Christ reign personally upon the earth.

He organized us into a body or church after the primitive apostolic order by the laying on of hands and blessing us. He admonished us to be faithful and pray to God always and that the Lord would reveal many great and important things that we should understand.

He requested us to fast three days in succession, after which he administered the Lord’s supper, informing us that we were not the only ones, but that there were many more in the United States. He evaded giving any more information, only if persecution caused us to leave we should go West.

Many remarkable cases of healing occurred under his administration.

The people of the world called him a Mormon priest, which he neither sanctioned nor denied.

Our little band suffered exceedingly from persecution and the scandal of the world for eighteen months, when we noticed an account of an interview between Pres. John Taylor and a U. S. official on the martyrdom of Joseph Smith. We then wrote to Beckholt, of Salt Lake City, for information, who answered promptly and sent us the “Voice of Warning” and a list of Church works, also advised us to correspond with John Morgan at Rome, Georgia, who afterward informed us that there was a branch of the Church in Lewis County, and advised us to visit it. We did so and met Franklin Spencer and Hyrum Belnap. Conversing with them for some time we were convinced that they were the servants of the Lord. We were then baptized and returned home rejoicing that we had thus far followed the promptings of the spirit of God.

On the 21st, Elders Hyrum Belnap and George H. Carver came to this neighborhood and baptized seventeen souls and organized a branch of the Church, consisting of nineteen members.

Let all honor be given to our Father in Heaven for thus leading us into the right way.

Truly,

James Henderson Scott

Sireneous Reed
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This was quoted by Hyrum Belnap. I have yet to find the original.

Hugh Kirk Plummer

This is another in a series on alleged vigilantes at the Cane Creek Massacre]

Having gone through the list of known vigilantes, I get to the first person for which the evidence of his participation is less reliable. From here on I run the danger of accusing someone of participating that had no real involvement. And yet to have been involved would not have held the same stigma in 1884 that it does today. Often these were "prominent men." And if there were any of the alleged vigilantes who were considered a pillar of the community it was Dr. Hugh Kirk Plummer. He was well respected, well educated, and well known. As a doctor, he frequently travelled around Lewis, Hickman and Perry counties to tend to the sick. If he were typical, he was paid very little for his services.

He was born in the Palestine community, Lewis County, January 20 1844.

During the Civil War, Hugh enlisted in the Confederate Army as a private in Company H, 19th (Biffle’s) Brigade, Tennessee Cavalry. His name is on the roll of Company E, same regiment, at the surrender of command by General Richard Taylor of Citronella, AL, May 10,1865.

Hugh married Mary Narcissus in Palestine, Lewis County, TN on Sept 25, 1866. He received his M.D. in 1867 from the University of Tennessee when it was still in Nashville. He practiced medicine in Lewis, Hickman, and Perry counties and before the birth of his last daughter moved his family to Linden TN.

The family attended the Methodist Church and Hugh was a member of several Masonic Lodges. He was also a member of the State Legislature from 1881 to 1883, representing Lewis, Hickman and Perry counties. He died in Linden TN on August 15, 1898. (Lewis County est 1843)

Several sources name him as being in the mob that came to the Condor home on August 10th, 1884.

Hyrun Belnap recorded in his autobiography the contents of a letter from John Garrett. The letter listed 12 names as being men in the mob. Dr Plummer is on the list, though in 1914, when the letter was written Dr Plummer was already dead.

Willard Washington Bean, recorded an interview in 1895 with John Anthony who had lived on Cane Creek near the Condor farm.

"The Condor boys decided to defend the Mormons and one of them grabbed a gun from over the door, but before he got a chance to use it, Doc Plummer, who seemed to be one of the leaders; shot him down."

John Anthony's testimony should be viewed with skepticism. He also claimed that the mob showed up in "white cap uniform." Of course, this was incorrect. The mob at Cane Creek wore colorful outlandish costumes, not the "white" that has become the well know image it is today. This error makes me seriously doubt John Anthony had first hand knowledge of the massacre, though not necessarily doubt his claim that "Doc Plummer" participated.

Another person Bean interviewed, identified only as Bill and who admitted he was not living in Lewis County when the massacre occurred, related the following:

"One of the Condor boys asked them what they meant by comin here with guns and reached for his rifle over the door, and while one of the mobbers wus grapplin with him for the gun, Doc Plummer shot the boy down. This was the match that touched off the powder."

It is hard to believe Bill's account since it was at best second hand, and quite possibly more distant than that. But we can certainly say he heard about Doctor Plummer's alleged participation and that it was considered common knowledge.

Miles L. Jones reported in 1934 that based on interviews with Ruben Mathis and Andrew Jackson Talley the following about the doctor.

"Someone was asked to go for a doctor, which they did, as he lived just a few miles from there; when they arrived at his house he had just unsaddled his horse that showed signs of having been recently ridden, and the doctor had not yet removed all of his disguise, and it was plainly evident that he was one of the mob. He responded, however, and pretended to give proper assistance to Sister Conder. He set her limb, but it afterwards developed that the leg was not properly set, and the bones were lapped an inch or so, and consequently she was crippled the rest of her life; she did, however, get able to walk around, and lived for nearly 32 years after the occurrence."

Dr. Plummer's name is never used in this version, but it is not unreasonable to assume about whom this story referred. There were a small number of physicians in rural Lewis County. And fewer who lived near the Condor home.

Using Jeremy Ricketts characterization of the typical vigilante, Dr Plummer fits the profile. He was a prominent member of the community who feels an obligation to the safety of the community. Of the all the members of the mob, he is the most likely to be motivated purely by the perceived danger presented by the Mormons missionaries rumored salacious intentions. The only surprise is that he easily believed the scurrilous stories for which there was no evidence.

Lindsey "Babe" Hinson

[This is a continuation of my series on the vigilantes at the Cane Creek massacre.]

Lindsey Hinson was the brother of David Hinson who was killed at the massacre. Known as "Babe", he has been identified as one of the vigilantes in several sources.

Babe was born in Tennessee in around 1850 to George "Grey George" Hinson and Nancy. His wife was called Jane or sometimes Sarah J. Though I have no marriage date or her maiden name.

In Frank Smith's history of Maury County, there is an undated account by William Hill McCaleb. In it William claimed that after David Hinson was killed...

"All the Hinson crowd ran except Babe Hinson, brother of Dave. It is said that it was Babe who remained. He killed the two Condor boys, the two Mormon
elders, and wounded Mrs John Carroll in the thigh. Mrs Carroll got well. None of the crowd disguised. Nobody wounded in the crowd except Dave, who was killed.
... Babe Hinson was unhurt, now living on Beaver Dam Creek."

When compared to other stories, this one seems to put Babe in the center of the action, they way you would expect it if Babe was the one telling the story. Babe is a hero and David Hinson's death caused Babe to exact his revenge by killing the two Elders, the two Condor boys and wounding their mother. But there are some critical errors that make the story harder to accept. Mrs John Carroll was not the one who was shot, rather it was John Carroll's sister, Malinda Carroll Condor. And several witnesses note the disguises. There are several other problems in portions not quoted here. So we are certainly not dealing with someone with first hand knowledge.

In 1895, Willard Washington Bean interviewed a man known only as "Bill." He considered Babe Hinson as still quite dangerous.

"But I reckon the Mormons and the folks around here have parted company, and it wouldn't be healthy for 'em to come back so long as Babe and Bill Hinson are around here. They seldom go anyplace without their guns. Babe wouldn't even go to the depot without strappin his gun on."

"Bill" certainly paints a picture of a dangerous man.

Babe is also included in Hyrum Belnap's autobiography. Probably recorded in 1914, it claims that John Garrett sent him a letter listing twelve men and claiming they were the ones who killed Elders Gibbs and Berry.

Jack Wells

[This is a continuation of my series on the vigilantes at the Cane Creek Massacre.]

During his visit to Cane Creek in 1895, Willard Washington Bean met with a man who claimed to be in the mob at the Condor home. His name was Jack Wells. He met Elder Bean while he was being shown around by his guide, Mr. Simpson. Bean wrote down Wells testimony in his journal later that night.

"Well to be candid with you Simpson, I believe the whole thing was a big mistake. I believe that damn newspaper article started the whole thing. Some fellers from the villiage rode up the creek here letting all read it as could read, and them that couldn't read, they read for them, and got us all excited. Yes I was there and saw all that happened. But me and some of the others, were only in favor of whipping them and giving them a good scare, but when they began to shoot I thought pretty fast, and realized I had made a big mistake; but I had nothing to do with the killin. I didn't even draw my gun. I dodged bullets until I saw a chance to get outside. No sir, I never approved of the killin. I saw Babe Hinson shot down in the yard, and some of us started to beat it, but one of the Hinson boys leveled his gun at us and said - 'come back here you damn cowards and help me take care of this man or you'll get it too.'

I went down,with others, next morning to view the scene of the trouble, and I tell you it was a sorrowful lookin sight. I felt like I would like to help clean up the mess. I have regretted ever since that I had anything to do with it. Blood was spattered over the floor and out in the yard. Nobody would live there after that, and as so many curious came to view the place, that some body set it afire and burned it up; it is rumored that one of the Hinson boys burned it up."

We could easily take Mr Wells at his word. It is not an easy thing to confess to being part of murder. But we do need to sort through his testimony carefully.

First off all, there is an obvious problem with his claim that he saw Babe Hinson shot down in the yard." Of course, it was David Hinson who was shot down. He was the only one of the mob who was killed, and no one in the mob was injured. But the problem has a couple explanations. It could be simply a problem with the transcription. Bean wrote down Mr Wells testimony several hours after it occurred. It would be remarkable that Bean got all of this long quote correct. Another possibility is that Mr. Wells simply misspoke. Oral interviews are a funny thing and people make obvious errors all the time. Another possibility is that Jack Wells was not really there and was ignorant of this particular detail. I find this unlikely, as at least Simpson acknowledged that Wells "probably [knew] more about this affair than" he did. Add to this the fact that Babe Hinson was still living in the area and was well known. It is unlikely that Mr. Wells did not know Babe Hinson.

Second, Mr Wells testimony places him in the house at the time of the shooting, leaving the house as soon as the shooting starts and outside when David Hinson was shot. He is on hand when another of the mob, one of the Hinson brothers, threatens to shoot someone if they don't help move the dying David Hinson. Such specifics make him one of the three or four vigilantes who actually went in the house; a unique and important posiion.

We don't find much more about Jack Wells. We do find a John (Jack) Wells born in 1864 very near the site of the Massacre, still living with his father on the 1880 census. And there are notes indicating he had died by 1945.

Visit to Lewis County

I spent the afternoon visiting the area around Cane Creek Lewis County the other day, site of the Cane Creek Massacre. To be honest I didn't really know what to expect. I have seen photos; some recent and some not. I have heard descriptions by missionaries writing from 100 years ago. I have talked with those who had been there and seen the site of the massacre. Regardless I was unprepared for how it would affect me.

The geography was really very similar to that of where I live now. The high lands are surprisingly level; plenty of space for farms on gentle undulating hills. And there are wide valleys cut by creeks such as the one cut by the East Fork of Cane Creek. I had imagined mountain hollows like I had seen in eastern Tennessee, where there is little room for farming. Consequently, I was having a hard time figuring out where Brother Condor's 300 acre farm was going to be. But after seeing the wide valley, I could tell quickly there was plenty of room in the Cane Creek valley itself.

Our first stop was the Lewis County Library. I had talked with several people who had been there and one or two who lived there once. But I knew nobody well enough to drop in and say "Hi." So I introduced myself to the librarian and explained what I was doing. Anyone who has been reading here long knows my secret fear when it comes to libraries. This time was no different. But there was more to my anxiety this time.

Leonard Nimoy once said he didn't want to be known for his part in Star Trek. He would rather have been a poet. Of course, now he cannot undo the past. I think it is something like this with Lewis County. Several histories I have read about the county never bring up the massacre. There are several things for which they wish to be known. The Mormon Massacre is not one of them.

At the library I was directed to a history room. It is a small library; perhaps 1200-1500 square feet. [It is bigger than the library in my city.] But a 300 sq ft room has been set aside just for county history. The room is well appointed with a large expensive table and a wall of historic books, most of which are genealogy. I was shown two books in particular. One by William Whitridge Hatch, who has done a considerable amount of research of how Mormons and others were mistreated in the Southern States. He has written at least 4 books on the subject, each containing a chapter on the Cane Creek Massacre. This book had an inscription to the director of the library, and the people of Lewis County, thanking her for her assistance. The other book was a generic history of Lewis County with a chapter on the Massacre. The former I had not seen before and asked for a photocopy. The latter I already had. As the librarian made the copy I scanned the rest of the collection. I saw a few other books which I knew contained other details about the massacre, but I decided not to point them out to the librarian.

As I left, the librarian gave the names of a couple of other historians currently working on the Massacre. As I had not seen their work before I was grateful for this find most of all. Lastly she gave me the name of the current owner of the land on which the massacre occurred. I'm hoping to write a letter asking permission for a visit.

I left the library and took my kids to the park down the street. They had been very good in the car and in the library waiting for me. The park was a mixture of new and old playground equipment. The new stuff was similar to what you will find in most suburban playgrounds. The old was unique and imaginative, albeit showing its age. My boys preferred the old to the new. I guess they take a little after me.

We left the center of town for Cane Creek, about 4 miles north on Tennessee Route 48. I had heard the land where the Condor farm once stood, as well as the Condor Cemetery, is on private property and not open for visitors. So I didn't really expect to see the site. But I wanted my own photo of the historic marker and a photo of the Creek itself. I have included them here.

The marker is at the intersection of Cane Creek Road and TN route 48. It is on the south corner, facing northeast so it would be easy to miss if you were coming from Hohenwald. An older Mormon resident of Nashville told me the sign had been knocked down several times and had to be frequently replaced. Of course, I have no evidence of the sign being mistreated. I'll have to add that to my list of legends needing verification.

Afterwards we drove by the only remaining grave in Tennessee I could visit: The grave of David Hinson. The Hinson Cemetery is near the intersection of Arnold Road and Brushy Road, a few miles north in Hickman County.

The cemetery is small with about 2 dozen graves and I couldn't shake the feeling I was trespassing. A chain link fence separated it from the neighboring farm, and it had its own entrance from the road. David Hinson's grave is on the far side. His wife is there on the same marker, though she died some years later. Also there are his parents' and one of his children with his wife. The marker itself looks quite modern, compared to the other 19th century grave stones. It was adorned with a tattered confederate battle flag and some fabric flowers. I was touched by the devotion of ancestors who after 125 years still attend his grave.

We were there about 5 minutes. After we got back in the car and started to drive away we were set upon by two dogs who intentions, I'm guessing, were not friendly. One even ran into the side of the car. We drove quickly back the way we came. The dogs only chased the car a few hundred feet. They did nothing to alleviate my anxiety.

After a visit to the Meriwether Lewis National Monument, (Lewis County is named for him. He died there in 1809 under suspicious circumstances) we drove home. I come away a little sobered by the anxiety I felt, real or imagined, during my visit. I'll go back, hopefully soon. But next time I'll know what to expect.

Elder Gibbs Monument in Utah

[Editors note: Thes photos were sent to me with the attached description by a descendant of Elder John H. Gibbs; the same Elder Gibbs who died in the Cane Creek Massacre. The monument was dedicated on May 23 1896 in the Logan Tabernacle. "It was later moved to Paradise and placed over the grave." (see Welsh Mormon History) An inscription for his wife was added sometime after her death in 1927, along with her remains. ]

John’s headstone a “Memorial Monument” in the 1941 photo it seems to be erected in a harsh time in history that many would like to forget.

Yet still today in 2009 the photo represents change, as it was in 1884 a time in history that many including our Great, Great Grandfather John having to pay a ultimate price for that change.

Here in a small remote town in the outskirts of Cache Valley in Paradise, Utah, rests this Monument over John and his wife Louisa’s grave where his children lay at in the cemetery. Many had not known that John was highly respected here in Utah as a man of character and honest dealings with his fellow man. He was an upright citizen, a man of one wife only at the age of 31, and he even was a schoolteacher, before was asked to go to the Southern States Territory by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Many did not know even in 1884, John, himself could have said no, and stayed home after being asked to go. But John being the man he was, always thinking of others first said yes, I am willing to go and help others. Many did not know that John knew his life was in danger for weeks, but he had to do what he did, because to John – to turn away would be as if he denied his own breath he needed to survive.

John went to help any one who needed help, even locally in Utah – whether it was of giving his hands by tilling the ground to plant a garden or by a need of the heart by a encouragement or direction from God in prayer.
John was there and asked nothing of any one. But many asked of him, as he was sought after desperately just walking down the street minding his own business at times. For even John was shocked at how much people wanted to hear him talk or help them. In part John found himself complete in so ways by being a servant to others, and even to the ones who mocked him.

John never complained – he just stated a fact and went on as if the moment was passed and a new day was on everyone’s shoulders. Even when confronted by hateful words, John stood strong reaching out to him or her with kindness of heart. Even when John knew his life was being threatened, John never grunted at them, he just went on placing his hands in another’s. To John, his life was not his own and he knew it was bought with a huge price and he felt that he owed everything he had to God because of that price. To John what ever he felt he needed to do for another – he did, even when others did not agree.

John’s monument is just a cement structure, symbolizing what he had done, to remind the world of what happened that day and why. Papers he wrote and kept of that day, in his own handwriting as he seen walking, the towns as he lived in Lewis County, Tennessee for a short span of time. Some tucked away in vaults that some might never see. But to his family – the journals, the newspaper articles, everything preserved, even the monument is all because John was willing to teach his children about loving God the Father and serving his fellow man.

It is a fitting tribute from the YMMIA of Cache Stake of Zion in Memory of John Henry Gibbs who died becoming a Martyr to the Cause of Truth.

John’s memory will always remain alive within us, teaching generations to come so very much about integrity, honesty, truth, and life itself.

This is who John Henry Gibbs was and is to his family. As fitting to be said from his memorial stone where he lies here in Utah:

Be Thou Faithful Unto Death and I will give thee a Crown of life Romans 2:10

May John’s memory rest always in peace and comfort knowing that even today in 2009 his death was not in vain, for he left behind a legacy that can’t be given any other way but by death, the cost of living the truth.

John H. Gibbs descendant,
J. T. Hansen & family

John Vance family

[This is another in a series on Early Church members who were from Tennessee]

John Vance (1794-1882) was a farmer; born in Cook County, Tennessee. He married Sarah Perkins in 1817. They moved to McDonough County, Illinois (right next to Hancock County where Nauvoo is located) in order to be close to to Sarah's family. After Sarah's death in 1836, he married Elizabeth Campbell, in 1837. The family was among the first in the county to join the Mormon Church in around 1839 along with Sarah's parents and siblings. In 1844 his son William was called to a mission in Tennessee with Abraham O. Smoot.

At Winter Quarters John served on the high council and as a Bishop. He was also called specifically to look after the families of the soldiers serving in the Mormon Battalion. The family arrived in Salt Lake Valley in 1847 where john was a high councilor (12 years), a school commissioner, a justice of the peace and a Counselor in seventh ward bishopric.
He was sent on a colonizing mission to St George with others in his family including his father-in-law.

http://byustudies.byu.edu/Indexes/BioAlpha/MBRegisterv.aspx

http://www.mormonhistoricsitesfoundation.org/publications/studies_spring2000/mhs1.1PerkinsSpring2000.pdf

http://uteperkinsposterity.org/

William E. McLellen

[This is one of a series on Early Church members from Tennessee.]

William E. McLellan was the son of Charles McLellan. He was born 18 January 1806 in Smith County, Tennessee and married Cynthia Ann 30 July 1829 who died before 1832. William was a school teacher in Paris, Tennessee, in 1831 when he was contacted by Harvey Whitlock and David Whitmer in July of that year. Impressed with the church he went to Independence, Missouri, to meet Joseph Smith but just missed seeing him. He was baptized while he was there, probably on 20 August 1831 and ordained an Elder 24 August 1831.

Left Independence for Tennessee with Hyrum Smith 25 August 1831. Preached first sermon as elder 28 August 1831. After arriving in Paris, Tennessee, left with Hyrum Smith for Kirtland; arrived 18 October 1831. Met Joseph Smith 25 October 1831. Through Joseph Smith received revelation 25 October 1831; instructed to take mission to "eastern lands" with Samuel H. Smith. Did preach in Pennsylvania, but mission short-lived because of disobedience and sickness. Appointed by revelation 25 January 1832 to preach in "south countries." Preached in Middlebury, Ohio, 25 February 1832 but did not continue on mission because of illness. Remained in Middlebury until April 1832.

He served a couples of missions, but both were cut short due to illness. His first wife had passed away, though I can't find the date, and he married Emeline Miller (born 4 September 1819 in Vermont) 26 April 1832 while recovering from illness following his second mission in Hiram, Ohio.

William was frequently a critic of church leadership. Regardless he held many positions of responsibility. He was a high councilor in Clay County, taught in the School of Elders in Kirtland and was an original member of the Quorum of the Twelve.

In 1838, in Far West, Missouri he was excommunicated for publicly opposing Church leaders. Afterwards he took up practicing medicine. He lived in Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan.

In 1869 he briefly joined the Henrickites. But left after less than a year. His wife joined the Reorganized LDS Church and they moved to Independence, Missouri in 1870. He would spend the rest of his life trying to get David Whitmer to organize a new Church. He died in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, on 24 April 1883.

http://byustudies.byu.edu/indexes/BioAlpha/MBRegisterM.aspx
http://byustudies.byu.edu/Products/MoreInfoPage/MoreInfo.aspx?prodid=1443&type=7

Cane Creek Vigilante Movement

An article recently came out in the Tennessee Historical Quarterly titled "Tennessee’s 1884 “Mormon Massacre” and the Cane Creek Vigilante Movement" By Jeremy R. Ricketts

Let me first say I am excited. I don't feel like Jeremy Ricketts beat me to the punch. He has been working on this article longer than I known about the Cane Creek Massacre. In fact, Jeremy grew up in the the area the massacre occurred. This paper is his PhD dissertation for his degree in American Studies at the University of New Mexico. He has already presented this paper publicly at least once. I saw him listed on the program for a presentation at the University of Colorado in 2007. In truth, he beat me to the punch long before I even started.

Mostly, however, I am grateful. Jeremy uncovered some documents I did not know existed. "Hidden" in the Church History Archives are two interviews conducted by LDS Missionaries with former members of the vigilante mob. I was able to get a copy of each.
Of course his take on the character and motivations of the mob are fascinating. As I understand the persecution in the north (Nauvoo, Kirtland, etc), bitter apostates stirred up the ire of locals who in fear of losing political control, or their means of making a living, turned to violence. Wickedness, money and power were the driving force behind persecutions in the north.

Ricketts' take is that southern model was different. Much of the U. S. South was still recovering from the Civil War. Frontier justice was still common because the government was seen as incapable of taking care of local needs. So the answer was to form a vigilante committee. These were upstanding men with natural leadership abilities. The men who participated in such "committees" were widely respected, not just in Cane Creek, but across the South. So when the government proved incapable of stopping the Mormons from teaching polygamy, it was only natural to form a vigilante committee to deal with the problem. In addition, these committees were based on kinship networks which made them durable. This was the major fact in the inability of the government to bring any of the vigilantes to trial.

Jeremy Ricketts goes on to recast the events of the massacre through this new lens. He includes information from the interviews in the Church Archives, at least one document in his personal possession, and an interview with a historian from the one of the vigilante's family.
There are some minor details with which I disagree. For example, Ricketts claims that the next Mormon baptism in Lewis county took place in 1949. However I have already identified five baptisms in Lewis County after the Massaacre and prior to 1920.

He also says that two of the vigilante families, the Hinson and the Mathis families, are first cousins. Although Ruben Mathis' mother was indeed a Hinson, tracking back her family line for three generations as well as that of David Hinson does not revel a connection. They may indeed be related, but not closely enough to be first or second cousins. Another source says they were brothers-in-law, but I have not been able to verify this either.

He further claims that Jack Mathis, the brother of Ruben Mathis, was one of the vigilantes based solely on the account of Miles L. Jones. But upon closer inspection, the Miles L. Jones account only identifies one of the vigilantes as Ruben's brother while giving no name. Ruben had at least two brother's and to select one indicates either a casual disregard for the accuracy of his paper or perhaps insufficient research to discover that there are at least two people who fit the description. Of course, Mr. Ricketts does have access to additional information from the Mathis family historian and may have correctly identified Jack Mathis but simply did not cited this correctly.

Which bring out my last point. Multiple times I read something in his paper that made me flip back to the citations excited to see the support for a particularly novel idea. More than once the note in the citation did not indicate a source or was not related to idea being cited. The best example is the claim that

"the next Mormon baptism in Lewis County did not occur until 1949, long after most, if not all, of the vigilantes were dead. "

The citation for this is a discussion reconciling two conflicting indications of when Ruben Mathis was born and how old he was when he gave his interview.

These are, of course, minor in consideration of the value of Ricketts' overall research. In addition to raising awareness about the the massacre, Ricketts' work brings a better understanding of the southern vigilante culture and how it was manifest at the Cane Creek Massacre.