Jude, the Mormon Missionary Horse

When Wilford Woodruff served a mission in Tennessee, a local member from the Chalk Level Tennessee Branch, Samuel West, loaned him the use of a horse in his travels. The horses name was Jude and Woodruff used the horse in his 200 mile circuit from west Humphreys county (now Benton County), Henry County, and Weakley County in Tennessee and Calloway and Graves counties in Kentucky

Woodruff grew close to the horse, and he spoke/wrote of it fondly. Once when crossing a flooded river, the horse became snagged on a submerged tree. Risking his own life, Wilford stayed with the horse until he was able to get him loose. The two swam to shore separately, the horse making it to shore first where it waited for him.

In November 1835 in Henry County, someone the missionaries horses, including Jude, loose though they were able to retrieve them.

In August 1836 while Wilford Woodruff and his companion Abraham O. Smoot were baptizing their most recent convert, opponents of the Church poisoned the two men's horses. Woodruff noticed the horses were sick right away, though they were able to ride them four miles to a friends home. There was speculation among the Elders' friends that the horses were poisoned. Elder Smoot's horse soon recovered, but after two days, Elder Woodruff's horse, Jude, died. To test the poisoning theory, the horses remains were fed to some pigs, which also died. A collection was taken to help Elder Woodruff pay Samuel West for the loss of his horse. A total of $8.56 was donated. Woodruff borrowed a horse from Brother [Emanuel] Murphy in order to continue his circuit with Elder Smoot.

In his journal, Woodruff recorded his feelings about the death of Jude briefly. "Thus ended the life of Jude a beast who had carried thousands of miles to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ"

An Early Form of Identity Theft

You wouldn't think it would be profitable to impersonate someone who was so disliked in the antebellum Tennessee as a Mormon Elder. But that indeed is what this appears to be.

To the Editor of the Times and Seasons.Nauvoo, Feb., 28th, 1844.
DEAR SIR:-Information came to me recently, through a letter written by brother Reid and Holt, Rutherford county, Tenn., giving an account of an imposition practiced upon them and others of the same branch, by an impostor who came into that branch about the 15th of November last, professing to be an elder of this church, calling his name Lorenzo Hodges. He preached a number of discourses in that vicinity; telling them that he was wounded in the Missouri difficulties, and was unable to travel on foot; and that he left Nauvoo with a good horse and saddle, but being solicited to stop at a campmeeting, had his horse stolen; he could not proceed further on his mission without assistance. The branch, ignorant of his designs, and wishing to advance the cause of righteousness, readily fitted him out with a horse, saddle, bridle and martingils [martingales], worth at least one hundred dollars, which he took to use until he should return to Nauvoo, there he was to deliver up said property to the Temple committee, to be applied on their tithing. He started to visit the different branches of the church, with a promise of returning; left several appointments to preach, but has not as yet been heard of by them; and from the best information that I can gather, has gone to Texas. He is known in this city by the name of Curtis L. Hodges.
The matter contained in this communication is at your option.
Yours, sincerely,
JOHN D. LEE.

Moses Sanders and his Mormon Horse

What do you think of when I say Mormon horses? If you put the two words into a search engine you will likely find arguments about horses in the Book of Mormon. But when I hear those two words I think of Tennessee. Yes, Tennessee.

Moses Martin Sanders Sr., born 17 August 1803, came from a wealthy family in Maury County, Tennessee. The details are lost to history, but he and his wife were converted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and was baptized on 28 Jan 1835. They gathered with the saints in Far West, Missouri in 1836, and then later in Nauvoo, Illinois. Moses worked as a policeman in Nauvoo, as well as on the building of the Temple. He was ordained a Seventy and lived very near the home of Joseph Smith. Like many in Nauvoo, Moses knew Joseph personally.

Moses owned a beautiful horse. It was spirited and unruly. Even his wife feared to take care of the horse when Moses was away. Then one day Joseph said to Moses, “Brother Sanders, give the horse to me and I'll promise that you will never lose by it." Moses Martin replied, "I would, but I am afraid that he may hurt you." Then the Prophet said, "No, he would never hurt me." So Moses tossed him the rope and said, "He is yours." Joseph rode that horse on parade in the Nauvoo Legion. And the painting we often see today of the Nauvoo Legion is one of Joseph riding “Joe Duncan.” The story goes that he was named, not respectfully, after Joseph Duncan, the governor of Illinois from 1834 to 1838. So the next time you see this image, think of the Tennessean horse on which he rode.

Parley P Pratt Jr. in East Tennessee

[This is a continuation of a series on Parley P. Pratt Jr.]

After 5 weeks of work in Tennessee, the pair took six weeks and traveled to Haywood Valley GA for a mission conference with John Morgan. They also had some trouble with their horses, an event that will be long remembered by the horses owner: Uncle Robbins Church.

On one occasion in North Georgia, our animals were stolen from the stable by wicked and reckless men, who shaved their manes and tales, and otherwise disfigured them, and turned them into the woods. Some few winked at the deed, but the majority of the people looked upon it as an act of persecution.

Immediately afterwards Elder Stevenson was released to go home and Elder Pratt was called as president of the Tennessee Conference.

Leaving middle Tennessee to Elder Argyle and his companions, Elder Pratt went east with Daniel Stuart to open east Tennessee for missionary work. They made it as far as Knoxville. It was probably the first act of missionary work in east Tennessee since the Civil War.

Near the Clinch River, on this side of Knoxville, we found a worthy family of six souls by the name of Harris, who had been prepared by dreams for our coming, who received us kindly and believed our testimonies in regard to the great latter-day work. They have not yet been baptized, but will be, the first favorable opportunity. They are of Welsh descent and a family of standing and character. They have already sold out their farm, and are winding up their business preparatory for emigration. Mr. H. accompanied us three miles on our return, and, when taking leave of us, he was affected to tears.

Continuing their missionary work by mail they sent 15 copies of the Deseret News to people in east Tennessee that had requested them. Pratt didn't make it back to East Tennessee.

[Next Time: Preaching in Columbia]

Pluck-em-in ... again

George Church was a brother of Hayden Church and early LDS missionary. Most of the Church family eventually joined as well.  But before they did there was "Pluck-em-in"; a race track built by George Church in the Shady Grove area of Tennessee. It sat near his home along the Duck River, near the modern day community of Duck River on the Maury/Hickman county border. Gambling on horse racing was a widely practiced vice. In 1900, the Spence brothers (Jerome and David) recounted a story about a stranger who came to visit.

One day there came to George Church's race course a stranger riding an ugly, "slab sided" bobtailed bay horse, with mane roached, like a mule. The stranger was shabbily dressed, and the questions he asked about the horses and horse racing showed him to be entirely unfamiliar with the sport then in progress. He drank some and was very anxious to buy cattle, of which he was in search. He learned that thee would be in a few days a big horse race on Josiah Shipp's track near Centerville. By going there he could see cattle ownersfrom all over the county, and, inaddition to this, he was told that he could see a very lively horse race. For this latter he did not care, but, although an additional twenty miles' ride would be rather hard on his horse, he concluded to go on to Centerville in order to buy cattle, of which he was in great need. He went to Centerville the night before the day on which the races were to be run.

The next morning he was one of the large crowd at the track; but by the demon, Drink, the quiet, inoffensive cattle buyer had been transformed into a swaggering drunkard, who wanted to bet on the race money, which his appearance showed he could ill afford to lose. His condition was such that he could scarcely walk, and his faculties were so overclouded that he did not care which horse he backed. He just wanted to bet. He had seen other people bet at Churchs' track, and, so he said, he had as much money as anybody. His own horse was hitched near by, and, mounting it, he, continuing his boasting, announced that it could beat anything on the ground. Remonstrances were in vain, and he, continuing to wave his money, soon found takers. He was, in race-course parlance, "an easy thing," and soon there was a mad rush for his money. Having come for the purpose of buying cattle, he had money to [cover] all money offered him, and, in addition to this, was soon betting money against watches, pistols, overcoats, etc.

When the horses lined up for the start, some of the more observant noticed that the stranger seemed to have become strangely sober in a short time. When three-fourths of the track had been gone over and the stranger and his horse were still well up in the bunch, it was remembered that nobody had seen him take a drink. When the stranger's horse won with ease, beating Griner's horses, the pride of Hickman County it gradually dawned upon those who had bet with the stranger that they had been victimized.

The stranger was Shilo True [see #1 below], the trickiest trickster of them all, and the missionary work that he did the day produced lasting good. Many saw the error of their way and never bet again. Many who that day bet with the professional gambler, Shilo True, afterwards became the most prominent citizens of the county. Two of his converts were Emmons Church and his father [Abraham] Church, who, riding back to Shady Grove without their overcoats, agreed that they would gamble no more. For years, whenever people saw the appearance of fraud, a cheat, or a swindle or when they wanted to halloo, "Enough!" they simply said "Shilo!" and were understood.

No date acompanied the story, but George was born in 1822 and Abraham died in 1851, so this likely happened in the 1840's. The race track was in use in 1841 when Hayden first heard the gospel and went to Nauvoo to learn more. Emmons (Isaac Emmons Church) was baptized in 1871. Neither George nor his father Abraham joined the LDS church.

#1 Perhaps this was William Shiloh True (1819-1853) of Maury County, Tennessee.
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