Elder Kimball's Stories About His Health

Among the trials of serving a mission is the health issues sometimes accompanying living in a climate and eating the food to which you are not accustomed. Elder Jonathon Golden Kimball was particularly ill during his first mission to the Southern States. When B. H. Roberts returned to Chattanooga as acting Mission President, he found Elder Kimball in such dire ill health, that he relieved him from his secretarial duties and sent him to Shady Grove to recuperate. It was while he was there that the Cane Creek Massacre occurred. Because of his proximity, Elder Kimball was able to aid in getting Elder Thompson and Elder Jones to safety. But this was not his first run in with illness.

[I can't speak for the accuracy of these stories. They were reported by Brother Kimball, as a sort of late first hand recollection. And for the most part they are completely unverifyable. Regardless, never let the truth get in the way of a good story. Right?]

Earlier in his mission, back in Chattanooga, Elder Kimball contracted malaria. It was while he was ill that he ran into a physician on the street, who noted his condition and said "Young man, I don't know who you are, but if you don't do something for yourself, you will die." Elder Kimball responded "Well, I won't die, as I am a Mormon --- you can't kill them"

When President Morgan came to relieve Elder Roberts, he noted that Elder Kimball was very ill. President Morgan said to to him "Brother Kimball, you better go home. The mission is very hard-run for money. It will cost us twenty-four dollars to send you home alive, but it will cost us three hundred dollars to send you home dead"

Bigham Family's Missionary Guestbook

Have you ever signed a guestbook? Ever wonder if anyone ever read your name wondering who you were. Well, a while ago I was blessed with a missionary guestbook belonging to E.S. Bigham, a member from the Humphreys County area of Tennessee. He started keeping a guestbook in the blank pages of his "Ready References" book. The book was published by George Q. Cannon in 1891 for the use of LDS missionaries. All I received were photocopies of the pages with missionary signatures. Brother Bigham wrote in the names of missionaries he knew had been to his home until March 1898, which I'm guessing is when he obtained the book. Thereafter his missionary guests signed the book themselves. Not all of them dated their signature, and even fewer indicated where they were from. A few only gave their last name.

Maybe one of you is related to or knows more about these missionaries. A few I have written about. Most I have never heard of before. What can you tell me?

Name	From	Date
George W. Stanger		1887
Don C Markham		1887
Richard Shipp		1887
Bard Shipp		1887
B. H. Roberts		1887
Stephen S.C. Worthington		1887
A. Srouris		1887
Elias S. Wright		1887
James Danghs		1887
Borks		[no date]
Ray McGenty		[no date]
Ernest E. Brown		[no date]
James M. Eardley		[no date]
Henry A. Grove		[no date]
Oley C. Olsen		[no date]
Joseph D. Young		[no date]
Thadeous W. Naylor		[no date]
John Barker		[no date]
Nephi M. Savage		[no date]
Robert G. Archibald		[no date]
Warren C. Christenson		[no date]
C. O. Christenson		[no date]
Shepherd Crowther		[no date]
John L. Bench Jr.	Fairview, San Pete Co., Utah	31 Mar 1898
R. G. Lowe	Franklin, Oneida Co., Idaho	31 Mar 1898
James M. Smith	Logan, Cache Co., Utah	[no date]
Emery F. Barrns	Fairview, Wyoming	[no date]
David C. Shupe	North Ogden, Utah	16 Jun 1899
Reigo S. Hawkins	Salt Lake City	16 Jun 1899
H. L. Petty	Emery, Emery Co., Utah	8 July 1899
R. J. Foulger	Salt Lake City, Utah	8 July 1899
James Larson	Brigham City	4 Dec 1898
Walter J. Randall	Prada, Gila Co., Arizona	29 Jul 1899
William P. Murray	Wellsville, Cache Co., Utah	19 Aug 1899
Edmond S. Parkinson	Franklin, Oneida Co., Idaho	19 Aug 1899
J. Urban Allred	Lehi, Utah Co., Utah	19 Aug 1899
Mora Stewart	Mesa City, Maricopa Co., Ariz
John L. Bergeson	Lewiston, Cache Co., Utah	6 Sep 1899
Alma Olsen	Logan, Cache Co., Utah	4 Dec 1899
Alfred Fuller	Pine, Gila, Arizona	26 Feb 1900
W. L. Mooper	Weston, Oneida Co., Idaho	26 Feb 1900
John R. South	Randolph, Rich Co., Utah	10 May 1901
David Halls	Mancos, Montezuma Co., Colo	10 May 1901
Wilbur Sowards	Manassa, Colorado	4 Nov 1901
Charles E. Kapper	Logan City, Utah	4 Nov 1901
Chas H. Marttery	Kockland, Idaho	1902
A. G. Haskell	Manassa, Colorado	1 Apr 1902
Heber Ogden	Richfield, Utah	15 Apr 1902
Melvin P. Miller	Murray, Utah
Orson W. Raulin	Salt Lake City, Utah	[no date]
L. R. Porter	Porterville, Morgan Co., Utah	[no date]
C. M. Alston	Salt Lake City, Utah	[no date]
Martin A. Clinger	Lakeview, Utah	31 Oct 1902
Jesse F. Cooper	Overton, Nevada	31 Oct 1902
John W. Caspersen	Preston, Oneida Co., Idaho	Jan 1903
George J. Fox	Salt Lake City, Utah	[no date]
Wm Geo Brough Jr.	Porterville, Morgan Co., Utah	[no date]
J. W. Johnson	Salem, Utah Co., Utah	10 Jun 1903
Golden Shields		[no date]
Joseph Ipson	Paguitch, Utah	19 Aug 1904
L. W. Hatch	Woodruff, Navajo Co., Ariz	19 Aug 1904
John Redden	Coleville, Summit Co., Utah	19 Aug 1904
Lorenzo Hansen	Preston, Oneida Co., Idaho	4 Dec 1904
John G. Shields	Lincoln, Tooele Co., Utah	9 Dec 1904
J. F. Brown	Fairview, Wyoming	9 Dec 1904
Qinn C. Whittier	Oakley, Cassia Co., Idaho	9 Dec 1904
Elmer Kimber	Grouse Creek, Utah	9 Apr 1905
C. E. Rowan Jr.	Coyoto, Garfield Co., Utah	9 Apr 1905
Hugh Roberts		21 Aug 1905
Albert W. Bonham	Hooper, Weber, Utah	20 Jan 1906
John H. Bagley	Nibley, Union Co., Oregon	20 Jan 1906
James William Hansen	Payson Utah	9 Mar 1906
Wm D. Bocker	Salt Lake City, Utah	[no date]
Emery E. Huntsman	Enterprise, Washington Co., Utah	12 Jul 1906
Silas W. Bills	Riverton, Salt Lake Co., Utah	15 Jul 1906
Miller		[no date]
Jas T. Moore	Prospect, Idaho	6 Jan 1907
Michaelson		[no date]
David J. Stewart	Grover, Wayne Co., Utah	6 Jan 1907
[illegible]		[no date]
[illegible]		[no date]
Larson		[no date]

Robert Edge by Elder Belnap Part 8

[Below are some random observations Hyrum Belap made about Robert Edge. Hyrum was responsible for telling the most detailed stories about this mysterious preacher. He wrote years after the fact and for the purpose of telling it to an audience. Like most stories, his tale was more detailed than the earlier versions]

There were several beautiful sketches drawn by Mr. Edge while in this locality. The one which particularly attracted my attention was a beautiful arch drawn upon the front leaf of a large Bible owned by Mr. Sirenous Reed. Directly up the center of this arch were very neatly placed seven steps, on the foot of which was written, beginning at the bottom the following words: Virtue, Knowledge, Temperance, Patience, Godliness, Brotherly Kindness and Charity. Just beneath the bow of the arch was placed the figure of a young man who had just climbed this narrow stairway, kneeling upon the top step receiving a beautiful crown from the hands of an angel.

In conversation with some of them, Mr. Edge stated that he once lived in the land of Texas and had a wife and one child, when he began his missionary labor.He also informed them that he had a partner whom he very frequently travelled with by the name of Cob, whom he had not seen since leaving the State of Arkansas. In speaking of himself he said, “I am not worthy of but one of the nail prints in my hands.”

Some time after his departure, one of this little band was casually turning the leaves of the large Bible owned by S. Reed and discovered the 31st verse of the 24th Chapter of Matthew, inclosed in brackets, inside of which was written the name of Robert Edge.

And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:31

He wrote his people two letters of encouragement, one while in the State of Georgia and the other while in South Carolina. In the last one he spoke some of visiting England. A few months later I met Pres. Morgan in the city of Nashville, who, while in conversation regarding this preacher, Edge, showed me a letter that he received some time previous with no name signed to it. As far as I was able to judge between the writings left in Henderson County by Mr. Edge and this letter, they were penciled by the same hand.

Every one of the 21 followers who fasted for the full three days were baptized. Late in the fall of the same year Hailey’s Creek Branch, save one soul, emigrated to San Jose, Colorado.

Elder Belnap and Elder Carver once passed thru Howville and stayed with Squire Long. He was very sociable and treated us kindly. As Mr. Long was an old settler and an influential gentleman we made some inquiries about Mr. Edge. He laughed and said he remembered when a crazy preacher came down on a rock some two years ago. The rock bursted and let him down on a sand hill. Told of his fasting and many other amusing stories. Said some believed he was a Mormon. Whoever he was he was certainly the shrewdest preacher that had been thru this country.

I don't know who Robert Edge was. But it is pretty clear Hyrum Belnap believed he was no ordinary mortal man.

Robert Edge by Elder Belnap Part 7

[Below is the continuation of an article written by Hyrum Belap about Robert Edge. Hyrum was responsible for telling the most detailed stories about this mysterious preacher. He wrote years after the fact and for the purpose of telling it to an audience. Like most stories, his tale was more detailed than the earlier versions]

This little band of Mr. Edge’s followers, according to his instructions met together often, talked to each other and sang praises to God. They frequently referred to the sayings of Mr. Edge in which he told them if they remained faithful and followed the dictations of the good spirit that other preachers would visit them and lead their footsteps to the main body of the church.

During the winter of 1880 there appeared in the New York Sun an interview with President John Taylor by O. J. Hollister, in which the officers of the church were named and many of its doctrines spoken of. This was the first thing to attract the attention of the followers of Mr. Edge toward the Latter Day Saints, and being desirous to learn more about this peculiar people they addressed a letter of inquiry to the county clerk of Salt Lake County. D. Beckholt, being clerk at that time, at once sent them the “Voice of Warning” and several copies of the Deseret News with the advice to address Pres. John Morgan at Rome, Georgia.

After reading the Voice of Warning and being favorably impressed with the doctrines contained therein, they addressed a letter to Pres. Morgan informing him that one of our preachers visited them a few years previous and laid his hands upon their heads for the reception of the Holy Ghost, but did not baptize them. Therefore they were very desirous of having an elder sent there to perform this ordinance.

Pres. Morgan at once forwarded the letter to Pres. Franklin Spencer at Shady Grove, Hickman County, Tennessee, who was then presiding over the Tennessee Conference, at the same time writing to these people in Henderson County, informing them that there was a branch of the Church on Cane Creek, Lewis County, Tennessee. On receiving this information, four of them mounted their horses and rode about sixty miles before they reached Cane Creek, but finding no elders there, they returned.

At this time this epistle came from Pres. Morgan there were laboring in the conference, Pres. Franklin Spencer, George H. Carver, Lorenzo Hunsaker and myself. Brother Carver and I were selected to visit West Tennessee. This left Pres. Spencer and Bro. Hunsaker each to travel alone. However, before starting, Pres. Spencer and I visited Cane Creek at the same time sending a letter to West Tennessee.
On arriving at Cane Creek we found this little branch somewhat exercised over the visit of these four gentlemen.

About the time our West Tennessee friends arrived home they received Pres. Spencer’s letter bringing the news that we would be at Cane Creek at a certain date. James H. Scott and Sireneous Reed wheeled their horses and came back.

They arrived at Cane Creek late in the afternoon. That evening and the following day was spent in conversing with these two gentlemen upon the principles of the gospel, who Mr. Edge was, how he taught the falling away and restoration of the gospel, the necessity of building temples, the name that one would receive who should remain faithful after passing thru the temples, etc.

Late in the afternoon of the same day these gentlemen, after having conversed together a short time, said: “What hindereth us from putting on the whole armor of God that we might withstand the fiery darts of the adversary?” Hence they were baptized and returned home rejoicing.

On the 13th day of May 1880, Brother George Carver and myself started on our trip to Henderson County, Tennessee. Not until we arrived within about thirty miles of Lexington, did we hear much about this peculiar preacher.

On the night of the 20th we staid with Squire Long, a very intelligent gentleman, who began telling us about that wonderful preacher, Robert Edge, who came into their midst some two years previous. As we knew nothing of Mr. Edge we sat and listened very attentively to his long story. He spoke about Mr. Edge pretending to be inspired of God, about his peculiar manner of going to and coming from meeting, of his being hunted down by mobs, of their fasting three days and more particularly about the lumbering noise he heard about the time Mr. Edge came among them.

On the evening of the 21st we arrived at Sireneous Reed’s. He received us kindly and sent out for a number of his brethren and you may be assured we had a good old time chat that evening.

To be continued...

A MYSTERIOUS PREACHER.

[This article was pointed out to me as being perhaps the earliest written account about Robert Edge, dated so soon after his followers discovered and joined the LDS Church. This would lend itself to considerable credibility and less likely to have the later unsubstantiated embellishments. It is written by Elder Franklin Spencer who was, at the time, President of the Tennessee Conference, making it a second witness, albeit almost identical to Elder Belnap's early versions. Now all I need is President Morgan's version]

[The following letter, the writer of which is a missionary in the Southern States Mission, America, appeared in the Deseret News of May 17th ]

Shady Grove, Hickman Co.,
May 6th, 1880.

Editor Deseret News.

In the month of April, 1878, one Robert Edge, a preacher of the Gospel after the apostolic order, came to and near Lexington, Henderson Co., Tennessee, and commenced warning the people of the judgments of God that will shortly come upon them for their wickedness. Spoke very lengthily upon the fulfillment of prophecy that was uttered by ancient prophets, and thoroughly proving the failing away and apostasy of the primitive Church: the killing of the Saints by Pagan Rome : the rise and progress of the Romish Church, as being mystery, Babylon, and all her daughters and grand-daughters being under direct inspiration of Lucifer, the son of the morning : that Jesus Christ is the head Mason, and that Masonry, as at present, is a base counterfeit, and all secret societies are institutions of men, and are an abomination in the sight of the Lord.

He dwelt very lightly on the principle of baptism, but extensively on the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost; that the apostolic church was again restored on the earth, with prophets and apostles, baptism for the remission of sins, laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, with signs following them that believe. By his administration four remarkable cases of healing occurred.

He positively refused money for his preaching. In the meantime the people became very curious to know who he was, and what church he belonged to. Being asked if baptism is essential for salvation, he said it was a true principle, but the people did not understand it. Being asked if he had authority to baptize, said if he had not, there were many on the earth who did have. Being asked if there was an apostolic church on the earth, said there was, with many members. Being asked where it was, said it was in the United States, but avoided giving any further information.

After having delivered a series of sermons, he called upon all to come out of Mystery Babylon, forsake manmade institutions, and follow Christ in accordance with the apostolic order.

Sixty-three then agreed to follow him as he followed Christ. He then proceeded to organize them in a brotherly love order, after the apostolic order, by laying on hands and blessing them, and by requesting them to fast three days, and by instructing them not to marry outside of said order, saluting each other with the holy kiss, and if they would be honest, faithful and prayerful, the Lord would guide them by His Spirit in all things they should do to be saved; that there was more he would like to inform them upon, but persecution was rising, and he would shortly have to leave them; that if persecution arose so they had to leave, for them to go west of the Rocky Mountains for safety.

A lively persecution shortly arose, charging him to be a "Mormon' preacher, which he did not deny nor sanction, but his followers did deny that he or they were "Mormons."

Nineteen of the number fulfilled the requirements of the order of brotherly love, have withstood two years' persecution, more or less, and in the absence of their beloved preacher they have held weekly meetings.

In the fall of 1879, their attention was called to an interview between O. J. Hollister, a United States official, and President John Taylor.

They then wrote to the county clerk of Salt Lake County for information, who kindly forwarded a "Voice of Warning," and a list of Church works, by which they sent for a full list of Church works, Deseret News and MILLENNIAL STAR.

They wrote a letter of enquiry to President Morgan, who forwarded the same to me, which was promptly answered, and in reply to which James H. Scott and S. Reed came to Cane Creek, Lewis County, a distance of fifty miles, and after hearing our views of the Gospel, which coincided with the teaching of Mr. Edge, they were baptized and confirmed by Brother Hyrum Belnap and myself, and returned home rejoicing that they had thus far followed the promptings of the Spirit of the Lord.

Since Brother Argyle left me in charge of this Mission, Dec. 17th, 1879, eleven members have been added to the Church. Elders Carver, Belnap and Hunsaker are active in their mission and enjoying the same.

FRANKLIN SPENCER

Charles A. Hickenlooper

Writing about recent history, which all of Mormon history is, has a risk other types of historical writing do not: running into people with a personal connection to your subject. In this case, it was a great-granddaughter. Jean contacted me shortly after finding my post on Sawdust. But this risk comes with great potential reward too. This time the reward was spectacular. Jean sent me two things: Photos and biography. Charles is seated in the center in the photo below with three other missionaries who were serving in Tennessee at the time. The biography includes quotes about Charles A Hickenlooper from family records. The first is from Charles' autobiography.

In the summer of 1895, I received a call from President Wilford Woodruff to go on a mission to the Southern States. I left my wife and family of five little children September 24, 1895 and our sixth child, Merl, was born February 14, 1896. It was very hard for me to leave them, especially so because of some dreams I had about the time I received my call in which it seemed that I was given a chance to deny my faith or be killed. Many of the elders really were mobbed, and a few had been killed, so these dreams did not add to my peace of mind. But the Lord watched over us all. I had all I needed to eat -- although sometimes I would get pretty hungry between meals – and a bed to sleep in every night.

I had many and varied experiences, many cases of healing, for which I am thankful indeed. My companion and I were assigned to open up a district in Cane Creek, Lewis County, where missionaries had not been since Elders Gibbs and Berry were killed by a mob. A number of the Saints had remained true to the faith for the eleven years since this mobbing and we were received with open arms by them. Among the four we baptized at Shady Grove was “Grandma” Church who had been a mother to the missionaries for forty years, doing anything she could for them. Her husband was president of the Branch and although she had heard John Morgan, B.H. Roberts, Golden Kimball, and many others preach and explain the gospel, she had never embraced it until now when we had the privilege of baptizing her. It was at Shady Grove that B.H. Roberts disguised himself and got the bodies of the martyred elders Berry and Gibbs. Much of the time we traveled without money, commonly spoken of as 'without purse or scrip'. The Lord blessed me and also my family, but I feel that my wife really had the hard part of the mission and I received the honor and glory.

The four they baptized in Maury County were Mary Ann Miller Church, Mary Bell Church Thomas, Margarett N. Church, and Minnie Lucretia Love Greenfield. Later Elder Hickenlooper was transfered to Overton County, Tennessee where he also baptized Lee Lester Phillips and Emma Morgan Phillips after he obtained a release but before leaving to go home.

In 1961, Charles' daughter Florence H Jensen, wrote a bit about her father's mission as well.

In 1895, Father was called on a mission to the Southern States, to labor in Tennessee. It was a hard thing for Mother to consent for him to go, leaving her with five children and Merl was born four one-half months after Father left. But both of them believed that members of the Church should do whatever was asked of them by the authorities, and he went and filled an honorable mission. Our brother Will was ten years old and he milked the cows. Mother made butter, sometimes getting as little as ten cents a pound for it. She raised pigs and chickens, sold eggs, picked berries, dried fruit and kept us well. It was surely a happy reunion when Father returned home. He always said that Mother had the hard part of the mission and he received the glory.

Jean went on to add her own information about her great-grandfather.

As you can see from both accounts, he gave credit to his wife and family for supporting him. While he was still on his mission in May 1897, Grandpa Hickenlooper was called to be counselor to Bishop Edward W. Wade of the Pleasant View Ward (Weber County) and so was released early. During his mission, he always carried a photograph (attached) of his children and showed it freely so that those not of the Church would realize that he was a husband and father with the same concerns they had and that he had come to share the gospel at some sacrifice. He died in 1938 before I was born.

(Thank you, Jean, for your permission to use these.)

Pioneers who came too late to count

The Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel Database covers a period that ends with the arrival of the railroad to Utah in 1869. It is a reasonable cut off. I would never suggest that cut off be changed. But pioneers continued to come for many years (and still do today, but that is the subject for some other blog). I'll admit pioneer may not be the right word. Perhaps pilgrim is more appropriate.

After the organization of the Southern States Mission in 1875, some mission presidents organized companies of saints to go to Zion. For as long as the mission was based in Chattanooga, sometimes once or even twice a year, a company left for the west. John Morgan was probably the first to really bring order to these companies. He negotiated purchase agreements with the rail companies. He assigned missionaries to accompany the emigrants, sometimes even going himself.

Andrew Jenson noted a particularly large company of eighty left on November 13, 1884 bound for Colorado and Utah. But no where have I been able to find lists of any of the these pioneers. That surprises me considering how meticulous we are about keeping records. Perhaps someday ......

But from Cane Creek I know a few names and approximate dates. It isn't a complete list, but it is a start.

Spring 1881 - Colorado

Blanton, Burwell
Blanton (nee Tatum), Emily
Whitwell, Susan Palthena
Whitwell, John Marshall
Whitwell, Osce Jackson

Autumn 1883 - Colorado
Lancaster, Rachel
Depriest, James Houston
Depriest (nee Talley), Margaret Eisabel
Depriest, Thomas Walker
Depriest (nee Talley), Margaret Ellen
Depriest, Pleasant W.
Depriest (nee Fuller), Martha E.
Depriest, Mary Jane
Depriest, Sarah A. L.
Depriest, William Jason

May 1884 - Utah
Westbrook, John Douglas
Shaw, Lavina
Turner, Nancy "Josie"

November 13, 1884 - Colorado
Talley, Elisha Freeland
Talley (nee Hudson), Barbara Ellen
Talley, Leona Evelyn
Talley, Andrew Jackson
Talley, Ulysses Britt
Talley, Lewis Scott
Lancaster, John M.
Lancaster (nee Talley), Sarah Elizabeth
Lancaster, Margaret
Lancaster, Mary Maude
Lancaster, Martha M.
Lancaster, John William
Lancaster, Elizabeth
Lancaster, Jesse Witfield
Sealy, William
Sealy (nee Talley), Mary Ann

Henry Green Boyle

In 1876, Henry Green Boyle was chosen to head the missionary work in the US south. He had been there before the previous year with George Teasdale, D. P. Bainey, Joseph Standing, John Morgan, John D. H. McCallister, David H. Perry, and John Winder. Any of those name sound familiar? Now he was returning with an official title: President of the Southern States Mission. It included Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Virginia.

His first set of missionaries were Elders William Calder, J. W. Sharp, J. P. Wimmer, J. S. Page Jr., Samuel Worsencroft, Samuel Douglas, Charles Brewerton, William C Whightman, Joseph Argyle, J. W. Thomas, John C. Harper, and Franklin Haymore.

President was released to return home in January 1878. Elder John Morgan was appointed in his stead. His journals and other papers are archived at BYU.

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]

Warrant for Arrest

Back in May 2009 I wrote Arrest Bring Conversion about a letter Elder William F Garner received from his one time jailor. While digging through my notes I came across the text of the arrest warrant.

State of Tenn

Carter Co


            Information having been made to me in writing, on oath, that C. F. Christensen, ---- Farmer, ---- Garner, ----- Gibbs, did on or about the --- day April 1885, and at divers others days in the county and state aforesaid, did willfully, maliciously, knowingly, and feloniously teach preach and promulgate the doctrine of polygamy, and that they did induce others by words and persuasion to adopt or embrace polygamy and to emigrate to another state or Territory, for the purpose of embracing polygamy. You are therefore commanded in the name of the state to forthwith arrest the said C. F. Christensen, Gibbs, Garner, and Farmer and bring them before me or some other justice of said county to be dealt with as the law directs. Given under my hand this twelfth day of May 1885

JAMES PERKY

JP for Carter County

Of course two of the Elders (Elder Gibbs & Farmer are nowhere to be found) were arrested and their story continues in jail, where they decide to preach to their fellow prisoners and to their jailor. Eventually an attempt at a trial is made, but the Elders wisely insist on proper representation. So the trial is postponed. The court places the bond at $500 which was eventually paid by President Morgan when he arrived from Chattanooga.

About the first of August Christensen and Garner returned home. Soon after this President Morgan visited Elizabethton and had an examination made of the court records; as a result it was found that the clerk of the court made a mistake in recording the bond the Elders had been released on. And instead of it being $500 it was only $5. This error, of course, only made Elder Christensen liable to the sum of $5 and practically freed him from the clutches of the unjust law

 Behold! The economy of God. The miracle of the moving decimal place.

Manassa, Colorado

Another city to which LDS converts from Tennessee (and the rest of the South) were directed to gather was Manassa, Colorado. The site was near two ranches that Mormons had purchased in 1879. The exact site was chosen based on the expect route of the railroad. The line eventually was laid three miles to the west. Regardless, the colony thrived mostly due to continued immigration and sound leadership.

Saints came to escape persecution in the south, but found the climate cold and harsh. Saints like the Talley and Depriest families of Lewis County found their way here, along with many others.
The Manassa Stake was formed in 1883.

So successful was Manassa that additional colonies were set up nearby including Sanford and Morgan (named after John Morgan, the Southern States Mission President at the time).

Today Manassa has three wards and a population of over 1,000 within the city limits. About half of the town is Mormon, most of the rest is Hispanic Catholic.

B. H. Roberts

I have put off writing about B. H. Roberts. There is so much already written about him, I could scarcely cover his life in this medium in the manner he deserves. And so I will cover just the portions of his life connected to the Cane Creek Massacre.

If any story has a prelude this is one. It needs not be read prior to the rest of this post, but it certainly should be read. You can read it here.

Of course, much of what we know about the massacre comes from the various accounts he has written. Some historians have criticized how his version of his involvement have been embellished over time. That is probably unfair. Certainly as I retell events in my life, there will be slight changes simply based on what I think is important at the time. But the more I research the Massacre, the more issues I find.

Elder Roberts spent part of his mission acting as President of the Middle Tennessee Conference. He served at Cane Creek and came to know and love the saints there personally. He also was well known outside the church. Which was a factor in his decision to disguise himself when he returned after the massacre. I suspect his familiarity with the people and the area had much to do with his decision to go there himself rather than sending another.

Starting in March 1884, Elders Roberts was the acting Mission President under Elder John Morgan. Actually, Elder Morgan has designated Roberts as his successor and was ready to put him in charge. But others in the Church hierarchy felt Roberts was too young to take on so much responsibility. So he was given the position under the remote direction of John Morgan.

The first news he heard of the massacre was from J. Golden Kimball. Kimball had been sick and was sent to Shady Grove, Tennessee to recuperate. While there, Kimball met the escaping missionaries: Jones on Monday morning and Thompson Tuesday morning. He immediately sent word to Roberts.

And here I run into my most recent problem with Roberts' autobiography. Roberts writes in so much detail in creates the sense that his account is accurate. But the details are sometimes wrong. Not in ways that make a great deal of difference, but still obviously wrong. Kimball didn't get the details about the Massacre until Tuesday morning when he met Elder Thompson and Tom Garrett when they arrived at Shady Grove. Immediately after they met on the road outside Shady Grove, Elder Kimball returned to town and telegraphs Roberts with the news of the death of Gibbs and Berry and that the other two Elders are alive and safe. But in his autobiography Roberts claimed this all happened Monday morning. Critical detail? Not really, but I spent more time than I should have trying to sort out the timeline based on Roberts lack of attention to detail.

President Roberts, upon hearing the news jumped into action as though he had been prepared for just such an event. He sent a request to Salt Lake to wire him funds to retrieve to bodies, arranged to borrow money from a friend of the Church, purchased two steel coffins to be sent ahead and got on a train to Nashville.

In Nashville he met with reporters announcing his intent to retrieve the bodies of the Elders. Because he is unable to secure protection from the governor on his trip into Lewis County, he dons his famous disguise. He shaved his beard, put on old dirty clothing and smeared grease and dirt on his face and hands. His disguise was so effective, even those who knew him well did not recognize him.

While in Lewis County he reveals himself to only one person: Isaac "Tom" Garrett, a friend of the church but not a member. Fortunately his trip was accomplished without serious problems.

After his return to Nashville, he had photograph taken of himself in his disguise and sent it home. He would later say that he did not want it spread outside his family; but that he wasn't given any say in the matter.

The Train Ride Home

Just before midnight, Monday August 18th 1884, Elder Willis Eugene Robison boarded a train carrying the bodies of John Henry Gibbs and William Shanks Berry back to their homes in Utah. The two were among the five killed at the Cane Creek Massacre.

The first leg of the journey was uneventful, but at Cairo, Illinois, a drunk man claiming to be the nephew of David Hinson, boarded the train. He was prevented from anything more than cursing and swearing by the officers on the train. At the same stop, the caskets were supposed to be moved to another train, but the conductor refused to let them be loaded. Some of the passengers watching the argument unfold yelled “throw them in the river.” It took some persistence, but the conductor finally relented, and the caskets were loaded.

The scene was repeated in Kansas City where they had to change trains again. This time however, the conductor threatened to resign before he allowed the caskets to be loaded. A compromise was reached allowing them to be loaded to a flat car, exposed to the elements, and lashed down with ropes to prevent them from falling off. They stayed outside until a rainstorm soaked the ropes. After which the baggage master consented to moving the caskets inside, out of fear that the wet ropes would not properly keep the caskets secure.

In Pueblo, Colorado Robison had to change trains again. But this time he met a yard-master who was friendlier than those he had met before. Allowing Elder Robison to rest, he took care of moving the caskets and wired President Morgan for him to let him know where he was.

One man arranged to have the train make a special stop at Price. He draped the station in honor of the slain missionary.

At Thistle Valley, the train was met by Abraham O. Smoot and others who had come out in order to ride with the train into Provo. On the August 21st, 1884, the train arrived in Provo, where two brass bands and a large crowd of people waited.

At Provo, Elder Berry’s remains were transferred to a train going south to Milford, Utah. Accompanying the body on the train south was Elder M. F. Cowley, who spoke at the funeral, and James W. Eardley. Also on the train were J. W. Berry, who was Elder Berry’s brother, Elder Willis E. Robison, and Bishop John Sharp. At stations along the way large crowds gathered, some of whom sung hymns while the train waited at each platform. After reaching Milford the casket was taken by wagon the seventy miles to Kanarra, Utah.

The train carrying the body Elder Gibbs arrived in Salt Lake City of August 22nd, 1884 at approximately 5:30 pm, about 20 minutes later than expected. Among the others that were on the train were John Morgan, H .S. Beatie Jr., James M. Barlow, Charles S. Brain, Jesse M. Smith, and George F. Gibbs who had presumably boarded the train in Provo.

An estimated three thousand people showed up including four different bands to play music fitting for the occasion; the Sixth Ward, the Sixteenth Ward, the Twenty-first Ward, and the Fireman’s Band. The Fireman’s Band, situated on its wagon close to the platform, played a funeral march “Tis Done” as the train pulled into the station.

Elder Gibbs’ casket was moved from the train and placed near the center of the station platform where everyone who wished was permitted to file past to view the coffin. After about a stay of only fifteen minutes, the casket was reloaded on the box car and the train continued on to Paradise, Cache County Utah. Elders Joseph H. Parry and Jesse M. Smith were designated to accompany the body. Also on the train as it left were Elder George F. Gibbs, who was Elder Gibbs’ brother, and three men sent from Ogden: Elder William H. Wright, William Critchlow, and Peter Anderson.

After the train left, the crowd formed an improvised procession with bands playing funeral marches and led by carriages carrying Joseph F. Smith, Wilford Woodruff, F. D. Richards and others found its way east through Salt Lake to the Gardo House. There A. M. Cannon spoke briefly and the crown dispersed. The flag at City Hall was lowered to half mast.

In Logan, Utah, at about 10:30 pm, a crowd began to assemble at the Tabernacle. It consisted of most of the Church leaders in Cache County including the Stake President C. O. Card. By 11:00 pm they began a torchlight procession. Led by the Fire Brigade, and kept in time to a funeral march played by the Logan and Plain City brass bands, the mourners marched to the railroad depot. At about fifteen minutes before midnight, the train carrying the body of Elder Gibbs pulled into the station.

After the remains were removed from the train and brief remarks by President Card, the procession reformed and followed the wagon carrying Elder Gibbs back up Second Street to Main Street and then south to the bridge. There the procession stopped, but the bands continued to play as Elder Gibbs’ father and friends from south of Logan continued with the remains on to the town of Paradise.

A Mormon Banter Accepted

Jonesborough , Tennessee is a city in the north east end of the State. It sits near the shared border with Virginia. In the Jonesborough Whig I found the following….

September 14, 1842

A Mormon Banter Accepted

A certain villainous Mormon Priest, one Jeddidiah (sic) Grant, the leader of this vile sect, in Western Virginia, has been denouncing us, for some time past, and recently has given us notice, through a friend, that he expects shortly to visit Jonesborough, and to take us off in a public discourse. Come on Jeddidiah (sic)! We are ready for you. We will have cirtificates (sic), by then, of the propositions you have made to divers females in Virginia! We will meet you, too, with the characters of your leader, from the Holy Joe, down to your infamous self. – Come on! We accept the challenge, and the people are anxious to hear, and above all to see a Mormon! No backing out – if your cause is good, as you alledge (sic), come up to the the (sic) scratch like a man.

And then a follow up article on…

October 5, 1842

Jedidiah Grant, the Mormon preacher, who [William G.] Brownlow invites to Jonesborough, has left the country – Wyeth Journal
We are sorry he did not give us a call, as we are now prepared to exhibit his character. We would like to get him before a crowd, [unreadable] we would relate some of his holy deeds!

This was actually the first time I had ever heard of Jedediah Grant. Jedediah Morgan Grant was born on 21 February 1816 in New York to Joshua and Athalia Grant. He was baptized in New York on 21 March 1833 and immediately went to Kirtland to join the Saints there. He proved his faith early by participating in Zion’s Camp. He served a mission in Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and New Jersey, though not crossing over the border into Tennessee. He was well known for his powerful, unrehearsed sermons.

From 1842 to 1844 he presided over the Church in Philadelphia. Shortly afterwards, he was called to the Presidency of the Seventy. He was the first Mayor of Salt Lake City, serving until his death (his successor was Abraham O. Smoot from Tennessee). In 1854 he was ordained an apostle and served in the First Presidency. He was a key figure in the “reformation” in 1856, gaining the nickname “Brighams Sledgehammer” for his emphatic style.

He died of pneumonia in 1856 just a few days after the birth of his son Heber J Grant.
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William Gannaway Brownlow began his career as a Methodist minister, riding a circuit in Virginia, and then later in Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. In 1839 he started a newspaper in Elizabethtown which he moved to Jonesborough in 1840 calling it the Jonesborough Whig. Brownlow's style was to attack all opposing views; the Mormons were not the sole recipients of his rhetoric.

He was an outspoke opponent of Tennessee seceding from the Union, though not of slavery. When that failed he was critical of the Confederate government. So critical that he was eventually arrested. Though he spent a while in jail he was released to the Union in March 1862.

Following the Civil War he was elected Governor of Tennessee, a position he held through Tennessee's readmitance to the Union. He mobilized State guards to supress the KKK. After his term was over he was selected as one of the State's Senators from 1869 to 1875. At the end of his time in DC he returned to Knoxville and took up newsapaper work again until his death in 1877.

Joseph Argyle

Joseph Argyle was born in England in 1818. His was a tin plate worker making gas meters. On his first day on the job he was boarded at an inn belonging to William Finch. Accidently he went to sleep in the wrong room and was awakened by a scream. The owners daughter, Jane Finch, was trying out a superstition that if she walked backwards and blindfolded to her bed, the first person she saw after removing her blindfold would be her future husband. As luck would have it, it was Jane's bed he had accidently gone to sleep in. Using her hand to find her bed she found instead a tuft of thick curly hair. In this case at least the superstition held true. They were married two months later.

Joseph and his wife joined the LDS Church in 1851 and 1852 respectively. By 1856 the decided to emigrate to Utah. Limited space does not allow me to record all their journey her, but the arrived in Utah in September 1856 in the Edmund Ellsworth handcart company. Later Joseph...
Quoted from the Argyle Family History.

"... fulfilled three missions, one in England, ... and two to the Southern States, laboring in Tennessee, from November 19, 1876, to October 1877, and from November 19, 1878, to December 23, 1879. He received his calls to go on his missions while at the general conference at Salt Lake City, Utah. While in this service, he and his companion saw the work of the Lord progress, baptizing 43 saints, 12 in England and 31 in Tennessee. He saw the power of God in healing the sick. Again from his diary we quote an instance which occurred in Tennessee:
“Sister Sally Moore was so very sick that they did not expect her to live until morning. A young man named Thomas Coleman was sent after the Elders. He was on one side of the river and we Elders on the other. When we received the message we were unable to go as we had an appointment to hold a meeting that evening. We said we would go the next morning. Thomas Coleman assured us that she would be dead by that time. But we told him to tell her that everything would be all right with her. After leaving him we went to a lonely place in a bunch of red cedars and then knelt down and prayed to the Lord in her behalf and asked him to stay the disease that was then preying upon her system. I prayed first and then Brother Sharp. When we arose from our knees, I told Brother Sharp to look at his watch and see the time and I would look at mine and we will see what transpires for I knew that she would be restored, yet neither of us had seen her. The next morning we went over to see Sister Sally Moore. We found on inquiry that she was much better and the change had taken place when we had prayed for her. When we left her the next day she was apparently well.”

There is a journal in the church Archive. However it does not contain many details about his second mission to Tennessee. There is a note that on

"About June 1 [1879] I received an appointment from president John Morgan to preside over the Tennessee conference. After a meeting at mr Bastin’s house he told us he did not want us preaching there anymore. There was a man there who spoke up and said we could use his house."

This is followed by an entry about his wife and children going to England in 1894.See "Argyle, Joseph, Reminiscences and journal, 1870 May-1894 Oct., 63."


Joseph was one of the first missionaries to visit Cane Creek, Tennessee, during his second mission to Tennessee, along with Elder Martin Garn and Edward Stevenson.

Near the end of his mission he was Letter from Parley P Pratt Jr to the Deseret News

"voted in as successor to Brother Parley P Pratt Jr as president of the Tennessee Conference"

Although I am pretty sure he knew many of the people involved in the Massacre, I have been unable to find anything he wrote concerning it. And I'm sure he wasn't thinking that the people of Cane Creek would have their lives altered in this tragic way. Though I wish we could know how he felt about these events.

Joseph spent the last few years of his life as the Patriarch of the Davis Stake until his death on Sep 26 1905.

[I recently found a obituary of Joseph Argyle claiming he was the first missionary to return to Cane Creek after the Massacre. Davis County Clipper 1905-10-06 Patriarch Called]

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.

John Monroe Lancaster & Sarah Elizabeth Talley

John Monroe Lancaster was born in Oct 1847 (1842?) in Tennessee to William B Lancaster and Mary Ann “Polly” Davidson. Sarah "Elizabeth" Talley was born on Dec 7th 1847 to Allen Talley & Feriba Hemby probably in Hickman County, Tennessee. They had seven children: Elizabeth (16 at the massacre), John William (11), Jesse W (8), Margaret (6), Mary Maude (4), and Martha M (2) all in Tennessee (Lou was not born yet).

John was one of the first few baptized at Cane Creek and was Branch President early on. He lived on the north side of Cane Creek near Elisha Talley. Just up the hollow from him lived Thomas DePriest. Brother Lancaster appears in multiple missionary journals. He may have been a cobbler of sorts since several times he is noted noted as having repaired the missionaries shoes. In truth this may have been at most a side business, farming being the primary occupation of nearly all the residents of Cane Creek. Missionaries would also eat at his home, though I have not found a reference to any of them sleeping there.

John served as Branch President until October 3 1880. He was replaced by Buswell Blandon. The “eldest daughter” of John Lancaster [Elizabeth at age 12] was baptized on June 20 1880. On September 4 1883, Elder Gibbs records blessing the daughter of brother Lancaster and giving her the name Martha Louisa [Lancaster].

John's sister, Rachel, also joined the Church. She left for Colorado in 1883, well before the massacre. There she married William F. Campbell, a widower from North Carolina with a daughter from a previous marriage.

According to W. L. Pinkerton, after the massacre John immediately took his family to live in Colorado. He was probably in the company that followed John Morgan to Manassa where his sister already lived. Before 1900 he had returned to Tennessee to live in Catroost Perry County following the death of his wife in May 1886 [4th or 25th] in Colorado, and perhaps the death of his sister. John is in Tennessee to sign a deed selling his father's land in Lewis County in September 1891, so he may have moved back to Tennessee before that. Ward records in Colorado indicate that most of his sister Rachel's children returned to Tennessee too. Their names were removed from the church records in 1909.

Many of the saints who left their homes in the lush South for the cold, dry, high altitude plains of southern Colorado decided to return home. Though the historical record tells me where they went, it does not always tell me why.

Emigration to Zion after 1868

Mormons are great record keepers. The Mormon Overland Travel, 1847-1868 is one example. It lists the Mormon pioneers across the plains and covers up to the advent of rail travel to Utah. It is pretty good but it isn't complete, so they are always looking for help improving it. Check to see if your pioneer ancestor is on it. If not, let them know. But emigration to Zion didn't end until the 20th century. There are thirty years of people coming to Utah, and the surrounding areas to join the saints in Zion. The record for that is less documented.

In late October or early November of 1884, shortly after the Cane Creek Massacre, many of the saints from Cane Creek who had not left already, followed John Morgan to Manassa, Colorado. According to B. H. Roberts, the church heavily subsidized this particular emigrant company. But neither the Family History Library nor the Church Archives have an official record available showing who was in the group. An online account said that 177 saints were in that group, but it did not quote the source. Arrgggh.

While in Salt Lake Last week I stopped in at the Family History Library. I thought perhaps I would have better luck in person. After a fruitless search I made my way over to the Archive. (I was able to to put some faces with the names I have come to know.) One of the archivists suggested looking at the Stake History that include the Manassa, Colorado Ward. Perhaps they will have a record of who arrived and where they were from. So I took five minutes and found it. Quickly I wrote down the number of the microfilm and took it up to the reference desk. Unfortunately I was there on New Year's Eve. They were closing early (at 4:00) and not taking any more requests from the stacks after 3:30 (it was 3:35). I had spent too much time at the Family History Library.

I'll be back. My next trip may be in August, and the Archives will be in their new home by then. Another excuse for a visit.

James Houston DePriest & Margaret Easibel Talley

One of the untold stories of the tragedy at Cane Creek Tennessee, is the number of people whose lives were forever altered by it. In the spirit of this I have begun looking at the names that appear in the various records I have run across to determine what happened to them afterwards.

James Houston DePriest (called Jim) was born on Dec 25th 1853 in Hickman County, Tennessee, to William Andrew and Nancy Jane Harder DePriest. Margaret Easibel Talley was born in Hickman County, Tennessee on Jun 23rd 1858 to Allen and Pheriba Henby Talley. They were married on 12 April 1877. James owned a small store in in Tennessee which along with farming, made a reasonable living for them. When they met the missionaries, they were living on Cane Creek, along with relatives on both sides of the family. After carefully consideration, they were baptized by Elder Martin Garn on January 28, 1880.

Their home, just down the creek from Margaret's brother, Elisha Talley, was frequently the location for meetings (singing practice, as well as the blessing of nine children, are mentioned by Hyrum Belnap), where the missionaries would eat dinner, and sometimes spend the night. According to Hyrum Belnap on September 18th 1881, after Brother Buswell Blandon (also called Dr. Blandon) left for Colorado, James was set apart as the Presiding Elder over the Cane Creek Branch. According to family records it was on March 7th 1880 (by Franklin Spencer and B. H. Roberts).

On March 26th, 1883 he was released as he and his family went west to Colorado with John Morgan. But his extended family was still in Tennessee at the Massacre. Later, while living in Manasa, Colorado, he wrote a letter to The Liahona: The Elders’ Journal saying

"Tennessee, being my native state, and finding THE ELDERS' JOURNAL an interesting paper to read, I thought I would say this much through its columns: I was born on Cane Creek, Hickman Co., where I first heard the Gospel preached in 1880. After listening to a number of the Elders, and thoroughly investigating the Gospel for myself, I complied with the ordinance of baptism, and gathered with the Saints in 1883, to Manassa, [Colorado], under the leadership of President John Morgan. My testimony to my friends in Tennessee and North Carolina is that the Gospel which the Elders are advocating is true, and I would exhort them to lay aside all prejudice, like I did, and ask God to show them the truth, which He will do."

Published on Dec 15 1905.

Margaret also had extended family living at Cane Creek at the time of the massacre. After the massacre, a few of both James' and Margaret's family joined them in Colorado. Some of them would return to Tennessee, renouncing the Church. According to a local historian W. L. Pinkerton, James & Margaret returned to Tennessee to visit relatives at least once, though they never renounced their membership in the LDS church. They appear in the 1920 Census still living in Colorado.

Jim and his wife lived a full life with many ups and downs. They lost everything in the depression because he extended credit (at his store) to those in greater need that him. But he also served as a city councilman and acted as mayor for one term.

James Houston DePriest died 2 Jul 1932 at Manassa, Conejos, Colorado. Margaret Easibel Talley died Aug 24th 1937 at Manassa, Conejos, Colorado. They are buried in the Old Manassa Cemetery located about 5 blocks south of Manassa's Main Street on Fifth Street.

Some records indicate he married Susan Horner in 31 October 1875, but she is mentioned only once. If this information is correct she most likely died before he married Margaret in 1877, though the marriage could have been disolved

Cane Creek changed counties more than once. Originally in Hickman County, it became part of Lewis county in 1843. Then before the civil war the county charter was dissolved (date uncertain) and it was administered from Hickman County again. After the war the charter was renewed and once more was part of Lewis County.

See the Heber Houston DePriest Family History at http://contentdm.byu.edu/u?/FH3,56956

Cane Creek Massacre

One of the biggest events in LDS History in Tennesse was the Cane Creek Massacre, also known as Tennessee's Mormon Massacre. Cane Creek is a remote section of Lewis County, Tennessee. Missionaries of the period focused on rural communities because of the opposition they received in the larger cities.

The two missionaries serving in the area which included Cane Creek, were Elder Henry Thompson and Elder William S. Berry. A meeting was planned for Sunday morning at the home of "Jim" Conder. They were joined earlier in the week by two other Elders; John H. Gibbs and William H. Jones. Elder Gibbs had previously served at Cane Creek and was very well known. He had recently been given a supervisory role for LDS missionary activities in western Tennessee and as part of his duties had completed a tour of western Tennessee and parts of Mississippi.

Sunday morning while three of the Elders met at the Conder home, Elder Jones was at the home of Tom Garrett where he, Elder Gibbs and Elder Thompson had spent the night. He was reading a discourse by a “prominent elder of the church” to a small group meeting there. When he was finished, he started to make his way to the main Sunday meeting when he was surrounded by a mob of armed men in masks and "outlandish colorful" disguises. After questioning him, they left him under the guard of one of their number. The mob seemed mostly interested in the whereabouts of Elder Gibbs. "Time is flying. Let us get Gibbs" one of the vigilantes said.

The mob proceeded to the Conder home. They seized "Jim" Conder at the gate, who called to his two sons for help. One of the sons, J. Riley Hutson (his stepson) ran up to the loft to get his gun. The other, W. Martin Conder, ran to the back door to get his. The apparent mob leader, David Hinson, and few others entered the house where and Hinson and Martin struggled over the gun. At some point Hinson pulled a pistol to shoot Martin. The gun misfired but it allowed Hinson to gain the upper hand and he knocked Martin to the ground. He then turned and shot Elder Gibbs. Another member of the mob, then attempted to shoot Elder Thompson. Elder Berry grabbed the gun barrel with both hands and pushed it out of the way while Elder Thompson escaped out the back door. Elder Berry was then shot and died instantly. Martin regaining his composure went after the gun again. But he was shot by a different assailant and died instantly. Martin’s half brother, Riley, came down from the loft and shot and killed David Hinson but was in turn shot himself. Another shot fired from outside the Conder house hit Mrs. Conder in the hip. Her story is continued by Ardis Parshall here. The mob then left taking the body of David Hinson with them.

During the gunfight Elder Jones, left under guard less than a mile away, heard the shots and was allowed to escape by his guard. He immediately headed for Shady Grove in the next county.

Elder Willis E Robison and his companion in McEwen, Tennessee heard rumors of a shooting, but they varied from a single Elder being wounded and left to die in the woods to everyone at the meeting being killed. Not being able to determine the truth from the rumors, Elder Robison disguised himself as an itinerant cotton picker, he made his way to the Conder home. After learning from the Conder's what had happened he left in time to receive instructions to rendezvous with B. H. Roberts in Nashville.

Elder J. Golden Kimball, who was the Mission Secretary, by chance met one of the escaping missionaries (Elder Jones) in Shady Grove, Tennessee, the nearest community to Cane Creek with a Mormon congregation. The next day Thompson makes it to Shady Grove. With details from both Elders, Kimball sent news to Elder B. H. Roberts, who was an acting Mission President under John Morgan. Roberts sent instructions for all the missionaries to gather in Nashville.

Roberts, after meeting with Jones and Thompson, disguised himself, and went to Lewis county to secure the remains of the two Elders. He then had them sent to Utah in the care of Elder Robison.

For most of this my source has been Tennessee’s Mormon Massacre by Marshall Wingfield. And the two surviving missionaries published their accounts in the Deseret News. B. H. Roberts published an account based on interviews with unnamed witnesses. But there are other accounts which disagree on the specifics. One is published on the Lewis county website (the domain registration has expired for this link. I'm hoping the admin will fix that soon. Try this site instead). It is un-cited but quotes the work of W. L. Pinkerton. Pinkerton was a lawyer from Centerville, TN, and a local amateur historian. He would have had (in 1907) access to oral testimonies of several eyewitnesses from both sides. But unfortunately he did not document any of his research. It differs on many details, but not significantly.

[Addendum: updated October 1, 2013. This is only a brief summary of the events. Far more is known about what happened that day and I have published a book on it called A Land of Strangers. But in order to make the blog short enough to be readable, I've had to exclude much of the detail. If you want to read more of what I have written, click on the Cane Creek label to the left or if you want a more detailed summary of Aug 10, 1884 click here. For the hardcore historian take a look at my book for almost 300 pages of detail about the massacre and the lives of the Tennesseans involved. I am always finding more details so if you want even more, you can also email me at bruce.allen.cr at gmail.com with specific questions]