May 25th-26th 1883 West Tennessee Conference

On May 25th the West Tennessee Conference was to have been held at Beech Creek, Wayne County, Tenn., arrangements having been made to hold the meeting in a mill shed belonging to Mr. Harold. On the night of May 24th some parties burned a school house where it was understood the Conference would be held. Mr. Harold fearing that his mill property would meet with a similar fate requested that the meeting be held elsewhere; therefore the Conference was postponed until May 26th, when it was held in a grove on the property of Mr. Grimes.

An effort was made by Parson Bennett, of the Baptist faith, to raise a mob to drive the Elders from the county; he boasted that 100 men had promised to assist him; he, with about twenty followers attended the meeting on the morning of the 26th, but no disturbance was made. There were nineteen Elders present from Utah; the Word of God was made plain, a large number of people being present at the meetings. The Conference was the means of making many friends. During this month some persecution was reported from different parts of the Mission; threats were made, but no violence was resorted to.

[Latter Day Saints southern star, Volume 1, page 138]

Beech Creek Branch Membership List

The Beech Creek Branch was organized on July 23rd, 1882 by Elder R. Spence and Elder W. S. Geddis. Beech Creek flows from Waynesboro to the Tennessee River a couple of miles below Clifton. Most of the members lived near the Tennessee River end of the creek, most likely in the area circled in red.

On the southside of Beech Creek, is a bluff over looking the Tennessee River. Elder Robison described it as 400 feet high and slightly undercut by erosion so that when they threw rocks over the edge, they could not see the spot in the river where the rocks hit the water. Today the bluff is more sloping, but it is a great place for a view of the River.

Below are the members listed in the South West Tennessee Baptism book. Note there are some name I have talked about before. One in particular some of you may recognized from previous posts is Amanda Queen.

Mary A Nunnely: Baptized Mar 11, 1882
Nancy Kyle: Baptized Mar 11, 1882
Sarah J. Nunneley: Baptized Apr 21, 1882; Emigrated to Utah in 1883
Miranda C. Nunneley: Baptized Apr 21, 1882; Emigrated to Utah in 1883
Octavia E. Braly: Baptized Jun 4, 1882; Emigrated to Idaho 1883
James C. Queen: Baptized Jun 17, 1882
Nathan W. Halford: Baptized Jun 17, 1882
Margaret E. Halford: Baptized Jun 17, 1882
Amanda C. Queen: Baptized Jun 25, 1882; Cut off for apostasy July 18th 1886 by Eld. Markham
George W. Nunneley: Baptized Jul 4, 1882; Died in full faith and friendship Aug 17th, 1885
E. L. A. Brooks: Baptized Jul 4, 1882; Cut off for apostasy July 18th 1886 by Eld. Markham
Lucinda N. Queen: Baptized Aug 24, 1882
Nancy E. N. Keeling: Baptized Aug 24, 1882
Mary Taylor: Baptized Aug 24, 1882
Francis M. Saunderson: Baptized Aug 24, 1882
Noah Smotherman: Baptized Aug 24, 1882; Died in 1882 in full faith in the Gospel
Elizabeth M. Grimes: Baptized Sep 17, 1882
Millard F. Grimes: Baptized Sep 17, 1882; Cut off for apostasy July 18th 1886 Markham
Rachel F. Grimes: Baptized Sep 17, 1882
Sophia Banks: Baptized Sep 24, 1882
Mary E. W. Griggs: Baptized Oct 22, 1882
Noah Weaver: Baptized Jan 28, 1883; Cut off for apostasy July 18th 1886
William Nunneley: Baptized Mar 18, 1883; Emigrated to Idaho [illegible] Utah May 1888
“Sister” Downing: Baptized [no date]; Died Nov 11 1886 Wayne Co.
Jemima Marrow: Baptized [no date]
Jrsuna Downing: Baptized [no date]
Florida Casteel: Baptized [no date]; Emigrated to Utah 1882
[Andrew Ernest] Casteel: Baptized [no date]; Emigrated to Utah 1882
Gaston La Braley: Baptized Nov 1, 1883; Emigrated to Idaho 1883
Nancy M. S. Braley: Baptized Nov 1, 1883; Emigrated to Idaho 1883
Byron E. Braley: Baptized Nov 1, 1883; Emigrated to Idaho 1883 a woman [?]
Jehu R Hensen: Baptized Nov 4, 1883; Removed to Arkansas Sept. 1884
Mary Jane Hensen: Baptized Nov 4, 1883; Removed to Arkansas Sept. 1884
Sophronia A Gambrill: Baptized Nov 4, 1883; Removed to Arkansas Sept. 1884
Laura F. Gambrill: Baptized Nov 4, 1883; Removed to Arkansas Sept. 1884

Amanda Queen's story can be found here and here.

Elder Woodbury wrote a letter from Beech Creek on February 2nd, 1885, parts of which were reprinted in the Deseret News on February 25th 1885.

Elder John A Hawks wrote the Deseret News on April 19th, 1884 describing a conference at Beech Creek at which they “were threatened by a mob, but still we held our meetings in peace.” Printed May 7th, 1884.

On August 11th, 1878, on the third day of the Southern States Mission Conference in Haywood Valley Georgia, William R. H. Manning was ordained a teacher to labor in the Beech Creek Branch. Though I'm not sure he was from there as the first baptism at Beech Creek wasn't for another four years later in 1882.

Amanda C. Queen's Membership Record

I recently gained access to images of some additional original records for the Beech Creek, Tennessee Branch of the LDS Church. And on the first page I find Amanda C. Queen. Long time readers will recall Amanda Queen from a previous post. In that post I noted I had no proof that she or her husband were even members. Well, I now have Amanda's baptismal date June 22, 1882. Right next to her name is a note in a different handwriting "Cut off for apostasy July 18, 1886 by Eld. Markham"

What I don't see in her husband's baptismal date. The record book at which I am looking was started in March of 1882, so his baptism, if it did happen, may have been recorded earlier, and in a different book.

Furthermore, Amanda claimed that she and her husband had emigrated to Utah. In the remarks section along the right side of the book are notes about other people too. Two of them say "emigrated to Utah in 1883." A third says "emigrated to Idaho in 1883." Amanda Queen's entry has no such note. In several ways I believe this record supports my original conclusion; that she made up a grand lie to explain why she returned without her husband.

I know you probably won't be able to read it, but here is a sample of what the book looks like. Amanda's entry in the ninth one from the top. Notice the different handwriting after her name in the remarks section.

Interestingly enough, I found the older the record, the more readable the handwriting gets. I think there are two reasons for this. First, the earlier records are all written by a single writer. This makes it easier to decipher hard to read words or letter since I have several examples at which to look and compare. Second, handwriting was some much more important to earlier generations. He have all heard the story about Heber J. Grant's tenacity in developing his handwriting. The closer you get to today's generation, the less emphasis there was on having great handwriting.

Manda Grimes Queen - The truth?

Recently I was reading in the journal of Mary Jane Miller which I received from one of her descendants [thanks Virginia]. Mary Jane Miller was a member of the LDS Church who left Tennessee following the Cane Creek Massacre. She tells of a "widow" named Manda Queen (Amanda C. Queen), who late in 1883, was coming "back from Utah" with her two sons (Thomas Filmore Queen and Charles Queen) and her brother Frank Grimes (Benjamin Franklin Grimes). They were not members of the LDS Church. But according to Mary Jane Miller she was the widow of a Brother Queen (Thomas Jake Queen) of Wayne County, Tennessee who was a Mormon. Brother Queen appears to have taken his family to Utah and after his death, his widow returned to Tennessee. Mary Jane Miller wrote;

“..they had written for them not to let anyone know they were figuring on coming, for the people in Salt Lake would not let them get away from there….They had created such a feeling telling their stories about the people in Utah and substantiating the terrible stories that the people had already heard. There was such a feeling. A crowd of men came to that meeting that day for the full purpose to break it up, but some way they never had the nerve. I heard her tell that they never would have gotten away from Salt Lake City only Frank had gotten on with a lawyer who helped them get away. Well such as that just kindled a feeling that kept growing and spreading.”

Some digging revealed some interesting details. According to the 1870 U. S. Census, Amanda (aged 16) and Thomas (19) were married in 1869. Their first three children appear to have died young. Her two sons in the above story are their 4th and 5th children. They were aged three and five in 1883; a tragedy to be orphaned so young. But it isn’t true. Thomas Jake Queen (see photo on left) was not dead in 1883. He died in 1913. In fact, it doesn't look like they ever made it to Utah. The only evidence that I can find that Thomas was Mormon was Amanda’s claim. Of course, her family believed her so they may have had additional evidence. Plus there is a Brother Queen in that town in 1882 identified in Willis Robison’s journal. But Robison provides no first name, and Thomas had a father and several brothers living close by.

Thomas remarried in 1883 to Katie C. Holmes in Tipton County, Tennessee. Tipton County is west of Wayne County (just north of Memphis). So did Manda and Thomas leave town, saying they were going to Utah, but then split up? Then she returns with her two boys, her brother who is in his mid 20s, and a whopper of lie to explain where her husband was? Of course, she relates the stories of Mormons and Utah she has already heard, making it more credible with her friends and family. But at the same time she fanned the flames of anti-Mormon sentiment. Her brother Frank would have to be in on it. But since he comes out as the hero, I can see why he would agree to it.

Mary Jane Miller, who was 17 in 1883, could only write what she heard. Her journal reveals just how problematic relying on an eyewitness can be.

[Note that in Hyrun Belnap's journal, William Grimes was named as one of the members of the mob that attacked the Mormon church in the Cane Creek Massacre. Manda had an older brother named William Grimes.]