Establishing Provenance

 A couple of weeks ago, I received an email asking me about a photo. A woman in Colorado was going through her father's things after he passed away. Among them was a photo album, the origin of which she was unsure. She believed it belonged to her grandfather but it may have been older than that. It included several photographs of Merriner Wood Merrill (of the Quorum of the Twelve) and probably his wives but for the most part they were not labeled and she was having a hard time identifying who were in the images. One of the photos, however, had an inscription. It was little hard to read but she was pretty sure it said.....

"Tribute To the memory of Elders W.S. Berry and J.H Gibbs Who were slain at Condors' Farm, Tenn Aug 10,1884"

She had no idea what this meant so she went to the internet and found my blog. I had indeed seen the photo before.

Several emails later she asked if I would like to have the photo card. She was donating the photos in the album to the DUP, but thought I might appreciate the photo of Gibbs and Berry more. I certainly thought so.

But I wondered at the origins of the photo card. It probably was not placed in the album by her grandfather. He had not been born yet in 1884 And I was not aware of any relations between the Merrills and either the Gibbs or Berry families. I thought it would mean a bit more if I could figure out why this photo meant enough to the family to preserve, but not enough to pass of a story about why. So I did a little digging.

Her grandfather, Daphney Merrill Sharp, who she thought the album belong to, had relatives who served in the Southern States mission. His father Joseph Palmer Sharp served in Louisiana in 1897, but he was only 10 years old in 1884, so he couldn't have known Gibbs or Berry. J. P. Sharp's father also served in the Southern States, in 1877. He actually labored in Tennessee. His name was John C. Sharp. He never made it to Cane Creek, but his companion Joseph Argyle was the first missionary to Cane Creek, in 1879.

But with the Merrills being in the album, the more logical direction was that side of the family. That is when I found an uncle, Thomas Hazen Merrill, who also served in the Southern States. He even shows up in Elder Gibbs journal. In fact, he was Gibb's very first companion. Thomas was one of Merriner W. Merrill's sons. It made me wonder who actually put the album together. Would you put the death notice of your uncle's missionary companion in your family album? Would you put an image of some one famous in that album because your uncle knew him?

I'll probably never know exactly why this image was meaningful enough to include in a family album. Perhaps the death of these two elders had a profound effect on whoever put those pictures together. Maybe it was just among someone's personal items and the album maker had just put everything they found in the album. Regardless I enjoyed my little adventure and I'll certainly enjoy having the photo card.

Two missionaries find a place to stay in Sawdust

When J. Golden Kimball was president of the Southern States Mission (1891-1894), Elder Charles A. Hickenlooper of Pleasant View, Utah and Elder W. T. Ogden were canvassing the smaller communities in Maury County, Tennessee. About halfway between Columbia and Shady Grove, they came to one community called Sawdust. Sawdust was settled in 1811. It is smaller now than it was then, only about 100 families, and was built up around the lumber industry. The two Elders were well received as they visited home after home for two days. They obtained permission from the trustees to use the schoolhouse for a meeting and invited everyone they met to attend. All seemed to be going well and after two days the Elders returned to Columbia, anxious for the scheduled meeting.

While they were gone, however, the local minister returned from his trip to Texas. After learning about the Elders’ visit he immediately set to undo all their work. He convinced the trustees to rescind their offer to use the schoolhouse. He visited every home and extracted a promise not to give food or shelter to the missionaries. He visited the men on their lunch hour and told them lies about how Mormons wanted only to convince their wives and daughters to leave their families and go to Utah to be slaves to Mormon men.

On the day of the meeting, the two Elders made their way back to Sawdust unsuspecting anything was amiss. As luck would have it, their first stop was at the post office. They noticed the postmaster’s demeanor had changed toward them and they inquired why. He confessed that he had been charged with letting the Elders know that they were no longer welcome in Sawdust. He told them about the efforts of the minister and that they should leave.

Instead Elder Ogden asked where the minister lived. Upon receiving directions, they headed straight there, about a quarter of mile, and proceeded through the front gate toward the house. Just as they were through the gate the minister rushed out his front door waving his arms like he was trying to chase away birds out of a cornfield. He yelled as he came, tell them to “Get off my place!” Elder Ogden tried to speak with him, but he would have nothing of it. “Get off my place, you fiends! I don’t want to have anything to do with you. I would rather have a man with smallpox or leprosy on my place than you devils. Get off!”

Realizing they were better off leaving they started back down the road. But by then it was getting late and would soon begin to rain. They didn’t stop at any of the homes they passed, knowing the minister had done his best to prevent them from getting any kind of aid. Before they reached the edge of town, the rain, lightning and thunder had started. So they knelt for a prayer and Elder Ogden pleaded for direction on where to go for food and shelter. When they rose, the impression was very faint, and almost casually they decided to take a side road leaving the highway exactly where they had knelt down. After going over a hill they saw a house in the distance. Upon seeing it, Elder Ogden said “There is where we stay tonight”

They knocked on the door and the man who answered interrupted the Elders as they tried to introduce themselves. “Oh, You needn’t spend your time telling me: I know who you are. Tell me, though, who sent you here?” Elder Ogden replied the no on had sent them, and that this was the first home at which they had stopped. Disbelieving the man shot back “That will do to tell someone who doesn’t know better.” He turned to Elder Hickenlooper and asked “Is this the first house you have called at?” Yes, he replied, which seem to make the man stop and think. After apparently making a decision he said “Well, wait a minute” and he turn back in the house. They two Elders waited for what seemed like nearly 15 minutes before the man came back telling them to come in.

After they settled down the man told them that earlier that day, the minister had come to meet him and other men during their noon meal. After telling a wild tale of Mormon wickedness, he got all the men to promise not to feed or shelter the Elders. But this man said he refused to make such a promise. He had been to Utah before, traveling on business to Oregon and Washington. On his way he stayed in Ogden, Utah and met many Mormons. He knew what Mormons were like and would not be convinced otherwise by the minister. The minister did convince his wife, however, so it took him a bit of talking to persuade her to change her mind. Of all the homes they could have stopped at to ask for shelter, this was the only one they would have been received

Attacked by a mob, maybe.

A few weeks ago I noticed an entry in Jensen's Church Chronology about two Elders, Heber C. Miller and Joseph H. Walton Jr., who were attacked by a mob in Tennessee on August 10, 1905. The date was interesting in that it was 11 years to the day after the Cane Creek Massacre. But Jensen gave no other details. No location other than Tennessee. I determined to flesh out the details.

I started with the Elders Journal. This was a publication of the Southern States Mission which includes 1905. I figured if it were anywhere in print it would be there. But to my surprise, the searches came up empty. I tried name searches, and even reading page by page starting in August 1, 1905 and on for several months. Still nothing. It is a little perplexing. But I noticed that the web site I was reading this at, Mormon Publications of the Twentieth Century, did not have a copy of the August 15th, 1905 volume.

Next I went to digital collections of Utah Newspapers. But again, no articles containing the words Tennessee and the names Watson or Miller in August or September of 1905. Could it be that Jensen found this event important enough to include in his chronology, but that it wasn't considered newsworthy in Utah. I find that hard to swallow.

So I ask you, where would you check next?

Two Tennessee Mission Conferences

In 1910 and 1911, the LDS church made a list of the members living in Tennessee. Mission staff probably collected the information since it appears to be mostly written in the same hand writing as some other lists kept by missionary staff. I'd love to know who it was, but I'm not that good.

Lists of this type may have been collected elsewhere too, but Tennessee is what I know. The handwritten list is organized by mission conference and then by county. I have a microfilm copy and someday I will go through page by page and count the number of members named. Wikipedia says there were 841 members in 1906, though it says so without providing a source. That number could be about right. In Lewis County there are 11 members listed in 1910. But I know of at least 5 other members still living in Lewis County not on the list. It would be foolish to assume that the being on the list - or not being on the list - was an indicator anyones committment to the Church. But if it were, that would beat the activity rate in almost any unit today.

Although it is revealing to compare the list to the names of members I already knew about, the list could also be used as a description of which counties belong to the East Tennessee Conference based in Chattanooga, and which belong to the Middle Tennessee Conference based in Memphis. The results are shown above. I took the chance to outline how Tennessee is today divided into three missions: Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville (and a little bit of Birmingham, Alabama).

I couldn't find how many missionaries were assigned to each conference for 1910/1911, but from 1900 to 1905 there were between 12 to 18 in each conference. A far cry from the 200-300 there probably are today.

Andrew Jenson's Church Chronology

My mother gave me a copy of Andrew Jenson's Church Chronology during a visit this summer. It belonged to her father and was published in 1914. The first edition was published in 1898, and according to the preface, only 15,000 of the 25,000 books printed were ever sold. So the publisher issued a second edition in 1914 to which were added two supplements; one covering 1899-1905 and another covering 1906-1913. I'm not sure why there were two supplements instead of just one, since this book represents only the second printing.

Going through each index, (the third is supposed to be comprehensive) was an interesting view into what was considered valid Church History. Not only was I surprised to find many I had written about many of the stories in the chronology, but also a few I had not even heard of before now.

[This is not a direct quote of Andrew Jenson's work. I have summarized for space and clarity and corrected some errors]

1806 Jan 18: William E Mclellin was born in Smith County, Tennessee.
1875 Jun 8: George W. Emery of Tennessee was appointed governor of Utah.
1884 Aug 8: James Roskelley was shot and wounded in Lee Valley, Tennessee.
1884 Aug 9: Hensen family was fired upon and forced to flee their home in Decatur County, Tennessee.
1884 Aug 10: Five people died at the Cane Creek Massacre in Lewis County, Tennessee.
1884 Aug 22: The remains of Elders Gibbs and Berry arrive in Salt Lake City.
1884 Sep 22: John Nicholson lectured in Salt Lake City on the causes of the Cane Creek Masaacre.
1884 Nov 13: Eighty LDS emigrants left Chattanooga, Tennessee for Utah and Colorado.
1885 Apr 9: Tennessee passed a law against teaching polygamy.
1885 Apr 13: Elders Gardner and Christensen arrested in Carter County, Tennessee for teaching polygamy.
1885 Nov 9: The case against Elder Christensen was dismissed.
1888 Jul 9: John W. Judd from Tennessee nominated to the supreme court of Utah.
1888 Aug 23: John W. Judd arrived in Utah.
1888 Sep 2: Several Elders were beaten in Bells Station, Tennessee.
1889 Aug 16: Elder Spry was arrested at Chattanooga, Tennessee, after being mistaken for another man.
1894 Mar 30: Elder W. W. Bean held a debate at Sparta, White County, Tennessee.
1898 Dec 1: The LDS Southern Star was first published at Chattanooga, Tennessee.
1900 Feb 27: Elder Brian Ward Peck died in Puntnam County, Tennessee.
1902 Jun 30: Tennessee became part of the new Middle States Mission.
1902 Jul 28: Oliver Workman died. He was born in Tennessee, and was in the Mormon Battalion.
1902 Dec 24: Shadrach Holdaway died. He was born in Tennessee.
1904 Apr 3: James A Allred died. He was born in Tennessee
1905 May 1: Elders Sorenson and Jensen were attacked by a mob in Tennessee.
1905 Aug 10: Elders Miller and Walton were attacked by a mob in Tennessee.

As I write this I'm starting to think about what I would have included, if I were writing a chronology of the LDS Church in Tennessee.

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]

President Buryl Gene McClurg

On September 12th, 2009, President Buryl Gene McClurg, a man intertwined with the history of the LDS Church in Nashville, Tennessee, passed away at the age of 79. President McClurg was born in Arkansas, graduated from BYU, and made Nashville his home. In Tennessee owned a small construction company. He has served as a bishop where he helped his ward endure tornados. He was later stake president, and then the first President of the Nashville Temple, and was released four years later in 2004. President McClurg's passing was also noted in the Church News. Though I never had a chance to meet him, I am grateful for his contribution to building up the Church in Tennessee.

The First Relief Society Presidency in the Southern States

On August 10th, 1878, on the evening of the second day of the Southern States Mission Conference in Haywood Valley, Georgia, “President [John] Morgan stated that he would proceed to organize a Relief Society for the Benefit of the sisters in the Southern States Mission. They could be a great help to the Elders in spreading the gospel, as they could do so by writing their friends, distributing tracts and disseminating the principles of truth among their associates and friends. All were invited to join who wished to do good.”

“Sister Victoria Faucett was unanimously sustained as president, Sisters Sinia Lawrence and Emmeline Faucett, her counselors. Sister Joan Manning, secretary; all of whom were elected for six months.”

Martha "Victoria" Faucett (nee Bailey) was born in Walker County, Georgia on February 6th, 1860. She married Alfonzo Cromwell Faucett, probably just before the August 1878 Conference. The marriage date on Family Search is an estimate of 1879 and is probably based on the birth of their first child, Dixie Leona Faucett on November 9th, 1880 in Manassa, Colorado I now believe this is actually Victoria Ann Coxwell born in 1842. She married Jesse B. Faucett. I think the age is a better match for the calling she was given. Jesse was Alonzo's uncle.

Sinia Hamilton Lawrence was born on January 29th, 1855 in Georgia to Thomas Anderson Lawrence and Sinai Ann Scoggin. Sinia emigrated to Colorado sometime before April 4th, 1881 when she married James Ranson Keel.

Martha Ann Emmaline Faucett was related to Victoria Faucett. She was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on October 28th, 1856 and her whole family moved to Georgia before 1860. Emmaline married Ramsey Fricks in 1879.

Joan Manning was probably the wife of William R. H. Manning who was ordained a teacher of the Beech Creek Tennessee Branch on the third day of the same conference.

[Bessie dug up some more from John Morgan's journal and posted it at Ancestral Ties]

President Joseph F. Smith and Other General Authorities of the Church Visit Southern States Mission

Following the dedication of a chapel in Independence, Missouri, on Sunday November 22, 1914, President Joseph F. Smith and his party take a visit of the Souther States Mission.

711 Fairview Avenue, Chattanooga, Tennessee

From Left to Right.—Bishop C. W. Nibley, Elder Joseph F. Smith, Jr.,

Sister Rebecca N. Nibley, President Joseph F. Smith, Sister Julina Smith, President Charles W. 

Penrose, Sister Romania B. Penrose, Elder Chas. A. Callis, Sister Grace E. Callis,

Elder Geo. Albert Smith. Sister Emily Smith is standing behind her father and mother.

 

[The following description was written by President Charles A Calllis of the Southern States Mission. and Published int he Liahona on December 29, 1914.]

The visit of President Joseph F. Smith, President Chas. W. Penrose, Elders George Albert Smith and Joseph F. Smith, Jr., of the Council of the Twelve, and the Presiding Bishop, C. W. Nibley, to the Southern States Mission, is the greatest missionary event in the history of the Mission. President Smith is the first president of the Church who has visited this mission. He and his party were well received. They spoke to large audiences: they made hundreds of friends and they preached the Gospel in the power and demonstration of the Spirit.

Memphis.

The president and his party arrived in this city Tuesday, November 24th. During the day they visited places of interest. A priesthood meeting was held in the afternoon with the elders of the Middle Tennessee and Mississippi Conferences, at which good counsel was givien by President Smith and the other brethren. A public meeting was held in one of the largest halls in the city that evening. Several hundred people attended. President Smith, Bishop Nibley and President Penrose delivered excellent doctrinal discourses. A well trained choir, under the able leadership of Brother H. LeRoy Stewart, one of the local elders, accompanied by an orchestra of four violins, two cornets and a piano, rendered excellent singing. A vase of beautiful flowers was on the table in front of the speaker and the platform was decorated with palms. The Commercial Appeal, one of the leading papers of the South, made the following comment on President Smith: "Joseph F. Smith, head of the Mormon Church, visited Memphis yesterday. He spoke to a meeting of missionaries in the tabernacle in the Woman's Building in the afternoon, and at night addressed an audience of several hundred who filled the big hall. President Smith is positive in speech. He is a speaker of great force. Nothing he said last night could be construed as out of the ordinary at all. But as he voiced the plea it was not quite usual. He did not seem to be trying for an effect, but he did secure one. Several of the women who were present held their handkerchiefs to their eyes; several men almost seemed worried. There were plenty of unbelievers in the crowd, but all listened to him with great attention—even smiles were lacking."

Chattanooga.

Wednesday morning, after an all night ride, the visitors reached Chattanooga. They were taken to the Mission headquarters where ' they were welcome and honored guests. During the day historic places were visited. That evening a public meeting was held in the Lyric theater. A great audience assembled. Leading business and professional men were present. The speakers were President Smith, Bishop Nibley and President Penrose. Their discourses were able and convincing. President Smith was applauded at the close of his splendid address. The opening and closing prayers were offered by Elders Joseph F. Smith, Jr., and George Albert Smith, respectively. A quartet of elders sang very nicely a number of hymns. The Chattanooga Times, in its report of the meeting said:"President Smith made an interesting and attractive figure as he stood on the stage of the Lyric last night. More than six feet in height, massive, vigorous and apparently in the prime of life, he dominated the meeting. He commanded attention to every utterance. He grew eloquent through pure earnestness and enthusiasm in his subject.


Dressed in simple black, with a long gray beard that falls to the middle of his breast, he has the appearance of a prosperous, contented farmer, until he turns those great luminous eyes toward his hearer, and when looking into them it is not hard to believe that this man, standing at the head of a great religious denomination, is endeavoring to end his life-work by carrying his teachings to every part of the globe through a campaign of persuasion and education. After the meeting, President Callis introduced all in the audience who desired to meet President Smith, and for sometime he held an informal reception on the stage. He had a handshake and a kind word for everyone."


The Chattanooga News made the following comment: "We believe it is necessary for men to have faith in the Father of Christ and the Father of the children of men," declared Joseph F. Smith, President of the Mormon Church, in the course of an eloquent address delivered before a large audience at the Lyric theater Wednesday night. President Smith is a pleasing speaker and held the attention of his hearers throughout his remarks. He is a picturesque figure, tall, commanding with snow white hair and flowing beard. Despite the fact that the burdens of seventy-six years, sixty of which have been spent in advocating the principles of peace, union, love, good will and good works, as he stated in his address, he holds himself erect and the lines in his face suggest strength of character and gentleness.


In closing President Smith said: "I believe in Mormonism with all my heart. I know its principles are correct and true." "One of the interesting men who is traveling with President Smith is Charles W. Penrose, second counsellor to the president of the church. Mr. Penrose is eighty-two years of age. Within two months he will pass the eighty-third mile-stone in life, and he declares he is as active and hearty today as forty years ago. For twenty years Mr. Penrose was editor of the Deseret News, the largest paper in Salt Lake. He is one of the most faithful and enthusiastic of the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, and has done much for the church."


President Smith and his party were entertained by prominent citizens while they were in Chattanooga. They had a pleasant visit with the mayor. They ate their Thanksgiving dinner at the Mission home, and they held a Priesthood meeting and Thanksgiving service with the elders of the East Tennessee, East Kentucky, Virginia and Ohio and Kentucky Conferences, and visiting members.

President Smith's party also made stops in Atlanta, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida. The building in the photo is no longer standing.

A Public Debate

On May 15, 1881 in Shady Grove, Tennessee, Elder Hyrum Belnap was challenged to a public debate by Reverend J. M. Moulton, a Campbellite minister. According to Belnap, Elders were encouraged to avoid public debates since they would lead to mob violence if the minister found himself beaten. During this first meeting Reverend Moulton treated Elder Belnap and Spence kindly so they concented and set a date for the public debate three weeks later on July 5th & 6th

On the day of the debate Elder Belnap records what happened.

July 5. After breakfast we went out in a nice little grove, the place where Reverend J. M. Moulton and I were to have a public debate. This is just on the line between Hickman and [Maury] Counties. Brother Treadway here introduced us to Squire Frierson, the gentleman who had been chosen chairman of our debate, “Does the Bible Sustain the Doctrine Taught by the Latter Day Saints?”

At 10:00 o’clock the chair called order and I took the stand and affirmed the subject, proving same from the scriptures. Rev. Moulton took the negative, read nothing from the scriptures, but resorted to abuse of the Mormons from reports he had heard. Said that the Mormons were not the only people who believed in revelation. Spoke of Mohammed. I objected, as we were to confine our proof from the Bible. The chair sustained the objection. This very much excited the gentleman and he was unable to collect himself until his time was up. An adjournment was taken until 3:00 o’clock.

At 3:00 o’clock order was called and I opened, proving each assertion [from] the Bible as I went along. The woods were just full of people form all over the country. They seemed very much interested. This gave us an opportunity to read from the scriptures the principles of the gospel to the people, also to show them Biblical proof of the divinity of the Book of Mormon.

As the Reverend Moulton arose he began reading parts of the scriptures, part of one verse and part of another, making them read as he desired. Then he would explain what this and that meant, not allowing the scriptures to speak for themselves, as I did. Then he resorted to sarcasm and abuse as if he were fairly going mad. At the close I tried to get him to let us continue the same subject that evening, but he declined.

July 6. At 10:00 o’clock we were again at our post. This day the subject was, “Is the Doctrine of the Christian Church (to which he belonged) in Accordance with the New Testament?” He affirmed this subject. Moulton showed forth repentance and baptism by immersion. O. K., but he stopped here. It was my privilege to show that this was a small part of the gospel taught in the New Testament.

At 3:00 o’clock he acknowledged that I had explained the gospel principles correctly as Jesus taught them, but there had now come a more excellent way of perfection. In my answer, it was the opportunity of my life to show the people the acknowledgement of the Reverend that Jesus taught one doctrine for salvation and that my friend Moulton had another, then put the question squarely, which plan should we follow, the one given by Jesus or the more excellent way taught by man, even the Reverend himself. Here compared the two doctrines and stated to them that they could all follow the Reverend Moulton, if they chose, but as for me I preferred to follow Jesus Christ and the plan of salvation taught by him. The judge did not call me when the time arrived. The people were so interested they seemed to have forgotten and I must acknowledge that the Lord blessed me as He never had before with language to express myself and with the spirit of testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. At night I came over with W. Hunt

Elder Belnap did not record any mob violence at Shady Grove following the debate.

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.

Arrest brings conversion

I stumbled across this letter from a man who was once in a mob. The mob was led by an officer of the law in Carter County, Tennessee who arrested Elder W. F. Garner and Elder C. F. Christensen for teaching polygamy. The year was 1884.

The letter is addressed to Elder Garner in Clifton Idaho and is dated 11 January 1898.

MR WM F GARNER

Dear Sir and Brother --For the first time in this life I seat myself to drop you a few lines to tell you something perhaps that will do you some good. I am one of the men that were with the officer in Carter County Tenn when Elders Christensen and Garner were arrested and if you remember one of you said to the other “We might preach to these men as they did to the jailor of old.”

Little did I think that I would find your words of any benefit to me but God for my sake put me in that wicked officer's hands to help do that work that my prejudiced heart might be softened and I can bear my testimony that from that very day I commenced to search for the truth.

But I never saw another pair of Elders until 1893 at which time I was ready for the water. Elder Thomas W Sloan baptized me and Elder John R Terry baptized my wife last spring. I had been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints in belief for four years before I or my family had heard a Mormon Elder preach. The little book known as the Voice of Warning did all the preaching to me except what you and Brother Christensen did that lonesome night going from the head of Shell Creek to Roan Mountain

I am the oldest man that was in that gang and the one that did the most of the talking and asked so many questions. But it was God's will for me to be there one reason was that I should protect you from harm and the other was to show me the way of the truth for without that I would perhaps be today where I was before that notable night.

Now brother as you know God always sends His judgments on those who will not heed His teachings but seek to do evil. That wicked constable who had the papers for you Elders came to his death on the railroad at the station. He was standing on the road and did not seem to try to get away. His body was torn to pieces and he filled a drunkard's grave. We can only pray that our Heavenly Father will hasten the time when His Spirit will cover the land as the waters do the sea and when there will be no drunkards. We send love to you all.

Your brother in the Gospel

WM C SUTPHIN

Seth Utley

Of course, you all know about Seth Utley, that early Tennessee Mormon Pioneer. What, you don't know who he is?

Seth Utley was born in Wake County, North Carolina on October 7, 1789. Following the tradition of his father, who fought in the American Revolution, Seth fought in the War of 1812.

After the war ended, he married Bathseba Woods in Wake County North Carolina in around 1816.

In 1817, he along with two of his brothers, Able and Burwell, emigrated to Reynoldsburg, Stewart County (later Humphreys County), Tennessee. They followed the Uncle Burwell Lashley (their mother’s brother) who settled in Reynoldsburg.

Seth and Bathseba began their family in Tennessee.
1. John Wesley Utley born 2 December 1817
2. Martha J. Utley born abt 1820

He sold his land in Reynoldsburg to John Cobb and moved across the Tennessee River. There he received a land grant on 9 February 1821, which eventually became part of the Third Civil District of Benton County, Tennessee.

Eight more children were born to Seth and Bathseba.
3. Mary Amanda Utley born 7 November 1821.
4. Margaret C. Utley born ca. 1824.
5. Russell Utley born ca. 1825.
6. Nancy Elizabeth Utley born 13 January 1827.
7. Burwell L. Utley born 27 December 1827.
8. Cale Utley born in 1830.
9. Adeline L. Utley born ca. 1831.
10. George W. Utley born ca. 1834

In 1835, Mormon missionaries (probably Patten and Parish) taught and baptized Seth, although the exact date and circumstances are lost to history, Seth became a pillar of the small Mormon community at Eagle Creek in Benton County, Tennessee.

Seth makes another appearance, this time in Wilford Woodruff's journal dated November 15, 1835. During that visit Seth was witness to a "sign in the heavens" recorded by Wilford Woodruff; "three clouds having the appearance of fire and blood." (November 17th 1835).

Another child was born to Seth and Bathseba. Perhaps named after someone they had recently come to admire.
11. Joseph Seth Utley born 16 February 1836.

On 19 June 1836, while Elders Patten and Parish and were staying at the home of Seth Utley, a mob of about 40 gathered around the Utley home. The sheriff produced a warrant for their arrest. The warrant was written on the urging of a local Methodist minister name Matthew Williams on the charge of making false prophesies. Seth Utley and Albert Petty (another local covert) put up the required bond of $2,000.

The details of the trial are subject for another post, but they were eventually released and only had to pay court costs. Afterwards they went back to Seth Utley’s home. When they arrived they heard that a mob had gathered again angry that the missionaries had been released. Mounting their mules, they took a back route to Albert Petty’s home where they went to bed. They had not been asleep long when Elder Patten woke up Elder Parrish, telling him that a heavenly messenger had warned him that the mob was near and that they should leave. When the mob arrived the Elders had already left. But it was morning before they found the mule tracks. By then the Elders were long gone.

Seth and Bathseba last child was perhaps also named after a church leader and witness of the Book of Mormon.
12. Martin Van Utley born 23 March 1840.

Sometime after the birth of Martin, Seth sold his land and moved to Arkansas. Seth appears on legal records in Tennessee in 1844, but he moved to Arkansas in time to be included on the 1850 Census. Most stories about him say he went to be with the other Mormons. The tone and misspellings make it clear they were not written by members of the LDS Church. So, I don't think he really went to be with the saints. Still I don’t know why Arkansas. But it is clear that he indeed went to Arkansas, along with several of his married children. It is possible that Seth joined one of the splinter groups formed after the death of Joseph Smith, though I don’t know of any based in Arkansas. It is more likely he joined some branch of his family I have yet to identify.

Seth died in Prairie County, Arkansas on 15 August 1866. A marker was provided by the Veterans Administration for the War of 1812.

Pluck-em-in

This story was given to me as a single sheet. Obviously a photo copy. the notes written on the top indicated it came from a book called "Hither and Yon" by Jill K Garrett. At the end was a date May 9, 1982. I might assume it was written by Jill herself. I run into her name all the time when I am searching original records from that part of Tennessee.

The book, Hither and Yon: The best of the writings of Jill K. Garrett, (Columbia, Tennessee 1986) is still under copyright so I can't really quote the whole thing. But in the article on page 282, she relates how she was taken to "the old Mormon Place; an old log home near the Duck River on property belonging to the Hooker Chemical Company in Hickman County. The home was near the property line of the Natchez Trace Parkway System, but actually sat right on the original Trace. Nearby was a cemetery and one of the names she recorded from the graves there was Abraham Church (1790-1851). Abraham settled there in 1836. One of his sons, George, built a race track. The track was called Pluck-em-in.

Jill went on to describe another son of Abraham Church: Rufus Robins Church. According to Jill RR Church had joined the Mormon Church and moved to Utah. He had come back to influence his friend s a neighbors to join the church. He died just 12 days after the Cane Creek Massacre, and was buried in this same cemetery. Newspapers claimed his death may have been from natural causes but that the real cause was shock due to the deaths at the Massacre.

It sounds like Jill has conflated the stories of RR Church together with that of Hayden Wells Church. It is likely Hayden's grave stone was originally place here. However, I believe the name was Robert Robbins Church. "Rufus" probably comes from Rufus Coleman, who was a friend of the missionaries and who helped Elder Roberts retrieve the bodies of Gibbs and Berry.

Those who didn't gather from Tennessee

After the exodus of the Mormons from Nauvoo to the west, missionary work in Tennessee was suddenly halted. All effort was on gathering the saints to the great basin. Briefly in 1857, Hyrum H. Blackwell and Emmanuel M. Murphy came to Tennessee to call all the saints to gather to Utah. Not everyone member went west. In an autobiography by Hyrum Belnap, he recounts meeting one of the members who refused the call to gather to Utah.

The next day [21 October 1979] was spent in advertising our appointments in that vicinity, and while in the northwestern portion of the neighborhood, we met an elderly lady by the name of Mary Ann Hickman. We soon learned that she was a Mormon and it had been many years since she had seen an elder of our faith. She was baptized in 1847 [probably earlier] by John D. Lee. Her knowledge of the church at present was very limited, but her recollection of what was taught in the early days of the Church was very distinct. She told us of many prophecies of the elders and very earnestly related the fulfillment of some of them, one of which I will relate.

While they lived in Roloford [Rutherford] County, if I remember correctly, one of the elders told her of a few other scattered members, whom the elders had told that if they did not emigrate to Zion then, the time would come when they would be glad to have gone to Zion barefooted. The elders also said that not many years afterward there would be a war between the North and the South and that a battle would be fought where they lived. At the time, these sayings were little heeded. Ere long the rebellion broke out and surely enough, one morning they heard the roar of the cannon and soon horses came rushing by, some had riders and others had none. On every side could be heard the groans of the dying and wounded. At this point the old lady grew nervous and exclaimed, “Then we remembered the saying of the elders and would to God we had obeyed them”

Hyrum Belnap also ran into other members from before 1847. Michael Fry joined the Church in the mid 1830’s. He proudly showed off his 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon. Fry introduced him to William M. Malin who was baptized by Warren Parish in 1834.

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.]

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.]

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.

Ross Kelley

In the course of my research on Cane Creek, I ran across a reference to a Mormon missionary being shot in Hawkins county, Tennessee. I'm still looking for more info on this. So far he does not appear in any of the missionary journals to which I have access. Nor do I find an obvious match in any of my Mormon sources.

New York Times 8-19-1884
Nashville, Tenn. ... Intelligence has been received that a Mormon preacher in Hawkins County has been shot and very seriously wounded by a negro. There are several Mormons there, and the sentiment is strong against them. Whether the negro wounded the Mormon at the instigation of others or upon his own account is not known.


New York Times 8-23-1884
Nashville, Tenn. ... Ross Kelley, the Mormon Elder who was shot in Hawkins County, is out of danger. Kelley was sitting on the porch of Col. Greene, when a negro named Cantrell fired at him from a point of concealment near the house.

A New Grave Marker

In 1932, Miles L. Jones, who was the Kentucky-Tennesee Mission President, visited the Cane Creek area. He “found that the graves were covered with a very thick growth of briars.” Upon his return to Louisville, he talked “the matter over with Sylvester Q. Cannon, [who] said he thought a suitable monument should be erected there in honor of the Conder boys. Bishop Cannon consulted President Grant and his counsellors (sic), and they approved his recommendation.”

On August 21st 1933, President Jones returned to Cane Creek with President W. H MacKay, Elder W. M. Davis and Brother E. L. Travis (of Maury County, Tennessee). They interviewed some of the surviving witnesses, took a walking tour of the area and visited the local members. President Jones spent the night with the the A. J. Talley family. The also located a reputable dealer for a grave marker: W. W. Pollock.

In early spring of 1934, “an order was placed with Mr. W. W. Pollack to erect a monument at the graves of the Conder boys.” Mr. Pollock of Hohenwald, Tennessee “supplies monuments and markers made by W. M. Dean Marble Company at Columbia,” Tennessee. The marker was placed on June 5th 1934. On Saturday, June 9th 1934, Elder Charles A. Callis, the newest member of the Quorum of the Twelve, conducted the dedication. After singing “When First the Glorious Light of Truth Burst Forth in this Last Age”, James M. Kirkham offered the opening prayer. Miles L. Jones offered some remarks about the erection of the monument. Then Elder Callis then offered his own remarks on the “fulfillment of prophesy and then offered the dedicatory prayer.” Mr. Pollock later wrote that it was the most touching service he had ever had the privledge of seeing.

Those present were Charles A. Callis (of the Quorum of the Twelve), Miles L. Jones (President of the Kentucky-Tennessee Mission), James M. Kirkham (probably in the mission presidency at Louisville, Kentucky), W. W. Cliff (President of the Middle Tennessee District), A. E. Stone (probably in the district presidency of Middle Tennessee), Eldridge Lee Travis (probably the branch president in Maury County, Tennessee), Esther May Smith Travis (his wife), Andrew Jackson Talley (a member from Cane Creek and a massacre witness), Mahala Francis Talley (wife of A.J. Talley), James Poole Talley (a member from Cane Creek and a massacre witness), William Walter Pollock (not a Mormon, but he provided the stone marker), and Tom Talley (owner of the land in 1934).

Photos were taken by James M. Kirkham. Unfortunately I do not have them.

David Webb, a descendent of Betty Webb, one of the witnesses, was kind enough to provide me with this recent photo.

[Editor's note: one of the most interesting parts of this was tracking down the full names of the participants. Most were identified only by their initials, one by last name only, and two only as the wife of another participant. Fun Stuff. As I find out more names I will update them here.]