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FIFTEEN    YEARS 

AMONG   THE   MORMONS: 


BEING  THB 


NARRATIVE  OF  MRS.  MARY  ETTIE  V.  SMITH, 

LATE   OF   GEE  AT   SALT   LAKE   CITY: 

A  SISTER  OP  ONE  OF  THE  MORMON  HIGH  PRIESTS,  SHE  HATING  BEEN  PERSONALLY 

ACQUAINTED   WITH    MOST    OP    THE    MORMON    LEADERS,   AND    LONG    IN    THM 

CONFIDENCE  OP  THE   "  PROPHET,"  B^jauAZi  YOUNO- 


BY  NELSON  WINCH  GEEEN. 


H.    DAYTON,     PUBLISHER 

36    HOWARD  STREET. 
fRDUNAPOLTS,   IND.  :—  ASHER  4  COMPACT. 

1859. 


S1&7 


Ktefi:&Kt>  ac«*>rding  to  Act  of  Con^r«esg,  a  the  year  1857,  ty 

CHARLES     SCRIBNEF, 

Lfc  the  Cfeife's.  Odict  oi  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  fcr  the  Southern  Did  ltd  o* 

N**r  Yor*. 


^0  I  3  I  5" 


J.  J.  Reed,  Printer  &  Stereottper, 
43  &  45  Centre  Street. 


SfftUatto?;. 


TO     THE     MOTHERS    AND     DAUGHTERS     OF     CHRISTENDOM, 


AND  PARTICULARLY  TO 


M¥  COUNTRYWOMEN   OF  THE  UNITED    STATES, 


•i'HIS  VOLUME   IS   RESPECTFULLY   DEDICATED 


PREFACE. 


The  human  mind  is  peculiarly  open  to  the  approach  of  reli- 
gious delusion.  Man  is  naturally  religious,  but  prone  perhaps 
to  mix  with  the  pure  gospels  of  a  pure  system,  something  of  a 
grosser  sort,  and  is  inclined  to  bring  the  latter  down,  and  to 
square  it  with  his  own  poor  humanity,  when  unable  to.  raise 
himself  to  the  level  of  an  exalted  faith.  Hence  we  find  the  suc- 
cess of  these  pretenders  to  new  revelations,  to  be  due  less  to 
the  merit  of  what  they  teach,  than  to  the  weakness  of  their 
victims. 

No  delusion  of  this  character  has  for  many  centuries  met 
with  half  the  success,  or  achieved  a  position  so  threatening  and 
formidable  as  has  the  Mormonism  of  our  own  day.  And  no 
Prophet  among  the  class  to  which  we  refer,  has  entertained  the 
ambitious  and  aggressive  views  of  Brigham  Young,  since  the 
advent  of  Mahomet,  whose  armed  followers  overran  the  fairest 
portions  of  the  East  with  the  irresistible  argument  of  the  "  Koran 
or  the  sword."  And  it  is  perhaps  not  without  reason  that  the 
public  mind  has  been  suddenly  moved  to  inquire  whether  the 
known  aims  of  the  successor  of  Joseph  Smith  may  not  point  to 
a  similar  destiny  for  this  continent.  For  it  is  with  some  concern 
that  we  are  reminded  that  in  the  early  years  of  the  hegira,  the 
power  and  the  pretensions  of  the  Prophet  of  Medina,  were  much 
less  in  fact,  than  are  those  of  the  aspirant  to  divine  honors  at 
Salt  Lake  to-day. 

And  while  there  can  be  but  little  doubt  as  to  the  result  of  a 
conflict,  should  it  come  to  that,  as  between  the  people  of  the 
United  States  and  the  Saints  in  Utah,  with  all  the  advantages 
claimed  for  the  latter,  from  their  isolated  position,  unity  of  pur- 
pose and  action,  known  enterprise,  and  other  admitted  elements 


vi  Preface. 

of  strength  which  would  tell  in  such  a  contest,  yet  the  question 
is  not  entirely  devoid  of  difficulty,  with  reference  to  the  line  of 
policy  the  Government  at  Washington  is  likely  to  adopt,  in  con- 
trast with  that  which  it  is  believed  should  be  adopted. 

This  Government,  ranking  among  the  first  Christian  powers 
of  the  earth,  owes  something  to  civilization  and  the  world  as 
touching  the  solution  of  this  Mormon  question.  The  assump- 
tions and  errors  of  these  "  latter  day  Saints,"  are  too  monstrous 
and  radical  to  pass  with  a  mere  rebuke.  They  should  be 
crushed  in  the  bud,  if  indeed  they  have  not  already  passed  into 
a  dangerous  maturity.  They  should  be  torn  up  root  and  branch, 
especially  now,  when  the  alternative  is  held  out  by  the  "Pro- 
phet "  himself,  of,   "  fight  or  fly." 

These  men,  who  have  not  only  set  at  defiance  those  acknow- 
ledged principles  of  moral  ethics,  which  for  many  generations 
have  bound  Christendom  to  a  common  faith,  and  worked  out  for 
it  a  high  order  of  civilization,  but  have  repudiated  the  common 
instincts  of  humanity,  and  the  common  law  also,  should  not  be 
allowed,  even  as  a  compromise,  to  withdraw  from  the  territory 
of  the  United  States  unpunished. 

They  should  be  made  to  feel  the  heavy,  and  resistless  arm  of 
the  public  law.  The  iron  they  have  meted  to  others,  their 
defenceless  victims,  in  disregard  of  law,  should  be  made  to  enter 
their  own  souls,  under  the  sanction  of  law. 

But  under  our  peculiar  form  of  government,  undoubtedly  the 
best  in  the  world,  a  serious  difficulty  still  suggests  itself.  The 
outrages  in  Utah  call  for  an  immediate  remedy.  Humanity, 
racked  to  its  uttermost  of  endurance,  cannot  afford  to  wait  the 
slow  process  of  ordinary  governmental  action.  We  have 
already  seen  within  a  few  months,  an  army  put  in  motion,  and 
a  Governor  appointed  for  this  duty,  and  the  advance  of  both 
in  the  end  stayed,  for  some  reason,  another  year. 

When  we  remember  the  high  character  of  the  present  Chief 
Magistrate  of  the  nation,  there  can  be  but  little  doubt  that 
finally,  effective  and  well  judged  measures  will  be  taken  in  the 
premises;  but  still  the  question  recurs,  why  can  this  not  be 
done  now  ? 

Is  it  only  tho  voice  of  popular  majorities  that  can  move  the 


PjRKFAOK  Vii 

Government  to  action  ?  And  is  the  voice  of  suffering,  though 
armed  with  the  right,  not  to  be  heard,  unless  it  is  also  armed 
with  might.  Mast  it  bear  the  fearful,  and  uncertain  wand  of  a 
balance  of  power,  before  it  can  reach  the  ear  of  the  politician? 
Has  our  nationality  come  at  last,  to  be  but  the  exponent  of  a 
party  only,  and  has  it  nothing  left  of  a  sympathy  which  it  should 
hold  in  common  with  all  Americans  and  Christians  ? 

It  is  not  possible  that  politicians  are  so  lost  in  schemes  of 
party  plunder,  as  to  be  blind  to  the  necessity  of  preserving  the 
Government. 

But  what  need  have  we  for  delay  in  this  matter  ?  Is  it  not 
time  the  question  were  submitted  in  some  form  to  the  serious 
consideration  of  the  American  people,  if  submitted  it  must  be, 
before  action  can  be  had  ?  Can  there  be  the  differential  of  a 
doubt,  as  to  what  will  be  the  result  of  such  a  submission?  In- 
deed is  it  not  already  a  question  of  public  safety?  Can  this 
model  system  of  government  survive  the  shock  of  so  many 
elements  foreign  to  the  aims  and  scope  of  its  original  incep- 
tion ? 

Can  this  people,  always  liberal  and  generous,  quite  up  to  the 
verge  of  safety,  escape  demoralization  while  thus  trifling 
with  abstractions,  which  involve  the  validity  of  the  fundamen- 
tal law  ? 

Does  that  "largest  liberty,"  over  which  we  hear  the  National 
pride  so  justly  exalt  itself,  mean  the  liberty  to  sweep  away  the 
old  landmarks  of  Christendom,  and  the  glorious  old  common 
law  of  our  fathers?  Is  our  Bible,  and  the  free  institutions 
which  have  come  down  with,  and  grown  up  beside  it,  to  be 
sacrificed  to  an  extreme  application  of  the  well  approved  prin- 
ciples of  State  Eights,  and  popular  sovereignty  ?  In  the  splen- 
did machinery  of  Government  which  has  resulted  from  the  Eevo- 
lutlon,  and  the  exalted  line  of  state  policy  which  has  grown  up 
under  it,  did  not  our  fathers  bethink  them  of  a  sufficient  balance 
wheel  equal  to  the  duty  of  guarding  us  against  the  obstructions 
which  bad  men  and  fanatics  may  choose  to  interpose  to  its  con- 
tinued, equal,  steady,  and  general  working. 

It  cannot,  be  supposed,  that  in  the  advance  made  by  the 
framers  of  our  American  institutions,  it  was  had  in  contempla- 


viii  PREFACE. 

tion  to  retrograde  in  morals,  or  in  Christian  propriety,  or  to 
throw  away  what  civilization  had  already  gained  for  us.  But 
the  Mormon  practice  of  polygamy,  is  a  retrograde,  and  hence  if 
our  Constitution  does  not  afford  a  remedy  against  these  evils, 
and  if,  from  its  flexibility,  it  does  not  verify  the  fair  promise  of 
its  early  days,  the  friends  of  free  institutions  may  well  entertain 
apprehensions  for  the  future  of  this  country. 

But  when  we  look  the  difficulty  fearlessly  in  the  face,  the 
Gordian  knot  is  at  once  unloosed,  for  we  have  in  Utah  a  verifi- 
cation of  the  truth,  that  there  is  in  the  affairs  of  men,  a  certain 
tendency  to  a  compensation  in  favor  of  the  right,  and  against  the 
wrong-doer,  which  cannot  be  defeated.  Hence,  admitting  for 
the  sake  of  the  argument,  that  under  our  liberal  system  of 
Government,  the  practice  of  polygamy,  is  among  the  topics 
of  mere  local  interest,  and  subject  to  the  unquestioned  decision 
of  the  state  and  local  legislature,  yet  the  crimes  and  scandals, 
that  always  must,  and  as  it  appears  have  followed  in  Utah  the 
violation  of  those  wholesome  limitations  by  which  the  Christian 
marriage  have  been  surrounded  by  a  Wise  Hand,  are  not  exempt 
from  the  interference  of  the  law  officers  of  the  General  Govern- 
ment. But  such  interference  will  annihilate  both  Mormonism 
and  polygamy,  since  it  will  hang  all  the  leaders  of  any  note  con- 
cerned  in  these  outrages.  And  thus  we  find  this  question  easy 
of  solution,  requiring  only  a  firm  purpose,  and. an  unrelenting 
application  of  justice,  on  the  part  of  the  administrators  of  pub- 
lic affairs,  in  carrying  out,  in  a  legal  manner,  acknowledged 
principles  of  jurisprudence. 

But  space  will  not  admit  of  a  full  discussion  of  this  important 
subject  here.  Trusting  these  pages  may  in  some  measure  con- 
tribute to  a  timely  and  efficient  adjustment  of  the  Mormon  dif- 
ficulties, they  are  now  submitted  to  that  umpirage  to  which  an 
American  is  always  proud  to  appeal,  when  questions  of  great 
and  national  interest  are  under  dkcussion— to  the  American 
people. 

K.  W.  Gkeen. 

DAN3VILLE,  N   Y.,  Oct.  15M,  185T. 


OTEODU  CTION. 

About  tlie  first  of  March  last,  the  writer  of  this  Narrative 
was  first  introduced  to  the  subject  of  it,  by  a  mutual  friend ; 
and  listened  with  astonishment  to  her  extraordinary  story. 
Subsequently  much  time  was  spent  in  weighing,  sifting  and  com- 
paring her  statements. 

Convinced  by  this  investigation  of  its  entire  truthfulness, 
and  recognizing  the  claim  she  had  upon  the  public  ear,  and  the 
claim  to  be  heard  in  this  behalf  by  the  thousands  of  her  sex 
still  in  Mormon  land,  the  following  pages  have  been  written, 
and  are  now  offered  without  apology ;  albeit  but  little  time  has 
been  taken  to  prepare  for  the  press. 

The  appearance  and  general  state  of  mind  of  Mrs.  Smith,  at 
this  time,  was  very  peculiar:  and  not  without  interest  as  afford- 
ing evidence  of  her  good  faith.  At  times  timid  as  the  antelope 
of  the  mountains  among  which  she  has  suffered  so  much,  and 
but  partially  freed  from  the  thraldom  of  her  Mormon  habits  of 
life,  she  stood  braced  against  all  "  Gentile  "  approach,  and  al- 
though she  had  in  theory  abandoned  her  Mormon  faith,  she  had 
adopted  no  other  in  its  place.  The  dread  of  falling  into  some 
new  error,  rendered  her  almost  inaccessible  to  truth. 

On  one  occasion,  when  the  Mormon  belief  in  a  plurality  of  gods 
was  under  discussion,  the  fact  was  stated,  that  there  was  but  one 
God  over  all  the  universe  ;  she  replied  with  unfeigned  wonder, 
as  if  the  idea  was  altogether  new  to  her : 

"  What  ?    Do  you  believe  there  is  but  one  God  ?" 

In  giving  to  the  world  the  following  narrative,  the  author 
fully  appreciates  the  importance  of  the  fact,  that  its  success,  and 
the  benefit  he  deems  he  has  a  right  to  expect  may  accrue  from 
it  to  suffering  humanity  in  Utah,  will  be  greatly  dependent 
upon  the  credence  extended  to  it  by  the  public. 

The  first  questions  the  honest  reader  has  a  right  to  ask,  are 
these  :  Is  it  true?  Are  these  disclosures  and  revelations  made 
in  good  faith  ?  Are  they  really  the  actual  experiences  of  a 
woman  yet  under  twenty-nine  years  of  age  ?  A  woman  edu- 
cated from  childhood  in  the  Mormon  faith ;  familiar  with  all  its 
details  ?  One  who  has  been  a  victim  to  its  cruel  hardships,  and 
to  its  practical  workings  ?     Has  she  disclosed  to  the  world  what 


£  Introduction. 

she  lias  actually  seen,  and  felt,  and  suffered ;  and  nothing  more  ? 
Is  it  true,  that  she  has  been  held  a  prisoner,  in  common  with 
many  others  of  her  sex,  for  years  in  Utah,  and  that  by  a  sin- 
gular good  fortune,  when  hope  had  nearly  gone  out  within  her, 
she  effected  an  escape  ?  And  is  it  true,  that  to-day  she  exists 
as  an  actuality,  courting  investigation,  and  fearing  nothing  but 
Mormon  intrigue  and  Mormon  assassination? 

There  is  in  simple  truth  an  agreement  and  consistency,  upon 
which  the  mind  intuitively  fastens,  and  upon  which  it  bases  its 
convictions  never  found  in  the  creations  of  the  imagination.  It 
is  with  confidence,  therefore,  that  we  refer  to  the  internal  evi- 
dence which  this  narrative  itself  affords  of  its  own  truth. 

The  circumstance  that  real  names  are  given  throughout  the 
book,  of  persons  who  are  still  living  and  who  will  be  likely  to 
make  themselves  heard,  if  they  have  been  misrepresented, 
should  furnish  another  argument  in  favor  of  its  reliability. 

Nothing  in  the  following  pages  has  been  written  with  the 
design  of  feeding  a  morbid  curiosity ;  and  whatever  has  been 
admitted  of  fact  or  form  of  expression,  which  possibly  may 
have  that  effect,  has  been  from  necessity,  and  as  growing 
out  of  the  nature  of  the  subject,  and  not  from  any  want  of 
respect  for  that  delicate  and  even  fastidious  public  taste  which 
has  ever  characterized  the  people  of  this  country.  An  earnest 
desire  to  subserve  the  public  good,  as  regards  the  exposure  of 
these  enormities,  has  been  the  governing  consideration.  In  fact, 
many  things  have  been  omitted,  from  a  wish  to  avoid  offence 
in  this  particular. 

"We  give,  in  addition,  an  extract  from  an  affidavit  forwarded 
to  the  Government  at  Washington  in  answer  to  a  communica- 
tion from  the  State  Department  relating  to  affairs  in  Utah,  as 
further  evidence  of  good  faith  on  the  part  of  Mrs.  Smith : 

(Copy.) 

Affidavit  of  Mrs.  Mary  Ettie  V.  Smith,  relating  to  certain 

matters  in  the  Territory  of  Utah. 

"  State  of  New  York, )  ss 
Livingston  County.   \     * 

"  Mary  Ettie  Y.  Smith,  late  of  Great  Salt  Lake  city,  in  the 
itory  of  Utah ;  and  now  of  Stuben  county,  in  the  State  of 


Introduction.  xi 

v^w  York,  being  duly  sworn  deposes  and  says :  That  she  has 
been  a  resident  of  said  Territory  for  about  five  years ;  and  has 
been  a  member  of  the  community  of  Mormons  for  fifteen 
years  :  That  she  is  at  present  twenty  eight  years  of  age ;  that 
she  was  a  believer  in  good  faith  in  Mormonism,  until  she  dis- 
covered, after  going  to  Utah,  the  principal  business  of  the  Prophet 
Brigham  Young,  and  the  other  heads  of  the  Mormon  Church 
to  be  the  commission  of  crimes  of  the  most  atrocious  character  ; 
among  which  may  be  included  robbery,  murder,  and  treason  to 
the  General  Government,  and  a  large  number  of  lesser  crimes  : 
and  that  she  was  held  a  prisoner  there  for  a  long  time,  against 
her  wish  and  consent,  after  she  had  expressed  a  desire  to  re- 
turn to  the  TJ.  S. ;  and  that  a  large  number  of  persons,  particu- 
larly women,  have  been,  and  are,  as  she  verily  believes,  so  held 
and  restrained,  and  debarred  of  the  exercise  of  their  personal 
liberty ;  and  that  many  of  these  persons,  were  they  to  be  assured 
of  the  protection  of  the  Government,  could  and  would  give 
such  evidence  before  a  legal  tribunal,  as  would,  if  such  tribunal 
were  unawed,  and  uncontrolled  by  the  Mormons  or  their  influ- 
ence, lead  to  the  conviction  of  Brigham  Young,  and  many,  and 
probably  most  of  the  heads  of  the  Church,  of  such  crimes  as 
are  punishable  by  death. 

"  And  this  deponent  further  says  that  as  an  illustration  of  the 
above,  she  will  state,  that  in  the  year  1853,  she  was  present 
when  Brigham  Young,  General  Wells,  and  John  and  Wiley 
"Norton,  discussed  and  adopted  a  plan  for  the  murder  of  Wal- 
lace Alonzo  Clarke  Bowman,  an  American  citizen,  at  the  time 
engaged  in  the  Mexican  trade,  and  in  the  quiet  and  legal  pur- 
suit of  his  lawful  business :  and  that  said  Bowman  was  so 
murdered  by  direction  of  said  Erigham  Young;  and  after 
the  manner  determined  upon  as  aforesaid.  That  she  saw  and 
recognized  his  body  after  his  death  ;  and  that  she  cut  a  lock  of 
said  Bowman's  hair  after  his  death,  and  gave  the  same  to  Dr 
Hurt,  at  the  time  Indian  agent  of  the  Territory. 
'  "  That  John  Norton  and  James  Furguson,  now  believed  to  be 
living  at  Salt  Lake,  told  this  deponent  in  the  presence  of  vari- 
ous other  persons,  to  wit :  Jane  Furguson,  (wife  No.  2  of  said 
Furguson)  and  others,  that  they,  the  said  Norton  and  Furguson 
shot  the  said  Bowman,   in  Salt  Creek  canon :  that  a  large 


xii  Introduction. 

amount  of  property  was  taken  from  said  Bowman,  by  the  said 
Mormons  :  and  that  at  this  time,  said  Brigham  Young,  was  gov- 
ernor of  the  said  Territory  of  Utah. 

"  That  the  facts  above  stated,  with  reference  to  the  imprison- 
ment, robbery  and  final  murder  of  said  Bowman,  can  be  proved 
by  a  large  number  of  reliable  witnesses  now  in  Utah;  and  one 
besides  herself  now  in  the  state  of  New  York.  That  the  account 
given  of  the  same  in  her  Narrative,  now  about  to  be  published, 
is  substantially  true :  and  that  among  many  others,  the  follow- 
ing persons  would  swear  to  these  facts,  if  properly  approached, 
and  well  assured  of  protection  against  the  assassination  of  the 

"Danites,"  to  wit :  : and the  two 

wives  of and  the  mother  of ; 

( )  and ,   wife  of ;  

wife  ISTo.  2  of : ,  and  his 


wife, ;  and  others.;  all  living  at  Great  Salt  Lake 

City. 

"  This  Deponent  further  says,  that  she  was  present  at  another 
time,  m  the  year  1851  ;  when  the  said  Brigham  Young,  gover- 
nor of  the  Territory  of  Utah,  '  counseled,'  and  directed  the 
robbery  of  a  Dr.  Roberts ;  and  that  afterwards  she  was  pre- 
sent, when  the  said  Dr.  Roberts  was  robbed,  at  night,  on  the 
public  highway,  in  pursuance  of  the  said  instructions  of  th9 
said  Prophet  and  Gov.  Young;  that  said  robbery  was  com- 
mitted by  Captain  James  Brown,  now  living  at  Ogden  city,  in 
said  Territory,  and  Hiram  Clauson,  of  Great  Salt  Lake  city; 
and  in  presence  of  Ellen,  the  wife  of  said  Clauson,  and  in  pres 
ence  of  this  deponent ;  and  that  she  has  good  reason  to  fear  thet 
said  Roberts  was  afterward  murdered  by  said  Brown  and  Clau- 
son :  that  she  can  furnish  proof  of  many  similar  crimes ;  an  ac- 
count of  which  she  deems  it  unnecessary  to  give  in  detail  at 
this  time ;  and  further  this  deponent  saith  not." 

(Signed) 

Mary  Ettif  V.  Smith. 

Subscribed  and  sworn  this  21st  day  of  Augast,  18b7,  before 
me. 

Charles  R.  Kkr:t, 


CONTEXTS 


-«•►- 


CHAPTER  I. 
My  Birth  and  Parentage, r        »       It 


CHAPTER  II. 
A  Storm  Gathering, ,28 

CHAPTER  III. 
Death  of  the  Prophet,         .         .         .         .         .        #         .        B       S3 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Endowments, 41 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  Exodus, £4 

CHAPTER  VL 
A  Night  with  the  Dead  and  the  Wolves,     .  .         ,        .       65 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Seeking  my  Mother, ,  75 


dv  Contents. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Page 

Among  the  Gentiles.  ....  •  83 

CHAPTER  IX. 
More  Wives, 89 

CHAPTER  X. 
Reconciled — Finding  my  Mother,       .        .        .        .        •         :     100 

CHAPTER  XI. 
The  Family  Broken  Up, *     114 

CHAPTER  XII. 
The  Parting— Crossing  the  Tankio, 4     123 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Offer  of  Marriage — Setting  out  for  "  Zion,w        ...  137 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Great  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,        .        .  ...  146 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Church  Polity, 150 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Reuben  P.  Smith's  Arrival — Narrow  Escape  from  becoming  a 
"  Spiritual," 167 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
"Sealed"  to  the  Butcher  far  Eternity— A  Fearful  Discovery,     .     J  80 


Contents.  xv 

CHAPTER  XYIII. 

Pago 
The  Escape, 193 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
My  Father's  Friend— Dr.  Roberts,       ......     198 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Preparing  to  Entrap  an  Old  Man,        .        .        .         .        ,         .    209 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
Robbery  and  Probable  Murder  of  Dr.  Roberts,  .        .    221 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
Sealed  for  Time, 234 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
Intrigues  of  Brigham  Young, 241 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
The  Story  of  Wallace  Alonzo  Clark  Bowman,  •«        •  252 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
Fate  of  Bowman, .    264 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
Mormon  Jesuitism,  ,        •    278 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 
The  Story  of  William  Mac,        ...  .    280 


xvi  Contents. 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Page 

Milking  a  Gentile, 293 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 
Punishment  of  Heresy, *    308 

CHAPTER  XXX. 
Tooille, 820 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 
The  Plight  and  Recapture, 832 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 
Hope, 843 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

Going  to  the  Land  of  my  Birth,  .        .        .        <         .        .    851 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
Crossing  tho  Webber — Perils  by  the  Way,  •    860 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 
Crossing  the  Plains, ,        .    870 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 
Conclusion,         • ,     883 


FIFTEEN  YEARS  AMONG  THE  MORMONS 


CHAPTER    I. 


MY   BIRTH    AND    PARENTAGE. 


I 


My  father,  Silas  Coray,  was  one  of  the  four  sons  of  John 
and  Phebe  Coray  of  Providence  township,  Luzern  county, 
Pennsylvania.  My  grandfather,  John  Coray,  was  accidentally 
shot  by  one  of  his  neighbors,  and  a  few  years  after,  my  grand- 
mother married  James  Abbott,  and  moved  to  Allegany 
county,  New  York,  near  Arkport.  It  was  but  a  short  time 
after  this  event  that  my  father  married  Mary  Stephens,  the 
daughter  of  Uriah  Stephens,  a  revolutionary  pensioner,  and  one 
of  the  six  original  proprietors  of  the  township  of  Canisteo, 
now  a  part  of  Steuben  county.  My  parents  lived  here  until  after 
the  birth  of  their  first  two  children,  and  then  moved  to  Penn- 
sylvania, to  occupy  the  farm  my  grandfather  had  left  them  ; 
but  soon  returned  to  New  York.  His  three  brothers,  John,* 
David,  and  Ira,  occupied  in  common  the  balance  of  my  > 
grandfather's  land  in  Pennsylvania,  and  by  their  solicitation, 

*  One  of  these  brothers,  my  uncle   John,  is  now   livir.g  with  a 
numerous  and  respectable  family  in  the  town  of  Burns,  Allegany 

IT 


18  Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

my  father,  about  this  time,  purchased  the  whole  property  of 
them,  and  moved  his  family  onto  the  old  homestead ;  where 
had  he  lived  contentedly,  he  wo  ild  have  saved  his  family 
from  being  scattered,  and  falling  victims  to  a  most  fatal  and 
cruel  delusion.  It  was  at  this  place,  Providence,  Luzern 
cour.ty,  Pennsylvania,  I  was  born,  January  31,  1829. 

My  father  at  this  time  owned  over  seven  hundred  acres 
of  coal  land,  which  has  since  proved  to  be  very  valua 
ble. 

T7hen  I  was  ten  years  of  age  he  sold  this  fine  property 
and  removed  with  his  family  to  Perry,  Pike  county,  Illinois ; 
wheve  he  bought  a  large  tract  of  land,  and  soon  after,  while 
in  the  height  of  his  various  objects  of  enterprise,  was  killed 
accidentally  while  drawing  a  log  to  a  saw-mill ;  leaving  his 
business  in  a  very  unsettled  condition,  and  my  mother  with 
nine  children  then  living,  two  of  whom  were  younger  than 
myself,  named  as  follows :  Aurilla,  Sarah  Ann,  Phebe, 
Hovard,  George,  William,  Mary  Ettie  V.,  Uriah,  and  Harriet 
Elizabeth. 

At  the  death  of  my  father,  began  that  terrible  e^Jes  of 
misfortunes,  a  history  of  which  will  form  the  subject-matter 
of  the  following  pages.  My  father's  death  occurred  in  Janu- 
ary, 1841. 

county,  New  York.  Many  members  of  my  mother's  family,  tna 
Stephens,  are  yet  living  in  Canisteo,  and  other  parts  of  Steuben 
coun.y,  New  York;  and  I  have  many  cousins  in  Pennsylvania,  now 
living.  Col.  John  R.  Stephens,  my  mother's  brother,  lives  upoc 
his  estate  near  Hornellsville,  New  York ;  and  is  well  known  m  that 
section  of  the  country. 


My  Birth  and  Parentage.  19 

About  this  time  a  Mormon  Elder,  who  had  been  holding 
meetings  in  this  neighborhood,  called  upon  my  mother,  anc. 
among  other  things,  told  her  that  the  Latter  Day  Saints 
claimed  to  be  able  to  heal  the  sick,  and  that  if  she  would 
consent  to  be  baptized,  the  deafness  with  which  she  was 
afflicted,  and  which  had  become  a  great  annoyance  to  her, 
would  in  a  very  shortj^ime  be  removed ;  and  she  would  hear 
a^ain. 

Willing  at  least  to  try  the  experiment,  she  was  baptized. 
The  water  was  very  cold,  and  immediately  after  her  hearing 
was  improved,  and  soon,  it  was  entirely  restored.  I  feel  it  my 
duty  to  do  my  mother  the  justice  of  stating  this  very 
remarkable  circumstance,  which  was  the  real  foundation  of 
her  conversion  to  Mormonistn,  and  of  her  implicit  faith  in 
Joseph  Smith,  as  a  Prophet  of  God  ;  a  faith  that  was  never 
shaken  until,  years  after,  she  found  herself  shut  up  in  Utah,  a 
prisoner,  and  an  unwilling  witness  of  abominations  which 
in  the  States  had  been- disguised. 

Mv  mother,  who  is  still  living,  now  understands,  that  per 
haps  this  apparent  miracle,  was  the  effect  of  cold  water,  or 
of  some  other  natural  though  unexplained  cause;  but  at 
that  time,  it  had  with  her  all  the  force  of  a  real  miracle.  It 
was  the  voice  of  God  through  His  Prophet,  which  she  dare 
not  disregard ;  and  accordingly  she  removed  -at  once  to 
Nauvoo,  where  the  Mormons  had  just  laid  the  foundation  for 
the  Temple,  taking  seven  of  her  children ;  two  of  my  sisters, 
having  husbands,  did  not  accompany  her. 

Her  entire  property,  and  all  papers  relating  to  my  father's 
business,  were  placed  in  the  hands  of  Stephen  Abbott,  a  half- 


20         Fifteen  Teaks  among  the  Mormons. 

brother  of  ray  father  who  had  been  previously  converted  to 
Mormonisin. 

This  was  the  last  trace,  or  account,  or  benefit  my  mother, 
or  any  one  of  our  family,  ever  received  of  this  valuable  pro- 
perty, except  a  small  amount  of  our  personal  effects,  taken 
with  us  at  the  time,  which  probably  went  into  the  hands  of 
Joseph  Smith,  and  was  absorbed  in  the  common  stock.  It 
was  probably  a  part  of  the  large  sum  afterwards  expended 
upon  the  Temple  at  JSTauvoo. 

It  may  appear  strange,  that  my  mother  so  readily  gave  up 
her  property  into  -the  hands  of  her  new  friends;  but  we  have 
already  seen  that  they  had,  by  a  pretended  miracle,  restored 
her  to  hearing ;  and  thus,  in  a  double  sense,  they  had  ol  tained 
a  "hearing"  and  she  readily  received  as  infallible,  the  doc- 
trine of  the  "immediate  second  coming  of  Christ;"  and 
hence,  it  looked  reasonable  to  her,  wlien  they  said  she 
would  no  longer  need  her  property.  She  had,  however,  been 
at  Nauvoo  but  a  few  months,  before  she  saw  the  absurdity 
of  this  summary  disposal  of  her  worldly  goods,  and  returned 
to  Pike  county  to  look  after  it ;  but  found  it  sold  and  occu-* 
pied  by  strangers,  and  out  of  her  reach.  She  returned  to 
Nauvoo,  to  make  the  best  of  her  new  religion. 

I  recollect  that  I  was  baptized  into  the  new  faith,  as 
were  all  my  brothers  and  sisters,  except  my  two  married  sis- 
ters, who  did  not  accompany  us,  and  Howard,  my  second 
brother,  who  was  a  ready  penman,  soon  became  a  great  favo- 
rite with  Joseph  Smith,  the  Prophet;  with  whom  he  spent 
most  of  his  time  as  his  clerk,  and  so  continued  until  his 
death,  and  afterwards  wrote  for  Brigham  Young,  and  is  thus 


My  Birth  and  Parentage.  21 

employed  now  for  the  latter,  at  Great  Salt  Lake  City. 
Howard  is  the  author  of  an  history  of  the  Smith  family, 
unfinished  at  the  deatli  of  the  Prophet,  but  since  published 

I  had  been  baptized  by  the  direction  of  Joseph  Smith,  at 
eleven  years  of  age  ;  and  my  mother  left  me  temporarily  with 
my  brother  Howard,  through  whom  all  our  family  were  con- 
trolled by  the  Prophet.  It  was  by  the  advice  of  the  latter  that 
Howard  had  been  married  to  Martha  Jane  Knowlton.  Some 
of  our  neighbors,  about  this  time,  began  to  say  that  I  was  old 
enough  to  be  married.  I  was  but  thirteen  years  of  age,  and 
this  greatly  frightened  me,  as  I  verily  believed  there  would  be 
no  escape  from  the  will  of  the  Prophet,  if  he  should  direct  me 
to  marry — a  thing  not  unlikely  to  happen,  for  he  was  in  the 
habit  of  doing  thus  with  others,  when  he  found  they  were 
at  the  age  of  puberty  ;  and  to  refuse  would  be  at  the  sacri- 
fice of  my  own  salvation,  unless  I  could  afterwards  obtain  his 
pardon. 

Every  effort  was  made  by  the  Mormons,  apparently  with- 
out the  knowledge  of  the  Prophet,  to  induce  my  brother  to 
effect  a  marriage  for  me,  by  the  offer  to  him  of  various  pre- 
sents and  other  inducements  tendered  by  those  who  wished  to 
marry  me.  But  he  paid  but  little  attention  to  them,  as  he 
had  hoped  to  win  higher  honors  through  my  marriage.  He 
had  conceived  the  idea  of  marrying  me  to  one  of  the  Twelve 
Apostles,  as  soon  as  I  was  old  enough  to  be  a  mother. 

I  believed  in  Mormonism,  for  I  knew  no  other  religion,  but 
I  preferred  not  to  marry  an  old  man,  but  chose  to  have  a 
husband  of  my  own  age,  and  of  my  own  choice,  if  I  must 
have  one.     The  Prophet,  Smith,  had  not   yet  "  counselled  * 


22  .Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

me  to  get  married,  and  I  concluded,  if  an  opportunity  offered 
I  should  surely  take  the  advantage  of  "Brother  Joseph/'  and 
run  the  risk  of  being  forgiven  by  him. 

My  sister  Sarah  had  married  a  Mr.  Griffin,  and  was  then 
living  at  Nauvoo,  both  herself  and  husband  having  been  con- 
verted to  Mormonism  by  the  apparent  miracle  of  the  cure 
of  my  mother's  deafness.  * 

My  sister,  who  knew  what  efforts  had  been  made  to  effect 
my  marriage,  became  uneasy,  and  sent  for  me  to  come  to 
her  house ;  and  I  accordingly  went,  and  told  her  how 
matters  stood  ;  and,  among  other  things,  a  brother  Gully 
had  strongly  pressed  his  matrimonial  claims  upon  my  atten- 
tion.    I  cried  that  night  till  I  was  quite  sick. 

My  sister  told  me,  if  I  would  not  betray  her  to  the  Church, 
she  would  undertake  to  find  a  husband  for  me,  suitable  to 
my  age,  when  I  was  old  enough ;  but  that  1  was  too  young 
now,  and  that  no  man  should  have  me  for  a  wife  yet,  if  she 
could  prevent  it ;  that  I  must  go  down  and  ask  Howard  if  I 
could  come  and  stay  at  her  house  until  her  husband  returned, 
who  was  at  the  time  absent  in  Iowa  with  his  brother  Henry 
The  latter,  who  now  lives  at  Scranton,  Pennsylvania,  knew 
and  must  recollect  most  of  the  facts  I  am  now  relating 
To  this.  Howard  consented  after  some  delay,  and  raisin <r 
various  objections ;  and  much  elated  at  my  success  in  escaping 
for  the  time  the  annoyance  of  old  men  looking  for  young  wives, 
I  went  to  her  house,  where  I  remained  for  several  weeks. 

One  day  my  sister  said  to  me,  "Nettie,  quite  an  interesting 
young  fellow  has  been  boarding  with  us,  and  if  you  were 
two  or  three  years  older,  you  should  marry  him/'     I  replied, 


My  Birth  and  Parentage.  23 

that  perhaps  I  could  not  get  him.  "  Is  he  old  enough  to  be 
my  grandfather?"  "Xo,  he  is  not  over  twenty-four  years  of 
age,  and  is  good  looking." 

I  said,  "  Sarah,  when  he  comes,  if  he  suits  me,  or  comes 
near  to  it,  I  shall  try  to  make  him  marry  me,  for  fear  I  shall 
be  '  counselled '  by  Joseph  to  marry  some  man  who  has  a 
wife  already,  for  T  can  never  consent  to  have  a  husband  in 
partnership."* 

"  Nettie,"  said  Sarah,  "  if  this  Mormonism  is  true,  we  shall 
be  very  sorry  if  we  say  much  against  it ;  but  still  I  must 
acknowledge  that  such  a  doctrine,  if  practised  much,  will 
cause  the  women  a  great  deal  of  sorrow,  and  add  nothing  to 
the  happiness  of  the  men." 

"  I  am  sure,"  said  I,  "  they  will  not  enjoy  their  spirituals 
over  much  if  they  are  all  like  me  ;  I  will  not  tolerate  it." 

My  cousin  Emily  came  in  just  then,  and  said,  "  Nettie, 
what  is  the  matter  ?  but  first  come  and  see  my  beau  ;"  and 
going  to  the  window,  we  saw  an  old  grey-headed  man  hob- 
bling along— one  of  the  young  girl  hunters.  My  cousin  was 
about  my  own  age.  She  told  me  her  mother  wished  her  to 
marry  Mr.  Brown,f  her  mother's  husband,  who  was  a  very 
wealthy  old  gentleman.  When  I  asked  her  if  she  intended 
to  do  so,  she  replied  she  would  not  if  she  could  help  it,  and 

*  Even  at  this  early  day,  it  was  understood  among  us,  that  spirit* 
ual  wifeism  was  practised  by  the  Heads  of  the  Church  in  secret 
although  it  was  stoutly  denied  when  questioned  by  the  Gentiles. 

t  This  is  the  celebrated  Captain  James  Brown,  afterwards  referred 
to  in  this  narrative,  who  was  concerned  in  the  robbery  and  probable 
murder  of  Dr.  Roberts,  near  Ogden  City,  Utah. 


24         Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mcemons. 

asked  me  to  go  into  the  other  room  :  and  we  had  but  just 
seated  ourselves,  to  talk  over  our  mutual  troubles,  when  some 
one  knocked  at  the  front  door,  for  whom  my  sister  opened 
it,  and  said,  "  Good  evening,  Wallace,"  and  some  one  re- 
plied, "  Good  evening ;  I  heard  Nettie,  as  you  call  her,  was 
here."     Saran  told  him  I  was  in  the  other  room. 

When  I  heard  his  voice  I  was  very  much  excited,  noticing 
which,  Emily  said,  "  Nettie,  what  is  the  matter  ?"  This  was 
heard  by  Wallace,  whereupon  he  came  into  the  room,  accom- 
panied by  my  sister, and  without  an  introduction,  said,  "Net- 
tie, I  am  sorry  you  are  not  well ;  I  anticipated  having  a  fine 
talk  with  you  this  evening.  I  have  heard  the  old  men  talk 
ing  so  much  about  you  and  Emily,  that  I  have  come  to  the 
conclusion  you  are  worth  looking  after." 

"  That  old  man,  Brown,"  said  Emily,  "  is  not  satisfied  with 
having  my  mother,  but  is  determined  to  add  me  to  the  num- 
ber of  his  wives,  which  I  am  bent  upon  preventing  if  possible," 
and  she  left  the  room  apparently  very  much  excited. 

The  case  of  my  cousin,  and  that  of  many  others  which 
daily  came  under  my  observation,  made  a  deep  impression 
upon  me,  and  had  probably  no  small  influence  upon  the  step 
I  was  about  to  take. 

Wallace  Henderson,  with  whom  I  was  now  left  alone  m 
my  sister's  parlor,  was  five  feet  ten  inches  high,  had  dark 
brown  hair,  large  black  eyes,  a  high  forehead,  and  dark  red 
whiskers,  and  a  verv  agreeable  address,  and  on  this  occasion 
exerted  himself  to  interest  me.  He  was  upon  the  whole  a 
fine  looking  boy. 

He  talked  to  me  of  Mormonism,  saying  it  was  true  '  that 


My  Birth  and  Parentage.  25 

the  spiritual  wife  doctrine  was  true  and  perfectly  right ;  but 
that  he  could  never  enjoy  himself  among  a  crowd  of  brawling 
women  and  noisy  children,  but  said  those  who  can  were  the 
ones  to  practice  it. 

I  then  said  to  him,  you  really  do  not  think  you  could 
&ncy  such  a  life,  Wallace  ?  To  which  he  replied,  "  I  should 
Se  satisfied  to  get  one  like  you,  Nettie." 

At  this  point  of  our  conversation,  I  heard  my  brother  Wil- 
liam inquiring  of  Sarah  for  me,  and  being  told  where  I  was, 
he  called  me  out,  and  said, 

"  Nettie,  I  do  not  want  you  to  have  any  private  conversa- 
tion with  that  fellow,  or  with  any  other  man,  without  Brother 
Joseph's  permission.  He  is  a  stranger  to  you,  and  how  dare 
you  act  thus,  after  hearing  as  much  as  you  have  about  the 
necessity  of  marrying  a  man  that  can  '  exalt'  you  in  the 
eternal  world  ?  How  can  you  think  of  having  private  con- 
versation with  this  trifling  scamp,  who  would  not  scruple  to 
deceive  you,  although  you  think  him  good  looking  ?" 

I  replied,  "  William,  I  think  I  can  understand  why  you 
are  giving  me  this  scolding ;  it  opens  up  to  me  a  clear  view  of 
the  whole  case.  You  are  expecting  me  to  go  into  the  family 
of  one  of  the  '  Twelve  Apostles.'     Is  that  it  ?" 

"  I  can  tell  you  this  much,"  said  William,  "  I  have  made 
arrangements  with  Joseph  Smith  for  your  eternal  salvation  ; 
and  you  must  not  deprive  yourself  of  the  honor  of  being  tfoe 
wife  of  one  of  the  i  Twelve :'  "  and  he  said,  "  come,-  put*  on 
your  bonnet,  and  go  home  to  Howard's*" 

Sarah,  who  had  listened  to  all  this,  said  at  last,  "  William*, 
Nettie  is  too  young  to  be  tormented  in  this  way.     It  is 

2 


26  Fifteen  Years  among  tee  Mormcns. 

ridiculous.     She  is  just  as  well  with  me  as  with  Howard  or 
with  you." 

"  No,  she  is  not,"  said  William  ;  "  she  must  not  be  indulged 
in  such  wicked  and  jealous  principles  as  you  encourage  her 
in." 

I  submitted,  and  went  with  my  brother  to  Howard's,  to 
whom  I  said,  "I  am  a  great  trouble  to  my  very  religious 
friends,  and  a  very  singular  religion  I  think  yours  is,  too."  I 
went  up  stairs,  and  after  having  a  cry  over  the  matter,  made 
up  my  mind  to  marry  some  single  man  as  soon  as  an  oppor- 
tunity offered :  and  that  I  would  marry  Wallace  Henderson 
if  ho  was  in  earnest  in  the  encouragement  he  had  given  me. 

My  brother  William  was  gathering  wood  fur  Joseph  Smith 
m  an  island  in  the  Mississippi,  and  having  several  men  in 
his  charge,  was  obliged  to  be  absent  during  the  day,  and  I 
wa?  left  at  Howard's. 

When  he  left  he  said,  "  Nettie,  you  must  stay  here  until  I 
come  back,"  I  made  him  no  promises ;  whereupon  Howard, 
who  did  not  justify  fully  his  course  in  regard  to  me,  said, 

"  William,  you  are  a  tyrant,  and  you  act  sillily.  She  is  not 
going  to  be  deprived  of  seeing  Sarah." 

After  William  had  left,  I  told  Howard  I  was  going  to 
Sarah's,  and  he  suffered  me  to  do  so. 

When  I  arrived  there  I  found  Wallace,  who  appeared  glad 
to  eee  me,  and  to  whom  I  told  everything ;  and  then  he  asked 
me  If  I  would  marry  so  young,  and  -before  my  mother  re- 
turned. I  told  him  I  would,  if  I  could  marry  a  man  that 
was  single,  but  that  I  could  never  endure  the  spiritual  wife 
doctrine. 


My  Birth  and  Parentage.  27 

M  Nettie,"  said  Wallace,  "  I  love,  and  will  marry  you  to- 
night, if  you  are  willing.  Do  you  consent  J"  I  did  consent, 
and  he  kissed  me  and  left,  saying  he  would  soon  bring  some 
one  to  marry  us. 

I  told  Sarah  what  I  had  done,  and  she  did  not  object,  but 
sat  down  and  gave  me  much  good  advice ;  and  soon  Wallace 
came  in  with  Judge  Higbee,  who  married  us,  January  30, 
1843.  The  day  after  our  wedding  I  was  fourteen  years  old. 
My  brothers,  Howard  and  William,  were  so  enraged,  they  did 
not  speak  to  me  for  a  long  time.  Although  I  had  married  to 
escape  a  worse  fate,,  from  a  sort  of  necessity,  I  was  very 
happy,  for  I  soon  learned  to  love  my  husband,  and  we  should 
have  lived  pleasantly,  and  did,  until  the  spiritual  wifeism 
afterwards  stepped  between  us  with  its  blighting  curse 


28         Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 


CHAPTER  II. 


A    STORM    GATHERING. 


I  was  married  in  the  winter  of  1843.  At  about  this  time 
various  causes  conspired  to  embarrass  and  complicate  the  re- 
lation of  the  Mormons  with  "  the  rest  of  mankind,"  termed  by 
them  "  Gentiles."  It  was  well  known  to  me,  although  young 
at  the  time,  as  it  was  to  every  Mormon  at  Nauvoo,  that  great 
numbers  of  cattle  and  hogs  were  in  the  habit  of  wandering 
from  the  surrounding  country  into  the  city,  and  were  appro- 
priated by  the  Saints ;  and  the  same  with  other  property  that 
could  be  concealed.  Another  thing  that  increased  the  preju- 
dice against  our  community,  was  the  great  amount  of  bogus 
money  afloat  about  that  time,  and  in  some  cases  traced 
directly  to  the  Mormons.  It  so  happened  that  while  at  Nau- 
voo, and  afterwards,  I  had  an  opportunity  to  know  something 
:>f  this  bogus  manufacture. 

When  we  were  on  the  route  through  Iowa,  it  occurred, 
that  one  day,  when  one  of  the  wagons  was  upset,  the  press 
for  making  bogus  money  rolled  into  sight,  and  was  seen  by 
many  Mormons,  who  till  then  had  not  supposed  they  were 
one  of  a  gang  of  counterfeiters.  But  there  is  no  doubt 
about  the  fact  that  the  business  of  counterfeiting  was  carried 


A  Storm  Gathering.  29 

on  extensively,  aid  that  too  under  the  personal  sanction  and 
blessing  of  the  Prophet  Joseph,  and  of  the  Twelve.  Most  of 
these  Twelve  Apostles  are  now  living  at  Salt  Lake,  and  the 
same  is  true  to  day  there,  although  tot  done  openly,  and 
justified  as  is  the  spiritual  wife  practice.  Even  this  was 
denied  at  Nauvoo  to  the  Gentiles,  while  it  was  taught  us 
under  the  ban  of  secrecy.  One  thing  is  certain;  this  bogus 
press  was  carried,  to  my  certain  knowledge,  to  Salt  Lake, 
and  there  is  now  a  man  living  in  Allegany  county,  by 
the  name  of  Lewis  Wood,  wTho  saw  it  between  Nauvoo  and 
Council  Bluffs. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  Governor  Boggs,  of  Missouri, 
was  shot  at  St.  Louis.  It  appears  the  Governor  had  offended 
the  Mormons  very  much  when  the  latter  were  driven  from 
that  State  in  1838,  and  I  recollect  hearing  the  Prophet  say 
on  the  stand,  that  the  man  wrho  had  shot  Governor  Boggs 
would  have  a  crown  immortal,  and  it  was  understood  at  the 
time,  that  0.  Porter  Rockwell  was  the  person  referred  to  by 
Joseph. 

This  0.  P.  Rockwell  is  now  living  at  Salt  Lake,  distin- 
guished by  other  similar  acts,  but  it  was  this  that  first 
brought  him  into  notice  among  the  Mormons.  He  was  after 
this  known  as  the  chief  of  the  u  Danites,"  a  corps  of  men  set 
apart  for  such  assassinations.  In  this  case  Governor  Boggs 
was  shot  from  the  outside,  through  a  window  ;  but  by  good 
ortune  not  killed.  Another  source  of  revenue  at  this  time 
was  robbing,  and  "putting  aside"  strangers  who  were  driv- 
ing cattle  to  the  eastern  market,  or  to  the  northern  settle- 
ments.    Numerous  cases  of  this  kind  came  to  my  knowledge 


30  Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

after  my  marriage,  in  which  I  knew  my  husband  was 
engaged ;  some  of  which  the  reader  will  find  hereafter  nar- 
rated. 

These  cattle,  before  we  left  Nauvoo,  were  slaughtered,  and 
salted  to  avoid  detection,  but  afterwards,  when  stolen  on  the 
road  to  the  plains,  they  were  put  into  the  teams,  or  used  as 
necessity  required.  This  cattle  stealing  was  known  and  coun- 
selled by  the  Prophet.  Although  at  that  time  I  believed 
him  to  be  a  Prophet  of  God,  I  now  believe  he  was  every  way 
unworthy  to  be  received  as  such. 

To  discourage  inconvenient  scrutiny  from  visitors  at  Nau- 
voo, the  Mormons  had  a  custom  in  vomie  anion  o-  them  called 
"  whistling  and  whittling  Gentiles  out  of  town,"  which  was 
done  after  this  wise. 

A  company  of  young  men  and  boys  would  surround  the 
Gentile  who  evinced  too  great  a  thirst  for  curious  knowledge, 
and  with  the  greatest  gravity  whistle  in  concert,  and  whittle 
in  careless  proximity  to  his  person,  following  him  from  place 
to  place,  until,  annoyed  beyond  measure,  he  was  glad  to 
escape  from  the  "  City  of  Beauty." 

I  have  often  seen  this ;  and  after  such  an  exhibition  of 
zeal  by  the  boys,  some  of  the  old  men  of  the  Church  would 
encourage  them  by  presents,  and  promises  of  heaven,  telling 
them  the  time  would  come  when  it  would  be  lawful  to  not 
only  whittle  at,  but  to  whittle  into  the  Gentiles  in  earnest; 
and  the  blood-thirsty  spirit  thus  engendered  among  those 
boys  now  exhibits  itself  in  Utah,  among  the  same  ones,  now 
grown  to  be  men,  by  their  readiness  to  shed  the  blood  of 
the  Gentiles  at  the  command  of  the  new  Prophet.    >' 


A  Storm  Gathering.  31 

The  ieason  giveu  the  boys  for  this  "  whittling  out  of  town  w 

was,  that  since  the  wicked  were  always  liable  to  be  punished, 

if  the  "  Gentiles "  (i.  e.  the  wicked)  were  allowed  to  remain 

in  the  town,  the  righteous  (Mormons)  were  liable  to  be  pun- 

hed  with  them. 

A  circumstance  occurred  about  this  time,  which  served  to 
scandalize  the  Church  among  the  Gentiles,  and  create  dissen- 
sion among  the  Mormons,  and  threatened  at  one  time  to  dis- 
member the  Church. 

Orson  Pratt,  then,  as  now,  one  of  the  "  Twelve,"  was  sent 
by  Joseph  Smith  on  a  mission  to  England.  During  his  ab- 
sence, his  first  (i.  e.  his  lawful)  wife,  Sarah,  occupied  a  house 
owned  by  John  C.  Bennett,  a  man  of  some  note,  and  at  that 
time,  quartermaster-general  of  the  Nauvoo  Legion.  Sarah 
was  an  educated  woman,  of  fine  accomplishments,  and  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  the  Prophet  Joseph,  who  called  upon 
her  one  day,  and  alleged  he  found  John  C.  Bennett  in  bee1 
with  her.  As  we  lived  but  across  the  street  from  her  house, 
we  saw  and  heard  the  whole  uproar.  Sarah  ordered  the 
Prophet  out  of  the  house,  and  the  Prophet  used  obscene  lan- 
guage to  her. 

When  brother  Orson  returned  a  short  time  after  this,  and 
heard  the  story,  he  believed  his  wife  rather  than  the  Prophet, 
and  charged  the  latter  with  lying.  They  were  both  arraigned 
before  the  Church,  and  tried;  the  husband  for  "disputing w 
the  Prophet,  and  the  wife  for  adultery ;  and  both  were  cut 
off.  The  thing  grew  serious.  Pratt  was  an  apostle,  and  one 
of  the  best  writers,  as  well  as  the  best  educated  man,  in  the 
Church.    Bennett  left  Nauvoo,  and  has  never  been  identified 


32  Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

with  the  "saints"  since.  Pratt  also  left, but  by  the  following 
arrangement  returned  to  the  bosom  of  the  Church,  and  to  the 
favor  of  the  Prophet.  He,  with  his  wife,  were  re-baptized  for 
the  remission  of  their  mutual  sin,  and  the  Prophet  was  ap- 
peased. Pratt  has  ever  since  been  one  of  the  pillars  of  the 
Church,  and  at  that  time  would  have  been  an  irreparable 
loss  to  it. 

He  had  then  four  wives,  but  his  attachment  to  his  first 
wife,  Sarah,  appears  to  have  triumphed  over  his  disgust  at 
her  loss  of  virtue.  It  is  said  he  very  nearly  went  mad  with 
the  trouble  growing  out  of  this  affair.  He  afterwards  edited 
a  Mormon  paper  at  Washington,  known  as  the  "  Seer ;"  and 
by  his  glowing  descriptions  of  Utah,  has  deluded  many  of 
the  victims  of  Mormonism  to  that  moral  pest-house,  who 
would  now  gladly  escape. 


Dkath  of  the  Prophet.  38 


CHAPTER   III. 

DEATH      OF     THE      PROPHET. 

Various  causes  conspired  to  increase  the  storm  to  such  a 
degree  that  it  finally  resulted  in  the  death  of  Joseph  Smith. 

Some  of  these  have  been  referred  to  in  the  last  chapter ; 
but,  probably,  the  most  dangerous  element  of  discord,  threat 
ening  as  it  did  the  internal  peace  of  the  Church,  grew  out  of 
the  spiritual  wife  doctrine ;  and  as  some  misapprehension  as 
to  its  origin  appears  to  have  obtained  currency  among  the 
"  Gentiles,"  I  deem  it  proper  to  state  what  I  know  of  it. 

It  has  been  stated,  and  generally  believed,  that  this  doc- 
trine was  first  communicated  by  revelation  to  Sidney  Rigdon. 
This  is  untrue,  and  has  grown  into  public  belief  from  state- 
ments of  Smith  himself,  who  denied  the  existence  of  such  a 
doctrine,  when  questioned  by  the  Gentiles  during  his  life, 
even  while  he  was  in  its  practice.  In  fact,  he  excommuni- 
cated many  of  his  followers  who  practised  it  indiscreetly,  his 
brother  William  among  others ;  and,  in  order  to  confine  it 
within  controllable  limits,  and  to  avoid  public  scandal,  he  re- 
stricted its  practice  to  the  highest  dignitaries  of  the  Church; 
and  it  was  never  understood  to  be  a  thing  of  indiscrimi- 
nate and  open  practice  until  after  the  Mormons  crossed  the 

2* 


34         Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

Missouri,  en  route  to  the  far  West.  This  doctrine  was  re- 
vealed under  circumstances  of  extraordinary  import  to  Joseph 
Smith,  as  the  "  only  Prophet  of  God,"  and  was  written  out 
at  length  at  the  time,  and  the  original  writing  is  now  "  kept 
in  state"  at  Salt  Lake,  and  in  the  personal  custody  of  a 
member  of  the  Grand  Presidency,  Heber  C.  Kimble. 

This  remarkable  document,  which  has  so  boldly  attempted 
to  rob  civilization  of  her  highest  achievement,  i.  e.  the  right 
of  woman  to  one  whole  and  undivided  husband,  is  said  to 
contain  many  other  radical  changes;  things  which,  even 
among  Mormons,  it  is  yet  unlawful  to  whisper ;  but,  when 
the  "  sword  of  the  Prophet  shall  be  the  law  of  the  world/'  a 
day  which  some  Mormons  now  living  hope  to  see,  these  mys- 
terious revelations  shall  be  unloosed  to  "  bless  "  the  Mormon 
world. 

The  Prophet  appears  to  have  encountered  an  unrelenting 
opponent  in  his  first  and  lawful  wife,  Emma,  who  discovered 
by  accident  this  document,  and  finding  it  contained  new  doc- 
trines which  threatened  to  interfere  with  her  domestic  rights, 
attempted  to  destroy  it;  but  the  Mormons  claim  she  was 
miraculously  prevented,  and  the  oracle  is  still  preserved. 

Emma  attempted,  as  a  last  resort,  to  poison  the  Prophet, 
and  though  she  failed  in  that,  she  soon  found  sympathy  and 
support  among  the  disaffected  within  the  Church. 

The  Prophet  had  sent  some  time  before  this,  three  men, 
Law,  Foster  and  Jacobs,  on  missions,  and  they  had  just  re- 
turned, and  found  their  wives  blushing  under  the  prospective 
honors  of  spiritual  wifeism ;  and  another  woman,  Mrs.  Buei, 
had  left  her  husband,  a  Gentile,  to  grace  the  Prophet's  retinue 


Death  of  the  Prophet.  35 

on  hDrseback,  when  he  reviewed  the  Nauvoo  Legion.  I 
heard  the  latter  woman  say  afterwards  in  Utah,  that  she  did 
not  know  whether  Mr.  Buel  or  the  Prophet  was  the  father  of 
her  son.  These  men  established  a  press  in  Nauvoo,  to  ex- 
pose his  alleged  vicious  teachings  and  practices,  which 
a  revelation  from  Joseph  destroyed.  The  press  was  thrown 
into  the  street,  and  the  material  scattered. 

This  provoked  a  conflict  with  law  officers  of  the  State. 
Sheriffs  and  constables  searched  the  city  for  the  Prophet, 
and  Hiram,  and  others  of  the  leading  ones,  but  for  a  long 
time  they  evaded  them.  The  Prophet  fled  across  the  Missis- 
sippi, to  Iowa,  and  took  refuge  with  the  Indians. 

A  circumstance  occurred  in  the  midst  of  the  excitement, 
which  I  think  was  not  rightly  understod  by  the  Gentiles. 

A  sheriff  in  pursuit  of  the  Prophet,  whose  name  I  do 
not  now  recollect,  was  murdered  by  the  Mormons,  and 
thrown  into  the  Mississippi.  His  friends  supposed  he  had 
been  drowned  accidentally,  for  this  was  the  story  circulated 
by  those  who  murdered  him.  Things  were  assuming  a  bad 
shape.  The  Prophet's  wife  Emma,  stirred  up  the  people  by 
the  story  that  the  Prophet  was  a  coward,  and  had  forsaken 
his  people. 

Historians  of  these  events  tell  us  that  the  Governor  of 
Illinois  persuaded  Joseph  Smith,  and  his  principal  Apostles 
to  surrender  themselves  to  the  law  officers,  and  tendered  t 
hem  his  official  protection.  But  there  is  always  an  under- 
urrent  in  history,  a  knowledge  of  which  is  necessary  to  a 
»ght-estimate  of  the  facts,  which  is  only  to  be  found  in  the  do- 
\estic  lives  of  the  great  actors  upon  the  stage  of  life.    Emma, 


36         Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

who  wished  to  destroy  the  Prophet,  wrote  to  him  reproach 
fully,  for  his  cowardice  ;  and  denouncing  him  as  an  impostor, 
and  asked  him  to  give  a  proof  of  his  mission,  by  facing  the 
enemies  of  the  church. 

This  had  the  effect  she  had  expected  and  desired.  The 
Prophet  returned  to  Nauvoo,  and  was  arrested,  with  his 
brother  Hiram,  John  Taylor,  Willard  Richards  and  others, 
and  all  were  lodged  in  Carthage  jail. 

But  the  excitement  among  the  Gentiles  was  at  its  height. 
The  idea  had  obtained  credit,  that  the  Governor  would  pro- 
tect the  Prophet,  and  screen  him  from  justice.  A  mob 
gathered  at  Carthage,  on  the  27th  of  June,  1844,  and  took  the 
matter  into  their  own  hands.  John  Taylor,  late  editor  of  the 
"Mormon,"  a  paper  published  in  New  York  city,  escaped 
with  a  slight  wound  ;  his  watch  having  intercepted  a  ball, 
which  otherwise  must  have  passed  through  his  body.  Ho 
gave  us  a  detailed  account  of  the  end  of  the  Prophet. 

He  said  Hiram  fell  dead  at  the  first  shot  from  the  mob, 
through  the  window  ;  Joseph,  who  was  sitting  upon  the  win- 
dow-sill, received  a  shot  which  wounded  him,  may  be  mor- 
tally. He  then  turned  quickly  to  Hiram,  and  seeing  he  was 
dead,  exclaimed,  "  My  Lord,  my  God,  have  mercy  upon  us,  if 
th@re  is  any  God  ;"  and  fell  out  of  the  window,  where  he  was 
soon  riddled  with  balls. 

When  the  dead  bodies  arrived  at  Nauvoo,  the  spiritual 
wives  of  the  late  prophet,  before  unknown  with  certainty, 
now  disclosed  by  cries,  and  a  general  uproar,  their  secret  ac- 
ceptance of  the  new  doctrine.  One  af  them,  Olive  Frost? 
went  entirely  mad ;  but  his  own  wife  Emma,  appeared  re- 


Death  of  the  Prophet.  87 

markably  resigned.  She  afterwards  married  a  Gentile,  and 
disavowed  Mormonism. 

The  bodies  of  the  Smiths  were  brought  to  Nauvoo,  and 
buried  in  the  cellar  of  Joseph's  house,  although  the  ceremony 
of  burying  their  empty  coffins  was  performed  at  the 
"  grave."  The  death  of  the  prophet  was  a  terrible  blow  ; 
and  the  problem  whether  the  Church  would  be  annihilated 
by  it,  or  not,  was  destined  to  turn  upon  that  of  a  choice 
of  a  successor,  to  which  there  were  many  aspirants.  Wil- 
liam Smith,  the  only  surviving  brother  of  the  dead  Pro- 
phet, founded  a  strong  claim  upon  the  fact  of  his  being  the 
next  of  kin  ;  Lyman  White,  Gladden  Bishop,  James  Strang, 
John  E.  Page,  Sidney  Rigdon,  and  many  others  were  candi- 
dates. 

Brigham  Young,  already  a  rising  man  among  the  adhe- 
rents of  the  new  faith,  was  absent  upon  a  "mission"  at  the 

« 
time  ;-  but  his  return  was  daily  expected.     He  was  President 

of  the  u  Quorum  of  Apostles,"  and  next  to  the  Prophet,  had 
been  perhaps  the  most  popular  of  the  leaders,  with  the  peo- 
ple. It  has  been  stated,  and  generally  believed,  that  Brigham 
Young  was  elected  Prophet,  and  Head  of  the  Church,  by  the 
college  of  Apostles.  This  is  not  true.  Although  that  body 
undoubtedly  favored  the  elevation  of  the  President  of  their 
quorum,  they  had  no  such  power  invested  in  them.  The 
election  of  all  officers  in  the  Church,  from  the  Prophet  down 
to  the  lowest,  is  a  question  to  be  submitted  to  the  whole 
body  of  the  people.  Sidney  Rigdon  was  making  a  strong 
effort  to  get  a  special  convention,  hoping  thereby  to  secure 
his  election  before   the  ret  irn  of  Brigham  Young ;  and  in 


38         Fifteen  Years  among  turn  Mormons 

fact  succeeded  in  getting  it  called.  The  people  had  assem- 
bled upon  a  day  fixed  for  that  purpose.  In  those  days,  the 
advent  of  a  steamboat  on  the  Mississippi  was  always  an 
event.  One  had  been  anxiously  expected  for  several  days, 
which  it  was  hoped  would  bring-"  Brother  Brigham."  After 
the  convention  had  been  organized,  most  of  the  candidates 
presented  their  claims  by  a  personal  address ;  and  the  last 
speaker,  Sidney  Rigdon,  had  risen  to  address  the  excited  as- 
sembly, and  was  risking  everything  upon  a  strong,  last  appeal 
to  the  people,  in  his  own  behalf,  who  were  now  about  to 
decide  whether  he  (Rigdon)  should  be  a  Prophet,  and  a 
Mormon,  or  an  apostate. 

He  had  nearly  finished,  and  the  friends  of  Brigham  Young 
were  wild  with  vexation,  for  Rigdon  was  evidently  gaining 
upon  the  popular  feeling.  Just  then  the  cry  came  up  from 
the  river,  that  a  boat  was  in  sight,  and  when  it  arrived, 
Brigham  proved  to  be  on  board.  When  on  shore,  he  came 
at  once  to  the  convention,  and  advanced  to  the  stand,  with 
the  air  of  a  prophet,  and  the  lofty  bearing  of  one  who  bore 
in  his  person  the  fortunes  of  an  empire.  He  was  at  that 
time  under  forty  years  of  age,  with  a  handsome  and  pleasing 
face,  and  an  open  and  frank  address ;  he  possessed  the  rare 
faculty  of  inspiring  enthusiasm  in  others,  without  allowing  it 
to  overpower  himself. 

By  a  short  and  well-timed  speech,  in  which  he  referred 
feelingly  to  the  dead  Prophet,  he  frankly  presented  his  claims 
to  the  succession.  The  effect  was  instantaneous,  and  perma- 
nent. He  was  elected  President  of  the  Church  of  Latter  Day 
Saints,  and  a  Prophet  of  God  ;  and  from  that  day  to  this,  has 


Death  of  the  Prophet.  39 

ruled  the  Church  with  an  untrammelled  absoluteness,  un- 
known to  any  other  human  government.  This  will  appear 
the  more  remarkable  when  we  state  that  he  is,  with  all  other 
officers  of  the  Church,  liable  to  be  removed  twice  each  year ; 
i.e.  the  6th  of  April  and  October;  when  each  are  reelected, 
or  others  in  their  stead,  when  disaffection  exists  as  to  any- 
one of  them  ;  the  whole  being  governed  by  the  voice  of  the 
people.     A  perfect  democracy  in  its  original  sense. 

The  defeat  of  Kio;don  and  Strang  ended  their  belief  in 
Mormonism,  and  each  went  off  to  found  a  new  order  upon 
their  own  hook ;  as  did  also  most  of  the  other  defeated  can- 
didates. Success  has  however  attended  the  lead  of  none 
but  Brigham  Young,  who  was  followed  by  all  those  whose 
orthodoxy  was  then  undoubted. 

The  new  Prophet  declared  openly  in  favor  of  the  spiritual 
wife  dogma,  as  soon  as  he  could  do  so  safely,  which  formed 
the  first  great  feature  of  his  administration.  His  energy  and 
personal  influence  soon  infused  new  life  within  the  Church, 
and  served  to  calm  the  opposition  from  without.  His 
fair  beginning  promised  a  peaceable  and  successful  future, 
but  the  schismatics  who  had  left,  and  who  were  for  the  most 
part  opposed  to  the  new  doctrine,  were  fanning  anew  the 
fires  of  persecution  among  the  Gentiles.  The  Mormons  were 
soon  convinced  that  the  coming  storm,  the  inutterings  of 
which  they  heard  in  the  distance,  would  render  necessary 
another  remove,  and  it  was  reluctantly  decided  to  make  a 
final  exodus  to  the  great  West — to  seek  a  home  among  the 
rocks  and  mountains  in  the  heart  of  the  great  plains,  west  of 
the  Mississippi. 


40  Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

It  was  now  early  spring,  and  every  preparation  was  made 
that  promised  to  expedite  this  migration.  A  crop  was 
planted  with  a  view  to  removal  immediately  after  the  har- 
vest; and  seeds  gathered  for  future  planting  in  other  soils. 
The  great  Temple  was  yet  unfinished,  but  a  prediction  of  the 
dead  Prophet  had  foretold  its  completion,  and  the  utmost 
exertion  was  made  to  effect  its  verification  before  the  coming 
fall ;  and  this,  under  the  energetic  leadership  of  Brigham 
Young,  was  fully  accomplished,  even  to  the  last  ornament. 
But  another  and  stronger  motive  impelled  to  the  finishing 
of  the  Temple.  The  late  apostasies  from  Mormonism  had 
shown  the  necessity  of  some  stronger  tie  than  mere  religious 
zeal  to  bind  the  saints  together. 

Since  the  Heads  of  the  Church  had  left  Kirtland,  Ohio, 
they  had  possessed  no  Temple,  with  "upper  rooms''  of  the 
required  sanctity  and  seclusion,  in  which  to  celebrate  the 
dark  and  mysterious  rites  of  the  "  endowment"  and  every 
effort  was  made  to  finish  the  Temple  for  the  observance  of 
these  ceremonies,  before  the  final  exodus 


Endowments.  41 


CHAPTER     IV. 

ENDOWMENTS. 

Br  early  winter,  the  "  upper  rooms "  of  the  Temple,  set 
apart  for  the  mysteries  of  the  Endowments  were  finished, 
and  the  persons  in  the  different  quorums  accounted  worthy, 
were  sent  for,  to  receive  the  "fullness  of  that  blessing." 

None  but  those  of  approved  integrity,  and  of  undoubted 
orthodoxy,  who  have  paid  their  "tithing,"  can  travel  this 
"Mormon  road  to  Heaven,"  as  it  is  called.  This  "  tithing," 
in  its  fullest  sense,  implies  a  tenth  of  all  one's  property 
and  income,  and  one-tenth  of  the  time  to  be  spent  in  labor 
on  the  public  works,  or  money  to  hire  a  substitute. 

There  are  many  things  about  these  initiations  which  I  do 
not  feel  at  liberty  to  disclose,  as  I  have  received  them  as 
religious  mysteries,  at  a  time  I  believed  they  were  true — 
when  I  knew  no  other  religion.  Indeed,  my  whole  know- 
ledge of  religion,  until  within  a  few  months,  has  been  associ- 
ated with  these  ceremonies,  as  opening  the  only  road  to 
heaven.  They  have  taught  me  to  believe  my  chief  duties 
as  a  woman,  in  this  life,  consisted  in  having  a  great  many 
children  ;  and  my  prospect  for  happiness  and  "  exaltation  " 
in  the  next  world,  to  be  greatly  enhanced,  by  being  one  of 


42         Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

many  fruitful  wives  of  one  man ;  and  that  even  my  salvatioi* 
depended  upon  the  pleasure  of  the  Prophet,  or  on  that  of  a 
spiritual  husband,  and  I  had  never  heard  a  true  account  of 
that  beautiful  story  of  a  free  salvation  through  Christ,  of 
which  I  am  now  anxious  to  know  more. 

Tho°«  things  in  the  following  ceremonies,  wThich  I  have 
neglected  to  disclose,  are  such  as,  while  they  would  only 
gratify  the  morbid  curiosity  of  some  readers,  and  offend  the 
good  taste  of  others,  are  forever  sealed  within  ray  own  breast 
by  a  solemn  obligation  of  secrecy,  and  must  so  remain  until 
I  can  see  how  their  disclosure  can  contribute  to  the  public 
good :  a  reason  for  silence  on  those  points,  which  all  con- 
scientious people  will,  I  think,  duly  appreciate ;  and  yet  I 
am  free  to  acknowledge,  that  I  have  had  some  difficulty  in 
settling  with  my  conscience  the  exact  point  at  which  my  dis- 
closures should  end  ;  »and  the  difficulty  has  not  been  lessened 
by  the  instruction  and  advice  kindly  given  me  by  several  dis- 
tinguished ministers  of  the  Gospel,  that  I  ought  to  feel 
myself  at  liberty  to  make  an  unreserved  disclosure  of  the 
whole  matter.  I  have,  however,  thought  it  safest  to  give  my 
conscience  the  benefit  of  the  doubt,  where  there  has  been 
any  question  as  to  what  I  ought  to  do  ;  and  hence  the  follow- 
ing is  all  I  have  to  disclose  upon  this  part  of  Mormonism  at 
present : 

My  husband,  who  was  a  member  of  the  fourth  "  Quorum 
of  Seventies,"  and  myself,  were  called  to  the  Temple  to  re- 
ceive our  "  Endowments." 

We  ascended  the  first  stair,  at  the  head  of  which  Brigham 
Young  met  us.     H*  took  me  by  both  hands,  and  led  me  to  a 


Endowments.  43 

door  at  tl  e  left,  and  whispering  in  my  ear  a  pass-word,  left 
me  to  go  in,  and  afterwards  did  the  same  with  my  husband, 
who  was  directed  to  enter  a  door  at  the  right. 

The  room  I  had  entered  was  nearly  filled  with  women  :  nc 
men  were  in  this  room ;  and  no  women  were  in  the  room  at 
the  right,  where  Wallace  had  entered.  Here  we  were  un- 
dressed and  washed  in  a  large  tub  of  warm  water,  by  a  woman 
who  is  "  ordained  "  to  that  office,  and  then  anointed  with 
"  consecrated  oil,"  by  another  woman,  also  "  ordained  n  for 
that  particular  duty. 

Two  high  priests  were  in  an  adjoining  room,  consecrating 
this  oil,  and  handing  the  same  into  both  rooms  as  it  was 
needed,  which  was  poured  from  a  horn  over  our  heads,  and  a 
lengthy  prayer  was  then  said  over  us.  Every  part  of  the 
body  being  in  turn  the  special  subject  of  this  prayer,  that  we 
might  become  as  little  children,  even  as  Adam  and  Eve  were 
when  placed  in  the  Garden  of  Eden,  and  many  other  matters 
of  a  similar  bearing,  which  I  cannot  now  recollect,  although 
I  witnessed  the  ceremony  many  times  afterwards. 

We  were  then  dressed  with  a  white  night-gown  and  skirt, 
and  shoes  of  bleached  drilling,  and  with  our  hair  loose  and 
dripping  with  consecrated  oil,  each  received  a  new  name,  and 
were  instructed  that  we  were  never  to  pronounce  this  name 
on  earth  but  once  :  and  that,  when  we  came  to  enter  within 
the  u  Veil,"  hereafter  descrbed. 

The  same  process  is  gone  through  with  in  the  men's  wash- 
ing-room, except  that  they  wore  nothing  but  shirt  and  draw- 
ers, and  when  all  was  ready  in  both  rooms,  each  party  was 
piloted  by  one  of  the:r  own  sex  into  a  common  room,  fitted 


44  Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

up  to  represent,  and  called  the  Garden  of  Eden.  On  this 
occasion  there  were  about  forty  persons  of  both  sexes.  The 
room  into  which  we  were  taken  was  very  large,  the  walls 
were  hung  with  white  muslin,  and  was  fitted  up  with  boxes, 
containing  a  great  variety  of  trees,  designed  to  represent  the 
Garden  of  Eden.  All  the  trees  were  in  life,  and  presented  a 
very  fine  appearance,  and  we  were  marched  round  the  room 
among  them  in  slow  and  solemn  procession. 

It  is  required  that  each  candidate  be  perfectly  clean  in 
dress  and  person,  and  a  filthy  thing  is  here  regarded  an 
abomination. 

A  circumstance  happened  at  this  initiation  which  will 
illustrate  how  readily  propriety  is  sacrificed  to  their  ideas  of 
orthodoxy.  It  appears  that  a  large  Irishman,  who,  though  a 
good  Mormon,  had  not  lost  his  native  propensity  to  "  bulls," 
had  come  into  the  wash-room  for  his  "  Endowments,"  either 
thoughtlessly  or  ignorantly,  with  shirt  and  drawers  not  over 
clean.  He  had,  however,  put  on  a  clean  "  dickey,"  but  this 
would  not  pass  after  his  anointing,  and  being  the  last  one 
washed,  and  the  procession  ready  to  move  into  the  Garden 
of  Eden,  he  threw  on  his  clean  dickey,  and  marched  in  and 
received,  to  use  his  own  words,  "  Me  Enduments,  with  nary 
an  onclane  rag  abute  me,"  having  on,  in  fact,  nothing  but  his 
dickey. 

But  to  continue.  The  first  thing  we  saw  in  the  centre  of 
the  "  Garden  "  was  the  "  devil,"  dressed  in  black  muslin,  in 
conversation  with  "  Eve,"  the  latter  being  tempted  to  partake 
of  the  forbidden  "/rwi7,"  to  which  she  finally  yielded.  Eve 
then  went  to  Adam,  with  an  offer  of  the  "  fruit,"  who,  after 


Endowments.  45 

much  resistance,  "  he  likewise  fell  ;"  whereupon  the  u  Lord  n 
came  into  the  "  Garden,"  with  a  glittering  white  robe,  be- 
spangled with  every  kind  of  brilliants  that  could  send  back  a 
flash  of  light,  from  whose  face  Adam,  and  Eve,  and  the 
"  Tempter  "  fled  away  hiding  among  the  trees ;  but  finally 
the  first  two  confessed  their  "  crime,"  and  the  "  Lord  "  pro- 
nounced a  curse  upon  taem  and  upon  their  race,  copied  from 
Genesis,  and  the  devil  crawled  out  of  sight  upon  his  face. 
The  Lord  then  put  aprons  upon  Adam  and  Eve,  and  upon  us 
all,  made  of  white  linen,  illustrated  by  means  of  green  silk, 
to  represent  fig-leaves.  We  were  then  led  out  again,  each 
to  our  respective  rooms,  and  thus  ended  the  "  first  glory." 

I  deem  it  proper,  and  a  duty  I  owe  my  sex,  to  hand  down 
to  infamy  the  names  of  the  women  I  have  seen  not  only  then, 
but  since,  represent  "  Eve  r  in  the  "  Garden  of  Eden,"  the 
more  so,  because  the  persons  whose  names  I  am  about  to 
mention  appear  to  have  performed  it  willingly  and  with 
"  pleasure." 

Eliza  Snow,  who  was  one  of  the  wives  of  the  Prophet 
Joseph,  and  now  a  wife  of  Brigham  Young  "  for  time,"  as 
it  is  termed,  which  means  she  will  be  Joseph's  wife  again  in 
heaven,  performed  this  part  more  than  any  other  woman. 
Now  at  fifty  years  of  age,  she  is  even  yet  very  beautiful,  and 
she  may  be  said  to  perform  infamously  well.  I  have  also 
seen  Mrs.  Buel,  mentioned  heretofore,  do  the  same.  She  is 
the  woman  whose  husband  lived  at  Lima,  111.,  when  Joseph 
seduced  her  from  him.  I  have  also  seen  Mrs.  Knowlton  in 
the  same  capacity  Sh5.  is  the  mother  of  my  brother  How- 
ard's wife,  Martha. 


46         Fifteen  Yeaks  among  the  Mormons. 

Martha  is  a  good  and  pure  woman,  and  will  not  submit  to 
the  double  wife  practice,  although  she  is  forced  to  acknow- 
ledge, in  common  with  all  Mormon  women,  that  it  is  right 
in  principle,  each  week  when  she  is  questioned,  as  they  all 
are,  by  the  "  teachers."  When  my  brother  Howard  one  time 
brought  home  another  wife,  Martha  fought  her  out  of  the 
house,  and  he  was  forced  to  console  himself  with  one.  But 
when  I  left  Salt  Lake  last  year,  he  was  courting  two  sisters, 
whom  he  intended  to  take  home,  thinking  they  would  to- 
gether be  able  to  hold  the  balance  of  power  in  Martha's 
household.  I  presume  she  will  in  the  end  submit,  as  that 
is  sure  to  be  the  fate  of  most  Mormon  women. 

"Satan"  is  generally  represented  by  Judge  Phelps,  for 
whom  I  have  no  words  sufficiently  hateful.  Levi  Hancock 
also  often  performed  the  same.  And  "  Adam "  by  Orson 
Hyde  and  Parley  P.  Pratt.  I  have  no  doubt  but  these  cha- 
racters have  been  represented  by  others,  but  these  are  the 
persons  who  generally  do  it.  The  whole  room  was  hung 
with  white  cloth,  and  behind  one  side  of  the  "  Garden  of 
Eden  "  there  was  no  wall  but  the  curtain,  with  an  arrange- 
ment of  "  peep-holes,"  where  Mormons  who  have  before  taken 
their  Endowments  may  witness  it  again.  BrigUam  Young 
was  in  the  practice  of  sending  for  various  ones  among  the 
women  to  that  room,  whej;e  he  examined  them  ^  to  their 
pass-words  and  grips,  and  forced  them  to  witness,  again  the 
"  temptation."  I  was  often  sent  for  afterwards  eJ  Salt  Lake 
on  such  occasions. 

The  character  of  the  "  Lord  "  was  always  rejvx^nted  by 
u  Brother  Brigham,    if  he  could  possibly  be  there- -i?  sot,  he 


Endowments.  47 

deputized  some  one ;  but  Brigham  never  played  the  "  Devil," 
or  "  Adam  "  on  these  occasions. 

I  think  I  need  not  inform  my  readers  how  heartily  the 
women  mentioned  as  "  Eves  "  at  these  infernal  rites  were  in 
secret  despised  and  hated  by  the  great  mass  of  the  Mormon 
women  :  especially  Eliza  Snow.  Though  forced  to  treat  them 
well  in  society  there,  I  take  pleasure  in  letting  them  know 
the  opinion  that  obtained  among  their  own  sex,  and  which 
would  have  found  an  expression  of  universal  disgust  from 
those  of  their  associates,  if  it  were  not  crushed  into  silence  by 
the  overshadowing  power  of  the  Prophet. 

We  were  now  undressed  again,  and  each  put  on  the  "gar- 
ment" which  is  so  arranged  as  to  form  a  whole  suit  at  once  ; 
and  the  "  robe,"  which  is  a  strip  of  white  muslin,  say  three- 
fourths  of  a  yard  wide,  and  long  enough  to  reach  to  the  feet, 
gathered  in  the  middle,  and  tied  by  a  bow,  to  the  left  shoul- 
der, and  brought  across  the  body,  and  the  edges  fastened  to- 
gether on  the  right  side,  with,  a  belt  around  the  waist  of  the 
same.  Over  this  was  put  the  apron  we  had  received  in  the 
"  first  glory ;"  and  the  women  wore  what  is  called  a  veil  § 
made  of  a  large  piece  of  book  muslin,  reaching  nearly  to  the 
floor,  and  gathered  up  at  one  corner  to  fit  the  head.  The 
men  wore  a  kind  of  turban,  made  of  the  same  material,  other- 
wise men  and  women  were  dressed  alike.  Thus  disguised, 
it  was  quite  impossible  for  us  to  recognize  each  other 

We  were  next  led  into  what  is  called  the  Terrestrial  Glory ; 
where  Brigham  Young  received  us,  and  after  a  long  effort  to 
explain  the  disgusting  scene  in  the  "  Garden,"  as  necessary  to 
our  future   exaltation,  he  gave   each   a  pass- word  and  grip 


48         Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

necessary,  he  said,  to  admit  us  into  the  "  Celestial  Glory  *," 
where  our  (i.  e.  Mormon)  "  god "  dwells.  Some  say  this  is 
Adam;  and  some  that  Joe  Smith  is  to  be  our  "god,"  and 
afterwards,  Brigham  Young  intimated,  that  he  (Brigham), 
was  the  medium  of  our  salvation,  and  that  Joseph  was  his 
"god."  They  do  not  all  agree  upon  this  point;  but  they  do 
agree  upon  another  thing,  and  that  is:  that  there  are  many 
gods,  and  they  do  not  acknowledge  the  one  Triune  God  of 
the  Bible,  but  that  every  man  will  sometime  be  a  "  god ;" 
and  that  women  are  to  be  the  ornaments  of  his  kingdom,  and 
dependent  upon  him  for  resurrection  and  salvation ;  and  that 
our  salvation  is  dependent  upon  the  recollection  of  these  pass- 
words ;  that  when  we  get  to  Heaven,  these  pass- words  will 
open  the  door  to  us  if  we  can  recollect  them  ;  but  even  then, 
Brigham's  permission  is  necessary  before  the  women  can  en- 
ter. The  absolute  truth  of  which  theory  I  have  never  doubted 
until  within  a  few  months. 

From  this  we  pass,  after  being  armed  with  the  pass-words 
and  grips,  to  another  room,  where  is  an  altar,  before  which, 
if  any  wish,  they  are  "  sealed" — that  is  married.  The  name  of 
this  I  do  not  recollect,  but  it  is  the  third  "  Glory."  We 
arrived  finally,  where  a  veil  separated  us  from  the  "  Celestial 
Glory."  A  man  behind  the  veil  examined  us,  as  to  the  pass- 
words and  grips  Brigham  had  given  us,  and  to  whom  we  gave" 
our  "new  name,"  received  at  the  first  anointing.  Holes 
through  the  veil  enabled  him  to  see  us  when  we  could  not  see 
him,  and  also,  to  cut  with  a  small  pair  of  scissors,  certain 
marks,  beside  others,  the  Masonic  square  and  compass,  upon 
the  right  and  left  breast  of  our  "  garments,"  and  upon  the 


Endowments.  49 

right  knee,  a  gash,  deep  enough  to  make  a  scar,  by  which  we 
were  to  be  recognized  as  Mormons.  This  gash  upon  the  right 
knee  is  now  often  omitted,  because  many  of  the  women  ob- 
ject to  it.  We  were  then  admitted  into  the  "  Celestial  Glory," 
where,  seated  upon  a  throne,  in  great  state,  was  a  person 
representing  "  our  god."  This  was  a  gorgeously  furnished 
room,  illustrating  by  earthly  signs  a  heavenly  glory.  This 
ends  the  first  "  anointing." 

The  time  occupied  in  this  initiation  is  about  ten  hours. 
Two  days  in  the  week  are  set  apart  for  this  purpose,  and 
sometimes  group  after  group  succeeds  each  other,  and  the  ini- 
tiation is  continued  all  day,  and  not  unfrequently  long  after 
midnight. 

Arrived  at  this  point,  the  candidate  is  prepared  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  "  second  anointing."  This  I  have  never  received, 
and  for  various  reasons,  not  the  least  of  which  was,  that  very 
few  have  received  this  as  yet,  and  will  not  until  the  new 
temple  at  Salt  Lake  city  is  finished.  I  had  also  heard  it 
hinted,  that  the  "second  anointing"  was  administered 
without  clothing  of  any  kind ;  and  moreover,  as  it  will  be 
seen  hereafter,  I  had  reason  to  doubt  somewhat,  though  not 
entirely  to  discard  Mormonism. 

It  was  a  noticeable  feature,  that  the  outride  show  of  some 
of  the  regalia  and  furniture  connected  with  these  "  Endow- 
ments "  were  made  to  conform  to  those  of  Masonry ;  and 
Mormons  are  anxious  to  have  the  "  Gent:les "  associate  all 
they  know  of  these  beastly  "  Endowments,"  with  Masonry,  or 
as  being  a  modified  form  of  it,  made  eligible  to  women^  as  & 
blind  to  cover  the  real  objects  of  this  "  Institution ;"  and  I 


50  Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

have  noticed  by  the  puttie  prints,  since  my  arrival  in  the 
States,  that  this  was  the  opinion  entertained  among*  those 
"Gentiles"  supposed  to  be  best  informed  upon  this  subject 
But  this  is  but  a  mere  blind;  and  the  real  object  of  these 
mystic  forms  is  no  way  connected  with,  or  borrowed  from 
Masonry.  Now,  in  conclusion  of  my  disclosures  upon  this 
part  of  my  subject,  associated  as  it  is  with  hateful  memories 
of  that  peculiar  kind,  most  distasteful  to  the  recollection  of  a 
pure  woman,  I  deem  it  my  duty,  in  compensation  for  what 
I  have  felt  compelled  to  omit  of  the  foregoing,  especially  of 
that  never  to  be  forgotten  scene  in  the  "  Garden  of  Eden,* 
to  state,  that  the  "  moral "  and  object  of  the  whole  is,  socially, 
to  unsex  the  sexes ;  *  *  ■  *  *  *  *  * 
*  *  *  and  when  I  call  the  attention  of 
the  reader  to  the  fact,  that  while  I  have  described  the  dress 
of  all  the  parties  to  this  inhuman  display,  and  ocular  demon- 
stration, I  have  not  mentioned  the  dress  of  "Adam  and  Eve? 
nor  the  nature  of  the  "Fruit"  by  which  each  was  in  turn 
tempted  ;  I  think  he  will  admit,  that  while  I  have  said  enough, 
I  have  also  left  more  unsaid  than  the  imagination,  held  with 
the  loosest  possible  rein,  would  be  likely  to  picture  ;  and  I 
have  only  to  add,  that  the  reality  is  too  monstrous  for  human 
belief*  And  in  view  of  the  above  facts,  penned  under  emo- 
tions too  deep  for  tears ;  facts,  the  truth  of  which,  not  only 

*  It  would  seem  to  be  a  misfortune,  that  a  false  estimate  of  pro- 
priety should  be  allowed  to  interpose  a  barrier  against  the  exposure 
of  these  Morman  debaucheries.  But  as  Mrs.  S ,  from  conscien- 
tious scruples,  and  a  doubt  as  to  the  good  to  be  accomplished  by  a 
more  full  disclosure,  preferred  silence,  we  leave  this  subject  as  it  is. 


Endowments.  51 

myself,  but  thousands  of  outraged  women  in  Utah,  would,  if 
once  freed  from  the  fear  of  actual  death,  substantiate  by  their 
oaths ;  the  truth  of  which  I  should  attest  by  my  blood,  if 
within  reach  of  Mormon  assassination,  may  I  not  be  per- 
mitted to  appeal  to  the  Christian  mothers  of  the  world,  in  be- 
half of  those  women,  now  shut  up  at  Salt  Lake,  and  in  behalf 
of  their  daughters,  just  budding  by  flocks  and  whoie  broods 
into  the  new  existence  of  womanhood,  to  be  prostituted  under 
such  a  system  ?  Will  this  Christian  land  ;  will  the  mothers 
of  Christendom  not  put  forth  an  effort  to  save  them  ?  Above 
all,  will  not  this  great  people,  through  its  government,  inter- 
pose the  strong  arm  of  the  public  law ;  backed,  as  it  must  be, 
by  armed  men,  to  open  the  doors  to  over  fifteen  thousand 
women  imprisoned,  for  the  crime  of  being  women  ;  and  foi 
the  purpose,  now  not  disguised,  of  raising  up,  in  the  shortest 
possible  space  of  time,  a  race  of  swift,  and  armed  witnesses, 
to  defend  and  propagate  this  new  faith — a  faith  resting  upon 
no  better  foundation  than  the  mere  dictum  of  a  pretended 
Prophet,  whose  dying  words  proved  his  disbelief  in  a  God,* 
and  which  faith  is  to-day  undisputed,  by  more  than  half  a 
million  followers  ? 

I  shall  never  forget  the  feelings  with  which  I  left  the  En- 
dowment rooms,  on  this  occasion.  I  went  immediately  to  my 
mother,  who,  it  appeared,  had  just  made  the  same  discovery ; 
and  was  making  an  effort  to  reconcile  such  practices  with  her 
belief  in   Mormonism.     She  recounted  to  me  with  mournful 

*  The  last  words  of  Joseph  Smith  were,  "  My  Lord,  my  God,  have 
mercy  upon  us,  if  there  is  a  God " 


52         Fifteen  Yeaks  among  the  Mormons. 

earnestness,  the  miraculous  cure  of  her  deafness,  and  men- 
tioned a  circumstance  which  had  occurred  just  before  the 
Prophet's  death,  as  follows :  It  appears  the  Prophet  Joseph 
had  one  day  broken  the  leg  of  my  brother  Howard,  while 
wrestlino-  They  were  always  together,  and  were  both  fond 
of  that  sport,  and  on  this  occasion  they  had  wrestled  with  un- 
common enthusiasm,  when,  by  an  unlucky  pass,  Howard  fell 
with  a  broken  leg.  It  was  immediately  set  by  the  "  Prophet," 
with  the  assistance  of  one  of  his  wives,  with  but  little  pain,  as 
Howard  alleged.  It  was  then  anointed  with  consecrated  oil, 
and  was  well  in  so  short  a  time,  that  it  had  at  least  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  miracle.  Howard  to  this  day  claims  he  ex- 
perienced no  pain  of  any  amount,  and  believes  yet  that  Joseph 
healed  it. 

With  all  these  astonishing  evidences  before  us,  how  could 
we  doubt  Mormonism.  These  facts  were  known  to  us,  and  an 
account  of  many  other  similar  cases  were  circulated,  and  be- 
lieved among  us.  How  could  we  accept  the  Prophet  in  one 
particular,  and  reject  him  in  another.  I  often  hear  persons 
express  astonishment  that  people  can  be  deluded  so  easily. 
If  they  knew  human  nature  better,  they  would  recollect,  that 
to  believe  what  the  best  evidence  at  our  command  clearly 
teaches,  affords  the  highest  proof  of  good  faith.  In  this  case 
my  mother  wras  unaccustomed  to  reason,  and  I  was  less  than 
seventeen  years  of  age.  The  influence  of  the  public  opinion 
with  which  we  were  surrounded,  was  all  one  way.  The  facts 
were  admitted,  and  we  saw  no  escape.  Mormonism  was  true; 
and  if  so,  that  was  the  end  of  argument. 


ENDOWMENTS.  53 

But  the  momentary  doubt  was  soon  swallowed  up  by  the 
all-absorbing  topic  which  soon  engrossed  the  Church.  The 
ihreatening  aspect  of  public  sentinent  among  the  Gentiles 
clearly  indicated  that  it  would  not  brook  our  delay  for  another 
year ;  and  gloomily,  our  whole  community  began  to  close  in 
upon  the  only  apparent  salvation  for  the  Church  and  its 
Prophet. 


0*         Fifteen  I  ears  among  ^he  Mormons. 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE     EXODUS, 


The  terrible  recollection  of  our  last  farewell  to  Xauvoo,  and 
what  followed,  is  still  before  me,  fresh  as. a  thing  of  yester- 
day. 

A  people  who  could  make  such  sacrifices,  in  vindication  of 
religious  belief,  amidst  suffering  by  cold,  and  hunger,  and  fa- 
tigue, are  at  least  entitled  to  the  credit  of  being  honest  when 
they  say  they  believed  it  true.  We  had  been  directed  at  the 
close  of  the  harvest  to  commence  drying  potatoes,  and  pump 
kins,  and  beef,  and  to  parch  corn,  and  make  strong  durable 
clothing.  This  was  continued  until  February,  1846.  when  all 
appeared  to  be  ready  for  a  general  movement. 

The  Temple  was  finished  and  dedicated ;  and  when  the 
final  song  was  sung,  and  the  last  benediction  pronounced  by 
the  Prophet,  amidst  the  tears  and  the  lamentations  of  strong 
men,  and  trusting  women,  and  the  last  maledictions  uttered 
against  the  Gentiles,  the  Temple  was  abandoned,  and  the  sig- 
nal given  for  the  commencement  of  that  "  exodus,"  which, 
even  to  this  day,  lingers  upon  my  recollection,  as  among  the 
most  wonderful  and  sublime  movements  of  which  the  world 
has  any  knowledge. 


The  Exodus.  55 

The  noise  of  preparation  for  the  westward  march  was  min 
gled  with  the  sound  of  the  hammer,  which  gave  the  finishing 
stroke  to  the  Temple,  and  the  last "  amen  "  of  the  dedication, 
with  the  command  of  "  forward,"  from  the  captain  of  "  Tens." 
The  movable  ornaments  of  the  temple,  which  had  been  put 
up  perhaps  but  an  hour  since,  wrere  taken  down,  and  packed 
for  future  use,  iu  ornamenting  another  Temple  in  the  wilder- 
ness. Even  the  great  bell  was  not  forgotten,  and  is  now  at 
Salt  Lake,  ready  to  be  swung  when  the  Temple  there  is  ready 
to  receive  it. 

This  bell  was  stolen  at  St.  Louis,  by  a  company  of  Mor- 
mons, under  the  command  of  Capt.  Mott,  and  taken  to  Nauvoo. 
Whether  it  was  ever  known  by  the  owners  at  St.  Louis  who 
took  the  bell  or  not,  I  am  not  informed  ;  but  I  was  present  on 
one  occasion,  when  this  Mr.  Mott  was  telling  one  of  the  Heads 
of  the  Church  about  it.  Mott  pointed  to  a  span  of  horses,  and 
said,  "that  is  the  team  that  drew  the  bell  we  i  selected]  in  St. 
Louis."  It  was  well  known  among  the  Mormons  that  it  was 
stolen. 

The  company  of  ten  wagons  to  which  myself  and  husband 
were  attached,  left  the  city  soon  after  the  Prophet  and  "  the 
Twelve."  Each  ten  wagons  were  in  charge  of  a  captain. 
My  brother  William  was  in  the  family  of  Brigham  Young, 
and  hence  was  in  the  advance;  but  my  mother  and  the  rest 
of  the  family  were  not  then  ready,  and  were  left  to  join  some 
other  company.  I  recollect  she  toli  me  afterwards,  she  sold 
her  house  and  lot,  worth  about  $800^  for  four  pounds  of  pork ; 
of  course  the  Mormon  title  to  the  land  was  not  considered 
good. 


56         Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

Our  company  crossed  the  Mississippi  on  the  ice  the  first 
day,  and  camped  at  night  at  Sugar  Creek,  in  Iowa.  This  was 
about  the  middle  of  February,  1846.  Then  commenced  a 
scene  of  suffering  and  hardship,  among  the  women  and  chil- 
dren, which  I  should  now  think  beyond  human  endurance. 

All  night,  the  wagons  came  trundling  into  camp,  with  half 
frozen  children,  crying  for  food,  and  the  same  the  next  day — 
and  so  on  the  whole  line  of  march. 

The  weather  was  not  cold  for  the  time  of  year,  but  the  open 
sky  and  bare  ground  for  women  and  children,  in  February,  is 
a  thing  to  be  endured  only  when  human  nature  is  put  to  the 
rack  of  necessity.  Many  a  mother  hastily  buried  her  dead 
child  by  the  wayside  during  that  winter  march,  half  regret- 
ting she  could  not  lie  down  with  it  herself,  and  be  at  peace. 

Our  company  remaiBed  fo#  several  days  at  this  encamp- 
ment, and  as  company  after  company  passed,  I  began  fully 
to  realize  my  situation.  I  was  now  separated  from  the  rest 
of  my  family,  for  the  first  time;  and  left  alone  with  my  hus- 
band, and  I  was  not  certain  if  my  mother  had,  or  would  start 
for  the  wilderness. 

We  had  a  cloth  tent,  which,  if  we  had  been  well  provided 
with  sufficient  clothing,  would  have  made  us  comfortable. 

One  night,  after  we  had  been  here  for  several  days,  a  heavy 
snow  fell ;  and  we  awoke  in  the  morning,  to  find  the  snow  had 
broken  the  tent  pole,  and  ourselves  half  buried  under  it. 
While  Wallace  was  yet  engaged  in  repairing  the  damage, 
and  had  removed  in  part  the  snow,  and  put  up  a  new  pole,  my 
brother  William,  of  whose  whereabouts  I  knew  nothing  until 
now,  looked  into  tin  tent,  and  said,  "Nettie,  you  are  cold." 


The  Exodus.  57 

I  was  cold  and  chilled.  The  little  clothing  we  had  was  wet 
with  snow.  William  had  hardly  spoken  to  me  until  now,  since 
my  marriage;  and  looking  round,  sadly,  he  said  at  length, 
<l  Nettie,  this  is  not  much  like  our  father's  home  we  have  left 
in  Pennsylvania.  If  we  die  here,  we  shall  die  the  death  of 
martyrs."  He  believed  Mormonism  was  true,  and  he  afterwards 
died  a  martyr,  while  I  lived  one. 

Our  company  was  that  day  reorganized,  and  we  moved  on 
ward.  For  a  few  days,  I  rode  in  the  wagon  of  the  Prophet 
by  his  invitation,  and  by  an  arrangement  made  by  Wallace 
and  William,  as  I  could  ride  more  comfortable  thus. 
Brother  Brigham,  upon  hearing  me  ask  William  if  he  had  left 
my  mother  and  the  children  at  Nauvoo,  to  be  murdered  by 
the  mob,  directed  him  to  go  back  for  them.  He  accordingly 
returned  to  Nauvoo.  When  we  had  arrived  at  Sheridan 
River,  William  left  us,  and  I  rode  again  with  my  husband. 

Thus  the  march  was  continued,  in  companies  of  ten  wagons 
each  ;  and  as  we  were  lightly  loaded,  the  stores  of  the  ten 
families  were  placed  in  our  wagon;  but  it  made  no  great  ad- 
dition to  our  load,  for  the  provisions  already  began  to  fail ; 
and  after  about  a  month,  we  were  put  upon  short  allowance. 
The  men  killed  what  game  they  could  upon  the  way,  whieh 
was  but  little  at  that  time  of  the  year.  It  was  a  weary  jour- 
ney ;  crossing  rivers,  and  bleak  prairies,  through  Iowa  in  a 
•  westerly  direction  from  Nauvoo.  Sometimes  short  of  wood 
and  water,  and  always  short  of  food.  The  full  history  of 
that  sad  journey  of  five  months  will  never  be  written.  Pio- 
neers had  been  sent  on  to  look  out  the  way,  and  we  followed 
in  the  common  trail ;  a  long  drawn,  stragglirg,  struggling 

3* 


55  Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

train,  seeking  a  Lome  in  the  wilderness — no  one  knew  where 
or  when  it  would  be  found.  This  was  the  beginning  of  that 
half  nomadic  life  of  suffering  and  privation,  which  has  at 
length  given  character  to  the  Mormons,  and  rendered  them  one 
in  purpose,  and  a  strong,  isolated  people  ;  self-dependent,  and 
quick  in  resource  ;  asking  nothing  from,  and  granting  nothing 
to  the  rest  of  mankind,  and  rough-schooled  them  to  an  inde- 
pendence, as  surprising  as  it  is  perfect. 

It  was  the  policy  of  the  Heads  of  the  Ghurch  to  have  the 
column  move  on  as  fast  as  possible  until  spring,  then  to  halt 
at  planting  time,  and  put  in  crops  for  the  coming  masses, 
whose  provisions  were  exhausted.  These  were  called 
"  stakes." 

We  arrived  at  Garden  Grove,  the  first  "stake"  west  of 
Nauvoo,  on  the  first  of  June,  1846,  after  having  been  on  half 
allowance  for  a  long  time.  Those  in  front  moved  on  to  the 
"  stake  "  at  Council  Bluffs.  We  were  directed  to  make  a  farm 
and  plant,  while  part  of  the  men  were  sent  south,  into  Mer 
cer  county,  Missouri,  to  buy  provisions.  Garden  G*rove  is  on 
Grand  Biver,  near  the  north  line  of  Missouri.  After  we  were 
established,  and  David  Fulmer  was  chosen  President  of  the 
"  stake,"  the  Prophet  moved  on  to  Council  Bluffs. 

My  husband  was  chosen  among  others  to  go  into  Mercer 
county  to  buy  provisions,  and  left  me  with  his  married  sister, 
Mary  Allred.  My  allowance  of  provisions  at  this  time  was 
very  small — a  piece  of  bread  and  some  milk,  less  than  half 
as  much  as  I  needed,  was  the  small  share  allowed  me,  with  as 
many  wild  onions  as  I  wished. 

We  watched  the  return  of  the  men  with  great  anxiety, 


The  Exodus.  59 

tfhile  our  stock  of  provisions  grew  less  and  less,  till  at  length 
our  overwrought  imaginations  pictured  our  prospects  as  des- 
perate. To  render  our  condition  more  gloomy  still,  it 
occurred  to  us  that  the  men  had  gone  into  the  locality  from 
whence  the  Mormons  had  been  driven  by  the  Missourians  a 
few  years  previous,  and  if  they  were  recognized  as  Mormons, 
they  would  undoubtedly  be  imprisoned,  or  perhaps  murdered. 

After  two  long  weeks,  just  as  we  were  giving  up  to  de- 
spair, the  men  returned  with  the  grain  and  provisions  they 
had  earned  by  laboring  among  the  farmers,  and  some  meat 
of  hogs  they  had  not  earned,  but  taken,  from  the  neighborhood 
of  the  settlements  where  these  hogs  were  turned  loose,  and 
had  become  partly  wild.  The  Mormons  considered  it  right 
to  take  anything  they  could  from  the  Gentiles,  as  they  held 
themselves  to  be  the  only  people  of  God. 

I  have  no  recollection  of  having  enjoyed  so  great  a  feast  as 
on  the  return  of  the  men  with  the  provisions.  I  ate  all  I  wished 
the  first  time  for  over  four  months.  We  lived  a  short  time 
in  our  tent,  which  we  had  pitched  in  a  small  wood  near  the 
river.  Our  bed  consisted  of  two  quilts  and  one  blanket,  and 
we  had  a  few  tin  dishes,  which  made  up  our  stock  of  "  furni- 
ture ;"  and  yet,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  when  not  actually 
starving,  we  were  very  happy  and  contented,  for  up  to  this 
time  my  husband  had  been  very  kind  and  attentive,  and  I 
had  so  much  confidence  in  him  that  I  felt  no  fear  he  would 
take  another  wife.  I  was  happy,  too,  in  the  expectation  of 
soon  being  a  mother,  and  my  husband  engaged  his  niece, 
Jane  Henderson,  to  stay  with  me.  Our  neighbors  had  as- 
sisted Wallace  in  building  us  a  nice  log  cabin,  abou';  one 


60  Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

mile  from  the  other  houses  at  the  "  stake,"  on  the  bank  of 
the  river.  Into  this  we  soon  moved.  I  have  no  hesitation 
in  saying  this  was  the  most  beautiful  and  romantic  spot  of 
earth  I  have  ever  seen  before  or  since.  Our  cabin  was  sur.- 
rounded  by  a  heavy  growth  of  timber,  and  each  tree  was 
entwined  by  the  climbing  rose  or  entangled  masses  of  the 
wild  grape  :  and  the  whole  scene  was  a  blooming  labyrinth 
of  wild  flowers  and  graceful  foliage,  enlivened  by  the  twitter 
of  birds,  the  noisy  whiz  of  the  pinnated  grouse,  and  every 
variety  of  game,  bounding  from  the  thickets  or  along  the 
graceful  banks  of  Grand  River.  The  wild  turkey  and  deer 
were  abundant,  and  the  only  disagreeable  neighbors  we  found 
here  were  the  wolves  and  the  owls.  The  first  often  frightened 
us  at  night  by  their  threatening  howls,  while  the  latter  ren- 
dered the  night  hideous  and  lonely  beyond  measure  by  their 
unearthly  hooting  from  two  oak  trees  that  overhung  our 
little  cabin.  Indeed,  these  two  oaks  appeared  to  be  the  cen- 
tre of  a  vast  circle  of  owl  society,  for  from  far  up  and  down 
and  over  the  river,  and  from  the  far-off  depths  of  the  heavy 
timber,  and  over  the  little  prairie  near  by,  came  back  a  quick 
response  from  owl  throats,  in  every  variety  of  pitch  and 
measure,  from  the  hoarse  bass  to  the  tremulous  treble,  until 
the  flower-enamelled  wilds  about  us  fairly  trembled  with  the 
crash  of  answering  hoots  and  gibberings ;  and  then  as  sud- 
denly all  was  still  again,  and  when  half  lost  in  slumber,  per- 
haps, again  to  be  startled  by  a  repetition  of  the  dismal  con- 
cert. I  have  since  then  felt  the  loneliness  of  the  wild  prairie 
and  the  great  deserts  of  the  West,  as  well  as  the  unmitigated 
solitude  of  the  Rocky  Mountains ;  but  I  am  of  the  opinion 


The  Exodus.  61 

that  perfest  solitude  cannot  exist  where  owls  do  not  hoot  at 
night. 

But  my  dream  of  personal  security  was  soon  to  be  disturbed 
in  a  way  I  little  suspected.  I  had  noticed  my  husband  had 
ueated  his  niece  Jane  uncommonly  well,  and  one  day  I  saw 
him  with  her  in  the  door-yard  in  close  conversation.  He 
took  her  hand,  whereupon  she  ran  into  the  house,  and  coming 
to  me,  threw  her  arms  round  my  neck,  and  said, 

14  My  dear  aunt,  do  not  be  offended  at  me,  I  could  not  help 
it." 

44  Help  what  }"  said  I. 

"  Did  you  not  see  uncle  Wallace  ?" 

I  replied  that  I  did,  but  that  he  was  only  in  fun. 

14  Oh  !  no  he  was  not.  He  says  he  wants  me  for  a  wife,  and 
I  will  not  remain  here  for  another  day." 

My  readers  will  understand  that  it  is  not  an  uncommon 
thing  for  Mormons  to  marry  their  nieces,  and  even  their  half 
sisters.  For  instance,  it  often  happens  that  when  a  man  has 
several  wives,  their  children,  having  a  common  father,  will 
intermarry. 

Wallace  soon  came  in  and  sat  down  by  me,  with  a  thought- 
ful and  troubled  air,  and  after  an  interval  of  silence  he  kissed 
me.  I  repulsed  him  for  the  first  time  in  my  life,  saying  he 
was  false  to  me,  that  he  loved  me  no  longer,  to  whieh  he 
replied, 

41  Nettie,  I  am  satisfied  with  you,  I  want  no  other — and  if 
I  was  not  attached  to  you,  I  should  know  what  to  do.  But 
that  is  what  embarrasses  me.  If  I  hated  you,  I  should  take 
another  wife  at  once,  as  I  must  do  in  the  end  living  as  I  do 


62  Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

among  this  gang  of  Mormons.  I  am  enlisted,  and  it  is  more 
than  my  life  is  worth  to  attempt  to  leave  them.  Indeed  I 
could  not  do  so  now  and  live,  as  I  know  too  much  about 
them — more  than  you  imagine.  But  here  is  the  trouble,  I 
can  no  longer  endure  being  the  butt  of  ridicule  among  the 
men  for  having  but  one  wife.  You  may  as  well  understand 
the  whole  case  at  once.  I  have  concluded,  as  between  the 
two  evils,  to  bring  home  another  wife.  I  do  not  care  who.  If 
you  have  a  choice,  select  one,  and  I  will  always  recognize  you 
as  the  first  and  principal  wife.  I  must  stop  the  mouths  of  the 
croakers,  who  would  sacrifice  everything  to  their  spiritual 
wifeism." 

Who  can  imagine  the  horror  with  which  I  listened  to 
what,  at  the  time,  seemed  the  end  of  human  hope  with  me. 
I  had  married  Wallace  to  avoid  this  most  dreaded  evil,  and  I 
was  now  to  be  sacrificed. 

Where  was  my  mother  now  ?  or  a  brother  ?  I  was  alone. 
To  whom  should  I  fly  ?  At  last  I  appealed  to  him — to  my 
husband — and  threw  myself  upon  his  generosity.  I  pointed 
him  to  the  suffering  and  privation  of  the  last  five  months, 
the  cold  and  hunger  I  had  endured,  my  age,  and  to  the  fact, 
that  though  but  a  child  myself,  I  was  soon  to  be  a  mother, 
and  prayed  that  he  would,  at  least  for  the  sake  of  the  one 
unborn,  delay  the  terrible  step  for  a  while.  The  big  tears 
rolled  down  his  sun-browned  face,  and  he  trembled  with  emo- 
tion. I  knew  a  terrible  struggle  tore  his  breast,  and  I 
gathered  calmness  to  abide  tli  3  issue.  It  was  a  fierce  contest, 
and  I  felt  my  fate  hung  upon  the  result.  I  awaited  the  end, 
and  it  came  but  too  soon. 


The  Exodus.  63 

He  grew  calm  at  length,  and  after  a  long  period  of  troubled 
thought,  rose  and  said,  as  he  stepped  to  the  door, 

"Jane,  you  may  stay  with  your  aunt  to-day :  to-morrow  is 
our  wedding.  I  have  your  father's  consent,  and  it  is  all  ar- 
ranged.    The  sooner  it  is  over  now  the  better." 

I  saw  he  was  about  to  leave  the  cabin.  With  one  wdld 
bound  I  sprang  upon  him,  with  the  intention  of  holding  him 
by  force,  but  he  met  me  with  a  look  that  told  me  all  was 
over ;  and  quick  as  the  lightning's  flash,  I  spurned  him  with 
all  a  woman's  hate,  and  shaking  him  off,  dashed  with  what 
speed  my  condition  would  allow  in  the  direction  of  the  river, 
with  what  intention  I  knew  not,  but  I  have  still  a  recollection 
of  throwing,  as  I  ran,  my  whole  soul  into  one  wild  yell  of 
horror,  as  a  last  adieu  to  home,  for  in  the  excitement  of  the 
moment  I  had  no  wish  to  return  to  it.  My  next  recollection 
of  this  unnatural  scene  was  upon  waking  up  the  next  morn- 
ing, as  if  from  some  horrible  dream.  I  found  Wallace  and 
Jane  by  my  bed,  apparently  .greatly  alarmed  at  my  condition. 

Wallace  showed  the  greatest  sincerity  in  his  expressions 
of  sorrow,  and  plead  strongly  for  pardon — promised  never  to 
bring,  or  again  attempt  to  bring,  home  another  wife. 

I  cannot  now  tell  whether  his  unfeigned  distress  gave  me 
most  pleasure  or  pain.  I  was  weak  and  exhausted,  and 
wished  not  to  live.  It  occurred  to  me  that  if  my  child  should 
be  unfortunately  a  girl,  it  would  be  better  for  me  to  die  now 
than  to  be  the  instrument  of  giving  life  to  another  victim  to 
the  cruel  fate  which  awaits  all  Mormon  women. 

Wallace  reproached  himself  as  being  my  murderer,  and  in 
the  excess  of  his  anguish  cursed  Mormonism  as  having  led 


64:         Fifteen  \ears  among  the  Mormons. 

him  into  every  possible  crime — that  it  had  lured  him  on  to  a 
fate  which  he  could  not  bear,  and  from  which  he  dare  not  fly. 
He  really  moved  my  pity.  I  asked  him  if  he  would  take 
the  measures  to  find  my  mother.  He  said  if  I  would  allow 
him,  my  wishes  should  be  his  law.  He  made  no  conditions, 
but  his  surrender  was  perfect,  and  volunteered  to  go  to  his 
"  bride's  "  father  and  break  off  his  engagement  at  once  and 
entirely.  Hope,  which  had  so  lately  seemed  impossible  to 
me,  once  more  lighted  my  future.  I  required  no  pledge  but 
sincerity,  and  waited  with  alternate  hope  and  fear  while  he 
was  gone  to  undo  his  marriage  engagement. 

When  he  returned,  he  said  it  was  all  arranged  with  "  her  " 
father,  and  the  "  Heads ,;  of  the  Church  ;  and  that  now  I 
should  have  no  more  trouble  with  him  upon  the  subject  of 
spiritual  wifeism,  and  I  accepted  in  good  faith  his  pro- 
mise. 


A  Night  with  the  Dead  and  the  Wolves.      05 


CHAPTER    VI. 

A    NIGHT    WITH    THE    DEAD    AND    THE    WOLVES. 

How  quick  the  lights  and  shades  of  life  succeed  each 
other.  The  day  which  succeeded  our  reconciliation  was.  I 
think,  the  happiest  of  my  life. 

I  had  a  long  talk  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  with  Wallace, 
alone,  in  which  he  renewed  his  promise  to  take  no  wife  but 
me.  And  to  put  me  more  fully  at  my  ease,  he  explained  by 
reference  to  our  "Endowment  vows,"  described  in  the  fourth 
chapter  of  this  narrative,  why  he  had  felt  it  his  duty  to  take, 
in  obedience  to  the  commands  of  the  Church  authorities, 
another  wife  as  he  had ;  and  in  the  end,  offered  up  a  fervent 
prayer  for  my  recovery,  and  that  I  might  yet  be  satisfied  with 
the  plan  of  salvation  through  the  "  Prophet." 

It  is  strange,  that  at  this  time  I  did  not  observe  that  in 
his  prayer  he  still  recognized  the  double  wife  doctrine ;  but 
I  was  too  happy  to  escape  the  evil  upon  any  conditions,  to 
look  closely  into  the  argument  of  the  case.  All  I  asked  was 
my  own  husband,  and  this  granted,  I  was  willing  to  admit  in 
theory  the  whole  of  Mormonism. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  my  readers  to  know  that  on  this 
occasion,  when  we  had  just  escaped  having  another  wife  in 


60         Fiftfkh  Years  among-  the  Mormons. 

the  house,  I  was  barefooted,  and  had  not  a  sign  of  a  bonnet 
and  for  want  of  a  more  suitable  dress,  I  was  sitting  on  the 
bank  of  the  river,  with  my  husband,  in  my  night-gown,  and 
he  was  dressed  in  buckskin  hunting  shirt,  and  pants  and 
moccasins.  And  yet,  this  was  the  happiest  day  of  my  life. 
As  we  were  to  make  a  holiday  of  it,  after  dinner  we  all 
went  to  the  river,  fishing.  While  there,  Wallace  saw  a  deer 
on  the  other  side,  and  leaving  me  with  Jane,  he  got  his  gun 
from  the  cabin,  and  shot  it.  The  deer,  with  the  fine  lot  of 
fish  we  had  caught,  marked  the  day,  one  of  good  cheer  and 
plenty.  In  a  few  days  more,  I  was  the  mother  of  a  fine  boy. 
Wallace  was  kind  to  me,  and  was  much  pleased  with  his  child. 

Several  weeks  passed  thus  calmly,  in  which  I  was  uncom- 
monly happy,  but  I  began  to  observe  something  wrong  with 
Wallace.  He  would  walk  the  house  in  an  unsocial  manner, 
or  sit  as  if  brooding  over  some  great  sorrow,  for  hours. 

I  said  to  him  one  day,  in  order  to  draw  him  out,  that 
if  he  would  promise  to  give  me  the  child,  and  allow  me  to 
go  untrammelled,  he  should  have  as  many  wives  as  he 
pleased  ;  and  as  he  made  no  reply,  I  gave  the  baby  to  Jane, 
and  asked  him  to  go  with  me  for  a  walk,  to  which  he  replied, 

"  I  cannot,  I  am  perfectly  wretched,  knowing  as  I  do,  that 
I  can  never  be  contented  with  you,  or  make  you  so,  while 
restino-  under  my  present  obligations  to  the  Mormons.  We 
have  been  deceived.  You  do  not  know  it,  but  I  do.  I  have 
taken  solemn  oaths  to  support  the  doctrines  of  Mormonism ; 
I  have  been  ever  persuaded,  and  led  on,  till  I  dare  neither 
r    ""eat  nor  gc  forward." 

knd  he  wept  like  a  child.     I  thought  then,  and  think  still, 


A  JSTlGHT  WITH  THE  DEAD  AND  THE  WoLVES.      67 

that  Wallace  Henderson  was  honest  in  the  beginning,  and 
that  whatever  were  his  faults  afterwards,  they  were  chargeable 
to  the  cruel  impositions  of  a  false  church.  This  I  say,  in 
this  connection,  because  hereafter  I  may  have  no  heart  to  say 
anything  in  his  favor.  I  said  to  him,  "  you  are  mad."  He 
was  looking  pale,  and  haggard,  and  said, 

"  I  was  about  to  tell  you  all,  but  here  comes  that  girV* 
father^ 

I  saw  Mr.  Hawkins  coming  to  the  door ;  I  took  the  baby 
and  went  to  the  bank  of  the  river,  as  I  did  not  wish  to  hear 
what  he  had  to  say. 

This  Mr.  Hawkins  was  the  father  of  another  girl  the 
Mormons  wished  my  husband  to  marry,  and  I  presumed  his 
errand  was  to  induce  Wallace  to  be  sealed  to  her  at  once. 
He  remained  a  long  while,  and  when  he  went  away  I  saw 
Wallace  take  a  seat  on  the  door-sill,  thoughtfully  and  much 
troubled.  I  sat  upon  the  bank  of  the  river  until  it  was  quite 
lark,  and  I  did  not  notice  at  the  time  that  my  baby  was  not 
well  wrapped  up.  Finally,  Wallace  started  from  his  reverie, 
.*,ame  to  me,  and  kindly  asked  why  I  did  not  come  in,  and  why 
I  had  left  my  own  house.  I  saw  by  his  manner  that  Mr 
Hawkins  had  not  succeeded  in  his  aims  and  I  was  happy  again. 
We  went  to  the  house,  and  Wallace  appeared  in  better 
spirits  than  usual.  Jane  had  built  a  fire,  and  the  supper  was 
soon  ready,  and  the  blanket  hung  up  at  the  door,  for  we  had 
ao  other  as  yet.  I  told  Jane,  as  I  was  now  nearly  well,  she 
jould  go  home  in  the  morning,  and  I  would  try  to  get  on 
without  her.  I  wished  to  remove  every  possible  hinderance 
V)  our  good  understanding. 


68  Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

The  child  cried  most  of  the  night,  but  appeared  better  it 
the  morning7  and  Jane  went  home. 

We  lived  very  pleas  in  tly  for  a  few  days.  Wallace  waa 
contented  and  happy,  but  other  troubles  were  in  store  for 
us — for  me.  Our  child,  which  had  not  been  well  since  that 
night  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  which  took  cold  there, 
was  taken  sick,  and  although  we  prayed,  and  used  all  the 
means  prescribed  by  the  "  Church,"  which  are  anointing  with 
"  consecrated  oil,"  and  prayers — it  died.  This  was  a  terrible 
blow  to  me.  I  felt  the  child  had  gained  by  the  change,  but 
I  was  not  reconciled.  I  had  clung  to  it  as  something  that  I 
could  hold  to  my  heart,  in  undivided  love,  in  place  of  my 
husband ;  for  I  began  to  understand  that  sooner  or  later,  I 
must  give  him  up. 

My  aunt  and  other  women  came  the  next  day  and  made 
my  dead  baby  a  shroud,  and  laid  it  out  upon  a  chest.  It  had 
no  coffin  yet.  When  all  this  was  done,  each  took  leave,  and 
left  us  alone.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  sickness  at  the 
time,  and  most  of  them  had  some  one  at  home  requiring 
attention.  I  was  too  much  absorbed  in  my  grief  to  notice 
how  things  went.  My  child  was  not  to  be  buried  until  the 
next  day.  Though  dead,  it  was  mine  yet  another  night,  and 
I  clung  to  it. 

My  aunt  would  have  remained  with  us,  but  her  daughter 
Phebe,  even  then,  lay  at  the  point  of  death.  And  Wallace 
told  her  he  did  not  wish  to  be  unreasonable,  and  he  should 
not  leave  me ;  so  she  went,  apparently  having  done  for  us  all 
necessity  demanded  at  her  hands.  Although,  before  dark,  it 
seemed  to  me  awful,  that  we  were   o  pass  the  night  alone, 


A  Night  with  the  Dead  and  the  Wolves.      69 

young  as  we  both  were,  with  our  first  child  dead  in  the  Louse; 
yet  long  before  morning  came,  I  would  have  given  all  my 
interest  in  this  world  for  even  a  faithful  dog  as  a  com- 
panion. 

It  will  be  recollected  from  what  I  have  said  in  the  chapter 
preceding  this,  that  our  cabin  was  over  a  mile  from  the  main 
"stake,"  and  of  course  was  that  distance  from  any  other 
human  dwelling.  It  was  also  near  one  of  the  thickest  coverts 
for  every  kind  of  wild  game ;  and  when  it  is  understood  that 
most  of  the  country  in  that  part  of  Iowa  is  open  prairie,  the 
intelligent  woodsman  will  see  at  once,  that  the  vicinity  of  our 
dwelling  must  be  a  resort  for  whatever  beast  of  prey  might 
chance  to  be  an  inhabitant  of  the  country.  It  was  a  beautiful 
night.  The  moon  shone  clear  and  calmly  down  among  the 
newly  budding  trees,  and  opening  flowers  of  spring.  Not  a 
oreath  of  air  stirred  the  half-grown  leaves  of  the  forest,  or 
rippled  upon  the  bosom  of  the  river.  But  teeming  nature, 
once  again  wakened  from  the  long  sleep  of  winter,  was  vocal 
and  noisy  with  its  new  life.  The  owls  were  never  so  clamor- 
ous or  dismal  as  on  that  night,  and  the  wolves  made  the 
distant  welkin  ring  with  their  angry  howls ;  and  a  thousand 
wild  voices  were  awake  that  night,  and  blending  with  the 
solemn  moaning  of  the  river  currents,  until  then  always 
pleasant  to  me,  to  crush  my  sinking  heart.  Oh  !  who  knows 
how  much  the  heart  can  bear  and  not  break  ?  I  had  not 
spoken,  or  looked  away  from  my  dead  child,  since  my  aunt 
had  left.  It  lay  upon  the  chest  under  the  open  window7,  and 
the  pale  moon  shone  in  upon  its  little  face,  now  cold  and 
wan.     We  had  no  dcor,  and  nc  glass  in  our  one  window,  as 


70  Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

there  was  none  in  the  country,  and  neither  could  be  cl^ed 
except  by  a  blanket.  Wallace  had  neglected  from  day  to 
day  to  make  a  ioor  as  the  weather  did  not  render  one 
absolutely  necessary. 

Somewhat  along  in  the  evening,  William  Hickman,  one 
of  the  "Danites,"  came  to  the  cabin  door,  and  asked  for 
Wallace,  and  seeing  there  was  some  trouble  with  us,  came 
in  and  inquired  what  was  the  matter.  He  had  not  heard 
that  our  child  was  dead.  Hickman  said:  "This  will  make 
it  bad  for  us ;  but  what  a  splendid  night  for  our  expedition, 
and  things  are  in  such  a  shape  we  cannot  put  it  off?" 

Wallace  pointed  to  our  dead  baby,  under  the  open  window, 
and  made  no  reply. 

"Yes,"  said  Hickman,  "I  see  that  is  serious.  But  we 
must  go."  Then  turning  to  me,  said,  "Nettie,  you  are  a 
i  brave,'  are  you  not  ?  You  will  not  be  afraid,  will  you  ?  If 
you  exercise  a  little  judgment,  you  will  see  that  circumstances 
alter  cases,  and  there  are  lives  dependent  upon  this  mis- 
sion." 

Wallace  told  himhe  could  not  go;  he  said  that  would  be 
too  cruel.  Hickman  then  turned  to  me,  and  said,  "You 
must  not  talk  of  bravery  again." 

I  had  listened  to  this  conversation  unmoved  till  now.  It 
seemed  as  if  nothing  else  could  have  drawn  me  from  my  one 
crushing  sorrow.  I  called  the  wretch's  attention  to  the 
howling  of  the  wolves,  to  rny  dead  baby,  to  my  feeble  health, 
having  scarcely  recovered  from  the  sickness  of  childbirth ; 
and  lastly  to  my  own  age,  being  but  little  over  seventeen.  I 
think  I  called   him    some  hard  names;  and  asked  him,  if 


A  Night  with  the  Dead  and  the  Wolves.      71 

when  lie  said  "some  lives  depended  upon  the  mission,"  ho 
did  not  mean,  that  the  object  of  the  u  mission  "  was  to  take 
the  lives  of  some  '  Gentiles.1 "  I  appealed  to  them  both  as 
men,  for  protection  as  a  woman  ;  an  appeal  which  I  have 
since  heard,  is  never  disregarded  by  Christian  men. 

Hickman,  although  somewhat  embarrassed,  said  they  wrould 
fasten  the  door,  as  well  as  they  could,  but  Wallace  must  go, 
and  it  was  time  they  were  there  already ;  and,  taking  him  by 
the  arm,  hurried  him  away,  and  they  left  me  alone  with  my 
dead  child.     Great  God,  what  a  night !  1" 

If  the  peril  had  been  any  the  less  real,  I  think  I  must  have 
gone  mad.  As  it  was,  long  after  the  footsteps  of  the  base 
men  who  had  just  left  me  had  died  away  ;  and  after  I  had  sat 
cowering  half  dead  with  fear,  by  the  side  of  my  child,  for  a 
length  of  time  wrhich  I  have  no  means  of  measuring,  I  was 
startled  into  a  full  sense  of  my  real  situation,  by  an  increased 
howling  among  the  wolves  ;  and  which  appeared  to  close  in 
upon  the  cabin  from  every  direction.  I  was  certain,  and 
could  not  be  mistaken.  They  increased  in  number,  and 
every  moment  came  nearer.  Oh!  then  the  howling  was 
43rrific. 

For  a  few  moments  I  was  paralyzed.  The  clear,  calm 
moonlight  fairly  recoiled  and  trembled  as  howl  answered 
howl,  first  on  this,  then  on  that  side  of  the  river,  and  up  and 
down,  and  everywhere.  Strange  as  it  rnay  seem,  my  chief 
and  first  fear  was,  that  my  dead  child  would  be  torn  by  them, 
and  devoured.  Then  I  thought  nothing  of  my  own  personal 
clanger.  Bi*-  oon  bethought  me  what  to  do,  and  action 
was  relief 


72  Fifteen  Yeaes  among  the  Mormons. 

My  pent  up  soul  put  forth  its  strength,  to  save  my  dead 
child.  My  first  movement  was  to  put  out  the  lights,  proba- 
bly the  very  worst  thing  I  could  have  done.  Next,  I  fastened 
down  the  blanket  as  well  as  might  be,  at  the  door  and  win- 
dow.    I  had  nothing  with  which  to  barricade  them. 

I  saw  very  soon  my  folly  in  having  blown  out  the  lights ; 
for,  within  ten  minutes,  the  wolves  were  howling  in  the  open 
moonlight,  near  the  cabin,  and  I  could  hear  and  see  them 
snarl  and  snap  each  other;  and  quickly  they  were  nearer 
and  nearer  the  door,  and  disputed  with  each  other  for  a  place 
at  the  entrance. 

Oh,  horror !  That  was  a  terrible  moment.  I  screamed 
and  beat  against  the  blanket,  to  frighten  them  back.  This 
would  succeed  for  a  moment,  but  other  wolves  would  return 
to  be  driven  off  in  the  same  way. 

Time  sharpened  my  wits,  and  I  actually  grew  self-possessed 
as  my  chances  of  escape  lessened.  A  minute  then  was  equal 
to  an  hour  of  ordinary  thinking.  I  knew  where  to  lay  my 
hand  upon  a  board.  It  was  near  my  child.  I  screamed, 
and  drove  them  off  the  door-step,  and  then,  before  they  could 
return,  I  laid  the  corpse  upon  the  board,  and  lifted  it  over 
head  upon  the  joist,  which  I  could  just  reach  from  the  chest ; 
and  that  was  out  of  danger.  But  the  wolves  were  ba^\ 
again,  mad  and  more  furious  than  before  ;  I  drove  them  with 
a  will  back  once  again,  and  then  it  took  me  but  a  moment  to 
draw  myself  up  to,  and  on  the  joist,  and  I  was  safe,  at  least 
I  believed  so,  with  my  child,  and  the  event  proved  it  true. 

There  was  no  chamber  floor  nor  ladder,  and  how  I  got  up 
*   *ould  not  tell  afterwards.     I  watched  my  child,  the  long, 


A  Night  with  the  Dead  and  the  Wolves.      73 

long  night,  sitting  upon  the  joist,  and  when  the  wolves 
threatened  most  to  come  in,  I  yelled  them  away,  or  at  least 
I  imagined  I  frightened  them.  One  thing  is  certain,  none 
passed  the  blanket,  although  more  than  once  I  saw  it  move 
in  the  moonlight,  and  could  hear  their  sharp,  quick  snuffing 
near  it,  as  if  smelling  the  way  in. 

It  was  a  long,  dreary  night;  but  strange  as  it  may  seem, 
[  suffered  comparatively  nothing  from  fear,  until  I  found  my- 
self apparently  beyond  the  reach  of  the  wolves;  then  my 
mind  took  in  the  whole  position  of  affairs,  in  one  terrible 
review ;  and  even  magnified  the  danger  still  pending — I  imag- 
ined, at  first,  it  would  be  possible  for  them  to  gain  the  roof, 
and  reach  us  in  that  way,  as  they  well  might  have  done,  if 
the  roof  had  been  as  frail  as  coverings  to  temporary  buildings 
of  this  kind  sometimes  are. 

A  few  hours  before  daylight,  they  were  more  furious  than 
ever,  and  I  expected  were  about  to  choose  some  new  point 
of  attack.     But  they  did  not. 

The  early  morning  light  came  at  length,  by  degrees,  and 
although  it  was  a  long  time  before  it  revealed  the  difference 
between  that  and  the  moonlight,  inside  the  cabin,  yet  I  knew 
it  had  come;  because  the  wolves  dropped  off,  one  by  one, 
and  finally  all  was  silent  outside ;  and  the  calmest  and  sweet- 
est spring  morning  I  had  ever  seen,  ushered  in  by  the  song 
of  birds,  came  to  my  relief.  Oh !  it  was  a  relief,  and  I  was 
not  mad ;  and  my  dear  child  was  by  my  side.  And  then  the 
tears,  for  the  first  time,  during  that  long  night,  came  to  my 
eyes — to  bless  me,  and  I  wept,  in  sad  and  calm  reconciliation 
to  the  death  of  my  child.     A  resignation  I  had  not  felt  before 

4 


74         Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

I  have  since  recognized  in  this,  a  Hand  of  which  Mormon 
ism  had  given  me  no  account,  and  does  not  acknowledge,  at 
least  not  in  the  beautiful  sense  of  the  Bible. 

After  I  was  fully  reassured,  and  had  dried  up  my  grateful 
tears,  I  began  to  cast  about  for  the  best  method  of  getting 
down;  **ad  just  at  that  point  Wallace  came  home.  He 
I-soked  haggard  and  guilty.  His  first  words  were  those  of 
apology,  and  he  begged  earnestly  for  pardon.  He  assisted 
me  down.  I  had  no  words  for  him  then ;  I  needed  rest,  and 
singularly  enough,  I  soon  found  a  kindly  relief,  in  a  calm 
sleep,  from  which  I  awoke  refreshed,  but  little  before  noon. 


Seeking  my  Mothek. 


CHAPTER   VIL 


SEEKING      MY     MOTHER. 


The  men  came  to  bury  my  child.  I  was  too  weak  to  go  to 
the  grave,  so  I  took  leave  of  it  at  home,  with  a  calmness 
which  would  have  been  impossible  for  me  the  day  before; 
regretting  most  that  I  was  not  to  be  buried  with  it. 

When  it  was  all  over,  I  had  a  long  talk  with  Wallace.  I 
told  him  what  my  convictions  were ;  that  I  thought  him  a 
villain,  that  I  felt  myself  not  only  the  victim  of  his  sensuality 
and  selfishness,  but  that  he  was  governed  neither  by  the  laws 
of  God  nor  man,  and  was  wanting  in  honor ;  and  when  he 
attempted  to  justify  himself,  I  gave  him  to  understand,  that 
it  was  of  no  particular  consequence  what  he  said,  for  his 
conduct  was  beyond  the  limits  of  endurance. 

This  conversation  gave  me  great  pain,  because  I  was  even 
then  greatly  attached  to  him  ;  and  had  not  entirely  abandoned 
the  hope,  that  his  faults  were  more  chargeable  to  the  influence 
of  Mormonism,  than  to  his  own  bad  heart.  He  protested,  that 
if  I  could  once  understand  his  position,  I  would  not  condemn 
him 

He  proposed  we  should  move  to  the  stake,  near  the  other 
dwellings,  to  which  T  consented  gladly,  as  I  should  there  be 


76  Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

not  only  safe  from  the  wolves,  but  should  be  most  likely  to 
get  some  word  from  my  mother ;  to  find  whom  now  became 
the  absorbing  object  of  my  life,  as  I  believed  she  would  not 
only  take  me  home,  and  protect  me  against  Wallace,  or  at 
least  against  his  taking  another  wife,  but  that  she  would  help 
me  expose,  as  I  knew  she  could  not  justify,  some  new  enormi- 
ties of  Mormonism,  which  I  had  discovered  since  we  had 
parted.  It  will  be  recollected,  that  I  was  not  yet  past  the  age 
when  the  child  goes  to  the  mother  for  the  cure  of  all  its  woes. 
We  therefore  moved  up  to  the  "  stake  "  immediately. 

I  asked  Wallace,  a  few  days  after,  where  he  went  the  night 
he  left  me  with  the  wolves,  and  went  with  William  Hick- 
man. 

Wallace  finally  told  me  the  whole  story,  as  follows :  saying 
he  would  trust  my  honor  not  to  expose  him. 

I  have  to  state  in  the  first  place,  that  there  were  two  roads 
leading  through  Iowa  to  Council  Bluffs.  One  passing  by  our 
14  stake,"  Garden  Grove,  and  another  parallel  to  it,  six  miles  to 
the  north.  The  one  on  which  we  lived,  and  had  travelled 
when  we  came  out,  was  called  the  Southern  road ;  and  was 
mostly  travelled  the  previous  year.  But  that  spring,  most 
of  the  travel,  whether  by  Mormons,  or  other  emigrants,  was 
on  the  Northern  road. 

Wallace  said,  "  the  President  of  the  4  stake,'  David  Fulman, 
had  received  the  information,  that  a  Gentile  family  by  the 
name  of  Martin,  were  about  to  pass  Garden  Grove,  on  the 
Northern  road,  and  that  they  had  a  great  many  cattle  and 
horses.  This  Martin  was  a  man  of  wealth,  who  was  on  hi» 
way  across  the  plains,  probably  going  to  California. 


Seeking  my  Mother.  77 

u  The  '  Danites '  were  therefore  directed  by  Fulman  to  in- 
tercept him,  and  take  Martin's  stock  and  tie  them  in  the 
timber,  where  he  would  be  unable  to  find  them ;  and  when 
he  had  passed  on,  they  could  be  brought  out,  which  we  accor- 
dingly did — Hickman  and  myself,  with  some  others.  I  have 
one  yoke  of  oxen,  and  David  Fulmer  has  one,  and  the  rest 
was  distributed  among  the  men  as  they  had  need.  Isaac 
Allred  has  also  one  yoke  of  the  oxen." 

I  asked  Wallace  if  he  thought  that  right.  He  said,  "  the 
Mormons  believed,  and  it  was  undoubtedly  true,  that  those 
who  were  not  for  us,  were  against  us."  In  reply  to  another 
question,  he  said,  "If  the  emigrants,  when  they  lose  their 
cattle,  go  on,  and  do  not  run  against  their  fate  by  making  us 
too  much  trouble,  in  looking  for,  or  in  the  attempt  to  recover 
them,  they  are  not  harmed  ;  otherwise  they  are  put  out  of 
the  way? 

We  had  been  at  the  "  stake  "  but  a  few  days,  when  I  had 
the  good  fortune  to  hear  from  my  mother. 

It  will  be  recollected  that  my  brother  William  had  been 
sent  back  by  Brigham  Young  to  Kauvoo  for  her,  the  previ- 
ous spring,  and  now  we  heard  by  a  nephew  of  Isaac  Allred, 
who  had  travelled  with  them  part  way,  that  they  would  pro- 
bably pass  Garden  Grove  the  next  day ;  though  they  would 
come  no  nearer  than  six  miles  of  us,  as  they  were  to  continue 
on  the  Northern  road.  My  mother  and  William  were  not 
aware  that  we  were  at  Garden  Grove.  I  was  anxious,  and 
determined  to  go  to  the  road  the  next  morning,  to  meet  them. 
Wallace  asked  me  if  he  consented  to  take  me  there,  if  I  would 
promise  to  come  back.     I  told  him  I  would  not.     We  then 


78         Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

had  a  long  discussion,  in  which  he  told  me,  he  did  not  wish 
me  to  leave  him ;  that  he  dare  not  leave  the  Mormons,  or  re- 
fuse to  sustain  all  their  requirements  ;  and  that  he  had  sworn 
to  do  so.  He  said  it  would  cost  him  his  life  to  refuse.  That 
as  soon  as  he  could,  he  would  take  me  away  from  them.  lie 
was  willing  I  should  see  my  mother,  but  that  I  must  not  leave 
him ;  and  that  by  the  next  day,  Isaac  Allred  would  be  back 
from  Missouri.  Allred  had  intended  to  bring  back  a  horse, 
and  if  he  did,  we  could  get  it,  and  overtake  my  mother,  as 
they  would  travel  but  slowly.  "  Yes,"  said  I,  "a  stolen  horse, 
which  I  will  not  ride,  if  I  never  see  my  mother  again."  Wal- 
lace admitted  it  would  probably  be  a  stolen  one.  It  happened 
there  was  not  a  single  horse  at  the  "  stake,"  at  the  time. 

The  weather  was  very  beautiful  the  next  morning,  and  I 
persuaded  Wallace  to  start  with  me  on  foot  to  the  upper 
road.  I  represented  to  him  that  I  had  often  walked  twice 
that  distance,  when  coming  from  Nauvoo,  when  I  had  nothing 
to  encourage  me  on,  and  now,  the  wish  to  see  my  mother, 
was  a  sufficient  inducement  for  any  effort. 

We  therefore  set  out  early,  in  fine  spirits,  following  the 
river,  and  wading  across  it  at  the  first  shallow  place.  This 
was  not  unpleasant,  as  the  weather  was  warm.  We  got  along 
very  well  for  about  four  miles,  when  I  became  so  exhausted, 
that  I  could  go  no  further ;  and  we  rested  for  half  an  hour, 
with  our  eyes  anxiously  fixed  in  the  direction  of  the  road, 
^  grudging  the  delay  of  a  moment;  and  then  went  on  with 
more  ease,  until  we  came  at  last  to  the  well  worn  track.  We 
eagerly  looked  each  way.  The  eye  could  command  a  view 
of  several  miles  forward  and  back  on  the  road,  over  the  open 


Seeking  my  Mother.  79 

prairie.  But  no  team  in  sight.  None — no  moving  thing. 
Hope  sank  within  me.  We  sat  down  and  waited  a  long  time, 
and  still  there  was  nothing  to  be  seen  on  the  trail  to  the  east, 
from  which  they  must  come,  if  not  already  gone  by.  This 
was  a  great  disappointment.  I  urged  Wallace  to  remain  all 
night,  as  they  might  possibly  pass  before  morning. 

He  said  we  could  not,  as  there  was  danger  from  the  In- 
dians ;  and  besides,  we  were  not  prepared  to  camp  out.  It 
was  hard  to  give  up  the  cherished  hope  of  finding  my  mother, 
and  of  going  on  with  her.  I  was  determined,  in  case  we  met 
with  the  success  we  expected,  not  to  return  to  Garden  Grove, 
as  I  had  nothing  to  call  me  back,  where  there  was  every 
thing  to  make  it  unpleasant  to  me.  Both  the  girls  Wallace 
had  thought  of  marrying  lived  there  yet. 

Wallace  at  length,  took  hold  of  me,  and  pulled  me  up,  and 
we  started  back — on  my  part  most  reluctantly.  It  was  like 
going  to  the  grave. 

We  had  gone  but  a  short  distance  when  the  sky  became 
overcast,  and  threatened  rain.  But  we  hurried  on.  We  were 
anxious,  if  possible,  to  reach  the  ford  we  had  crossed  in  the 
morning,  before  it  was  too  dark  to  find  and  pass  it ;  but  what 
with  the  approaching  night,  and  gathering  clouds,  it  was  soon 
dark,  and  then  the  rain  set  in,  and  we  had  no  light  but  the 
successive  flashing  of  the  lightning. 

We  had  evidently  delayed  too  long  at  the  road.  I  became 
perfectly  exhausted,  and  I  sat  down  in  the  dark,  the  rain  fall- 
ing in  torrents,  unable  to  move  another  step.  We  were  now 
in  a  grove  of  timber,  and  had  been  guided  by  the  tops  of  the 
trees  and  the  noise  of  the  river,  in  keeping  a  direct  course 


80         Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

down   the  stream,  as   we  dare  not   venture   too    near  the 
bank. 

Wallace  said,  it  would  not  do  to  sit  down,  and  he  took  me 
upon  his  back  and  carried  me  a  long  way,  until  he  made  a 
misstep,  and  fell,  and  we  both  found  ourselves  rolling  upon 
the  ground  together,  though  unhurt.  There  we  sat  until  the 
rain  ceased,  and  we  were  then  enabled  to  make  our  way  very 
well  by  starlight,  with  none  the  less  ease  for  being  well 
rested. 

We  soon  found  we  were  going  astray,  as  we  were  out  of 
hearing  of  the  river,  but  imagined  we  could  hear  it  off  to  the 
right,  and  by  going  in  that  direction  we  found  it.  When 
we  arrived  at  the  bank,  we  ascertained  there  was  no  crossing- 
place  at  that  point.  The  banks  were  high,  and  the  water 
roared  wildly,  and  was  rendered  still  more  terrific  by  the 
mystery  of  the  darkness.  We  now  bethought  us,  that  per- 
haps the  rain  had  raised  the  stream  somewhat,  which,  if  so, 
would  render  it  unsafe  to  cross.  Wallace  directed  me  to  sit 
down  and  rest,  while  he  examined  the  bank  below.  He  was 
gone  some  time,  and  returned  without  finding  a  place  where  he 
could  get  to  the  water.  He  then  went  up  the  stream  some 
distance,  and  had  the  good  luck  to  find  a  low  bank,  and  a 
ford  near  by.  He  waded  over  the  river,  and  then  back,  to 
satisfy  himself  there  was  no  deep  holes ;  then  called  to  me  to 
come  up,  as  he  dare  not  leave  the  place,  for  fear  of  losing  it 
in  the  dark.  On  account  of  the  distance,  and  the  roaring  of 
the  water,  I  could  not  understand  what  he  said,  but  went  to 
nira,  fearing  he  had  met  with  some  accident. 

T  was  so  lame,  and    overworked  by  the  long  walk  of  the 


Seeking  my  Mtoher.  81 

day,  and  stiffened  by  the  rain,  that  I  was  undei  the  necessity 
of  resting  several  times  before  I  arrived  where  he  was,  but 
felt  myself  greatly  encouraged  to  hear  of  the  discovery  he  had 
made. 

He  wished  to  carry  me  over,  but  I  dare  not  risk  him  in  the 
dark ;  and  although  he  insisted  upon  doing  so,  I  persuaded  him 
it  was  safer  to  walk  together,  and  take  hold  of  hands,  and 
thus  we  should  be  a  mutual  help,  which  would  leave  him  his 
whole  strength  to  stem  the  current,  which  had  grown  very 
strong  since  the  rain.  Thus  we  started  into  the  water,  holding 
each  other  by  the  hand.  The  water,  most  of  the  time,  came 
just  up  to  my  arms,  and  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  I 
kept  my  footing.  But  I  held  to  my  husband,  who  advanced 
carefully  and  surely,  and  we  gained  the  other  side  in  safety, 
greatly  to  my  satisfaction.  I  then  sat  down  upon  the  bank, 
while  Wallace  went  to  examine  the  locality.  He  came  back 
soon,  saying,  as  near  as  he  could  make  out  in  the  dark, 
we  were  not  far  from  the  old  cabin,  from  which  we  had 
moved  a  few  days  since.  This  was  the  place  where  I  had 
spent  the  night  alone  with  my  dead  baby  and  the  wolves. 
Wallace  said  we  would  go  there  and  pass  the  night.  He  had 
by  chance  some  matches  with  him,  with  which,  if  they  were 
not  ruined  by  the  water,  he  could  light  a  fire.  Luckily  his 
opinion  proved  to  be  correct,  and  we  soon  found  the  cabin, 
where  we  arrived  glad  enough.  I  was  nearly  as  well  pleased 
for  the  time  as  if  I  had  found  my  mother. 

Wallace  soon  had  a  cheerful  fire,  and  although  we  found  no 
bed  or  food  there,  we  were  soon  warm,  grateful,  and  happy. 
He   spread  his  coat  upon  the  floor  for  me,  and  I  laid  down, 

4* 


82         Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

and  dropped  asleep.  But  he  allowed  me  to  lie  but  a  short 
time,  as  he  said  I  had  better  get  up  and  dry  ray  clothes,  as  I 
was  liable  to  take  cold. 

Wallace  had  been  patient,  and  kind  with  me,  during  our 
tiresome  adventure,  which  I  appreciated  very  highly.  When 
[  attempted  to  get  up,  I  found  it  impossible  at  first  to  move 
my  stiffened  limbs.  But  by  rubbing,  and  getting  warm  by 
the  fire,  I  was  better  after  a  little.  Long  before  we  got  fully 
dry,  we  were  both  asleep,  and  did  not  wake  till  the  sun  shone 
into  the  door  the  next  morning.  I  found  it  impossible  to 
walk,  and  Wallace,  after  putting  on  a  fire,  went  to  the  "  stake," 
and  brought  some  breakfast,  and  a  tin  cup  of  warm  tea,  which 
greatly  revived  me.  He  also  brought  his  oxen  and  sled  to 
take  me  home ;  and  just  as  we  were  about  to  start,  Isaac  All- 
red  came  by,  on  his  way  down  the  river,  for  a  hunt,  and 
offered  to  take  me  home  on  his  horse.  Wallace  insisted  T 
should  ride — placed  me  on  his  horse,  and  All  red  took  me 
home,  where  I  arrived,  well  satisfied  with  finding  myself  once 
more  safely  housed,  and  contrary  to  my  expectations,  I  ex- 
perienced no  great  inconvenience  from  our  adventure.  I  was 
in  a  few  days  quite  well  again. 


Among  the  Gentiles.  83 


CHAPTER  VIH. 

AMONG   THE     GENTILES. 

My  husband,  a  few  days  after  this,  said  to  me,  u  A  great 
many  Mormons  have  gone  to  Missouri,  for  the  purpose  of 
earning  provisions,  and  the  like,  to  bring  into  the  *  stake,* 
and  I  think  of  joining  them  in  the  enterprise.  What  do  you 
lay  to  going  with  me,  and  we  shall  both  get  some  kind  of 
employment  until  winter  V7 

I  gladly  embraced  the  opportunity  to  get  away  from  Mor- 
monism.  T  told  Wallace  I  would  like  to  go,  but  that  I  would 
never  return.  He  said  if  I  should  hint  at  such  an  intention 
before  I  left,  we  should  not  be  allowed  to  go.  That  our  lives 
would  be  worth  but  little.  "  I  should  not  dare  to  make  such 
a  remark  unless  I  was  ready  to  die ;  and  when  in  Missouri,  it 
will  be  no  safer  to  attempt  an  escape  then  than  now,  as  the 
part  of  the  State  where  we  are  going  to  is  full  of  Mormons, 
though  they  are  not  known  as  such.  And  if  we  should  at- 
tempt to  throw  ourselves  upon  the  protection  of  the  Gentiles 
we  should  be  likely  to  meet  the  fate  of  Governor  Boggs,  who 
was  shot  among  his  friends  in  St.  Louis." 

Wallace  said  further,  with  much  feeling  and  apparent  can- 
dor, "  Others  may  perhaps  escape  from  this  gang,  but  I  can 


84         Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

not.  I  have  gone  too  far.  I  have  taken  other  obligations 
than  those  of  the  '  Endowments.'  My  life,  and  above  all,  my 
peace  of  mind,  is  of  but  little  value  at  the  best.  You  think 
you  suffered  too  much  the  night  I  left  you  alone  with  the 
wolves,  but  I  would  gladly  have  exchanged  places  with  you ; 
for  your  sufferings  ended  with  the  appearance  of  daylight, 
while  mine  continue,  as  an  evil  conscience  always  will,  to 
haunt  me  still.  I  try  to  believe,  and  I  generally  do,  that  the 
Prophet  can  pardon  all  our  crimes,  as  he  tells  us  he  can,  and 
will,  when  committed  in  the  service  of  the  Church.  And  yet 
I  recollect,  when  very  young,  of  being  taught  that  evil  should 
never  be  done,  that  good  may  come  of  it.  And  although  I 
know  the  *  mission  '  of  our  Prophet  is  later  than  that  of  Jesus 
Christ,  yet  I  cannot  at  all  times  feel  justified  in  crime,  though 
it  be  in  defence  of  the  Church,  or  the  preservation  of  the 
saints.  I  sometimes  wish  that  murder,  and  spiritual  wife- 
ism,  were  not  necessary  to  the  success  of  Mormonism.  We 
will  go  to  Missouri ;  but,  Nettie,  you  must  recollect,  it  will  be 
useless  to  attempt  an  escape,  or  expect  me  to,  or  to  hold  any 
conversation  upon  religious  subjects  with  the  Gentiles." 

I  was  greatly  disheartened  at  what  he  had  said,  because 
the  idea,  that  I  could  not,  if  I  chose,  abandon  Mormonism, 
was  entirely  new  to  me.  We  set  out  within  a  few  days,  and 
when  in  Mercer  county,  Wallace  found  a  place  to  work,  at 
good  wages,  with  a  large  and  able  farmer.  I  took  a  distric4 
sckpol  near  by,  and  boarded  where  Wallace  worked.  Aftei 
so  many  hardships,  I  was  really  happy  and  contented  during 
our  stay  here.  Wallace  was  very  kind,  but  would  not  allo^ 
me  to  be  intimate  with  any  one,  but  wished  me,  when  out  o' 


Among  the  Gentiles.  85 

school,  to  remain  in  my  room  until  he  returned  from  his 
work,  and  then  we  would  take  walks  alone  in  the  woods  and 
fields.  The  country  was  sparsely  settled,  and  the  inhabitants 
were  large  and  very  wealthy  farmers,  mostly  from  the  South,  and 
were  very  kind  to  us.  The  name  of  Wallace's  employer  was 
Samuel  Porter.  Mrs.  Porter  treated  me  very  kindly,  as  did 
her  sister  Mrs.  Duncan,  and  her  daughter  Mary  Jane.  The 
latter  was  married  during  the  summer  to  Saul  Litton.  They 
all  made  me  a  great  many  presents,  and  should  this  book 
come  to  their  notice,  they  will  undoubtedly  recollect  me ;  and 
I  take  pleasure  in  making  this  grateful  mention  of  them,  as 
their  attention  to  me  was  of  that  kindly  and  delicate  naturet 
rarely  met  with,  except  among  truly  well-bred  people.  Theii 
kindness  was  the  more  appreciated,  as  I  had  been  accustomed 
only  to  the  rude  habits  of  cur  people. 

These  ladies  offered  me  a  home  if  I  did  not  wish  to  return 
to  the  Mormons,  which  I  would  gladly  have  accepted  if  I  had 
deemed  it  safe  for  them  and  myself  to  have  done  so. 

I  had  had  some  conversation  with  them  on  the  subject  of 
religion,  notwithstanding  my  husband  wished  to  prevent  it , 
and  though  it  was  not  generally  known  we  were  Mormons,  they 
knew  our  history.  Oh !  how  often  afterwards,  when  camping 
out  upon  the  bleak  prairie,  or  suffering  from  hunger,  or  cold, 
or  the  imprisonment  of  Salt  Lake,  have  I  thought  of  the 
agreeable  summer  spent  in  their  society,  and  wished,  oh !  how 
bitterly,  I  too  had  received  a  Christian  education,  and  had 
been  free  and  untrammelled  to  do  right. 

Late  in  the  fall  I  closed  my  school,  and  we  prepared  to 
return  to  Garden  Grove  with  the  fruit  of  our  earnings.     My 


86         Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

husband  had  treated  me  so  kindly,  and  had  so  often  promised 
to  take  no  more  wives,  that  I  believed  him,  and  improbable 
as  it  was,  I  returned  in  the  full  belief  that  he  would  give  me 
no  more  trouble  in  that  way.  We  took  with  us  provisions 
and  clothing  sufficient  to  make  us  very  comfortable  for  the 
coming  winter ;  but  when  we  arrived  at  the  "  stake,"  David 
Fulmer  directed  Wallace  to  distribute  his  provisions  among 
the  destitute  families  there,  to  which  he  submitted  with  the 
best  possible  grace,  as  he  dare  not  refuse,  although  this  left 
us  nearly  destitute. 

As  he  was  under  the  necessity  of  supplying  the  deficiency 
in  some  way,  he  went  back  to  the  Desmoines  Kiver,  in  Iowa, 
with  Isaac  Allred,  to  raise  money  and  provisions  by  labor,  or, 
as  I  have  reason  to  believe,  by  some  measures  less  honorable, 
under  the  direction  of  the  "  Danites,"  to  which  clan  I  believe 
my  husband  belonged.  He  left  with  me  a  girl  by  the 
name  of  Ellinor  Persons,  to  whom  I  became  much  attached. 
She  was  interesting,  and  became  very  kind  and  serviceable 
to  me. 

Wallace  came  back  well  supplied  early  in  the  winter,  but 
rendered  his  return  as  unpleasant  as  it  otherwise  would  have 
been  agreeable,  by  making  an  offer  of  marriage  to  Ellinor, 
who  was  greatly  offended,  and  left  us  at  once.  She  was  a 
noble  girl,  and  like  many  other  Mormon  women,  rebelled 
against  spiritual  wifeisni. 

About  the  middle  of  the  winter  we  heard  from  Wallace's 
father.  In  the  confusion  of  leaving  Nauvoo,  we  had  become 
separated  from  him,  as  we  had  from  my  own  family.  His 
father  was  a*  Council  Bluffs,  arid  hearing  we  were  at  Garden 


Among  the  Gentiles,  87 

Grove,  sent  Thomas,  one  of  his  sons,  for  us  witt  a  team.  I 
had  heard  nothing  as  yet  from  my  mother,  or  from  any  of 
my  family,  and  I  was  glad  to  go  to  any  place  that  promised 
to  bring  me  nearer  them. 

We  started  with  Thomas  in  the  middle  of  January,  and 
had  a  very  cold  journey.  We  arrived  at  Council  Bluffs  at 
the  end  of  two  weeks,  where  we  were  well  received  by  my 
father-in-law  and  his  family.  They  lived  about  one  mile  from 
the  main  "  stake,"  which  was  called  Kanesville.  This  was 
the  head-quarters  of  Mormonism  at  that  time.  The  Prophet 
was  there,  and  unnumbered  hosts  of  Mormons  were  going  and 
coming — some  forming  new  "  stakes  "  ahead,  or  further  to  the 
north  or  south,  and  others  going  on  to  people  them  ;  while 
others  still  were  going  on  to  the  far  West,  to  spy  out  a  local- 
ity for  a  permanent  home  for  the  Saints.  It  was  yet  as  un- 
certain what  direction  this  vast  horde  would  take,  as  it  might 
be  where  a  swarm  of  bees  just  upon  the  wing  would  hive. 
Scouts  were  sent  iu  every  direction,  and  were  returning  daily 
with  various  reports,  and  with  conflicting  recommendations. 
All  was  yet  uncertain,  as  the  Prophet  had  not  yet  spoken. 
The  "  oracle  "  was  silent,  but  would  speak  in  due  time,  and 
when  the  revelation  should  come,  the  masses  would  move. 
In  the  mean  time,  the  Prophet's  ears  were  ever  open  for  in- 
formation of  some  goodly  land,  far  off  and  well  protected 
against  "  Gentile  "  intrusion,  where  he  could  hive  the  swarm- 
ing hordes  of  his  people,  which  an  uninterrupted  emigration 
and  the  swift  reproduction  of  spiritual  wifeism  were  gathering 
about  him  at  Kanesville. 

Those  who  remained  at  the  "  stakes  "  were  busily  emploved 


88         FiFrEEN  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

in  raising  grain  for  present  use,  and  to  lay  up  in  store  for  the 
coming  masses,  while  many,  whose  "  talents  "  fitted  them  for 
the  service,  were  sent  back  to  Missouri,  and  other  poinls  in 
the  States,  to  buy  horses  and  cattle,  and  other  property  with 
il  bogus "  money,  or  to  procure  them  as  best  they  could. 
This  service  was  mostly  performed  by  the  "  Danites." 

I  was  glad  to  hear  once  more  from  my  mother  and  family, 
which  I  did  at  this  time.  It  appears  they  had  arrived  at 
Kanesville  the  previous  summer,  and  had  joined  a  "  stake  n 
further  north,  on  the  Running  Water  River,  and  from  there, 
had  moved  to  Weston,  Missouri,  where  they  were  supposed 
to  be  still.  I  was  anxious  to  see  them,  but  as  I  was  about  to 
become  a  mother  again,  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  under- 
take such  a  journey.  I  had  never  felt  so  much  the  need  of 
my  mother  as  at  this  point  of  my  life,  for  I  saw  that  which 
convinced  me  that  Wallace  was  about  to  take  another  wife. 


More  Wives.  89 


CHAPTER  IX. 


MORE      WIVES, 


In  order  that  my  readers  may  have  no  diftculty  in  ud ier- 
standing  the  true  position  of  the  parties  referred  to  in  this 
chapter,  and  other  parts  of  this  book,  I  have  to  state,  that 
among  the  Mormons  the  act  of  "  making  love,"  as  it  is 
termed,  is  not  confined  to  the  male  portion  of  the  Church,  but 
that  every  unmarried  woman  has  the  same  right,  and  she  is 
expected  to  exercise  it  with  the  same  freedom  as  the  opposite 
sex,  with  this  difference  :  that  while  the  female  is  at  liberty  to 
decline  an  offer  of  marriage  made  by  a  man,  he  is  not  at 
liberty  to  decline  an  offer  coming  from  a  woman,  against 
whose  ability  for  child-bearing  there  rests  no  well  grounded 
doubt,  except  it  may  be  the  single  exception,  which  no  Mor- 
mon of  spirit  would  be  likely  to  plead  in  bar  of  matrimony, 
viz. :  that  he  has  already  more  wives  than  he  can  support. 
Hence  it  will  be  seen  the  husband  may  be  placed  in  an  un- 
pleasant position  by  the  system  of  double  wifeism  as  well  as 
the  wife,  whenever  the  enamored  fair  ones  may  choose  to  take 
advantage,  in  earnest,  of  this  continuous  leap-year.  And  this 
they  often  do,  without  incurring  the  suspicion  of  immodesty. 
It  seldom  occurs,  however,  if  indeed  it  ever  does,  that  the 


90         Fifteen  Teaks  among  the  Mormons. 

subjects  of  such  proposals,  made  by  lady  lovers,  consider 
themselves  "  persecuted ;"  but  it  oftener  happens  that  they 
take  advantage  of  this  liberty  among  the  unmarried  women 
to  justify  themselves  within  the  home  circle  for  bringing 
home  another  wife. 

We  had  been  at  Kanesville  but  a  short  time,  when  I 
learned  one  day  from  Wallace  that  Harriet,  the  girl  he  at- 
tempted to  marry  at  Garden  Grove,  was  living  with  her 
father  near  us,  and  still  unmarried. 

This  gave  me  great  uneasiness,  as  I  saw  he  had  not  given 
up  the  idea  of  marrying  her  One  night  he  came  home, 
and  said  he  had  been  to  see  Harriet,  that  while  passing 
her  father's  house  she  had  called  him  in,  and  claimed  her 
right  of  marriage  under  the  principle  explained  above.  In 
short,  had  "  proposed  "  in  form,  and  threatened  to  report  him 
to  the  Heads  of  the  Church  if  he  did  not  submit  to  her  rea- 
sonable demand. 

Wallace  sat  down  by  me,  and  expressed  great  concern,  that, 
as  I  was  about  to  be  sick,  the  excitement  of  his  marriage  would 
have  a  dangerous  influence  upon  me.  He  said,  "  I  dare  not 
refuse  to  marry  her ;  the  Prophet  will  take  away  my  license 
(as  preacher),  and  may  be  my  head.  Besides,  it  is  time  you 
had  given  up  these  jealous  notions.  You  shall  always  be 
mistress  here,  and  Harriet  as  your  servant,  and  it  will  make 
no  difference  in  my  attachment  to  you,  or  in  your  rights. 
You  must  some  day  submit,  and  it  will  be  as  easy  now  as 
ever." 

I  rejected  his  cruel  reasoning  with  what  force  of  woman's 
wit  and  will  I  could,  and  backed  these,  in  the  end,  bv  tears. 


More  Wives.  9i 

f  refused  to  receive  another  wife  into  the  house,  and  I  think  I 
should  haze  prevented  it  if  no  one  else  had  interfered  with  us ; 
but  it  is  impossible  for  a  Mormon  man  with  one  wife  to 
escape  from  the  ridicule  of  his  associates.  The  next  day 
Wallace  was  telling  some  of  them  what  I  had  said,  and  they 
laughed  at  him  beyond  measure.  Some  of  them  said  their 
first  wives  had  talked  in  the  same  way,  but  came  into  the 
arrangement  when  they  found  they  must.  They  told  him  he 
had  nothing  to  do  but  to  take  home  his  new  wife  when  I  was 
confined,  and  by  the  time  I  was  well  again  he  would  find  me 
reconciled.  Wallace  accordingly  told  me  he  had  concluded 
to  bring  Harriet  home  the  next  day.  He  said,  "  I  have 
waited  longer  than  any  other  man  in  the  Church  would  have 
done  for  you  to  become  satisfied."  And  when  I  told  him  I 
thought  it  would  kill  me  if  he  did,,  he  replied,  "  Then  you 
will  die  a  martyr,  and  shall  wear  a  martyr's  crown." 

It  was  too  horrible.  I  was  put  to  bed  immediately,  and 
when  I  was  again  conscious  of  passing  events,  they  told  me 
my  child  was  dead — that  its  mother's  agony  had  crushed 
back  its  little  breath  before  it  saw  the  light.  It  was  some 
time  before  my  overtaxed  and  exhausted  frame  rallied  suffi- 
ciently to  enable  me  to  comprehend  the  exact  state  of  my 
household.  I  soon  discovered  that  Harriet  was  present,  and 
although  she  did  not  presume  to  approach  me,  I  compre- 
hended she  was  anxious  to  treat  me  kindly,  and  wished 
to  appease  my  resentment.  It  was  not  many  days  before  I 
understood,  and  how  I  hardly  knew,  that  she  occupied  a  bed 
within  reach  of  mine,  with  Wallace.  One  morning,  when  I 
had   just  opened   my  eyes,   after  a  calm  sleep,  which  had 


32         Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

restored  my  clouded  mind  to  a  clear  self-possession,  and  I  waa 
feeling  the  keenest  pleasure  in  bathing  my  hand  in  the  warm 
sunlight  which  streamed  within  my  reach  under  the  half- 
drawn  window-curtain,  my  eye  fell  upon  them — upon  Wal- 
lace and  Harriet,  in  the  bed  near  me,  apparently  just  awake. 
I  think  I  must  have  glared  upon  them  wildly,  for  Wallace 
was  frightened,  and  when  I  fell  back  with  a  groan  after  find- 
ing myself  too  weak  to  rise,  he  put  his  hand  upon  my  head, 
from  his  place  beside  Harriet,  for  he  was  so  near  me  as  that, 
and  said,  "  Poor,  poor  Ettie,  I  am  afraid  she  will  never  sub- 
mit to  the  will  of  the  Prophet.  This  doctrine  will  kill  her" 
I  mustered  what  strength  I  could,  and  moved  beyond  his 
reach  to  the  further  side  of  the  bed,  and  turned  my  back  upon 
them  without  a  word.  From  that  time  I  closed  my  eyes  to 
their  movements — I  would  not  see  them.  I  was  too  weak  to 
contend  against  numbers,  and  I  could  not  submit.  I  sternly 
strove  to  calm  myself,  and  I  succeeded.  T  was  determined 
not  to  die  a  martyr." 

Harriet  was  greatly  humbled  and  disappointed.  She 
attempted  to  put  herself  right  with  me ;  she  said  one  day  to 
me,  **  how  can  you  feel  so  ?  I  do  not  towards  you.  I  acknow- 
ledge you  as  first  here,  and  expect  to  be  second  to  you  in 
Eternity."  She  said  many  other  things,  I  do  not  care  to 
repeat  here.  I  recovered  slowly  but  surely,  and  was  about  the 
house  much  sooner  than  I  expected. 

When  I  felt  equal  to  the  effort,  I  took  occasion  to  test  my 
influence  with  Wallace.  I  asked  him  if  he  would  take  me  to 
Weston,  where  my  mother  was  supposed  to  be.  He  asked 
me  if  I  would  come  back,  I  told  him  not  at  once,  as  I  wished 


More  Wives.  93 

to  remain  awhile.  We  had  a  long  conversation  jpon  the  sub- 
ject. Harriet  was  present ;  I  had  as  yet  never  recognized  her 
as  being  in  the  house.  She  made  some  remark  to  Wallace, 
to  which  I  replied  by  asking  her  what  business  she  had  with 
my  husband.  This  turned  the  conversation  upon  her ;  and  I 
took  occasion  to  administer  to  her,  what  force  of  ridicule  I 
could  command.  She  was  soon  in  tears,  I  pitied  the  poor; 
girl,  but  did  not  spare.  Wallace  attempted  to  interfere,  for 
Harriet's  protection,  with  but  small  comfort  to  her.  As  a 
compromise,  he  agreed,  as  soon  as  I  was  well  enough  to  ride, 
he  would  take  me  to  Weston. 

I  was  anxious  to  get  away,  and  the  next  week  we  started. 
Wallace  procured  his  father's  horse  and  buggy,  which  for 
that  country,  was  a  very  comfortable  arrangement.  Although 
I  was  better  prepared  to  receive  medical  treatment,  than 
to  undertake  such  a  journey,  we  started.  Our  course  was 
down  the  left  bank  of  the  Missouri  River,  I  soon  repented  my 
folly  in  making  the  attempt.  We  had  not  gone  far  when  I 
began  to  feel  uncomfortable,  and  grew  sicker  every  moment 
we  advanced  ;  till  at  the  end  of  twenty  miles,  I  began  to 
vomit.  There  was  no  house  near,  and  Wallace  selected  a 
favorable  place,  by  a  small  streamlet,  in  a  pleasant  wood,  for 
an  encampment.  Taking  me  out  of  the  buggy,  he  arranged 
the  seat,  and  buffalo  skin,  in  such  a  manner  that  I  could  lie 
down.  He  then  gathered  wood,  and  built  a  fire,  and  made 
me  some  tea,  this  revived  me  very  much,  and  I  ate  some 
crackers,  and  was  very  comfortable. 

He  then  prepared  to  spend  the  night,  by  securing  his  horse 
near  by,  and  feeding  him  with  some  grain  we  had  with  us, 


94         Fifteen  Tears  among  the  Mormons 

and  getting  together  a  good  quantity  of  wood.  As  we  had 
taken  the  forethought  to  bring  provisions  and  blankets,  we 
made  a  very  comfortable  night  of  it.  In  the  morning  I  felt 
much  better.  We  were  now  quite  in  doubt,  whether  to  re- 
turn or  go  on.  Wallace  was  anxious  to  go  back ;  urging 
that  I  needed  rest  and  quiet,  before  I  could  perform  the 
journey.  I  was  forced  to  admit  this  was  perhaps  true. 
On  the  other  hand,  I  was  the  more  anxious  to  advance.  This 
was  the  second  time  I  had  set  out  to  find  my  mother,  and  I 
could  not  bear  the  thought  of  riding  twenty  miles  back,  how- 
ever hard  it  might  be  to  go  forward. 

We  therefore  broke  up  camp,  and  journeyed  on.  I  soon 
found  I  was  growing  worse.  I  recollect  that  my  head  began 
to  ache,  and  finally  a  high  fever  set  in;  And  I  have  but 
little  more  remembrance  of  what  passed.  At  intervals,  I 
was  conscious  of  riding,  and  jolting  onwards,  and  then  all  was 
lost  to  me. 

Wallace,  as  he  afterwards  said,  saw  the  necessity  of  hurry- 
ing on  to  some  house.  How  far  it  might  be  to  one,  he  had 
no  means  of  knowing.  Towards  night,  he  arrived  at  the 
Nishnebatona  River,  a  branch  of  the  Missouri,  coming  from 
the  north  east.  There  was  a  ferry  kept  there  by  a  family 
living  on  the  other  side.  The  place  was  known  as  Allen's 
Perry.  It  was  spring,  and  the  streams  were  high  ;  but  after 
some  delay,  we  were  ferried  over,  and  he  applied  to  the  family 
to  take  care  of  his  wife.  He  drove  up  to  the  door,  and  his 
summons  was  answered  by  my  brother  Howard,  of  whose 
whereabouts  we  had  heard  nothing  since  our  separation  at 
Nauvoo.     Howard,  who  kept  the  ferry,  and  Martha  his  wife, 


More  Wives.  95 

were  greatly  moved  at  finding  me ;  especially  as  I  was  unable 
to  recognize  them.  The  delirium  left  me  the  next  day.  I 
had  fallen  into  a  calm  sleep  near  morning :  and  when  I  awoke 
I  found  my  brother  and  Martha  near  me.  I  was  very  near 
going  mad  again,  before  I  understood  where  I  was,  and  how  I 
came  there ;  and  when  I  fully  comprehended  that  I  was  safe, 
and  with  my  own  family  once  more,  I  was  very  happy. 

My  first  inquiry  after  regaining  my  self-possession,  was  for 
my  mother,  whom  I  had  not  noticed  among  my  friends.  I 
had  suffered  so  much  myself,  and  had  so  often  barely  escaped 
death  since  my  separation  from  her,  that  I  felt  an  undefined 
fear  that  she  might  have  fallen  a  victim,  in  her  old  age,  to 
this  cruel  migration ;  and  I  dreaded  to  make  the  inquiry. 
But  I  was  soon  happily  relieved  from  further  apprehension, 
by  learning  she  was,  as  we  had  heard  before,  at  Weston, 
Missouri,  and  was  well.  This  gave  me  great  joy.  Howard 
and  Martha  were  yet  looking  upon  me  in  astonishment. 
"How  much  the  child  has  changed,"  said  Howard,  "she  was 
so  young  and  joyous  and  healthy.  What  a  wreck !  Can 
this  be  the  fruit  of  Mormonism  ?  Nettie,  has  Wallace  misused 
you." 

I  made  no  reply.  My  mind  turned  to  the  dark  past,  as  to  a 
horror,  a  bare  mention  of  which  might  bring  it  back  to  me 
again.  I  shuddered  with  such  evident  fear,  that  Howard  saw 
>he  necessity  of  dropping  the  subject;  and  Martha  hovered  about 
me,  with  such  kindly  and  soothing  attention,  that  after  giving 
me  some  gruel,  and  bringing  some  tea,  which  I  tasted  ;  I  was 
soon  dozing  pleasantly,  though  but  half  asleep  I  tried  to 
keep  enough  awake,  to  enjoy  my  new  sense  of  security      My 


96         Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

whole  soul,  unbent  its  overworked  energies ;  and  all  my  senses 
nestled  themselves  into  quiet  rest.  Not  an  unconscious  sleep, 
but  a  recuperative  unknitting  of  the  mental  and  physicial 
forces.  I  fain  would  have  existed  always  thus.  My  youth, 
and  flexible  constitution,  which,  though  quick  to  bend,  was 
loth  to  break,  had  triumphed,  and  I  needed  but  this  continued 
quiet,  to  brace  me  up  again ;  perhaps  for  an  equally  bitter 
future.  I  gathered  from  the  whispered  invectives  in  which 
Martha  from  time  to  time  indulged  against  Wallace,  that  I 
had  been  talking  in  my  delirium  of  him,  and  of  Harriet,  and 
of  spiritual  wifeism. 

Wallace  soon  came  in,  and  asked  if  I  was  better ;  and  as 
Martha  would  not  answer  him,  I  replied  to  his  question,  and 
he  came  to  the  bed.  He  asked  me  if  I  had  been  telling 
Martha  about  Harriet.  He  appeared  very  penitent,  and 
begged  I  would  overlook  the  past.  He  promised  to  go  for 
my  mother  and  sister  Lizzie,  which  he  said  he  could  do  in 
a  little  over  a  week;  I  urged  him  to  do  so.  I  had  been 
separated  from  them  now  over  two  years. 

He  set  out  the  next  morning  for  Weston,  and  I  waited  his 
return  with  the  greatest  anxiety.  After  a  few  days,  when  I 
was  somewhat  restored,  I  had  a  long  talk  and  a  full  under- 
standing with  Howard  as  to  my  past  suffering,  and  its  connec- 
tion with  Mormonism.  I  told  him  all.  Howard  was  a  con- 
scientious Mormon. 

After  listening  to  me  with  great  patience,  and  thinking  the 
matter  over  for  a  long  time,  he  said,  "Mormonism  is  true. 
Joseph  Smith  was  a  prophet  of  God,  else  how  did  he  heal 
my  broken  leg;  awl  how  was  my  mother  healed?     How 


More  Wives.  97 

have  others  been  healed,  and  how  have  his  prophecies  been 
fulfilled?  Your  husband  has  not  done  right.  This  is  not 
Mormonism." 

"But,"  said  I,  "Wallace  has  obeyed  ' counsel.'  David 
Fulmer,  President  of  the  Stake,  has  counselled  him  to  steal 
and  rob ;  and  he  has  stolen  and  robbed.  Fulmer  has  coun- 
selled him  to  take  another  wife,  and  he  has  taken  one." 

"But,"  said  he,  "you  will  find  when  you  see  Brigham 
Young,  that  Mormonism  differs  from  that.  It  is  not  true  that 
such  crimes  are  countenanced  by  the  Church." 

I  am  satisfied  that  at  that  time  Howard  would  have  de- 
nounced Mormonism,  had  he  known  to  what  it  was  leading. 
I  am  equally  satisfied  he  has  since  known  of  the  existence 
not  only  of  these  crimes,  and  their  practice  by  direction  or 
"counsel,"  as  it  is  called,  of  the  Prophet;  but  has  actually  ac- 
knowledged the  spiritual  wife  doctrine,  by  attempting  to  take 
another  himself;  which,  up  to  the  time  I  left  Salt  Lake,  Martha 
had  prevented  by  driving  the  "new  wife"  out  of  the  house. 

Wallace  returned  from  Weston  without  my  mother.  It 
was  impossible  for  her  to  come  and  see  me;  but  she  was 
well ;  and  had  my  sister  Lizzie  with  her,  as  also  my  youngest 
brother  Uriah.  My  brother  George  and  sister  Sarah  had 
both  fallen  victims  to  the  hardships  of  the  migration,  and 
were  both  dead ;  while  William  had  gone  with  the  Mormon 
Battalion  *   to  fight  for  the  United  States  in  Mexico,  and 

*  The  raising  of  this  battalion  by  the  Mormons,  at  the  requisition 
of  the  United  States  Government,  was,  at  the  time,  and  has  been 
since,  greatly  lauded,  as  an  act  of  patriotism,  often  cited  as  an  evi- 
dence of  Mormon  loyalty  and  good  faith.     As  to  which  see  a  well 

5 


98  Fifteen  Years  among  tee  Mormons. 

whether  yet  alive  or  not,  was  at  this  time  unknown  to  my 
mother.     We  soon  after  heard  of  his  death. 

This  was  the  first  full  and  certain  intelligence  I  had 
received  from  the  family,  since  our  terrible  separation  at 
Nauvoo.  It  was  certain  two  had  fallen,  and  how  many  more 
of  us  were  to  be  overborne  by  the  demands  of  Mormonism 
upon  us,  and  its  increasing  hardships,  the  future  alone  could 
reveal.  We  now  for  the  first  time  fully  realized  the  sacrifices 
we  had  made  for  the  Church.  Our  family  was  widely  scat- 
tered, and  falling  victims3  one  by  one,  in  different  localities, 
yet  none  bethought  him,  that  Mormonism  was  a  delusion. 
Wallace  represented  my  mother  as  mourning  the  fate  of  he? 
family,  and  the  loss  of  her  fine  property,  yet  clinging  to  her 
belief  in  the  Prophet  and  his  teachings,  as  implicitly  as  she 
did  the  day  she  was  restored  to  hearing. 

Wallace  had  promised  my  mother  that  he  would  take  me 
to  Weston  as  soon  as  I  was  able  to  ride,  and  the  prosject 
of  seeing  her  cheered  me  and  hastened  my  recovery.  Of 
course  he  did  not  tell  her  how  he  had  treated  me,  or  that  he 
had  taken  another  wife. 

written  and  appreciative  article,  entitled  "The  Mormons,"  pages 
615-16  of  Harper's  Magazine  for  April,  1853. 

Bat  Elder  Hyde  has  let  us  into  the  secret  of  this  apparent  loyalty 
to  the  Government,  at  p.  143  of  his  book,  in  the  following  graphic 
lines.     Speaking  of  the  aims  of  the  Mormon  leaders,  he  says : 

"  Their  design  they  desire  to,  cloak  under  a  sham  patriotism.  The 
United  States  offered  $20,000  bounty  money,  and  Brigham  recruited 
a  regiment;  persuaded,  commanded  them  to  leave  their  families, 
many  of  them  perfectly  destitute,  and  join  General  Scott's  army  then 
in  Mexico,  and  they  obeyed" 


Moke  Wives.  99 

About  a  week  after  this,  Wallace  asked  me,  in  presence  of 
Howard,  when  we  should  go  home,  and  Howard  replied  that 
he  could  go  home  whenever  he  chose,  but  that  I  was  not 
going  with  him.  Wallace  asked  me  if  that  was  so,  and  I 
told  him  I  could  not  go  then,  if  for  no  other  reason  than  that 
I  was  not  strong  enough  yet ;  what  I  should  do  after  that,  I 
could  not  say.  Wallace,  therefore,  returned  to  Council 
Bluffs  without  me,  and  I  was  left  with  no  care  upon  my 
hands  but  my  health ;  which  was  slowly  improving.  And 
yet,  as  I  had  not  given  up  my  husband  entirely,  the  reflection 
that  he  had  returned  to  Harriet,  and  that  she  had  him  all  to 
herself,  at  times  annoyed  me.  I  sometimes  felt  I  was  willing 
to  give  him  up,  and  tried  to  convince  myself  I  had  done  so. 
But  only  those  who  have  been  similarly  situated  can  appreci- 
ate my  position. 


100       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 


CHAPTER  X. 

RECONCILED FINDING    MY   MOTHER. 

Another  month  elapsed  before  we  heard  again  from  Wal» 
lace.  I  had  nearly  recovered  once  more  my  accustomed 
tone  of  health,  and  life  was  no  longer  a  burthen  to  me.  If 
my  readers  will  recollect  that  at  this  time  I  was  Jess  than 
eighteen  years  of  age,  they  will  not  be  surprised  that  a  strong 
constitution,  and  a  naturally  buoyant  temperament  so  soon 
triumphed  over  the  ills  of  the  past ;  and  I  trust  my  youth 
and  my  attachment  as  a  wife,  may  be  deemed  a  sufficient 
explanation  of  the  course  I  afterwards  pursued  in  relation  to 
my  husband. 

One  dark  and  rainy  night,  just  as  the  family  were  prepar- 
ing for  bed,  Wallace  knocked  at  the  door.  Howard  opened 
it,  and  seeing  who  it  was  bid  him  come  in. 

I  knew  his  rap  almost  by  instinct,  notwithstanding  I  was 
determined  not  to  recognize  him  as  my  husband.  And  yet 
some  secret  impulse  told  me,  that  his  appearance  at  such 
a  time,  was  an  evidence  of  returning  good  faith  on  his  part ; 
and  my  woman's  heart  secretly,  and  in  spite  of  my  resolution, 
applauded  this  act  of  devotion  to  me.  I  felt  that  could  I 
but  know  he  had  given  up  Harriet,  I  would  gladly  receive 


Reconciled — Finding  my  Mother.  101 

him  back;  and  then  the  dark  cloud  of  the  fast  intervened 
and  scaled  my  lips.  When  Howard  asked  him  to  come  in, 
Martha  said,  u  If  he  does,  I  will  go  out,  the  trifling  scamp. 
Let  him  go  back  to  his  spiritual  mistress.  He  cannot  come 
here." 

I  said  not  a  word.  My  heart  and  my  judgment  struggled 
in  opposition  for  the  mastery.  "Wallace  stood  at  the  door, 
the  most  forlorn  object  I  had  ever  seen.  He  was  dripping 
wet,  with  the  rain  still  beating  upon  him.  It  was  one  of 
those  cold,  chilling  storms,  which  are  liable  to  come  any 
time  of  the  year,  creeping  into  the  very  bones,  which  had 
found  bim  unprepared,  as  he  had  no  overcoat.  Howard 
faltered  about  admitting  him,  and  as  I  did  not  interfere,  he 
turned  to  Martha,  and  said,  "  I  think  this  man  is  not  as  bad 
as  we  supposed.  It  is  this  Mormonism  that  has  made  the 
trouble ;  it  is  hard  on  women  at  the  best." 

"  And  harder  still  on  the  men,  unless  they  are  like  ada- 
mant," said  Wallace. 

"  What  shall  we  do  ?"  asked  Howard  of  Martha. 

Wallace  then  said  partly  to  me,  "  If  we  are  to  separate, 
I  think  it  necessary  to  talk  it  over,  and  have  matters  fully 
understood.     I  should  like  to  see  Ettie  alone." 

Howard  then  told  him  he  could  go  into  the  front  room, 
and  say  to  me  what  he  wished,  and  that  he  must  then  leave, 
to  which  Martha  tacitly  consented.  I  accordingly  went  with 
him.  He  was  greatly  distressed.  I  asked  him  as  to  Harriet. 
He  protested  he  had  not  seen  her  since  I  had ;  and  said  he 
never  intended  to  leave  me  for  her.  He  gave  every  evidence 
of  sincerity.     Finally,  he  said,  "  I  wish  to  know  if  you  intend 


102        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

to  return  with  me.  I  will  ask  you  to  live  with  me  no  longer 
than  I  treat  you  well ;  and  when  I  get  another  wife,  you 
shall  be  free  to  go.  I  have  abandoned  Harriet  fcrever,  and 
will  take  no  other  wife.  Mormonism  shall  not  separate  us 
a^ain." 

How  could  I  refuse  to  accept  his  promises  ?  I  did  accent 
them,  and  engaged  to  go  back  to  Council  Bluffs  with  him 
the  next  morning;  I  pitied  and  believed  him.  All  I  had 
ever  asked  at  his  hands  wTas  that  he  should  abandon  his 
spiritual  wifeism ;  otherwise,  I  was  content  with  him.  He 
had  not  eaten  a  mouthful  since  morning,  and  I  offered  to  get 
him  some  supper,  but  he  refused  to  accept  jt,  and  said  he 
would  not  eat  in  the  house.     He  then  left  me. 

There  was  but  one  other  house  near,  and  this  afforded  him 
the  only  hope  of  getting  in  for  the  night.  Strange  as  it  may 
seem,  his  present  suffering  endeared  him  still  more  to  me ; 
and  I  fain  would  have  protected  him  from  further  exposure 
to  the  storm,  if  he  had  allowed  me  to  make  his  peace  with 
Martha. 

Martha  was  a  good  and  kindly  woman,  wrhen  excited  by 
no  wrong  that  was  crying  for  redress;  but  she  had  a  soul 
of  greatness,  and  a  will  of  iron.  I  take  pleasure  in  making 
this  mention  of  her,  as  she  was  of  great  service  to  me  after- 
wards in  Salt  Lake,  and  I  would  do  anything  in  my  power 
to  assist  her  to  escape  from  the  cruel  bondage  she  is  suffer- 
ing in  common  with  all  Mormon  women  there. 

"Wallace  left  the  house  without  speaking  to  tha  other 
inmates,  giving  Martha,  as  she  said  afterwards,  a  look  of 
defiance. 


.Reconciled — Finding  my  Mother.  103 

I  awoke  the  next  morning  early,  and  joyously  made  ar- 
rangements for  the  journey.  When  I  told  Martha  I  was 
about  to  leave  her,  and  try  Wallace  once  more,  she  was  out 
of  all  patience  with  me,  and  said  I  could  not  fail  to  regret  it, 
but  added,  after  a  moment's  reflection,  as  if  she  thought  she 
had  said  too  much,  "  After  all,  I  must  acknowledge  he  is 
good-looking,  and  I  am  sorry  I  can  offer  you  no  greater 
encouragement/' 

Howard  said  nothing,  as  he  had  before  advised  me  not  to 
go  with  him.  I  was  ready  for  a  start  when  Wallace  came, 
as  I  knew  it  would  embarrass  him  if  he  was  delayed,  as  he 
was  not  on  speaking  terms  with  the  household.  Howard 
and  Martha  wished  us  well,  and  we  set  out  in  good  spirits. 
It  was  fine  weather,  and  the  going  excellent,  and  we  arrived 
about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  at  the  only  house  be- 
tween the  Nishnebatona  and  Council  Bluffs.  We  therefore 
put  up  for  the  night;  we  had  driven  about  twenty  miles. 
The  place  was  off  the  road  in  a  very  pleasant  location,  and 
was  occupied  by  an  old  man  and  his  wife,  who  entertained 
us  in  a  very  acceptable  manner.  After  a  late  dinner,  we 
took  a  walk  up  the-  stream,  which  is  known  as  Key  Creek, 
Wallace  taking  his  rifle.  We  found  the  game  plenty,  and 
were  very  successful.  I  shot  two  squirrels  and,  among  other 
things,  Wallaae  shot  a  wild  turkey. 

While  dressing  the  next  morning,  Wallace  accidentally 
left  his  belt  in  my  room  ;  it  was  the  one  he  wore  around  his 
body  under  his  clothing;  which  I  examined  without  his 
knowing  it,  and  found  it  to  contain  about  three  hundred  dol- 
lars of  bogus  money.    This  did  not  surprise  me,  as  I  had  sus- 


104        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

pected  it  before,  and  I  knew  the  authorities  of  the  Church, 
if  they  did  not  manufacture  it  themselves,  directed  it  to  be 
done  by  others 

We  had  a  fine  breakfast  of  the  game  killed  by  us  the  even- 
ing previous,  and  as  we  had  ample  time  to  get  home  that 
day,  we  concluded  to  have  another  hunt,  as  this  was  a  favor- 
able locality  for  it.  "Wallace  borrowed  a  horse  of  the  old 
gentleman,  and  I  rode  our  pony,  and  we  had  a  fine  ride  on 
horseback  over  the  prairie,  and  through  the  timber  that 
skirted  the  banks  of  the  creek.  It  seemed  to  me  that  I  had 
just  escaped  from  a  long  confinement  in  some  pent  up  town. 
The  open  sky,  and  pure  breath  of  the  prairie,  and  the  mellow 
sunlight,  cheered  my  glad  soul,  now  free  from  anguish. 

I  shot  at  a  prairie  wolf,  and  wounded  it,  which  we  after- 
wards ran  down,  and  Wallace  captured  it.  This  closed  our 
hunt,  and  at  eleven  o'clock  we  continued  our  journey.  We 
arrived  at  home  in  good  time  that  night. 

The  discovery  I  had  made  as  to  the  bogus  money  in  the 
belt  of  Wallace,  sharpened  my  curiosity,  and  I  took  occasion 
to  watch  his  movements  and  all  connected  with  him.  I 
made  it  convenient,  as  I  had  an  opportunity  a  few  days  after 
this,  to  question  Joseph  Young,  brother  of  the  Prophet,  about 
it.  I  commenced  by  telling  him  I  thought  he  had  given 
WaMace  more  than  his  share  of  bogus  money.  The  men 
who  had  the  management  of  such  matters  were  generally 
very  cautious  about  telling  the  women  of  t.  Brother  Joseph, 
thrown  off  his  guard,  replied, 

"  Did  he  get  me  a  span  of  horses  ?" 

I  told  him  I  did  not  know  but  he  bought  one  for  himsel£ 


Reconciled — Finding  my  Mother.  105 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  brother  Joseph,  thinking  I  knew  all  lbout 
it,  as  some  of  the  wives  of  the  Prophet  did ;  "  he  can  u-Al  the 
bogus  any  time  to  the  Missourians,  if  he  wishes,  an  1  they 
cannot  detect  us.  If  they  do,  we  shall  soon  be  beyond  their 
reach.  We  must  help  ourselves  this  year  to  a  good  outfit  for 
crossing  the  plains ;  and,  next  spring  and  summer,  we  shall 
be  off  and  beyond  their  reach,  and  they  can  whistle." 

I  thus  ascertained  positively  what  I  had  long  suspected. 
I  went  home  knowing  that  my  husband  was  a  thief  and  a 
counterfeiter,  if  not  something  worse  than  either ;  but  I  could 
not  believe  the  great  body  of  the  Church  had  endorsed  all 
these  crimes ;  the  very  enormity  of  them  seemed  to  prove  it 
impossible ;  and  yet,  individuals  high  in  the  confLIence  of 
the  Prophet  had,  in  more  than  one  instance,  not  GiJy  recog- 
nized but  had  counselled  these  practices. 

My  life  at  this  time  passed  very  pleasantly,  wheu  not  em- 
bittered by  thinking  upon  what  I  knew  to  be  the  employment 
of  my  husband.  Our  house  was  the  resort  of  what  was  called 
the  best  society  in  the  Church,  and  was  enlivened  by  plays 
and  dancing  parties,  for  which  the  Mormons,  as  a  community, 
are  greatly  distinguished.  These  are  recommended  to  keep 
up  the  spirits  of  the  women  and,  perhaps,  to  drown  the  recol- 
lection of  crimes  among  the  men.  But  it  is  proper  I  should 
say  that,  whatever  is  approved  by  the  Prophet  is  not  regarded 
as  a  crime.  I  was  determined,  for  myself,  to  put  up  with 
everything  but  spiritual  wifeism ;  and,  as  long  as  Wallace 
did  not  bring  home  another  wife  I  was  consent. 

One  day,  soon  after  this,  a  man  came  to  our  house,  who 
was  unknown  to  me,  and  had  a  .ong  conversation  with  Wal- 

5* 


106        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Moemons. 

lace.  The  subject  of  their  interview  seemed  to  be  one  of 
great  importance  and  secresy.  After  the  stranger  had  leftj 
Wallace  told  me  it  was  necessary  for  us  to  move  to  St.  Jo- 
seph, Mo. ;  that  he  was  going  there  by  direction,  and  in  the 
service  of  the  Church,  and  was  to  keep  a  boarding-house  to 
accommodate  the  Mormons  in  that  State,  doing  business  dis- 
guised as  "  Gentiles." 

The  reader  will  not  be  surprised  to  know,  what  1  soon 
learned  to  be  true,  that  this  "  business "  was  selling  bogus 
money,  and  buying  with  it  various  kinds  of  property  needed 
by  the  Church,  and  forwarding  it  to  Council  Bluffs. 

"We  packed  up  in  a  short  time,  and  moved  to  that  place, 
where  we  rented  a  large  dwelling  near  the  Court-house. 
Wallace  took  with  him  his  sister  Abbe,  as  he  said  he  should 
be  gone  from  home  more  or  less,  and  he  would  not  ask  me 
to  stay  alone  with  the  kind  of  company  we  should  have  at 
our  house.  The  goers  and  comers  at  our  boarding  establish- 
ment purported  to  be  "Gentiles,"  from  various  parts  of  the 
Union :  New  Orleans,  New  York,  Boston,  and  other  places, 
en  route  for  California  or  Oregon,  as  some  of  them  were ;  but 
they  were  mostly  Mormons  from  Council  Bluffs.  The  latter 
would  land  in  the  night  from  the  river,  where  Wallace  would 
meet  and  bring  them  to  our  house,  and  the  next  morning 
introduce  them  as  being  from  some  other  direction.  They 
would,  one  by  one,  privately  disperse  themselves  over  the 
country  to  prosecute  their  unlawful  traffic,  and  generally  came 
and  went  in  the  night.  Our  house  soon  came  to  be  die 
resort  of  a  precious  set  of  rogues ;  among  whom  Wallace  was 
quite  at  home.    Horse  thieving  an  J  gambling  appeared  to  be 


Reconciled — Finding  my  Mother.  107 

a  part  of  the  regular  business  of  these  men,  which  they  had 
reduced  to  a  system. 

The  notorious  gamblers  of  this  region,  among  the  Gentiles, 
somewhat  famed  about  this  time,  stood  no  chance  with  this 
hand  of  Mormons  ;  for  while  they  were  professedly  strangers, 
they  had  a  system  of  secret  signs  by  which  they  were  under- 
stood by  each  other,  and  they  could  thus  play  into  the  hands 
of  their  friends  unsuspected. 

The  horses,  and  other  booty  purchased  or  stolen,  was  Tor- 
warded  at  once  to  Kanesville,  and  was  there  received  by  Or- 
son Hyde,  who,  after  assorting  it,  forwarded  it  on  to  the  plains, 
or  made  such  disposition  of  it  as  would  place  it  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  Gentiles,  in  case  suspicion  should  be  directed  to- 
wards them.  Orson  Hyde  is  one  of  the  "  Twelve  Apostles," 
and  is  often  in  the  States.  There  are  now  many  persons  liv- 
ing by  whom  these  facts  can  be  proved. 

The  bogus  money  used  by  these  men,  was  mostly  made  at 
Nauvoo ;  but  I  have  heretofore  mentioned  that  the  press  used  in 
its  manufacture  was  taken  west,  and  on  to  Salt  Lake  in  the 
wagon  of  Peter  Hawse,  and  was  at  this  time  at  Kanesville. 
This  man,  Hawse,  is  now  living  on  Humbolt  River,  west  of 
Great  Salt  Lake  City. 

Although  at  this  time  I  was  treated  kindly  by  Wal- 
lace, I  was  not  allowed  to  associate  with  the  "Gentiles," 
or  even  speak  to  them.  I  had  no  associates  of  my  own 
sex  except  Abbe ;  and  forced  as  I  was  to  know  of  the  crimes 
that  were  being  daily  committed  under  my  own  roof,  I  was 
nearly  wild  with  horror,  not  o^ly  with  the  crimes  themselves, 


- 


108        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons 

but  with  the  fear  of  the  detection  I  felt  must  surely  come 
sooner  or  later.     It  was  generally  understood,  that  if  we  were 
recognized  as  Mormons,  and  our  business  detected,  nothing 
could  save  us  from  the  mob,  which  had  driven  our  Church 
from  the  States  a  few  years  previous.     Our  lives  must  in  that 
oise  pay  the  forfeit.     Oppressed  with  all  these  fearful  embar- 
rassments, I  besought  Wallace  to  take  me  to  see  my  mother, 
who  lived  but  thirty  miles  from  us.     He  had  promised  repeat- 
edly to  do  so,  but  first  one  thing,  and  then  another  had  pre- 
vented, and  now  I  was  not  to  be  put  off.     "Wallace  consented 
to  let  me  go  in  the  stage  alone,  as  his  "  business  "  required 
his  personal  attention  at  home.    He  gave  me  to  understand, 
that  I  would  do  well  to  exercise  care.     Not  to  associate  with 
"  Gentiles  "  during  my  absence,  or  make  to  them,  or  any  one, 
indiscreet   disclosures  of  what   I   knew.      "  For,"   said   he, 
"friends  of  the  Church  will  be  near  you  at  all  times  ;"  and  I 
found  this  strictly  true.   I  arrived  at  Weston  about  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  of  the  day  I  left  home;  and  as  the  stage 
stopped  at  the  door  of  the  hotel,  a  stranger  presented  himself, 
and  asked  if  Mrs.  Henderson  was  inside.     As  I  answered  to 
that  name,  he  handed  me  a  note  from  Wallace,  as  follows : 
"The   bearer    is    my  friend,  who  will    take   you   to  your 
mother's."     This  "  friend  "  took  me  to  a  room  in  the  hotel, 
and  asked  me  to  remain  there  until  he  could  get  a  carriage. 
He  very  soon  returned  with  one,  and  set  out  with  me  for  my 
mother's,  who  lived,  he  said,  about  one  mile  from  the  village. 
We   at   length   arrived   at  a  long,  low  house,  at  which  we 
stopped.     It  stood  upon  an  elevated  spot  of  ground  and  near 
the    road.     I    asked    my   strange    conductor    if    that   wa> 


Reconciled — Finding  my  Mother.  109 

where  my  brother  and  sister  died.  EU  said,  he  presumed  it 
was,  as  my  mother  lived  there.  What  a  tumult  of  new  emo- 
tions !  I  was  to  find  once  more  my  mother,  after  so  king  a 
separation  ;  but  I  was  not  to  find  my  sister,  nor  brother  with 
her ;  but  Lizzie  and  Uriah  were  left.  The  man  called  at  the 
door,  and  asked  for  Mrs.  Coray,  and  when  she  came,  I  did 
not  recognize  the  bent  old  woman  as  my  mother.  She  was 
prematurely  bowed  by  the  hardships  of  the  past ;  and  not  un- 
til we  were  near  each  other,  was  the  recognition  mutual. 
Lizzie  knew  me  at  once,  and  I  was  happy  once  more  with 
the  loved  ones  of  my  childhood. 

None  but  a  child  can  appreciate  the  joy  I  had  of  pouring 
into  a  mother's  ear  the  story  of  my  wrongs,  and  sufferings. 
She  wished  to  know  at  once  if  Wallace  had  taken  a  "  spirit- 
ual "  wife ;  and  I  told  her  all,  at  least  all  that  concerned  my- 
self, and  all  I  dared  to  tell  of  the  corruptions  of  the  Church. 

My  story  told,  with  many  tears,  and  listened  to  with  an- 
guish, and  her  own  hardly  the  less  painful  to  me,  tore  all  out 
hearts  with  grief. 

Uriah  soon  came  in,  and  I  found  him  almost  a  man,  whom 
I  had  last  seen  a  small  boy.  It  was  several  days  before  we 
had  a  full  hearing  of  each  other's  experiences. 

When  I  told  mother  that  I  suspected  Wallace  was  a  bad 
man,  and  was  engaged  in  a  manner  I  dare  not  whisper  even 
to  her,  she  asked,  u  has  he  been  killing  Missourians  ?  I  have 
heard  something  of  this.  They  say  some  of  our  Church  have 
been  seeking  revenge  upon  them ;  and  that  some  have  suc- 
ceeded in  taking  it ;  but  I  am  not  at  liberty  to  tell  you.  I 
have    overheard    something  that   Brigh^m   Young    should 


110       Fifteen  Years  among  the  M  )rmons. 

know;  and  he  must  know  it,  or  our  Church  will  be  regarded 
as  a  band  of  thieves  and  murderers." 

I  saw  ray  mother,  like  Howard,  had  full  confidence  in  the 
Heads  of  the  Church,  and  I  began  to  fall  into  their  way  of 
thinking,  that  when  the  Prophet  understood  what  had  beer: 
done,  and  what  crimes  were  being  practised  in  his  name, 
he  would  condemn  and  punish  the  wrong  doers.  I  was  satisfied 
she  knew  something  of  which  she  had  given  me  no  hint,  and 
I  was  sure  I  had  not  told  her  all  I  knew,  for  I  dare  not  do  it. 
My  mother  would  not  even  yield  to  the  belief,  that  Brother 
Brigham  would  in  the  end  approve  the  spiritual  wife  doctrine, 
and  she  would  not  acknowledge  that  Brother  Joseph  ever 
did. 

I  found  my  mother's  life  had  not  been  entirely  free  from 
adventure  since  our  separation,  as  the  following  story  told  by 
her  will  show. 

It  appears,  as  before  intimated,  that  after  arriving  at  Coun- 
cil Bluffs,  she  had  moved,  with  about  fifty  other  families  to  a 
"  stake  "  on  the  Running  Water  River,  to  a  point  some  ninety 
miles  northwest  of  Council  Bluffs,  where  they  remained  one 
winter.  This  is  the  home  of  the  Puncah  Indians,  and  is  a 
fine  open  prairie  country.  They  had  built  a  fort  on  the  bank 
of  the  river,  at  a  point  hemmed  in  by  bold  bluffs,  which  clus- 
tered in  a  sort  of  circle  back  and  above  of  the  little  plain  on 
which  the  dwellings  were  built.  The  latter  were  arranged 
in  two  rows  along  the  river  bank.  There  was  no  escape  by 
»and  from  the  plain  on  which  the  little  village  stood,  except 
up  these  bluffs,  the  ascent  of  which  was  difficult  at  the  best. 
The  water  in  the  river  was  deep  and  ran  very  swift,  so  swift; 


Reconciled — Finding  my  Mother.  Ill 

indeed,  as  to  render  crossing  at  this  point  almost  impos- 
sible. 

"  One  evening,"  said  my  mother,  "  late  in  the  fall,  I  was 
quietly  putting  things  to  rights  at  home,  and  the  boys  were 
yet  in  the  streets,  where  they  had  been  playing  ball  until  it 
grew  too  dark  to  see,  when  Uriah  rushed  into  the  house,  say- 
ing, "  the  bluffs  are  all  on  fire."  I  went  to  the  door,  and  was 
startled  to  find  our  little  settlement  in  the  greatest  peril.  The 
prairies  were  on  fire.  The  flames,  driven  by  a  fierce  wind, 
had  just  arrived  at  the  brink  of  the  bluffs,  down  which  they 
were  now  tumbling  in  fearful  proximity  to  our  dwellings.  We 
were  within  a  semicircle  of  fire,  every  moment  narrowing  to- 
wards the  centre,  which  nothing,  to  all  human  appearance, 
could  stay,  until  checked  by  its  arrival  at  the  river.  And  the 
river,  we  had  no  means  of  crossing,  as  it  was  too  swift  and 
deep.  It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  confusion  of  our  little 
community,  thus  suddenly  awakened  from  calm  security  to  a 
frightful  sense  of  impending  destruction,  which  had  burst  upon 
us  as  unexpectedly  as  it  was  now  inevitable.  The  first  alarm 
vented  itself  in  a  wild  yell  of  horror  from  an  hundred  throats. 
But  even  these  yells  were  scarcely  audible  above  the  loud  roar 
of  the  approaching  flames.  A  few  moments  were  sufficient 
to  bring  men  and  women  to  their  senses,  and  then  a  few  cool 
men  suggested,  while  all  were  glad  to  obey  in  anything  that 
promised  succor.  .  There  was  not  room  between  the  fire  and 
the  dwellings,  or  between  the  latter  and  the  river,  to  protect 
ourselves  in  the  usual  way,  by  seting  the  grass  on  fire  and  let  it 
pass,  nor  time  for  either.  Some  who  were  sufficiently  daring, 
conceived  the  idea  of  swimming  the  river,  which  was  perhaps 


112        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

possible  for  a  few,  but  of  course  could  afford  no  relief  to  the 
women  and  children,  except  so  far  as  drowning  was  better  than 
burning.  Others  proposed  to  wet  blankets  and  run  through  the 
flames  with  these  over  their  persons,  which  was  practicable 
for  the    strong  men,  but  wras  not  to  the  great  mass. 

"  The  better  judgment,  and  that  which  prevailed  was,  not 
to  attempt  to  save  the  property,  except  that  which  could  be 
easily  moved,  but  to  collect  all  the  inhabitants  under  the 
bant  of  the  river,  which  was  not  high,  below  where  the  heat  of 
the  dwellings  would  be  felt,  as  there  the  exposure  would  be  only 
to  the  heat  of  the  grass,  and  this  could  last  but  a  few  minutes, 
and  then  to  wet  all  the  blankets  and  clothing  in  the  river,  and 
cover  the  living  mass  with  these  as  best  we  could. 

"This  plan  it  was  believed,  would  save  the  life  of  every  mem- 
ber of  the  community,  though  at  the  expense  of  nearly  every 
thing  else.  Preparations  were  accordingly  made  at  once.  The 
women  and  children  were  got  together,  with  wet  blankets  and 
bedding  at  hand,  close  to  the  water's  edge,  ready  for  the  last 
emergency.  Then  prayers  were  hurriedly  said  ;  and  astonish- 
ing as  it  may  seem,  just  then  the  wind  veered  a  little,  and 
then  a  little  more,  until  it  blew  down  the  river,  instead  of 
driving  on  to  the  dwellings. 

"  Then  every  arm  was  nerved  to  save  the  village.  The  fire 
was  already  near  a  few  of  the  buildings,  but  by  great  effort 
its  further  spread  was  stayed.  Several  men  died  a  few  days 
after,  from  the  excitement  and  over-exertion  in  saving  the 
dwellings.  The  blankets  already  wet  were  found  very  service- 
able in  protecting  the  houses. 

"  The  building  containing  the  powder,  was  but  a  few  rods 


Reconciled — Finding  my  Mother.  113 

from  the  fire  at  the  moment  the  wind  changed  ;  and  thus  a 
greater  calamity  was  perhaps  averted,  as  there  was  consider- 
able powder  in  it  at  the  time.  I  soon  after  left  this  "  stake," 
and  came  here,  as  I  had  learned  from  this  how  uncertain 
such  a  life  of  isolation  might  become,  under  extreme  cir- 
cumstances." 

This  story  of  my  mother,  and  others  which  she  told  me, 
illustrated  how  much  she  had  sacrificed  to  her  belief  in  the 
Prophet,  but  neither  of  us  then  imagined  that  this  was  but 
the  befifhning  of  our  rough  experiences  in  border  life. 


114       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mobmoks. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

THE     FAMILY     BROKEN     UP. 

I  was  very  happy  with  ray  mother.  I  was  a  free  and  jov* 
ous  child  again,  and  my  mother  said,  as  I  was  not  yet  of  age, 
and  as  Wallace  had  taken  me  without  her  consent,  he  had  no 
right  to  me  now.  We  had  made  up  our  minds  not  to  sepa- 
rate again,  and  I  wrote  to  Wallace  after  I  had  been  at  homo 
about  four  weeks,  that  he  need  not  come  after  me,  as  I  did 
not  intend  to  return  to  the  "  boarding  "-house.  As  soon  as 
he  received  my  letter,  he  came.  He  arrived  at  our  house 
late  at  night,  and  riding  up  to  the  door,  struck  it  with 
his  whip.  I  knew  it  was  him  at  once,  and  went  to  the  door. 
Without  getting  off  his  horse,  he  asked  in  a  loud,  boisterous 
voice,  if  I  was  ready  to  go  home.  I  thought  best  to  treat  him 
well,  and  I  asked  Uriah  if  he  would  put  Wallace's  horse  in 
the  barn  ;  and  he  replied  "  yes,  and  himself  too,  if  he  wishes, 
that  will  be  the  proper  place  for  both." 

Wallace  saw  by  this  that  my  family  knew  of  his  past  con- 
duct, and  did  not  attempt  to  conciliate  them.  The  next  morn- 
ing, pleading  my  promise  that  I  would  live  with  him  until  he 
took  a  spiritual  wife  again,  he  claimed  that  I  was  under  ob- 
ligations to  go  home.     I  dare  not  explain  to  mv  mother  fully, 


The  Family  Broken  Up.  115 

how  matters  stood  at  the  boarding-house,  and  I  thought  as 
we  were  still  among  Gentiles,  and  did  not  know  what  course 
Wallace  might  take  to  injure  us  among  them,  that  I  had  bet- 
ter return  with  him,  which  I  accordingly  did. 

When  we  arrived  at  home,  we  found  the  house  full  of 
boarders — fuller  than  usual.  A  mass  of  goers  and  comers  in 
masks,  whose  business  Wallace  knew,  and  whom  I  soon  learned 
to  recognize  as  Mormons,  mingled  with  innocent  strangers, 
ignorant  of  the  risk  they  ran  in  coming  to  our  house, 
which,  by  this  time,  had  acquired  a  wide  reputation  as  a 
general  boarding-house.  We  had  plenty  of  money,  and  to  a 
degree  never  before  or  since  known  to  me,  was  everything  I 
wished  at  my  command.  I  should  have  been  well  contented 
had  I  not  known  the  character  of  our  customers,  and  the 
object  of  our  house.  Liquors  of  the  rarest  brands,  and  every 
accompaniment  of  the  most  costly  entertainments,  were  served 
daily  at  our  table.  But  I  am  bound  to  say  in  simple  justice, 
.hat  these  luxuries,  and  facilities  for  dissipation,  were  not  for 
the  entertainment  of  Mormons,  who  were  for  the  most  part 
men  of  simple  tastes.  They  were  designed  to  entrap  stran- 
gers, and  to  allure  their  victims,  as  well  as  to  call  there  the 
class  of  men  known  as  professed  gamblers.  Wallace,  during 
all  this  time,  and  while  I  knew  him,  was  in  no  way  addicted 
to  strong  drink  ;  in  fact,  I  never  knew  of  his  drinking  at  all. 

The  great  body  of  Mormons  were  now  preparing  to  move 
on  to  the  west.  Deputations  had  "been  sent  out,  and  had 
brought  back  glowing  accounts  of  the  Utah  Valley,  which 
had  been  selected  as  the  future  home  of  the  saints.  Great 
numbers  had  already  gone,  and  were  still  going,  and  my 


116        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

mother  had  concluded  to  join  the  next  company,  with  hei 
family.  She  therefore  found  it  necessary  to  go  on  to  Council 
Bluffs  immediately,  in  order  to  avail  herself  of  the  best  facili- 
ties for  making  the  journey,  as  that  was  the  head-quarters  of 
the  Church,  this  side  the  plains.  On  her  way  she  called  upon 
us,  and  I  bid  her  adieu  again — for  how  long  a  time  I  knew 
not.  It  was  a  sad  thing  to  part  again  with  my  mother,  so 
soon  after  I  had  found  her.  If  she  went  on  to  the  valley,  I 
could  not  expect  to  see  her  until  I  had  made  the  same  journey 
myself,  and  I  was  not  sure  that  I  wished  to  make  it. 

After  this  I  became  more  disgusted  than  ever  with  our 
way  of  life.  I  went  to  bed  one  night,  intending  to  have  a 
talk  with  Wallace  when  he  came.  He  did  not,  however, 
come  in  till  near  morning,  and  when  he  did,  I  told  him  I 
could  not  bear  the  confusion  and  wickedness  of  this  kind  of 
company  any  longer.  That  if  he  wished  to  keep  boarders, 
there  were  Gentiles  enough  he  could  get  to  make  him  a  good 
business.  But  as  for  the  rest,  I  would  expose  his  villainy  if 
longer  continued.  Wallace  said  he  was  in  the  service  of  the 
Church,  and  referred  me  to  the  revelation  of  brother  Joseph 
Smith,  who  authorized  the  formation  of  the  band  of  men 
known  as  "  Danites."  That  it  was  necessary,  in  order  to  pro- 
cure an  outfit  for  the  poor  "  saints,"  now  waiting  to  go  on  to 
the  valley.  That  anything  that  was  for  the  good  of  the 
Gkurch,  was  right.  I  said  so  much  to  him,  however,  that  the 
next  morning  he  discharged  his  Mormon  boarders,  and  thu3 
their  head-quarters  was  broken  up  ;  at  least,  I  saw  no  more 
of  them.  I  had  reason  to 'believe  that  Wallace  still  cooper- 
ated with  them. 


The  Family  Broken  Up.  117 

Wallace  came  in  one  day,  and  said  he  was  going  to  Jack- 
son county,  Mo.,  upon  "  business  "  connected  with  the  Church  : 
and  as  he  sat  down  and  counted  over  a  large  amount  of  money, 
which  I  knew  to  be  "bogus,"  I  was  well  satisfied  as  to  its 
nature.  He  named  several  persons  who  were  Mormons,  as 
intending  to  go  with  him  :  and  about  this  time  Mr.  Mo  wry,  a 
Mormon  from  Kanesville  brought  me  a  letter  from  Uriah,  say- 
ing my  mother  was  very  sick :  and  that  if  I  wished  to  see  her 
again,  I  had  better  come  out  at  once.  As  Wallace  intended 
to  be  gone  some  time,  he  consented  to  my  going.  Accordingly 
we  both  left  home  :  he  upon  his  "  mission  "  to  Jackson  county, 
ind  I  for  Kanesville,  in  company  with  Mr.  Mowry  and  his  wife, 
who  were  on  their  return.  We  had  a  very  pleasant  journey  ; 
Mr.  Mowry  was  an  honest  Mormon,  and  believed  as  I  had 
been  taught,  that  when  we  were  all  gathered  into  "  Our  Zion," 
as  Utah,  it  was  said  would  be  to  us,  all  the  wrongs  of  which 
we  complained  in  our  present  scattered  and  isolated  condition 
would  be  righted.  I  firmly  believed  at  this  time,  that  Joseph 
Smith  was  a  Prophet  of  the  Lord,  and  that  Brigham  Young, 
as  his  successor,  would  not  uphold  the  terrible  doctrines  now 
advocated  by  many,  but  that  when  all  were  gathered  together 
as  it  had  been  foretold,  he  would  rule  the  Saints  in  righteous- 
ness. I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  rest  my  faith  in  Mormon- 
ism  upon  this ;  and  when  I  arrived  at  Salt  Lake,  if  I  did  not 
find  things  as  I  had  expected,  I  was  determined  to  return  to 
the  States,  and  abandon  Mormonism. 

Arrived  at  Kanesville,  I  found  my  mother  much  better,  in 
fact,  quite  out  of  danger,  and  also  found  my  brother  Howard 
there  with  his  family,  with  whom  mother  was  living  for  the 


118       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mcbmons 

time  My  mother  was  intending  to  go  on  to  Fort  Karney  as 
soon  as  she  was  able  to  travel,  and  take  boarders  from  among 
the  officers  of  the  United  States  Army  there;  which  she 
afterwards  did,  taking  with  her  Uriah  and  Lizzie. 

Wallace  having  returned  to  St.  Joseph,  sent  for  me,  and  I 
went  home,  finding  quite  a  number  of  Gentile  boarders  in  the 
house. 

A  little  circumstance  happened  a  few  days  after  my  return, 
which,  though  apparently  trivial  of  itself,  yet  as  it  was  the 
prelude  to  a  friendship,  which  years  afterwards  ripened  into 
something  more  than  a  passing  acquaintance,  I  deem  it  pro- 
per to  make  mention  of  it  here ;  although  at  the  time,  it  made 
so  little  impression  upon  my  mind,  that  it  would  have  been 
entirely  forgotten,  only  that  subsequent  events  made  it  of 
sufficient  consequence  to  be  remembered. 

It  was  Sunday  and  I  was  alone  in  the  house,  and  in  my 
own  room,  which  connected  with  the  front  hall.  I  had  thrown 
myself  upon  a  large  chest  under  a  window,  and  had  fallen 
asleep.  The  weather  was  very  warm.  The  sash  was  thrown 
open,  leaving  the  window,  which  was  closely  covered  with  a 
thick  growth  of  vines,  free  for  the  circulation  of  the  air.  The 
door  leading  to  the  hall  was  partly  open,  I  do  not  know  how 
long  I  had  slept,  when  I  felt  some  one  touch  my  hand,  and 
supposing  it  was  Wallace,  I  told  him  to  pull  me  up,  and  he 
did  so :  but  what  was  my  astonishment,  when  I  looked  up,  to 
find  in  my  room,  a  tall,  fine-looking  stranger. 

He  was  under  twenty  years  of  age,  of  engaging  address ;  and 
apologized  by  saying,  he  had  just  landed  from  the  boat,  and 
was  looking  for  a  boarding  place.     That  he  had  noticed  our 


The  Family  Broken   Up  119 

sign,  and  had  rapped,  but  receiving  no  answer,  had  stepped 
in,  as  the  door  was  open.  I  directed  him  to  the  parlor,  and 
Wallace  soon  coming  in,  he  engaged  board.  He  was  on  his 
way  to  California,  mostly  on  account  of  his  health.  This  was 
my  first  introduction  to  Reuben  P.  Smith,  who  years  after- 
wards, at  Salt  Lake,  became  my  second  husband,  though  at 
this  time,  it  was  apparently  the  most  unlikely  thing  that 
could  possibly  occur. 

It  was  not  long  after  my  return  from  Kanesville  before  I 
began  to  hear  stories  from  various  sources,  mostly  from  Gen- 
tiles, not  very  creditable  to  Wallace. 

Although  Wallace  did  not  allow  me  to  associate  writh  any 
other  women  among  our  neighbors,  yet  I  heard  enough  to 
convince  me  my  husband  was  not  living  up  in  good  faith  to 
our  mutual  understanding  of  the  terms  on  which  I  had  con- 
sented to  live  with  him  again. 

It  was  currently  reported  that  during  my  absence  he  had 
lived  with  a  squaw,  who  was  in  the  habit  of  visiting  our 
house  for  food  and  whatever  we  had  to  give  her.  She  was 
young  and  pretty,  and  had  the  prettiest  Indian  baby  I  had 
ever  seen. 

A  Mrs.  Robinson,  one  of  our  neighbors,  called  upon  me  one 
day,  and  told  me  frankly  what  she  had  heard,  and  said  her 
husband  knew  some  facts  which  wrould  convince  me  how  the 
matter  stood.  I  was  ready  to  believe  almost  anything  of 
Wallace,  but  this  seemed  too  monstrous,  and  especially  as  it 
had  not  the  sanction  of  spiritual  wifeism  to  justify  it. 

I  requested  Mrs.  Robinson  to  ask  her  husband  to  call, 
which   he  did,  and  he  gave  me  such  facts,  connected  with 


J  20       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

others  which  I  knew,  as  to  place  the  case  apparently  beyond 
the  shadow  of  a  doubt.  Wallace  was  supposed  to  be  the 
father  of  the  Indian  girl's  pretty  baby. 

I  was  now  miserable  beyond  description.  I  regretted  I 
had  not  remained  with  my  mother.  I  was  comparatively 
alone,  and  I  felt  he  was  guilty  ;  but  to  set  the  question  at  rest, 
I  arranged  a  plan  which  would  detect  him  if  it  was  indeed 
so.  This  was  an  easy  matter,  as  the  squaw  was  in  the  prac- 
tice of  coming  to  the  house  several  times  a  week.  Without 
wearying  my  readers  with  details,  it  is  sufficient  that  I  say 
my  plan  disclosed  more  than  I  was  willing  to  know,  and 
brought  the  guilt  so  home  to  him,  that  he  acknowledged  the 
whole.  The  Indian  girl  was  his  spiritual  wife,  and  her  child 
was  his.  The  Indians,  he  said,  were  the  sons  of  the  Laman- 
ites,  recognized  by  the  Prophet. 

The  day  marked  by  this  discovery  ended  my  relation  as 
wife  with  Wallace  Henderson — a  day  which  he  no  doubt  re- 
membered to  the  end  of  his  life.  I  told  him  what  he  had  to 
expect  from  me,  and  that  the  thing  was  ended.  That  although 
my  family  had  gone  across  the  plains,  that  his  father  had  not, 
and  he  would  protect  me,  as  he  had  repeatedly  offered  to  do. 
He  wept  like  a  child. 

I  wrote  to  his  father,  and  told  him  all  I  knew  of  Wallace, 
and  I  mentioned  his  connection  with  the  murder  of  Brown, 
the  Gentile,  at  Kanesville,  which  will  be  hereafter  referred  to. 
I  received  an  answer  from  his  father  in  a  short  time,  directing 
me  to  come  to  his  house  at  once,  and  bring  his  daughter 
Abbe. 

T  showed  the  letter  to  Wallace  and  his  sister,  and  the  for- 


The  Family  Broken  Up.  121 

mer  agreed  to  send  us  to  him.  Although  I  had  ms.de  up  my 
mind  fully  what  to  do,  I  found  it  hard  at  last  to  break  off 
forever  a  relation  whic.a,  notwithstanding  it  had  been  beset 
with  continued  hardship  and  suffering,  and  by  that  peculiar 
neglect,  which  is  the  last  offence  a  woman  knows  how  to  par- 
don, yet  it  had  been  also  mingled  at  times  with  joy. 

Wallace  was  more  penitent  than  I  had  ever  known  him 
before,  and  had  I  not  been  in  possession  of  the  best  possible 
evidence  within  my  own  knowledge,  the  relation  would  have 
been  still  more  difficult  to  sunder ;  and  if,  during  the  most 
trying  periods  of  it,  I  faltered,  I  had  but  to  remind  myself  of 
his  squaw  spiritual. 

Henry  Woodard  at  this  time  ran  a  stage  from  St.  Joseph 
to  Kanesville,  and  arrangements  were  made  with  him  by 
Wallace  to  take  us.  Reuben  P.  Smith,  before  mentioned, 
who  had  until  now  been  a  boarder  with  us,  was  one  of  the 
passengers.  Before  we  left,  Wallace  explained  to  him  that 
the  relation  of  husband  and  wife  no  longer  existed  between 
us,  and  the  reasons  for  it,  saying  that  it  had  been  his  fault, 
that  he  had  lost  a  good  wife  by  his  own  folly,  but  that  he  had 
supposed  as  I  w*as  young  I  would  always  put  up  with  it,  and 
at  parting  asked  Smith  to  take  Abbe  and  myself  under  his 
care  until  we  arrived  at  his  father's.  Smith  had  concluded  to 
go  on  to  California,  and  wras  going  first  to  Kanesville  to  join, 
if  possible,  some  of  the  Mormon  companies  which  were  to 
cross  the  plains  the  next  spring.  Two  Mormon  women  were 
also  in  the  stage.  They  were  the  wives  abandoned  by  Wil- 
liam Smith,  brother  of  the  "  Prophet "  Joseph.  It  will  be 
recollected  that -William  claimed  he  should  have  succeeded 

G 


122       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

his  brother  Joseph  as  Prophet,  and  when  his  claim  was  re- 
jected by  the  election  of  Brigham  Young,  he  apostatized,  and 
taking  his  lawful  wife,  left  to  live  with  her  among  the  Gen- 
tiles. These  two  were  his  other  wives,  now  on  their  way  to 
join  the  "  Saints  "  at  Salt  Lake.  Elizabeth  Pratt  was  also  a 
passenger,  bound  for  the  same  place.  She  was  a  daughter  of 
Anson,  and  a  niece  of  Orson  Pratt,  the  latter  being  one  of  the 
Apostles.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that,  including  the  driver 
Woodaid,  our  party  consisted  of  two  men  and  five  women. 


The  Parting — Crossing  the  Tankio         123 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE    PARTING CROSSING    THE    TANKIO. 

The  morning  of  our  departure  from  St.  Joseph  was  dark 
and  rainy — a  fitting  accompaniment  to  our  act  of  separation. 
The  wind  sighed  and  sobbed  in  mournful  harmony  with  my 
own  sadness,  and  the  clouds  wept  as  if  in  sympathy  with  my 
full  heart.  The  highest  convictions  of  right  are  not  always 
sufficient  to  make  the  performance  of  duty  easy  to  us.  At 
the  moment  of  starting,  Wallace  begged  me  not  to  go ;  and 
when  he  saw  I  could  not  be  moved  from  my  purpose,  he 
asked  Smith  to  befriend  me  during  the  journey. 

The  stage  was  a  covered  omnibus,  well  adapted  to  our  pur- 
pose. We  drove  fourteen  miles,  and  halted  for  dinner  near 
Savannah,  at  a  farmhouse.  I  could  not  eat.  Abbe  went  to 
the  table,  and  returned  to  find  me  crying,  and  sat  down  by 
me  and  wept  also.  She  was  a  good  girl,  little  younger  than 
myself,  but  much  younger  in  heart  and  in  life's  rough  ways. 
She  held  my  head,  and  we  sobbed  together,  and  her  sym- 
pathy gave  me  comfort.  She  said,  "  My  father  will  protect 
you,  and  be  a  father  to  us  both." 

Mr.  Smith  came  in  and  told  us  that  on  account  of  the 
storm,  which  was  increasing,  we  should  not  be  able  to  go  on 


124       Fifteen  Yeaks  among  the  Mormons 

that  afternoon.  This  appeared  a  special  misfortune  to  me. 
To  be  shut  up  by  gloomy  weather,  with  my  own  gloomy 
soul,  to  brood  upon  a  woe  already  too  great  to  bear,  seemed 
beyond  the  limit  of  my  soul's  patience.  Such  an  accumula- 
tion of  disagreeable  elements,  from  its  very  intensity,  had  the 
effect,  as  it  often  will,  of  inducing  sleep,  and  when  I  awoke 
near  night,  I  was  much  improved,  and  was  able  to  take  some 
supper. 

Abbe  and  I  had  a  comfortable  bed,  and  we  slept  well.  The 
next  morning  was  fair  and  pleasant,  and  I  began  to  feel  the 
joyous  spring  of  life  stir  within  my  soul  once  more.  I  was  very 
much  interested  during  our  day's  drive,  with  the  history  the 
two  wives  of  William  Smith  gave  of  themselves.  Their 
names  were  Lucinda  Curtis  and  Anna  Rollins.  They  were  still 
Mormons,  and  with  the  utmost  simplicity  graphically  de- 
scribed the  arts  and  deceptions  Brother  William  had  used  to 
bring  them  to  submit  to  spiritual  wifeism,  and  to  keep  it 
secret,  as  at  that  time  at  Nauvoo  it  was  not  publicly  acknow- 
ledged, or  practised  even,  except  by  the  heads  of  the  Church. 
They  were  both  young  girls,  and  their  story  was  heart-rending, 
as  every  Mormon  woman's  would  be  if  known. 

We  had  a  pleasant  dinner  by  the  way-side,  under  a  large 
tree,  which  spread  its  branches  over  us,  as  it  had  often  before 
protected  weary  travellers  by  its  shade,  and  that  night  put  up 
at  a  small  log  cabin,  the  only  accommodation  within  our 
reach.  We  found  here  but  one  bed  for  us  all,  which  by  com- 
mon consent  Abbe  and  I  occupied. 

The  next  day  we  pushed  on  without  accident  until  we 
arrived  about  sundown  at  the  river  Tankio.     Contrary  to  our 


The  Parting — Crossing  the  Tankio.        125 

expectations,  we  found  the  water  very  high  by  reason  of  the 
late  rains.  This  was  not  a  wide  nor  swift  stream,  but  was 
deep,  and  was  crossed  at  this  point  by  a  wooden  bridge  The 
banks  being  low,  they  were  now  overflown  to  such  a  degree 
that  the  river  was  more  than  a  mile  wide,  and  had  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  vast  lake,  covering  the  bridge  entirely,  thus 
rendering  its  exact  locality  uncertain.  Our  stopping-place 
for  the  night  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  and  it  became 
very  important  that  we  should  cross  at  some  rate,  for  if  we 
remained  on  the  side  we  then  were  till  morning,  it  would  help 
us  but  little,  as  the  stream  being  sluggish,  it  rose  and  fell  but 
slowly,  and  we  might  be  detained  for  several  days,  for  which 
we  were  by  no  means  prepared. 

Woodard,  the  driver,  was  a  rough,  daring  man,  well 
acquainted  with  the  locality,  and  well  used  to  adventures — 
for  which  he  had  more  taste  than  for  the  refinements  of 
civilized  life.  His  team  consisted  of  three  horses — two 
abreast,  "  and  one  on  the  lead,"  as  he  called  it.  It  was  already 
near  dark,  and  no  time  was  to  be  lost.  We  could  see 
plainly  a  large  tree,  which  was  known  to  stand  upon  the 
bank  of  the  river,  at  the  end  of  the  bridge,  and  just  below 
it.  The  problem  therefore  was,  to  guide  the  team  just  to 
the  right  of  that  tree,  and  we  should  probably  hit  the 
bridge,  if  the  water  had  not  swept  it  away,  which  was  not 
likely,  as  the  stream  was  not  swift.  A  council  was  called, 
and  after  a  hurried  discussion  it  was  agreed  to  put  it  to  the 
*ote,  and  let  the  majority  rule.  By  counting  noses,  it  was 
^>und  we  stood  as  follows :  of  the  two  men,  Woodard  waa 
for  going  on,  and  Smith  was  opposed.     Among  the  women, 


126        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

but  one  was  opposed.  Then  we  stood  five  out  of  seven  foi 
going  forward,  and  this  decided  the  matter,  and  now  thers 
was  no  time  for  delay.  Elizabeth  Pratt  voted  for  the 
adventure,  but  said  she  knew  we  should  all  be  drowned  :  and 
Lucinda  Curtis  said  she  would  not  go  to  the  trouble  of 
saving  herself,  if  she  knew  she  was  to  go  to  the  bottom, 
as  she  was  sure  of  being  the  gainer  by  drowning ;  and  I 
think  the  poor  girl  was  nearly  right,  with  regard  to  herself, 
and  not  far  wrong  as  to  others  of  us. 

Woodard  mounted  the  leading  horse,  and  directed  me  to 
take  the  lines  as  I  knew  the  way,  having  crossed  the  river 
here  repeatedly.  He  asked  Smith  to  be  ready  to  lend  a 
hand  in  case  of  accident,  as  occasion  might  require.  We  put 
the  horses  under  way,  heading  for  the  supposed  locality  of 
the  submerged  bridge.  We  all  felt  that  to  miss  the  bridge 
was  to  meet  our  fate  at  once — that  it  was  simply  a  question 
of  good  guessing,  or  sure  drowning. 

As  we  advanced,  the  wrier  grew  deeper  and  the  daylight 
less.  Smith,  who  sat  at  my  side  upon  a  chest  watching  the 
chances,  asked  me  if  I  could  swim.  I  told  him  I  thought 
not,  at  least  I  had  never  tried.  He  said  he  thought  in  case 
of  accident  he  could  save  three  of  the  women  if  they  would 
trust  to  him,  and  probably  Woodard  would  be  able  to  save 
the  others ;  hence  he  thought  there  was  no  danger.  He  told 
me  to  depend  upon  him.  He  evidently  had  no  faith  in  finding 
the  bridge;  and  his  cool  acquiescence  in  the  will  of  the 
majority,  and  that  majority  made  up  of  women,  and  all 
against  his  own  judgment,  proved  not  only  his  generosity, 
but    that  he  was    a    man  of  courage.     I   think   when    we 


The  Parting — Crossing  the  Tankio.       127 

were  once  embarked  he  was  really  the  only  self-possessed 
person  in  the  company,  and  he  rose  in  our  good  opinion  in  the 
end  as  much  as  he  had  fallen  by  his  opposition  to  the  rash 
attempt. 

As  we  neared  the  tree  not  a  word  was  spoken.  Each 
heart  kept  its  own  watch.  Just  as  the  leader  came  nearly 
opposite  to  the  tree,  Woodard  halted  evidently  in  doubt 
The  water  was  then  running  over  the  wagon-box,  and  there 
was  danger  of  its  floating  off  with  the  trunks,  which  were 
swimming  loose  inside  of  it ;  and  among  them  the  women 
were  floundering  in  the  greatest  confusion,  and  then  set  up  the 
wildest  screams.  Tbey  all  rushed  to  the  front  end  of  the 
stage,  in  a  huddle ;  and  Smith  had  much  difficulty  in  pre- 
venting some  of  them  from  leaping  into  the  river  outright. 

Smith,  in  no  very  choice  terms,  asked  Woodard  why  he 
had  halted  ;  but  before  he  could  reply,  the  leading  horse 
answered  the  question,  by  going  down  ;  and  Woodard,  coming 
to  his  feet,  landed,  as  he  fell,  upon  the  upper  end  of  the 
bridge,  to  which  he  clung.  He  had  missed  the  bridge,  by 
going  a  very  little  too  high;  but  the  wheel  horses  stood 
firm,  as  if  aware  of  what  wras  required  of  them.  I  had  given 
the  lines  to  Smith,  not  knowing  in  my  fright  what  else  to  do. 
Woodard  hurriedly,  but  coolly,  directed  Smith  to  give  me 
the  lines  again,  and  assist  him  in  cutting  the  leading  horse 
loose  ;  which  he  did.  When  the  horse  was  freed  from  the 
others  it  was  drawn  by  tte  force  of  the  water  under  the 
bridge,  which  was  the  last  we  saw  of  it.  It  was  supposed 
the  harness  by  some  means  became  entangled  with  the 
underside  of  the  bridge,  and  it  was  '*eld  there  until  drowned. 


128       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

Woodard  now  waded  on  to  the  end  of  the  bridge,  showing 
where  to  drive.  Smith  took  the  lines,  drew  the  team  smartly 
back,  and  then  suddenly  to  the  left,  cheering  them  with  a 
yell.  The  generous  animals  bounded  on  to  the  bridge,  and 
we  were  safe,  hardly  realizing  that  we  were  not  drowned. 

The  water  was  nearly  i  foot  deep  the  entire  way  over  ; 
and  had  the  current  been  swift,  or  anything  like  it,  this  light 
wood  structure  must  have  been  t^ken  off  with  it.  Once  on 
the  bridge,  there  was  no  difficult"1  in  following  it  over, 
though  it  was  quite  dark  when  we  reacv*ed  the  dry  ground  on 
the  other  side. 

We  soon  arrived  at  the  house  of  an  old  man  near  by,  very 
nuch  impressed  with  the  belief  that  we  had  been  within 
feeling  distance  of  a  watery  grave.  The  excellent  wife  of 
our  host  took  good  care  of  us  for  the  night.  We  built  a 
good  fire,  by  which  we  dried  our  clothing,  not  only  what 
we  had  on,  but  that  in  the  trunks  also — for  they  were  full 
of  water,  and  everything  wras  wet. 

I  think  this  was  the  most  foolhardy  adventure  I  have  ever 
been  identified  with,  before  or  since  ;  though  more  than  once 
afterwards  I  was  forced  by  necessity  to  look  danger  in  the 
face.  But  in  this  case  there  was  really  no  such  necessity  : 
and  had  we  been  in  possession  of  thirty  minutes  for  reflec- 
tion, we  should  have  slept  over  it,  and  saved  a  horse  at 
least. 

Those  of  my  readers  who  lead  the  quiet  and  even  lives  of 
the  settlements,  can  form  but  an  imperfect  estimate  of  a  life 
spent  among  the  continual  dangers  and  exposures  of  the 
frontiers.     Whatever  charms  such  a  life  may  have  for  rudt 


The  Parting — Crossing  the  Tankio.       129 

and  half  civilized  men,  or  even  for  those  who  frequent  the 
prairies  and  mountains  for  the  gratification  of  that  love  of 
the  chase,  which  even  in  civilized  society  may  not  be  consi- 
dered unmanly  or  out  of  place  ;  yet  I  have  to  say,  that  as  far 
as  my  own  sex  is  concerned,  such  adventures  are  much 
pleasanter  in  books,  than  when  made  by  necessity  the 
every-day  business  of  a  life.  At  least  this  has  been  my  expe- 
rience. Born  with  a  strong  love  of  home  and  family,  my 
existence  thus  far  has  been  a  quick  succession  of  changes 
from  one  danger  to  another  ;  and  from  one  wild  scene  upon 
the  prairie,  to  a  wilder  adventure  by  flood ;  or  among  rude 
and  unreliable  men,  until  I  fain  would  know  the  calm  joy  of 
a  home  in  a  quiet  land — one  where  the  curse  of  Mormonism 
has  never  rested. 

Without  further  mishap  worthy  of  note,  we  arrived  at 
Kanesville  in  good  time.  I  found,  much  to  ray  regret,  that 
my  mother  and  brothers  had  gone  on  to  New  FortKarney. 

We  were  received  by  my  father-in-law  with  a  cordial 
welcome,  and  in  consideration  of  the  assistance  rendered  us 
by  Mr.  Smith,  the  latter  was  made  equally  at  home,  notwith- 
standing he  was  not  a  Mormon. 

My  father-in-law  looked  very  grave  when  he  found  Smith 
did  not  belong  to  the  Church,  and  asked  by  whose  direction 
we  were  put  under  the  care  of  a  Gentile. 

We  told  him  it  was  arranged  by  Wallace,  and  related  to 
him  how  we  were  probably  indebted  to  Smith  for  our  safety 
in  crossing  the  Tankio. 

He  listened  to  the  story  with  great  interest  and  serious- 
ness, and  then  said,  "I  understand  how  it  is.     You  are  under 

6* 


t&}       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

obligations  to  this  Gentile,  and  hence  he  must  be  well 
treated ;  but  I  wish  Abbe  to  know,  once  for  all,  I  do  not 
wish  her  to  marry  or  associate  with  a  Gentile ;  for,  my  chil- 
dren, you  little  know  what  influence  the  evil  one  has  over  our 
frail  bodies."  Abbe  was  greatly  amused  at  this,  as  she  had 
not  supposed  herself  in  any  degree  the  object  of  Smith's 
attention. 

Her  father,  though  a  bigoted  Mormon,  was  an  honest, 
kindly  man ;  and  we  replied  to  him,  that  "  Smith  knew  no- 
thing of  Mormonism,  and  that  by  setting  the  doctrines  fairly 
before  him,  it  was  not  impossible  but  he  might  be  converted." 
And  Abbe  said,  "  Father  were  you  not  a  Gentile  once  ?"  This 
ended  the  discussion,  and  when  Smith  came  in  a  short  time 
afterwards,  he  was  received  cordially. 

In  the  evening,  father  asked  us  about  Wallace,  and  we  told 
him  all  we  knew  about  him,  in  the  presence  of  Smith.  I 
told  him  I  could  never  live  with  him  again,  and  that  if  I 
could  avoid  it,  I  did  not  wish  to  see  him.  That  I  should  go 
to  my  brother's,  as  soon  as  I  could  get  to  them.  That  in  no 
case  would  I  consent  to  live  with  Wallace.  I  was  kindly 
treated  by  my  father's  family,  and  they  invited  me  to  make 
their  house  my  home,  if  I  could  be  contented. 

They  did  not  intend  to  go  to  the  valley  until  the  following 
year,  and  wished  me  to  wait  and  go  with  them.  I  was  very 
well  contented,  until  one  day,  standing  in  the  door,  I  saw 
some  one  coming,  and  I  soon  discovered  it  to  be  Wallace. 
I  was  very  much  excited,  but  was  determined  not  to  see  h!m. 
I  therefore  went  o^ut  at  the  back  door,  as  he  came  in  at  the 
front,  and  went  to  one  of  our  neighbor's  by  the    name  of 


The  Parting — Crossing  the  Tankio.        131 

Derby,  who  was  related  by  marriage  to  my  brother  Howard. 
I  soon  learned  what  Wallace  wranted.  His  father  treated 
him  very  severely,  and  told  him  he  was  not  worthy  of  any 
woman,  much  less  of  a  young  girl,  whom  he  had  treated  as 
inhumanly  as  he  had  me.  That  it  was  enough  to  ruin  any 
woman,  and  that  he  was  ashamed  to  own  him  as  a  son. 

Wallace  then  left  his  father's  and  went  to  Harriet's,  who 
lived  near  by,  and  where  he  remained  for  several  days.  He 
then  went  to  Orson  Hyde,  and  stated  that  I  had  left  him 
because  he  had  married  Harriet,  and  that  I  would  not  submit 
to  the  spiritual  wife  doctrine.  That  I  had  said  it  was  from 
the  devil.  Brother  Orson  told  him,  that  according  to  the 
Gentile  laws,  I  was  at  liberty  to  do  so,  and  that  I  was  free 
from  him,  and  he  had  no  remedy.  That  I  was  even  at 
'iberty  to  marry  again,  if  I  wished.  I  was  then  sent  for  to 
^ome  to  Orson's  house,  and  I  went.  When  I  arrived  there 
[  found  him  at  home.  He  received  me  very  kindly,  and  said, 
"Sister  Ettie,  why  do  you  object  to  living  with  your  hus- 
band ?"  I  told  him  I  had  not  time  to  go  into  all  the  circum- 
stances of  the  case.  That  I  had  a  great  many  objections 
That  what  most  interfered  with  my  notions  of  propriety  was 
the  way  he  courted  some  of  the  "sisters,"  especially  the 
Indians,  by  the  Mormons  known  as  the  Lamanites.  That 
Wallace  was  very  anxious  to  assist  in  the  fulfilment  of  that 
prophesy  of  our  Prophet,  which  foretold  that  these  Lamanites 
"  should  become  a  white  and  delightsome  people,"  and  that 
he  had  already  commenced  the  work  among  them.  I  told 
him  further,  that  I  had  other  grounds  of  complaint  which 
I  did  not  propose  to  state  then,  but  that  when  T  arrived  at 


132       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

the  valley,  I  should  lay  them  before  Brigham  Young.  Orson 
Hyde  said,  "The  reasons  you  have  given  do  not  constitute  a 
lawful  excuse  for  leaving  your  husband,  according  to  the 
laws  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints." 

I  then  rose  up  to  go,  as  I  did  not  propose  to  discuss  the 
matter  with  him.  But  he  stopped  me,  and  said,  "You  may, 
if  you  wish,  be  'sealed'*  to  me,  and  then  you  know  there 
would  be  no  risk  to  run,  in  case  you  should  die.  Otherwise, 
if  by  chance  you  should  drop  away,  having  no  husband  to 
raise  you  at  the  last  day,  you  could  not  be  'resurrected'  as 
a  saint,  and  would  only  be  raised  like  any  Gentile,  as  a 
servant  for  the  Saints,  i.  e.,  for  the  Mormons." 

I  was  so  much  disgusted  with  this  proposition,  that  I  left 
him  in  the  most  unceremonious  manner,  in  the  midst  of  his 
disinterested  effort  for  my  salvation.  Orson  Hyde  was,  at 
this  time,  forty  years  of  age,  and  had  at  least  three  wives, 
and  one  daughter  about  my  own  age.  I  was  then  nineteen 
years  old. 

I  went  home  to  my  father-in-law's,  and  told  him  what 
Orson  Hyde  had  proposed,  and  that  I  had  made  him  angry. 
He  made  me  no  reply,  evidently  thinking  the  least  said  about 
a  quarrel  with  one  of  the  Heads  of  the  Church  was  soonest 
mended. 

Wallace  remained  some  time  at  Kanesville,  and  while  there 
he  lived  with  Harriet.  I  did  not  meet  him  during  the  time. 
He  at  length  returned  to  St.  Joseph,  and  soon  after  died,  aa 
we  heard,  with  the  cholera,  which  was  raging  fiercely  at  the 
time. 

*  i.  e.  Married. 


The  Parting — Crossing  the  Tankio.       133 

Although  I  was  sorry  to  hear  of  his  death,  and  fully 
pardoned  him  then  for  the  wrongs  he  had  done  me,  yet  I 
did  not,  I  am  willing  to  confess,  mourn  for  him  as  one  with- 
out hope.  I  should  have  been  glad  to  know  he  died  a  better 
man  than  he  had  lived.  Harriet,  I  understood,  mourned  him 
with  the  greatest  bitterness. 

I  was  alone  one  day  in  the  house,  the  rest  of  the  family 
being  out  at  the  moment,  when  Mr.  Smith  called ;  I  was  very 
glad  to  see  him.  He  had  not  been  in  since  the  day  after 
our  arrival,  and  it  was  like  meeting  an  old  friend.  He  had 
so  often  given  such  unmistakable  proof  of  his  fair  intentions, 
and  always  so  generous  and  disinterested,  that  I  valued  him 
very  much.  I  thought  then,  and  still  think  him  one  of  the 
noblest  of  men.  He  appeared  to  be  somewhat  embarrassed  ; 
and  after  a  little,  mentioned  the  death  of  Wallace,  and  finally 
fell  to  complimenting  me,  after  a  style  to  which  I  was  alto- 
gether unaccustomed.  I  recollect  among  other  things,  he 
said  he  had  formed  a  high  opinion  of  me ;  and  that  I  would 
be  religious  if  I  knew  what  it  was,  of  course  meaning  that 
Mormonism  was  not  religion.  It  is  true  I  felt  I  ought  not 
to  listen  to  anything  against  Mormonism  in  my  father-in- 
law's  house,  against  his  express  warning,  yet  I  was  sure  a 
man  of  so  much  honesty  of  purpose  could  not  wish  to  do  me 
harm,  and  that  it  could  not  be  wrong  to  listen  to  one  whose 
noble  bearing,  clear  intellect,  and  excellent  heart,  alike  recom- 
mended him  to  my  confidence.  He  finally  astonished  me  by 
saying,  with  a  good  degree  of  feeling,  "  I  wish,  Mrs.  Hender- 
son, your  happiness  was  as  much  dependent  upon  me  as  mine 
is  upon  you." 


134       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

At  that  moment,  I  saw  my  father-in-law  comitg  to  the 
house,  and  I  mentioned  the  circumstance  to  Mr.  Smith,  and 
when  he  came  in,  Smith  said  to  him,  after  passing  the  usual 
compliments,  "  Your  daughter,  Mrs.  Aired,  wished  Mrs.  Hen- 
derson, to  come  over,  and  make  her  a  visit.  I  am  boarding 
with  one  of  her  near  neighbors,  and  shall  return  to-morrow, 
when,  if  she  wishes,  I  will  take  her  over."  Father  replied, 
that  the  girls  had  been  teasing  him  to  go  over  with  them, 
and  if  Mr.  Smith  could  take  them,  it  would  save  him  the 
trouble. 

I  noticed,  with  a  pleasure  that  was  altogether  a  mystery 
to  myself,  that  Smith  did  not  appreciate  the  additional 
number  implied  by  "  them"  but  he  said  he  would  call  for  us 
in  the  morning. 

Father  askea  him  if  he  had  become  a  Mormon  yet.  Smith 
replied,  "  I  know  but  little  about  your  religion,  but  there  are 
some  things  in  your  doctrine  that  have  a  show  of  reason." 

"  Perhaps,  then,"  said  father,  "  I  may  be  able  to  conver' 
you." 

After  some  conversation  of  a  friendly  and  conciliatory 
nature,  Smith  took  his  leave,  evidently  having  made  a  favor 
able  impression  upon  more  than  one  of  our  household ;  but 
waking  within  my  own  breast  sad  memories,  and  a  troubled 
and  anxious  foreboding  for  the  future.  I  was  free  to  marry 
again  if  I  chose  to  do  so,  that  was  clear,  but  I  would  never 
marry  a  Mormon,  and  it  was  certain  I  should  never  be 
allowed  to  marry  a  Gentile.  The  idea  was  entirely  new 
to  me,  but  I  felt  from  this  day  that  my  future  was  in  some 
way  intimately  connected  with  Smith's.     I  knew  we  could 


The  Parting — Crossing  the  Tankio.       135 

act  marry,  at  least  not  then,  and  I  was  not  fully  satisfied 
that  I  wished  to  do  so  under  the  circumstances. 

There  was  no  mistaking  his  intentions;  and  I  could  net 
deny  to  myself  that,  were  I  free  to  act  untrammelled,  it 
would  have  been  my  highest  pleasure  to  unite  my  fortunes 
with  his ;  yet  his  was  too  noble  a  nature  to  be  sacrificed  to 
Mormonism. 

Although  I  believed  in  our  Church  implicitly,  for  I  knew 
no  other  religion,  yet  my  woman's  instinct  told  me  that  all  a 
woman  holds  most  dear  in  life  was  to  be  sacrificed  to  a  cer- 
tain community  of  interests,  which,  though  I  could  not  fully 
understand  why,  had  thus  far  characterized  every  act  and 
feature  of  the  Church ;  if  I  could  do  no  more,  I  could  at 
least  save  Smith  from  the  blighting  evil ;  and  my  soul  felt 
itself  charged  with  a  high  commission  wThen  I  undertook  to 
guard  him  against  Mormonism. 

My  conduct  may,  perhaps,  involve  a  contradiction  in  this, 
that,  while  I  would  not  listen  to  the  claims  of  his  religion, 
nor  allow  him  to  teach  me  its  principles,  I  yet  warned  him 
against  the  adoption  of  mine.  The  fact  was,  that  I  believed 
my  religion  to  be  true ;  but  regretted  that  it  was  true ;  a 
moral  and  necessary  evil  to  be  borne  by  me,  but  from  which 
I  fain  would  guard  any  friend.  This  subject  assumed  a 
higher  importance  in  my  mind,  when  I  judged  that  the 
strength  of  the  attachment  he  had  exhibited  for  me,  a  point 
on  which  a  woman  is  seldom  mistaken,  clearly  indicated  that 
it  was  even  possible  for  him  to  accept  Mormonism,  for  the 
purpose  of  removing  all  impediments  to  our  union.  Thus  1 
found  it  was  likely  to  happen  that,  while  he  supposed  tia 


136       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

intellect  was  approving  the  claims  of  our  Church,  his  heart 
would  be  the  real  prompter  to  his  belief  in  our  Prophet,  and 
this  would  have  been  an  effectual  bar  to  our  marriage,  as  well 
as  a  real  misfortune  to  him,  foi  I  had  noticed  that  the  spirit- 
ual wife  doctrine  had  the  mysterious  power  of  corrupting  the 
purest  men  of  our  Church. 


Offer  of  Marriage — Leaving  for  Zion.    137 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

OFFER    OF    MARRIAGE SETTING    OUT    FOR    "  ZION." 

Mr.  Smith  came  in  due  time  the  next  morning,  and  found 
as  waiting  for  him.  It  was  a  gloomy  day  in  midwinter ;  the 
weather  was  cold,  but  no  snow  upon  the  ground,  and  the 
road  lay  mostly  through  the  woods,  and  was  very  rough. 
We  had  about  ten  miles  to  drive ;  Smith  appeared  to  be 
cheerful  and  happy,  and  by  various  means  which  Abbe  did 
not  understand,  indicated  how  much  he  desired  to  be  alone 
with  me,  in  order  to  have  a  full  understanding.  He  asked 
me  if  I  recollected  the  command,  "If  your  neighbor  ask 
your  cloak,  ye  shall  give  him  your  coat  also  ?"  by  which  I 
understood  that  my  father-in-law  had  granted  more  than  he 
had  asked,  in  sending  Abbe  with  us.  But  I  took  occasion  to 
say,  that  it  would  be  more  than  a  Mormon  girl's  life  was 
worth  to  be  seen  riding  with  a  Gentile  alone. 

We  arrived  at  my  sister-in-lawT's  in  safety.  She  was  glad 
to  see  us.  She  had  been  living  alone  with  her  associate 
wives  for  some  time,  as  her  husband  was  absent  on  a  mission. 
We  had  a  very  cheerful  and  pleasant  visit  that  evening. 

The  next  morning  I  went  down  to  the  spring,  not  far  from 
the  house,  which  was  snugly  nestled  among  the  trees,  and 
approached  by  a  narrow  path  winding  between  smooth  rocks 


1.38        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

t  was  a  secluded  little  fountain  of  pure  water,  bubbling  from 
Deneath  the  roots  of  a  large  tree,  with  rocks  and  trees  cluster- 
ing all  about  it ;  a  place  where  one  could  hide  away  and  be 
content. 

I  had  been  there  some  time,  drinking  in  the  quiet  beauty 
of  the  place,  and  was  just  leaving  for  the  house,  when  I  met 
Smith  coming  to  the  spring.  He  said  he  wished  to  say  one 
word  to  me  alone.  I  was  very  much  alarmed,  and  asked 
him  if  he  had  never  heard  the  story  of  the  Gentile  Brown  ? 
He  said  he  had  not.  I  told  him  I  dare  not  remain  with  him 
there  one  moment,  not  even  to  tell  him  the  story,  as,  if  we 
were  discovered  in  private  conversation,  it  would  be  at  the 
cost  of  his  life  and,  perhaps,  of  mine.  I  therefore  left  him 
looking  after  me  in  astonishment,  and  ran  to  the  house, 
where  I  found  breakfast  was  waiting  for  me. 

The  story  of  Brown,  which  I  afterwards  told  him,  was  as 
follows:  the  year  previous,  Orson  Hyde  was  courting  another 
wife,  by  the  name  of  Eleanor  Manheart,  a  very  young  and 
pretty  girl.  This  Brown,  an  emigrant,  on  his  way  to  Califor- 
nia, chanced  to  get  acquainted  with  Eleanor,  and  cut  the 
"  Apostle  "  out,  and  proposed  to  take  her  with  him  over  the 
plains.  But  the  "  Danites  v  interfered  with  the  arrangement, 
and  he  was  murdered ;  and  Wallace  acknowledged  ho  assisted 
in  burying  him  under  the  schoolhouse.  Hyde  then  reported 
the  story  that  Brown  had  absconded  Of  course  he  was 
murdered  by  direction  of  Orson  Hyde,  who  very  soon  after 
married  Eleanor,  and  still  has  her  as  one  of  his  wives.  I 
know  these  to  be  faots,  which  I  learned  from  Wallace  at  the 
time. 


Offer  of  Marriage — Leaving  for  Zion.    139 

After  breakfast,  Mr.  Smith  called  to  take  us  home.  We 
~ad  a  long  and  tedious  journey,  as  it  was  cold,  and  one  of 
the  wagon  tires  came  off  repeatedly,  and  gave  Smith  a  great 
amount  of  trouble.  He  was  not  in  good  health,  and  was 
unaccustomed  to  hardships,  until  our  trip  from  St.  Joseph. 
His  object  in  going  to  California  was  mostly  to  improve  his 
health. 

When  we  arrived  at  home  he  was  very  much  fatigued,  and 
was  covered  with  mud,  and  it  was  with  some  degree  of  dis- 
content he  said,  while  washing  the  mud  from  his  hands  and 
face,  "  I  think  Mormonism  a  very  uncomfortable  religion  in 
this  world,  whatever  it  may  be  in  the  next.'' 

When  he  was  ready  to  take  his  leave,  he  handed  me  a 
note,  while  bidding  me  adieu,  which  I  read  after  he  was 
gone,  as  follows: 

"  Dear  Ettie  : 

I  find  it  very  hard  to  part  with  you ;  but,  unless  you 
could  abandon  your  religion,  I  could  not  expect  to  live  hap- 
pily with  you.  But,  as  I  still  indulge  the  hope  that  you  may, 
I  shall  endeavor  to  see  you  again  in  Utah.  I  shall,  on  your 
account,  go  that  way  when  I  go  to  the  mines ;  and  I  expect 
to  leave  St.  Joseph  about  the  1st  of  March  next.  Some  busi- 
ness of  importance  calls  me  back  to  that  place  before  I  cross 
the  plains. 

"  I  remain,  as  ever,  your  faithful  friend, 

"R.  P.  Smith." 

I  read  this  note  with  the  keenest  emotions  of  pleasure  and 
pain.     I  was  glad  to  hear  he  was  not  disposed  to  become  a 


140       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

Mormon,  and  glad  that  there  was  even  a  distant  prospect  of  see 
ing  him  again ;  and  pained,  beyond  measure,  that  the  obsta- 
cles to  our  union  now  appeared  insurmountable,  as  well  as  at 
the  prospect  of  parting  with  him,  perhaps  forever ;  at  least, 
for  a  very  long  time.  Not  until  he  was  gone  did  I  fully 
understand  my  true  position,  or  half  the  interest  I  had  in  him. 

Mormonism  taught  me  that,  to  love  a  "Gentile"  was 
illicit ;  but  I  looked  into  my  own  heart,  and  while  I  did  not 
discredit  my  religion,  I  felt  it  could  not  be  wrong  to  remem- 
ber with  gratitude  the  generous  and  noble  conduct  of  one 
whose  motives  were  above  reproach. 

I  very  soon  heard  Mr.  Smith  had  left  St.  Joseph  for  the 
mines.  I  was  anxious  to  go  on  to  New  Fort  Karney,  where 
my  mother  and  brothers  were.  Joseph  Young,  the  brother 
of  the  Prophet,  was  now  about  to  leave,  with  his  family,  for 
Utah,  and  his  first  wife,  that  is,  the  one  he  first  married — his 
lawful  wife — was  very  anxious  I  should  travel  with  them ; 
and  I  therefore  went  to  her  house  to  prepare  for  the  journey. 
We  were  about  ready  to  set  out.  I  happened  to  look  out 
one  day,  and  saw  some  one  coming,  accompanied  by  two 
women ;  and,  as  they  approached  the  house,  I  was  astonished 
to  see  Wallace,  whom  I  had  supposed  to  be  dead.  It  proved 
that  he  had  not  died  as  reported ;  so  far  from  that,  he  had 
married  another  wife,  Ellen  Cutter,  in  addition  to  Harriet. 
He  had  now  two  wives,  and  both  were  with  him. 

Mrs,  Young  wondered  if  they  could  be  coming  to  see  me, 
and  I  told  her  I  thought  they  were,  but  that  I  should  not  run 
from  them. 

Sure  enough,  they  came  to  the  door,  and  Wallace  knocked, 


Offer  of  Marriage — Leaving  for  Zion.    141 

and  I  opened  the  door  to  him.  Wallace  offered  me  his  hand, 
which  I  could  not  well  refuse,  and  I  shook  it  with  more 
reluctance  than  anything  I  had  ever  done  in  my  life  ;  but  I 
could  not  take  the  hand  of  Ellen  or  Harriet.  Wallace  said, 
"We  called  to  invite  you  to  go  on  to  the  valley  with  us,  if 
you  wish,  you  shall  be  as  one  of  the  party." 

I  replied  that  I  was  provided  for,  as  I  was  going  with  Mrs, 
Young.  That  I  did  not  think  he  had  any  claim  upon  me,  and 
pointed  to  his  two  wives,  and  said,  "  I  supposed  you  knew  me 
better :  good  bye,"  and  left  the  room.  I  saw  no  more  of 
Wallace  until  I  arrived  at  Utah  Valley. 

Everything  was  now  ready,  and  in  June,  1849,  we  com- 
menced a  journey  that  was  to  last  for  months,  over  a  wild 
stretch  of  prairie  and  desert,  and  among  bleak  and  snow-cap- 
ped mountains — a  journey  memorable  for  its  hardships,  from 
fatigue,  hunger  and  sickness.  The  cholera  raged  that  season 
with  uncommon  fury  on  the  plains,  among  all  classes  of  emi- 
grants, and  the  entire  route  was  almost  an  unbroken  succes- 
sion of  burying-grounds.  Newly  made  graves  met  the  eye  at 
every  step ;  and  there,  amidst  these,  and  the  loneliness  and 
solitude  of  the  great  desert,  we  struggled  on.  Alone  with  the 
one  great  God,  of  whose  *nysterious  existence  we  knew  but 
little,  and  between  whom  and  us  stood  our  own  Prophet,  as 
our  guide  over  the  wide  plains,  sublime  in  their  vastness. 

When  we  arrived  at  ISTew  Fort  Karney,  I  was  again  dis- 
appointed at  finding  my  mother  and  brothers  had  gone  on  to 
the  valley,  and  I  was  under  the  necessity  of  making  the  en- 
tu  e  journey  with  the  family  of  Joseph  Young.  The  company 
in  which  we  travelled,  were  uncommonly  fortunate  in  losing 


142       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

but  few  of  its  members  by  cholera,  while  other  parties  w^re 
in  some  cases  nearly  cut  off  by  it. 

But  the  Gentile  emigrants  were  still  more  unfortunate. 
Whole  companies  were  swept  off,  and  their  cattle  and  other 
effects  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Mormons.  Their  teams, 
too,  were  liable  to  become  worn  down,  and  would  often  die ; 
and  then,  the  emigrant  who  had  loaded  his  wagon  with  such 
articles  of  furniture  and  tools  as  he  had  deemed  indispensable 
to  him,  would  be  under  the  necessity  of  leaving  them  on  the 
way.  Of  course  they  could  not  be  sold,  as  no  one  would  buy, 
when  the  chances  were,  that  sooner  or  later  he  could  find 
more  than  he  could  carry,  abandoned  on  the  way.  The  Mor- 
mons were  generally  well  provided  with  teams,  and  owing  to 
their  experience  in  the  hardships  of  such  migrations,  and  the 
better  discipline  introduced  by  the  Prophet,  among  their  vari- 
ous companies  of  ten  wagons  each,  their  cattle  seldom  gave 
out,  and  they  were  thus  always  prepared  to  appropriate  any- 
thing valuable  to  be  found  on  the  route. 

This  state  of  things  was  soon  understood  among  the  Gen- 
tiles, and  they  adopted  the  plan  of  privately  burying  their 
most  valuable  property  when  obliged  to  leave  it,  among  the 
graves  of  the  dead,  and  erecting  over  it  a  headstone,  and 
marking  thereon  some  name  to  indicate  the  locality  of  a  stran- 
ger's grave — so  that  one  unversed  in  the  secret,  might  unwit- 
tingly walk  among  real  graves,  mingled  with  valuable  pro- 
perty "cached"  among  them,  and  if  sentimentally  inclined, 
might  drop  a  silent  tear  of  sympathy  over  a  valuable  stove, 
or  plow,  or  thie  like,  purporting  to  be  the  grave  of  Amos 
Brownf  or  Hackaliah  Thompson,  of  Connecticut  or  Kentucky 


Offer  of  Marriage — Leaving  for  Zion.    143 

But  nothing-  escaped  the  ever-watchful  Mormon.  They  soon 
discovered  the  cheat  among  the  cholera  graves,  and  many  of 
these  "caches"  were  opened  by  them,  and  the  property  care- 
fully removed,  while  the  earth  was  replaced,  and  the  head- 
stone ao-ain  erected.  Months  afterwards,  when  those  owning 
the  property  returned  for  it,  they  would  find  it  gone  the  way 
of  all  Gentile  property  within  the  reach  of  Mormon  hands. 

I  recollect  one  night,  while  on  the  Piatt  River,  before  we 
reached  the  North  Fork,  we  had  encamped  in  the  midst  of 
almost  numberless  graves.  The  cholera  had  swept  off  hun- 
dreds at  this  point,  and  the  graves  were  far  and  near,  clus- 
tered in  every  conceivable  irregularity  about  the  camping 
ground. 

We  went  in  to  camp  a  little  before  night,  and  there  was 
ample  time  for  our  cache  robbers  to  look  about  for  valuable 
prizes,  which  from  the  number  of  new  graves,  promised 
well. 

Two  of  our  wagon-drivers  had,  as  they  told  the  story,  the 
next  morning,  discovered  before  dark,  in  a  secluded  place,  a 
very  large  grave,  which  was,  as  they  imagined,  entirely  too 
long  for  the  ordinary  purposes  of  human  burial.  They  there- 
fore marked  the  locality,  and  when  the  camp  was  still,  late  in 
the  night,  took  a  lantern,  and  went  alone  to  secure  the  booty ; 
not  wishing  to  share  it  with  any  of  their  comrades.  It  was  a 
dark  disagreeable  night.  A  night  when  spooks  and  hobgob- 
lins would  be  abroad  if  they  ever  were.  The  rain  fell  in  tor- 
rents. They  found  the  "  cache  "  they  were  looking  for,  and 
went  to  work ;  one  with  the  spade,  and  the  other  holding  the 
light     The  prospect  of  gain  gave   them    nerve.     A  strong 


144       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

thrust  upon  the  spade,  sent  it  full  length  into  the  bottom  of 
the  grave,  and  upon  examination,  they  found  the  spade  had 
laid  bare  the  face  of  a  dead  body,  apparently  a  very  large 
man.  The  face  covered  with  whiskers,  was  half  torn  off  by 
the  spade.  The  body  had  no  coffin.  The  effect  was  terrible 
upon  them.  To  open  alone  at  such  an  hour,  the  grave  of  a 
cholera  victim,  surrounded  by  the  thick  and  inky  atmosphere 
of  night,  so  lately  vocal  with  the  wail  of  death,  was  horrible. 

They  were  at  first  disposed  to  run,  but  they  mustered  suffi- 
cient courage  to  refill  the  grave,  and  then  went  cowering  back 
to  camp — satisfied  for  the  balance  of  the  route  with  that 
night's  experience  in  robbing  "  Gentile  "  cachds. 

I  do  not  propose  to  give  a  detailed  account  of  our  journey 
to  Salt  Lake,  as  I  kept  no  journal  of  it.  It  was  long  and 
tiresome,  occupying  four  months  for  its  accomplishment,  every 
day  bringing  with  it  a  new  adventure.  Now  harrassed  with 
the  fear  of  an  attack  from  the  Indian  bands,  that  roam  the 
boundless  plains  through  which  our  route  lay,  who  are  go- 
verned by  no  law  save  that  of  a  strongest  ami ;  parched  one 
day  by  thirst  under  a  scorching  sun,  and  the  next,  drenched 
by  soaking  rains.  Suffocated  by  the  hot  airs  of  the  plains 
during  the  day,  and  at  night,  chilled  by  the  cold  breath  of  the 
mountains :  in  short,  suffering  all  the  chances  and  mischances 
of  a  wandering  life  in  the  open  air.  Joyous  and  glad  when 
the  sun  and  the  heavens  were  propitious,  and  sternly  resolute 
to  protect  the  aged,  and  the  fir-ail  women  and  little  children, 
when  the  face  of  nature  frowned  upon  us,  we  struggled  through 
to  the  end,  and  about  the  middle  of  September,  1849,  arrived 
at  Great  Salt  Lake  City. 


Offer  of  Marriage — Lea  ting  for  Zion.    145 

This  had  been  regarded  by  all  good  Mormons,  as  the  end 
jf  all  earthly  suffering  and  hardship.  Once  at  this,  "  out 
Zion,"  all  wrongs  were  to  be  redressed,  and  all  doubtful 
points  settled  by  the  Prophet  of  God,  upon  a  basis  so  simple, 
and  easily  understood,  that  all  ground  of  complaint  should 
cease,  and  the  Church  should  find  rest,  and  rule  the  earth  in 
peace.  No  one  more  than  myself  looked  forward  with  hope, 
mingled  with  fear  and  trembling,  for  the  fulfillment  of  these 
glowing  expectations.  But  I  think  I  was  not  the  only  woman 
who  was  bitterly  disappointed  in  the  realization. 

I  had,  by  mingling  with  Gentiles  in  Missouri,  by  chance 
picked  up  here  and  there  a  hint,  that  Mormonism  was  not  true  ; 
ind  Smith  had  more  than  once  hinted  the  same,  and  now  I  had 
come  to  the  last  step  in  the  proof.  I  knew  that  robbery  and 
murder  could  not  be  right  in  the  abstract;  and  certainly, 
when  not  required  by  necessity  to  protect  the  Church,  upon 
the  principle  of  self-defence,  it  would  not  be  justified  by  the 
Prophet.  I  said  to  myself,  "  has  he  not  led  his  people  to  a 
far-off  land,  to  avoid  the  crime,  and  bitter  strife,  and  bloodshed 
which  had  thus  far  followed  the  intercourse  of  the  Church 
with  the  world ;  and  will  not  these  irregularities  be  condemned, 
now  that  the  necessity  for  them  has  been  removed  VJ 

How  bitterly  I  realized  my  mistake,  and  how  heartily  I 
repudiated  Mormonism,  and  what  ample  reasons  I  found  for 
doiug  so,  will  be  found  in  the  following  chapters." 


146        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons* 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

GREAT     SALT     LAKE     CITY,     UTAH. 

Brigham  Young  with  the  main  body  of  Mormons,  had 
been  at  the  valley  about  two  years.  The  anniversary  of  the 
day  on  which  the  Prophet,  with  the  Heads  of  the  Church,  ar- 
rived there,  is  still  observed,  and  is  celebrated  with  great 
pomp  and  ceremony.  This  event  occurred  July  24th,  1847, 
hence  July  24th,  instead  of  July  4th,  is  the  great  national  day 
among  the  Mormons,  for  they  already  familiarize  themselves 
with  the  idea  of  a  Mormon  nationality. 

The  Prophet  had  selected  a  site  for  a  city,  which  was  to 
become  the  centre  of  the  Mormon  world ;  and  Great  Salt 
City,  the  name  by  which  it  was  christened,  was  founded  on 
the  east  bank  of  the  Jordan  River.  The  Jordan  connects  Lake 
Utah  with  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  and  is  a  beautiful  stream.  The 
city  occupies  a  bench  which  rises  gradually  from  the  river, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  eligible  and  lovely  localities  imaginable. 
The  streets  are  regularly  laid  out  in  squares.  The  main  street, 
which  is  now  built  up  with  valuable  buildings  for  the  distance 
of  two  and  a  half  or  three  miles,  runs  parallel  to  the  Jordan, 
and  is  intersected  by  other  streets  at  right  angles.  Streams 
of  pure  soft  water  are  brought  from  the  mountains  behind  the 


Great  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  147 

city,  for  the  purpose  of  irrigation,  and  are  conducted  through 
the  city,  and  allowed  to  gurgle  down  the  gutters  of  each  side 
of  the  principal  streets,  singing  amid  the  busy  hum  of  trade 
and  strife  wonderful  tales  of  the  mountain  homes  they  have  left 
behind,  while  the  streets  are  ornamented  by  long  rows  of  trees 
of  different  kinds,  the  thick  and  delightful  shade  of  which, 
joined  with  the  refreshing  murmur  of  the  rills  ever  rippling 
beneath  them,  give  the  city  an  air  of  rural,  and  even  sylvan 
beauty,  perhaps  never  before  realized  in  so  large  a  town.  The 
buildings  are  mostly  "  adobe  "  (i.  e.),  built  of  sun-dried  brick, 
moulded  from  blue  clay.  The  land  is  very  fertile  when  irri- 
gated by  the  streams  just  mentioned.  These  streams  are  in 
charge  of  the  police,  whose  duty  it  is  to  see  that  each  person 
having  land  has  the  use  of  the  water,  generally  two  hours 
each  week  or  as  he  has  need  according  to  the  number  of  acres 
he  has  under  cultivation  ;  and  when  not  thus  diverted,  it  runs 
through  the  city  as  before  described.  The  climate  is  perhaps 
the  most  healthy  and  enchanting  in  the  world.  The  atmos- 
phere is  very  dry  and  clear.  Rain  seldom  falls.  There  will 
be  perhaps  one  shower  or  so  during  the  summer — sometimes 
two,  but  seldom  more.  The  snow  upon  the  mountains,  which 
is  always  in  sight,  serves  to  keep  the  air  delightfully  cool  and 
pure.  Sickness  is  almost  unknown  there.  The  nights  are 
apt  tq  be  somewhat  cool. 

During  the  first  three  winters  after  the  arrival  of  the  Mor- 
mons at  Utah,  there  was  no  snow,  and  no  cold  weather  to 
prevent  the  cattle  from  feeding  in  the  open  fields,  along  the 
Jordan  bottoms ;  and  then  they  required  no  extra  attention. 
.Since  that  time  there  have  been   some  verv  severe  winters, 


148        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

with  more  or  less  snow,  and  the  first  occurrence  of  this  in« 
creased  severity  of  the  climate,  which  has  since  for  the  most 
part  continued,  caused  much  suffering  among  the  cattle,  great 
numbers  of  which  died,  as  experience  had  not  shown  the 
necessity  of  barns  and  sheds  for  their  protection  against  such 
emergencies.  The  cattle  are  pastured  in  summer  on  the  rich 
bottoms,  along  the  banks  of  the  gently  flowing  Jordan,  which 
are  too  low  for  cultivation,  but  furnishing  abundance  of  ex- 
cellent pasturage.  The  country  is  well  adapted  to  raising 
cattle,  and  by  irrigation,  which  will  always  be  necessary,  as 
there  is  no  rain,  it  is  equally  so  for  all  kinds  of  grain,  if  the 
water  does  not  fail.  It  is,  in  short,  one  of  the  most  desirable 
countries,  both  as  regards  climate  and  agricultural  products,  as 
a  residence  for  man,  and  once  fully  developed,  and  freed  from 
the  curse  of  Mormonism,  with  a  good  government  to  which 
the  peaceable  citizen  can  look  for  protection,  it  is  capable  of 
sustaining  a  large  population,  and  of  producing  the  highest 
\ype  of  physical  development  of  which  the  human  race  is 
capable. 

As  for  myself  I  speak  from  the  convictions  of  my  best  judg- 
ment, and  from  the  results  of  my  own  experience,  when  I  say, 
that  could  I  see  Utah  freed  from  Mormonism,  I  would  prefer 
by  all  odds  to  live  there,  in  preference  to  any  other  part  of 
the  globe  of  which  I  have  any  knowledge ;  and  that  great 
Salt  Lake  City  would  be  the  particular  spot  at  which  I  would 
pitch  my  tent,  "forever" 

The  foundation  of  a  most  magnificent  temple  has  been 
laid  in  the  city,  and  the  inclosure,  an  adobe  wall,  is  already 
finished.     This  wall,  which  is  about  twelve  feet  high,  incloses 


Great  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  149 

ten  acres  of  ground,  in  the  centre  of  which  are  rising  the 
walls  of  the  temple.  The  whole  energy  of  the  Church  is  now 
directed  towards  its  completion.  The  plan  of  the  temple  was 
a  special  revelation  to  Brigham  Young.  Many  other  public 
buildings  have  been  erected,  and  large  and  expensive  blocks 
have  risen  in  the  business  quarter,  the  result  of  private  enter- 
prise. 

Perhaps  history  has  seldom,  if  ever,  recorded  an  instance 
of  success  so  rapid  and  remarkable,  as  that  which  has  at- 
tended the  combined  enterprise  of  the  Church  at  Salt  Lake 
City,  and  in  Utah  generally.  The  end  of  which  suooess,  if 
unchecked  by  Gentile  interference,  is  not  yet. 


150        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mftu-vom 


CHAPTER  XV. 

CHURCH     POLITT, 

Before  proceeding  further  with  my  own  personal  narra- 
tive, I  deem  it  proper  to  give,  in  a  brief  form,  some  account 
of  the  Mormon  Church  Polity.  This  may  be  found  the  more 
necessary  to  a  clear  understanding  of  the  following  pages,  as 
affording  the  key  to  some  acts  of  the  Heads  of  the  Church, 
which  otherwise  might  appear  devoid  of  motive. 

THE    "PROPHET" BRIGHAM     YOUNG. 

Brigham  Young  is  "  the  President  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Jurist,  of  Latter  Day  Saints."  The  acknowledged  "  Prophet." 
Je  holds  the  "  Keys  of  the  Kingdom,"  that  is,  the  keys  of 
Heaven.  Without  the  permission  of  the  "  Prophet "  none 
:an  be  saved.  He  is  an  acknowledged  revelator.  Claims, 
and  is  acknowledged  by  the  Church,  to  be  the  supreme  Pon- 
tiff of  the  world,  with  both  temporal  and  spiritual  jurisdiction, 
and  as  such,  is  entitled  to  the  implicit,  personal,  and  unques- 
tioned obedience  of  all  Mormons.  To  whose  power  there  is 
in  fact  no  limit  among  the  faithful :  and  when  we  add  to  this, 
a  iro^  l^.iige  of  the  dogma,  that  it  is  allowed  and  enjoined, 
tt  to  md\  the  Gentiles  to  enforce  obedience,"  we  understand 


Church  Polity.  151 

bow  dangerous  the  "  Prophet "  might  become  if  be  had  the 
power. 

THE    FIRST   PRESIDENCY. 

The  second  great  power  in  the  Church,  next  to  the  Pro- 
phet, is  the  First  Presidency.  This  is  composed  of  the 
Prophet  and  his  two  counsellors.  The  three  together  form 
that  fearful  centre  of  all  ecclesiastical  and  temporal  power  in 
the  Church,  known  as  the  First  Presidency,  or  simply  the 
"  Presidency." 

To  be  a  member  of  this  august  trio,  is  to  be  a  right-hand 
man  with  the  Prophet — his  shadow,  and  'to  be  authorized  to 
act  for  him  in  his  absence,  or  disability. 

When  I  left  the  valley  it  was  composed  as  follows  : — Brig- 
ham  Young,  Hebir  Chase  Kimball,  and  Jedadiah  M.  Grant. 
The  last  has  since  died,  and  his  place  will  be  filled  by  another, 
probably  by  John  Taylor. 

COLLEGE    OF    THE    "  TWELVE    APOSTLES." 

The  next  "  order  "  in  the  Church  is  that  of  the  "  Twelve 
Apostles,"  usually  called  the  "  Twelve ;"  among  whom  I  may 
mention  the  names  of  Orson  Pratt,  Parley  P.  Pratt,  Orson 
Hyde,  John  Taylor,  Willford  Woodruff,  Samuel  Richards, 
Amasy  Lyman,  Ezra  T.  Benson,  George  A.  Smith,  and  Char- 
les C.  Rich.  I  cannot  recollect  the  names  of  the  others. 
Some  members  of  this  college  have  been  called  to  a  foreign 
mission,  or  otherwise  disqualified  for  the  performance  of  the 
duties  of  this  office,  in  which  cases,  it  has  been  customary  to 
fill  their  places,  and  hence  it  happens,  that  there  is  in  fact,  at 


152        FiFiEifijr  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

present,  at  least  fifteen  of  the  "Twelve;"  only  twelve  arc 
however,  entitled  to  seats  in  this  "quorum"  at  one  time. 
The  "  Twelve  "  come  still  nearer  the  people,  and  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  Twelve,  first,  and  next  to  him  one  of  its  members, 
&ct  and  "  counsel "  in  all  matters  in  the  absence  of  a  member 
j>f  the  "  First  Presidency."  The  members  of  this  order  are 
subject  to  do  duty  as  missionaries,  in  which  case  they  join 
the  "  Seventies,"  mentioned  hereafter. 

PRESIDENT  OF  THE  SEVENTIES. 

The  next  office  in  point  of  dignity  is  the  President  of  the 
Seventies.  This  is  at  present  filled  by  Joseph  Young,  a 
brother  of  the  Prophet.  The  body  over  which  he  presides  is 
made  up  as  follows.  The  seventy  quorums,  hereafter  men- 
tioned, have  each  a  President.  These  presidents  form  a  sort 
of  administrative  council  over  the  subject  of  "  missions  and 
preaching,"  called  the  Seventies,  and  it  is  over  this  body,  the 
President  of  Seventies  presides.  The  "  Seventies,"  thus 
made  up,  have  the  direction  of  all  matters  connected  with 
the  propagandism  of  the  Church.  From  this  body  emanate 
all  missionary  efforts,  and  instructions  to  those  connected 
therewith,  as  also  the  subject  of  preaching,  and  preachers  in 
general.  The  President  of  this  body  is  the  head  of  all  out- 
side effort  for  the  conversion  of  the  world,  always  subject,  of 
course,  to  the  higher  powers  before  mentioned. 

THE    QUORUM    OF    SEVENTIES. 

Each   member  of  the    body  last    mentioned,   numbering 


Church  Polity.  153 

seventy  in  all,  is  himself  a  President  of  another  bod}7,  called  a 
Quorum  of  Seventy,  having  also  in  theory,  seventy  members. 
These  Quorums  are  not  always  full,  in  fact,  they  seldom  are 
all  so.  They  form  the  bone  and  muscle  of  missionary  labor ; 
and  have  no  reference  to  rank  in  the  Church,  as  an  Apostle, 
or  a  High  Priest  or  Elder,  or  Priest,  may  be  a  member  of  one 
of  these  Quorums.  They  constitute  the  instruments  by  which 
the  measures  of  the  "  Seventies,"  and  its  President  are  carried 
into  effect.  They  are  the  outside  working  bees  of  the  central 
hive,  and  "  go  into  all  the  world  to  preach  the  gospel,"  with- 
out "  purse  or  scrip,"  and  often  come  back  again  loaded  with 
money,  and  bringing  many  converts  with  them.  They  are 
scattered  over  the  whole  earth,  and  are  continually  going 
and  coming,  leaving  their  many  wives  at  Salt  Lake,  that 
they  may  not  want  an  inducement  to  return  in  due 
time,  to  render  an  account  to  the  President  of  the  Seven- 
ties. Each  Quorum  preserves  in  its  secret  archives,  a  com- 
plete record  of  the  genealogy  of  each  of  its  members,  as  also 
of  the  official  acts  of  each.  Organized  as  they  are,  they  con- 
stitute the  most  effective  body  of  working  men  conceivable  ; 
second  perhaps  only  to  the  celebrated  order  of  Jesuits,  whose 
fame  and  crimes  are  known  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  It  was 
the  apparent  miracle  performed  by  one  of  these,  that  effected 
the  conversion  of  my  mother  to  Mormonism. 

THE    PRIESTHOOD. 

The  orders  referred  to  heretofore,  as  wrell  as  those  hereaftei 
described,  have  more   particular  reference  to  the  practical 

1* 


154        Fifteen  Years  among  tfte  Mormons. 

administration  of  the  temporal  business  of  the  Church.  Th6 
priesthood,  however,  appears  to  be  charged  with  the  execu- 
tion of  its  spiritual  affairs  exclusively — a  sort  of  spiritual  exe- 
cutive body,  though  as  heretofore  seen,  the  priesthood  is  pos- 
sessed by  all  who  belong  to  the  Quorums.  The  High  Priest 
is  first  in  rank  of  this  order,  and  next  after  the  Apostles. 
Next  in  this  order  come  the  Elders  ;  and  last  and  lowest, 
we  have  the  simple  priests.  But  if  any  of  these  wish  to 
preach,  they  must  join  a  Quorum.  The  priesthood,  in  some 
form,  is  understood  to  be  necessary  to  the  salvation  of  a 
male,  or  at  least,  to  his  exaltation  ;  and  a  female  cannot  be 
saved  without  being  "  sealed  "  to  some  male  who  is  a  Priest. 
Hence  all  true  Mormons  are  Priests,  and  women  really  do 
not  amount  to  much  in  themselves,  as  they  have  no  souls 
of  their  own.  Hence  women  are  often  "  sealed,"  that  is 
married  to  men,  when  they  do  not  intend  to  live  with  them 
as  an  earthly  wife,  but  merely  that  they  may  be  saved  by 
them  :  in  that  case  they  are  "  sealed"  for  eternity,  as  it  is 
termed.  But  when  they  are  married  for  the  natural  pur- 
poses of  a  wife,  u  e.  to  have  children,  they  are  then  said  to 
be  "  sealed  "  for  time  ;  and  they  may  be  "  sealed  "  for  one  alone, 
or  for  both.  If  a  woman's  husband  is  dead,  she  need  not  be 
sealed  again,  unless  she  chooses,  and  when  she  does  marry 
again,  she  is  "  sealed  only  for  time,  as  when  she  dies,  her  first 
husband  will  "  resurrect,"  i.  e.  save  her  ;  and  she  will  be  his 
in  the  next  world. 

The  difference  between  "  exaltation"  and  "  salvation,"  in 
the  Mormon  use  of  these  terms,  is  this.  A  male  Mormon 
without  the  priesthood  may  be  saved  "by  favor  of  the  Pro- 


Church  Polity.  155 

phet ;  as  also  may  a  Gentile  to  be  used  as  a  servant ;  but  can 
never  be  exalted.  This  exaltation  means  having  in  the  next 
world  a  kingdom,  and  a  great  many  wives,  and  many  Gen- 
tile servants,  and  being  great  in  power  as  a  sovereign.  All 
the  wives  and  the  children  of  a  priest  in  this  world  belong 
to  his  "  kingdom  "  in  the  next,  and  are  a  part  of  his  "  exal- 
tation "  there.  A  woman's  "  exaltation  "  in  the  next  world 
depends  upon  her  being  "  sealed  n  to  a  man  that  is  a  priest  in 
this,  and  who  can  exalt  her  there,  by  winning  for  himself  a 
high  exaltation.  That  is  to  say  the  glory  of  the  wife,  in  the 
next  world,  is  dependent  upon  the  glory  of  her  husband. 
Hence,  among  true  Mormon  women,  it  is  an  object  to  marry 
some  of  the  Heads  of  the  Church,  or  those  of  high  official 
dignity.  To  marry  an  Apostle  or  a  High  Priest,  is  considered 
a  great  honor ;  while  to  be  a  wife  of  the  Prophet,  or  of  a 
member  of  the  First  Presidency,  is  the  highest  dignity  to 
which  a  woman  can  aspire  ;  and  this  is  the  reason  why  the 
Heads  of  the  Church  get  so  many  wives.  This  principle  is 
often  used  among  the  girls,  as  a  bug-bear  to  force  them  to 
marry,  and  often  old  men  succeed  in  winning  young  girls  to 
their  beds  by  it,  if  they  occupy  high  positions.  Coercion  is 
seldom  used  to  effect  marriages  among  the  women.  They 
are  indulged  in  the  utmost  freedom  of  choice  among  the 
men.  They  are  only  required  to  marry  some  one,  "  and  tho 
man  of  her  choice,"  is  not  at  liberty  to  refuse  to  marry  a  wo 
man  when  asked  to  do  so.  Proposition  for  marriage  comes 
as  often,  and  with  as  good  grace  from  the  female,  as  from  the 
male.  An  apparent  hardship  in  this  system,  and  it  is  only  in 
appearance,  is  that  it  woulJ   be  likely  to  leave  some  men 


156        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

without  wives,  while  others  have  a  great  number.  But  a  man 
who  lacked  the  necessary  address  to  win  a  wife  or  several 
of  them,  would  not  be  likely  to  complain  ;  besides  the  fact  is, 
that  women  accumulate  under  the  system.  I  think  it  seldom 
occurs,  that  a  man  wishing  to  marry,  who  is  able  to  support 
a  wife,  cannot  find  at  least  one  ;  although  many  not  over 
good  looking  men,  who  have  no  high  official  dignity  to  re- 
commend them,  are  obliged  to  content  themselves  with  one 
or  two.  It  is  considered,  however,  in  "  good  society,"  to  be 
a  want  of  position  and  rank  to  possess  but  one  wife ;  and  few 
men  have  the  moral  courage  to  appear  in  public  with  less 
than  two  ;  while  on  great  occasions,  when  it  is  an  object  to 
make  an  impression  upon  the  public  mind,  it  is  the  custom 
for  men  of  position  to  appear  surrounded  by  a  numerous 
train  of  wives — the  more  the  better. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  above,  why  all  the  wives  after  the 
first  are  called  "  spiritual,"  L  e.  because  they  are  to  be  wives 
in  the  spirit  world,  and  are  now  raising  children  for  the  exalta- 
tion of  the  spiritual  kingdom  of  the  husband.  It  is  pos- 
sible also  to  be  the  "  spiritual  wife  "  of  one  man,  and  the 
temporal  wife  of  another  at  the  same  time.  I  have  thus 
given  a  fuller  account  of  this  part  of  Mormon  practice  and 
belief,  not  because  I  think  it  a  very  interesting  subject,  but 
because  it  was  necessary  to  a  clear  understanding  of  what 
follows,  and  as  affording  a  key  to  Mormon  success  and  disci- 
pline. It  is  proper  that  I  state  that  it  is  believed  and  taught, 
that  when  a  man  dies  unmarried,  he  has  no  kingdom  in  the 
next  world  ;  and  hence  he  is  not  "  exalted"  there  ;  and  that 
a  man  can,  by  consent,  be  annexed  in   this  world  to  some 


Ciiukch  Polity.  1£7 

other  man's  Kingdom  for  the  next.  Also  that  the  sons  and 
sons-in-law,  with  their  wives,  may  be  in  like  manner  annexed 
to  the  Kingdom  of  the  father  or  father-in-law  ;  thus  swelling 
his  and  waiving  their  own  claim  to  a  Kingdom. 

This  system  is  capable  of  many  other  applications,  which 
are  amplified  and  pressed  into  service  by  the  Heads  of  the 
Church,  in  order  to  keep  their  deluded  victims  in  the  line  of 
"  duty  ;"  a  full  account  of  which  would  be  too  long  and 
tedious  for  the  limits  and  design  of  these  pages. 

I  may  state,  however,  in  a  general  way,  that  all  "  Gentiles " 
are  to  be  in  the  next  world  servants  of  the  "  Saints ;"  and 
that  the  second  coming  of  Christ  is  soon  expected,  and  is  in 
fact  now  waited  for.  And  then  that  Christ  will  reign  upon 
the  earth,  a  thousand  years,  and  then  Mormons  will  "possess 
the  earth,"  and  all  the  Gentiles  living  at  that  second  coming 
will  give  up  their  property  to  the  Church,  and  serve  the 
"  Saints  "  in  whatever  menial  capacity  the  latter  may  direct. 

Brigham  Young  says  he  knows  some  persons  in  the  States 
that  would  make  excellent  servants  ;  and  instanced  Franklin 
Pierce,  President  of  the  United  States,  and  other  men  of  po- 
sition in  the  country  connected  with  the  Government.  This 
remark  of  the  Prophet  has  been  deemed  by  some  an  un 
grateful  return  to  President  Pierce,  for  the  appointment  by 
the  latter  of  Brigham  Young  to  the  office  of  Civil  Governor 
of  the  territory  of  Utah. 

TH3  PATRIARCH. 

The  office  of  Patriarch  is  one  of  great  sanctity  and  honor, 


158        Fifteen  Tears  among  the  Mokmcns. 

althouga  not  :>ne  of  much  power,  as  it  is  confined  to  grant 
ing  "  blessings,"  *  usually  written  out  after  an  approved  form 

*  The  following  is  an  exact  copy  of  a  "  blessing,"  pronounced  by 
Hiram,  who  was  afterwards  killed  with  his  brother,  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith.  The  authority  to  pronounce  these  blessings,  is  pos- 
sessed by  all  the  Heads  of  the  Church,  in  common  with  the  Patriarch, 
but  it  is  the  special  duty  of  the  latter. 

44  PATRIARCHAL   BLESSING    OF    MARY    ETTIE    CORAY,  DAUGHTER   OP   SILAS 
AND  MARY  CORAY. 

44  Born  in  the  Township  of  Providence,  Luzern  County,  and  State  of 
Pennsylvania,  Z\st  of  Jan.,  1829. 

44  Sister  Mary  Ettie,  I  lay  my  hands  upon  your  head  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  to  place  and  seal  a  blessing  unto  you,  even  a 
Father's  blessing,  which  blessing  is  Patriarchal  as  from  under  the 
hands  of  your  father  or  any  one  of  the  Patriarchs  of  old,  that  a  bless- 
ing should  be  placed  upon  your  head,  according  to  the  covenants 
with  your  fathers  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  and  in  future  time, 
receive  a  fullness  of  those  blessings,  according  to  the  promises  as 
touching  your  inheritance  and  the  glory  of  your  father,  and  the  honor 
and  immortality  and  felicity  of  your  Mansion  in  the  resurrection  of 
the  Just,  therefore  there  is  a  blessing  for  you  and  a  reward  laid  up 
for  your  obedience,  for  the  integrity  of  your  heart,  in  the  days  of 
your  youth ;  remember  that  you  are  now  in  your  youthful  days,  and 
this  life  at  times  and  seasons  in  the  intermediate  spaces  of  your  ex- 
istence, will  be  attended  with  tribulations,  but  in  the  world  to  come, 
you  shall  have  immortality  and  eternal  life.  This  is  your  reward  be- 
cause of  the  integrity  of  your  heart.  And  again  you  shall  be  blessed 
temporally  and  spiritually  in  your  house  and  habitation,  in  your  field 
and  in  your  flocks,  in  your  basket  and  in  your  store,  as  also  in  your 
posterity,  and  your  name  shall  be  perpetuated  from  generation  to 
generation,  and  your  miracles  and  acts  shall  be  written  in  the  archives 


Church  Polity.  159 

and  over  the  signature  of  the  Patriarch,  which  are  supposed 
to  act  as  a  sort  of  charm  in  favor  of  the  possessor.  These 
benedictions  are  made  for  a  fee  of  one  dollar,  and  their  de- 
livery constitutes  the  sole  business  of  the  Patriarch.  The 
office  is  held  during  life,  which  is  an  exception  to  the  general 
rule  of  the  Church,  as  all  other  elective  offices  are  limited  to 
a  specific  term.  This  office  has  always  been  in  the  family 
of  the  Prophet  Smith.  Joseph  Smith,  father  of  the  Prophet, 
was  the  first  Patriarch,  and  John  L.  Smith  is  the  present  in- 
cumbent. He  is  still  a  young  man.  The  Prophet  Joseph 
was  his  cousin. 


JUDICIAL  AND  EXECUTIVE  OFFICES. 

There  are  a  few  minor  officers  on  whom  devolve  the  ex- 
ecution of  all  the  municipal  regulations  of  the  Church — a 
set  of  men  who  stand  directly  between  the  governed  and  the 
governing  class ;  at  once  officers  of  the  Church,  and  of  the 
civil  executive.  Among  these  the  most  important,  though 
not  highest  in  rank,  is  that  of  Bishop.  The  city  at  Salt  Lake 
is   divided   into   twenty-four   wards,  each  of   which  has   a 

and  chronicles  of  your  brethren.  And  your  days  and  years  are  num- 
bered and  shall  be  many.  These  blessings  I  seal  upon  your  head. 
Even  so,  Amen. 

"  Given  by  Hiram  Smith,  at  Nauvoo,  111.,  Sept.  24th,  1840." 

"  Howard  Coray,  Clerk. 
Endorsed  on  the  back  as  follows : 
u  Entered  in  Record-book,  page  181. 

"  H.  Coray,  Clerk." 


160        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

Bishop.  In  other  settlements  of  the  territory  similar  divisiont 
of  convenient  size  are  made  and  placed  under  a  like  officer. 
The  duties  of  their  offices  are  partly  judicial  but  mainly  that 
of  an  informer.  They  "  hear  and  determine  "  complaints, 
either  civil  or  religious,  upon  which  they  act  subject  to  ap- 
peal to  the  "High  Council."  They  make  domiciliary  visits 
each  week,  to  inquire  into  the  temporal  and  spiritual  condi- 
tion of  each  person  of  their  ward  ;  and  all  persons  disaffected, 
as  to  word  or  doctrine,  are  reported  to  the  First  Presidency. 
They  are,  in  short,  the  general  informers,  as  between  the 
Prophet  and  the  people,  and  all  "  Gentiles  "  within  the  wards 
are  watched  and  reported  upon  in  like  manner.  They  also 
collect  the  tithing. 

The  intermediate  tribunal,  to  whom  appeals  may  be  made 
from  the  award  of  the  Bishop,  known  as  the  "  High  Coun- 
cil," is  composed  of  fifteen  men,  chosen  from  among  the 
High  Priests,  twelve  of  whom  act  as  jurors,  and  a  majority 
of  these  decide  the  case  by  vote  ;  the  remaining  three  acting  as 
judges,  passing  sentence,  and  fixing  damages  and  costs  and 
the  like.  An  appeal  can  be  had  from  this  tribunal  to  the 
First  Presidency,  from  which  there  is  no  appeal.  A  Mormon 
cannot  appeal  for  redress  as  between  himself  and  another 
Mormon  to  the  civil  courts ;  but  must  in  the  first  instance 
carry  the  case  to  his  Bishop,  unless  he  gets  the  permission  of 
the  "  High  Council." 

The  Bishop  is  assisted  by  another  officer,  called  a  Teacher ; 
and  he  has  sometimes  two  of  these,  as  occasion  may  require. 
The  duty  of  the  Teacher  is  to  assist  the  Bishop,  more  particu- 
lar!;7 in  the  religious  part  of  his  duty.      He  makes  domici- 


Chuecn  Policy.  161 

liarly  visits,  and  catechises  the  people  and  children,  and  re- 
ports to  the  Bishop  all  heresies  or  other  irregularities  among 
them.  All  offices  of  the  Church  expire  by  limitation,  once  in 
six  months,  except  that  of  Patriarch,  which  is  held  during 
life.  The  different  orders  of  the  Priesthood  and  the  Quorum 
of  the  Seventies,  of  course,  are  not  now  referred  to,  as  they 
are  not  elective  offices,  but  permanent  orders  in  the  Church ; 
but  every  elective  office,  from  the  Prophet  down  to  the  Bi- 
shop and  his  teachers,  go  out  of  office  twice  in  each  year ; 
and  this  occurs  on  the  6th  of  April  and  October,  at  which 
time  the  semi-annual  conference  is  held.  This  conference  is 
made  up  of  the  whole  people,  assembled  in  one  body,  and 
presided  over  by  the  President  and  Prophet,  Brigham  Young. 
When  all  are  assembled,  then  each  officer  is  called  to  an  ac- 
count, and  any  one  is  at  libe.ty  to  prefer  charges,  beginning 
with  the  Prophet. 

It  speaks  well  for  the  shrewdness  of  Brigham  Young,  that 
no  opposition  has  ever  been  made  to  his  administration,  and 
that  he  has  been  reelected  twice  every  year  since  he  succeed- 
ed Joseph  Smith  at  Nauvoo.  Thus  each  officer,  after  the 
Prophet,  comes  before  the  people  for  reelection,  and  however 
absolute  may  be  tha  power  of  his  office,  he  is  still  accountable 
to  the  great  body  of  the  people,  as  the  original  source  of 
power.  The  supposed  power  of  the  Prophet,  as  such,  and  the 
timely  revelation  of  which  he  avails  himself  when  too  closely 
pressed,  are  the  true  secrets  of  his  power.  This  detracts  very 
much  from  the  merit,  which  would  otherwise  attach  to  the 
apparent  democracy  of  the  Mormon  Church  Government. 
Besides  the  officers  before  mentioned,  there  is  one  known  as 


162        Fifteen  Yeaes  among  the  Mormons. 

the  Captain  of  the  Police,  who  has  under  his  commanl  a 
necessary  number  of  policemen  to  enable  him  to  keep  up  a 
night  guard  in  all  parts  of  the  city,  and  around  the  public 
works.  There  are  other  organized  bodies  within  the  Church, 
of  a  secret  character,  which  may  be  regarded  as  being  a  part 
of  her  recognized  institutions,  such  as  the  band  of  the  "  Dan- 
ites,"  and  the  various  and  mostly  unknown  ramifications  of 
the  institution  connected  with  the  "Endowment"  rooms.  It 
is  here,  in  what  is  termed  the  "  second  anointing,"  where  none 
but  the  most  approved  Mormon  enters — none  but  those  who 
have  been  tested  by  years  of  trial,  and  then  bound  by  the 
most  solemn  oaths,  which  involve  life  and  limb  as  a  forfeit, 
that  are  hid  the  real  secrets  of  the  Church.  Here  her  true 
aims  are  fully  developed,  and  the  plans  by  which  she  proposes 
to  accomplish  her  final  mission  conceived  and  put  in  motion. 
The  Danites  are  supposed  to  be  merely  a  secret  police,  for  the 
execution  of  the  commands  issued  from  behind  the  veil  of 
these  dark  mysteries ;  and  judging  from  what  we  know  of  their 
acts,  we  are  justified  in  believing  the  aims  of  this  secret  power 
are  by  no  means  modest.  Enough  has  escaped  the  lips  of  the 
Heads  of  the  Church,  in  moments  of  excitement  and  anger,  to 
indicate  that  the  propogation  of  the  principles  of  the  Church, 
and  the  spread  of  the  Prophet's  sway,  are  not  to  rest  entirely 
upon  the  slow  and  uncertain  process  of  moral  suasion.  One 
thing  is  certain.  They  are  well  organized  to-day  in  a  military 
point  of  view  ;  and  the  habits  of  undying  watchfulness,  and 
hardy  enterprise,  acquired  by  a  long  experience  of  continued 
conflict  with  the  "  Gentiles "  in  Missouri  and  Illinois,  and 
during  their  migration  through  the   wilderness  among  the 


Chuech  PoLicr.  163 

wild  Indian  tribes,  and  wild  beasts,  over  the  wide  prairies  to 
their  new  "  Zion,"  render  them  to-day  the  best  disciplined 
people  in  the  world.  Ever  on  their  guard ;  skilled  in  all  the 
learning  of  wood  craft ;  able  to  read  as  upon  the  printed  page, 
upon  the  great  desert  by  which  their  isolated  homes  are  sur- 
rounded, those  signs,  which  to  inexperienced  eyes,  would  pass 
unnoticed  ;  familiar  with  the  laws  of  life  and  climate,  which 
characterize  their  country  ;  and  thus  enabled  to  turn  all  these 
to  their  own  advantage,  as  against  strangers ;  and  lastly,  famil- 
iar with  the  wild  mountain  passes  and  deep  canons,  through 
which  all  approach  to  them  must  be  made ;  they  would  certain- 
ly seem  to  be  in  possession  of  some  elements  of  strength,  in  case 
they  found  it  necessary  to  use  them  for  self-defence.  Added 
lo  which,  it  is  well  understood,  that  measures  are  being  taken 
by  them  to  locate  defences  among  these  passes  of  the  moun- 
tains. And  where  they  do  not  actually  erect  defence,  exa- 
minations are  made,  and  plans  matured,  which  can  be  easily 
put  into  execution  when  they  are  needed.  Many,  and  most 
of  these  passes  in  fact,  need  no  works  of  defence.  A  few  de- 
termined men  in  the  right  position,  well  acquainted  with  the 
locality,  is  all  that  will  be  needed  to  prevent  the  passage  of  a 
much  larger  body  of  armed  men.* 

The  poMcy  of  the  Church  in  regard  to  the  Indians  is  very 
peculiar.  Every  tribe  is  visited  by  missionary  Elders,  who 
instruct  them  in  the  Mormon  faith  ;  and  by  intermarriage,  and 
by  every  other  means,  efforts  are  made  to  bring  them  under 

*  Among  other  means  of  defence  against  Gentile  interference,  often 
mentioned  at  the  valley,  may  be  included  that  of  poisoning  the  wella 
and  fountains,  as  a  last  resort. 


164        FiFrEEN  Years  among  the   Mormons. 

the  Mormon  control,  by  which  means  they  are  gaining  coun 
tenance  among  them.  This  influence  they  are  using  to  pre- 
judice the  Indians  against  the  people  of  the  United  States, 
and  against  the  American  Government.  This  is  now  the  set- 
tied  policy  of  the  Church,  and  if  it  has  no  other  influence,  it 
will  have  the  effect,  if  it  has  not  already,  to  stir  up  the  tribes 
to  open  hostilities  against  the  undefended  settlements  of  the 
Far  West.  And  in  case  of  collision  between  the  Mormons  and 
the  United  States  Government,  which  must  come  sooner  or 
later,  this  control  over  the  Indian  tribes  would  give  the  for- 
mer a  great  advantage  over  the  latter. 

I  deem  it  proper  to  state  in  connection,  that  the  mysteries 
of  the  Second  Anointing  of  the  Endowments,  among  other  in- 
human ceremonies,  are  supposed  to  be  defiled  by  the  mon- 
strous rite  of  offering  human  sacrifices,  or  at  least,  that  the 
doctrine  is  fully  taught  and  developed  there.  Enough  has 
already  transpired  among  the  women  to  justify  this  conclu- 
sion. Those  who  have  not  taken  this  anointing,  and  but  a 
comparatively  small  number  of  them  have  taken  it,  are  very 
much  alarmed  about  this,  as  they  know  not  what  to  expect. 
They  are  always  upon  the  rack,  as  they  are  liable  to  be  called 
upon  at  any  time  to  go  to  the  Endowment  rooms  for  that  pur- 
pose. 

THE  CONSECRATION  OF  PROPERTY. 

Another  effect  of  the  mysteries  of  the  Endowments,  is  the 
consecration  of  the  entire  property  to  the  Church  by  placing 
it  in  the  hands  of  the  Prophet.  This  is  a  high  test  of  faith, 
but  i  ne  at  which  the  true  Mormon,  if  he  has  penetrated  those 


Church  Policy.  165 

inner  mysteries,  never  falters.  The  consecration  itself  is  not  a 
secret,  but  is  made  in  a  public  manner.  By  proper  and  legal 
modes,  the  whole  earthly  property  of  the  person  making  the 
consecration  is  conveyed  to  the  Prophet,  who  holds  the  same 
not  in  trust,  but  in  his  own  right.  The  consecrator  in  the 
main  is  allowed  to  keep  possession  until  called  for  by  the 
Prophet,  who  takes  it  only  as  he  has  need,  and  exercises 
great  discretion  and  kindness  in  the  assumption  of  his  legal 
rights  over  it.  If  the  Prophet  is  in  want  of  a  yoke  of  oxen 
and  he  judges  a  man  who  has  consecrated  his  property  can 
spare  them,  he  sends  one  of  his  servants  to  drive  them  away, 
but  he  is  careful  never  to  do  it  in  such  a  manner,  that  it  shall 
be  considered  a  hardship  by  the  one  in  possession ;  for  the 
latter  is  always  considered  the  owner,  until  it  is  called  for  by 
the  Prophet,  and  he  is  at  liberty  to  use,  and  even  to  dispose 
of  it  for  his  own  support,  and  for  that  of  his  family,  but  for 
no  other  purpose. 

When  we  consider  the  enterprise  and  energy  which  char- 
acterize the  Mormon  people,  and  their  increasing  wealth  at 
Utah,  we  must  acknowledge  that  Brighara  Young  is  at  this 
moment  not  only  in  theory,  but  in  fact,  an  untrammelled  sov- 
ereign of  great  wealth,  and  to  say  the  least,  is  one  of  grow- 
ing power,  if  not  already  powerful. 

TITHING. 

Every  male  member  of  the  Church  is  required  to  devote 
every  tenth  day  of  his  time  in  labor  upon  the  Temple,  or 
other  public  works,  or  pay  a  sum  of  money  equal  to  the  hire 
of  a  t  abstitute :  and  the  Church  is  also  entitled  to,  and  scru- 


166        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

puluosly  exacts  from,  all  property  holders  a  tenth  of  their  in- 
come, and  a  tenth  of  the  produce  of  all  lands.  No  one's  pro- 
perty is  exempt  from  this  ta,x  as  it  goes  into  the  general 
treasury  for  the  propagation  of  the  gospel,  for  bringing  con- 
verts to  Utah,  and  defraying  the  expenses  of  the  public  works  ; 
and  after  these,  for  the  erection  of  the  Temple.  The  cheerful 
payment  of  this  tithing  is  regarded  as  a  test  of  orthodoxy. 


Reuben  P.  Smith's  Arrival.  167 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

REUBEN    P.    SMITH'S    ARRIVAL NARROW    ESCAPE    FROM    BE- 
COMING   A    "SPIRITUAL." 

Once  at  the  end  of  the  tedious  journey  over  the  plains, 
and  safely  reunited  with  my  family,  and  above  all,  in  my  own 
mother's  house,  I  was  happy  again.  My  mother  had  bought 
a  house  and  lot  in  a  pleasant  part  of  the  city,  and  was  already 
settled,  with  Lizzie  and  Uriah  with  her.  She  had  an  aero 
and  a  quarter  of  ground,  the  size  of  all  the  city  lots  designed 
for  dwellings.  My  brother  Howard  was  also  there  with  his 
family,  so  we  were  all  settled  near  each  other.  My  brother 
William's  wife  was  also  there.  It  will  be  recollected  that 
William  had  joined  the  Mormon  battalion  for  the  Mexican 
war,  and  we  had  just  received  intelligence  of  his  death.  All 
our  family  that  were  Mormons,  and  yet  living,  were  now  at 
Salt  Lake  City,  and  I  was  more  disposed,  and  apparently 
had  it  more  in  my  power  than  ever  before^  to  settle  down 
contentedly  and  lead  a  quiet  life.  Thus  far  the  sea  of  my 
life  had  been  troubled  and  stormy,  and  if  I  did  not  find  my- 
self disappointed  in  my  expectations  as  to  what  I  still  sup- 
posed Mormonism  to  be,  I  saw  no  reason  why  my  tempest* 
tossed  bark  should  not  rest  secure  within  the  calm  haven  of 


1G8        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

our  new  Zion.  Yet  all  depended  upon  what  the  Prophet  had 
to  say  to  the  wrong  I  had  suffered.  If  he  justified  all  the  Mor- 
mons had  done  in  his  absence,  and  if  he  approved  their  crimes, 
and  that  was  Mormonism,  then  I  was  not  a  Mormon,  and  I 
should  regret  having  left  the  States.    But  I  was  soon  to  know. 

My  brother  Howard,  now  a  High  Priest,  was  one  of  the 
Prophet's  secretaries,  and  one  day  I  went  to  the  office  to 
eee  him,  and  while  there  the  Prophet  came  in,  and  recognized 
ine,  although  we  had  not  met  since  the  cold  and  dreary  march 
through  Iowa,  at  which  time  we  were  in  the  same  company 
with  him  for  a  few  days. 

The  Prophet,  who  is  acknowledged  to  be  one  of  the  finest 
looking  men  in  the  Church,  and  possessed  of  a  remarkably  easy 
and  winning  address,  received  me  very  cordially,  and  said, 
"  Well,  Nettie,  how  do  you  like  Mormonism  by  this  time  ?" 
I  replied  to  him  at  some  length,  that  if  Mormonism  was  the 
game  at  Salt  Lake  that  it  was  in  the  States,  I  did  not  think  I 
was  a  Mormon.  I  told  him  the  whole  story  as  to  Wallace, 
and  how  he  had  treated  me.  I  felt  the  utmost  freedom  in 
unburthening  my  heart's  secret  to  him  even  as  to  a  parent. 
I  referred  to  the  hardship  and  crime  of  the  double  wife  doc- 
trine, and  to  the  crimes  of  the  Heads  of  the  Church,  and  tho 
"  Danites." 

He  listened  to  me  with  great  patience  and  kindness  of  man 
ner,  and  I  waited  his  reply  with  untold  interest.  My  faith  in 
Mormonism  hung  upon  his  reply.  He  evidently  understood 
the  difficulty  of  my  case,  for  at  times  he  looked  troubled  and 
anxious.  When  he  replied,  he  made  no  mention  of  any  mat- 
ters but  those  which  personally  interested  me.     He  said,  "  I 


Reuben  P.  Smith's  Arrival.  169 

will  tell  you,  Nett,  how  it  is.  There  is  a  right  in  the  mat- 
ter. It  is  perfectly  right,  as  well  as  a  privilege,  and  has  now 
become  a  duty,  for  every  man  in  the  Church  to  have  a  plural- 
ity of  wives.  But  if  a  man's  wife  tries  to  do  what  is  right 
about  it,  her  husband  should  be  reasonable.  There  are  some 
shrewd  women  in  the  Church  who  cannot  stand  that  doc- 
trine. They  wrere  intended  from  the  foundation  of  the  world 
for  another  purpose.  We  are  all  calculated  to  be  beneficial 
in  the  hands  of  our  Heavenly  Father,  in  rolling  forth  this 
great  work.  But  if  all  our  women  were  like  you,  our  Mor- 
monism  would  soon  come  to  naught." 

I  said,  "  Brother  Brigham,  I  do  not  understand  what  a 
mere  woman  can  do."  To  which  he  replied,  "  Such  a  woman 
as  you  are  can  be  very  useful.  I  cannot  explain  it  now, 
but  you  shall  know  soon  enough.  Make  yourself  contented. 
I  do  not  uphold  "Wallace.  I  think  he  has  done  very  wrong. 
He  must  be  rebaptized,  or  I  cannot  fellowship  him." 

At  this  point,  his  daughter  Luna  came  in,  and  called  him 
to  supper.  He  said,  "  Tell  your  ma  I  will  take  tea  with 
Augusta  to-night."  The  Augusta  referred  to  was  Mrs.  Cobb, 
mentioned  in  another  part  of  this  book,  and  now  one  of  his 
wives.  I  then  told  him  I  was  disappointed,  and  was  sorry  I 
was  there,  but  that  I  must  make  the  best  of  it.  To  which  he 
replied,  "  That  is  the  right  spirit.  Be  '  sealed '  to  some  man 
that  has  a  wife,  and  then  you  will  not  feel  so  bad."  Here  the 
interview  ended,  and  I  went  home  to  my  mother,  and  told 
her  how  matters  stood,  and  what  the  Prophet  had  said.  It 
was  then  too  late  in  the  fall  to  return  to  the  States ;  but  I 
would  gladly  have  done  so,  had  it  been  within  my  power. 

8 


170       Fifteen  Years  among-  the  Mormons. 

My  mother  until  then  had  believed  with  me,  that  the 
Prophet  would  condemn  the  spiritual  wife  doctrine  ;  and  we 
were  both  greatly  distressed ;  but  we  soon  had  greater  cause 
for  alarm.  I  have  neglected  to  mention,  that  almost  the  first 
person  I  had  met  upon  my  arrival  at  the  city  was  Wallace. 
I  met  him  in  the  street,  and  he  told  me  that  he  was  going  to 
South  California,  and  perhaps  to  South  America.  He  said 
his  health  was  very  poor ;  and  he  seemed  to  be  in  low 
spirits.  I  wished  him  well  as  we  parted ;  and  this  was  the 
last  time  we  ever  met.  He  went,  and  soon  after  died.  The 
news  of  his  death  was  published  in  the  city  paper,*  which 
mentioned  his  disease  as  having  been  some  difficulty  of  the 

*  Although  I  have  never  heard  of  Wallace  since  I  saw  the  notice 
of  his  death,  it  now  occurs  to  me,  that  this  of  itself  would  be  no  evi- 
dence of  the  fact,  if  the  Prophet  had  a  motive  in  inducing  me  to  be- 
lieve him  dead. 

I  recollect  a  circumstance  of  this  kind,  that  occurred  when  I  was  at 
the  Valley,  as  follows : 

George  A.  Smith,  who  is  a  bald-headed  old  man,  and  one  of  the 
"  Apostles,"  wished  to  add  to  the  wives  he  already  had,  a  young  girl ; 
but  she  preferred  a  younger  man.  Soon  after  she  was  married  her 
husband  was  sent  away  from  his  home,  and  from  his  young  wife,  upon 
a  mission  by  the  influence  of  Smith,  and  the  story  was  afterwards  cir- 
culated of  his  death ;  and  the  wife  was  "counselled,"  and  at  length 
induced  to  marry  the  "  Apostle  "  Smith,  before  rejected.  But  the 
husband  returned,  and  claimed  his  wife.  Smith  refused  to  give  her 
up,  or  to  allow  her  to  be  seen  by  him,  who  thereupon  apostatized,  and 
*eft  for  California,  and  nothing  more  was  heard  from  him. 

Entering  into  competition  with  an  "  Apostle,"  for  the  possession  of 
a  "spiritual"  at  the  Valley,  is  not  thought  to  be  a  safe  or  equal  con- 
test 


Harrow  Escape  from  becoming  a  Spiritual.    171 

throat.     Notwithstanding  his  life  was  now  no  more  to  me 
than  to  a  stranger,  as  I  had  no  intention  of  living  with  him  • 
again,  yet  I  received  the  news  of  his  death  the  second  time 
with  feelings  of  sadness,  the  more  so  as  I  now  felt  we  had 
both  been  the  victims  of  a  cruel  religious  delusion. 

The  following  winter  was  one  of  uncommon  gaiety  in  the 
the  city.  The  Mormons  exceeded  themselves  in  the  number 
of  the  balls  and  parties,  and  amateur  theatres,  by  which  nearly 
every  night  was  enlivened.  These  amusements  are  reduced 
to  a  system  amoncr  them,  and  all  classes  and  a^es  join  in  the 
wild  and  sometimes  boisterous  round  of  amusements,  which 
here  succeed  each  other.  I  have  often  danced  at  these  places 
with  the  Prophet  and  other  heads  of  the  Church.  Appoint- 
ments are  made  by  the  Church  authorities,  for  the  balls  for 
each  week,  in  such  and  such  wards,  and  there  are  sometimes 
several  in  the  city  on  the  same  night.  Such  arrangements 
are  made,  that  every  person  in  the  Church  can  attend 
once  or  twice  each  week,  or  oftener  if  they  choose.  I 
made  it  a  point  to  attend  these  parties  during  most  of  the 
winter,  as  this  was  the  only  relief  I  had  against  the  pre- 
sentiment of  evil  which  oppressed  me.  I  felt  at  this  time 
that  I  could  no  more  endure  double  wifeism  now  than  before, 
and  if  I  had  understood  the  Prophet  rightly,  there  was  no 
escape  from  it  if  I  remained  in  the  valley.  I  cannot  deny 
that  I  sometimes  thought  of  Smith.  But  I  could  hardly 
flatter  myself  I  should  see  him  again,  as  he  had  started 
over  the  plains  before  our  party,  and  sir.ce  he  had  not 
yet  arrived,  I  concluded  some  misfortune  had  overtaken 
him  or  he  had  forgotten  me.     I  found   upon   a  close  self  ex- 


172        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

amination,  that  the  possibility  of  either  being  true  gave 
me  great  uneasiness,  and  yet  I  could  not  bring  myself,  even 
to  wish,  to  expose  him  to  the  evils  of  Mormonism.  And 
if  he  came  how  could  he  escape  ?  If  he  did  not  become  a 
Mormon,  he  could  be  nothing  to  me,  and  rather  than  have 
him  become  one,  I  would  forego  forever  the  pleasure  of  see- 
ing him  again. 

I  spent,  during  the  winter,  much  of  my  time  in  the  family 
of  Heber  C.  Kimball,  who  had  over  thirty  wives  ;  not  all  of 
whom  were  at  home,  however,  as  they  lived  in  different 
houses. 

I  had  no  lack  of  offers,  for  it  was  a  very  common  thing  for 
me  to  make  a  conquest  of  some  one  almost  daily.  I  was  yet 
young,  and  for  the  first  time  began  to  think  myself  attractive, 
if  the  number  of  my  suitors  could  be  taken  as  an  evidence  of 
it.  Among  them  were  numbered  men  of  all  ranks  and  con- 
ditions in  life.  Heads  of  the  Church,  and  undistinguished 
priests,  and  men  of  all  ages,  from  the  old  man  of  seventy-five, 
with  a  stately  train  of  wives  at  his  heels,  with  babies  to  match, 
to  the  mere  boy  of  eighteen  ;  wrho  looked  forward  with  pride 
to  the  day  when  he  should  have  as  many.  If  I  did  not  think 
best  to  avail  myself  of  any  of  these  tempting  and  flattering 
offers,  it  does  not  follow  that  they  did  not  afford  me  a  great 
amount  of  amusement,  and  yet  the  reflection  oppressed  me, 
that  many  of  these  men  wrere  acting  under  instructions  from 
the  Prophet,  and  that  a  continued  obstinacy  on  my.  part 
might  bring  with  it  serious  consequences. 

Oppressed  with  a  vague  fear  of  something  which  I  could 
not  well  define,  I  went  home  one  day,  and  when  at  the  door, 


^Narrow  Escape  from  becoming  a  Spiritual.    173 

my  sister  Lizzie  met  me,  and  with  a  face  full  of  quizzical  fun, 
said, "  Ob  you  can't  guess  who  Las  been  here,  nor  can  I  tell  you. 
But  I  expect  you  will  know  well  enough."  "  Who  is  it,"  said 
I,  and  Smith  came  to  my  mind  at  once.  "  Did  his  hair  curl  ?" 
u  Oh  yes,"  said  Lizzie,  u  I  knew  you  were  waiting  for  some 
one,  but  you  shaVt  have  him ;  we  will  some  of  us  cut  you 
out." 

"  Now  I  understand  something,"  said  Brother  Kimball,  who 
had  brought  me  home  in  his  carriage.  He  referred  to  my 
refusal  of  so  many  offers  of  marriage  during  the  winter,  which 
was,  he  said,  very  extraordinary  among  the  Mormons.  There 
was  no  need  for  Lizzie  to  tell  me,  as  she  did,  that  the  stranger 
was  one  of  our  boarders  at  St.  Joseph,  or  that  he  had  men- 
tioned our  passage  of  the  Taukio  in  company.  I  knew  it  was 
Smith,  and  I  was  nearly  wild  with  excitement.  He  had  left 
word  that  he  would  call  the  next  day,  and  I  had  ample  time 
to  look  over  the  ground,  and  fully  realize  my  position.  I 
now  felt  I  loved  him  too  well  to  give  him  up,  and  that  this 
would  probably  be  the  only  chance  I  was  likely  to  have  of 
marrying  a  man,  not  a  Mormon.  I  thought  by  marrying 
him  I  could  get  away  from  Mormonism,  and  otherwise  I  had 
no  means  nor  excuse  for  going.  The  only  embarrassment 
that  presented  itself  was  the  thought  of  leaving  my  mother 
again. 

The  next  morning  he  came,  and  I  was  astonished  to  find 
nim  so  much  improved  in  health  and  appearance.  He  had 
allowed  his  beard  to  grow,  which  added  very  much  to  his 
manly  beauty.  I  was  happy  in  meeting  him  once  more. 
He  told  me  he  thought  the  journey  over  the  plains  must  have 


174        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mokmons. 

agreed  with  us  both,  judging  from  appearances.  He  said, 
"  I  thought  I  would  call,  as  by  agreement,  and  see  you." 

I  replied,  "  has  no  other  motive  impelled  you  ?"  Smith 
looked  at  me  earnestly,  and  said, 

"  I  think  I  can  say  in  good  faith,  other  motives  have 
brought  me  here.  I  wish  to  have  a  few  words  with  you  alone, 
if  convenient.     Can  I?" 

I  gladly  consented  to  listen  to  him,  and  indicated  to  mother 
what  we  wanted.  As  we  had  but  one  room  in  our  house,  my 
mother  made  an  errand  to  one  cf  the  neighbors,  and  left  us 
alone.  I  cannot  well  describe  in  detail  this  interview.  Smith 
said,  "  It  is  now  about  two  years  since  I  have  been  looking 
forward  to  this  moment,  and  during  all  that  time,  I  have 
fondly  indulged  the  hope  that  you  would  yet  be  mine;  and 
I  trust  I  am  not  to  be  disappointed  now — am  I  ?" 

Of  course  I  told  him  what  my  heart  so  gladly  prompted, 
or  at  least  he  took  it  for  granted. 

I  fully  realized  the  difference  between  an  undivided  attach- 
ment like  his,  and  that  of  which  I  had  been  the  victim,  when 
the  wife  of  Wallace  Henderson.  I  had  married  Wallace  to 
escape  the  terrible  fate  of  being  obliged  to  marry  some  old 
man,  who  had  already  more  wives  than  he  should  have.  It 
is  true  I  had  learned  afterwards  to  love  him,  and  if  he 
had  treated  me  fairly,  I  should  have  been  contented  and 
happy. 

But  my  attachment  to  Smith  was  of  a  different  and  more 
absorbing  character  ;  and  yet  I  felt  the  embarrassment  of  our 
position.  I  t}ld  Smith  I  could  not  marry  him  without  Brig 
ham  Young's  consent,  and  that  I  would  do  it  on  no  account, 


Narrow  Escape  from  becoming  a  Spiritual.    175 

it  I  believed  be  could  ever  become  a  Mormon  ;  and  yet,  if  we 
were  married  in  Utah,  he  must  at  least  assume  the  appear- 
ance of  being  one. 

He  said,  "  In  the  spring  we  will  go  to  California,  and  in 
the  mean  time,  I  will  say  nothing  about  being  a  4  Gentile ;' 
and  I  will  also  pay  my  tithing  regularly,  and  if  they  do  not 
press  me  too  closely,  I  can  pass  for  a  good  enough  Mormon  to 
keep  them  quiet  until  we  get  away." 

The  balance  of  the  winter  passed  very  pleasantly.  We 
were  very  careful  not  to  make  our  new  relation,  now  fully 
understood  by  none  but  ourselves,  conspicuous  before  the 
public,  as  Smith  wished  time  to  establish  in  the  Church  a 
character  for  orthodox  Mormonism,  in  an  easy  and  quiet 
manner,  without  exciting  much  inquiry  upon  the  subject. 
With  regard  to  myself,  I  was  still  the  object  of  great  anxiety 
in  a  matrimonial  point  of  view,  as  the  following  story  will 
show: 

Captain  James  Brown,  who  I  have  mentioned  in  the  first 
part  of  this  narrative,  had  married  my  aunt.  Not  content  with 
that,  he  had  also  among  other  wives  married  her  daughter, 
my  young  cousin,  a  very  pretty  girl.  Captain  Brown  came  to 
my  mother's,  to  make  a  visit,  and  stayed  all  night  with  my 
aunt  ;  and  the  next  night  he  returned,  with  my  cousin,  and 
they  also  remained  all  night.  The  next  morning  he  said  to 
me,  in  a  manner,  and  with  a  levity  that  perfectly  disgusted 
me,  "  Nettie,  night  before  last,  I  lodged  with  your  aunt, 
and  last  night  with  your  cousin,  as  you  have  seen ;  and  to 
night,  I  am  going  to  get  your  consent,  and  Brother  Brighan? 
will  seal  us,  and  I  will  lodge  with  you."     The  hero  of  this 


176       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

exploit  was  an  old  grey-headed  man  and  was  the  true  and 
lawful  (as  the  "  Saints  "  reckon  law)  husband  of  eight  wives. 
I  acknowledge  I  was  somewhat  ruffled  in  temper  by  this  pro- 
position, especially  thus  backed  up,  as  it  had  been,  by  an  ocu- 
lar display  of  the  working  of  the  system.  My  aunt  soon  came 
into  the  room,  and  I  said  to  her,  "  I  really  hope  when  the  '  Gen- 
tiles '  come  to  shoot  down  the  Mormons  (  an  event  considered 
by  the  Church  as  not  unlikely  to  happen  some  day),  that  you 
will  be  the  first  one  aimed  at,  for  I  believe  you  will  well  de- 
serve it.  I  think  you  are  a  most  ridiculous  woman  ;  you  have 
brought  up  your  daughter  to  believe  that  it  is  right  and  neces- 
sary for  her  salvation  to  marry  an  old  white-headed  man,  her 
father-in-law."  My  aunt  replied  very  quietly.  "  I  think  your 
mother  has  not  instilled  quite  Mormonism  enough  into  your 
mind  for  your  good,  my  girl."  "  My  mother  ?"  said  I.  "  Do 
you  not  think  I  have  some  idea  of  what  is  reasonable  and 
honorable  myself?"  Captain  Brown,  after  hearing  so  much  of 
our  conversation,  took  his  hat,  and  went  to  the  Prophet:  and 
told  him  I  was  speaking  disrespectfully  of  the  Celestial  Law. 
Brother  Brigham  directed  him  to  bring  me  with  my  aunt  to 
his  house  that  evening,  and  they  would  talk  to  me  of  the  con- 
sequences of  such  sentiments.  When  Captain  Brown  return- 
ed he  was  quite  cheerful,  and  said  very  pleasantly  to  me, 
"  Brother  Brigham  has  sent  you  an  invitation  to  visit  him 
this  evening,  with  us.  I  think  we  shall  have  a  pleasant  time, 
will  you  go  V1  I  knew  better  than  to  decline,  and  I  accord- 
in  o-ly  went.  We  found  Brigham  with  his  first  wife,  Eliza 
Snow,  and  another  of  his  wives.  We  had  been  there  some 
ime.  and  the  Prophet  had  exerted  himself  to  make  the  visit 


Narrow  Escape  from  becoming  a  Spiritual.    177 

easy  and  agreeable,  when  he  at  length  turned  to  me  and  said, 
"Well,  Nett,  what  do  you  think  about  men  who  marry  .heir 
step-daughters?"  "And  half  sisters,"  said  I.  "That  is  not 
the  question  I  asked  you,"  said  the  Prophet  with  severity. 
"  I  know  it  is  not"  replied  I ;  "  but  the  first  wife  of  George 
Watt  has  occasion  to  ask  this  question  very  often,  as  his 
second  wife  claims  it  as  her  right,  to  take  the  lead  in  the  man- 
agement of  home  affairs  on  the  ground  that  she  is  the  half- 
sister  of  her  husband,  they  having  a  common  mother.  The 
spirits  of  a  half  brother  and  sister,  husband  and  wife,  wTould 
be  likely  to  be  the  most  congenial." 

The  Prophet  appeared  somewhat  nettled  at  this,  and  said, 
"  I  discover  you  are  in  the  habit  of  making  light  of  sacred 
matters.  Have  you  never  received  the  gift,  and  felt  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  it  is  the  privilege  of  every 
one  to  feel  who  has  been  confirmed  under  the  hands  of  one 
of  the  Apostles  of  Jesus  Christ  ?"*  "  I  was  confirmed "  I 
replied,"  by  John  C.  Page,  at  that  time  one  of  the  Apostles,  but 
he  has  since  apostatized,  which  may  account  for  my  not  having 
experienced  the  change  of  which  you  speak.  And  yet  I 
must  admit  that  I  was  at  one  time  healed  by  old  father  Baws- 
ley,  under  peculiar  circumstances.  I  had  the  rheumatism  in 
my  right  arm,  for  several  months,  and  at  length  it  was  so  dis- 
abled that  I  could  scarcely  straighten  it.  The  old  man  came, 
and  anointed  it  with  consecrated  oil,  and  prayed,  and  rubbed 
the  arm  a  long  while,  and  I  was  then  able  to  straighten  it 
with  ease,  and  that  was  the  last  of  the   rheumatism,   which 

*  Sometimes  represented  to  be  "  Apostles  "  of  Joseph  Smith.  There 

is  a  difference  of  opinion  in  the  Church  upon  this  point. 

8* 


178        Fifteen   Fears  among  the  Mormons. 

resulted  I  suppose  from   some  virtue   of  the  oil,  or  perhap? 
from  the  friction. " 

"  By  virtue  of  the  Priesthood,"  said  the  Prophet.  "  I  see 
you  must  have  a  husband  to  strengthen  your  faith.  Perhaps 
brother  Brown  would  suit  you.  I  know  he  is  somewhat  old, 
but  then  you  will  be  less  likely  to  be  jealous  of  him,  than  you 
would  of  a  younger  husband." 

"  Uncle,"  said  I,  "  necessity  may  compel  me  to  marry  you, 
but  nothing  else  will.  As  far  as  Mormonism  is  concerned,  as 
it  existed  eight  years  ago,  I  believe  it.  I  am  a  Mormon  as 
Mormonism  was  then  understood  :  and  it  may  be  right  now  ; 
but  T  do  not  understand  it.  I  do  not  see  through  this  new 
order  of  things."  "  But  no  doubt  you  will  yet,"  said  Mrs. 
Cobb,  another  of  Brigham's  wives,  who  had  just  come  into 
the  room. 

The  Prophet  had  watched  me  closely  during  this  conversa- 
tion, as  if  expecting  to  hear  some  damnable  heresy,  and  I 
knew  Captain  Brown  had  represented  my  case  in  no  very 
favorable  light  to  him,  and  I  was  determined  he  should  get 
no  advantage  of  me.  He  turned  to  the  redoubtable  captain, 
whose  prospect  of  being  sealed  to  me  that  night  was  now 
growing  less  and  less,  and  said : 

"  Captain  Brown,  I  cannot  see  that  Nett  is  altogether  be- 
side herself,  she  can  get  along  yet  without  a  husband.  Her 
case  is  not  desperate  by  any  means.  Plenty  of  our  women 
believe  as  she  does.     All  she  needs  is  a  little  time." 

I  knew  by  this  what  the  intention  of  Capt.  Brown  had  been. 
He  had  expected  the  Prophet  would  have  "  counselled  "  me  to 
be  sealed  to  him  then  and  at  once,  which  would  have  been  equa1 


Harrow  Escape  from  becoming  a  Spiritual.    179 

to  a  command  to  do  so  ;  and  a  refusal  would  have  involved 
me  in  serious  difficulty.  I  therefore  took  occasion  to  say  to 
him  what  I  understood  to  he  his  aim  in  citing  me  before  the 
Prophet. 

The  latter  said  to  me."  No  matter  as  to  that.  All  you  have 
to  do  is  to  obey  '  counsel,'  and  if  you  do  not  do  that,  you 
know  the  consequences  as  well  as  Captain  Brown." 

The  Prophet  possesses  the  faculty  of  settling  such  differ- 
ences, and  harmonizing  discordant  elements,  without  compro- 
mising his  dignity  or  authority  to  a  remarkable  degree.  The 
constant  recurrence  of  similar  cases  has  made  him  an  adept  in 
reading  human  nature,  and  enables  him  to  divine  at  once,  if 
there  should  chance  to  be  a  selfish,  or  personal  motive  at  the 
bottom,  and  by  his  skillful  use  of  the  cant  phrases  in  common 
vogue  among  them,  in  which  are  embodied  the  ever  present, 
and  ever  acknowledged  idea  of  his  divine  commission,  he  is 
in  general  enabled  to  make  a  favorable  impression  upon  both 
parties,  and,  to  use  his  own  words,  "  to  strengthen  the  stakes 
of  Zion." 

As  for  myself,  this  interview  admonished  me  of  the  delicacy 
of  my  position,  and  especially  that  it  behoved  me  to  avoid, 
'ather  than  disobey,  the  counsel  of  the  Prophet.  As  for  the 
captain  he  considered  himself  a  disappointed  lover,  and  found 
t  hard  to  bear  up  against  the  fate  of  single  blessedness  to 
/vhich  he  had  been  doomed,  with  but  eight  wives  to  solace 
aim.  It  is  due  to  Captain  Brown  that  I  state,  that  he  had 
terved  with  some  distinction  in  the  Mormon  battalion  in  tho 
Mexican  war. 


ISO        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mojbmons. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

"SEALED"   TO    THE    BUTCHER     FOR   ETERNITY A    FEARFUL 

DISCOVERT. 

I  was  left  in  the  undisturbed  enjoyment  of  personal  free* 
dom  for  some  time  after  this  ;  and  my  life  passed  pleasantly 
enough,  in  the  exercise  of  due  care  not  to  speak  openlv 
against  the  general  principles  of  Mormonism. 

Nothing  had  occurred  to  disturb  my  quiet,  until  one  day  a 
message  came  in  some  haste  from  the  Prophet  directing  me 
to  come  to  his  office  immediately.  I  had  never  for  a  moment 
hesitated  in  obeying  his  commands,  and  always,  I  believe,  with- 
out thinking  it  a  hardship,  for  I  still  believed  in  him  as  the 
Head  of  the  Church. 

My  readers  can  form  but  an  imperfect  estimate  of  the  ab- 
soluteness of  the  Prophet's  rule,  or  the  cheerfulness  with  which 
obedience  to  him  is  rendered.  The  performance  of  this  duty 
is  counted  a  pleasure  among  the  faithful,  and  it  is  evidently 
the  intention  of  the  Prophet  to  make  it  attractive.  For  in 
stance,  when  he  issues  a  command,  he  does  it  under  the  pleas- 
ing fiction  of  administering  "counsel,"  although  it  is  well 
understood,  that  to  disobey  such  "counsel,"  would  betoincui 
the  greatest  peril,  as  well  for  this  world  as  the  next. 


Sealed  to  the  Butcher  for  Eternity       181 

Upon  going  to  his  office,  I  found  the  Prophet  alone.  He 
said  to  me  kindly :  "  Nett,  you  are  determined,  I  see,  to  up- 
hold Mormonism,  notwithstanding  it  goes  against  your  natu- 
ral feelings.  Being  in  something  of  a  hurry,  I  must  be  brief 
with  you.  I  suppose  you  understand  that  I  have  selected  the 
Bishop  of  your  ward  for  your  c  spiritual '  husband  for  eter- 
nity. I  have  done  this  in  order  to  effect  some  things  about 
which  I  cannot  be  very  explicit  to-day,  as  I  have  not  time. 
But  he  is  a  good  man,  such  as  would  suit  me  if  I  were  a 
woman.  You  need  not  live  with  him  on  earth  unless  you 
wrish.  But  it  is  necessary  to  have  a  husband  to  '  resurrect ' 
you.  And  more  than  that,  it  has  become  your  duty  to 
have  children  ;  but  I  do  not  now  feel  at  liberty  to  insist  upon 
such  a  thing.  Brother  Jones  has  spoken  to  me  several  times 
about  you,  and  I  think  myself,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  have  you 
*  sealed '  before  you  get  an  opportunity  of  marrying  a  *  Gen- 
tile.' The  place  is  filling  up  with  them,  but  I'll  put  a  stop  to 
their  career  before  long." 

I  was  at  first  somewhat  alarmed ;  but  before  he  had 
finished  I  regained  my  self  possession.  I  told  him  about 
Smith,  hoping  he  would  give  his  consent  to  my  being  '  sealed ' 
to  him,  as  Smith  passed  now  for  a  Mormon. 

To  this  the  Prophet  objected,  saying,  "  he  is  a  stranger, 
and  had  better  stay  and  be  tried  before  he  marries  a  Mor* 
mon  girl.  He  should  go  upon  a  mission  and  return  honor- 
ably, pay  his  tithing,  work  on  the  Temple,  and  the  like, 
before  he  thinks  of  being  '  sealed  '  to  any  of  us." 

To  which.  I  replied,  "  Brother  Brigham,  I  very  much  fear 
1  shall  not  want  Nathaniel  Jones  in  heaven,  as  I  have   so 


182        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

great  an  aversion  to  him  on  earth.  But  as  far  as  marry- 
ing for  eternity  is  concerned,  one  would  be  the  same  as 
another.  You  may  therefore  perform  the  ceremony  with  what- 
ever unction  and  virtue  may  belong  to  your  office;  but  it 
will  not  do  for  time.  I  trust  you  will  remember  that  I  would 
rather  die  ;  and  I  shall  pay  no  attention  to  it  until  after 
death.  That  is  the  way  I  understand  it."  Brother  Brigham 
replied, "  Just  as  you  and  brother  Jones  can  agree  about  that." 
I  had  before  this  seen  the  danger  of  disobeying  the  Pro- 
phet's "  counsel ;"  but  it  was  a  great  mystery  why  he  wished 
me  to  be  sealed  to  brother  Jones.  At  all  events,  I  dare  not 
disobey,  and  to  falter,  was  an  implied  disobedience. 

Nathaniel  V.  Jones  was  a  very  fine  looking  man,  about 
thirty  years  of  age.  He  was  over  six  feet  in  height,  and  in 
appearance  was  interesting  and  noble ;  but  he  was  well 
known  to  be  a  hard,  cruel  man,  as  the  sequel  of  his  story  will 
show.  He  was  the  bishop  of  our  ward,  and  by  trade  a 
butcher.  He  soon  came  into  the  office,  and  sat  down  by  my 
side,  looking  very  sedate,  and  after  a  moment  he  said, 
H  Brother  Brigham,  I  think  upon  the  whole  we  have  made  a 
very  good  selection."  Then  looking  at  me,  he  said,  "  Mary 
Ettie,  do  you  feel  competent  to  fill  the  mission  that  has  been 
appointed  you  ?"  I  replied,  "  Sir,  I  do  not  fully  understand 
your  meaning,  but  I  can  try  to  do  almost  anything." 

Hereupon  the  Prophet  rose  up,  and  said,  "  We  will  now 
proceed,  with  your  own  free  will  and  consent,  Nett." 

I  was  so  much  excited,  that  it  was  with  difficulty  I  could 
stand.  I  trembled  from  head  to  foot ;  Dut  I  managed  to  re- 
ply, "Not  with  my  free  will.     My  consent  is  given  with 


Sealed  to  the  Butcher  for  Eternity.      183 

reluctance."  I  supposed  this  reply  would  induce  Jones  to 
make  some  inquiry  as  to  the  state  of  my  feelings  concerning 
the  matter ;  but  he  paid  no  attention  to  what  I  had  said. 

Brigharn  Young  then  read  over  the  Celestial  Law  concern- 
the  matter  of  "  sealing  "  for  eternity.  I  cannot  recall  the 
ceremony  in  form ;  but  I  recollect  we  were  "  sealed  "  against 
all  sins  excepting  the  shedding,  or  consenting  to  the  shed- 
ding of  innocent  blood.  The  shedding  of  innocent  blood 
being  understood  to  mean,  taking  the  life  of  a  Mormon, 
or  of  the  Lord's  Anointed.  Brother  Brigharn  told  me 
I  must  expect  to  obey  all  "  counsel "  brother  Jones  might 
see  fit  to  give  me  upon  all  matters  of  importance.  I 
made  no  reply,  but  put  on  my  bonnet,  and  went  to  brother 
Kimball's,  greatly  distressed,  and  asked  his  first  wife,  if  she 
knew  what  to  think  of  such  proceedings.  She  told  me,  with 
an  air  of  sadness,  she  was  not  at  liberty  to  disclose  it  to  me, 
if  she  knew  all  they  intended  me  to  do.  Not  so  much  from 
what  she  said,  as  from  what  she  declined  to  say,  I  saw  myself 
in  the  hands  of  those  who  had  some  views  in  regard  to  my 
future,  of  which  I  was  not  informed,  and  upon  which  I  had 
not  been  consulted.  I  felt  myself  beset  by  a  mysterious 
power,  not  beyond  my  control  only,  but  beyond  my  know- 
ledge. Mormonism  was  assuming  a  new  and  fearful  form. 
From  regarding  it  with  feelings  of  reverence  and  love,  which 
from  childhood  had  been  my  wont,  I  began  to  quake  an^ 
tremble  at  its  encroachments,  and  now  I  shuddered  outright 
under  the  vague  sense  of  an  approaching  evil,  too  hidden  for 
my  detection,  and  too  powerful  for  my  resistant 

Oppressed  with  this  conviction,  I  went  home,  1 


184       Fifteen  Yeaks  among  the  Mormons. 

Smith  there,  that  I  might  inform  him  of  the  new  turn  affairs 
had  taken  with  me ;  and  indulging  the  wish  that  he  might 
find  some  way  by  which  we  could  escape  from  the  dangers 
that  thickened  around  us.  But  before  I  saw  him,  Jones 
came  to  our  house,  and  said,  "  Mary  Ettie,  I  wish  you  to 
board  at  my  house,  and  teach  the  ward  school." 

I  told  him  I  could  not  come  then,  and  gave  him  some 
excuse  which  satisfied  him  for  the  time.  Jones  had  but  one 
wife,  whose  name  was  Rebecca.  She  was  a  sickly  woman, 
apparently  just  gone  with  the  consumption,  but  she  afterwards 
recovered,  "\hen  Jones  left  home  for  a  year  or  two  upon  a 
mission,  as  he  did  soon  after  this. 

Within  a  few  days,  Smith  came  in,  and  I  told  him  what 
Brigham  had  done,  and  what  I  had  reason  to  expect.  He 
was  very  much  disturbed  at  hearing  my  story,  and  after  list- 
ening seriously  to  the  whole  of  it,  he  said,  "Nettie,  if  you 
can,  you  had  better  avoid  going  to  Jones's  ;  but  if  he  insists 
upon  it,  you  must  go.  But  never  yield  to  what  he  no  doubt 
intends  to  extort  from  you,  i.  e.  to  become  his  wife  in  fact." 
As  he  said  this,  his  voice  fairly  trembled  with  rage  and  manly 
resolution.  I  begged  him  to  calm  himself,  as  I  saw  the  idea 
of  open  resistance  was  in  his  mind.  After  the  reflection  of  a 
moment,  he  did  so ;  and  then  we  calmly  discussed  our  posi- 
tion, and  coolly  looked  the  danger  in  the  face. 

He  at  length  said,  "  Trust  not  in  the  arm  of  flesh,  Nettie  ; 
but  pray  to  your  Heavenly  Father  for  deliverance — to  the 
God  of  the  Bible — to  the  Christian's  hope — not  to  this  Mcr 
raon  ideality.  I  can  see  no  way  by  which  I  can  get  away 
from  here  with  you  at  present.     I  would  to  God  I  could.     I 


Sealed  to  the  Butcher  for  Eternity.   185 

have  taken  a  farm  about  fifty  miles  from  here,  and  I  have 
given  currency  to  the  idea  that  I  am  a  Mormon,  and  if  I  am 
not  betrayed,  I  shall  yet  accomplish  what  has  been  so  long 
the  wish  of  my  heart.  I  shall  pay  my  tithing,  and  do  every- 
thing that  Mormonism  can  require  of  me  that  is  not  positively 
wrong,  until  I  can  get  the  recommendation  of  my  bishop,  and 
then  we  can  marry  under  the  provisions  of  their  own  creed." 

Smith's  hopeful  view  of  the  future  somewhat  cheered  me, 
but  when  he  left,  I  still  had  serious  forebodings.  He  had 
scarcely  gone  from  the  house,  when  brother  Jones  came  in, 
and  said  to  me,  "  I  wish  you  to  come  up,  and  stay  with  Ee- 
becca  a  few  days.  lam  going  away.  Will  you  come  ?"  I 
replied,  M I  can  do  anything  from  which  there  is  no  escape." 
To  which  he  said,  "  You  always  make  that  reply.  After  a  while, 
I  will  see  if  you  will  do  anything.  People  who  appear  so 
submissive,  are  generally  the  hardest  to  manage  in  the  end.1' 

u  I  should  suppose,"  said  I,  "  you  would  by  this  time  regard 
me  as  easily  managed." 

"  If  you  are,  I  have  misunderstood  your  character." 

He  then  required  me  to  promise  that  I  would  come  up  im- 
mediately, and  left.  As  I  had  promised,  I  soon  went  to 
brother  Jones's  house,  and  found  he  was  going  away  as  he  had 
said.  When  he  was  gone  I  had  a  long  talk  with  his  wife, 
from  whom  I  soon  learned  that  Mormonism  was  killing  her 
by  inches.  Poor  thing,  she  was  not  the  only  victim  to  this 
cruel  delusion  among  the  trusting  women,  who  had  come  to 
the  valley  believing  in  the  Prophet,  and  in  a  faithful  husband, 
whc  afterwards  deserted  them  for  some  "  spiritual,"  with  a 
younger   face,  whose  spirit  was  less  careworn  and  broken 


186       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

by  harsh  neglect.  Her  agonized  soul  was  crushed  under  a 
system  against  which  she  dare  not  rebel.  Of  its  terrible  bit- 
terness she  had  never  before  uttered  a  whisper. 

Mormon  women  dare  not  disclose,  even  to  each  other,  the 
story  of  their  wrongs;  but  if  not  "read  of  all  men,"  they  are 
at  least  understood  by  an  intuition,  sharpened  by  a  personal 
experience  among  their  own  sex.  "Words  are  unnecessary.  A 
common  fate  oppresses  them.  The  forlorn  look,  and  wild 
abandon  of  some,  and  vacant  acquiescence  of  others,  and  the 
common  sadness  of  all,  tells  its  own  story.  It  is  true  that 
many  Mormon  women  find  themselves  capable  of  acquiescing 
cheerfully  in  this  arrangement,  and  many  more  do  so  in  ap- 
pearance ;  but  I  have  no  hesitation  in  expressing  the  opinion, 
founded  upon  actual  observation  made  during  a  life  spent 
among  them,  that  at  least  two-thirds  of  them,  if  they  were  at 
liberty  to  act  freely,  would  to-day  repudiate  Mormonism,  and 
avail  themselves  of  Gentile  protection,  if  it  were  once  proffered 
in  a  safe  and  reliable  form. 

It  was  quite  late  at  night  when  Jones  came  home,  and 
he  went  to  bed  immediately,  telling  us  to  be  very  particular 
and  wake  him,  and  get  breakfast  before  daylight  the  next 
morning. 

He  repeated  the  direction  so  many  times,  that  it  excited 
my  curiosity,  and  I  asked  Eebecca  what  it  meant. 

After  Jones  was  asleep,  she  told  me  something  was  wrong. 
She  said  brother  Jedadiah  M.  Grant,  and  others,  had  been 
at  her  husband's  meat-market  several  times  that  day  ;  and 
that  Nathaniel,  meaning  her  husband,  had  borrowed  my 
mother's  dog,  and  taken  it  to  the  market,  and  had  chained  it 


Sealed  to  the  Butcher  for  Eternity.      187 

by  the  door.  Our  curiosity  was  greatly  excited  by  these 
extraordinary  movements  about  the  meat-market.  Rebecca 
then  said,  she  had  no  meat  in  the  house  for  break- 
fast. I  told  her  not  to  wake  Jones,  as  I  knew  where  he  had 
put  the  keys  of  the  market,  and  that  I  would  go  after  the 
meat  myself.  I  could  do  this  with  safety  so  far  as  the  dog 
was  concerned,  as  the  animal  knew  me  well,  being  my 
mother's  watch-dog,  Pete,  and  a  great  favorite  with  us. 

My  curiosity  was  aroused,  and,  if  possible,  I  was  bent  upon 
solving  the  mystery  connected  with  the  market.  I  went  to 
bed  and  soon  fell  asleep,  but  awoke  again  long  before  morn- 
ing, and  getting  up,  I  dressed  myself,  and  going  carefully  to 
their  bed,  took  his  pantaloons  from  under  his  pillow,  and  in 
one  of  the  pockets  found  the  keys  after  a  little,  and  succeeded 
in  getting  away  from  the  bed  without  disturbing  him. 

It  had  been  a  dark  night,  and  was  none  the  less  so  when  I 
left  the  house.  The  market  was  nearly  half  a  mile  off.  Tak- 
ing a  lantern  with  me,  I  arrived  there  safely,  and  found  John 
Norton  on  guard  before  it.  He  was  one  of  our  nearest  neigh- 
bors, and  also  one  of  the  regular  police.  He  knew  me  well, 
and  also  knew  of  my  going  to  Jones's  to  stay  with  Eebecca, 
the  day  before,  as  well  as  that  I  had  been,  with  the  rest  of  my 
family,  upon  friendly  terms  with  the  Prophet.  My  brother 
Howard  being  one  of  his  clerks  or  secretaries,  he  had  always 
made  it  a  point  to  treat  us  with  consideration.  The  Prophet 
had  called  but  a  few  evenings  previous,  and  taken  me  to  the 
theatre,  which  was  noticed  by  John  Norton,  as  he  happened 
to  be  in  our  house  at  the  time.     These  facts  threw  him  off 


188        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

his  guard,  otherwise  my  further  progress  would  have  be&n 
arrested. 

As  I  approached  him,  he  appeared  astonished  at  seeing  me, 
and  asked  where  I  was  going ;  and  I  told  him,  with  an  air  of 
indifference. 

"  Have  you  the  key  ?"  said  he. 

"  Certainly :  how  could  brother  Jones  expect  me  to  go  in 
without  that  V 

He  then  said  encouragingly,  "  won't  you  be  frightened  ? 
Either  of  my  wives  would  go  into  hysterics." 

I  replied,  that  I  feared  the  living  more  than  the  dead. 
Why  I  said  this  I  know  not ;  for  if  I  had  known  what  I  was 
about  to  encounter,  I  should  have  fled  at  once  ;  and  yet,  as 
the  sequel  will  show,  my  answer  could  scarcely  have  been 
more  in  accordance  with  the  facts.  He  questioned^  me  no 
further,  and  I  unlocked  the  door,  while  he  continued  his 
patrols  up  the  street.  I  found  the  meat  hanging  around  the 
walls  as  usual.  I  had  often  been  there  before  in  the  daytime 
for  meat.  I  held  up  the  ligbt,  and  was  about  stepping  for- 
ward to  find  a  suitable  piece  for  breakfast,  when  I  stum- 
bled and  nearly  fell  over  the  body  of  a  man,  lying  at  full 
length,  just  inside  the  door,  stretched  upon  the  earth,  for 
there  w7as  no  floor  to  the  shop.  I  lowered  the  light  quickly, 
and  was  alarmed  to  discover  that  it  had  the  appearance  of 
being  a  dead  body.  I  could  hear  no  breathing.  I  stood  for 
a  moment  paralyzed.  A  quilt  was  thrown  over  all  except  the 
feet.  It  then  occurred  to  me  that  the  man  had  been  intoxi- 
cated, and  possibly   was  not   dead,  and   might   have   been 


A  Fearful  Discovery.  189 

arrested  by  the  night-guard,  and  laid  there  to  sleep  off  the 
fumes  of  drunkenness. 

This  gave  me  courage,  and  my  woman's  curiosity  prompted 
me  to  make  further  investigation.  Stepping  nearer,  I  spoke 
to  him,  but  he  made  no  reply.  Determined  not  to  be  foiled, 
I  siooped  down,  and  with  some  difficulty,  pulled  the  blanket 
from  his  head,  which  seemed  to  be  fastened  in  some  manner 
around  it.  I  was  delayed  for  a  moment  in  undoing  the  obsti- 
nate fastenings,  but  when  they  gave  way,  a  sight  was  revealed 
that  sickened  and  horrified  me.  The  head  fell  away  nearly 
severed  from  the  body.  It  was  indeed  a  corpse,  just  murdered 
as  I  believed  by  the  Mormons,  and  by  direction  and  full 
knowledge  of  the  Heads  of  the  Church. 

The  blood  yet  lay  in  clots  upon  the  ground.  He  was  not 
murdered  at  that  place,  as  there  would  have  been  a  greater 
show  of  blood,  but  had  probably  been  brought  to  the  market 
after  the  act,  for  concealment  until  he  could  be  buried.  As 
brother  Grant  and  others  had  been  at  the  market  during  the 
day  and  evening,  they  must  have  known  all  about  it.  The 
neck  had  the  appearance  of  having  been  nearly  severed  by  a 
strong  blow  of  something  like  an  axe. 

He  was  a  very  tall,  stout  man ;  and  I  think  had  black  hair. 
Upon  his  boots  he  wore  a  pair  of  Spanish  spurs.  I  did  not 
notice  his  dress  otherwise,  as  he  was  mostly  covered  by  the 
blanket,  and  cannot  give  a  description  of  his  features,  as  I 
was  too  much  shocked  to  observe  anything  closely. 

I  was  never  able  to  get  a  clue  to  the  history  of  this  mur- 
dered man,  or  the  causes  which  led  to  it.  He  was  probably 
a  il  Gentile,"   on  the  way  to  or  from  the  gold  mines,   and 


190       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

may  have  left  his  company  to  make  purchases  at  the  city  or 
something  of  the  kind,  and  probably  had  made  an  imprudent 
show  of  money  ;  and  thus  had  fallen' a  victim  to  Mormon 
cupidity.  For  I  afterwards  had  reason  to  believe  that  a  mere 
money  consideration,  was  sufficient  inducement  for  the  sacri- 
fice of  human  life  by  the  Mormons,  when  it  was  only  the  life 
of  a  "Gentile"  that  stood  in  the  way.  This  was  the  first 
proof  positive  that  had  fallen  under  my  own  personal  obser- 
vation, and  set  at  rest  forever,  in  my  own  mind,  the  long- 
mooted  question,  as  to  the  real  character  of  our  Church.  The 
taking  of  human  life  was  countenanced  by  the  Heads  of  the 
Church.  And  certainly  nothing  of  that  kind  had  been  done 
without  the  u  counsel "  of  the  Prophet.  It  was  then  a  Church 
dogma,  that  the  hand  of  the  Mormon  was  to  be  against  the 
"Gentile"  forever,  and  in  all  things.  I  knew  this  could  not 
be  right. 

Hastily  cutting  some  meat,  and  crushed  by  the  responsi- 
bility of  my  new  discovery,  I  re-locked  the  door,  and  wended 
my  way  back,  deeply  regretting  the  rash  curiosity  that  had 
put  me  in  possession  of  a  fearful  secret.  The  image  of  the 
headless  man,  all  booted  and  spurred,  still  clouded  my  imagi- 
nation, with  the  thought  that  may  be  some  loving  wife,  a 
stranger  in  a  strange  land,  was  at  that  moment  listening, 
with  an  anxiety  that  would  not  sleep,  for  a  footstep  she 
should  hear  no  more,  or  for  the  well-known  whinny  of  hig 
steed,  while  both  were  lost  to  her  forever. 

When  I  arrived  at  the  house,  Jones  was  just  getting  up 
I  went  directly  to  the  kitchen,  where  he  soon  followed  me,  say- 
ing, in  an  excited  manner,  "  Mary  Ettie,  where  have  you  been  t* 


A  Fearful  Discovery.  191 

I  told  him  very  calmly  that  1  bad  been  after  seme  meat. 

"  What  possessed  you  to  go !"  said  he. 

"  What  do  you  think  ?     The  evil  one  perhaps." 

He  replied,  u  I  intended  to  have  gone  for  the  meat  myself.'1 

I  called  his  attention  to  what  I  had  told  him  the  day 
before,  to  the  effect  that  "  I  could  try  to  do  almost  any- 
thing." 

"  I  recollect  it,"  said  he,  "  and  I  will  try  you.  To-night 
you  must  sleep  in  my  bed.  It  will  not  do  to  allow  a  woman 
wTho  knows  what  you  have  discovered  this  morning  by 
intrigue,  to  live  without  a  husband  to  control  her.  You 
must  remain  here  to-day,  and  to-night  you  must  yield  to  the 
decree  of  fate." 

"  And  before  night,  perhaps,"  said  I. 

He  took  my  hand,  and  said  reverently,  u  May  the  Lord 
bless  you,  Mary  Ettie." 

He  then  left  immediately,  saying  he  might  not  be  at  home 
that  evening,  but  expected  to. 

I  have  no  words  at  command  by  which  to  express  my 
state  of  mind  when  left  alone.  I  saw  a  crisis  in  my  affairs 
was  approaching.  I  had  suffered  so  much  already  that  it 
appeared  impossible  for  humanity  to  bear  more.  I  went  to 
my  chamber,  and  kneeled  down,  and  prayed  my  Heavenly 
Father  for  protection  from  this  new  danger  that  threatened 
me ;  but  when  I  had  laid  my  soul's  agony  before  Him,  with 
the  full  conviction  that  I  had  no  other  hope,  it  there  occurred 
to  me  to  doubt  whether  I  had  any  hope  even  there;  and  that 
I  had  often  prayed  to  be  delivered  from  the  oppression  of 
cruel  men,  and  that  I  was  unprotected  still.     Then  a  terrible 


192        Fifteen  Teaks  among  the  Mormons. 

thought  came  into  my  mind.  The  cold  hard  reality  of  my 
earthly  lot  froze  my  soul  with  horror  The  iron  of  despaii 
went  to  my  heart,  and  I  cowered  shivering  upon  the  floor. 
When  I  rose  again,  my  soul  had  taken  measures  for  its  own 
protection.  During  the  day,  I  went  to  the  office  of  Dr. 
ITodgekiss  and  procured  a  phial  of  laudanum,  which  I  secreted 
safely  about  my  person,  and  returned  to  Jones's  house. 


The  Escape.  193 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


THE    ESCAPE. 


The  day  was  passed  in  a  state  of  mind  bordering  upon 
insanity.  Not  once  did  rny  soul  relent  its  high  purpose.  I 
thought  often  of  Smith.  It  was  hard  to  part;  but  either 
alternative  was  the  same  as  far  as  he  was  concerned.  If  I 
submitted  to  Jones,  Smith  was  lost  to  me,  and  if  dead,  I  was 
lost  to  him.  It  was  all  the  same ;  I  chose  to  die  rather  than 
submit  to  vileness  or  violation. 

Jones  did  not  return  that  evening,  and  I  went  to  bed  to  pass 
a  sleepless  night  of  agony.  I  fell  at  times  into  an  unsound 
sleep  only  to  start  affrighted  by  horrid  dreams,  and  I  was 
glad  to  see  the  light  again.  But  early  enough  in  the  morn- 
ing he  returned.  I  knew  when  he  came  in  his  hands  were 
polluted  by  the  stain  of  innocent  blood,  and  that  the  object 
of  his  absence  had  been  to  put  aside  all  traces  of  his  victim. 
But  why  should  I  hate  him  alone  for  that  ?  Was  he  not 
acting  in  concert,  and  even  under  the  direct  orders  of  the 
Prophet  and  the  Heads  of  the  Church  ?  Jones  went  to  his 
room,  and  dressed  himself  very  finely,  and  after  breakfast 
called  me  in,  saying  he  would  like  to  have  some  conversation 
with  me.     As  I  went  in,  I  found  him  sitting  in  a  large  rock- 

9 


194       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

ing-chair.  His  room  was  pleasantly  furnished.  He  said, 
"  Sit  down  upon  my  lap,  Mary  Ettie ;  you  can  do  it  now  as 
well  as  a  month  from  now." 

I  did  not  move,  but  stood  perfectly  amazed,  and  yet  this 
was  what  I  had  expected.  He  said  at  length,  "  Have  you 
forgotten  what  brother  Brigham  told  you  ?" 

"  I  have  not ;  but  have  you  no  more  principle  than  to  take 
advantage  of  a  submission  extorted  from  me  when  I  was  not 
free,  but  under  the  compulsion  of  the  Prophet's  '  counsel  V 
Where  is  your  manhood  J" 

"  That,"  said  he,  "  was  done  for  your  good,  and  must  bo 
explained  to  you  hereafter." 

"  Brother  Jones,  I  will  not  ask  for  an  explanation,"  said  I, 
"  if  you  will  permit  me  to  go  to  my  mother's  house.  May  1 
go." 

The  fiend,  laughing,  arose  from  his  chair  as  if  to  come 
to  me. 

"  Stay  where  you  are,  for  I  would  rather  feel  the  cold  and 
slimy  touch  of  a  serpent  than  be  near  you." 

He  laughed  outright,  and  moved  towards  me  again,  saying, 
as  he  came,  with  a  show  of  resolution,  "  the  bishop  is  not  to 
be  trifled  with." 

"  Neither  is  his  prisoner,"  said  I. 

There  was  not  a  moment  to  lose.  Taking  the  phial  of 
laudanum,  and  drawing  the  cork,  I  swallowed  the  contents 
before  he  reached  me  or  half  comprehended  my  intention ; 
and  then  throwing  the  empty  phial  to  him,  asked  if  he  was 
•satisfied,  ani  if  he  would  send  for  my  mother.     He  caught 


The  Escape.  195 

me  in  his  arms,  and  rushed  into  the  other  room,  saying, 
"  Rebecca,  here,  Mary  Ettie  has  killed  herself." 

Rebecca,  who  fully  understood  how  the  facts  were,  replied 
with  a  spirit  I  had  never  before  seen  her  exhibit,  "and  you 
are  her  murderer,  and  I  think  you  will  find  you  must  answer 
for  it  in  the  end." 

Jones  then  left  me  on  the  bed,  and  went  for  Dr.  Hodge- 
kiss,  and  soon  my  mother  and  sister  Lizzie  came.  They  gave 
me  some  strong  coffee  and  an  emetic,  and  when  the  physician 
arrived,  he  said  I  was  out  of  danger,  and  that  the  quantity  I 
had  taken  had  saved  me.  In  my  inexperience  I  had  taken 
too  much,  which  had  the  effect  to  throw  the  drug  from  the 
stomach  before  it  had  time  to  poison  fatally.  My  mother 
did  not  leave  me  that  night,  and  in  the  morning  I  went  home 
with  her,  without  let  or  hindrance  from  Jones.  The  latter 
was  under  the  necessity  of  acknowledging  himself  defeated, 
and  for  some  reason  he  was  soon  after  sent  away  upon  a 
foreign  mission.  He  went  to  Hindoostan,  where  he  remained 
until  the  fall  before  we  left  the  valley. 

Mr.  Smith  was  at  this  time  on  his  farm  fifty  miles  away, 
but  it  so  happened  that  he  had  sent  a  hired  man  to  the  city 
for  meat,  who  arrived  the  morning  on  which  I  had  taken  the 
poison.  The  climate  of  Utah  is  so  remarkably  pure,  that 
fresh  meat,  if  hung  ten  feet  or  more  from  the  ground,  will 
keep  perfectly  well  for  a  long  while ;  and  hence  the  farmers 
who  kept  but  few  cattle,  or  the  beginners  in  the  new  settle- 
ment, came  from  great  distances  to  supply  their  wants  in  this 
line  at  the  city  markets.  Smith's  man  was  getting  his  supply 
at  the  moment  I  had  taken  the  poison,  and  as.  the  news  so:>n 


196       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

flew,  he  heard  of  it>  and  came  to  my  mother's  to  learn  the 
facts,  and  then  he  hurried  home.  "When  Smith  heard  what 
had  happened,  he  mounted  a  horse,  and  came  to  me  in  all 
haste. 

The  next  day  I  was  standing  at  the  window,  and  saw  a 
gentleman  dismount  at  our  door,  from  a  noble,  but  appa- 
rently over-ridden  horse. 

I  think  it  will  be  deemed  a  pardonable  vanity  in  me  if 
I  give  a  short  description  of  the  rider.  He  was  a  tall, 
young,  and,  to  my  eyes,  a  fine  looking-man ;  and  feeling  as  I 
did  just  then,  after  my  narrow  and  perilous  escape,  it  was  the 
happiest  meeting  of  my  life.  In  accordance  with  the  custom 
of  the  country,  he  wore  a  broad  Panama  hat,  white  linen 
pantaloons,  and  a  black  satin  vest,  while  a  sash  encircled  his 
waist,  with  buckskin  gauntlets  that  reached  to  his  elbows,  and 
leggings  of  the  same,  with  spurs  at  the  heels.  He  was  so 
covered  with  dust,  that  one  not  well  acquainted  would  scarce 
have  recognized  him.  This  was  Eeuben  P.  Smith,  and  I 
received  him  with  joy,  which  I  flattered  myself  was  mutual 
between  us.  Smith  was  impatient  to  hear  all  the  facts  of  my 
late  peril.  I  told  him  the  whole  story,  to  which  he  listened 
with  great  eagerness,  and  his  heavy  breathing  during  the 
recital  told  how  deeply  he  felt. 

When  I  had  finished  he  said,  his  whole  soul  swelling  with 
rage  :  "  If  I  ever  find  that  precious  scamp  out  of  this  terri- 
tory, he  shall  know  the  pkasure  of  having  a  lariat  around  his 
neck."  u  Oh,  I  suppose,"  said  I,  wishing  to  appease  his  useless 
excitement,  il  he  would  prefer  to  remain,  and  have  a  Mary 
Ettie  around  his  neck."     This  had  the  effect  I  had  expected. 


The  Escape.  197 

and  lie  said,  laughing  :  "  Well,  I  hardly  think  I  could  blame 
him  for  wishing  that,  although  it  would  very  much  interfere 
with  my  arrangements."  We  then  went  into  an  earnest  and 
serious  review  of  our  present  position.  Judging  from  what 
had  happened  since  we  last  met,  the  prospect  before  us  was 
not  very  flattering.  Smith  concluded  the  best  thing  for  us 
both  was,  for  me  to  remain  with  my  mother,  as  quietly  as  pos- 
sible until  spring,  and  to  obey  the  "  counsel "  of  Brigham 
Young,  in  everything.  By  that  time  he  could  succeed  in 
establishing  a  character  as  a  faithful  Mormon,  when  he  wrould 
get  the  recommendation  of  his  Bishop,  and  we  could  be  mar- 
ried. In  the  meantime,  he  thought  it  best  to  say  nothing 
about  going  to  California." 

He  did  not  wish  to  excite  remark  by  making  a  long  visit, 
and  therefore  he  soon  left  me,  to  return  to  his  farm,  saying, 
we  should  not  meet  again  perhaps  till  spring. 

When  he  was  gone,  I  was  very  lonely.  Soon  after  this 
my  brother  Uriah  was  sent  to  California  to  trarsact  some 
business,  and  we  were  still  more  alone. 


193        Fifteen  I'kars  among  the  Mokmons. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

MY    FATHER'S    FRIEND DR.    ROBERTS. 

1  was  not  long  idle,  but  soon  fell  under  the  notice  of  the 
Prophet.  I  was  made  an  unwilling  instrument  in  his  hands, 
for  the  service  of  the  Church,  in  a  manner  I  had  little  expected. 
Since  the  terrible  discovery  I  had  made  at  the  market,  I  was 
not  only  prepared  to  believe  his  followers  were  capable  of  the 
perpetration  of  any  crime,  but  I  fully  comprehended  how 
utterly  powerless  I  was,  alone  in  the  midst  of  such  a  swarm 
of  his  devoted  creatures. 

Towards  spring  a  circumstance  unfortunately  happened 
which  well  illustrated  the  state  of  things  at  this  time  existing 
among  us.  It  would  appear  that  an  old  man.  a  Dr.  Roberts, 
who  had  lived  in  Illinois,  and  was  acquainted  with  my  father, 
there,  was  on  his  way  to  California  from  the  States,  intending 
to  get  through  before  winter  set  in.  He  succeeded,  however, 
in  getting  only  to  Utah,  late  in  the  fall,  and  was  obliged  to 
lay  over,  for  the  winter,  near  Salt  Lake  City.  He  had  heard 
before  he  left  Illinois,  that  my  father's  widow  and  some  of  her 
children  were  with  the  Mormons  ;  and  after  his  arrival  at  Utah, 
from  wThat  he  saw  and  learned  concerning  the  Church,  and  the 
position  occupied  by  women  in  it,  he   conceived  it  possible 


My  Father's  Friend — Dr.  Roberts.        199 

that  we  might  wish  to  return  to  the  States.     By  inquiry  he 
had  heard  that  I  was  living  with  my  brother  Howard  Coray. 

Dr.  Roberts  was  at  this  time  stopping  at  Utah,  a  settlement 
at  Utah  Lake,  about  forty  miles  south  of  the  city,  from  which 
place  he  addressed  me  a  letter,  and  sent  it  by  a  brother  Red- 
field,  who  wras  a  Mormon  ;  telling  him  at  the  same  time,  that 
I  was  at  Howard's. 

Brother  Redfield  therefore  left  the  letter  according  to  direc- 
tion, and  handed  it  to  Martha,  Howard's  wife,  who,  supposing 
the  letter  was  for  herself,  opened  and  read  it,  without  noticing 
it  svas  directed  to  me,  although  I  happened  to  be  present. 
The  contents  of  the  letter,  as  near  as  I  can  recollect,  were  as 
follows.  The  wrriter  said  he  knew  my  father,  who  was  his 
personal  friend  in  his  lifetime,  in  Illinois ;  and  that  they 
were  both  masons.  That  mv  father  had  as  a  friend  and  a 
mason,  on  one  occasion,  rendered  him  an  essential  service, 
which  he  had  never  been  able  to  reciprocate  before  he  died ; 
but  that  he  should  esteem  it  a  pleasure  if  he  could  repay  it 
in  a  measure  now  by  doing  his  children  a  service  ;  and  that 
he  knew  of  no  way  by  which  he  could  do  this  so  well,  as  by 
making  an  effort  to  restore  my  father's  family  to  a  land  of 
Christian  freedom.  That  unless  he  had  mistaken  the  state 
of  things  at  Utah,  the  females  of  our  family  would  be  likely 
to  avail  themselves  of  the  first  opportunity  to  escape,  and  that 
he  "arould  undertake  to  effect  this  for  us,  if  we  wished  it.  He 
wras  prepared,  he  said,  to  take  us  along  with  his  company  to 
California  in  the  spring.  This  was  a  mystery  to  Martha,  and 
without  reflection,  she  read  the  letter  to  the  company  that 
happened  to  be  present ;  and  upon  further  examination,  it  was 


200        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

found  to  be  addressed  to  me.  Robert  Berton,  who  was  con- 
nected with  our  family  by  marriage,  was  there,  and  he  took  the 
letter  directly  to  brother  Brigham  ;  and  it  was  not  long  before 
they  both  came  back  to  see  me,  bringing  the  letter  with  them. 
The  Prophet  said,  as  he  came  in,  "  Well,  Nett,  how  do  you 
do  ?  I  understand  you  have  a  very  good  friend  in  the  Terri- 
tory." I  replied  that  I  knew  nothing  about  it;  but  it 
appeared  that  some  one  had  taken  some  interest  in-  us,  but 
I  believed  it  was  on  ray  father's  account.  "  Yes,"  said  Brig- 
ham,  "  I  did  not  know  your  father  ;  but  they  say  you  are 
the  exact  image  of  him;  and  that  he  had  a  great  many 
friends;  but  this  Dr.  Roberts  is  not  o-oino:  to  interfere  with 
the  gathering  of  the  Saints,  nor  with  the  building  of  the 
Temple.  The  imp  of  Satan  shall  be  foiled  this  time.  I  am 
going  to  advise  you  what  to  do.  I  must  acknowledge  it  to  be 
a  great  expedition  for  a  woman  ;  but  you  can  do  it,  and 
must."  Taking  a  letter  from  his  pocket,  which  he  handed 
me,  he  said,  "  Write  him  a  letter  like  this."  The  letter  he 
handed  me  directed  the  doctor  when  and  where  to  come  and 
see  me ;  and  gave  him  encouragement  as  to  the  object  he  had 
in  view,  expressing  a  desire  to  go  with  him.  I  copied  the 
letter  by  the  direction,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  Prophet, 
not  thinking  it  safe  to  decline  to  do  so.  When  the  letter 
was  finished,  he  put  it  in  his  pocket,  saying,  "  This  shall  bring 
in  the  dimes  before  we  get  through  with  it."  Then  turning 
to  me,  he  said,  "Nett,  you  look  as  if  you  had  lost  all  your 
friends,  while  I  am  sure  you  are  getting  more  every  day.  I 
wish  you  could  ever  be  contented,  and  obey  my  counsel 
cheerfully." 


My  Father's  Friend — Dr.  Roberts.         201 

"  Brother  Brigham,"  said  L  "  this  business  does  not  suit  my 
taste.  I  can  plainly  see  how  the  duty  you  have  imposed 
upon  me,  If  fully  successful,  is  likely  to  affect  at  least  one  of 
the  parties  seriously.  I  can  see  how  it  will  be.  I  cannot 
think  of  doing  it." 

"  You  cannot,"  said  the  Prophet,  giving  me  a  look  that  at 
any  other  time  would  have  frightened  me  beyond  measure- 
'4  You  cannot,"  he  repeated,  still  bending  upon  me  that  frown, 
never  yet  met  with  defiance  by  one  of  the  Church,  and  before 
which  even  the  "  Apostles  "  are  wont  to  quail.  "  Nett,"  he  said 
at  length,  in  his  sternest  mood,  "  what  do  you  mean  ?  Can 
you  not  do  what  you  have  covenanted  to  do  ?  to  be  firm,  and 
unshaken,  ever  willing  to  obey  the  command  of  your  guide 
and  Saviour?" 

"  Brother  Brigham,"  said  I,  with  a  firmness  of  resistance  I 
had  never  before  felt  in  his  presence, "  are  you  my  Saviour  ?" 

"  Most  assuredly  I  am,"  said  he.  "  You  cannot  enter  the 
Celestial  Kingdom,  except  by  my  consent.   Do  you  doubt  it  V9 

"  My  belief,"  said  I,  "  is  not  what  it  was  one  year  ago,  al- 
though I  never  expect  to  leave  the  Church.  I  am,  in  fact, 
not  so  much  in  doubt  as  to  the  leading  doctrines  of  the  Church, 
as  I  have  heretofore  understood  them,  as  I  am  how  to  recon- 
cile these  doctrines,  new  and  old,  with  each  other." 

"  Leave  the  Church,"  said  he, "  that  is  impossible.  You  may 
yet  become  reconciled  to  the  spiritual  wife  doctrine,  and  I  real- 
ly hope  you  may  for  your  own  good.  As  to  that  Smith,  I 
believe  he  is  an  impostor ;  that  he  talis  one  thing  to  his 
bishop,  and  maybe  another  thing  to  you.  But  as  he  has  gained 
the  good  will  of  his  bishop,  and  as  we  can  find  nothing  of 

9* 


202  FlFTKEN     /EARS    AMONG    THE    MoRMONS. 

importance  against  him,  we  are  compelled  to  fellowship  him. 
But  now  to  the  point.  When  tne  doctor  comes,  tell  him 
you  will  go,  if  he  can  assure  you  against  all  liability  of  being 
left  destitute  on  the  way,  at  the  mercy  of  strangers  in  a 
strange  land.  Tell  him  you  have  no  money  of  your  own,  and 
that  it  would  be  too  much  risk  to  set  out  with  him,  unless  he 
is  abundantly  able  to  take  you  through.  Now,  Nett,  in  this 
manner  you  will  find  out  how  much  money  he  has,  and  if  he 
has  enough  worth  our  while,  you  must  start  with  him,  and  ue 
will  have  what  money  or  valuables  he  has.  For  *  the  earth 
is  the  Lord's  and  the  fullness  thereof.'  When  he  comes,  first 
find  when  his  company  starts,  and  then  tell  him  you  cannot 
get  ready  until  a  day  or  two  after  they  are  gone,  and  that  he 
must  come  after  you  alone,  as  otherwise  your  friends  would 
mistrust,  and  prevent  your  going.  Tell  him  you  will  meet 
him  at  Capt.  Brown's,  who  lives  at  the  last  of  our  settlement 
on  the  road  to  California.  You  can  explain  to  him  that  one 
of  Capt.  Brown's  wives  is  your  aunt,  and  that  you  can  go 
there  under  the  pretence  of  making  her  a  visit.  This  letter 
will  bring  him — now,  be  on  hand." 

The  Prophet,  while  giving  me  these  instructions,  had 
warmed  himself  into  a  better  humor,  and  now  addressed  me 
in  that  spirit  of  genial  frankness,  so  full  of  winning  ways, 
which  forms  so  important  an  element  in  his  character.  I 
saw  it  would  be  impossible  to  disobey  him  and  live,  and  I 
thought  it  best  to  trust  in  Providence  for  the  result.  My  re- 
fusal t?ould  not  save  the  doctor,  while  it  would  endanger  me, 
and  it  was  not  impossible  that  I  should  be  able  to  give  him 
some   sign  of  warning  when  he  came,  which  would  iw*- 


My  Father's  Friend — Dr.  Roberts.         203 

ais  exposure  on  my  account.  I  therefore  said  to  the  Piophet, 
with  an  apparent  submission  to  his  "  counsel,"  that  I  would  go 
with  the  doctor,  and  added  that  I  would  take  him  some  other 
route,  and  we  should  finally  both  make  our  escape.  To  this 
he  said,  laughing,  "I  will  risk  that,  Nett.  We  have  too 
many  J  Danites ?  on  the  watch,  and  always  engaged  in  sim- 
ilar expeditions,  for  that.  All  the  passes  of  the  country  are 
guarded.  By  the  way,  I  find  the  doctor  has  been  in  town 
lately,  and  provided  himself  with  a  splendid  carriage  for  the 
occasion." 

The  knowledge  of  this  fact  took  me  by  surprise,  and  excit- 
ing my  pity  for  him  anew,  I  said,  "  Brother  Brigham,  I  do 
not  like  to  do  this." 

"  What  is  the  reason  ?"  said  he,  persuasively.  "  I  should 
like  it,  as  well  as  to  conquer  the  enemy  in  any  other  way. 
What  is  he  trying  to  do  ?  Why  he  is  trying  to  lead  one 
of  the  daughters  of  Zion  to  hell ;"  and  he  struck  the  table 
near  him  as  if  he  would  have  demolished  it. 

"I  think  I  have  heard,"  said  I,  "  my  father  read  in  the  Bible 
long  ago,  when  I  was  very  small,  that  vengeance  was  the 
Lord's,  and  that  He  would  repay,  or  something  to  that  effect." 

"Certainly,"  said  Brigham  ;  "  but  do  you  suppose  He  will 
3ome  down  and  do  this  thing  himself  ?  and  that  He  will  be- 
come a  visible  being,  playing  smash  here  among  the  Gentiles  ? 
or  will  he  choose  the  more  natural  and  consistent  way  of 
sending  His  servants  to  do  it  for  him  ?  According  to  your 
opinion,  He  would  not  require  us  to  preach  His  gospel.  We 
are  in  his  hands  as  our  servants  are  in  ours.  If  I  should  take 
a  bridge  to  build,  I  should  not  build  it  with  my  own  hands, 


204        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

but  by  the  hands  of  my  servants,  and  still  I  should  be  the 
builder  of  the  bridge.  So  it  is  with  the  work  cf  the  Lord. 
We  cannot  be  exalted  without  Him,  nor  can  he  be  exalted 
without  us.  He  was  once  a  man  striving,  as  we  are  now,  for 
exaltation,  and  we  shall  sometime  be  gods,  of  different  de- 
grees of  exaltation,  in  proportion  as  we  are  successful  in  this 
world  in  carrying  out  the  objects  of  our  Church.  But  you 
must  understand  all  about  this  hereafter.  I  have  not  time  tc 
preach  to  you  longer  at  present.  You  certainly  understand 
enough  for  our  present  purpose.  You  will  start  with  the 
doctor  for  California,  will  you  not,  if  he  wishes  it?" 

"  I  cannot  see  how  I  can  avoid  it,"  said  I.  "  Do  you  intend 
to  murder  him  ?" 

"  Nett,"  said  he,  earnestly,  "you  shall  not  be  hurt,  depend 
upon  that,  except  that  if  you  do  not  go,  and  carry  out  oui 
plans  concerning  him,  your  blood  atones  for  the  neglect." 

Summoning  what  courage  I  could  under  the  circumstances. 
I  replied,  "I  am  not  very  easily  frightened,  but  that  is 
sharp  talk.  Do  you  mean  exactly  what  you  say  ?  And 
if  I  go,  will  that  save  his  life  ?  Come  now,  promise  me  thie, 
or  I  will  not  go.  You  will  not  kill  my  father's  friend  ? 
Grant  me  this.  I  might  as  well  kill  him  myself,  at  my  own 
house,  as  to  detain  him  from  his  company,  to  give  you  an 
opportunity  of  doing  it.  Eob  him  if  you  will,  but,  I  pray 
you,  spare  his  life.     Do.     Will  you  ?" 

The  Prophet  made  no  further  reply,  but  left  the  house  at 
once,  without  giving  me  the  least  encouragement  upon  this 
point. 

Not  many  days  after  this,  a  stinger  called  upon  mr  ma 


My  Father's  Friend — Dr.  Huberts.         205 

ther,  ard  represented  himself  as  living  at  Utab,  and  as  being 
in  want  of  a  school  teacher,  and  said  I  had  been  recommend- 
ed to  him  as  such.  Although  my  mother  knew  the  plans  of 
the  Prophet,  she  dare  not  expose  them  to  Dr.  Roberts,  for  he 
was  the  stranger  who  had  called  in  answer  to  my  letter. 
We  soon  made  a  bargain,  and  it  was  arranged  between  us  that 
he  should  call  for  me  at  Captain  Brown's,  at  Ogden  city  as  in- 
dicated  by  the  Prophet.  I  carried  out  the  intention  of  the  lat- 
ter fully,  as  I  dare  not  disobey,  well  knowing  my  movements 
were  under  the  constant  surveillance  of  his  creatures,  by 
whom  I  was  surrounded,  and  that  the  consequences  of  any 
attempt  on  my  part,  to  thwart  his  plans,  would  be  visited 
upon  my  own  head  in  the  most  summary  manner.  Indeed  the 
steps  of  the  doctor,  were  dogged  from  the  time  he  entered  the 
city,  until  he  ieft  it  :  and  every  word  uttered  by  him,  while 
there,  was  reported  immediately  to  the  Grand  Presidency. 
Even  his  interview  with  me,  and  the  manner  he  was  received 
by  my  mother  was  likewise  reported.  My  readers  can  wTell 
imagine  the  agony  of  my  position.  *  As  soon  as  Dr. 
Roberts  left  me,  I  went  in  accordance  with  instructions  to  re- 
port to  the  Prophet ;  I  confess  this  was  the  saddest  sacrifice  I 
had  ever  made  at  the  shrine  of  my  faith  in  Mormonism  and  its 
Prophet.  It  was  not  only  necessary  that  I  should  make  a 
faithful  report  of  what  had  been  already  effected,  but  that  I 
should  do  so  with  a  certain  degree  of  cheerfulness,  as  an  evi- 
dence of  good  faith  on  my  part.  For  although  I  knew  the 
Prophet  would  most  likely  overlook  a  mere  show  of  reluc- 
tance to  do  his  bidding,  as  long  as  it  had  its  origin  in  nothing 
more  dangerous  than  a  woman's  repugnance  to  violence,  01 


206       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

crime,  or  respect  to  my  father's  friend ;  yet  I  knew  equally 
well,  that  the  first  show  of  "  heresy  "  or  want  of  faith  in  him, 
would  be  fatal  to  me. 

The  real  difficulty  of  my  position  existed,  after  all  in  the 
influence  which  he  exercised  over  me  in  common  with  all  the 
Church.  I  could  not  divest  myself  of  the  idea  of  his  divine 
commission.  I  could  not  bring  myself  to  disobey  him.  lie 
claimed  to  be  my  Saviour  ;  and  I  had  been  educated  to  believe 
that  his  claims,  however  extravagant,  were  not  to  be  disputed  ; 
and  it  was  long  after  this,  before  I  came  seriously  to  question 
his  pretension  as  a  Prophet  of  God  :  and  even  to-day,  I  some 
times  falter  in  the  intention  of  giving  these  facts  to  the  public, 
when  some  new  doubt  clouds  my  future,  and  my  belief  in  the 
true  God.  Often  am  I  startled  from  sleep  at  night,  with  the 
inquiry,  "  is  he  not  the  Prophet,  and  will  not  his  curse  reach 
me  beyond  the  grave  ?  Am  I  not  at  war  with  my  fate !  And 
if  so,  will  not  my  future  be  terrible  ?"  Although  I  doubted 
and  rebelled  against  the  new  forms  our  faith  was  assuming, 
and  against  that  which,  among  many  of  us,  both  men  ana 
women,  was  regarded  as  of  doubtful  orthodoxy,  yet  no  ques- 
tion of  the  legitimate  and  fundamental  principles  of  Mormon- 
lsm  had  ever  been  seriously  entertained  by  me. 

It  was  not  merely  a  question  of  my  own  existence  in  this 
hfe,  but  of  that  also  of  the  dread  future :  I  believed  both  to 
be  under  the  control  of  the  Prophet. 

When  I  arrived  at  the  Prophet's  house  I  found  him 
there.  He  said  as  I  entered,  "  Well,  Nett,  how  is  your 
honor  ?" 

This  was  a  familiar  form  of  address,  he  was  in  the  habit  of 


My  Father's  Friend — Dr.  Eoberts.         207 

using  with  those  he  wished  to  flatter.  To  which  I  replied; 
*  I  have  none." 

"What  have  you  done  with  it"  said  he,  laughing. 

My  heart  was  too  full  for  trifling  ;  but  I  felt  the  necessity 
of  disguising  the  real  state  of  rny  feelings  under  an  assu- 
med plav  of  words — an  airy  badinage  that  should  disarm  his 
suspicions  of  my  unwillingness  to  go  on  with  the  work  ho 
had  assigned  me  ;  and  I  replied,  "  I  must  have  left  it  in  the 
waters  of  the  Mississippi  where  I  was  baptized,  for  if  I  ever 
had  any,  it  was  when  I  was  a  child  ;  I  certainly  have  none 
now." 

"  And  yet,"  said  he,  "  you  are  on  hand  to  roll  on  the  work 
of  the  Lord.  You  are  aware  that  a  Temple  must  be  built, 
in  order  that  blessings  may  be  bestowed  upon  the  Saints  more 
abundantly  ;  and  you  will  yet  be  as  clay  in  the  hands  of  the 
potter." 

I  then  gave  him  an  account  of  what  I  had  done :  and  of 
all  that  had  been  said,  and  arranged  between  Dr.  Roberts  and 
myself:  with  which  he  was  very  much  delighted. 

Hiram  Clauson  was  in  the  room,  absorbed  in  the  study  of 
a  tragedy,  a  part  in  which  he  was  to  play  at  the  amateur  thea- 
tre, kept  up  by  him  and  others,  as  one  of  the  amusements 
encouraged  by  the  Prophet. 

He  was  a  young  man  of  good  parts,  who  had  one  wife 
already,  and  was  now  seeking  the  hand  of  Alice,  a  daughter 
of  the  Prophet,  for  another.  The  latter  turned  very  much 
elated  and  said,  "  Brother  Hiram,  you  may  take  my  horse 
and  buggy,  and  go  with  Nett  to  Ogden  city  and  leave  her  at 
Captain  Brown's." 


208        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

"  Your  will  is  my  pleasure,1'  said  Hiram  Clauson,  "  I  suppose 
you  will  let  Alice  go  with  me,  will  you  not,  brother  Brigham  V1 

"  Certainly,  my  son,"  said  the  Prophet,  caressingly,  "  and  if 
you  are  faithful,  you  shall  have  her  for  a  wife  some  day." 

The  good  humor  of  the  Prophet  was  judiciously  seized  upon 
by  the  ambitious  lover,  to  secure  the  prize  he  had  so  much 
coveted.  It  was  very  naturally  esteemed  a  high  honor  among 
the  marriageable  men,  to  win  a  daughter  of  the  Prophet  for  a 
wife  :  and  brother  Clauson  went  off  in  fine  spirits,  to  get  the 
horse  and  carriage  ready,  while  I  went  home  to  prepare  tor 
the  journey. 


Preparing  to  Entrap  an  Old  Ma>.        209 


CHAPTER  XX. 

PREPARING    TO    ENTRAP  AN    OLD    MAN. 

It  was  with  sad  misgivings  that  I  prepared  to  go  upon  the 
infamous  mission,  from  which  I  now  saw  no  escape.  It  was 
already  well  on  towards  noon,  and  no  time  was  left  for  reflec- 
tion. I  was  scarcely  dressed  for  the  occasion,  when  Hiram 
Clauson  drove  to  the  door,  with  Alice  in  the  carriage.  He, 
already  the  husband  of  one  wife,  and  now  happy  in  finding 
himself  affianced  to  another :  while  she,  young  and  innocent, 
but  little  comprehended  the  cruel  future  to  which  spiritual 
wifeism  was  about  to  consign  her. 

Stepping  into  the  street,  prepared  to  go,  I  said,  "  good  morn- 
ing, sister  Clauson." 

"  What  do  you  wish  me  to  understand,"  said  Alice. 

"  Nothing  more  than  that  your  father  gave  his  consent 
this  morning,  in  my  presence,  to  your  marriage  with  Hiram." 

44  There  Alice,"  said  brother  Clauson,"  what  did  I  tell  you  ? 
you  did  not  believe  me." 

"  How  can  one  believe  these  Mormons,"  said  I ;  "  but  as  for 
you,  Alice,  being  a  daughter  of  the  Prophet,  and  not  altoge- 
ther dependent  upon  your  husband,  you  may  do  well  enough, 
for  you  wil   be  still  under  the  protection  of  your  father.     But 


^10        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mokmons. 

t  should  advise  you  to  remain  single  several  years  yet,  as  you 
are  very  young." 

Brother  Hiram,  who  had  listened  with  great  patience,  and 
apparent  pleasure  until  now,  said  testily,  "  Come,  come,  it  is 
getting  late,  and  we  must  be  off." 

To  which  Alice  replied.  "  I  see  Hiram  wrould  like  to  drop 
this  conversation.  For  my  part  I  have  a  deep  interest  in  it ; 
especially  now  that  my  father  has  given  me  away  to  a  man 
who  has  one  wrife  already,  and  is  courting  another  besides  me, 
and   both  of  them  much  handsomer  than  I  am." 

Hiram  appeared  greatly  nettled  at  the  turn  the  conversation 
was  taking  ;  for  what  Alice  had  stated  was  true.  He  was  court- 
ing a  third  wife,  and  of  the  three  Alice  was  the  least  beauti- 
ful. His  young  head  was  already  fired  with  the  ambition  of 
having  many  wives,  which,  next  to  the  favor  of  the  prophet, 
was  the  surest  passport  to  public  favor  and  preferment  in  the 
Church;  and  he  said  with  ill-disguised  impatience,  "Come 
now,  girls,  the  horse  is  becoming  restive,  and  will  not  listen 
to  such  folly ;  I   am  unable  to  hold  him." 

Finding  him  in  earnest,  we  got  into  the  carriage,  and  he 
drove  into  the  country,  in  the  direction  of  Ogden  city.  Our 
course  was  northerly,  and  lay  for  a  short  way  along  the  bank 
of  the  gentle  Jordan.  It  was  one  of  those  clear,  bright  morn- 
ings so  common  in  this  climate.  The  balmy  breath  of  spring, 
which  exists  nowhere  in  such  perfection  as  among  the  snow- 
capped mountains  of  Utah,  fanned  the  cheek  into  a  ruddy  glow 
of  health,  and  expanded  the  lungs  to  their  fullest  capacity. 
The  air  of  Utah  appears  to  have  been  made  for  the  especial 
use  of  the  lungs.     The  simple  act  of  breathing  in  such  an 


Preparing  to  Entrap  an  Old  Man.        211 

atmosphere,  is  a  pleasure.  Under  any  other  circumstances  I 
should  have  enjoyed  the  ride  very  highly. 

Once  in  the  open  country,  when  the  cloud  occasioned  by 
our  joint  attack  upon  Hiram  had  passed  away,  our  little  party 
were  in  the  best  of  spirits,  except  that  my  own  soul  was 
secretly  upon  tha  rack  to  provide  some  escape  for  the  doctor, 
or  to  avoid  having  anything  to  do  with  his  destruction  my- 
self. 

It  was  easy  to  see  that  the  young  people  were  happy  to  be 
near  each  other.  Hiram,  evidently  intending  to  call  out  a  reply 
from  Alice,  said  at  length,  u  What  a  lovely  spring  we  have  P 

"Yes,"  said  Alice,  UI  hope  we  shall  have  a  pleasant 
time.  I  was  thinking,  Nett,  what  an  exalted  opinion  you 
ought  to  have  of  yourself,  to  be  trusted  upon  such  a  mis- 
sion as  this.  You  can  hardly  imagine  how  highly  my  father 
has  spoken  of  you.     He  thinks  you  quite  a  heroine." 

"  Indeed.     Did  he  send  any  further  instructions  by  you  ?" 

"No,"  said  Hiram.  "I presume  he  thinks  you  are  equal  to 
the  management  of  the  affair  yourself.  He  says  you  under- 
stand what  is  wanted,  and  if  you  wish,  you  can  accomplish  it. 
But  he  is  getting  impatient  with  you  on  account  of  your  un 
willino-ness  to  obev  his  counsel.  How  dare  vou  think  of  not 
granting  any  request  he  may  make  of  you  ?" 

"  Oh  !  as  for  that,  I  dare  think  for  myself,  however  it  may 
be  with  what  I  have  dared  to  do,  or  may  dare.  No  one  can 
read  my  thoughts." 

"  Except  my  father  ?"  said  Alice. 

"  Oh,  your  father  ?  why  do  you  ask  such  a  question  ?  But 
how  am  I  to  get  back,  Hiram  ! ' 


212        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

"  I  am  going  to  leave  Alice  to  come  back  with  you." 

"  That  is  right,"  said  Alice.  "  And  we  are  going  U. 
run  off  with  the  old  doctor.  Nett  is  willing  I  should  be  first, 
and  she  will  be  second  V 

"  I  see,"  said  Hiram,  "  you  think  it  quite  an  object  to  be 
the  first  wife.  I  cannot  see  what  particular  difference  it  could 
make.     But  you  forget  that  Gentiles  have  but  one  wife." 

uNo  matter,"  said  Alice,  "  he  will  undoubtedly  waive  that 
objection  for  this  once  for  the  benefit  of  romance.  Let  me 
see,  there  will  be  a  moon  to-night.  It  will  be  enchanting  to 
elope  by  moonlight  along  this  beautiful  road,  and  then  away 
among  the  mountains,  with  a  fine  old  gentleman,  whose  head 
is  silvered  by  a  good  old  age.  Hiram,  do  let  us  go  off*  with 
him.  What  inducement  can  we  offer  you  to  keep  still  until 
we  are  too  far  gone  to  be  overtaken  ?" 

"  Inducement  ?  Why,  Alice,  that  would  cost  me  my  head. 
And  besides,  it  would  be  impossible  for  you  to  get  away." 

Thinking  this  trifling  upon  a  dangerous  subject  had  been 
carried  far  enough,  as  it  might  lead  to  serious  suspicions  as  to 
myself,  I  said,  laughing,  "  Hiram,  do  you  think  we  would 
go?' 

"  He  knows  very  well,"  said  Alice,  "  that  I  would,  before  I 
would  be  given  away  like  an  old  mule  to  a  man  who  has  al- 
ready one  wife,  and  is  seeking  for  others." 

By  common  consent  we  hereupon  dismissed  the  subject 
with  a  laugh  ;  but  I  detected  in  the  face  of  each,  a  trace  of 
serious  concern  which  harmonized  with  a  similar  anxiety 
within  my  own  heart.  This  sprightly  and  somewhat  preco- 
cious girl,  although  educated  under  her  father's  personal  in- 


Preparing  to  Entrap  an  Old  Man.   213 

fluence,  and  never  doubting-  Mormc/nism,  indeed  never  dream- 
ing that  to  doubt  was  within  the  range  of  possibilities  with 
her,  yet  now,  when  her  budding  womanhood  was  about  to 
assert  its  sway  over  her  woman's  nature,  she  felt  impelled,  by 
an  instinct  wiser  than  her  own  experience,  and  beyond  her 
own  control,  to  reject  that  part  of  Mormonism  which  ignored 
her  woman's  individuality — which  cut  her  off  from  all  the 
irue  woman  holds  most  dear — the  right  to  possess,  and  hold 
within  the  silken  meshes  of  her  love-enslavement,  one  man — 
all  her  own.  Without  knowing  it,  she  already  stood  braced, 
as  all  Mormon  women  do,  against  this  unnatural  invasion  of 
her  rights.  I  studied  her  position  carefully,  as  a  commentary 
upon,  and  justification  of  my  own  refusal  to  be  one  of  many 
wives  ;  and  as  I  recognized  in  her  fine  appreciation  of  the 
noble  instincts  that  stirred  within  her,  an  evidence  of  a  supe- 
rior womanhood,  I  foresaw  a  dark  shadow  rising  to  becloud 
her  future.  And  the  prospect  before  Hiram  was  scarcely  less 
disheartening.  The  spirit  of  rebellion,  which  exhibited  itself 
in  Alice,  against  the  claims  of  the  other  wives,  is  still  stronger 
after  marriage ;  and  I  am  of  the  opinion,  that  the  end  of 
spiritual  wifeism  is  as  disastrous  in  its  influence  upon  the 
men  as  it  is  upon  our  sex.  This  unquiet  chafing  within  their 
own  family  circles,  creates  a  necessity,  as  well  as  a  wish,  to 
escape  from  the  annoyance  of  their  little  wife  communities,  and 
hence  the  love  of  home  and  family  is  constantly  decreasing, 
and  the  individual  family  is  becoming  more  and  more  ab- 
sorbed and  swallowed  up  in  that  greater  community  of  the 
Church,  of  which  the  "Prophet"  form3  the  controlling  centre 
and  chief  interest. 


214       Fifteen  Years  among  the,  Mormons. 

Nothing  has  so  much  surprised  me  since  my  arrival  in  the 
States,  as  the  quiet  and  delightful  peace  which  characterizes 
the  domestic  relations  of  the  Christian  families  with  whom  it 
has  been  my  privilege  to  associate ;  and  I  am  led  to  believe, 
that  this  perfect  individuality,  existing  in  each  separate  fami- 
y  in  this  Christian  land,  cemented  by  the  love  and  influence 
of  one  wife  and  mother,  is  the  real  foundation  on  which  rests 
the  future  good  of  the  State,  and  that  the  latter  will  be  safe 
and  enduring,  just  in  the  proportion  that  these  families  re- 
main as  they  are — isolated,  virtuous,  and  strong. 

We  arrived  in  due  time  at  Capt.  Brown's.  As  we  drove 
up  to  the  door  my  aunt  and  the  captain  came  out  to  meet 
us,  the  latter  saying,  in  his  pleasantest  mood,  "  Well  done, 
Nett.  I  knew  you  would  come  home  at  last,"  which  I  re- 
ceived as  an  evidence  of  a  wish  on  his  part  to  efface,  as  far  as 
possible,  the  unpleasant  recollections  connected  with  his  fail- 
ure in  getting  himself  sealed  to  me  on  a  former  occasion ; 
and  I  met  him  in  a  similar  spirit.  The  object  of  our  visit  was 
well  understood  by  them,  and  they  were  charged,  under  pri- 
vate instructions  from  the  Prophet,  with  the  general  manage- 
ment of  this  cruel  "  mission."  The  captain  exerted  himself  to 
make  our  stay  pleasant,  and  as  a  relief  against  the  harrowing 
emotions  which  oppressed  me,  I  accepted  his  efforts  in  our 
behalf.  We  had  what,  under  other  circumstances  would 
have  been  recognized  as  a  pleasant  time,  a  cheerful  and  agree- 
able company  of  invited  guests,  mingled  with  the  home  cir- 
cle, while  wit  and  humor  enlivened  the  scene,  and  plays,  and 
various  amusements,  were  the  order  of  the  evening.  It  was 
late  when  the  party  broke  up  and  we  retired,  and  not  till  then, 


Preparing  to  Entrap  an  Old  Man.        215 

when  I  attempted  to  address  myself  to  sleep,  did  it  occur  to 
me,  how,  like  a  band  of  brigands,  we  bad  demeaned  ourselves. 
Since  we  bad,  upon  tbe  eve  of  an  expedition  of  robbery,  and 
may  be  of  murder,  resorted  to  light  and  airy  amusements  to 
stifle  reflection.  Big  and  bitter  tears  came  to  my  eyes,  as  I 
reflected  that  our  Church  was  simply  a  well  organized  com- 
munity of  thieves  and  robbers,  who  were  not  appalled  by  the 
sight  of  human  blood,  when  the  success  of  our  schemes  re- 
quired that  blood  should  flow.  It  was  enough  to  know  all 
this.  It  was  enough  to  be  unable  to  escape  from  the  country, 
now  fully  under  the  control  of  men  who  counselled  and  perpe- 
trated such  crimes,  and  "from  a  religion  which  justified  them  ; 
but  it  was  too  much  to  be  an  unwilling  instrument  for  the  ac- 
complishment of  the  unworthy  aims  of  these  religious  pirates. 
I  occupied  a  bed  with  Alice,  in  a  room  which  we  had  to 
ourselves,  I  did  not  go  to  sleep  immediately  and  I  noticed 
she  was  also  awake.  Not  wishing  she  should  know  I  had 
been  crying,  I  dried  up  my  tears,  and  asked  her  if  she  was 
satisfied  with  her  lot.  She  was  not  surprised  at  tbe  question, 
for  young  as  she  was,  she  had  become  familiar  with  this  grow- 
ing discontent  among  the  women,  and  fully  understood  the 
force  of  it.  But  as  she  did  not  answer  me  at  once,  and  fear- 
ing I  had  been  overheard  by  Captain  Brown  who  occupied  a 
room  separated  from  ours  only  by  a  thin  partition,  with  his 
young  wife  Phebe,  but  eighteen  years  of  age,  I  added  in  a 
lower  tone,  that  after  all  she  had  as  yet  no  reason  to  be  dis~ 
satisfied,  since  she  was  but  a  mere  child,  and  being  a  daugh- 
ter of  the  Prophet,  she  had  less  to  fear  than  the  generality  ol 
her  sax  amon*j  us. 


216       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

"Oh!  as  for  that,"  said  she,  "I  was  just  thinking  of  the 
subject  to  which  you  refer.  I  think  if  we  all  do  as  father 
directs  us,  we  shall  soon  be  able  to  conquer  the  whole  world  : 
and  then,  Nett,  we  shall  be  queens :  and  father  says  you  shall 
have  a  great  palace,  and  many  servants,  chosen  from  among 
the  Gentiles.  He  says  he  knows  many  Gentiles  in  the  States 
who  are  good  to  work." 

"Men?"  said  I. 

"  Yes,  and  women  too.  Father  says  the  President  of  the 
United  States  will  yet  be  glad  to  black  his  boots,  when  the 
thousand  years  of  our  reign  upon  earth  commences  ;  and 
that  he  will  have  him  at  it  before  long." 

There  was  a  trace  of  the  father's  ambition  in  the  soul  of  the 

young  girl.  I  knew  she  had  been  instructed  by  her  father  to  tell 
me  this  :  and  not  daring  to  express  to  her  a  doubt  in  his  power 
as  a  Prophet  even  if  I  had  felt  it,  and  wishing  to  change  the 
conversation,  I  said  to  her,  "  but  do  you  not  love  Hiram  ?" 

"  Oh  yes,"  said  she,  "  I  think  I  do,  but  then  you  know  that 
his  present  wife,  Ellen,  is  much  better  looking  than  I  am  ;  and 
Margaret,  whom  he  is  also  courting,  is  prettier  than  either  of 
us.  Don't  you  think  he  is  fine  looking  when  he  plays  Don 
Caesar  upon  the  stage." 

"  Certainly,  I  think  a  great  deal  of  Hiram  myself,"  said  I. 

Alice  replied ;  "  and  I  fear  he  thinks  too  much  of  you,  for 
he  goes  to  your  house  every  day,  and  Ellen  tells  me  he  goes 
there  twice  a  day." 

"  Don't  you  understand,"  said  I,  "  why  he  comes  to  our 
house  ?  He  meets  Margaret  there,  as  her  mother  will  not 
allow  him  to  come  near  her  house,  or  even  speak  to  Margaret 


Preparing   ro  Entrap  an  Old  Man.        217 

[  do  not  like  to  have  them  meet  ther^,  as  I  have  no  sympa- 
thy with  this  spiritual  wife  business ;  but  mother  does  not 
think  it  best  to  prevent  it,  as  your  father  favors  their  wishes, 
and  would  most  likely  be  offended.  But  Ellen  eeems  to  be 
very  fond  of  Margaret  herself;  and  she  is  said  to  favor  the 
match. "  * 

It  was  by  this  time  late:  and  we  were  just  falling  asleep 
when  we  were  startled  by  the  shrill  notes  of  a  female  voice 
at  a  high  pitch  of  excitement,  as  it  abruptly  broke  the  still- 
ness of  the  night,  loudly  berating  some  one  f  ;r  not  going 

*  The  spiritual  wives  are  exhorted  and  instructed  to  use  their  influ- 
ence to  win  by  every  possible  means  other  "  spirituals  "  to  the  home 
of  their  husbands ;  and  this  they  often  do,  and  for  this  reason,  as 
they  say,  that  if  their  husbands  will  have  more  than  one  wife,  they 
have  a  choice,  and  they  procure  those  most  agreeable  to  them,  and 
under  such  circumstances,  the  husband  seldom  brings  home  a  wife  to 
whom  his  "  home  circle  "  objects.  The  following  is  one  of  the  "  songs 
ol  Zion  "  usee  in  their  public  worship,  the  teaching,  of  which  like 
much  of  what  is  taught  in  their  public  meetings,  inculcates  thU  *««- 
trine. 

Now,  sisters,  list  to  what  I  say  : 

With  trials  this  world  is  rife, 
You  can't  expect  to  miss  them  all, 

Help  husband  get  a  wife  ! 
Now,  this  advice  I  freely  give, 

If  exalted  you  would  be, 
Remember  that  your  husband  must 
Be  blessed  with  more  than  thee. 

Then,  oh,  let  us  say, 

God  bless  the  wife  that  strives, 
And  aids  her  husband  all  she  OKI 


218  FlFlEEN     YeAP.S    AMONG    THE   MoRMOKS. 

Lome  with  her,  "  a:  you  have  agreed  :"  said  she,  at  the  end 
of  her  first  burst  of  indignation.  We  were  very  soon 
enlightened  as  to  the  principal  ground  of  complaint :  for  she 
made  no  secret  of  it.  It  appeared  that  Captain  Brown  had 
married  as  a  "  spiritual,"  an  old  woman,  one  of  his  neighbors, 
who  was  rich  in  oxen,  sheep,  and  cows,  and,  as  rumor  said, 
he  had  taken  her  for  the  sake  of  the  property.  In  order  to 
avoid  the  annoyance  of  an  unpleasant  temper,  which  she 
was  known  to  possess,  he  consented  she  should  still  live  in  her 
own  house,  and  superintend  the  cattle,  where  from  time  to 
time  he  paid  his  devotions :  and  as  a  general  thing  he  had  not 
failed  to  do  as  he  had  "agreed."  On  this  occasion,  he  had 
been  expected  to  be  at  her  house,  but  on  account  of  having 
company,  or  from  forgetfulness,  had  neglected  it ;  and  she 
had  now  come  in  person  to  assert  wThat  claims,  and  to  enforce 
what  rights  were  due  under  the  marriage  contract. 

When  I  afterwards  saw  her,  I  was  not  surprised  at  the  dis- 
cordant tones  of  her  cracked  voice  ;  for  she  was  not  only  old, 
ugly,  and  haggish  then,  but  had  the  appearance  of  originality, 
in  the  marked  discord  of  the  form  and  feature  which  charac- 
terized her.  I  have  no  power  of  words  at  my  command  by 
wrhich  to  convey  anything  like  a  fair  description  of  the  char 
acter,  or  state  of  feeling,  indicated  by  her  manner  of  deliver- 
ing the  following  philippic,  aimed  at  Captain  Brown. 

"  You  are  mean,"  said  she,  "  you  grey  headed  old  villain. 
Mr.  Brown,  you  know  very  well,  that  you  promised  you  would 
pay  as  much  attention  to  me  as  to  any  of  your  wives :  and 
you  have  put  your  brand  upon  all — yes,  upon  every  one  of  my 
cattle  and  sheep.    I  have  told  yo ,  over  and  over  again,  that  I 


Pkepaeing  to  Entrap  an  Old  Man        219 

would  never  submit  to  be  treated  as  some  men  treat  their 
spirituals.     Now  come  along,  and  stay  at  my  bouse  to-night.'; 

"  Hush,  bush,"  said  Captain  Brown,  "  and  go  borne,  and 
mind  your  own  business.  You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  your- 
self, to  come  here  this  time  of  night,  and  raise  such  a  row 
when  we  have  company.  I'll  come  over  in  the  morning. 
You  know,  Mary,  the  business  I  have  on  my  hands,  just  now — 
that  is  the  reason  I  did  not  come  to-night." 

"  Oh,  yes ;  your  business — your  company,  always  some 
excuse     *  *     Come  now  with  me,  or  I  will " 

4<  Hold  on,"  said  the  vanquished  man  of  war,  "  I  s'pose  I 
must  go,"  muttering  in  evident  bad  humor,  and  loud  enough 
to  be  heard  by  us  : 

"  You  cross-eyed  old  fool.  You  will  get  your  walking 
papers  soon,  I  wouldn't  have  you  for  all  the  cattle  and  sheep 
in  America." 

As  he  went  off  with  his  attractive  "  spiritual,"  his  wife 
Phebe,  who  rather  more  than  hinted  that  she  was  glad  to  get 
rid  of  him,  had  a  fine  laugh  at  their  mutual  expense :  and 
when  he  was  well  out  of  ear  shot,  the  house  was  in  an  uproar 
with  the  immoderate  giggling  of  the  seven  or  eight  women, 
who  were  in  bed  under  his  roof.  They  laughed,  and  cracked 
their  jokes  upon  the  ludicrous  events  of  the  night,  until  fairly 
exhausted ;  and  would  then  calm  down,  and  compose  them- 
selves to  sleep ;  when  perhaps  some  new  criticism  upon  the  vali- 
ant captain,  and  the  cows  his  wife  had  brought  him,  would 
renew  the  boisterous  mirth  until  the  house  would  explode  in 
a  roar  of  uncontrolled  laughter  again.  None  enjoyed  it  bet- 
ter than  Phebe,  except  perhaps  Alice ;  who  although  accu9- 


220       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

tone  ad  to  the  ever  recurring  absurdities  of  Mormonism, 
thought  she  had  never  seen  anything  more  ridiculous  in  her 
life.  The  captain  had  but  few  sympathizers  among  us,  for  it 
was  well  understood  he  had  married  the  old  woman  on  account 
of  her  property,  and  the  assistance  it  would  afford  him  in 
supporting  his  other  wives.  The  house  was  finally  quiet,  and, 
one  by  one,  they  fell  asleep ;  but  for  my  own  part,  I  found 
myself  unable  for  a  long  time,  to  lose  in  the  forge tfulness 
of  grateful  slumber,  the  recollection  of  the  sad  "  mission  * 
now  upen  my  hands. 


TlOBBEEY   OF   Dk.  ROBERTS.  221 


CHAPTER    XXL 

ROBBERT   AND    PROBABLE    MURDER    OF    DR.    ROBERTS. 

It  was  late  the  following  day  when  we  awoke.  The  calm 
beauty  of  early  spring  by  which  we  were  greeted  brought 
not  its  accustomed  joy.  Hiram  returned  to  the  city,  and  con- 
trary to  my  expectations,  he  took  Alice  with  him.  I  was 
therefore  left  alone  with  my  own  thoughts,  to  work  out  the 
dark  "  mission,"  assigned  me  by  the  Prophet.  I  waited  with 
no  small  degree  of  anxiety  for  the  coming  of  Dr.  Roberts ; 
for  whatever  was  to  be  the  result  of  the  expedition,  and  whe- 
ther I  succeeded  in  giving  him  sufficient  warning  to  save  him 
or  not,  I  wished  the  unpleasant  work  off  my  hands.  Time 
passed  slowly  and  heavily  for  the  first  day  ;  but  the  second 
was  marked  by  the  passage  of  the  company  to  wrhich  he  be- 
longed, which  consisted  of  four  wagons :  oh,  how  I  longed  to 
warn  them  that  the  Doctor,  who  was  lingering  behind,  in  order 
to  effect  my  escape,  was  in  great  peril ;  but  there  was  no 
opportunity  for  that.  I  was  watched  every  moment.  A  trusty 
Mormon  eye  was  always  upon  me.  My  every  movement  was 
under  the  notice  of  some  one  in  the  interest  of  the  Prophet. 

Three  days  after  the  main  company  had  passed,  if  my  recol- 
lection is  not  at  fault  as  to  the  exact  time,  Dr.  Roberts  camo 
on,  alone,  and  called  at  Captain  Brown's,  and  inquired  for  me. 


222        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

He  brought  a  letter  purporting  to  be  from  my  mother  ;  which 
was  according  to  our  previous  arrangements.  I  took  the  let- 
ter, and  after  reading  it,  told  my  aunt  in  his  presence,  that  my 
mother  had  sent  for  me,  and  that  I  was  going  home  with  this 
gentleman,  who  I  had  introduced  to  her  as  Dr.  Roberts.  He 
thereupon  said  he  wrould  call  for  me  towards  night.  While 
my  aunt  knew  all  the  Doctor  had  done,  or  proposed  to  do,  she 
received  him  with  well-dissembled  indifference,  and  very  inno- 
cently asked  him  if  he  was  a  Mormon,  and  other  questions 
tending  to  disarm  him  of  suspicion.  No  one  among  us  was 
so  badly  informed  of  what  was  going  on  as  the  Doctor,  and  his 
own  movements  even  were  directed  by  Brigham  Young, 
through  Mormons,  who  under  his  instructions,  pretended  to  be 
the  Doctor's  friends. 

About  dark  of  the  same  day,  Dr.  Roberts  returned  with 
a  very  fine  carriage,  from  the  direction  of  the  city.  It 
was  covered,  and  drawn  by  two  fine  horses.  The  whole  estab- 
lishment was  well  arranged  for  the  journey  for  which  it  was 
designed,  and  particularly  adapted  to  the  occupation  of 
females.  It  occurred  to  me  at  the  time,  that  I  had  never 
seen  anything  so  pleasant  and  comfortable.  I  was  now 
racked  by  the  bitterest  anxieties.  I  had  supposed  Alice  was 
to  go  with  me,  as  I  could  not  believe  they  would  trust  me  alone 
with  the  victim,  for  the  Prophet  knew  I  would  give  him  warn 
ing.  But  Alice  had  been  sent  back  to  the  city,  for  some  reason 
I  did  not  at  the  time  understand.  I  now  believed  I  was  to  go 
alone ;  and  I  trembled  with  excitement  at  the  prospect  of 
being  able  to  to  put  him  on  his  guard,  if  it  was  not  already 
too  late  to  do  so.     It  was  a  cloudy  night,  and  was  quite  dark 


Robbery  of  Dr.  Roberts.  223 

when  I  stepped  into  the  carriage,  which  drove  off  at  once,  at 
full  speed,  while  hardly  a  word  was  spoken  ;  and  I  did  not  at 
first  observe  that  I  was  not  alone.  I  soon  made  the  discovery, 
however,  that  I  had  company,  and  that  Ellen,  the  wife  of 
Hiram  Clauson,  was  with  me.  Ellen  was  about  seventeen — 
small,  delicate,  modest,  and  very  pretty.  It  was  difficult  for 
me  to  judge  from  appearances,  whether  Ellen  or  myself  was 
most  astonished.  At  first  I  was  perfectly  confounded,  but  a 
moment's  reflection  restored  my  self-command,  and  then  it 
occurred  to  me  why  Alice  had  been  sent  back  to  the  city, 
and  that  beyond  question  she  had  accompanied  us  in  the  first 
instance,  by  the  Prophet's  directions,  only  to  watch  me. 
When  my  first  surprise  was  over,  I  said,  "  Ellen,  where  are 
you  going  in  She  pressed  my  hand  tightly,  as  a  hint  of  cau- 
tion, and  said,  in  a  tone  of  voice  louder  than  she  was  in  the 
habit,  of  speaking : 

"  Oh,  you  kr.ow  my  father,  John  Smith  ?  Well  he  is  de- 
termined I  shall  marry  Brigham  Young,  and  I  accidentally 
learned  yesterday  that  this  old  gentleman  was  to  start  for 
California  to-day,  and  I  went  to  him  this  morning  before  day- 
light, to  tell  him  my  situation,  and  that  I  wished,  if  possible, 
to  escape  a  fate  I  so  much  dread.  He  has  consented  to  take 
me  on  with  him.  For  which,  may  he  be  blessed  of  Heaven. 
My  family  think  I  am  at  the  lower  part  of  the  city,  washing 
at  my  sister's,  and  they  do  not  expect  me  at  home  for  several 
days ,  and  by  the  time  I  am  missed,  we  shall  be  beyond  their 
reach,  and  if  we  are  not,  then  they  will  be  unable  to  tell 
whether  we  have  gone  east  or  west.  So  I  think  we  shall 
have  no  difficulty  in  making  our  escape." 


224       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

For  an  understanding  of  our  position,  I  have  only  to  slate, 
that  Ellen  was  the  daughter  of  Orson  Spenser,  a  well  known 
Mormon  in  the  city,  and  not  of  John  Smith,  as  she  had 
represented.  I  saw  at  once  the  Doctor  was  lost ;  at  least 
it  was  not  within  my  power  to  save  him.  Probably  the 
Danites  were  already  before  and  around  us. 

The  old  man,  who  had  listened  with  attention  to  Ellen's 
story,  said,  when  she  had  finished.,  "  I  am  aware  there  is  a 
great  risk  in  this  business,  but  we  shall  soon  be  met  by  two 
men,  who  will  pilot  us  to  the  camp  of  my  party,  where  we 
shall  find  those  who  will  protect  us,  although  at  the  peril  of 
life.  But  for  the  present,  not  a  word  ;  we  will  talk  when  in 
some  safer  place." 

Our  course  lay  directly  north  from  Ogden. 

The  team  sped  on  through  the  darkness ;  the  way  led  us 
for  the  most  part  through  the  timber.  The  road  was  gene- 
rally good,  but  there  were  in  some  places  ditches  and  small 
streams  to  cross,  and  we  bounded  on,  and  over  them  in  a 
manner,  and  with  a  success  that  was  quite  miraculous.  The 
horses  were  well  chosen,  I  should  judge,  for  while  they  were 
easily  managed  by  the  Doctor,  they  yet  flew  over  the  ground, 
as  if  inspired  with  the  high  duty  they  had  in  charge,  even  the 
"mission"  of  our  escape.  The  Doctor  was  perfectly  self- 
possessed,  and  seemed  to  be  nerved  to  the  highest  pitch  of 
firm  resolve.  He  must  have  carefully  studied  the  route,  with 
the  new  of  driving  over  it  at  ni^ht.  His  whole  soul  was 
thrown  into  the  management  of  the  horses.  Between  him 
an  I  the  noble  animals,  one  would  think,  there  existed  a  corn- 
iron  sympathy ;  for  they  obeyed  kindly  his  softest  whisper 


EODBKRY    OF    Dr.  RoBKRTS.  225 

of  caution,  and  sprang  forward  at  Lis  faintest  chirrup.  On 
we  flew.  For  a  time  my  soul  was  in  agony.  I  felt  it  was 
too  cruel  to  remain  an  impassive  spectator  to  the  sacrifice  of 
the  brave  old  man,  who  had  so  generously  staked  his  all,  in 
order  to  rescue  two  women,  personally  strangers  to  him ;  and 
it  wrung  my  soul  none  the  less,  when  I  reflected,  that  he  had 
undertaken  this  on  account  of  the  gratitude  he  bore  my 
father. 

The  cool  ni^ht-air  that  laved  mv  burning  cheek  and  tern- 
pies,  now  on  fire  with  despair,  whispered  consolation  at  last. 
For  it  told  me,  after  the  first  flush  of  excitement  was  over, 
that  so  much  nobleness  of  effort  could  not  be  lost.  A  better 
Providence  certainly  must,  and  wrould  interfere  to  save  the 
good  old  man.  Then  the  crushing  weight  of  despair  gave 
way  to  the  healthy  excitement  of  hope ;  and  my  brain  grew 
calm,  and  I  cooly  entered  into  the  estimate  of  chances.  But 
there  was  little  ground  for  hope.  Indeed,  the  more  I  reasoned 
upon  what  I  knew,  the  more  the  visible  prospect  for  his 
escape  lessened.  The  very  fact  that  Ellen  had  been  sent  by 
Brigham  Young,  under  the  pretense  of  seeking  protection, 
but  really  in  order  to  watch  me,  proved  the  Danites  had  the 
matter  in  hand.  Oh,  the  events  of  that  night,  and  the  swift 
ride  through  the  darkness,  were  scorched  upon  my  very  soul, 
to  last  forever. 

I  have  no  idea  how  far  we  had  been  speeding  on,  when  the 
Doctor,  whose  ears  and  eyes  were  ever  upon  the  stretch, 
said  suddenly,  with  an  air  of  satisfaction,  "All  is  well  now,  the 
men  are  coming  to  protect  us  against  the  miserable  villains 
that  inhabi-   this  territory. " 

10* 


22G        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

Ellen  asked  quickly,  "Doctor,  can  you  distinguish  the  color 
of  their  horses !" 

"  Why,  yes,"  said  he,  after  a  moment's  pause,  4C  one  horse 
is  white,  and  that  rather  stumps  me,  for  neither  of  our  men 
had  white  horses." 

She  gave  me  a  nudge,  and  used  an  expression,  which, 
though  it  did  not  reach  the  Doctor's  ears,  sealed  in  my  mind 
the  doom  of  the  brave  old  man.  "But,"  continued  the  Doc- 
tor, after  a  moment  of  thoughtful  silence,  "  don't  be  frightened. 
If  I  wrere  a  woman,  I  should  much  rather  fall  into  the  arms 
of  death,  than  into  the  arms  of  these  villains.  But  here  they 
come,  and  are  strangers  too  ;  at  least  to  me."  The  strangers, 
as  the  Doctor  called  them,  were  two  men  on  horseback,  who 
now  approached  us,  and  one  of  them  said,  as  our  carriage 
came  to  a  stand  still : 

"  I  suppose  you  belong  to  the  company  ahead,  sir  ?  This 
is  rather  a  dangerous  place  in  which  to  be  found  alone  at 
this  time  of  night."  _ 

"I  do  belong  to  that  company.  Can  you  tell  me  how  far 
ahead  they  are  ?"  replied  the  Doctor. 

"  Oh,  much  farther,  my  friend,  than  you  will  be  able  to 
get." 

"  I  am  quite  sure,"  returned  the  old  man,  with  assumed 
indifference,  "  they  are  not  far  off." 

"  No,  I  suppose  not,"  replied  one  of  them  ;  "  but  that  is  no 
sign  you  will  ever  see  them,  you  old  kidnapper." 

"  Who  have  I  kidnapped  ?"  asked  the  Doctor,  who  grew 
everv  moment  more  resolute,  as  he  saw  the  danger  increas- 
ing. 


Robbery  of  Dr.  Roberts.  227 

44  My  wife,"  said  Hiram  Clauson  ;  "  and  my  niece,"  roared 
Captain  Brown — both  in  the  same  breath,  for  they  were 
the  Danite  horsemen  who  now  obstructed  our  further  pro- 
gress. 

I  watched  the  old  man  closely  at  this  juncture ;  and  if 
I  had  respected  the  honorable  benevolence  of  my  dead  father's 
friend  before,  I  now  had  cause  to  admire  his  manly  courage. 
His  grey  hair,  and  flashing  eyes,  were  clearly  visible  in  the 
darkness.  His  left  hand  grasped  the  reins,  and  the  spasmodic 
motion  conveyed  to  them  by  the  quick  panting  of  the  horses, 
showed  how  firmly  he  had  them  in  hand,  ready  for  a  dash 
onward,  while  his  right  hand  rested  upon  an  inside  pocket  on 
the  left  breast.  I  saw  there  was  not  a  moment  to  be  lost,  and  I 
said,  intending  to  be  heard  only  by  him,  "  Do  not  shoot,  for 
undoubtedly  there  are  others  near." 

"  Has  he  attempted  to  shoot,"  anxiously  inquired  Captain 
Brown,  at  the  same  time  sidling  off  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
put  us  between  his  tall  military  figure  and  the  Doctor. 

"  No  "  said  I,  "  but  I  was  afraid  he  might  attempt  it,  but  I 
think  I  may  have  been  mistaken." 

The  valiant  Captain  Brown,  now  somewhat  reassured 
by  finding  our  persons  between  him  and  the  Doctor,  said 
briskly  enough,  "  Here,  Nett,  you  and  Ellen  take  our  horses, 
and  we  will  attend  to  the  dimes ;  and  when  we  get  through 
we  will  overtake  you." 

While  we  were  being  handed  into  the  saddles  the  men  had 
left,  the  Doctor  sat  as  before  unmoved,  and  remained  so,  as  we 
judged,  until  we  were  out  of  hearing.  Whether  he  after- 
v  ards  offered  any  resistance  or  not,  I  never  knew ;  but  I  am 


228        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

satisfied  that  Capt.  Brown  would  have  been  sent  to  his  long 
account,  and  his  eight  wives  made  widows  that  night,  had  my 
caution  been  delayed  but  a  moment  longer. 

We  moved  slowly  down  the  road  in  the  direction  of  home, 
until  fully  out  of  hearing;  and  then  halted.  When  we  dare 
speak  above  a  whisper,  I  said,  "  Ellen,  what  will  they  do  ? 
Will  they  kill  him  ?  Oh  !  if  the  people  of  the  States  knew  of 
the  proceedings  in  this  Territory,  they  would  send  an  army, 
and  destroy  us,  as  we  deserve." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Ellen,  "  if  they  knew ;  but  they  do  not, 
and  never  will.  We  are  secure  among  these  rocky  mountains. 
Besides,  this  territory  is  so  remote,  that  no  trifling  matter 
will  be  noticed  by  the  Government.  A  great  many  crimes 
must  be  committed,  and  proof  positive  must  be  furnished, 
which  will  be  difficult,  with  everything  in  the  hands  of  the 
Church,  before  we  shall  be  called  to  an  account.  Much  blood 
has,  and  must  be  shed  before  the  Government  can  get  a  clue 
to  the  facts  of  the  case,  as  all  these  murders  are  charged  to 
the  Indians,  and  there  is  no  evidence  to  the  contrary.  More 
over,  the  '  Danites '  take  care  that  all  proof  against  them  is  de- 
stroyed. Take  for  instance  this  case.  If  they  kill  Dr.  Eoberts, 
even  his  own  company  cannot  show  it  was  not  the  work  of 
the  Indians — if  indeed  the  company  have  not  been  murdered 
also,  as  they  very  likely  have,  or  will  be,  as  they  were  but  a 
small  party,  and  knew  the  business  of  Dr.  Eoberts  at  the 
city.  The  Danites  will  regard  even  this  a  dangerous  know- 
ledge to  pas*  out  of  the  territory  in  the  possession  of '  Gentiles.' " 

We  now  listened  attentively  for  some  sound,  which  should 
indicate  the  fate  of  our  friend  ;  but  nothing  could  be  heard 


Robbery  df  Dr.  Roberts.  229 

from  that  direction.  The  wind  beoran  to  blow  with  violence, 
and  moaned  dismally  through  the  forest.  Of  course  oui 
imagination  conjured  up  the  most  horrible  images.  We  dis- 
mounted, and  cowered  close  together  upon  the  ground,  hold- 
ing the  horses  by  the  bridles. 

Although  it  seldom  rains  in  this  climate,  yet  it  did  on  this 
occasion.  While  we  were  there  waiting,  I  took  occasion  to 
ask  Ellen  how  and  why  she  came  there.  She  replied,  draw- 
ing herself  closely  to  iny  side,  "  I  came,  first,  because  brother 
Brigham  thought  it  would  be  too  bad  for  you  to  £0  alone  on 
such  an  expedition.  After  you  and  Alice  had  left  the  city 
with  my  husband  for  Capt.  Brown's,  brother  Brigham  and 
Burton  came  to  our  house,  and  told  me  where  you  had  gone, 
and  explained  the  object  of  your  mission.  They  then  direct- 
ed me  to  go  to  Hawkin's  Tavern,  where  Dr.  Eoberts  was 
stopping,  and  say  to  him  what  I  have  before  told  ypu  in  his 
presence.  The  Doctor  was  greatly  moved  at  my  story.  He 
was  somewhat  embarrassed  at  first  to  know  what  to  do;  but 
as  he  believed  what  I  said,  he  pitied  me,  and  consented  that 
I  should  go  with  him,  and  I  came  as  you  have  seen." 

Soon  after  she  had  finished  her  account  of  the  matter,  we 
heard  the  men  coming  ;  and  when  they  approached  us,  Capt. 
Brown  asked  if  we  had  been  afraid ;  and  to  rally  and  cheer 
us,  he  said  to  me,  "  Your  are  a  brave  captain,  Nett ;  and 
when  you  want  a  larger  company,  you  shall  have  it." 

To  which  Iliram  replied,  "  She  is  a  better  leader  now  than 
Toiler  Rockwell,  for  he  is  always  sending  men  to  do  these 
things,  but  never  goes  himself."  I  listened  to  this  trifling  in 
silence.     I  had  no  heart  to  speak.     There  was  nothing  that  I 


230        Fifteen  Years  among  tue  Mormons. 

could  do  now,  as  the  Doctor  was  probably  already  dead,  or  at 
least  beyond  my  assistance ;  and  for  the  moment  I  would 
gladly  have  died  with  him.  I  regretted,  in  the  excess  of  my 
grief,  that  I  had  interfered  to  prevent  his  fighting  it  out,  as 
he  had  no  doubt  designed  to  do  at  first.  Ellen,  now  that 
all  was  over,  regretted  the  part  she  had  felt  herself  forced 
to  take  in  the  affair.  With  a  show  of  sadness  I  had  never  be- 
fore seen  her  exhibit,  and  of  which  I  supposed  her  incapable, 
she  said  to  Hiram,  "What  have  you  done  with  the  good 
Doctor?" 

Her  husband  was  about  to  reply,  and  in  fact  commenced 
to  state  what  had  been  his  fate,  when  Capt.  Brown  checked 
him,  saying,  "  Silence,  Hiram,  until  we  see  Brigham.  They 
do  not  care  about  knowing  yet." 

"  If  he  is  dead,  I  do  not  wish  to  know  it,"  said  I. 

No  further  reply  was  made,  and  with  a  shudder,  we  each 
mounted  behind  one  of  the  men,  whose  hands  as  I  supposed, 
and  still  believe,  were  stained  with  innocent  blood,  and 
rode  through  the  darkness  towards  home;  and  at  three 
o'clock  the  next  morning,  we  arrived  at  Ogden  city,  and 
were  set  down  at  Capt.  Brown's  door.  We  glided,  like  guilty 
spectres,  away  to  bed  in  silence ;  and  the  next  morning,  a 
spring  day,  calm  and  beautiful,  broke  as  peacefully  upon  us  as 
if  the  night  which  preceded  it  had  not  been  devoted  to  the 
commission  of  a  crime,  which  for  deliberate  cruelty  and  pre- 
meditation  was  without  a  parallel. 

Capt.  Brown  and  Hiram  Clauson  were  absent  for  several 
days,  as  I  supposed  on  some  further  business  connected  with 
our  late  mission ;  and  we  were  consequently  left  during  this 


EOBBEKY   OF   Dk.  EoBERTS.  231 

lime  at  Ogden,  as  we  could  not  return  to  the  city  until  they 
found  time  to  take  us.  After  three  days,  Hiram  came  back 
in  company  with  Oapt.  Brown ;  and  then  we  were  taken 
home,  where  I  was  glad  to  go  once  more,  and  find  myself 
free  from  a  forced  participation  in  the  crimes  which  I  now 
knew  to  be  the  principal  business  of  the  Heads  of  the  Church 
to  concoct,  and  the  "  Danites  "  to  execute. 

It  was  with  bitter  tears  that  I  told  my  mother  what  I  had 
seen,  and  what  I  supposed  had  been  done  with  the  Doctor — 
with  the  grey-haired  old  man,  whose  only  crime  had  been 
that  he  had  not  forgotten  the  widow  and  the  children  of  his 
dead  friend. 

We  still  believed  in  Mormonism,  as  we  had  originally  ac- 
cepted it,  and  we  still  believed  in  the  Prophet,  as  the  visible 
Head  of  the  Church,  because  we  knew  no  other;  but  we 
could  not  believe  the  crimes  of  the  Church  were  necessarily 
a  part  of  Mormonism.  "  We  have  fallen,"  my  mother  said, 
44  upon  evil  times ;  and  if  the  Prophet  Joseph  were  alive,  these 
wicked  men  would  not  bear  rule." 

But  what  could  two  women  do  ?  We  dare  not  even  speak 
to  my  brother  Howard  upon  this  subject,  and  I  have  no  rea- 
son to  believe  he  knew  of  it ;  and  if  he  did,  the  control  of  the 
Prophet  over  him  was  so  absolute,  that  he  would  have  re- 
garded his  "counsel"  as  above  crime.  I  noticed  that  my 
mother,  who  up  to  this  time  had  held  her  age  remarkably 
well,  began  to  break ;  and  she  never  recovered  fully  from  the 
shock  occasioned  by  the  disappearance  of  Dr.  Roberts.* 

*  The  author  deems  it  due  to  the  subject  of  this  narrative  to  state, 
that  he  has  given  the  facts  of  the  foregoing  case  of  Dr.  Roberts  as  they 


232        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

were  given  to  him,  without  a  wish,  or  an  effort  to  extenuate  or  lessen 
the  responsibility  that  justly  attaches  to  all  who,  even  by  implication, 
countenance  the  commission  of  such  a  crime.  But  the  candid  reader 
cannot  fail  to  notice,  that  while  at  first  sight  she  is  apparently  culpa- 
ble, when  adjudged  upon  a  strict  construction  of  acknowledged  rules 
of  moral  ethics,  yet  there  are  many  and  weighty  considerations  which 
may  and  should  be  urged  in  her  behalf. 

First,  she  makes  an  exposition  herself  of  this  crime.  In  simple 
frankness,  she  reveals  a  crime,  in  which  she  was  forced  to  participate 
by  the  Prophet,  whose  influence  she  saw  no  means  of  evading.  This 
%ct  alone  should  secure  her,  at  least,  our  candid  sympathy. 

Next,  had  she  refused  to  render  the  assistance  demanded  of  her  in 
carrying  out  the  "  mission,"  to  which  she  had  been  assigned  by  the 
Prophet,  she  would  have  lost  her  own  life,  without  saving  that  of  the 
Doctor,  The  Prophet  and  his  "  Danites "  could,  and  would  have 
found  other  means  of  effecting  their  cruel  purpose. 

Again,  we  have  to  consider  that  at  this  time  Mrs.  Smith  was  in  a 
transition  state  of  mind — just  emerging  towards  the  light — still  within 
the  dark  and  foggy  labyrinths  of  her  Mormon  faith,  though  struggling 
with  a  half-formed  wish  to  escape  from  it.  Had  she  entertained  at 
this  time  a  clear,  well-grounded  doubt  of  the  Prophet's  power  to  curse 
her  in  the  world  to  come,  as  well  as  in  this,  there  would  be  a  pro- 
priety, which  does  not  exist  now,  in  expecting  her,  a  mere  woman,  to 
stand  up  in  opposition  to  the  whole  power  of  the  Church.  On  this 
point  she  says,  chap.  19:  "Although  I  doubted  and  rebelled  against 
the  new  forms  our  faith  was  assuming,  etc.,  yet  no  question  of  the 
legitimate  and  fundamental  principles  of  Mormonism  had  been  serious- 
ly entertained  by  me."  This  shows  in  a  clear  light  the  cruel  fact, 
that  a  well-fanned  fanaticism,  and  the  fear  of  ghostly  penalties,  and 
such  like  bonds,  constitute  the  magic  wand  of  the  Prophet's  power 
among  the  conscientious  adherents  to  this  delusion. 

The  question  is  not,  whether  this  was  a  crime,  judged  by  our 
standard,  for  on  this  point  there  can  be  no  doubt,  but  whether  it  was 


ROBBERY   OF    Dr.  BoBERTS.  233 

one  when  judged  by  the  standard  which  she  acknowledged  ;  and 
whether,  to  do  this,  or  to  disobey  the  Prophet,  was  the  greater  crime 
— she  being  still  tried  by  the  same  standard  ?  And  lastly,  admitting 
the  strongest  possible  case  that  can  be  stated  against  her — admitting 
that  she  had  shown  herself  on  other  occasions  a  woman  of  firmness, 
capable  of  sacrificing  her  life,  even,  for  what  she  felt  to  be  right,  as 
when  she  took  the  poison  in  self-defence  against  the  butcher  Jones, 
and  admitting  that  she  was  bound  to  do  so  in  this  case,  yet  it  should 
be  remembered,  that  the  same  human  nature  that  is  equal  to  great 
efforts  and  strong  self-reliance  at  certain  times,  is  also  subject  to  its 
moments  of  weakness ;  and  at  the  worst,  this  was  but  one  of  these. 
Upon  the  whole,  whatever  may  be  the  opinion  as  to  what  Mrs.  SniUu 
should  have  done,  the  story  of  Dr.  Roberts  leaves  no  doubt  as  to  what 
she  did  do;  an  I  it  furnishes  internal  evidence  of  the  highest  order 
of  the  truth  oc.  her  narrative 


234       Fifteen  1:eaes  among  the  Mormoks. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 


SEALED  FOR  TIME. 


The  short  time  that  elapsed  between  the  events  narrated 
in  the  last  chapter  and  my  marriage,  passed  drearily  and 
slowly  enough,  notwithstanding  my  mind  was  more  or  less 
occupied  with  the  preparations  necessary  for  it.  That  one  re- 
membrance of  the  old  man,  who,  with  his  firm,  honest  look, 
and  his  white  hair  streaming  in  the  wind,  I  last  saw  in  the 
hands  of  the  "  Danites,"  was  ever  before  me,  to  disturb  my 
life  with  a  vague  fear,  that  the  Prophet  might  again  "  coun 
sel "  me  to  assist  in  the  perpetration  of  some  similar  crime,  I 
was  therefore  greatly  relieved,  when  Smith  arrived  from  his 
farm,  w7ith  the  required  recommendation  of  his  bishop. 

I  have  before  stated,  that  no  marriage  can  be  celebrated 
without  a  written  recommendation  *  from  the  bishop  under 

*  This  recommendation  must  be  accompanied  by  the  proper  tithing 
receipts.  The  following  is  a  true  copy  from  the  original  one  received 
by  Mr.  Smith : 

"  This  certifies  that  I  received  the  following  articles  of  Reuben  P.  Smith,  on 
Tithing : 
September  18th,  185 1,  by  1  day's  work,  labor  Tithing  •       .       .        .  $1  50 


Sealed  for  Time. 

whose  jurisdiction  the  male  party  lives ;  and  when  this  is 
obtained,  no  legal  objection  exists  to  his  marriage.  With 
this  Mr.  Smith  was  provided,  directed  to  the  bishop  of  our 
ward,  and  thus  he  stood  fully  endorsed,  as  a  Mormon  whose 
orthodoxy  was  not  to  be  questioned. 

Andrew  Cunningham  had  succeeded  Jones  as  the  bishop 
of  the  ward  in  which  we  lived.  He  therefore  came  with  Mr. 
Smith  to  my  mother's  house,  and  "  sealed  us  for  time."  It 
will  be  remembered  I  had  already  been  sealed  to  Jones  for 
eternity,  which  carries  with  it  no  wifely  obligation,  hence  I 
was  at  liberty  to  marry  a  husband  for  time.  The  bishop 
generally  does  the  "  sealing  "  of  this  kind  ;  but  none  but  the 
Heads  of  the  Church  can  seal  for  eternity,  and  this  is  usu- 
ally done  by  the  Prophet. 

We  were  married  in  the  morning,  quietly,  in  the  presence 
of  a  few  neighbors,  not  wishing  to  create  any  excitement,  as 
we  knew  the  whole  Church  were  watching  us  with  something 
of  distrust.  It  wras  generally  believed  by  those  who  knew 
my  history,  that  I  would  not  be  likely  to  marry  any  man 
who  was  a  Mormon  in  good  faith ;  at  least  not  one  who  be- 

October    12th,  1851,  by  1  day's  work,  labor  Tithing,        .       .       .        .  $1  50 

"        13th,  "  "    1  day's    do         do        do 1  50 

December  ISth,  "  "   K  ton  of  Hay, 2  50 

January   27th,  u  "    8  bu.  &  11  lbs.  wheat  on  wheat  Tithing,       .        .  12  271 

"         "  "  "    5  bu.  &  30  lbs.  wheat  on  Property  Tithing,           .  8  25 

March       31st,  "  "    1  day's  work  abor  Tithing, 1  50 

April  1st  k  2d,  "  "    H  day's  work    do.        do 2  25 

u           22d,  "  "    60  feet  lumber,  at  6  cts  a  foot,      .        .        .        .  8  60 

"  Pleasant  Grove  Ward,  Utah  Co.,  U.  T. 

"  GEORGE  S.  CLARK,  Bishop. 
M  April  20th,  1852.  »  Per  WM.  G.  STERRETT,  Clerk." 


236       Fifteen  Teaks  among  the  Mokmons. 

lieved  in  the  spiritua.  wifeism.  The  fact,  therefore,  that  ) 
wished  to  marry  Reuben  P.  Smith,  who,  it  was  well  known, 
came  to  Utah  as  a  Gentile,  had  the  effect  to  raise  a  doubt  as 
to  the  genuineness  of  his  conversion,  and  to  keep  us  both  be- 
fore the  public  mind. 

After  the  ceremony  was  over,  we  went  to  my  brothel 
Howard's  to  dinner.  "When  we  arrived  there,  I  introduced 
Mr.  Smith  to  Martha  and  Howard,  as  my  husband,  which 
was  the  first  they  knew  of  our  marriage.  It  so  happened 
that  Luna,  a  little  daughter  of  the  Prophet,  was  in  the  room, 
and  when  she  comprehended  what  had  happened,  she  ran 
home  at  once,  and  told  her  mother  that  "Nett  had  just  been 
married  to  that  fellow  Smith."  Children  always  echo  the 
true  sentiment  that  governs  at  home,  and  speak  openly  what 
older  heads  strive  to  conceal.  This  remark  of  the  little  girl 
showed  the  state  of  feeling  in  the  Prophet's  family  towards  us. 
In  less  than  half  an  hour  the  room  was  full  of  goers  and 
comers,  to  wish  us  joy  upon  the  occasion.  The  Prophet  sent 
us  word,  when  he  understood  that  we  had  been  married  in 
that  quiet  way,  that  he  should  insist  upon  our  having  a  grand 
wedding  yet ;  and  that  he  would  make  us  one  at  the  Coun- 
cil-house, as  this  would  be  the  most  suitable  room  for  the 
occasion,  being  large  and  commodious.  This  is  the  Hall, 
since  used  as  a  court  house. 

Coming  from  the  Prophet,  this  had  a  peculiar  significance, 
as  it  proved  that  while  he  had  us  under  "  advisement,"  he  was 
still  willing  to  treat  us.  openly,  as  if  we  were  true  to  the  faith. 
Pacific  measures  of  this  kind,  gracefully  executed,  was  a  lead* 
ing   characteristic  of  this  man,  who  as  Prophet  and  Chief 


Sealed  for  Time.  237 

Pontiff,  has  governed  the  Church,  made  up  of  the  most  dis* 
cordant  elements,  for  years,  wLh  a  success  unparalleled  in  the 
administration  of  human  affairs. 

Mr.  Smith,  while  he  saw  the  necessity  of  humoring  the  pub- 
lic sentiment  upon  that  subject,  which  means  the  sentiment 
of  the  Prophet,  felt  even  this  to  be  an  intrusion  upon  bis 
rights.  He  therefore,  with  an  apparent  cordiality,  offered  to 
pay  the  expenses  of  the  wedding,  but  told  me  privately  he 
bad  no  idea  of  giving  the  thing  countenance  by  his  presence, 
as  he  should  take  care  not  to  get  back  from  his  farm  in  time. 
lie  however  left  money  to  procure  for  me  a  proper  dress  for 
the  occasion,  in  case  he  should  change  his  mind  upon  the 
subject,  and  return. 

The  Prophet  had  the  Hall  fitted  up  in  a  style  of  unusual 
splendor,  and  when  the  time  arrived,  sent  his  own  carriage, 
known  in  the  city  as  the  Prophet's  omnibus,  drawn  by  four 
fine  horses,  gaily  ornamented,  to  bring  in  the  guests.  When 
the  company  had  assembled,  and  everything  was  ready  for  the 
opening  of  the  dance,  the  omnibus  came  for  us,  accompanied 
by  the  full  band  of  music.  But  Smith  had  not  arrived.  This 
was  at  two  o'clock  ;  and  they  returned  in  like  state  at  four, 
and  were  still  more  disappointed  in  not  finding  him.  I  then 
sent  word  that  some  unforeseen  obstacle  had  probably  pre- 
vented his  return  to  the  city,  and  that  I  trusted  the  assembled 
company  would  enjoy  the  festivities  of  the  occasion,  none  the 
less  on  account  of  our  disappointment. 

Before  Smith  left  I  advised  him  to  return,  and  attend  the 
party,  as  it  would  have  a  tendency  to  disarm  the  prejudice  I 
knew  to  exist  against  him  in  the  Church  ;  but  he  had  not 


238        Fiftpen  Ykaks  among  the  Mohmons. 

then  fully  decided  what  to  do.  I  therefore  had  hoped  up  tc 
the  last  moment,  that  he  would  return,  which  I  then  believed 
to  be  the  most  advisable  course,  and  I  still  think  it  would 
have  been  to  our  advantage.  About  dark,  Edmond  Ellsworth 
came  from  the  Hall,  with  a  carriage,  to  inquire  further  after 
us,  and  I  begged  him  not  to  come  again,  as  I  had  now  given 
up  all  hope  of  Smith's  coming.  I  was  by  this  time  much 
alarmed,  fearing  the  Prophet  would  divine  his  real  motive  in 
keeping  away. 

About  nine  o'clock,  Smith  arrived,  aud  came  in  with  as 
much  unconcern  as  if  he  had  no  personal  interest  in  attend- 
ing his  own  wedding.  He  said,  "  they  appear  to  be  having  a 
fine  time  in  the  Hall  at  our  expense ;  but  they  are  wel- 
come." 

"  But  are  you  not  going  ?"  said  Lizzie. 

"  Not  this  time,  sis." 

" Oh  !  vou  must"  said  Lizzie.  " Thev  will  never  forgive 
you,  after  going  to  so  much  trouble  and  expense  for  your 
wedding.     You  will  offend  everybody." 

"I  will  pay  the  expense,"  said  Smith,  "and  as  for  the 
balance,  the  poor  old  Doctor's  bones  should  satisfy  them." 

My  mother,  who  was  fearful  of  the  consequences,  urged 
Smith  to  go;  but  he  utterly  refused;  and  while  I  admired 
his  manly  courage,  and  the  generous  tribute  he  thus  paid  to 
the  memory  of  Dr.  Roberts,  I  trembled,  when  I  reflected  how 
it  might  possibly  affect  us. 

The  Doctor's  fate  had  made  a  deep  impression  upon  his 
mind,  and  he  said  it  would  be  barbarous  to  join  in  such  festi- 
vities, with  the  "  brigands "  who  had  robbed  and  probably 


Sealed  for  Time.  239 

murdered  the  friend  of  my  father.  I  think  I  am  justified  in 
saying,  that  Mr.  Smith,  in  this,  as  in  everything  else,  was 
actuated  by  the  most  lofty  sentiments  of  honor,  and  true 
manhood. 

He  then  wished  me  to  dress  as  if  I  was  going  to  the  party. 
I  did  so,  and  mother  spread  the  cloth  for  a  supper  of  cold 
meat  and  potatoes,  and  we  were  not  without  a  pleasant,  if 
not  a  joyous  evening.  Although  we  had  no  music  and  dancing, 
we  were  acting  in  good  faith  with  ourselves,  and  I  was  con- 
tent to  abide  my  husband's  judgment. 

The  next  day  the  Prophet  sent  his  daughter  Luna,  to 
ask  me  to  come  and  see  him.  He  had  heard  that  we  were 
going  to  California,  and  it  was  about  this  he  wished  to 
M  counsel  "  me.  I  asked  my  husband  what  I  should  do,  and 
after  some  consideration  he  directed  me  to  go. 

When  I  arrived  at  his  house,  he  received  me  with  his  usual 
cordiality,  and  said  : 

"  Nett,  do  you  intend  to  go  to  California  ?" 

"  I  am  not  sure  yet.     Perhaps," 

"Well,"  said  Brigham,  "  you  never  can  go;  so  you  had 
better  not  start.  Do  you  understand  me  clearly  ?  If  you  set 
out  you  will  never  reach  California.  That  is  entirely  too 
much  for  you  to  expect.  If  Smith  wishes  to  go,  tell  him  to 
go  on,  but  he  can't  take  you." 

I  was  so  perfectly  astonished  at  this  "  counsel,"  that  with- 
out making  any  reply,  or  evincing  any  feeling  upon  the  sub- 
ject, I  went  home  in  anguish  of  spirit,  and  related  to  my 
husband  what  the  Prophet  had  said.  I  shall  not  attempt 
to  describe  the  effect  of  this  upon  Smith.     It  was  a  terrible 


210        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

blow  to  us  both.  The  fact  was  now  fully  realized  by  us  for 
the  first  time,  that  the  Prophet  dare  not  allow  me  to  leave 
the  territory.  He  was  aware  I  knew  too  much  to  be  trusted 
beyond  the  influence  of  the  Church. 

Smith  had  a  drove  of  cattle,  of  which  he  wished  to  dispose, 
and  it  was  at  length  thought  best  for  him  to  go  on  to  Cali- 
fornia alone,  and  return  after  effecting  a  sale  of  them.  He 
therefore  left  me  for  that  object  about  fifteen  days  after  our 
marriage,  and  was  absent  three  months.  After  his  return,  we 
made  another  attempt  to  go  to  California,  which,  as  will  be 
oseii,  signally  failed. 


Intrigues  of  Bright  Young,  2*1 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

INTRIGUES      OF     BRIGHAM     YOUNG, 

When  my  husband  returned,  he  was  fully  determined  to 
leave  the  territory,  and  take  me  with  him.  But  before  he 
had  time  to  take  measures  for  the  accomplishment  of  our 
wishes  in  this  respect,  the  bishop  of  the  ward  called,  and  asked 
aim  if  he  intended  to  settle  in  the  country,  and  added  that 
ai  case  he  did  not,  he  had  better  go  as  soon  as  possible  ;  but 
vhat  he  could  not  take  me  along.  Smith  replied  that  he  had 
flot  positively  concluded  what  to  do — that  it  was  not  impossi* 
ble  that,  by  spring,  he  should  conclude  to  settle  permanently  , 
but  that  he  did  not  like  to  be  forced  to  go  or  stay. 

I  was  greatly  alarmed  at  this  open  demonstration  against 
us ;  for  I  knew  how  vain  it  would  be  to  contend  against  such 
fearful  odds.  After  due  reflection,  we  concluded  to  wait  pa- 
tiently during  the  winter,  and  trust  to  the  future  and  a  kind 
Providence  for  means  of  escape.  We  therefore  rented  a 
place,  and  went  to  housekeeping  until  spring.  The  winter 
passed  pleasantly,  and  without  interference  from  the  Church, 
during  which  time,  my  husband  made  the  acquaintance  of 
a  merchant  doing  business  in  the  city  by  the  name  of  Wil- 
liam Mac.  He  was  a  Gentile,  and  had  his  family  with  him  ; 
but  was  intending  to  go  to  California  in  the  spring.     My  hus- 

11 


242       Fifteen  1'ears  among  the  Mormons. 

band,  when  he  became  well  acquainted  with  Mr.  Mac,  told  him 
how  we  were  situated.  Mac  said  he  knew  of  several  similar 
cases  in  the  city,  of  men  who  were  forced  to  remain,  rather 
than  give  up  their  wives.  "  But,"  he  said,  %i  this  is  the  way 
to  manage  it.  When  you  are  ready  to  go,  bid  your  wife 
good-bye,  as  if  you  intended  to  give  her  up ;  and  when  you 
get  to  Bear  River,  wait  for  me,  and  I  will  bring  her  on  with 
my  wife.  Let  the  women  manage  it  between  themselves. 
Smith  agreed  to  this,  and  paid  Mac  seventy-five  dollars  for 
his  promise  to  bring  me.  He  came  home  very  much  elated 
with  the  arrangement ;  and  as  by  this  time  spring  was  near 
at  hand,  he  made  preparations  to  leave.  He  had  a  very  fine 
horse,  which  he  did  not  wish  to  take  with  him,  and  lie  ex- 
changed it  for  a  valuable  gold  watch,  which  he  left  with  me 
as  a  keepsake.  On  the  17th  of  April,  1853,  he  bid  me  fare- 
well, with  the  understanding  privately  existing  between  us, 
that  I  was  to  join  him  on  Bear  River  within  a  week ;  and  I 
have  not  seen  him  since.  I  went  with  him  half  a  mile,  or  so, 
when  he  set  out,  and  took  my  final  leave  at  the  stream, 
known  as  the  City  Creek.  He  lingered  near  me  for  some 
time,  as  if  oppressed  with  a  presentiment  of  evil,  and  then  with 
a  resolute  sadness,  broke  away,  and  left  mo  perhaps  for  ever. 
I  recollect  well  the  last  view  I  caught  of  his  manly  form  in 
the  distance  through  my  tears. 

I  sat  down  under  the  shadow  of  a  wide-spreading  tree,  upon 
the  bank  of  the  stream,  and  watched  him,  until  at  last  he 
vanished  among  the  hills,  and  then,  crushed  with  a  sense  of 
loneliness,  and  a  vague  fear,  which,  under  the  circumstance^ 
seemed  uncalled  for,  I  returned  to  the  city  to  begin   that  ex 


Intrigues  of  Brigham  Young.  243 

perience  of  watching  and  suspense,  which  to  this  da?  has  no 
end;  and  He  who  "tempers  the  wind  to  the  shorn  lamb,'  j 
alone  knows  if  we  are  ever  to  meet  again. 

A  few  days  after  this,  Mrs.  Mac  sent  her  little  boy  with  a 
note,  saying  they  expected  to  go  on  the  next  Monday,  and 
directing  me  to  meet  them  at  that  time  at  the  bath-house. 
This  was  a  mile  and  a  half  from  Brigham's  residence,  on  the 
California  road.  She  also  directed  me  to  brino-  no  clothing, 
except  what  I  wore,  in  order  not  to  excite  suspicion,  and  that 
she  had  made  provision  for  my  wants  in  that  respect. 

I  could  not  confide  to  my  mother,  or  to  any  of  the  family 
my  intentions,  as  they  would  not  be  likely  to  favor  the  enter- 
prise. I  therefore  assisted  Lizzie  in  washing  the  dishes  after 
breakfast,  as  usual,  on  the  morning  on  which  we  were  to  go. 
While  we  were  thus  employed  together,  she  said  to  me,  in 
her  innocent  and  simple  way,  "  How  glad  I  am,  Nett,  you 
did  not  go  to  California  with  Smith,  and  leave  us  all  alone. 
I  am  sure  it  would  have  nearly  killed  us." 

When  the  dishes  were  out  of  the  way,  I  quietly  put  on  my 
sun-bonnet,  and  took  the  watch  Smith  had  given  me,  telling 
Lizzie  and  my  mother  I  was  going  over  to  Howard's ;  and 
bidding  them  as  I  went  "  good-bye,"  I  set  out,  as  I  supposed, 
for  California. 

After  all,  it  was  not  an  easy  matter  to  leave  my  young  and 
innocent  sister,  and  almost  helpless  old  mother,  in  such  a 
place,  and  I  half  relented  when  once  in  the  street,  and  out  of 
sight  of  them.  But  I  thought  first  of  Smith,  and  then 
of  my  Mormon  Prison,  and  went  on,  determined  if  possible  tc 
make  my  escape,  as  T  could  do  them  no  good  by  remaining 


344        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

I  had  gone  but  a  short  distance,  when  a  man  whom  I  had 
never  seen  before,  evertook  me,  and  with  a  smile  which  dis- 
closed at  once  how  much  he  knew  of  my  business,  said, 
44  Good  morning,  Mrs.  Smith.  The  Prophet  wishes  to  see  you 
at  his  office  at  ten  o'clock."  I  stood  petrified  with  horror  and 
astonishment,  wondering  how  the  Prophet  could  have  been 
informed  of  my  intentions.  When  I  looked  up  at  length,  the 
stranger  was  still  looking  me  full  in  the  face,  much  delighted 
at  my  embarrassment.  His  quizzical  intelligence  as  to  my 
personal  affairs,  threw  me  off  my  guard,  and  I  said,  with  an 
anguish  I  have  no  means  of  describing,  "  Great  God  !  I  am 
defeated  again !"  The  stranger  satisfied  with  his  work, 
turned  and  left  me,  without  further  reply.  Oh  !  had  there 
been  pity  in  Heaven,  or  on  earth,  at  that  moment  for  any  hu- 
man being,  certainly  I  was  a  proper  object  for  its  exercise. 

Crushed  by  this  failure,  and  half  doubting  Mormonism,  and 
yet  awed  by  an  overshadowing  fear  of  the  Divine  power  of 
the  Prophet,  I  knew  not  where  to  turn.  Brigham  had  told 
me  often  if  Smith  was  not  a  true  Mormon,  my  love  for  him 
was  illicit,  and  for  the  moment,  an  oppressive  sense  of  shame 
came  over  me,  as  the  bare  possibility  that  Brigham  Young  was, 
after  all,  the  true  Prophet  of  God,  forced  itself  upon  my  mind 
and  checked  the  doubt  which  my  soul  had  cherished,  perhaps, 
impiously,  as  to  his  Divine  mission.  "  Great  God,  if  there  is 
any  to  whom  I  may  pray  besides  the  Prophet,  direct  me 
now." 

When  sufficiently  reassured,  I  went  directly  to  the 
Prophet's  office,  and  as  I  entered,  I  said  to  him,  perhaps  not 
in  the  most  agreeable  manner,  "  What  are  your  wishes  ?'? 


Intrigues  of  Brigfiam  Young.  245 

Ha  boked  at  me  for  some  moments,  with  a  calm  sternness 
which  he  had  never  before  manifested  in  my  presence,  and 
said  almost  harshly,  for  he  was  as  a  general  thing  conciliatory 
and  winning : 

"  I  wish  you  to  stay  with  the  Saints,  and  be  satisfied.  I 
have  a  great  work  for  you  to  do,  and  a  great  reward  for  you 
after  it  is  done.  You  are  mine.  The  spirit  of  the  Lord  tells 
me  so.  You  need  not  be  a  wife,  but  you  must  obey  my 
counsel.  I  wish  your  Smith  had  been  scalped  by  some  of  our 
white  Indians  (meaning  the  "Danites"),  before  you  ever 
placed  your  determined  and  ambitious  mind  upon  him.  He 
is  a  Gentile  at  heart ;  and  if  you  ever  live  with  him,  you  will 
commit  adultery  in  the  sight  of  God  ;  and  your  children,  if 
you  have  any,  will  be  illegitimate,  and  you  shall  be  damned?' 

He  said  many  other  things,  which  I  cannot  now  recall,  aa 
the  great  excitement  under  which  I  struggled,  had  the  effect 
to  fix  only  the  most  prominent  points  upon  my  mind.  I  made 
no  reply,  but  when  he  had  finished,  I  went  home,  feeling  my 
case  was  hopeless.  I  told  my  mother  what  I  had  attempted, 
and  how  I  had  failed.  I  was  nearly  wild  with  excitement  and 
despair,  and  she  listened  with  patience  to  my  ravings  and  re- 
proaches. 

My  tears  and  physical  exertion  alone  saved  me  from  mad- 
ness. Towards  night,  she  soothed  me  into  a  sound  sleep, 
and  I  awoke  next  morning  refreshed  and  calm,  and  prepared 
to  gird  up  my  soul  for  a  new  struggle. 

A  few  weeks  after  this,  the  Prophet  appointed  me  a  teachei 
of  the  ward  school ;  and  about  the  same  time,  Secretary  of 
the  Female  Indian  Relief  Society ;  the  duties  of  which  occu- 


24:6        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

pied  most  of  my  time,  and  I  had  but  little  opportunity  to  lav 
plans  for  my  escape,  or  leisure  to  brood  over  my  wrongs 
We  received  a  letter  one  day  from  my  brother  Uriah,  then 
in  California,  with  the  glad  intelligence  that  he  was  coming 
home  immediately.  This  gave  us  all  joy,  and  I  was  particu- 
larly well  pleased,  as  I  knew  ho  would  assist  me  in  getting 
away.  He  was  a  fine  young  boy,  generous,  brave,  and  manly, 
and  as  I  had  reason  to  believe,  was  but  little  attached  to 
Mormonism.  He  was  the  idol  of  the  family.  While  we 
were  thus  daily  expecting  him,  Howard  came  in  one  day, 
looking  very  sad ;  and  after  a  while  mother  said, 

u  Howard,  how  can  you  look  so  serious  when  we  are  all  so 
happy,  making  preparations  for  Uriah's  return  f9 

"  Mother,"  said  Howard,  "  do  you  so  certainly  expect  to  see 
Uriah  ?" 

"  Certainly  :  he  has  written  he  will  be  here  very  soon." 

Howard  looked  at  my  mother  with  great  concern,  for  she 
had  said  this  in  a  manner  that  showed  how  much  her  heart 
was  set  upon  it. 

He  said,  after  a  little. 

"  Mother,  you  would  feel  very  bad  if  you  should  hear 
Uriah  was  dead." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Howard  ?    Is  Uriah  dead  ?" 

We  needed  no  further  answer.  He  took  from  his  pocket  a 
letter,  which  brought  the  sad  intelligence,  which  mother  read 
and  re-read  with  speechless  horror.  He  died  when  just  upon 
the  point  of  starting  for  home.  It  was  a  terrible  blow  to  us 
all.  My  mother  refused  all  consolation,  and  at  one  time  we 
•supposed  she  would  sink  under  it. 


Intrigues  of  Brig  ham  Young.  247 

Unnatural  as  it  may  appear,  our  Mormon  neighbors  re- 
joiced at  this  our  new  calamity  ;  for  they  said,  as  we  then 
had  no  dependence,  or  protectors,  ray  husband  being  absent, 
and  our  only  brother  who  was  unmarried  being  dead,  we 
should  be  obliged,  Lizzie  and  myself,  to  marry  some  Mormon. 
Our  house,  at  this  time,  was  truly  a  house  of  mourning,  and 
for  a  few  months  following  this  event,  we  were  as  sad  as  can 
well  be  imagined. 

By  the  Prophet's  dictum,  under  whose  protection  T  wa8 
now  directed  to  consider  myself,  my  marriage  was  generally 
considered  void,  and  was  thus  spoken  of  in  the  Church  ;  and 
I  was  liable  as  ever  to  receive  propositions  for  marriage. 
This  was  but  a  natural  result  of  Mormonism,  for  Mormon 
women  are  not  allowed  to  remain  idle  in  this  respect. 

Since  leaving  Utah,  I  have  heard  much  said  about  the 
death  of  Leonidus  Shaver.  I  knew  Judge  Shaver  well,  and 
recollect  the  circumstances  of  his  death.  He  occupied  a  room 
in  my  brother  Howard's  house ;  and  died  there.  There  were 
a  great  many  things  connected  with  the  trouble  between  him 
and  the  Prophet,  which  I  never  understood,  and  I  have  good 
reason  to  believe,  much  more  than  has  yet  been  disclosed.  I 
remember,  that  one  day  the  Prophet  came  to  the  house,  and 
inquired  for  the  Judge.  The  latter  was  in  the  habit  of  lock- 
ing the  door,  and  darkening  the  windows  of  his  room,  when 
not  at  home,  and  they  were  so  on  this  occasion  ;  which  led 
us  to  believe  he  was  gone. 

The  Prophet  was  very  much  excited  about  something  that 
had  just  happened,  in  conneciion  with  the  Judge.  This  was 
a  year  or  so  before  his  death.     I  never  saw  the  former  more 


248        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

disturbed  and  alarmed  than  at  that  time,  and  he  talked  very 
freely  about  it.  Just  as  he  was  in  the  height  of  the  excite- 
ment, we  heard  the  Judge  jump  out  of  bed,  and  this  alarmed 
the  Prophet  still  the  more,  as  he  supposed  Shaver  had 
heard  what  had  been  said,  which  was  probably  true.  The 
difficulty  between  them  increased  after  this,  and  one  morning, 
the  Judge  w7as  found  dead  in  his  bed,  in  the  room  just  men- 
tioned. But  at  this  time,  my  brother  did  not  own,  or  live  in 
the  house,  for  he  had  sold  it  to  a  Mr.  Dotson,  who  was  then 
living  there. 

The  Heads  of  the  Church  made  a  great  show  of  having  the 
case  investigated,  by  which  they  made  it  appear,  that  the 
Judge  had  died  of  some  disease  in  the  head,  which  perhaps 
was  true.  But  I  heard  the  Prophet  say  before  this,  that 
Judge  Shaver  knew  a  great  many  things  that  he  did  not  wish 
to  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  Government  at  Washington, 
and  that  he  dare  not  allow  him  to  leave  the  territory.  He 
was  unquestionably  poisoned. 

I  think  it  was  in  the  summer  of  1853,  that  another  Judge 
was  sent  to  Utah,  by  the  name  of  Brocchus.  Soon  after  he 
came  he  was  called  upon  to  make  a  speech,  at  a  public  meet- 
ing, at  a  time  when  the  Prophet  and  the  Heads  of  the  Church 
were  on  the  stand.  I  suppose  Judge  Brocchus  knew  but 
little  of  our  customs,  for  he  commenced  to  address  the  women, 
large  numbers  of  whom  were  present,  upon  the  subject  of 
spiritual  wifeism.  He  pointed  out  to  them  its  wickedness,  and 
(he  unhappy  results  that  must  follow  to  themselves  and  their 
children,  if  persisted  in.  He  also  stated,  that  it  was  agains* 
the  laws  of  both  God  and  man.     I  presume  this  was  th* 


Intrigues  of  Brigham  Young.  249 

first,  and  :>nly  time,  that  a  Mormon  assembly  was  ever  ad 
dressed  in  open  opposition  to  their  faith  and  practice.  Cer- 
tainly the  only  case  of  the  kind  that  ever  occurred  at  Salt 
Lake. 

The  Assembly  were  greatly  excited,  and  more  than  two- 
thirds  of  the  women  were  in  tears,  before  he  had  spoken 
many  minutes ;  among  whom,  Brigham  observed  some  of  his 
own  wives.  All  were  astonished.  It  was  a  moment  of  great 
peril  for  the  Prophet,  and  for  the  Church.  One  word  then, 
spoken  by  authority  and  having  the  physical  support  of  a 
military  force  at  hand,  would  have  brought  on  an  explo- 
sion. 

The  Prophet  saw  this ;  and,  as  usual,  he  was  equal  to  the 
occasion.  The  Judge  was  admonished  to  desist,  and  when  he 
sat  down,  the  Prophet  rose,  and  by  one  of  those  strong,  nerv- 
our  appeals,  which  has  never  been  wanting  in  success  before 
a  Mormon  audience,  he  annihilated  the  Judge  and  the  effect 
of  his  speech.  In  five  minutes  many  of  those  whose  tears 
had  flown  most  freely,  responded  to  his  broad  sarcasm  in 
screams  of  laughter. 

When  the  spirits  of  the  congregation  were  fully  restored, 
he  turned  to  the  Judge,  and  administered  to  him  a  torrent  of 
abuse.  Among  other  things,  he  said :  "  I  will  kick  you  or 
any  other  Gentile  Judge,  from  this  stand,  if  you  or  they 
again  attempt  to  interfere  with  the  affairs  of  our  Zion." 

The  Judge  was  beaten,  and  saw  the  necessity  of  leav- 
ing the  territory.  The  Prophet  afterwards  threatened,  in 
private,  to  take  his  life,  but  I  heard  he  was  permitted  to 

leave. 

11* 


250        Fifteen  Yeaks  among  the  Mormons. 

Judge  Brocchus  was  succeeded  by  Judge  Reed,  of  3ath 
Steuben  county,  New  York;  who,  profiting  by  the  experi- 
ence of  his  predecessor,  exercised  great  discretion  in  his  inter- 
course with  the  Mormon  leaders,  and  became  very  popular 
with  them.  The  Mormons,  on  their  part,  treated  Judge 
Reed  with  studied  attention,  hoping  to  efface  the  unfavorable 
impression  likely  to  be  made  upon  the  authorities  at  Wash- 
ington, by  the  Brocchus  affair,  in  which  they  appear  to  have 
succeeded  in  a  measure,  for  it  is  understood  that  Judge  Reed 
expressed  the  opinion,  when  he  afterwards  returned  to  this 
country,  that  the  Mormons  had  been  misrepresented,  and  that 
the  charges  against  them  were  exaggerated.  This,  if  true, 
was  in  pursuance  of  a  line  of  policy  adopted  by  him,  as  being 
the  best  calculated  to  meet  the  difficulties  of  his  position* 
for  beyond  question  he  had  studied  the  state  of  things  a 
Utah  very  closely,  and  though  he  expressed  his  opinions  with 
caution,  he  was  certainly  not  a  convert  to  our  faith,  nor  to 
the  Prophet's  administration  of  the  Government. 

As  he  was  from  the  neighborhood  of  our  native  place,  and 
was  well  acquainted  with  most  of  our  family,  we  were  very 
intimate  with  him  during  his  stay  at  the  valley.  It  was  due 
to  the  friendly  relations  existing  between  him  and  the  Pro- 
phet, more  than  to  any  other  cause,  that  we  were  afterwards 
permitted  to  leave  Utah,  as  hereafter  narrated.  It  was 
through  him  that  we  received  letters  direct  from  my  uncle, 
Col.  John  R.  Stephens,  of  Hornellsville,  New  York;  and 
through  this  channel  came  the  information  which  finaliv  led 
to  our  escape. 

Judge  Reed  remained  in  the  valley  about  a  year,  and  then 


Istbigues  of  Brigham  Toung.  251 

went  home  on  business,  intending  to  return  to  Utah,  but  h6 
died  suddenly  while  there.  He  was  an  excellent  and  kind 
man,  of  whom  I  still  entertain  the  most  grateful  recolleo 
tions, 


252        Fifteen  Years  among  the  M  demons. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE    STORY    OF    WALLACE    ALONZO    CLAKK   BOWMAN. 

About  this  period,  a  young  man  was  coming  from  Mexico 
in  command  of  a  company  of  traders ;  and  by  chance,  he  waa 
met  by  Brigham  Young  at  Utah,  who  was  on  his  way  from 
Great  Salt  Lake  City  to  Little  Salt  Lake. 

The  Prophet  was  accompanied  as  usual  by  his  "Body 
Guard,"  and  attracted  some  notice  on  the  route  by  the  dis- 
play in  which  he  indulged — a  kind  of  demonstration  he  was 
fond  of  making  when  well  protected  by  his  military  attend- 
ants. 

It  is  said  all  great  men  have  their  little  weaknesses,  and 
that  of  the  Prophet  is  well  known  to  be  cowardice.  He  is 
great  in  words,  however,  and  withal  is  a  shrewd  manager 
of  men,  and  when  not  threatened  with  personal  violence,  he 
is  truly  great.  On  this  occasion,  the  state  and  display  affect- 
ed by  the  Governor  and  Prophet  excited  the  curiosity  of  the 
young  captain  of  this  band  of  Mexican  .traders,  whose  name 
was  Wallace  Alonzo  Clark  Bowman.  This  young  man  was 
a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  being  of  a  daring  and 
roving  turn  of  mind,  had  left  his  home  at  the  early  age  of 
eighteen,  and  was  now  in  the  full  tide  of  a  successful  career, 


Bowman's  Story.  253 

when  he  thus  unfortunately  met  Brighara  Young.  He  was 
over  six  feet  in  height,  stoutly  built,  and  well  formed,  stand- 
ng  straight  as  an  arrow,  with  fair  complexion  and  light  hair, 
i  broad  high  forehead,  with  a  keen  blue  eye  and  a  Roman 
nose.  He  was  as  fine  a  specimen  of  manliness  as  is  often  met 
tfith  in  real  life.  He  was,  moreover,  one  of  that  class  of  men, 
with  whom  the  emotions  of  fear,  or  the  necessity  of  caution, 
ire  entirely  unknown.  He  also  entertained  the  most  undis- 
guised contempt  for  double-dealing  and  of  religious  affectation 
of  any  kind.  In  short,  having  no  reverence,  and  unable  to 
comprehend  the  meaning  of  discretion,  he  was  the  last  man 
to  meet  the  Prophet's  approval,  but  quite  the  man  to  awaken 
his  cowardly  suspicion,  as  he  was  a  specimen  of  the  only  class 
of  men  of  whom  the  Prophet  was  not  a  judge. 

The  two  companies  met  at  Utah,  and  halted  to  make  of 
each  other  mutual  inquiries  as  to  the  state  of  the  roads  and 
the  like,  while  the  animals  were  being  fed.  Bowman  observed 
that  Brigham  was  a  personage  of  some  consideration  among 
the  strangers,  and  upon  inquiry  was  informed  that  he  was  the 
Governor  of  the  Territory,  and  the  Mormon  Leader.  u  If  that 
is  so,"  said  he,  "  I  must  make  the  acquaintance  of  that  dis- 
tinguished adventurer."  He  then  introduced  himself  to  the 
11  Prophet,"  by  saying,  he  had  heard  of  him  and  of  his  reli- 
gion often,  though  he  knew  but  little  of  the  latter,  and  he 
would  like  to  be  instructed  in  it  somewhat.  He  then  asked 
him  to  take  a  seat  for  that  purpose.  He  told  him  further 
that  he  had  heard  much  said  against  the  Mormons,  and  their 
practices,  but  he  presumed  thej'  had  been  misrepresented,  as 
all  such  sects  were  iable  to  be  by  their  opponents  ;  and  he 


254        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

should  be  pleased  to  know  the  facts  from  the  Prophet  him 
self. 

Bowman  said  this  in  that  easy  off-hand  manner,  which,  had 
it  been  addressed  to  an  equally  brave  and  simple-minded  man, 
would  have  been  met  in  a  similar  spirit  of  courteous  inde- 
pendence— willing  to  concede  as  much  as  it  exacted.  But 
the  Prophet  was  not  a  man  of  the  generous  mould  to  under- 
stand one  of  that  nature.  Though  a  good  judge  of  the  kind 
of  men  of  which  his  Church  was  composed,  the  Mexican 
trader  puzzled  him ;  and  he  assumed  at  once  the  young  man 
must  have  some  villainous  design  upon  him.  He  thereupon 
retired  to  his  carriage,  with  an  indecent  haste,  that  betrayed 
his  want  of  either  courage  or  courtesy,  and  directed  his  secre- 
tary to  inform  the  authorities  of  the  City,  that  he  wished 
Bowman  arrested  upon  his  arrival  there,  as  he  knew  by  the 
Spirit  of  God,  the  trader  was  a  spy  sent  from  the  States  to 
take  his  life. 

The  fact  was,  that  nothing  could  have  been  farther  from 
the  truth ;  and  the  pretence  of  revelation,  behind  which  the 
Prophet  attempted  to  shield  his  cowardice,  smacked  more 
of  unscrupulous  villainy  than  of  Divinity. 

Bowman,  unawed  by  this  treatment,  stepped  to  the  door  of 
the  Prophet's  carriage,  and  said  to  him,  in  that  spirit  of  defiant 
independence  which  a  free  rover  of  the  plains  feels  himself  at 
liberty  to  assume  when  treated  rudely,  "  Sir,  I  have  seen  Gov- 
ernors before,  but  I  never  saw  one  so  little  a  gentleman,  or  so 
much  a  bigot ;"  and  then  turning  to  his  men,  with  a  dignity 
the  Prophet  might  well  have  envied,  ordered  his  company  to 
move  on. 


Bowman's  Story.  255 

The  whole  outfit  and  other  accompaniments  of  Bowman's 
party  proved  he  was  possessed  of  wealth,  and  this  was  perhaps 
another  inducement  with  the  Prophet  for  wishing  to  bring 
the  young  rover  into  collision  with  his  Danite  assassins. 
When  Bowman  ai rived  at  the  city,  he  was  arrested  by  Kobert 
Burton  upon  suspicion  of  various  crimes.  This  was  a  pretense 
resorted  to  for  his  detention.  He  was  put  in  charge  of  John 
Norton,  one  of  our  nearest  neighbors,  who  kept  him  impri- 
soned near  by,  in  a  place  used  by  the  police  for  that  purpose. 
There  was  a  great  curiosity  manifested  among  us  to  see  the 
man  who  had  made  so  long  a  journey  to  kill  the  Prophet ; 
and  among  others,  I  went  to  his  prison.  I  was  astonished  at 
the  courteous  good  breeding  with  which  we  were  received.  He 
politely  handed  us  seats,  and  after  some  pleasant  conversation 
upon  indifferent  topics,  in  which  our  position  and  sex  were  ac- 
knowledged, with  an  easy  and  graceful  address,  his  eye  rested 
accidentally  upon  his  jailer,  John  Norton.  At  once  his  wild  eye 
flashed  fire,  and  his  whole  bearing  changed  to  that  lofty  mien 
of  daring  which  characterized  him  when  free.  For  a  moment 
his  chafed  spirit  roused  itself  into  the  fierceness  of  a  caged 
tiger,  and  yet  the  while  preserving  all  the  dignity  of  his  ex- 
alted manhood.  He  said,  "  Sir,  I  presume  I  have  not  fully 
appreciated  the  extreme  humility  of  my  position  in  the  pre- 
sence of  your  exalted  Prophet,  else  I  should  not  have  taken 
the  liberty  of  addressing  him  upon  equal  terms.,' 

It  was  amusing  to  note  the  effect  of  this  upon  John  Nor- 
ton, who,  though  generally  a  man  of  commanding  presence, 
now  stood  abashed  before  his  prisoner.  Bowman's  eye  rested 
for  some  time  upon  him,  during  which  interval,  not  a  word 


256        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

was  uttered.  At  length,  with  an  expression  of  disgust,  and 
then  of  pity,  he  turned  from  him  to  us,  and  apologized  for  his 
rudeness  in  the  presence  of  .adies,  by  saying,  "  Imprisonment 
under  any  circumstances  is  beyond  endurance  to  me,  who, 
since  finishing  my  education  in  my  native  State  of  New 
York,  have  seldom  slept  beneath  a  roof;  but  particularly 
so,  when  I  am  deprived  of  liberty  in  defiance  of  my 
natural  rights,  and  without  the  pretence  of  justice."  When 
we  left,  he  bade  us  good  morning,  with  as  much  gal- 
lantry and  unconcern  as  if  he  had  been  doing  the  honors  of 
the  drawing-room.  I  came  away  with  a  full  understanding 
of  his  position.  I  knew  he  was  innocent ;  but  I  knew  equal- 
ly well  that  would  not  avail  him.  I  asked  my  mother,  who 
had  accompanied  me,  what  she  thought.  Without  saying  a 
word  for  some  time,  she  shook  her  head,  and  the  big  tears 
filled  her  eyes.  "He  is  about  the  age  Uriah  was,  when  he 
died  among  strangers,"  said  she  at  length.  "  How  should  I 
feel  if  this  brave  boy  were  mine  ?  But  he  is  somebody's 
boy." 

"They  will  kill  him,"  said  I. 

"  Certainly,"  said  my  mother ;  and  then  we  sobbed  in  si- 
lence, and  Lizzie  joined  in  our  tears  without  fully  understand- 
ing why  we  wept,  for  she  had  not  heard  the  foregoing  conver- 
sation. 

Bowman  w;as  held  a  prisoner  for  several  weeks,  as  the 
Prophet  had  not  returned.  When  he  came,  a  trial  was  had, 
and  great  efforts  were  made  to  procure  some  evidence  against 
him ;  bu4,  all  rested  upon  the  revelation  of  the  Prophet,  ex 
cept  thai  the  latter  stated  that  Bowman  was  armed    when 


Bowman's  Story.  257 

he  approached  his  carriage.  Being  armed  in  that  country 
was  not  a  crime,  for  no  man  went  unarmed  there.  But  it  so 
happened,  that  Bowman,  although  generally  provided  with, 
and  well  skilled  in  the  use  of  defensive  weapons,  had,  on  this 
particular  occasion,  left  them  on  his  horse,  as  he  expected  to 
remount  in  a  few  moments.  This  was  proved  by  all  his  men. 
He  was  therefore  set  at  liberty,  after  an  annoying  confinement 
of  nearly  two  months.     But  this  did  not  avert  his  fate. 

The  Danites  are  called  in  only  as  a  last  resort ;  but  are 
never  at  fault,  when  the  Prophet's  will  is  known  ;  and  in  this 
case,  the  Prophet  had  gone  too  far  to  think  of  relenting. 

When  free,  he  was  directed  by  some  one  to  our  house,  to 
find  a  boarding  place.  His  horses  were  kept  near  us,  and  he 
wished  to  board  close  by  them,  while  he  remained  in  the  city 
to  complete  some  further  arrangements  for  continuing  his 
journey.  My  mother  was  surprised  at  the  request,  as  we  did 
not  keep  boarders ;  but  told  him  to  call  again  towards  even- 
ing ;  and  in  the  meantime,  she  asked  the  bishop  what  to  do, 
well  knowing  Bowman  had  been  sent  there  by  him,  or  at 
least  by  the  Prophet's  direction.  The  bishop  appeared  to  be 
acting  under  instructions,  and  told  her,  as  if  prepared  with  an 
answer  before  hand,  to  allow  him  to  take  his  meals  with  her, 
but  not  to  sleep  at  her  house  at  night. 

As  for  myself,  I  had  become  so  familiar  with  the  Prophet's 
way  of  doing  business,  that  I  was  greatly  alarmed  at  this 
turn,  of  affairs;  for  I  saw  clearly  we  were,  in  some  manner 
then  unknown  to  me,  to  be  forced  into  the  work  of  Bowman'd 
destruction. 

Ajb  his  prison  was  in  our  neighborhood,  we  had,  with  most 


258        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

of  the  other  families  of  the  vicinity,  visited  him  frequently, 
and  had  become  well  acquainted  by  this  time.  I  had  never 
been  approached  upon  this  subject  myself,  but  I  knew  many 
of  our  female  acquaintances  had  been  directed  to  visit  him, 
in  order  to  report  to  the  Prophet  what  he  had  to  say. 

I  now  felt  my  time  for  action  had  come,  and  that  I  was 
again  to  be  forced  into  a  participation  in  crime. 

In  order  that  my  readers  may  fully  understand  my  connec- 
tion with  what  follows,  they  have  only  to  recollect,  that  to  dis- 
obey the  Prophet's  counsel  would  have  been  death  to  me;  and 
further,  I  found  it  would  be  impossible  to  effect  my  escape, 
until  I  could  disarm  the  Prophet  of  all  suspicion  he  might 
entertain  of  my  intention  to  escape.  My  object  was  to  avoid, 
as  much  as  possible,  being  useful  to  him ;  but,  at  the  same 
time,  to  obey  his  "  counsel "  when  there  wTas  no  way  to  avoid 
it,  with  a  show  of  cheerfulness  and  good  faith  ;  and  thus  I 
hoped  again  to  acquire  the  reputation  of  being  a  good  Mor- 
mon— whereas  I  was  now  regarded,  as  well  among  the  Gen- 
tiles as  in  the  Church,  as  only  a  prisoner  at  large.  So  much 
was  I  looked  upon  in  this  light,  that  even  Bowman  had 
heard  my  story,  and  had  publicly  denounced  the  Prophet  for 
thus  holding  me  a  prisoner  from  my  husband.  This  rash 
advocacy  of  my  cause,  prompted  as  it  was  only  by  his  gene- 
rous and  manly  nature,  probably  suggested  to  the  Prophet 
the  idea  of  using  me  as  a  decoy  to  effect  more  readily  his 
ruin. 

Soon  after  Bowman  left,  John  Norton  came  to  the  house 
in  some  basta  saving,  "Nett,  I  have  news  for  you,  of  great 
importance,  from  Brigham." 


Bowman's  Story.  259 

"Importance  to  whom  ?"  said  1. 

"To  the  whole  Church,  and  in  this  way.  The  Prophet  's 
satisfied  that  if  Bowman  is  allowed  to  leave  the  territory,  Li 
can  and  will  give  us  great  trouble,  by  raising  an  excitemer  \ 
against  us  on  account  of  his  imprisonment  while  here.  No- ', 
we  wish  to  hear  his  mind  from  his  own  lips,  and  we  cay 
then  judge  what  should  be  done.  When  be  returns,  Brigharr, 
wishes  you  to  bring  him  to  our  house,  and  make  such 
advances  to  him  as  you  may  think  best,  to  draw  him  ouf 
upon  that  subject,  and  tell  him  that  you  would  like  to  go  off 
with  him ;  that,  if  he  will  take  you,  you  will  be  his  wife" 

"  I  think/'  said  I,  "  he  would  not  be  likely  to  take  me." 

11  No  fear  of  that/'  said  Norton,  "  for  we  have  come  to  you 
to  do  this,  from  the  fact  that  you  are  the  only  person  that 
could  approach  him.  He  said  only  this  morning,  in  the 
most  public  manner,  in  Blain's  store,  that  if  he  could  get  you 
away  from  this  pjace,  he  would  like  to  see  it  sink ;  and  that 
if  he  could  invent  any  method  of  getting  you  to  your  hus- 
band, he  would  do  so,  even  at  the  risk  of  his  life." 

At  this  point  of  the  conversation,  William  Kimbal,  a  young 
son  of  Heber  C.  Kimbal,  the  latter  one  of  the  Heads  of  the 
Church,  came  up  and  said:  "John,  Bowman  will  be  here 
soon,  for  I  just  saw  him  go  into  Blain's  store."  Then  turn- 
ing to  me,  he  said,  "Now,  Nett,  the  Prophet  expects  you  to 
put  in  your  biggest  licks;  and  if  you  do  not,  we  shall  all 
know  it,  for  we  shall  be  secreted  within  hearing  of  you." 

"  Do  your  best,"  said  John  Norton,  as  they  both  left  me, 
u  and  tell  him  I  am  hunting  cattle,  if  he  inquires  for  me." 

John  Norton  then  secreted  his  brother  Wiley  in  our  house, 


260        Fifteen  Tears  among  the  Mormons. 

to  hear  what  passed  between  Bowman  and  myself  while 
there.  When  they  were  gone,  Wiley  said,  "  Come,  Nett,  go 
and  slick  up,  for  Bowman  will  be  here  very  soon." 

My  readers  will  understand  that  even  the  Mormon  boys 
are  trained,  at  an  early  age,  in  this  branch  of  the  Church 
service,  and  soon  become  adepts  in  "  milking  the  Gentiles," 
as  robbing  outsiders  is  termed  in  their  slang  vocabulary. 
One  of  these  boys  was  under  the  age  of  fifteen,  and  was 
already  well  versed  in  crime.  It  was  with  a  heavy  heart  that 
I  dressed  with  unusual  care  for  the  occasion,  not  daring  to 
disregard  the  counsel  I  had  received.  At  first,  I  thought  I 
could  place  a  note  in  Bowman's  hands,  by  which  I  should 
warn  him ;  but  this  would  be  attended  with  greater  danger 
to  myself,  without  a  fair  prospect  of  benefiting  him ;  and 
besides,  his  known  rashness  made  it  hazardous  to  do  anything 
for  his  relief,  more  especially  so  as  I  should  have  no  opportu- 
nity to  explain  fully  the  true  state  of  the  case,  or  how  he  was 
threatened — and  at  most  could  only  give  him  a  glance  or  a 
sign  of  warning. 

The  distance  from  our  house  to  Norton's,  although  but  a 
step,  would  perhaps  be  sufficient  to  convey  this  signal,  and 
yet  I  knew  many  eyes  would  be  upon  us. 

When  I  was  dressed,  Wiley,  who  had  awaited  my  return 
with  impatience,  complimented  my  appearance,  and  pro- 
nounced me  ready  "to  do  the  work  of  the  Lord,"  with  the 
affectation  and  solemn  cant  characteristic  among  the  Saints 
when  they  do  not  wish  to  call  things  by  their  right  names. 
I  seated  myself  in  the  rocking-chair,  to  await  his  coming, 
racked  by  anxiety.     At  about  four  o'clock  he  came,  and  J 


Bowman's  Story.  261 

received  him  in  the  presence  of  my  mother,  Wiley  having 
slid  into  a  dark  room  within  hearing.  I  must  have  concealed 
my  agony  badly,  for  he  said  with  a  show  of  alarm,  "how 
pale  you  are,  Mrs.  Smith.  Mrs.  Coray,"  bowing  to  my 
mother,  "what  is  the  matter?  Has  anything  new  oc- 
curred ?" 

"  A  little  excitement,"  replied  my  mother,  with  an  assumed 
calmness,  "  always  makes  a  baby  of  her." 

"  Her  absent  husband,"  said  he,  "  is  the  subject,  I  suppose, 
of  a  continued  anxiety  with  her." 

I  was  too  much  excited  to  act  well  the  part  to  which  I  had 
been  assigned ;  but  I  made  every  possible  effort  to  regain  my 
self  command.  It  was  with  some  exertion,  therefore,  that  I 
was  enabled  to  say,  "  I  understand  you  are  about  to  leave  us. 
I  wish  the  Prophet  would  decide  upon  my  case,  and  set  me 
at  liberty,  and  I  would  accompany  you."  I  said  this  and 
other  things,  with  a  design  of  encouraging  his  advances,  and 
he  responded  with  his  usual  gallantry ;  and  yet,  perhaps,  con- 
trary to  the  expectation  of  the  Mormon  leaders  who  had 
assigned  me  this  duty,  in  order  to  corrupt  him,  he  did  so 
with  the  utmost  innocence,  and  freedom  from  an  improper 
motive. 

The  Prophet  had,  as  usual,  reasoned  upon  the  assumed 
fact  that  all  men  were  open  to  the  seductive  charms  of  cor- 
rupt influences ;  and  much'  of  his  own  success  in  governing 
the  men  of  the  Church  is  to  be  credited  to  a  skillful  applica- 
tion of  this  principle :  and  it  is  for  this  reasom  that  the  con- 
dition of  a  Moimon  woman  is  beyond  belief  horrible,  exposed 
ar  she  always  must  be,  to  the  danger  of  falling  a  victim  tc 


262        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mokmons. 

the  brutal  claims  of  some  one  of  the  Prophet's  creatures,  as 
the  price  of  some  service  or  obedience  rendered  to  hirr.. 

I  had  expected  much  from  the  high-toned  honor  of  Bow- 
man ;  but  he  rose  still  higher  in  my  estimation  when  he 
refused  to  understand  the  meaning  of  my  words.  In  order  to 
cut  the  matter  short  as  possible,  and  to  secure  the  opportu- 
nity of  uttering  to  him  a  single  word  of  caution,  while  pass- 
ing to  the  house  of  John  Norton,  I  affected  some  embarrass- 
ment at  first,  to  convey  to  Wiley  an  idea  that  I  felt  myself 
refused  ;  and  then,  as  if  reassured,  I  said  to  Bowman, 
with  an  easy  unconcern,  which  I  was  by  this  time  able  tc 
assume,  "come,  let  us  go  over  to  John  Norton's.  As  you 
are  about  to  leave,  perhaps  you  would  like  to  bid  his  wives, 
Martha  and  Rebecca,  good-bye." 

41  Certainly,"  said  he  politely.  "  I  reckon  those  ladies 
among  my  friends.  They  visited  me  often  in  prison,  and  I 
must  pay  them  my  compliments  before  I  take  my  leave,  and 
I  shall  have  no  better  time  than  now." 

As  we  passed  from  the  front  door  into  the  street,  I  was 
glad  to  notice  that  Wiley  did  not  attempt  to  follow  us.  We 
were  the  next  instant  alone,  on  the  public  walk,  and  although 
we  were  together  but  a  moment,  and  w7hile  watchful  eyes 
were  perhaps  upon  us,  I  said  to  him  in  a  hurried  manner,  and 
in  a  low  voice,  "  Mr.  Bowman,  I  beg  you  not  to  speak,  but 
listen  to  me  for  the  one  moment  we  are  to  be  alone.  I  have 
time  to  state  but  one  thing,  which,  if  you  rightly  understand, 
will  be  sufficient  for  your  purpose.  It  is  this.  I  am  acting 
under  the  direction,  and  by  the  instructions  of  the  Prophet. 
Are  you  listening  ?     Do  you   understand  me  ?     Whatever  1 


Bowman's  Story.  263 

say,  think  not  of  me ;  but  that  Brigham  Young  is  speaking 
through  me." 

He  looked  puzzled,  then  astonished,  and  was  about  to 
speak.  But  we  had  arrived  at  the  gate  of  John  Norton,  anu 
the  door  was  not  many  feet  off.  "  Hush,"  said  I,  and  the  next 
moment  he  mechanically  rapped  at  the  door,  and  we  both 
waited  in  silence  for  admittance.  I  shall  never  forget  the 
change  that  came  over  his  smooth,  unruffled  face,  during  the 
few  moments  he  had  listened  to  me.  He  was  in  appearance 
twenty  years  older  in  that  time.  His  eyes  were  bent  in  anxi- 
ous thought  upon  the  ground,  and  his  whole  great  frame 
struggled  tq  master  the  words,  by  which'  I  had  opened  to  him 
a  new  source  of  danger.  He  would  have,  faced,  undaunted, 
fifty  men  in  the  open  combat,  on  a  fair  field ;  but  now  he 
stood  half  cowering  before  a  mystery  of  which  his  experience 
furnished  no  solution.  But  though  at  fault  in  this  respect,  he 
was  not  wanting  in  intellect ;  and  when  our  summons  was 
answered  from  within,  he  started  as  if. from  a  painful  reverie, 
and  then  the  sunshine  and  a  clear  sky  was  over  him  again. 
Howbeit,  I  still  detected,  by  certain  lines  upon  his  handsome 
face,  traces  of  anxious  thought  unusual  to  it.  We  were  showD 
intc  the  sitting-room,  where  we  were  expected. 


261       Fifteen  Years  among  tiie  Mormons. 


CHAPTER     XXV. 


FATE    OF   BOWMAN. 


Perhaps  the  saddest  feature  of  Mormonism  as  regards  its 
own  victims,  should  be  looked  for  in  the  influence  it  neces- 
sarily has  upon  women.  It  is  impossible  to  convey  a  clear  idea 
of  the  absolute  slavery  of  our  sex  under  Mormon  influence. 
It  is  not  enough  that  all  the  recognized  rights  of  an  isolated 
domestic  life,  are  invaded  by  a  community  of  wives ;  but  all 
these  women  jointly,  and  severally,  are  to  be  the  unquestion- 
ing instruments  in  the  hands  of  their  spiritual  husbands,  in 
carrying  out  the  merciless  designs  of  the  Church,  forced  to 
this  degrading  work  by  the  ever  present  fear  of  being  de- 
nounced, and  of  imprisonment,  and  even  death,  in  this  world, 
and  of  being  cut  off  from  the  Prophet's  Paradise  in  the  next. 
Innocent  women,  young  and  tender  girls,  and  honest  mothers, 
with  all  the  instincts  of  their  true  womanhood  upon  them,  are 
expected  at  the  Prophet's,  or  the  husband's  bidding,  to  look 
crime  in  the  face,  without  a  shudder,  and  to  prostitute  all  the 
sweet,  and  winning  graces  with  which  a  Wise  Hand  has 
endowed  them,  as  a  means  of  exerting  a  softening  and  refin- 
ing Influence  upon  man's  rougher  nature,  to  carry  out  these 
designs  of  the    Church  against  their  Gentile  victims.     But 


Bowman's  Fate.  265 

female  humanity  is  unequal  to  the  sacrifice  while  virtue,  the 
real  source  of  all  womanly  charms,  wields  her  gentle  scep- 
tre over  the  heart. 

This  was  well  illustrated  by  the  manner  we  were  received 
by  Martha  and  Kebecca.  The  latter,  who  was  the  first  wife, 
and  was  recognized  as  entitled  to  take  the  lead  in  doing  the 
honors  of  the  house,  received  us ;  handing  us  seats  in  the 
sitting-room,  where  we  found  Martha. 

I  had  by  this  time  fully  regained  my  self-possession,  and 
Bowman,  whose  buoyant  nature  would  not  bear  depression, 
appeared  to  good  advantage;  but  the  ladies,  though  evi- 
dently making  an  effort  to  act  well  their  part,  were  depressed, 
and  solemn  as  if  assisting  at  a  funeral :  and  indeed,  they  well 
knew  they  were  preparing  the  way  for  one. 

Bowman,  with  a  tact  for  which  I  had  not  before  given  him 
credit,  divined,  by  aid  of  the  key  I  had  afforded  him,  as  to 
myself,  the  true  state  of  the  case  as  to  them,  and  said  in  a 
light  and  airy  manner,  yet  with  a  caution  that  showed  every 
word  was  well  considered,  "  How  is  this,  ladies  ?  you  look 
as  solemn  as  a  Quaker  Synod.  Martha,  has  that  ungracious 
husband  been  treating  you  unfairly,*  by  giving  Rebecca  the 
finest  dress  a^ain  J" 

*  The  above  reference  to  the  scenes  of  bickering  to  which  those 
households  are  always  subject,  where  spiritual  wifeism  is  practised, 
brings  to  mind  a  circumstance  that  occurred  at  Salt  Lake  City,  about 
the  time  of  which  we  are  writing. 

The  family  of  which  I  speak,  lived  in  the  Temple  Block,  with  Mrs. 
Whitney,  well  known  the,e.  I  do  not  recollect  the  name  ;  but  tho 
man  was  from  England  as  was  al30  at  least  one  of  his  wives.  Ik 
12 


266       Fifteen  Years  amung  the  Mormons. 

This  allusion  to  a  dispute,  which  by  the  indiscretion  of  some- 
body had  found  its  way  to  the  public  ear,  but  a  short  time 
before,  rallied  Martha  into  the  mere  shadow  of  a  laugh,  as 
she  said, 

seems  the  first  wife,  who  was  married  before  she  came  to  the  valley, 
and  who  was  much  attached  to  her  husband,  objected  to  share  her 
household  honors  and  responsibility,  with  the  new  spiritual— forced 
upon  her.  The  latter  was  not  recognized,  or  tolerated  in  any  respect 
by  the  first  wife ;  although  she  was  the  favorite  of  the  husband. 
Things  went  on  in  this  way,  until  one  morning,  the  "  spiritual  "  took 
the  liberty  of  putting  on  a  dress  belonging  to  the  first  wife,  without 
asking  her  permission.  This  exasperated  the  latter  to  such  a  degree, 
that  the  other  parties,  finding  the  house  scarcely  large  enough  to  hold 
them  all,  attempted  to  discipline  the  refractory  wife  into  submission. 
In  order  to  justify  what  they  were  about  to  do,  the  unfeeling  husband 
and  the  new  wife,  represented  the  lawful  and  previous  occupant  to 
the  Heads  of  the  Church,  as  being  possessed  with  the  devil.  This  put 
her  beyond  the  pale  of  sympathy  or  protection.  They  then  bound 
her  to  a  narrow  bench,  where  she  lay  upon  her  back,  night  and  dayy 
until  the  cords  had  cut  through  the  flesh  to  the  bone  ;  and  she  had  un- 
jointed  one  shoulder  in  the  struggle  to  break  loose.  She  was  in  thia 
condition,  when  I  saw  her.  Great  numbers  of  the  Church  visited  htr, 
and  many  believed  she  was  really  possessed  of  the  devil.  She  was 
pointed  out  as  a  warning  to  refractory  wives  by  the  Church  authori- 
ties. I  noticed  she  acknowledged  a  look  of  friendly  sympathy,  al- 
though no  one  was  allowed  to  speak  to  her.  I  went  in  with  several 
others ;  and  while  there,  we  saw  the  poor  woman's  child,  something 
over  two  years  old,  come  to  its  mother's  side,  and  attempt  to  break 
the  cords  by  which  its  mother  was  bound.  The  little  thing  was  a 
girl,  destined  to  grow  up,  and  live  over  again  perhaps,  its  mother's 
sad  life,  or  to  feel  what  its  mother  never  could,  submission.  It  was  the 
most  intensely  cruel  and  touching  spectacle  I  ever  witnessed.      The 


Bowman's  Fate.  267 

"  Oh  no.  That  difficulty  is  all  settled.  He  sees  the  folly 
of  treating  Rebecca  better  than  he  does  me,  and  is  becoming 
quite  a  good  fellow." 

"  By  the  way  ,"  said  Bowman,  "  where  is  this  husband,  John 
Norton,  to-day  ?" 

This  was  the  second  time  this  question  had  been  asked  by 
him,  and  evaded  by  the  ladies;  but  now  it  was  so  direct  that 
Rebecca  replied,  "  he  said  he  was  going  over  Jordan,  to  look 
after  the  cattle." 

My  readers  will  recollect  that  John  Norton  and  Win. 
Kimbal  were  at  that  moment  within  full  view  and  hearing  of 
us ;  separated  from  the  sitting-room  by  a  partition,  so  con- 
structed as  to  be  conveniently  used  for  that  purpose. 

Nothing  could  reassure  Rebecca  and  Martha,  for  thev 
grew  every  moment  more  and  more  solemn  and  constrained, 
and  it  was  a  positive  relief  to  them,  when,  by  a  pre-arrange- 
rnent,  Mrs.  Burgess,  one  of  the  neighboring  women,  came  to 
the  door,  and  with  a  dissembled  show  of  haste  and  alarm 
caid  to  them, 

u  Come  over  at  once ;  one  of  my  children  has  been  burned 
terribly." 

"  How,"  said  both  at  once,  and  without  waiting,  for  an  ex- 
planation, the  three  women  ran  off  together,  leaving  us  alone, 

child  rolled  its  wild  eyes — fired  with  a  precocious  sense  of  wrong,  the 
source  of  which  it  struggled  to  comprehend — first  to  its  hapless  mother 
and  then  to  us,  as  if  puzzled  as  much  to  know  why  the  mother  was 
confined  there,  as  why  we  did  not  release  her.  Its  pitiful  moans  and 
appeals  for  the  help  we  could  not  give,  were  enoug  i  to  break  our 
hearts. 


268       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormcns. 

in  the  sitting-room.  The  design  of  this  was,  that  I  should  be 
enabled  to  lead  Bowman  into  some  developments  of  his 
plans  and  feelings  towards  the  Church,  in  hearing  of  the  lis- 
teners of  the  next  room.  Then  commenced  a  series  of 
attacks  upon  my  victim.  I  felt  I  could  now  afford  to  act  my 
part  well :  more  especially  as  I  had  given  him  what  warning 
I  could.  I  represented  to  him  in  my  best  manner,  how  much 
I  wished  to  escape ;  and  that  I  should  be  pleased  to  do  so  by 
his  assistance  ;  and  that  I  was  willing  to  submit  to  any  con- 
ditions he  might  impose,  and  hinted  further  at  other  possi- 
bilities, in  a  manner  not  to  be  mistaken.  As  a  part  of  my 
instructions  were  to  ascertain  if  possible  what  amount  of 
money  he  had,  I  told  him,  that  in  case  he  could  not  take  me, 
that  with  a  small  sum  of  money,  I  should  possibly  be  able  to 
get  away,  in  another  manner,  which  I  did  not  mention.  To 
all  this  he  listened  in  thoughtful  silence ;  and  I  was  pleased  to 
notice  that  I  had  not  awakened  his  interest,  until  I  referred 
to  the  money.  I  then  asked  him  in  order  to  draw  out  a 
reply  of  some  kind,  what  he  thought  of  the  Mormons. 

"  Why  as  for  that,"  said  he  slowly,  "  I  have  no  good  reason 
to  think  very  well  of  them.  I  think  I  know  these  Saints  are 
making  arrangements  to  take  my  life.  I  shall  never  be  per- 
mitted to  leave  this  place.  I  know  the  man  who  is  to  be 
charged  with  the  duty  of  effecting  my  murder.  My  life  is 
not  worth  a  fig.  But  should  I  succeed  in  getting  away,  which 
is  now  impossible,  I  should  be  very  glad  to  restore  you  to 
your  husband :  and  then  I  would  come  to  this  accursed  den 
of  assassins,  with  such  a  company  of  true  men,  and  such  an 
array  of  arms,  as  would  sweep  this  impious  Prophet,  and  his 


Bowman's  Fate.  269 

Danites,'  from  longer  cursing  this  beautiful  valley/'  "While 
he  said  this  he  rose  from  his  seat,  and  his  eye  flashed  a  proud 
defiance,  and  his  whole  frame  swelled  with  a  lofty  enthu- 
siasm. 

"  But,"  said  he,  resuming  his  seat  after  a  moment's  silence, 
and  falling  back  into  his  quiet  and  thoughtful  mood  again, 
"  you  mentioned  just  now  that  money  might  be  useful  to  you. 
If  so,  you  can  have  all  you  wish  ;  as  it  will  be  useless  to  me. 
All  the  money  in  the  world  cannot  save  me,  Mrs.  Smith  :  and 
you  may  as  well  have  it  as  any  one."  I  then  took  the  watch 
Mr.  Smith  gave  me  when  he  left  for  California,  and  handed  it 
to  him.  This  was  a  keepsake,  and  I  did  not  wish  to  part 
with  it ;  but  he  looked  at  it,  saying  as  he  did  so,  "  this  is 
worth  about  one  hundred  dollars.  I  will  give  you  two  hun- 
dred for  it."  I  knew  he  would  have  given  me  the  money  as 
soon  without  the  watch,  as  with  it:  and  that  he  had  chosen 
to  give  the  transaction  a  business  form,  from  motives  of  deli- 
cacy to  me.  I  appreciated  his  motives,  but  I  parted  with  the 
watch  with  regret.  But  there  was  no  remedy  for  it,  and  he 
took  from  his  pocket  a  purse  of  gold,  which  I  should  say  con- 
tained several  thousand  dollars,  and  counted  me  the  amount, 
saying  at  the  same  time,  I  could  have  more  if  I  wished. 
The  fact  was  I  dare  not  refuse  the  money  or  explain  to  him, 
why  I  preferred  to  keep  the  watch  in  the  presence  of  the  lis- 
teners. 

He  then  said,  "  Well,  Mrs.  Smith,  I  find  I  am  nearer  ready 
to  leave  this  city,  than  I  had  expected  ;  and  I  may  as  well 
meet  my  fate  at  once.  I  have  concluded  to  leave  to-morrow 
morning.     If  I  can  once  reach  the  open  plaits,  I  can  defy 


270        Fifteen  Tears  among  the  Mormons. 

them.  The  difficulty  will  be  to  escape  beyond  the  canons  and 
mountain  passes  leading  from  this  city.  I  think  I  shall  never 
pass  them ;  but  we  shall  see.  But  it  is  time  I  had  seen  my 
men,  that  they  may  be  ready  for  an  early  move  in  the  morning." 

We  then  returned  to  my  mother's  who  had  tea  ready, 
and  when  the  meal  was  finished,  Bowman  went  up  town 
to  put  his  affairs  in  readiness  for  the  journey ;  and  we 
saw  him  no  more  that  night.  With  his  company  he  had 
three  Indian  slaves,  purchased  as  he  said  in  Mexico. 

That  slavery  exists  not  only  among  these  Mexican  and 
Indian  traders,  but  also  among  the  Mormons,  and  by  autho- 
rity of  the  Prophet,  is  perhaps  not  generally  known ;  but  it 
has  been  reduced  to  a  regular  system,  in  the  territory,  under 
their  administration.  Young  Indian  girls  and  boys,  who  are 
captives  among  the  various  tribes,  are  purchased,  and  trained 
as  servants,  and  are  now  as  much  a  recognized  item  of 
property  there  as  the  negro  slaves  of  Louisiana  or  Kentucky. 

The  next  morning,  our  house  was  filled  with  our  immediate 
neighbors,  the  acquaintances  of  Bowman,  as  it  was  generally 
known  he  was  to  leave  the  city  at  an  early  hour,  and  would 
bid  his  friends  adieu,  after  he  had  taken  his  breakfast  at  our 
house.  Notwithstanding  great  efforts  had  been  made  by  the 
Heads  of  the  Church,  to  create  a  prejudice  against  him,  he 
yet  had  many  true  friends  among  us,  though  none  dare  to 
advocate  his  cause  openly. 

When  the  time  arrived  for  his  departure,  he  came  to  the 
house  accompanied  by  his  party.  I  noticed  among  the  rest, 
three  very  formidable  looking  Spaniards,  who  had  in  charge 
the  pack  animals.     His  packs  were  large  and  numerous,  and 


Bowman's  Fate.  271 

were  said  to  contain  valuable  goods,  and  other  property  and 
money. 

His  own  dress  and  appearance  on  this  occasion  was  very 
imposing.  He  wore  a  sort  of  over-shirt  of  brown  broad  cloth, 
of  very  fine  fabric,  with  blue  pantaloons,  and  leggings,  fastened 
above  the  knee  by  bands  of  red  velvet,  richly  ornamented  with 
bead  work,  which  he  prized,  as  having  been  worked  and  pre- 
sented, rumor  said,  by  the  fair  hands  of  a  distinguished  Mex- 
ican lady.  His  buckskin  riding  gloves,  were  laced  from  the 
wrist  to  the  elbow  with  silken  cords,  and  the  Mexican  hat, 
which  completed  his  graceful,  and  somewhat  ambitious  cos- 
tume, was  removed  when  he  came  in,  with  an  air  of  good 
breeding,  and  consideration  for  his  friends,  and  he  chose  to 
treat  us  all  as  such,  that  would  have  done  honor  to  a  gentle- 
man of  any  country  or  position  in  life.  His  whole  costume, 
however,  was  arranged  in  good  taste,  and  according  to  the 
customs  of  the  country.  As  he  moved  among  us,  he  was 
acknowledged  by  all  to  be  a  model  of  grace  and  manly 
beauty  ;  and  more  than  one  heart  deplored  his  fate,  from 
which  every  Mormon  felt  there  was  no  reprieve.  He  wore  a 
sad  and  even  gloomy  face  at  first,  and  was  much  astonished 
to  find  so  large  a  company.  Seeing  many  whom  he  recog- 
nized as  his  friends,  he  brightened  up  somewhat,  as  he  said 
with  a  touch  of  sarcasm, 

"  Where  is  Brigham  ?  He  should  be  here  to  preach  my 
funeral  sermon." 

The  rebuke  was  so  well  deserved,  that  we  looked  as  guilty 
as  we  felt.  He  saw  the  effect  of  his  speech ;  and  generously 
added : 


272        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

"  My  friends,  I  know  who  are  the  guilty  ones  among  you 
and  I  have  now  to  bid  you  a  final  adieu.     I  thank  you  for  the 
honor  of  your  presence  here  this  morning.     I  wish  it  was  in 
my  power  to  serve  you." 

When  he  had  finished  his  breakfast,  he  turned  to  me  and 
said  : 

"  Mrs.  Smith,  I  trust  I  may  ask  you  to  accept  this  sash  at 
my  hands." 

He  then  put  a  beautiful  sash  over  one  of  my  shoulders,  and 
around  my  waist,  and  tied  it  there.  Then  placing  his  hands 
one  on  each  side  of  my  face,  he  kissed  me,  saying : 

"  Good-bye,  Mrs.  Smith  ;"  and  then  he  kissed  all  the  ladies 
present,  in  like  manner,  and  bid  them  good-bye.  John  Nor- 
ton and  the  bishop  of  the  ward  were  present,  with  many 
other  men,  and  a  large  number  of  women.  It  was  noticed  that 
when  he  shook  hands  with  the  men,  he  did  so  with  less  cor- 
diality than  when  he  kissed  his  adieus  to  the  ladies. 

His  party  moved  on  at  his  order,  and  he  left  us,  bearing 
with  him  the  sorrowing  sympathy  of  every  woman  present. 
I  think  nothing  but  the  presence  of  the  men  restrained  our 
tears. 

This  was  Sunday  morning ;  and  after  meeting,  the  Prophet 
came  to  John  Norton's  house,  accompanied  by  General  Wells. 
I  saw  them,  and  feeling  an  anxiety  about  the  fate  of  Bowman 
that  would  not  be  appeased  nor  brook  delay,  I  went  there. 
I  was  still  in  mystery  as  to  the  particular  manner  in  which 
he  was  to  be  disposed  of.  I  knew  my  interview  with  him 
had  not  been  attended  with  quite  the  result  the  Prophet  had 
anticipated,  and  that  ho  had  changed  his  policy  with  regard 


Bowman's  Fate.  273 

to  him  since  but  in  what  way  I  knew  not.  It  was  this  I 
wished  to  know.  I  concealed  my  interest  in  the  matter  as 
best  I  could,  and  was  well  and  very  kindly  received  by  the 
Prophet,  who  complimented  me  upon  the  skillful  manage- 
ment of  my  "mission,"  as  he  was  pleased  to  call  it.  He 
placed  his  hands  upon  my  head,  and  as  the  Prophet  of  God, 
conferred  a  blessing  upon  me,  closing  with  these  words : 
"  You,  Mary  Ettie,  shall  yet  be  mighty  in  word  and  deed." 

The  Prophet  then  turned  the  conversation  upon  the  subject 
nearest  my  heart.  Besides  John  Norton  and  family,  there 
were  several  other  persons  present  of  note  in  the  Church, 
both  men  and  women. 

He  said,  addressing  the  company  generally,  "  we  must 
make  some  arrangements  as  to  Bowman  at  once.  We  must 
adopt  some  plan  by  which  to  end  his  existence.  It  will  never 
do  to  allow  him  to  leave  the  territory  :  for  if  he  is  once  at 
liberty  again,  he  will  set  the  Spaniards  and  Indians  against 
us,  if  not  half  the  world  besides,  and  that  will  never  do." 

General  Wells  then  proposed  that  two  men  should  be 
selected  from  the  private  police,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying 
out  the  Prophet's  "counsel."  John  Norton  volunteered  as 
one,  and  the  General  engaged  to  find  another.  With  these 
few  words,  the  matter  was  settled.  Some  other  unimportant 
conversation  passed,  and  the  trial  and  condemnation  of  one 
of  the  noblest  and  bravest  of  men  was  accomplished.  A 
young  and  innocent  man,  one  incapable  of  the  commission 
of  a  crime,  was  thus  to  be  cut  off,  to  gratify  the  craven 
bigotry  of  the  Prophet.  I  had  often  seen  Brigham  Young  in 
difficult  positions  before ;  but  I  had  never  known  his  unwor 

12* 


274        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

thy  fears  get  so  much  the  better  of  his  judgment.  The 
"High  Commission"  separated,  and  I  went  home,  sick  and 
disheartened,  to  mourn  for  the  doomed.  A  morbid  curiosity 
prompted  me  to  know  all  the  details  of  the  cruel  measures 
taken  for  his  destruction,  and  circumstances  favored  my 
wishes. 

My  husband,  before  our  marriage,  had  been  employed  by 
Major  Holman,  Indian  Agent  for  the  territory,  to  distribute 
the  goods,  consisting  of  beads,  blankets,  brooches,  paints  and 
the  like,  to  some  of  the  tribes ;  and  by  accident,  a  package 
of  the  paints  used  by  the  Indians  had  been  left  at  our  house. 
This  fact,  unimportant  in  itself,  was  known  to  John  Norton. 
Just  at  night,  Norton  came  to  our  house  with  James  Ferguson, 
and  asked  for  some  of  this  paint,  and  made  no  reserve  in  tell- 
ing us  what  they  wished  to  do  with  it.     The  remainder  of  this 
story  I  learned  from  Norton  and  Ferguson  themselves.     This 
Ferguson  had  been  selected  to  accompany  Norton.     They 
left  the  city  on  horseback,  and  that  night,  passed,  after  dark, 
the  house  where  Bowman  had  put  up.     Knowing  the  route 
he  must  take  from  there,  they  went  on  to  Salt  Creek  canon, 
where  they  disguised  themselves  as  Indians,  by  painting  their 
faces    and    putting    on    blankets    and    horse-hair    wigs.     It 
appears  that  Bowman  had  sent  his  main  company  on,  while 
he  remained  behind,  keeping  but  four  horses  and  two  Span- 
iards with  him.     He  had  purchased  a  wagon  and  harnessed 
two  of  his  horses  to  it;  one  Spaniard  was  driving,  and   the 
other  was  riding  one,  and  leading  another  Inrse  behind  the 
wa^on,    and    Bowman    was   riding    inside    of    it.      It    was 
in  this  manner  that  Bowman  entered   the  canon,  the  nex* 


Bowman's  Fate.  275 

morning,  nearly  alone,  probably  with  the  hope  of  misleading 
the  "  Danites,"  whom  he  knew  would  be  on  hi*  track. 

But  Norton  and  Ferguson  were  in  ambuui  near  the  road, 
and  as  the  wagon  came  on,  they  both  rose  from  behind  some 
rocks  and  bushes,  and  gave  an  Indian  war-whoop,  and  fired  a 
shot,  which  took  effect  in  the  hat  of  one  of  the  Spaniards, 
whom  they  wished  not  to  kill,  but  only  to  frighten.  At  this, 
both  of  these  cowards  fled  with  the  loose  horses,  and  made 
their  way  back  to  the  city,  leaving  Bowman  alone,  who  now 
rose  in  the  wagon,  and  drawing  himself  up  to  his  full  height 
for  a  quick  survey  of  the  danger,  from  which  he  evidently 
felt  there  was  no  escape,  looked  undaunted  upon  his  assail- 
ants. A  moment  of  silence  intervened,  and  the  report  of  two 
rifle  shots  rang  among  the  rocks  of  the  canon,  and  he  fell  to  the 
bottom  of  his  wagon  dead.  Either  wound  was  mortal ;  one  hit 
him  full  in  the  breast,  and  the  other  in  the  forehead.  I  after- 
wards heard  both  Norton  and  Ferguson  relate  the  circum- 
stances of  his  death,  and  both  agreed  in  the  statement  as 
above  given.  The  Spaniards,  upon  their  arrival  at  the  city, 
went  before  a  magistrate,  at  the  suggestion  of  the  Mormons, 
who  affected  great  alarm,  and  made. oath  that  Bowman  had 
been  shot  in  Salt  Creek  canon  by  the  Indians,  one  of  them 
showing  the  ball  hole  through  his  hat,  in  confirmation  of  it ; 
and  this  statement  was  credited  as  well  among  many  of  the 
Mormons  as  among  the  Gentiles,  and  is  so  received  to  this 
day  by  the  masses. 

A  posse  of  the  police  were  sent  out  to  look  for  his  body, 
and  for  the  property,  but  returned,  after  a  thorough  search, 


276        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

without  discovering  either ;  and  thus  the  matter  was  hushed 
up  with  the  public.  No  part  of  his  property,  which  must 
have  been  valued  at  many  thousands  of  dollars,  was  ever  dis- 
covered,, as  far  as  was  generally  known  ;  but  the  following 
will  indicate  its  probable  disposition. 

The  flist  or  second  night  after  Bowman's  death,  John  Nor- 
ton and  Ferguson  brought  his  body  to  the  city,  in  the  wagon 
in  which  he  had  been  killed,  and  drawn  by  his  own  horses. 
They  took  it  to  Norton's  house.  When  the  men  had 
gone  out,  Rebecca  came  over  and  told  me  what  had  hap- 
pened, and  I  went  home  with  her.  We  took  a  light,  and 
went  to  the  back  room  and  saw  the  body.  We  had  no  diffi- 
culty in  recognizing  it.  I  clipped  from  his  head  a  small  lock 
of  hair  with  my  scissors.  I  afterwards  gave  this  hair  to  Dr. 
Hurt,  then  or  afterwards  Indian  Agent  of  the  Territory ;  and 
this,  with  a  note  from  Brigham  Young,  received  upon  a  for- 
mer occasion,  and  referring  to  another  matter,  were  sent  to 
Washington  by  Judge  Kinney,  as  the  Doctor  informed  me. 
I  had  afterwards,  and  at  different  times,  repeated  conversation 
with  the  actors  in  the  tragedy  of  Bowman's  imprisonment 
and  death,  from  whom  I  have  gathered  what  I  did  not 
know  of  my  own  knowledge.  Norton  and  Ferguson  both 
acknowledged,  in  my  presence,  that  they  killed  Bowman 
in  cold  blood ;  and,  what  will  perhaps  appear  singular  to  my 
Gentile  readers  is,  they  did  not  consider  it  a  crime.  Hiram 
Clauson,  who,  it  will  b©  recollected,  assisted  at  the  robbery, 
and  probable  murder  of  Dr.  Roberts,  told  me  that  the  body 
of  Bowman  was  given  to  Drs.  Andrews  and  Williams,  well- 
known  physicians  ot  the  city,  for  dissection. 


Bowman's  Fate  277 

I  have  thus  sought  to  do  justice  to  the  memory  of  Wallace 
Alonzo  Clark  Bowman ;  and  as  his  murderers  are  still  living, 
I  can  but  hope  they  may  yet  meet  the  reward  due  their 
crimes. 


27S       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


MORMON    JESUITISM. 


When  all  was  over  with  poor  Bowman,  I  felt  the  full  pres- 
sure of  my  disagreeable  position.  Mormonism,  now  doubly 
hateful,  was  rendered  the  more  terrible  to  my  imagination  by 
the  fact  that  there  was  no  reasonable  hope  of  escape  left  me. 
I  wrote  to  my  husband  not  to  return  to  Salt  Lake,  as  if  he 
did,  he  would  very  likely  never  go  away  alive. 

A  little  circumstance  happened  soon  after  this,  which  served 
to  render  my  position  still  more  uncertain  and  disagreeable. 

A  stranger  came  to  our  house,  with  a  letter  purporting  to 
be  from  my  husband's  mother,  directed  to  him  and  myself, 
giving  the  information  that  a  valuable  property  had  fallen  to 
the  family  in  Scotland,  and  wishing  him  to  accompany  her  to 
secure  it.  The  letter  had  been  taken  from  the  post  office  at 
Salt  Lake  by  the  stranger,  who  represented  himself  as  a 
brother  of  my  husband.  The  whole  affair  looked  so  singular 
and  suspicious,  that  I  thought  my  safest  course  would  be  to 
lay  the  matter  before  the  Prophet.  I  conceived  this  to  be  a 
plan  of  the  Mormons  to  test  my  sincerity. 

The  stranger  afterwards  called  at  our  house,  and  professed 
to  bo  authorized  by  my  husband  to  take  me  to  California,  in 


Mormon  Jesuitism.  279 

order  to  accompany  him  to  Scotland,  for  the  purpose  named 
in  the  letter.  The  Prophet  pronounced  it  an  attempt  of  my 
husband  to  get  me  from  the  Saints,  and  advised  me  not  to  go. 
This  did  not  alter  the  opinion  I  had  entertained  from  the  first : 
that  the  Prophet  knew  all  about  it ;  and  that  it  would  be  at 
least  safe  to  follow  his  "  counsel  "  in  this  matter,  however  it 
might  be  when  I  was  free  to  accept  or  reject  it,  if  indeed  such 
a  time  should  ever  come.  I  give  this  to  illustrate  the  charac- 
ter of  the  Mormon  leaders,  and  their  line  of  policy.  I  soon 
after  received  a  letter  from  my  husband,  saying  he  had  given 
up  the  idea  of  getting  me  from  Salt  Lake.  That  he  had  made 
every  possible  effort  in  that  direction,  and  had  sent  two  men 
to  bring  me  away,  but  that  they  had  never  been  heard  from 
since ;  and  that  he  was  quite  discouraged  about  succeeding, 
while  Mormonism  flourished  there.  As  he  made  no  mention 
of  having  sent  his  brother,  I  felt  myself  confirmed  in  the 
opinion  I  had  entertained,  as  to  who  were  at  the  bottom  of 
that  transaction.  I  was  still  teaching  the  ward  school,  and 
Brigham  Young  came  to  see  me  very  often,  and  took  unusual 
pains  to  encourage  and  keep  me  iri  good  spirits,  as  he  believed 
I  could  yet  be  reconciled  to  the  Church.  I  deemed  it  best  to 
encourage  his  efforts  in  this  direction ;  and  I  was  equally  in- 
dustrious in  my  efforts  to  convince  him  I  was  becoming  every 
day  better  satisfied  ;  and  that  even  then  I  was,  to  a  certain  de- 
gree, contented  and  happy.  Any  other  course  would  have  been 
beyond  question  suicidal;  and,  as  my  readers  will  hereafter 
learn,  it  was  by  the  patient  pursuance  of  this  policy,  that  I  after- 
wards effected  my  escape  ;  not,  however,  until  I  had  been  the 
victim  of  repeated  disappointments  and  hardships. 


280       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

1HE     STORY     OF     WILLIAM     MAC. 

On  my  way  to  school  one  morning  I  met  William  Mao 
It  was  this  man  that  had  been  engaged  by  my  husband  tc 
take  me  to  Bear  River,  where  he  was  to  meet  us,  which 
scheme,  it  will  be  recollected,  was  frustrated  by  the  Prophet 
Mac  had  just  returned  from  California  with  more  goods,  and 
his  family,  to  remain  during  the  winter.  This  was  the  first  1 
had  known  of  his  return,  and  I  eagerly  inquired  what  informa 
tion  he  had  of  my  husband  ;  but  he  knew  nothing  of  him. 

It  was  a  few  days  after  this,  that  I  was  in  his  store,  to  in 
quire  for  some  small  matter,  which  I  had  been  unable  to  find 
at  other  places.  It  so  happened  that  no  one  was  in  the  store 
at  the  time,  but  his  two  clerks,  who  were  both  Gentiles.  As 
I  went  out,  thinking  no  Mormons  were  in  hearing,  he  said  to 
his  clerks,  "  I  think  it  a  burning  shame  that  Mrs.  Smith  cannot 
go  to  her  husband.  If  she  remains  until  I  go  in  the  spring, 
I  will  take  her  in  spite  of  the  whole  Mormon  crew.  If  she 
will  risk  herself  with  my  wife,  I  will  take  her."  I  did  not 
hear  these  words  myself,  but  there  was  a  Mormon  within 
hearing  who  did.  Bishop  Browning,  of  Ogden  City,  stood 
at  that  moment  just  outside  the  door,  and  heard  all  he  had 


The  Story  of  William  Mac.  281 

said.  He  knew  me,  and  had  heard  of  my  marriage  to  Smith  ; 
and  of  course  appreciated  how  important  it  was  the  Prophet 
should  also  know  of  Mac's  intentions.  He  therefore  went  im- 
mediately to  Brigham's  office,  and  reported  what  he  had 
heard  ;  and  I  was  sent  for  at  once.  When  I  arrived  at  the 
Prophet's  office,  he  was  alone,  and  sat  absorbed  in  deep  study. 
His  face  was  overcast  and  even  sad.  It  was  not  unusual  to 
see  him  thus,  when  free  from  excitement.  He  is  probably  the 
most  unhappy  man  alive.  I  have  seen  him  join  the  dance 
with  the  utmost  abandon  ;  and  have  heard  him  say  after- 
wards that  dancing  served  to  drown  for  the  moment,  the  crush- 
ing weight  of  care  and  responsibility  under  which  he  groaned. 
His  government  is  too  absolute  to  be  easily  administered,  and 
it  is  believed  by  his  most  intimate  associates,  that  the  frequent 
exercise  of  his  assumed  prerogative  of  holding  "  the  issues  of 
life,"  which  he  practically  does  through  the  agency  of  his 
"  Danites,"  weighs  heavily  upon  his  spirit,  and  not  unfrequent- 
ly  disturbs  his  conscience. 

He  has  been  often  heard  to  say  that  his  life  was  not  worth 
the  possession  ;  and  that  if  he  consulted  only  his  own  feel- 
ings, he  should  quit  the  world  at  once.* 

*  It  cannot  be  supposed  that  the  Mormon  Prophet  is  the  dupe  of 
his  own  pretensions,  and  hence  this  starting  back  at  the  remembrance 
of  his  crimes,  and  at  the  recollection  of  the  many,  many  victims,  whose 
bones  are  strewn  from  Nauvoo  to  Salt  Lake,  and  through  every  valley 
and  canon,  and  over  every  plain  of  Utah,  vindicates  the  divinity  within 
us.  It  admonishes  the  wrong-doer,  that  although  "  hand  join  to  hand," 
and  notwithstanding  "  God  is  slow  to  aager,"  "  the  wicked  shall  not  go 
unpunished." 


282       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

He  rose  as  I  went  in,  and  giving  me  his  own  chair,  he  as 
Burned  at  once  his  usual  smile  and  self-possession,  and  said, 
"  Well,  Nett,  I  have  another  tedious  job  for  you." 

"  What  is  it  Vf  I  asked. 

"  This,"  said  he.  "  I  wish  to  send  you  upon  a  mission  tc 
the  Gentiles  to  get  money  for  us." 

"  How  do  you  expect  me  to  get  money  from  the  Gentiles  ? 
Certainly  you  will  not  expect  me  to  rob,  or  steal,  nor  commit 
that  other  sin,  which  you  have  always  taught  us  was  so 
wicked. 

"  I  do  not  wish,"  said  he,  "  you  should  break  any  covenant 
you  have  made,  and  while  you  do  not  do  that,  you  will  be 
safe  enough.  But  at  present,  this  is  what  I  wish  :  that  you 
should  go  to  Mr.  William  Mac,  the  merchant,  and  make  such 
advances  to  him,  as  that  he  shall  be  induced  to  believe  you 
are  willing  to  become  his  mistress,  i.  e.,  to  live  with  him  with- 
out marriage.  The  Gentiles  have  but  one  wife,  but  they  often 
have  others,  whom  they  support  privately,  to  whom  they  are 
really  more  attached  than  to  their  lawful  wives.  Now,  you 
have,  perhaps,  never  understood  that  this  is  one  reason  why 
Mormons  are  allowed  to  have  a  plurality  of  wives,  i.  e.,  to 
avoid  the  sin  of  keeping  mistresses.  I  wish  you  to  do  this 
without  delay.  You  can  succeed,  I  am  certain,  from  what  I 
have  heard  this  morning.  I  have  just  learned  he  takes  a 
great  interest  in  you."  He  then  related  to  me  what  he  had 
heard  from  Bishop  Browning,  and  all  Mac  had  said.  I  ear- 
nestly begged  the  Prophet  would  excuse  me  for  this  once, 
and  reminded  him  that  I  had  never  refused  to  obey  his 
a counsel;"  but  asked  that  he  would  send  some  one  else 


The  Stosy  of  William  Mac.  283 

That  I  Lad  hoped  to  serve  the  Church  in  some  other  capacity, 
and  did  not  feel  able  to  acquit  myself  with  credit  in  such  a 
mission. 

Drawing  his  small  frame  up  to  its  fullest  height,  he  assumed 
towards  me  that  air  of  severity,  softened  by  a  slight  mar- 
gin of  patronage  which,  in  his  hands,  was  so  strong  a 
weapon,  when  dealing  with  those  who  were  entirely  within 
his  power.  Upon  occasion  he  could  rise  to  something 
very  near  the  sublime,  if  by  chance  no  strong  arm  was  near 
to  frighten  his  divinity  and  high  pretension  back  within  the 
limits  of  good  manners.  He  now  looked  every  inch  the 
Prophet  and  inspired  Seer,  as  he  said : 

41 1  wish  you  to  proceed  according  to  the  best  of  your  know- 
ledge That  is  all  I  require.  I  know  whether  you  can  do  it 
or  not,  before  I  send  for  you.  You  trifle  too  much  with  my 
word.     I  am  directed  by  the  spirit  of  my  God  *  when  I  act." 

I  saw  I  had  unwittingly  aroused,  to  its  fullest  intensity,  that 
strong  will,  which  had  never  yet  found  its  equal  within  the 
pale  of  the  Church,  and  which  forms  a  strong  element  of  his 

*  "  I  am  directed  by  the  spirit  of  my  God."  In  these  words  the 
Prophet  does  not  acknowledge  the  u  One  only  true  God  "  of  the  Bible; 
but  he  refers  in  the  expression  u  my  God"  to  the  particular  God  in 
whose  kingdom  he  expects  to  be  in  the  next  world,  and  to  whom  he  is 
responsible  in  this. 

He  teaches  that  there  are  many  gods,  each  having  a  kingdom  in 
the  other  world,  in  which  each  is  absolute  ;  bit  that  over  all  these, 
the  God  of  the  Bible  is  the  acknowledged  Head ;  and  that  he,  Brig- 
ham  Young,  is  to  be  a  god  there  also  ;  and  that  the  God  of  the  Bible 
was  once  a  man,  now  risen  to  the  high  estate  of  the  central  uid 
Ruling  Godhead. 


284       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Moemc^ns. 

government,  among  those  who  acknowledge  his  authority  as 
a  Prophet. 

I  hastily  apologized,  and  made  my  escape  from  the  inspired 
presence,  with  the, best  grace  possible,  promising  a  cheerful 
obedience. 

After  seriously  canvassing  my  position,  I  concluded  it  was 
my  duty  to  protect  myself,  and  to  obey  the  Prophet  was  my 
only  way  to  do  this.  As  far  as  Mac  was  concerned,  if  he  was 
an  honest  man,  he  would  not  be  misled  by  me.  If  he  believed 
as  he  professed,  that  it  was  wrong  for  Mormons  to  have  a 
plurality  of  wives,  he  certainly  would  not  do  what  both  Gen- 
tiles and  Mormons  professed  to  think  a  crime,  and  therefore 
he  would  be  safe.  For  if  he  did  not  yield  to  temptation, 
the  Prophet  could  find  no  pretext  for  extorting  money  from 
him. 

My  readers  will  of  course  understand  that  I  was  expected 
to  go  only  far  enough  to  get  him  committed  by  some  overt 
act  or  promise,  which  the  Mormons  could  use  as  the  founda- 
tion of  charges  against  him,  for  which  he  would  prefer  to  pay 
heavily,  rather  than  be  exposed.  This  was  about  the  time 
the  Prophet  was  building  a  very  extensive  dwelling  for  his 
wives,  where  he  wished  to  gather  those  who  were  especially 
his  favorites,  under  one  roof:  a  sort  of  religious  harem,  to  be 
fitted  up  with  a  costly  magnificence,  worthy  of  the  residence 
of  the  Prophet,  and  the  possessor  of  so  many  wives.  To  do 
this,  he  was  availing  himselr  of  every  possible  resource  foi 
raising  money. 

I  have  been  asked  repeatedly,  since  my  return  to  the  States, 
how  many  wives  the  Prophet  had ;  and  I  have  heard  it  stated 


The  Story  ex  William  Mac.  285 

here,  that  he  had  thirty.  Now  I  suppose  if  the  Prophet  him- 
self were  asked  the  question,  he  could  not  answer  it,  without 
first  having  an  examination  of  the  records,  as  well  of  mar- 
riages  as  of  deaths,  for  they  often  die  without  his  knowledge, 
as  they  are  scattered  over  the  territory,  and  often  live  in 
places  remote  from  the  city.  I  recollect  hearing  a  story  told 
of  him,  which  illustrates  this  point. 

At  one  time,  when  on  a  tour  of  inspection  at  Little  Salt 
Lake,  he  put  up  for  the  night  with  a  family  of  Mormons, 
consisting  of  a  woman  and  her  daughter.  In  the  morning, 
the  mother  asked  the  Prophet  if  he  knew  that  young  lady, 
referring  to  her  daughter.  He  said  he  did  not.  The  mother 
then  informed  him,  that  the  young  woman  was  his  daughter ; 
and  stated  the  time,  at  Nauvoo,  when  she  had  been  "  sealed  " 
to  him.    Upon  examining  the  records,  it  was  found  to  be  true. 

I  heard,  at  another  time,  one  of  the  High  Priests,  whose 
business  it  was  to  anoint  the  sick,  say,  that  he  had  that 
morning  anointed  twenty  of  the  Prophet's  babies — all  of 
whom  had  the  measles.  If  Brigham  Young  has  not  a  hun- 
dred wives,  which  he  probably  has  not,  it  is  because  he  never 
saw  so  many  single  women  whom  he  wished  to  marry.  Of 
course  I  need  not  state,  that  it  very  seldom  happens  that  his 
wishes  in  this  respect  are  disregarded ;  and  I  think  they  never 
are,  among  the  true  believers;  for  why  should  they  be,  since 
his  application  is  backed  by  that  unanswerable  argument: 
"thus  saith  the  Lord,"  and  that  is  the  end  of  it. 

Going  to  my  school-rocm,  I  sent  the  children  to  their 
homes,  and  set  myself  to  work  at  once,  to  carry  out  the  hated 
"  counsel "  of  the  tyrant,  whom  I  dared  not  disobey. 


286       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

I  fixed  my  plan  of  operations,  by  adopting  such  measures 
as  should  leave  no  doubt  of  my  intentions,  hoping  this  very 
boldness  might  put  him  on  his  guard,  or  at  least,  astonish 
him  into  decency.  At  first,  I  drew  up  a  note  addressed  to 
him,  in  which  I  expressed  my  proposition,  in  terms  not  to  be 
mistaken,  and  then  dressing  myself  with  care,  went  to  his 
store.  Mr.  Mac  was  not  in  at  the  moment  The  clerks 
volunteered  to  show  me  anything  I  might  wish,  but  I  told 
them  I  preferred  to  see  the  proprietor  ;  as  I  was  looking  for  an 
article  used  only  in  the  High  Priest's  office,  and  that  I  would 
wait  his  return.  This  excited  some  curiosity  with  them,  and 
gave  rise  to  some  speculation  as  to  what  it  was ;  in  the  midst 
of  which,  Mr.  Mac  came  in.  This  was  as  I  preferred  it 
should  be,  for  I  wished  to  give  the  man  some  chance  for  his 
life,  and  not  to  use  an  unfair  bait,  but  to  tempt  him  in  the 
presence  of  his  clerks,  and  with  their  eyes  upon  him,  and 
when  he  was  free  from  excitement.  If  he  fell  into  my  snares 
under  such  circumstances,  it  would  be  but  the  result  of  hia 
own  folly. 

Mr.  Mac  received  me  very  kindly,  and  with  the  overacted 
politeness  in  vogue  among  shopkeepers  of  his  class,  wished 
me  good  morning;  at  the  same  time,  asked  what  he  could 
do  for  me.  "  Several  things,"  said  I.  "  First,  I  wish  to  look 
at  this,"  going  to  a  piece  of  carpet  near  by,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  handing  him  the  note  in  the  presence  of  the  clerks. 
After  reading  the  note,  without  the  least  show  of  embarrass- 
ment, he  turned  to  me,  and  said,  as  if  nothing  had  happened 
out  of  the  usual  line  of  business  : — 

"  Yes,  yes ;  T  think  we  haven't  it  now,  but  we  can  accom 


The  Story  of  William  Mac.  2S7 

modate  you  soon  ;"  as  if  referring  to  some  imaginary  article 
of  trade,  which,  he  happened  not  to  have. 

11  Let  me  see,"  he  said,  referring  to  the  note.  u  Does  the 
lady  expect  me  to  keep  this  P1 

"  I  believe  she  does,"  said  I,  and  then  took  ray  leave,  sorry 
to  find  him  so  approachable,  saying  as  I  went  out,  "  you  will 
please  to  let  me  know  when  you  can  fill  the  order,"  as  if  still 
referring  to  the  imaginary  article,  supposed  to  have  been 
mentioned  in  the  note.  I  was  the  more  pained  with  the  re- 
sult of  this  interview,  from  the  fact,  that  one  of  the  strong 
arguments  the  few  of  us  who  rejected  the  spiritual  wife  doc- 
trine were  in  the  habit  of  urging  was,  that  the  Gentiles  who 
believed  in  Christianity,  rejected  it,  as  not  being  a  practice 
authorized  by  the  Bible.  Against  this  view,  the  Prophet 
urged  that  it  was  only  a  pretence  with  them. 

"True,"  he  would  say,  "the  Gentiles  have  openly  but  one 
wife;  but  they  have  in  secret  as  many  as  they  can  sup- 
port." 

And  here  was  a  Gentile  who,  by  his  practice,  had  confirmed 
the  Prophet's  reasoning. 

I  went  with  a  heavy  heart,  immediately  to  report  the  pro- 
gress I  had  made. 

Brigham  was  well  pleased,  and  encouraged  me  to  go  on  ; 
"  but,"  said  he,  "  after  this  you  had  better  not  come  to  my 
office.  I  will  send  some  one  to  assist  and  instruct  you,  aa 
occasion  may  require. 

"  I  have  been  publicly  preaching  of  late,  to  our  women, 
against  associating,  in  any  way,  with  the  Gentiles;  and  if, 
Mac  should   notice  vou  came  here,   he   would   be  likelv  \o 


288       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

think  you  visited  him  with  my  consent,  and  hence,  would  sus- 
pect you  of  bad  faith." 

Up  to  this  time,  it  had  never  occurred  to  me,  that  if  I 
should  go  to  my  brother  Howard,  now  my  only  brother  living, 
possibly  he  could  protect  me  against  the  necessity  of  submit- 
ting to  the  Prophet's  "counsel,"  in  the  execution  of  these 
"  missions  "  He  was  a  High  Priest,  and  was  much  about  the 
person  of  the  Prophet,  having  been  one  of  his  secretaries 
from  the  first,  and  he  was  said  to  have  influence  with  him. 
On  my  way  home,  I  went  to  Howard's  house,  and  told  him 
what  had  happened,  and  asked  him  to  assist  me.  I  believe 
him  to  be  an  honest  man,  and  that  he  would  in  no  case,  or 
for  no  earthly  consideration,  commit  a  crime ;  but  the  clairns 
of  the  Church  and  the  word  of  the  Prophet,  are  to  him  a  law 
above  all  question  or  cavil.  He  listened  to  me  with  patience, 
and  said  when  I  had  finished : 

"  Mary  Ettie,  I  am  sorry  you  are  capable  of  filling  missions 
of  that  kind :  but  it  is  an  evidence  of  the  Prophet's  divine 
commission,  that  he  has  discovered  this  talent  in  you ;  and 
the  whole  Church  recognize  you  as  fitted  for  the  work ;  and 
many  think  it  is  a  special  grace  sealed  upon  your  head.  It 
will  be  utterly  impossible  to  escape  your  mission,  or  to  ques- 
tion the  Prophet's  counsel — you  must  go  on." 

I  went  home  sick  and  disheartened,  for  I  saw  there  was  no 
escape  from  this  degrading  service.  I  had  been  at  home 
but  a  few  minutes,  when  John  Norton  came  to  the  door,  and 
said,  as  if  be  understood  the  embarrassment  of  my  position, 
"  Nett,  I  tell  you  to  do  as  you  have  been  counselled  ;  there  ie 
no  other  way  for  you." 


The  Story  of  "William  Mac.  289 

I  knew  he  had  been  sent  by  the  Prophet,  who  had  probably 
been  informed  of  what  I  had  just  said  to  Howard.  I  made  him 
no  direct  reply,  but  went  to  bed  early,  to  seek  forge tfulness^ 
for  the  time  in  sleep. 

The  next  morning,  I  awoke  refreshed  and  calm.  I  wished 
to  make  one  more  appeal  to  Brigham  Young,  and  I  went  to 
his  house,  and  had  the  good  fortune  to  find  him  there  with 
Orson  Hyde.  As  I  went  in  he  met  me  at  the  door,  with  his 
best  smile,  saying,  as  he  patted  my  cheek  playfully, 

"  Well,  Nett,  you  think  you  have  a  hard  time  of  it,  do 
you!" 

"  I  do  not  understand,"  said  I,  "  why  you  have  selected  me 
for  this  kind  of  work,  always  ending  as  it  does,  if  not  in  mur- 
der, at  least  in  something  as  wicked." 

"  Because,"  said  he,  "I  know  you  have  the  faculty  of  gain- 
ing the  friendship  of  those  with  whom  you  come  in  contact, 
and  you  must  do  something  for  the  Church.  If  you  will  not 
marry  any  of  us,  you  must  help  '  milk  the  Gentiles.'  I  do 
wish  you  could  ever  realize  how  we  have  been  driven  from 
one  State  to  another  by  these  Gentiles,  until  we  have  finally 
reached  this  stronghold  among  the  mountains;  and  they 
would  now  push  us  on,  and  into  the  Pacific,  if  they  could.  Bui 
the  powers  of  Hell  cannot  disturb  us  here.  They  are  now  in- 
venting every  possible  plan  to  get  away  our  most  intelligent 
women,  while  I  am  telling  them  plainly  every  Sunday  from 
the  pulpit,  they  are  not  wanted  among  us." 

"  I  understand  you,  brother  Brigham,  as  to  that,"  said  I ; 
"  but  why  are  not  others,  as  well  as  myself,  sent  to  milk  the 
Gentiles,  as  you  terra  it?      I  am  fearful  my  husband  will 

13 


290       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

not  approve  of  my  conduct,  if  I  should  go  on  with  this  mat 
ter." 

"  Perhaps,"  said  the  Prophet,  "  if  your  were  called  upon  to 
do  as  some  females  in  the  Church  have  done,  you  would 
renounce  Mormonism  outright.  You  do  not  know  what 
everybody  may  be  doing,  any  more  than  everybody  knows 
what  you  are  doing.  When  people  first  come  into  the 
Church,  they  must  be  fed  upon  the  thinnest  milk  ;  but  you 
should  now  be  able  to  eat  strong  meat." 

I  felt  a  strong  inclination  to  laugh,  which  he  noticed,  and 
checked  me,  by  saying : 

"  You  always  trifle  with  serious  matters." 

"  Do  you  think  it  a  trifling  matter,"  said  I,  "  to  lead  a  man 
off,  and  take  his  money,  and  perhaps  his  life  ?" 

He  looked  at  me  seriously  for  a  moment,  as  if  smitten  by 
the  inquiry,  and  said  at  length,  almost  despairingly  : 

"  I  have  a  terrible  headache." 

But  without  sparing  him,  I  said,  "  Smith  will  never  tolerate 
such  work." 

"  Never  mention  him,"  said  he.    "  It  is  a  sin  to  think  of  him.'- 

"  But  if  he  comes l^ack,  and  confesses  his  sins,"  I  replied,. 
"  3tou  are  bound  to  forgive  him — are  you  not  ?" 

"  He  never  will,"  said  the  Prophet,  earnestly.  "  If  he  does, 
he  shall  never  have  you;  but  my  head  aches,  and  I  must 
leave  you  to  accomplish  your  appointed  work." 

"  I  will  not  disturb  you  further,"  said  I ;  "  and  if  I  had  the 
power  of  healing,  I  would  relieve  you.  But  Saints  never 
have  the  power  of  healing  and  prophesy  at  the  same  time — 
do  they,  Brother  Brigham  ?" 


The  Story  of  "William  Mac.  291 

"No,  no,"  said  he,  with  a  show  of  impatience  unusual  to  him ; 
and  as  I  stood  in  the  door  to  take  my  leave,  his  face  wore  an- 
expression  of  distrust/  I  thought  he  doubted  whether,  in  my 
simple  question,  I  had  not  intended  to  read  him  a  lesson  upon 
the  text  "Physician  heal  thyself;"  but  I  did  not  delay  to  ap- 
prise him  of  his  mistake. 

I  went  immediately  to  Mac's  store  to  commence  operations, 
for  I  wished  to  have  done  with  it.  I  told  him  I  wished  to 
trade  some ;  but  that  I  had  no  money.  He  said  that  would 
make  no  difference.  That  I  could  have  anything  I  wished. 
I  told  him  I  could  not  accept  of  anything  in  that  way — pur- 
posely giving  his  words  a  broader  meaning  than  he  had  in- 
tended. But  nothing  appeared  to  astonish  the  fellow,  and 
after  a  moment's  reflection,  he  said,  with  a  wonderfully  know- 
ing expression  of  face,  "  Mrs.  Smith,  I  would  like  to  see  you 
alone,  if  you  will  give  me  an  opportunity." 

With  an  eagerness  I  had  not  before  manifested,  I  replied, 
"  Very  well.  Nothing  could  be  more  agreeable  to  me,  for  I 
must  acknowledge  I  have  been  much  troubled  on  your  account 
of  late."     In  what  way  the  reader  can  judge. 

"  When  may  I  expect  to  find  you  at  home?"  he  asked. 

"  Come  down  this  afternoon,"  said  I,  earnestly.  I  then 
went  home,  revolving  in  my  mind  whether  there  was  not 
some  possible  means  by  which  I  could  save  this  foolish  man 
Dare  I  trust  him  so  much  as  to  drop  a  hint  of  the  part  I  was 
playing,  and  why  ?  I  feared  not,  and  yet  I  was  half  resolved 
to  attempt  it.  But  I  soon  found  that  would  be  impos- 
sible ;  for  I  had  been  at  home  but  a  few  minutes,  when 
Capt.   Hardy,  who  was  chief  of  the  city  police,  and  John 


292       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

Norton  came  to  inquire  what  had  been  my  success.  I  told 
them  how  things  had  been  arranged.  They  said  the  mission 
had  been  put  into  our  hands  by  Brigham,  "  who  has  directed 
us,"  said  Hardy,  "  to  recognize  you  as  captain,  and  to  render 
vou  such  assistance  as  you  may  wish." 

"  I  think  I  do  not  need  any  assistance.  I  can  do  all  that  is 
necessary  to  be  done  alone,"  said  I. 

"  Oh,  no,  madam,  we  must  help  you.  We  are  coming  to 
hear  what  he  has  to  say." 

They  then  directed  me  to  arrange  a  bedroom,  that  opened 
into  the  parlor,  for  them,  and  they  would  return  before  Mac 
came,  to  assist  me,  as  they  termed  it.  The  real  object  being 
to  keep  me  under  espionage.  There  was  now  no  escape,  as 
I  was  under  the  eye  of  the  police,  and  I^felt  I  could  do  no 
more  to  protect  the  victim.  To  attempt  it  would  be  to  trifle 
with  my  own  existence. 


Milking  a  Gentile.  293 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


MILKING    A    GENTILE. 


The  chief  of  the  police  returned  in  a  few  minutes,  accora 
panied  by  John  Norton,  and  both  secreted  themselves  within 
the  bedroom ;  and  very  soon  after  this  Mac  came,  finding  me, 
as  he  supposed,  alone.  I  w7as  engaged  in  doubling  some 
yarn,  and  he  took  the  swifts  and  set  them  away,  saying,  as  he 
did  so,  M  Mrs.  Smith,  you  can  afford  to  live  without  work,  if 
you  are  willing  to  grant  what  I  expect  of  you.  You  were 
never  intended  to  live  with  these  Mormons.  If  you  will  go 
with  me,  I  will  enable  you  to  live  in  a  society  you  are  so  well 
qualified  to  grace.     Do  you  wish  to  go  to  California  ?" 

"  I  certainly  do,"  said  I. 

"  Let  us  understand  each  other,"  said  Mac.  "  Would  you 
be  willing  to  go  with  me  wherever  I  go  V* 

u  Nothing  could  suit  me  better.  I  will  go  anywhere  with 
you  ;"  and  I  could  have  added,  "  with  any  one  else,  if  I  could 
but  get  away  from  Utah." 

"  You  cannot  well  imagine,"  said  Mac,  "  my  astonishment 
when  you  handed  me  that  note  the  other  day.  I  have  often 
thought  before  that  I  should  be  willing  to  give  any  amount 
of  money  if  you  could  accidentally  fal1.  into  my  hands  in  this 


294        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

way  ;  but  I  did  not  expect  one  like  you  could  be  induced  tc 
look  favorably  upon  such  a  man  as  I  am,  and  I  am  even  now  at 
a  loss  to  account  for  it." 

Apprehensive  that  his  inability  to  "account  for  it"  would 
lead  him  to  make  some  awkward  inquiries,  I  called  his  atten- 
tion from  that  point  by  mentioning  his  wife. 

"  On  her  account  I  cannot  marry  you"  said  he ;  " but  I 
have  as  good  a  right  to  live  with  you,  I  suppose,  as  Brigham 
Young  has  to  live  with  any  of  his  wives." 
"  I  think  you  have,"  said  I  u  quite  as  good." 
The  idea  that  a  Gentile  should  seek  to  justify  a  violation 
of  his  own  faith  by  quoting  our  "  Prophet,"  seemed  to  me 
very  strange. 

Emboldened  by  an  apparent  success,  and  by  a  seeming  will- 
ingness on  my  part  to  meet  his  advances  halfway,  he  attempt- 
ed a  nearer  approach  to  my  person  ;  but  thrown  for  the  mo- 
ment off  my  guard,  I  met  the  movement  with  a  shudder  of 
disgust  and  aversion  so  undisguised  that  he  paused  disconcert- 
ed by  it,  and  said,  "  Why,  Mrs.  Smith,  what  is  the  matter  ? 
you  act  strangely.     You  are  really  shivering,  too  !" 

Seeing  the  necessity  of  reassuring  him,  I  laughed,  and  said  : 
"  Oh,  that  is  nothing  but  one  of  my  whims.    Be  seated,  and 
let  us  talk  over  matters  ;"  and  handing  him  a  chair,  I  contin- 
ued :  "  How  would  it  be  if  I  should  ask  for  some  money ! 
Are  you  liberal  ?" 

"  Not  very,"  said  he ;  "  but  I  do  not  forget  my  friends." 
Affecting  great  satisfaction  with  him  on  this  account,  I  gave 
expression  to  a  willingness  to  be  his,  as  soon  as  it  was  con- 
venient ;  but  that  he  must  be  aware  how  liable  we  were  to  be 


Milking  a  Gentile.  295 

discovered,  and  that  such  conduct  in  a  Mormon  woman  was 
deemed  in  our  Church  a  very  high  crime,  punishable  with 
death. 

He  was  aware  of  that,  and  expressed  himself  willing  to 
abide  his  time.  He  was  particularly  happy  in  his  commenda- 
tion of  my  prudence,  and  hoped  I  would  manage  the  thing 
discreetly. 

I  then  told  him  he  had  better  leave  me  for  the  present, 
and  that  the  next  evening  we  would  take  a  walk  to  some 
quiet  and  unfrequented  part  of  the  town,  where  we  could 
have  a  moment  by  ourselves  undisturbed. 

With  this  he  was  satisfied,  and  he  took  a  very  affectionate 
leave  of  me,  contenting  himself,  however,  with  the  simple 
demonstration  of  kissing  my  hand. 

"When  once  rid  of  him  I  found  relief  in  tears.  How  was  it 
possible  for  human  nature  to  endure  such  tortures  ?  Captain 
Hardy  and  John  Norton  came  from  their  hiding-place,  and 
essayed  to  cheer  and  comfort  me.  Their  compliments  were 
so  extravagant  and  ludicrous,  that  it  was  soon  difficult  to 
determine  whether  I  was  suffering  most  from  my  excess  of 
contempt  or  tears.  The  captain  said  I  was  a  model  coquette, 
and  the  Prophet  should  know  how  well  I  had  performed  my 
mission,  and  many  other  things  too  disgusting  to  admit  of 
tears  ;  and  I  dried  them  up. 

"  That  is  a  good  arrangement,"  said  John  Norton ;  "  and 
you  must  meet  him  to-morrow  evening  as  you  have  engaged. 
But  where  had  she  better  take  him,  Captain  Hardy  ?" 

"I  have  been  thinking  of  that,"  said  the  Captain.  %<I 
think  the  south  side  of  the  adobe*  yard,  by  the  slough,  is  the 


296       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

place  for  them.  We  will  be  near  to  protect  you,  Nett.  That 
is  a  lonely  place,  but  you  may  have  no  fears.  Go  on,  and  we 
will  always  keep  you  in  sight." 

My  gallant  assistants  then  withdrew,  and  I  was  once  more 
left  to  myself.  I  thought  the  matter  over,  and  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  this  man  Mac  was  undeserving  of  sympathy ; 
and  as  they  probably  aimed  to  take  only  his  property,  I 
would  go  through  with  my  part  cheerfully. 

Just  before  dark  the  next  evening,  I  left  home,  prepared 
for  the  enterprise.  The  clear  calm  twilight,  always  enchant- 
ing in  Utah,  was  fast  closing  in  ;  and  the  moon  soon  after  rose 
with  unusual  splendor  above  the  rugged  mountains,  back  of 
the  city,  revealing  the  silver  crowns  of  their  snow-capped 
lummits,  far  to  the  north  and  west.  I  had  seldom  seen  a 
nore  lovely  night,  and  never  before  found  the  pure  air  more 
Jelicious.  It  seemed  desecration  to  taint  such  an  atmosphere 
with  works  fitting  only  for  demons.  I  walked  leisurely  down 
rhe  street  on  which  Mac  lived,  and  passed  his  house.  He 
was  sitting  with  his  wife  by  the  door.  I  had  proceeded  but  a 
short  distance,  when  he  overtook  me,  and  said,  as  he  came 
up: 

"  Mrs.  Smith,  you  are  faithful  in  the  performance  of  your 
engagements" 

"I  fear  I  have  been  but  too  faithful,"  said  I.  But  not  to 
him,  as  my  readers  by  this  time  understand. 

"  What  a  lovely  evening,"  said  he.  "  Such  a  night  is 
favorable  for  us.  Shall  we  go  down  by  the  trees,  and  find  a 
seat  among  their  shadows,  where  we  can  hold  a  whispered 
interview  unnoticed  ?" 


Milking  a  Gentile.  297 

"  No,"  said  I ;  "we  shall  be  less  exposed  by  the  adobe* 
yard.     Let  us  go  there,  if  you  are  willing." 

"  Anywhere  you  say,"  said  he.  "  And  I  must  say  this  ia 
the  happiest  moment  of  my  life."  He  took  my  arm,  and 
observing  that  I  trembled,  he  said  :  "  Mrs.  Smith,  how  is 
this?  you  are  crying,  as  I  live,  if  this  moonlight  does  not 
deceive  me.     There  is  some  mystery  about  this." 

Forcing  myself  into  self-possession  with  a  success  I  hardly 
hoped  to  achieve,  I  said,  smiling  through  my  tears  :  "  Mr. 
Mac,  is  it  possible  you  understand  so  little  a  woman's  heart  ? 
Did  you  suppose  I  could  forget  my  husband  so  readily,  even 
without  a  tear  or  a  regret  ?  It  was  along  this  very  street  we 
walked,  the  night  before  he  left  me." 

This  effort  at  coquetry  had  the  effect  I  wished ;  for  while  it 
silenced  his  suspicions  for  the  moment,  it  gave  me  a  shelter 
behind  which  to  retreat  in  case  of  emergency. 

"  Yes,"  said  he,  "  I  think  I  can  understand  you  ;"  as  if 
relieved  from  an  unpleasant  fear — that  his  hold  upon  me  was 
uncertain.  "  I  can  appreciate  your  feelings,  and  it  does  you 
credit ;  although  I  had  flattered  myself  that  I  should  be  able 
to  supply  his  place,  at  least  in  some  degree  ;  and  in  the  end 
to  supplant  him,  not  only  in  possession,  but  in  that  more 
tender  relation  of  the  heart,  and  I  hope  I  am  not  deceived. 
Am  I  ?  If  so,  tell  me,  and  I  will  try  to  bear  in  silence  the 
most  cruel  disappointment  of  my  life." 

The  pathos  of  his  words,  and  the  earnest  concern  they 
evinced,  excited  my  pity  for  a  moment ;  for  I  reflected  that 
perhaps  the  accursed  practices  of  our  Church  had  had  the 
effect  to  weaken  the  bonds  of  good  faith  as  well  among  the 

IB* 


298        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

Gentiles  as  among  us.  It  was  perhaps  but  another  form  of 
the  bitter  fruits  of  our  errors,  destined,  may  be,  to  corrupt  the 
world. 

I  had  seen  as  yet  nothing  of  the  police,  and  was  growing 
more  and  more  nervous  every  moment  about  being  left 
alone,  when  I  saw  two  men  not  far  from  us,  one  of  whom  I 
recognized  as  Captain  Hardy.  I  therefore  felt  at  ease,  and 
replied  now  without  restraint. 

"  Mr.  Mac,  I  am  very  much  flattered  by  your  professions 
»f  attachment,  and  I  accept  them  as  being  made  in  sinceritv  ; 
uid  judging  from  my  own  heart,  I  think  you  would  not  wish 
me  to  take  any  step  that  could  have  a  tendency  to  injure 
me." 

He  was  not  quite  prepared  for  this,  and  made  no  reply  at 
first,  but  at  length  said  :  "  Let  us  go  down  by  the  adobe 
yard,  the  place  for  which  we  started,  and  talk  it  over." 

I  now  had  the  cards  somewhat  in  my  own  hands,  for  the 
police  were  near  enough  to  protect  me,  in  case  I  needed 
them;  while  they  dare  not  come  so  near  as  to  be  within 
hearing  of  us.  I  therefore  refused  to  go  further,  and  we  dis- 
cussed the  question  for  a  long  time.  While  he  urged,  I 
refused.  The  police  very  naturally  supposed,  in  the  mean- 
time, the  reverse  was  true,  and  that  Mac  was  the  faltering 
one.  We  at  length  started  towards  home,  slowly,  all  the 
while  disputing  the  point.  I  took  care  on  my  part  to  leave 
the  impression,  with  those  who  could  only  see  us,  that  I  went 
unwillingly.  Ap  we  passed  a  schoolhouse  Mac  saw  the 
policemen,  as  I  supposed  for  the  first  time  ;  but  it  seemed 
otherwise,  for  he  said  : 


Milking  a  Gentile.  299 

"  Who  are  those  men  ?  I  have  seen  them  several  times 
since  we  have  been  walking." 

"  One  of  them  is  a  policeman,  I  think,"  said  I. 

"  What  can  they  be  doing  here  ?"  said  he.  "  They  are 
never  on  guard  in  this  quarter  of  the  town  until  after  mid- 
night.    Mrs.  Smith,  I  half  suspect  they  are  watching  us." 

Wishing  to  alarm,  if  possible,  without  explaining  to  him 
my  true  position,  I  replied :  "  Oh  dear,  such  a  life  will  kill 
me.     I  am  going  home." 

M  Hold  one  moment,  Mrs.  Smith,"  said  he,  as  if  startled  by 
a  new  idea.  "  Have  you  been  playing  a  part  to-night  ?  Tell 
me  now ;  is  it  not  true  that  you  have  been  acting  under  the 
instructions  of  these  Mormon  devils,  to  lead  me  into  some 
trap  ?  I  have  heard  of  such  things  among  these  Saints  before  ; 
but  I  could  hardly  believe  it  of  you  women — and  yet  why 
not ;  for  I  know  enough  of  Mormonism  to  comprehend  that 
the  women  dare  not  disobey  '  counsel.'  Come,  tell  me  how 
it  is,  that  I  may  prepare  for  the  worst.  I  shall  not  blame 
you.  I  know  there  is  something  wrong,  for  you  have  had  an 
oppeitunity  of  doing  as  I  expected  you,  and  yet  you  fairly 
shrink  from  my  touch.  How  is  it  ?  Are  these  policemen 
sent  to  assist  you  ?" 

I  looked  upon  the  poor  man  now  with  positive  pity — for 
he  was  greatly  alarmed ;  and  yet  I  dare  not  answer  his 
questions  fully  for  I  doubted  his  discretion.  Still  deter 
mined  not  to  lull  his  suspicions,  I  said,  with  a  significance  of 
tone  which  should  have  been  clearer  to  him  than  an  open 
avowal :  "  Mr.  Mac,  all  is  right.  But  if  it  were  not,  what 
then  ?     You  know  I  dare  not  tell  you,  even  if  it  were  wrong. 


300       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

But  I  must  go.  Good-night  !*  I  left  him  thus  abruptly, 
hoping  his  good  sense,  if  he  had  any,  would  come  to  his 
rescue.  I  went  home  quickly  enough,  attended  at  a  safe 
distance  by  my  police  guard. 

The  next  day  Captain  Hardy  and  his  assistant  came  to  the 
house,  much  elated,  and  rallied  me  greatly  upon  what  thej 
called  my  failure  to  get  Mac  down  to  the  adobe  yard. 

"How  did  it  happen,  Nett?"  said  the  Chief  of  Police, 
in  high  glee.  "  Why  would  he  not  go  on  ?  I  fear  you  are 
losing  your  skill  as  a  coquette.  Perhaps  the  frogs  of  the 
slough  croaked  too  loud  for  his  nerves.  How  vexed  and  dis- 
appointed we  were  when  we  saw  you  turn  back.  But  it  has 
turned  out  for  the  best,  and  shows  the  hand  of  the  Lord  was 
in  it ;  for  this  morning  Mac  has  sold  out  his  whole  property, 
and  is  to  receive  the  amount  in  cash  on  Monday.  What 
could  have  given  him  such  a  fright  ?  But  no  matter.  The 
Prophet  wishes  you  to  get  him  out  again,  immediately  after 
he  receives  the  money,  before  he  goes  home,  and  take  him 
near  Mr.  Judd's,  by  Simpson's  shed,  we  will  have  a  seat 
arranged  for  you.  He  will  not  object  going  there.  Tell  him 
as  an  evidence  of  your  sincerity,  that  you  will  grant  any 
request  he  may  make,  if  he  will  meet  you  at  your  own  gate 
at  seven  o'clock  on  Monday  evening.  That  is  about  the  time 
he  is  to  receive  the  money.  He  will  not  be  likely  to  go 
home  until  after  seeing  you ;  and  he  will  have  the  dimes  with 
him— but  not  long,  for  we  will  try  to  relieve  him  of  them." 

I  was  sorely  disappointed  at  the  new  form  the  affair  had 
assumed.  It  seemed,  these  Mormons  with  their  spies  that 
never  sleep,  were  always  ready  to  turn  everything  to  iheii 


Milking  a  Gentile.  301 

own  advantage.  I  had  hoped  the  business  was  ended.  This 
new  demand  upon  my  endurance  sickened  and  discouraged 
me.  I  made  the  Captain  no  reply ;  but  looked  at  him  in 
silence.  Thinking  he  had  gone  too  far,  he  hastily  apologized, 
begging  to  know  how  he  had  offended  me. 

"  In  no  way  except  by  your  presence,  sir.  Am  I  no  longer 
to  have  even  time  for  sleep  ?  Say  to  the  Prophet  that  I  obey ; 
but  I  trust  you  will  leave  me  for  the  present,  as  I  have  need 
of  rest." 

"  You  shall  not  be  disturbed ;  you  shall  have  everything 
your  own  way,  Nett.     Good  day." 

Sick  and  disheartened,  I  went  to  bed,  and  fell  into  a  sound, 
though  not  untroubled  sleep  ;  for  my  victim,  half  rescued  and 
yet  half  within  the  meshes  of  the  entanglements  which  sur- 
rounded him,  disturbed  my  dreams.  I  have  had  occasion 
more  than  once  to  thank  Heaven  for  the  sweet  influences  of 
sleep.  I  awoke  towards  night,  and  at  once  applied  myself  to 
the  accomplishment  of  my  ungracious  task. 

Going  to  Mac's  store,  I  found  him  alone  ;  I  said,  "  Mr.  Mac, 
after  thinking  over  our  interview  of  last  night,  I  have  conclu- 
ded, that  if  you  will  call  on  Monday — say  at  seven  o'clock — I 
will  take  you  where  it  will  be  convenient  for  us  to  be  by  our- 
selves." I  assured  him  further,  of  my  entire  good  faith,  and 
made  myself  agreeable.  I  was  prepared  for  being  repulsed, 
as  I  supposed  he  would  hardly  fall  into  the  snare  a  second 
time  ;  but  instead  of  showing  he  had  learned  wisdom  from  the 
past,  he  received  my  proposition  gladly.  After  a  moment's 
reflection,  he  said  he  could  not  come  a*  that  time,  as  business 
of  importance  wrould  detain  him. 


302       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

"  Any  other  time  you  can  name,"  said  he,  "  I  will  be  with 
you." 

"Any  other  time  will  not  do,"  said  I.  "  This  is  the  last  pro 
position  I  have  to  make." 

"  Very  well,  Mrs.  Smith,  I  will  meet  you  then  at  seven 
o'clock.     You  shall  have  it  as  you  wish." 

This  wras  Saturday  :  and  on  Monday,  at  the  appointed  time, 
Mr.  Mac  called  at  our  gate  and  found  me,  with  bonnet  in 
hand,  ready  to  go.  w  I  suppose  you  intend  to  take  me  to  the 
adobe  yard  this  time,"  said  he,  as  we  moved  down  the  street. 

"  No,  we  will  go  down  past  Mr.  Judd's,  and  find  a  seat  by 
the  vine-covered  shed  near  his  house." 

"  Very  well,  I  shall  follow,  and  be  content ;"  said  he,  watch- 
ing me,  however,  very  closely,  as  if  something  in  my  appear- 
ance troubled  him.     He  finally  said,  with  some  impatience — 

"  I  think  you  are  an  enigma.  What  can  be  the  matter 
now  ?  At  one  moment  you  seem  very  fond  of  me,  and  the 
next,  one  would  think,  I  was  the  object  of  your  special  hate. 
The  more  I  do  to  please  you,  the  farther  I  am  from  it.  You 
are  unlike  most  women.  Am  I  so  very  disagreeable  after  all, 
that  you  cannot  endure  me  ?" 

"  Oh,  the  truth  is,  Mr.  Mac,  my  whole  life  thus  far  has 
been  but  a  quick  succession  of  vexatious  ill  luck,  and  I  am 
fast  becoming  a  confirmed  misanthrope.  I  owe  you  an 
apology.  But  here  we  are.  Let  us  occupy  this  seat.  Have 
I  not  been  happy  in  my  choice  of  a  rendezvous?  you  must 
give  me  some  credit  for  this." 

"  I  will  give  you  credit  for  anything  you  ask,  if  you  will 
put  off  that  long  face ;"  he  said  in  a  mere  cheerful  tone. 


Milking  a  Gentile.  3C3 

The  seat  we  now  occupied  had  been  prepared  for  the 
occasion  by  the  police.  The  shed  at  our  backs  was  owned 
in  common  by  Mr.  Judd  and  Mr.  Simpson,  and  was  near  the 
house  of  the  former.  It  was  inclosed,  and  more  or  less 
covered  with  vines  on  the  side  next  to  us :  and  one  part  of  it 
was  occupied  as  a  hen-house.  Captain  Hardy,  with  his 
police  force,  had  thoughtlessly  taken  possession  of  the  inside, 
without  notifying  Mr.  Judd  of  the  fact  :  which  act  of  indis- 
cretion he  soon  had  reason  to  regret.  As  for  us,  we  fell  into 
a  very  interesting  conversation  at  once.  Mr.  Mac,  pleased 
and  embarrassed  by  the  novelty  of  his  position,  and  elated 
with  the  prospect  of  success,  exceeded  himself  in  a  laudable 
effort  to  please. 

We  had  been  thus  engaged  for  some  time,  when  an  un- 
locked for  event,  disturbed  our  interview.  The  police  were  so 
near,  being  separated  from  us  only  by  thin  boards,  between 
which  were  spaces,  more  or  less  wide,  that  I  was  entirely  un- 
concerned as  to  my  own  personal  safety  ;  and  I  did  Mr.  Mac 
the  honor  of  making  myself  an  excellent  listener,  joining  in 
the  conversation  only  when  I  found  it  necessary  in  order  to 
draw  him  out  upon  some  point,  on  which  I  knew  by  previous 
instructions,  the  Chief  of  Police  wished  his  opinion,  or  when 
growing  too  confidential  and  subdued,  or  personal  in  his  re- 
marks, it  became  me  to  open  to  him  a  new  field  of  thought 
by  a  suggestion  or  a  query,  and  thus  to  hold  him  in  check. 
Upon  the  whole,  he  was  an  exceedingly  happy  man,  and  I 
should  have  pitied  him,  in  view  of  the  disappointment  by 
which  I  foresaw  he  must  soon  be  overtaken,  had  he  not  de- 
served my  contempt.     But  it  came  in  a  manner  more  ludi- 


304:       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

crons  than  I  had  expected,  and  I  found  myself  as  much 
astonished  by  it  as  I  had  expected  him  to  be. 

It  appeared  the  Chief  of  Police  and  his  assistant  had  bcth 
allowed  their  dogs  to  follow,  and  it  had  not  occurred  to 
them,  how  much  inconvenience  this  oversight  might  occasion, 
until  all  the  parties  of  the  drama  had  taken  their  places,  and 
it  was  then  too  late  to  correct  the  mistake.  But,  in  order 
to  make  the  best  of  the  matter,  each  secured  and  held  his 
own  cur,  listening  at  the  same  time  to  the  conversation  in 
progress  between  Mac  and  myself.  While  thus  engaged,  one 
of  the  dogs,  by  some  sudden  impulse,  effected  an  escape  from 
the  hand  of  its  master,  and  in  the  effort  to  regain  possession 
of  it,  a  support  on  which  several  broods  of  chickens  were 
quietly  at  roost,  was  thrown  down,  bringing  with  it  a  score 
of  frightened  birds. 

In  a  moment  all  was  confusion.  The  squalling  of  the 
chickens,  and  the  wild  clarion  notes  of  alarm  sounded  by  the 
cocks,  joined  with  the  unearthly  yelps  and  barking  of  the 
dogs,  raised  a  din  and  clamor  which  for  the  moment  carried 
everything  before  it.  The  abrupt  and  unexpected  nearness 
of  the  uproar  rendered  its  first  advent  terrific.  And  over  all, 
soon  rose  the  sputtering  yells  of  Mr.  Judd  to  his  wife,  to 
bring  the  rifle  which  he  said  was  loaded,  and  he  would  shoot 
the  thieves.  I  started  at  once  at  full  speed  in  the  direction  of 
the  city,  fast  followed  by  Mr.  Mac,  who  was  too  much  fright- 
ened to  think  or  act  for  himself.  In  passing  the  house,  I  saw 
the  aged  pair  in  their  night  clothes,  bounding  from  place  tc 
place,  more  hopelessly  alarmed  than  any  one  else,  except  Mr. 
Mac  and  the  hens,  for  these  were  the  only  parties  not  .n  the 


Milking  a  Gentile.  305 

6ecret.  "When  at  a  safe  distance  up  the  street,  I  paused  to 
look  back  to  see  the  policemen,  plunging  from  the  hen-roost 
amidst  the  unabated  cackling  of  hens  and  the  yelping  of 
dogs,  and  making  good  use  of  their  heels  down  a  by-street, 
the  gallant  chief  losing  his  hat  in  the  scramble.  The  whole 
posse  was  hotly  pursued  by  Mr.  Judd,  shouting  loudly : 
"  Hold,  you  roost  robbers  ;  it  is  the  Mormon  law  to  shoot 
thieves;  and  I  will  fire.  Quick,  woman,  with  the  rifle  ;"  but 
every  moment  putting  a  greater  distance  between  himself  and 
his  weapon.  The  female  head  of  the  house  the  while,  some 
two  rods  behind  in.  hot  pursuit  of  him,  with  rifle  in  hand, 
screaming  at  the  top  of  her  cracked  voice  :  "  Here,  man, 
take  the  gun.     Do  take  it." 

Before  Mr.  Mac  had  time  to  recover  from  his  astonishment 
sufficiently  to  ask  an  explanation,  I  effected  a  safe  retreat 
from  the  scene  of  action  and  reached  home  alone,  greatly 
amused  at  the  comical  termination  of  the  affair.  But  this 
was  not  the  end  of  the  matter  with  Mr.  Mac  ;  for  the  next 
day  the  police,  after  letting  Mr.  Judd  into  the  secret,  had  Mac 
privately  arrested,  and  confronted  him  with  the  witnesses  to 
our  conversation  ;  and  the  unlawful  proposals  he  had  made  to 
me,  threatening  an  exposure,  not  only  to  his  wife,  but  to  the 
world,  and  he  paid  roundly  to  avoid  it.  When  this  was  done, 
Mr.  Judd  threatened  to  have  him  arrested  for  robbing  his 
hen-roost ;  and  then  the  "  Gentile  "  was  "  milked  "  again,  and 
so  on,  until  every  pretext  was  exhausted.  He  afterwards  said 
to  a  Gentile  friend  that  he  had  paid  about  cne  thousand  dol- 
lars for  this  indiscretion.  Captain  Hardy  and  Robert  Bur- 
ton, when  all  wTas  over,  came  to  our  house  and  told  me,  how 


306       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

they  had  succeeded  in  "  milking  "  him,  and  they  were  highly 
gratified  with  their  success. 

A  few  days  after  this,  the  Prophet  sent  for  me  to  come  to 
the  house  of  Hiram  Clauson,  where  he  came,  as  he  said,  to 
compliment  me  upon  my  success  in  "  milking  the  Gentile 
Mac."  When  I  went  in,  he  received  me  very  cordially,  say- 
ing :  "  Nett,  brother  Hiram  was  saying  as  you  came  in,  that 
you  deserve  to  have  your  name  written  in  the  chronicles  and 
archives  of  your  brethren,  and  your  acts  and  miracles  also, 
and  so  it  shall  be  done.     You  have  been  a  faithful  servant." 

It  was  to  extort  this  expression  from'  the  Prophet,  and  to 
lull  his  suspicions  and  to  gain  his  confidence,  in  order  that  he 
would  trust  me  beyond  the*  limits  of  the  city,  that  I  might 
thus  sooner  or  later  find  the  means  of  making  my  escape, 
that  I  had  submitted  to  obey  his  "  counsel,"  and  had  assisted 
him  in  the  perpetration  of  crime.     I  therefore  said  to  him  : 

il  Brother  Brigham,  I  am  very  glad  if  my  conduct  has 
met  your  approval ;  and  I  shall  improve  this  opportunity  to 
ask  a  favor  of  you.  I  wish  to  spend  the  winter  in  Tooille 
Valley,  with  my  brother  Howard." 

"  Certainly,"  said  the  Prophet,  graciously  ;  "  you  shall  go, 
and  I  hope  you  may  enjoy  yourself  immensely." 

My  brother  had  lately  moved  his  family  to  that  settlement, 
where  he  had  a  farm  ;  and  I  soon  joined  him,  by  permission 
obtained  as  above  mentioned,  to  spend  the  winter,  hoping  that 
something  would  turn  up  in  the  meantime  by  which  I  could 
effect  my  escape.  But  before  I  proceed  to  give  my  adventures 
while  there,  I  will  pause  in  my  own  personal  narrative,  in 
order  to  give  in  the  next  chapter  a  few  facts  in  the  history  of 


4 
Milking  a  Gentile.  807 

other  persons,  with  which  I  was  not  immediately  connected, 
yet  wThich  fell  under  my  notice,  having  a  tendency  to  illus- 
trate the  influence  and  general  working  of  Mormonism  under 
the  government  of  Brigham  Young 


SOS       Fifteen  Tears  ^mong-  thh  Mormons. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


PUNISHMENT    OF    HERESY. 


The  following  episode  in  Mormon  life  I  give,  not  because 
it  has  any  peculiar  interest  over  many  others  which  I  have 
neglected  to  narrate,  but  because  it  illustrates  the  idea  indi- 
cated by  the  heading  of  this  chapter,  and  for  the  further 
reason,  that  the  facts  are  well  authenticated. 

About  the  time  referred  to  in  the  last  chapter,  j'osse  T. 
Hartly  came  to  Great  Salt  Lake  City.  He  was  a  man  of 
education  and  intelligence,  and  a  lawyer  by  profession.  I 
never  knew  where  he  was  from,  buf  he  was  a  Gentile  when 
he  came,  and  soon  after  married  a  Mormon  girl  by  the  name 
of  Bullock,  which  involved  a  profession,  at  least,  of  Mormon- 
ism.  It  was  afterwards  supposed  by  some  that  his  aim  was 
to  learn  the  mysteries  of  the  Church,  in  order  to  make  an 
expose  of  them  afterwards.  At  all  events,  the  eye  of  the 
Prophet  was  upon  him  from  the  first,  and  he  was  not  long  in 
discovering,  through  his  spies,  good  grounds  for  suspicion. 
Hartly  was  a  fine  speaker  and  a  man  calculated  to  make 
friends,  and  he  was  named  by  some  one,  unacquainted  with 
the  fact,  that  the  Prophet  regarded  him  with  suspicion,  as  a 
fit  person  to  be  appointed  missionary  preacher  among  the 


Punishment  of  Hekesy.  309 

Gentiles.  As  is  customary  in  such  cases,  he  was  proposed  in 
open  convention,  when  all  the  Heads  of  the  Church  were  on  the 
stand  ;  and  the  Prophet  rose  at  once  with  that  air  of  judicial 
authority,  from  which  those  who  know  him  best  understand 
there  is  to  be  no  appeal,  and  said  :  "  This  man,  Hartly,  is 
guilty  of  heresy.  He  has  been  writing  to  his  friends  in  Ore- 
gon against  the  Church,  and  has  attempted  to  expose  us  to  the 
world,  and  he  should  be  sent  to  hell  cross  lots."  This  was 
the  end  of  the  matter  as  to  Hartly. 

His  friends  after  this  avoided  him,  and  it  was  understood 
that  his  fate  was  sealed.  He  knew  that  to  remain  was  death  ; 
he  therefore  left  his  wife  and  child,  and  attempted  to  effect 
an  escape. 

Not  many  days  after  he  had  gone,  Wiley  Norton  told  us, 
with  a  feeling  of  exultation,  that  they  had  made  sure  of 
another  enemy  of  the  Church.  That  the  bones  of  Jesse  Hartly 
were  in  the  canons,  and  that  he  was  afraid  they  would  be 
overlooked  at  the  Resurrection,  unless  he  had  better  success 
in  "  pleading"  in  the  next  world  than  in  this,  referring  to  his 
practice  as  a  lawyer. 

Nearly  a  year  and  a  half  after  this,  when  on  my  way  to 
the  States,  I  saw  the  widow  of  Jesse  Hartly  at  Green  River. 
She  had  been  a  very  pretty  woman,  and  was  at  that  time.but 
twenty-two  years  old.  I  think  she  was  the  most  heart-broken 
human  beins:  I  have  ever  seen.  She  was  living  with  her 
brother,  who  kept  the  ferry  there,  and  he  was  also  a  Mormon. 
We  were  waiting  to  be  taken  over,  when  I  saw  a  woman, 
with  a  pale,  sad  face,  dressed  in  the  deepest  black,  sitting 
upon  the  bank,  alone.     The  unrelieved  picture  of  woe  which 


310       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

she  presented,  excited  our  curiosity  and  sympathy.  Accom- 
panied by  my  sister,  I  went  to  her,  and  after  some  delay  and 
the  assurance,  that  although  we  were  Mormons,  we  were 
yet  women,  she  told  us  her  brief  story,  without  a  tear ;  yet 
with  an  expression  of  hopeless  sorrow  which  I  shall  never 
forget.  Oh  !  Mormonism  is  too  hard — too  cruel  upon  women. 
Can  it — will  it  be  permitted  for  ever  ? 

It  was  not  until  I  had  suggested  to  her,  that  perhaps  I  had 
also  a  woe  to  unburden,  as  the  result  of  my  Mormon  life, 
which  might  have  some  comparison  to  her  own,  that  she 
commenced  by  saying : 

"You  may  have  suffered  ;  and  if  you  have  been  a  Mormon 
wife,  you  must  have  known  sorrow.  But  the  cruelty  of  my 
own  fate,  I  am  sure,  is  without  a  parallel — even  in  this  land 
of  cruelty." 

"  I  married  Jesse  Hartly,  knowing  he  was  a  '  Gentile '  in 
fact,  but  he  passed  for  a  Mormon,  but  that  made  no  difference 
with  me,  although  I  was  a  Mormon,  because  he  was  a  noble 
man,  and  sought  only  the  right.  By  being  my  husband, 
he  was  brought  into  closer  contact  with  the  members  of 
the  Church,  and  was  thus  soon  enabled  to  learn  many 
things  about  us,  and  about  the  Heads  of  the  Church,  that 
he  did  not  approve,  and  of  which  I  was  ignorant,  although 
I  had  been  brought  up  among  the  Saints ;  and  which,  if 
known  among  the  Gentiles,  would  have  greatly  damaged  us. 
I  do  not  understand  all  he  discovered,  or  all  he  did  ;  but 
they  found  he  had  written  against  the  Church,  and  he 
was  cut  off,  and  the  Prophet  required  as  an  atonement  for 
his  sins,  that  he  should  lay  down  his  life.     That  he  should  be 


Punishment  of  Heresy.  81 J 

sacrificed  in  the  endowment  rooms ;  where  human  sacrifices 
are  sometimes  made  in  this  way.  This  I  never  knew  until 
my  husband  told  me,  but  it  is  true.  They  kill  those  there 
who  have  committed  sins  too  great  to  be  atoned  for  in  any 
other  way.  The  Prophet  says,  if  they  submit  to  this  he  can 
save  them  ;  otherwise  they  are  lost.  Oh  !  that  is  horrible. 
But  my  husband  refused  to  be  sacrificed,  and  so  set  out  alone 
for  the  United  States :  thinking  there  might  be  at  least  a 
hope  of  success.  I  told  him  when  he  left  me,  and  left  his 
child,  that  he  would  be  killed,  and  so  he  was.  William 
Hickman  and  another  Danite,  shot  him  in  the  canons ;  and 
I  have  often  since  been  obliged  to  cook  for  this  man,  when 
he  passed  this  way,  knowing  all  the  while,  he  had  killed  my 
husband.  My  child  soon  followed  after  its  father,  and  I  hope 
to  die  also  ;  for  why  should  I  live  ?  They  have  brought  me 
here,  where  I  wish  to  remain,  rather  than  to  return  to  Salt 
Lake,  where  the  murderers  of  my  husband  curse  the  earth, 
and  roll  in  affluence  unpunished." 

She  had  finished  her  sad  story,  and  we  were  choking  down 
our  sobs  of  pity  in  silence,  when  she  noticed  her  brother,  of 
whom  she  appeared  to  stand  in  awe,  coming  toward  us,  and 
she  rose  saying,  "  I  trust  you  will  excuse  me,"  and  then  went 
her  way,  still  wearing  the  same  stony  expression  of  agony, 
and  as  unrelieved  by  tears  as  when  we  first  saw  her.  But 
this  is  but  one  case  among  a  thousand  others,  that  have  never 
seen  the  light,  and  never  will,  until  the  dark  history  of  the 
"Daiiites,"  or  the  "  Destroying  Angels,"  as  the  Prophet  was 
sometimes  pleased  to  call  them,  is  unveiled. 

It  was  about  one  year  previous  to  the  death  of    Hartly, 


312       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mokmons. 

ihat  the  following  incident  occurred.  Wiley  Norton  was 
going  by  our  house  one  day  on  horseback,  and  calling  at  the 
gate,  said  he  was  on  his  way  to  assist  in  burying  a  dead  body, 
that  had  been  found  a  short  distance  out  of  the  city,  by  two 
of  the  herd  boys.  These  were  smallish  boys,  employed  in 
looking  after  the  cattle,  and  to  assist  the  herdsmen.  They 
had  reported  the  fact  of  finding  che  body  when  they  came  in 
the  night  before,  and  by  this  time  the  Gentiles  had  heard  of 
it,  and  a  great  number  of  stories  were  in  circulation.  Among 
others,  that  a  Gentile  had  been  murdered  by  the  Mormons, 
which  was  probably  true ;  but  there  was  no  evidence  of  it. 
Wiley  said  he  would  call  when  he  returned,  and  tell  us  what 
he  saw,  and  all  he  could  learn  about  it.  In  the  evening, 
Wiley,  as  he  had  promised,  called  and  gave  us  the  following 
facts.     He  said : 

"  We  went  out  with  the  boys  to  find  the  body,  who  took 
us  to  the  log,  behind,  and  partly  under  which,  it  was  hidden. 
When  we  came  near  it,  and  the  boys  pointed  where  it  was, 
brother  Jeddy  (Jedadiah  M.  Grant)  told  them,  there  was  no 
dead  man  in  that  place.  And  this  was  true,  for  we  had 
already  removed  it.  He  then  attempted  to  make  them 
acknowledge  they  were  mistaken ;  but  the  boys  persisted  in 
the  statement  first  made  They  said  thev  saw  it  yesterday 
and  knew  what  it  was,  although  it  was  now  gone.  Brothei 
J  eddy's  object  was  to  have  the  boys  return  to  the  city,  anc 
report  that  they  had  never  seen  the  body,  but  that  they  had 
told  the  story  as  a  joke ;  which  coupled  with  the  fact,  thau 
it  was  not  to  be  found,  would  allay  the  excitement  among 
the  i Gentiles.'      This   the   bovs  refused    to  do:    'for  how 


Punishment  of  Heresy.  313 

could  we  V  asked  the  honest  little  fellows,  *  for  we  did 
see  it.' 

<;  Brother  Grant  told  them,  if  they  would  not,  he  would  take 
them  to  the  slough  and  have  them  drowned.  Still  they  re- 
fused, and  we  took  them  to  the  water,  and  brother  Jeddy  put 
one  of  them  in,  and  held  him  there  until  he  was  quite  ex- 
hausted, and  when  he  could  breathe  again,  he  said  as  reso- 
lute as  ever,  that  the  man  was  dead ;  for  he  saw,  and  could 
smell  him.  He  knew  it.  This  was  repeated  several  times, 
with  a  similar  result.  We  then  dug  a  grave,  and  told  the 
other  boy  we  would  bury  him  alive  if  he  did  not  go  to  the 
city,  and  contradict  the  statement  the  two  had  first  made. 
What  a  time  we  had  with  them.  The  boys  were  good  blood, 
I  tell  you.  Although  the  one  that  we  were  about  to  bury 
consented,  the  other  was  silent,  and  so  brother  Grant  let  them 
off  for  the  present ;  and  one  of  them  has  set  it  right  with  the 
Gentiles,  who  now  believe  the  story  of  the  dead  body  was  a 
hoax,  got  up  by  the  boys.  I  believe  the  boy  that  brother 
Jeddy  put  in  the  water,  avoids  having  anything  to  say 
about  it." 

When  the  reader  reflects  that  it  was  but  the  merest  chance 
that  brought  this  fact  under  my  notice,  and  that  a  hundred 
such  incidents  might,  and  probably  did  occur,  unknown  to 
any  one,  except  to  the  perpetrators  of  them,  he  will  be  able 
to  form  something  of  an  estimate  of  the  amount  of  crime  com- 
mitted by  the  Heads  of  the  Church,  and  by  their  authority 
Certainly  there  must  be  a  day  of  reckoning  for  such  as  these. 
The  Mormons  recognize  the  right,  and  inculcate  the  duty  of 

14 


314       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

the  father  to  slay  his  daughter  or  her  lover,  as  a  last  resort, 
to  prevent  her  marriage  with  a  "  Gentile." 

Many  facts  are  within  my  knowledge,  illustrative  of  this 
point.  Several  occurred  of  some  note,  the  winter  Colonel 
Steptoe  was  at  the  valley  with  his  regiment.  One  of  his  sol- 
diers became  attached  to  Amanda  Tanner,  a  Mormon  girl, 
with  whom  I  was  well  acquainted.  Her  father  forbade  their 
meeting,  and  confined  her  to  the  house,  until  he  supposed  the 
attachment  had  been  forgotten ;  and  she  was  left  alone  one 
day,  for  a  few  hours,  and  the  girl  sent  for  her  soldier,  who  came 
of  course.  Unfortunately,  the  father  returned  sooner  than 
expected,  and  finding  the  Gentile  there,  took  his  sword  and 
charged  upon  the  lover,  before  he  knew  the  enraged  father 
was  in  the  house.  But  fortune  favored  the  soldier  ;  for  Mr. 
Tanner,  in  his  haste,  and  in  the  act  of  striking,  brought  the 
point  of  his  sword  against  a  beam,  breaking  it  in  several 
pieces,  and  the  Gentile  escaped. 

The  father,  still  holding  the  handle  of  the  shivered  blade, 
said  to  the  trembling  girl :  Listen.  When  you  are  caught 
in  Gentile  company  again,  you  shall  die ;"  and  she  knew  he 
would  do  what  he  said,  and  she  gave  up  the  Gentile.  The 
soldier  was  prosecuted,  and  heavily  fined. 

The  same  winter  one  of  Col.  Steptoe's  officers  formed  an 
acquaintance  with  a  daughter  of  John  Taylor — Mary  Ann. 
She  was  a  very  interesting  girl ;  and  the  intimacy  ripened 
into  a  mutual  attachment.  Her  father  is  one  of  the  Twelve 
Apostles,  and  a  man  of  great  influence  in  the  Church  ;  and 
was,  at  the  time,  living  in  New  York,  where  he  edited  a  paper 
known  as  the  "  Mormon." 


Punishment  cf  Heresy.  315 

m 

On  account  of  her  beauty,  as  well  as  the  position  of  her 
father,  Mary  Ann  was  much  sought  after,  both  by  old  grey- 
headed Saints  among  the  Heads  of  the  Church,  and  by  younger 
aspirants  for  saintly  and  matrimonial  honors.  But  the  bud- 
ding instincts  of  her  young  womanhood  naturally  revolted 
against  the  dark  future  promised  her  by  Mormon  wifeism ; 
and  she  preferred  the  Gentile.  She  succeeded  in  getting  be- 
fore Judge  Kinney  with  her  lover,  and  they  were  married. 
This  was  a  termination  more  fortunate  than  she  could  have 
expected,  had  the  father  been  at  home.  For  when  he  heard 
of  it,  he  wrote  to  the  Prophet,  blaming  him  very  severely  for 
not  preventing  the  marriage  by  the  sacrifice  of  her  life.  He 
wrote  that  he  should  always  feel  dissatisfied  because  the  blood 
of  his  daughter  had  not  been  shed  to  atone  for  the  sin  of 
marrying  out  of  the  Church.  She  was  afterwards  cut  off  from 
the  Saints,  and  publicly  traduced  by  Orson  Hyde,  who  hau 
been  one  of  her  admirers  before. 

This  precious  man,  Hyde,  whose  number  of  wives  was  great 
already,  had  urged  the  mother  very  strongly  to  force  Mary 
Ann  to  marry  him,  even  against  her  own  consent,  which  ex- 
treme measure  might  have  been  resorted  to,  had  Col.  Steptoe's 
military  force  not  been  at  hand.  When  the  regiment  left 
the  valley,  she  accompanied  her  husband. 

That  the  strictness  as  to  the  intermarriage  with  Gentiles 
was  a  question  of  policy,  and  not  one  of  principle,  was  shown 
by  the  course  pursued  by  the  Prophet,  in  relation  to  the  In- 
dian chief,  Walker.  This  chief  was  at  the  head  of  a  powerful 
tribe  in  the  western  part  of  the  territory.  Some  cause  of 
parrel  had  interrupted  the  good  understanding  before  exist 


316       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

ing  between  "Walker  and  the  "  Mormon  Chief,"  as  the  former 
called  Brigham  Young ;  and  the  Prophet,  wishing  to  reesta- 
blish friendly  relations,  and  also  to  found  a  permanent  in- 
fluence favorable  to  the  Saints  within  the  tribe,  attempted  to 
induce  some  of  the  Mormon  women  to  marry  Walker,  as  a 
means  of  effecting  that  object.  I  heard  the  Prophet  say  one 
day,  to  a  young  girl,  that  the  Mormon  woman  that  would  vol- 
teer  to  make  that  sacrifice  for  the  Church,  should  have  a 
crown  of  Immortal  Glory  in  the  celestial  kingdom.  The 
matter  created  great  excitement  among  us  at  the  time,  and  it 
was  expected  that  some  of  the  girls  were  to  be  "  coun- 
selled "  to  accept  this  "  mission,"  as  none  were  found  so  reck- 
less of  peace  and  womanly  "  glory  "  in  this  world  as  to  volun- 
teer to  hazard  it  for  the  prospective  glory  of  the  next.  But 
either  on  account  of  some  misgivings  on  the  part  of  the 
Prophet  as  to  the  policy  of  forcing  the  acceptance  of  the  dusky 
warrior  as  a  husband  upon  an  unwilling  maiden,  or  for  some 
other  reason,  the  matter  was  delayed  until  the  chief  suddenly 
died  from  some  cause  unknown.  It  was  remarked,  however,  at 
the  time,  that  the  Prophet  was  seldom  at  fault  in  knowing  how 
to  accomplish  his  aims,  and  the  death  of  the  chief,  whether  by 
natural  or  foul  means,  was  followed  by  a  new  line  of  policy,  i.  e. 
by  the  marriage  of  the  Indian  women  by  the  Mormon  men  sent 
to  preach  among  them,  and  this  has  now  become  the  settled 
policy  of  the  Church,  pursued  not  only  in  that,  but  among  all 
the  Indian  tribes  within  the  reach  of  Mormon  influence.  So 
successfully  has  this  policy  been  pursued  that  not  many  years 
shall  pass  before  all  the  Indian  tribes  west  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  probably  all  the  others,  between  whose  hunt- 


Punishment  of  Heresy.  317 

ing  grounds  and  Utah,  civilized  migration  has  set  up  no  bar- 
rier, will  acknowledge  the  Prophet's  sway.  And  when  that 
day  comes,  the  United  States  Government  shall  find  in  the 
Prophet  and  his  people  a  more  formidable  adversary  than  is 
now  dreamed  of.     Will  the  warning  be  heeded  in  time  ? 

After  Walker's  death,  he  was  succeeded  in  the  government 
of  the  tribe  by  his  brother,  Squash  Head.  I  knew  but  little 
of  the  character  of  this  chief.  He  was  looked  upon  as  be- 
ing not  very  sagacious,  but  at  the  same  time,  remarkably  ob- 
stinate. He  soon  fell  under  the  censure  of  the  Prophet,  who 
had  taken  offence  at  the  obstacles  Squash  Head  interposed 
to  the  influence  of  the  Mormon  missionaries  sent  to  his 
tribe. 

The  Prophet  intrigued  to  decoy  the  chief  to  the  city,  and 
then  upon  some  charge,  either  real  or  trumped  up  for  the  oc- 
casion, had  him  arrested,  and  thrown  into  prison,  where  he 
remained  for  a  long  time. 

The  chief  was  attended  in  his  prison  by  a  "  Danite,"  by 
whom  he  was  regularly  furnished  with  food.  This  attendant 
represents  that  one  morning  he  took  his  breakfast  to  him,  and 
left  with  it,  thoughtlessly,  a  case  knife ;  and  that  when  he  re- 
turned an  hour  after  to  remove  the  dishes,  and  the  remains 
of  the  breakfast,  he  found  the  chief  dead.  He  had  cut  his 
throat  with  a  very  dull  case  knife  !  This  was  a  version  of 
the  story  first  circulated ;  but  it  was  very  soon  after  this  gene- 
rally understood  that  the  poor  old  Indian  was  murdered  by  the 
Prophet's  order,  as  his  influence  among  his  tribe  was  consid- 
ered an  obstacle  to  the  spread  of  the  faith  among  them ;  and 
for  that  reason,  was  held  to  be  justifiable  by  the  great  body 


318        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

of  the  Church.  This  circumstance  was  freely  spoken  of  among 
us  at  the  time,  and  I  never  heard  these  facts  questioned. 

I  deem  this  a  fitting  place  to  mention  another  circumstance, 
which  occurred  while  I  was  at  the  valley.  I  refer  to  the 
massacre  of  Capt.  Gunnison  and  his  party,  as  was  supposed 
at  the  time  by  the  Indians.  I  have  heard  the  circumstances 
of  this  atrocious  murder  discussed  frequently  at  Great  Salt 
Lake,  by  the  Heads  of  the  Church,  and  by  the  Prophet,  and 
others.  In  all  these  cases,  it  was  exultingly  claimed  by 
them,  and  unquestioned  in  well  informed  circles  among  us, 
that  Capt.  Gunnison  and  his  party  were  murdered  by  the 
"  Danites,"  disguised  as  Indians,  by,  and  with  the  knowledgo, 
and  "  counsel "  of  the  Prophet.  It  was,  however,  believed  by 
some  that  the  massacre  was  perpetrated  by  the  Indians  in 
fact,  but  instigated  by  the  Prophet — all  parties  agreeing  in 
this,  that  it  was  done  for  the  good  of  the  Church,  which  justi- 
fied the  act.  My  belief  is,  that  the  first  theory  is  the  true 
one.  I  could  state  many  facts  going  to  prove  this.  The 
generally  received  opinion  in  the  Church  upon  that  subject 
should  have  some  weight ;  and  I  never  heard  any  other  opi- 
nion expressed,  until  I  came  to  the  States,  about  one  year 
since.  I  was  one  day  at  my  brother's  house,  where  a  small 
company  were  assembled,  when  this  subject  came  up ;  and 
Edmond  Ellsworth  said,  among  many  other  things,  "  I  think 
Uncle  Sam  will  get  sick  of  sending  officers  here,  when  we 
serve  a  few  more  as  we  served  Gunnison." 

Ellsworth  is  a  son-in-law  of  the  Prophet,  having  married 
for  his  first,  and  only  wife,  Elizabeth,  the  oldest  daughter  of 
Brigham  Young. 


Punishment  of  Heresy.  319 

Thus,  his  statement  should  be  entitled  to  the  more  weight, 
as  he  was  known  to  be  familiar  with  the  Prophet.  There 
was,  in  fact,  no  effort  made  at  concealment,  and  it  was  freely 
talked  of  among  ourselves,  although  it  was  scrupulously  kept 
from  the  knowledge  of  the  Gentiles,  and  from  those  Mor- 
mons whose  discretion  or  orthodoxy  was  doubtful. 


320       Fifteen  Years  among-  the  Mormons. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


TOOILLE. 


One  day,  soon  after  the  termination  of  my  adventures  with 
Mr.  Mac,  when  I  was  busily  engaged  in  making  arrangements 
for  my  journey  to  Tooille,  one  of  the  wives  of  Jedadiah  M. 
Grant  came  to  our  house  and  urged  me  very  hard  to  go  home 
with  her.  Although  unwilling  to  spend  the  time,  as  I  was 
very  anxious  to  escape  from  this  city  of  abominations,  I  con- 
sented, and  when  there,  I  found  the  Prophet,  Orson  Hyde,  J. 
M.  Grant,  and  several  women,  pleasantly  employed  in  the  en- 
joyment of  a  social  party.  As  I  went  in,  the  Prophet  said 
very  graciously :  "  Well,  Nett,  I  am  happy  to  see  you.  I 
was  thinking  that  when  we  met  last,  you  felt  the  influence  of 
a  bad  spirit.  Evil  spirits  make  one  feel  discontented.  The 
spirits  of  the  Gentiles  that  have  died  in  our  midst  are  always 
about  us,  waiting  for  another  tabernacle  to  enter." 

"  I  trust  you  do  not  expect  to  assign  to  me  the  mission  of 
looking  up  '  tabernacles '  for  them." 

"  I  see,  Mary  Ettie  is  getting  discouraged,"  said  brother 
taddy  Grant.  "  You  must  give  her  a  blessing;  and  here  is 
cme  of  my  first  and  best  wives,  Rosetta,  who  is  almost  ready 
to  leave  me,  and  run  off  with  a  Gentile.     If  you  will  bless 


Tooille.  321 

them,  I  will  write  for  you,  and  hereafter,  when  they  get 
the  c  horribles/  they  can  find  encouragement  in  reading 
these  and  be  consoled." 

Brother  Grant  then  took  a  pen  and  wrote  the  words  of  the 
Prophet,  who  blessed  us  both,  first  one,  and  then  the  other. 
The  following  is  an  exact  copy  of  mine  from  the  original  still 
in  my  possession.  The  Prophet  rested  his  hands  upon  my 
head  as  he  pronounced  it: 

"  Sister  Mary  Ettie  : 

11 1  seal  these  blessings  upon  your  head,  that  will  be  given 
by  me,  or  by  my  Heavenly  Father  through  me.  Treasure 
them,  as  words  of  wisdom.  Get  wisdom  and  understanding. 
Take  no  thought  beforehand,  what  you  shall  do,  for  the  Holy 
Ghost  will  teach  you  ;  and  thou  shalt  be  mighty  in  word  and 
in  deed,  shalt  confound  all  that  oppose  you,  and  put  the 
tongue  of  slander  to  shame ;  have  a  posterity  that  will  hold  thy 
name  in  honorable  remembrance  through,  all  their  genera- 
tions. Thou  shalt  be  able  to  stop  the  mouths  of  lions,  quench 
the  violence  of  fire,  escape  the  edge  of  the  sword ;  &hall  have 
wisdom  to  direct  you  at  all  times,  shall  live  to  see  the  *  wind- 
ing up  scene  of  this  generation,'  shall  have  a  companion 
suited  to  your  condition,  and  inherit  all  the  blessings  of  the 
Redeemer's  Kingdom,  forever  and  ever.     Amen." 

I  then  gave  place  to  Rosetta,  who  received  one  similar  to 
mine.     She  was  a  quiet,  uncomplaining  victim  to  a  faith  and 
practice,  to  which  she  had  submitted  in  an  evil  hour,  without 
fullv  comprehending  its  hardships. 
14* 


322        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

Although  no  word  had  passed  between  us,  and  she 
accepted  the  blessing  with  a  becoming  grace,  I  knew  she 
estimated  it  as  I  did,  as  but  a  mockery ;  and  yet  there  lingered 
within  the  heart  of  both  a  recollection  of  the  time,  when  the 
Church  to  us  was  pure.  "When  the  Prophet  Joseph  administered 
and  wrought  seeming  miracles  before  astonished  multitudes. 
And  for  the  moment  the  crimes  of  the  present  Heads  of  the 
Church  were  forgotten,  and  the  ancient  enthusiasm  and  faith 
whi<jh  stirred  our  hearts  in  the  earlier  days  and  in  the  wilder- 
ness, or  when  threatened  by  the  menacing  shouts  of  Gentile 
mobs,  returned  to  cheer  us.  But  this  enthusiasm  was  but  mo- 
mentary. We  reasoned  with  our  own  hearts  thus.  Grant  that 
double  wifeism  is  right,  notwithstanding  its  practice  involves, 
as  a  necessity,  the  cruel  sacrifice  of  all  a  woman  holds  most 
dear ;  yet  crime — positive  crime,  is  not,  cannot  be  right. 
What  the  Church  clearly  demands,  the  true  believer  should 
doubtless  concede ;  but  the  commission  of  robbery,  murder, 
and  treason  to  the  government  cannot  be  necessary  to  a  pure 
Church.  Yet  these  men,  now  before  us,  on  whose  shoulders 
the  government  of  the  Church  has  fallen,  on  one  of  whom 
has  descended  the  mantle  of  our  Prophet  Joseph,  of  blessed 
and  martyr  memory,  were  guilty  of  all  these,  and  worse,  if 
worse  were  possible.  Was  it  wrong,  then,  to  doubt  these 
men  ?  And  yet,  if  the  Church  were  ever  genuine,  is  she  not 
*o  still,  albeit  wanting  purity  ? 

Floating  thus  among  doubts  and  dear  old  remembrances, 
was  it  strange  that  the  gracious  benediction  thus  received 
should  have  been  invested  by  us  with  some  degree  of  sanctity, 
or  that  for  the  moment  we  looked  upon  these  men   ;?"  *7 


Tooille.  323 

exalted  capacity,  of  miuistrants  in  Heavenly  offices,  and 
ash  y  remembered  afterwards,  they  were  but  broken  vessels  ? 
I  trust  those  of  my  readers  who  regard  Mormonism  as  a  de- 
lusion, and  who  have  never  been  swayed  by  its  enthusiasms, 
or  felt  its  fascinations — for  it  possessed  originally  both  these 
elements  in  an  eminent  degree — will  not  judge  us  too  harshly. 
Human  nature  as  essentially  the  same,  under  similar  circum- 
stances ;  and  if  many  Christian  people  were  to  look  closely 
into  their  own  hearts,  possibly  they  would  find  their  attach- 
ment to  orthodox  and  approved  systems,  resting  upon  no  bet- 
ter foundations  than  ours  ;  and  many  would  find  they  were 
indebted,  alone,  to  a  more  kindly  interposition  of  Providence, 
that  they  had  been  reared  and  were  yet  under  the  influence 
of  a  better  faith  and  a  truer  system ;  and  that  they  adhere  to  it, 
for  reasons  little  better  than  those  which  bind  an  honest  Mor- 
mon to  his.  I  have  deemed  it  proper  to  urge  this  modest  claim 
to  the  sympathy  of  the  civilized  world,  not  on  my  own  account, 
but  in  behalf  of  the  many  thousands  of  innocent  persons  in 
Utah,  who  would  forsake  Mormonism,  as  I  have  done,  if  they 
were  once  left  unawed  by  the  power  of  the  Prophet,  from 
which  there  is  no  hope  of  escape,  until  the  General  Govern- 
ment shall  interfere,  with  a  strong  arm,  for  the  protection  of 
civil  rights  in  the  territory.  But  it  is  more  particularly  in 
behalf  of  the  women  of  Utah,  for  whom  I  bespeak  the  active 
sympathy  of  all  Christian  people.  There  are  to-day  from  fif 
teen  to  twenty  thousand  mothers  and  daughters  within  the 
territory,  suffering  under  a  cruel  enslavement  within  those 
Mormon  harems,  who  would  make  any  sacrifice  for  freedom  ; 
and  many  a  mother  there  who  would  deem  the  emancipation 


324       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

of  her  children  cheaply  won,  if  secured  at  no  greater  cost  than 
that  of  her  own  poor  life.  Indeed,  the  only  bond  that  holds 
many  to  an  unwilling  existence  there,  is  the  mother's  instinc- 
tive love  of  her  offspring.  Will  the  mothers  and  daughters, 
who  owe  all  they  have  and  are  to  the  influence  of  the  Bible, 
disregard  the  cries  of  these  suffering  women  coming  from  the 
far  off  Mormon  land,  the  agony  of  whose  groans,  if  made  audi- 
ble to  the  world,  though  but  for  a  moment,  would  rend  the 
heart  of  Christendom  ? 

The  next  morning  found  me  on  the  way  to  Tooille.  This 
beautiful  valley,  though  no  great  distance  west  of  the  city  as 
the  crow  flies,  is,  by  the  wagon  road,  twenty-two  miles.  We 
^ave  before  stated,  that  Salt  Lake  city  was  built  on  the  east 
_ank  of  the  River  Jordan.  Ten  miles,  or  more,  from  the  west 
bank  of  the  stream,  and  facing  the  city,  rises  abruptly  to  a 
great  height,  a  rugged  and  barren  ridge,  known  as  West 
Mountain.  With  its  base  separated  from  the  placid  waters 
of  the  gentle  river,  by  a  wide  interval  of  grassy  bottom,  and 
its  summit  whitened  by  snows  that  know  no  summer,  this 
range  would  have  offered  an  insurmountable  barrier  to  direct 
travel  west,  had  it  not  been  suddenly  terminated  some  miles 
to  the  north  by  the  waters  of  Great  Salt  Lake,  on  the  brink 
of  whose  briny  shore  it  rises  in  an  abrupt  headland,  as  if, 
when  suddenly  arrested  there,  it  had  gathered  itself  up  to  give 
fitting  expression  to  the  bold  protest  it  meant  to  frown  for 
ever  from  its  frosty  top  against  the  unnatural  intrusion  of  this 
inland  sheet  of  brine. 

After  crossing  the  "  bottom,"  in  a  westerly  direction  to  the 
mountain,  the   road   wound   its   difficult   and   narrow   way 


Tooille.  325 

northerly  to  the  lake,  and  thence,  clinging  to  its  base,  close  to 
the  water's  rocky  margin,  it  rounded  the  headland,  and  then 
turning  to  the  left,  swept  back  to  the  south  again,  and  soon 
debouched  into  a  smiling  valley,  on  the  other  side  of  the 
mountain.  This  is  Tooille.  My  brother  lived  about  one  mile 
from  the  lake,  at  E.  T.  city.  This  stake  was  named  after  Ezra 
T.  Benson,  one  of  the  M  Twelve ;"  where  he  (Benson)  owned  a 
mill,  and  kept  several  of  his  wives.  The  land  at  the  lower 
part  of  the  valley  is  not  fertile,  on  account  of  the  salt  with 
which  the  ground  appears  to  be  saturated;  but  farther  up, 
where  this  does  not  exist,  it  is  said  to  be  very  productive, 
and  everyhere  it  is  well  adapted  to  grass.  As  well  on  account 
of  the  soft  and  genial  air  of  the  mountains,  which  circulates 
through  the  valley,  bearing  health  to  the  inhabitants,  as  of  the 
simple  beauty  of  the  landscape  and  to  its  general  productive- 
ness, this  is  a  most  delightful  region,  and,  uncursed  by  Mor- 
monism,  would  be  an  earthly  Paradise. 

In  rounding  the  headland  we  passed  the  mouth  of  an  open 
cave,  extending  deep  into  the  mountain.  Nearly  opposite 
E.  T.  city,  the  bosom  of  the  lake  is  broken  by  a  beautiful 
island  several  miles  in  extent,  remarkable  for  its  spring  of 
sweet  fresh  water,  although  surrounded  by  the  salt  and  bitter 
waters  of  the  lake.  This  delightful  island  is  devoted  to  the 
pasturage  of  cattle  having  the  "  Church  brand  "  upon  them. 
The  cattle  of  all  who  have  consecrated  their  property  to  the 
Church,  bear  this  brand.  The  island  is  partly  wooded,  and 
is  a  great  resort  for  every  species  of  wild  bird.  Brant  and 
other  geese,  ducks  and  sand-hill  cranes  crowd  here,  mingled 
with  other  game,  in  uncounted  swarms ;  and  often  the  noiso 


326       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

of  their  calls,  and  flutterings,  and  wild  screams,  comes  over 
the  waters  of  the  glassy  lake  like  the  noisy  murmur  of  an 
excited  multitude ;  as  if  to  invite  the  sportsmen  of  the  world 
io  the  slaughter. 

I  passed  the  fall  here  very  pleasantly  with  my  brother  and 
the  society  of  Martha,  his  only  wife.  She  had  thus  far  suc- 
cessfully fought  spiritual  wifeisrn  from  her  door,  and  still  pre- 
served her  isolated  household ;  and  until  winter  set  in  we  lived 
comparatively  free  from  the  usual  disquietude  of  Mormon  life 

Colonel  Steptoe  had  made  Salt  Lake  City  the  headquarter?* 
of  his  regiment  for  the  winter ;  and  it  had  already  transpired 
that  he  would  allow  such  Mormon  women  as  threw  them- 
selves upon  his  protection,  to  accompany  him  from  the  terri 
tory  in  the  Spring. 

This  state  of  things  was  creating  great  anxiety  among 
the  male  members  and  heads  of  the  Church ;  for  there  was 
already  a  flutter  among  the  inmates  of  the  harems;  and  the 
affair  of  Mary  Ann  Taylor,  before  referred  to,  proved  they 
had  reason  for  serious  apprehension.  There  were,  in  fact, 
several  other  similar  cases  under  advisement.  Various 
rumors  of  these  things  reached  our  quiet  valley;  but  it  had 
never  occurred  to  me  that  I  could  avail  myself  of  this  oppor- 
tunity to  make  my  escape,  until  the  idea  was  suggested  by 
an  uncalled  for  severity  on  the  part  of  the  Prophet.  He  sent 
Orson  Hyde  to  the  president  of  our  stake,  with  an  order  to 
keep  me  under  the  strictest  watch,  and  on  no  account  to 
allow  me  to  leave  my  brother's  house  without  his  permission 
— which  would  not  be  granted  until  the  Gentile  soldiers  left 
in  the  Spring.     It  was  but  a  short  time  after  this,  that  my 


Tooille.  327 

brother  was  directed  to  keep  me  confined  mostly  to  my  room, 
but  to  afford  me,  otherwise,  every  thing  necessary  to  my 
comfort.  I  deemed  this  a  sort  of  violation  of  the  tacit  under- 
standing between  us ;  and  I  resolved  to  meet  it  by  an  effort 
to  accomplish  the  very  thing  the  Prophet  wished  to  place 
beyond  a  perad venture  of  happening.  A  circumstance  soon 
occurred  which  opened  the  way. 

My  brother's  principal  business  at  the  valley  was  to  look 
after  his  farm ;  but  at  this  time  he  was  engaged  in  selling 
goods  for  Mr.  Hockiday,  a  respectable  Gentile  merchant, 
from  one  of  the  States.  This  man  spent  a  part  of  the  time 
at  the  valley,  and  was  a  friend  of  Mr.  Mac's.  The  latter  had 
given  him  an  account  of  the  manner  he  had  been  decoyed  by 
me,  in  the  milking  affair,  and  expressed  the  opinion,  that  I 
had  been  prompted  to  it  by  a  Mormon  influence  which  I  dare 
not  resist,  and  wished  him  to  inquire  of  me  how  it  was. 

Mr.  Hockiday  came  to  my  brother's  house  one  morning, 
and  after  exchanging  the  usual  salutations  with  Martha, 
inquired  for  me.  He  had  already  learned  that  I  was  con- 
fined to  my  room,  and  the  reason  why.  Martha  told  him 
where  I  was,  but  gave  him  no  encouragement  about  seeing 
me ;  and,  in  fact,  showed  a  disposition  to  evade  the  subject. 
Seeing  which,  he  replied :  "  Then  I  think  I  will  step  in  and 
see  her  a  moment."  And  without  giving  Martha  time  for 
reflection,  came  in,  unattended,  with  an  assurance  that  proved 
he  had  an  object  in  view.  I  was  at  first  greatly  astonished, 
but  I  soon  recognized  in  his  straightforward  manner  of  doing 
business,  an  honest  purpose,  and  a  wish  to  serve  me. 

M  How  do  you  get  on,  Mrs.  Smith  ?"  said  he,  bluntly. 


328       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

"  Very  well,  I  thank  you." 

I  knew  Martha  had  not  consented  to  his  coming  in,  and 
although  she  was  every  way  friendly  to  me,  she  still  dreaded 
to  disobey  the  Prophet. 

"  I  understand,"  said  Mr.  Hockiday,  "  that  quite  an  event 
has  taken  place  in  our  Gentile  community.  That  you,  and 
other  important  characters,  have  been  taking  advantage  of 
my  friend  Mac,  who  is  as  good-hearted  a  man  as  was  ever 
victimized  in  this  Mormon  land.     How  is  it  ?" 

"  It  is  true,"  said  I ;  "  but  it  was  his  own  fault.  He  has  no 
one  to  blame  but  himself." 

"  No  doubt.  But  you  know,  Mrs.  Smith,  what  an  influence 
women  have  always  exerted  over  men.  Since  the  world 
began  they  have  plied  the  vocation  of  Eve,  with  a  success 
beyond  that  of  the  first  mother,  and  it  is  all  natural  and  right 
within  its  legitimate  channel,  and  for  proper  objects ;  but  it  i? 
a  new  thing  under  the  sun,  and  an  abomination,  that  thi? 
weakness  of  our  poor  human  nature,  should  be  turned  into 
a  source  of  profit  to  these  Mormon  pickpockets,  through  the 
agency  of  an  organized  band  of  female  decoys,  trained  by  the 
heads  of  the  Church  to  do  this  business  systematically.  Is 
not  this  so,  Mrs.  Smith  ?  ^  Are  not  these  things  done  by 
direction  of  the  Prophet  ?  We  understand  you  women  do 
them  unwillingly,  but  with  none  the  less  effect  on  that 
account.  Your  victims  will,  of  course,  pay  heavily,  rathei 
than  be  exposed :  hence  these  cases  are  seldom  heard  of. 
But  I  can  assure  you  that  a  knowledge  of  another  class  of 
crimes  cannot  be  suppressed.     Murder  will  out,  in  time." 

At  this  point,  Martha,  who  had  heard  our  conversation 


Tooille.  329 

came  to  the  door,  and  said  :  "  Mr.  Hockiday,  I  think  your 
pony  is  loose."  I  suspected  at  once  Martha  had  unloosed 
his  horse  that  she  might  give  me  a  word  of  caution ;  and  so 
it  proved,  for  when  he  had  gone  out  to  look  after  the  animal, 
she  said  to  me,  with  some  degree  of  earnestness  :  "Nett,  you 
must  avoid  all  conversation  with  that  man.  Doubtless  every 
word  you  say  to  him  will  go  to  Washington  to  he  used 
as  evidence  against  us." 

I  made  no  reply,  and  she  gave  me  a  look  of  sad  sympathy, 
on  leaving  the  room,  just  as  Mr.  Hockiday  returned  to  it ; 
who  said  as  he  came  in,  "  I  cannot  understand  how  my  pony 
could  get  loose.  But  no  matter,  I  must  be  off,  I  think." 
Then  lowering  his  voice,  he  added,  "  there  will  be  a  good 
chance  for  those  wishing  to  leave  the  territory  in  the  spring, 
with  the  family  of  Mr.  McClure,  a  gentleman  now  boarding 
with  Judge  Kinney,  at  Salt  Lake.  And  then,  giving  me  a 
look  full  of  intelligence,  he  added  there  are  several  women  of 
your  acquaintance,  who  desire  to  go.  They  will  be  under  the 
protection  of  the  military  force  of  Col.  Steptoe  ;  and  every 
thing  will  be  safe  and  snug  as  could  be  wished.  But  I  must 
be  on  my  way." 

I  made  him  no  reply ;  but  my  heart,  now  quite  in  a  flutter 
of  hope,  must  have  made  itself  understood  ;  for  in  taking  his 
leave,  he  repeated,  over  and  over,  certain  nods,  and  expressive 
winks  of  encouragement. 

I  went  to  bed  that  night  with  my  head  filled  with  floating 
visions  of  this  new  project.  loo  much  excited  to  fix  upon 
any  feasible  plan  of  operation,  my  mind  sifted  and  rejected, 
over  and  over  again,  every  possible  and  impossible  scheme, 


330        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

which  promised  to  crown  the  enterprise  with  success ;  until 
quite  prostrated  by  the  chafing  and  fretting  of  my  caged  and 
overtaxed  spirit,  I  fell  asleep,  and  dreamed  I  had  made  the 
attempt,  by  climbing,  on  foot,  the  high  ridge  that  separated 
our  valley  from  the  Jordan ;  and  that  when  I  had  gained  the 
snowy  top  of  the  mountain,  beyond  the  foot  of  which  flowed 
the  gentle  river ;  and  was  about  to  commence  the  descent, 
to  where  I  saw  the  army  of  Col.  Steptoe  in  waiting  for  me, 
the  snows  beneath  my  feet  gave  way :  and  riding  upon  an 
avalanch,  I  slid  down  the  mountain  side,  with  a  rush,  and  a 
roar  of  thunder :  and  landed,  as  I  dreamed,  safely  within  the 
Endowment  rooms,  in  the  presence  of  the  Prophet,  and  the 
Heads  of  the  Church :  who  were  assembled  for  the  purpose 
of  celebrating  the  horrid  rite,  of  offering  human  sacrifices,  and 
were  only  waiting  for  the  victim  ;  which  had  now  arrived,  for 
I  was  to  be  offered. 

The  wood  upon  a  huge  stone  altar,  in  the  centre  of  the 
roofless  room,  crackled  and  burned  with  a  fierce  and  merry 
roar ;  and  the  white  robed-priests,  with  the  Prophet  at  their 
head,  approached  to  lay  me  upon  the  altar,  to  be  slain.  And 
when  I  saw  the  polished  blade  of  the  knife,  gleam  and  flash 
in  the  light  of  the  lire  of  the  altar,  I  woke  with  a  scream 
before  it  descended  to  do  its  work  :  and  found  myself  in  my 
own  room,  cowering  under  the  .remembrance  of  the  terrible 
vision. 

Does  the  spirit,  disturbed  by  a  high  state  of  nervous  excite- 
ment, sometimes  flutter  beyond  the  range  of  our  grosser  facul- 
ties, and  make  discoveries  and  investigations  into  truth  ;  and 
ferret  out  hidden  secrets,  from  which,  under  ordinary  circum 


Tooille.  331 

stances,  we  are,  by  the  very  necessities  of  our  fiail  humanity, 
debarred  ?  I  have  no  theory  of  my  own  upon  this  subject ; 
but  the  remembrance  of  that  night  vision  is  still  before  me ; 
and  when  the  dark  and  bloody  history  of  those  mystic  cere- 
monies of  the  endowments  are  revealed  and  laid  open  to  the 
day,  then  will  be  realized,  as  I  still  believe,  the  original  of 
that  dream,  vague  rumors  of  which  ars  even  now  floating 
upon  the  public  mind,  at  Great  Salt  Lake,  among  those  who 
have  never  dreamed  upon  the  subjezU 


S32        Fifteen  I^ears  among  the  Mormons 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


THE    FLIGHT   AND    RECAPTURE. 


For  several  day's  I  had  serious  misgivings  as  to  the  possi- 
bility of  success,  should  I  attempt  an  escape.  But  after  giv- 
ing the  subject  a  fair  canvass,  and  weighing  the  chances,  I 
found  the  balance  to  be  in  favor  of  the  undertaking ;  and 
when  my  mind  was  thus  once  settled,  I  was  calm  :  and  then, 
bending  the  whole  energies  of  my  soul  in  that  one  direction, 
I  soon  settled  upon  a  plan  of  operation.  A  portion  of  the 
house  occupied  by  my  brother,  had  been  dedicated  to  the  use 
of  public  worship;  and  this  part  was  in  the  end  furthest 
removed  from  the  room  in  which  I  was  confined. 

The  view  from  my  room,  in  the  direction  of  the  mountain, 
was  uninterrupted  by  dwellings,  and  the  window  opening  that 
way  had  never  been  fastened  ;  and  thus  it  will  be  seen,  that 
to  reach  the  mountain  east  of  the  valley,  would  be  an  easy 
matter,  if  a  time  was  chosen  when  the  mass  of  the  inhabi- 
tants were  not  much  abroad. 

On  the  following  Sunday  morning,  I  said  to  Martha  :  a  I  do 
not  wish  to  attend  the  meeting  of  the  Saints  to-day.  I  am 
not  well,  and  would  seek  rest.     I  shall  lock  my  door,  in  ordei 


The  Flight  and  Becapture.  333 

not  to  be  disturbed  ;  and  I  wish  you  wculd  not  call  me  to 
dinner." 

"  Very  well,  Mary  Ettie,  you  look  sick.  You  shAll  take  youi 
rest,  rny  sister,  if  there  is  any  rest  for  you,  I  will  see  that 
no  one  disturbs  you." 

"  If  there  is  rest  for  me  I  hope  to  find  it  soon,"  I  replied, 
and  returned  to  my  room. 

Fastening  the  door,  I  waited  patiently  the  assembling  of  the 
Saints,  which  was  to  be  in  the  afternoon :  until  then  I  must 
remain  quiet.  I  had  before  this  provided  myself  with  a  loaf 
of  bread  and  some  matches  from  the  pantry. 

This  was  in  the  month  of  February ;  and  the  hills,  and  the 
ground  in  some  places  in  the  valley,  were  covered  with  snow. 
I  put  on  my  brother's  boots,  and  packed  up  my  husband's 
portrait  with  the  bread  and  matches,  and  laid  them  aside 
with  an  Indian  blanket ;  and  thus  prepared  myself  to  sally 
forth,  upon  the  perilous  adventure. 

There  was  no  one  in  sight,  except  some  Indians  with  their 
squaws,  who  were  usually  sauntering  about  the  buildings,  for 
the  purpose  of  begging.  Some  of  these  squaws  came  to 
the  window  and  asked  for  food,  and  I  gave  them  some 
bread.  Then,  disguised  as  one  of  them,  with  my  Indian 
blanket  over  my  head,  I  removed  the  sash,  and  passed 
through  the  window  to  the  ground ;  and  asked  them,  by 
signs  which  they  appeared  to  comprehend,  to  accompany  me. 
We  all  set  out  for  the  mountains,  with  the  Indian  lope  pecu- 
liar to  these  tribes,  in  single  file. 

As  we  hastened  on  to  gain  a  point  of  the  mountain  nearest 
jo  us,  which  should,  when   once  passed,  protect  us  against 


334:       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

observation  from  the  settlement,  my  heart  leaped  with  joy 
under  an  inspiring  sense  of  freedom,  and  the  bracing  influ- 
ence of  this  unwonted  exercise  in  the  open  air,  yet  disturbed 
somewhat  by  the  chilling  fear,  lest,  by  some  mischance,  my 
escape  should  be  discovered  before  reaching  the  mountains. 
This  once  passed,  I  left  my  dusky  friends,  and  plunged  alone 
into  the  nearest  caiion,  little  comprehending,  in  ray  eager- 
ness to  evade  my  human  foes,  how  great  the  pevil  I  was 
braving  among  the  wild  beasts  of  the  mountain.  I  wished 
to  secrete  myself  here  until  after  dark,  to  evade  pursuit. 

Let  the  reader  imagine  a  lofty  and  barren  range,  with  its 
top  in  the  clouds,  and  covered  with  snow,  having  its  side 
split  by  a  deep,  narrow  gorge,  little  wider  in  places  than  a 
fissure,  and  at  others,  yawning  deep  and  broad,  and  winding 
apparently  into  the  very  heart  of  the  mountain,  and  some- 
times quite  through  it ;  with  the  ragged  jaws  thus  laid  open, 
partly  covered  with  a  light  growth  of  timber  or  stunted 
shrubs,  the  bottom  drained  by  the  fretting  current  of  a 
stream,  tumbling  from  the  melting  snows  above,  so  far  down 
among  the  rocks,  as  to  be  at  some  points  beyond  the  reach 
of  the  sun's  rays,  and  he  will  have  a  faint  picture  of  a  canon. 
These  celebrated  canons  are  a  peculiar  feature  in  the  scenery 
of  Utah.  They  are  the  sources  from  whence  the  settler  in . 
the  valleys  draws  his  supply  of  wood  for  fuel,  and  whence 
flows  the  wrater  necessary  for  irrigation  and  similar  purposes. 
But  they  are  not  untenanted.  Here  the  terrible  grizzly 
bear,  famed  as  the  fiercest  denizen  of  these  wilds,  makes  his 
home  with  the  wolf,  the  cougar  or  mountain  lion,  and  manj 


The  Flight  and  Recapture.  335 

other  beasts  of  prey,  scarcely  less  dangerous  when  pressed 
by  hunger. 

It  was  up  one  of  these  wild  passes  I  now  made  my  diffi- 
cult way  ;  but  not  liking  the  appearance  of  the  one  I  had 
entered,  I  passed  over  the  sharp  point  of  a  hill,  which  sepa- 
rated it  from  one  farther  to  the  north.  Gaining  this  with 
ease,  I  picked  my  way  among  the  vast  rocks,  and  in  some 
places,  over  the  loose  sand  until  it  was  quite  dark.  By  thia 
time,  I  had  made  a  headwav  of  some  two  miles,  as  I  judged, 
up  the  dismal  pass.  Fatigued  by  an  exercise  to  which  I  was 
unaccustomed,  and  fearing  the  wild  beasts,  I  built  a  fire  close 
by  a  huge  rock,  and  on  that  side  of  it  furthest  from  the 
mouth  of  the  canon.  The  night  was  closing  in,  cold  and 
chill ;  but  I  found  the  cheerful  blaze,  which  soon  lit  up  the 
broken  rocks  about  me,  very  comfortable  ;  for  w7hen  the 
heat  and  excitement  of  my  sharp  walk  had  subsided,  I  felt 
myself  pinched  and  stiffened  by  the  cold,  almost  to  numbness. 
I  had  not  until  then  comprehended  fully  the  hazard  of  my 
undertaking.  Though  at  first  appalled  by  the  wild  scenery 
suddenly  revealed  by  the  blazing  fagots  I  had  hastily  collect- 
ed ;  with  the  thousand  shapes,  which  I  dared  not  scrutinize 
too  closely,  for  fear  they  would  assume  some  real  and  living 
form  of  danger,  yet  I  preferred  my  present  prospect  of  free- 
dom, with  all  its  hazard  and  discomfort,  to  the  bare  possibility 
of  returning  to  my  Mormon  prison. 

When  warmed  and  sufficiently  rested,  I  began  to  cast  about 
for  some  plan  for  future  operations.  I  had  succeeded  thus 
far;  but  the  next  problem  was  to  reach  the  citv,  which  was  a 
long  way  round   the  mountain.     Mv  best  chance  of  success 


336       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

was  mainly  dependent  upon  the  amount  of  headway  I  could 
make  the  first  night ;  for  if  I  could  pass  the  narrow  road 
along  the  lake,  which  turned  the  headland,  before  daylight, 
my  prospects  would  be  fair  for  reaching  the  city  sometime 
(he  following  night. 

I  therefore  decided  to  set  out  at  once,  and  make  the  most 
of  the  darkness.  At  all  events,  I  dare  not  remain  in  the 
canon  all  night  alone.  I  was  fully  refreshed,  after  having 
eaten  some  bread,  and  warmed  my  stiffened  limbs  by  the  fire. 
I  waited  sometime  after  nightfall,  and  then  trusting  to  my  dis- 
guise, and  a  good  fortune,  which  I  felt  ought  not  to  desert 
me  at  a  time  when  I  stood  so  much  in  need  of  its  protection, 
I  retraced  my  steps  down  the  caiion,  to  find  the  road  leading 
to  the  city. 

Though  familiar  with  the  locality  of  the  road  by  daylight, 
I  found  it  a  difficult  thing  to  find  it  in  the  night ;  and  I  was 
obliged  to  return,  until  within  sight  of  the  buildings  from 
whkih  I  had  fled  before  I  was  enabled  to  regain  it.  But  I 
succeeded  at  last,  and  then  took  up  my  line  of  march  in  good 
spirits.  I  travelled  on  easily,  and  without  mishap,  until  about 
midnight,  when  I  heard  two  men  coming  towards  me,  from 
the  direction  I  was  going.  I  quickly  hid  myself  in  some  sage 
bushes  by  the  road,  and  listened  to  their  conversation. 

I  soon  recognized  the  voice  of  my  brother  Howard,  who 
was  accompanied  by  Mr.  Maughn,  the  President  of  the  stake. 
He  was  speaking  to  the  latter  with  a  tone  of  sadness  which 
went  to  my  heart.  It  appeared  they  had  been  in  pursuit  of 
me,  and  were  now  returning  quite  disheartened. 

II  After  all,"  said  Howard,  as  if  in  continuation  of  the  con* 


The  Flight  and  Recapture.  337 

versation  between  them,  "  Mormonisui  has  not  quite  broken 
the  chords  of  nature,  which  bind  me  to  my  sister.  Oh  !  where 
is  she  ?  It  is  injustice  that  has  driven  her  to  seek  refuge 
anions:  the  wild  beasts  of  the  forest.  To  think  of  her  wander- 
ing  in  this  horrible  place  alone.  She  must  certainly  perish 
with  cold  before  morning,  if  she  is  not  destroyed  by  beasts  of 
prey.     I  am  almost  frozen  myself." 

They  had  halted  near  me  ;  and  Mr.  Maughn,  of  whom  heart- 
lessness  was  characteristic,  said  : 

"Brother  Coray,  there  is  no  use  of  hunting  further  for  her. 
The  courage  that  prompted  the  act  will  not  desert  her.  She 
has  the  advantage  of  me,  for  I  am  almost  alarmed  to  be  in 
such  a  place.  She  cannot  be  far  off,  but  it  will  be  useless  to 
look  for  her." 

"  She  has  fortitude,"  said  Howard,  "  and  has  been  schooled 
to  danger  her  whole  life.  Mr.  Maughn,  we  little  know  how 
much  the  girl  has  suffered ;  but  I  fear  she  has  gone  now." 

In  the  few  moments  that  I  listened  to  this  conversation,  I 
ran  over  the  chances  of  success,  and  asked  myself  the  question, 
with  the  seriousness  befitting  one  who  discusses  a  point  on 
which  hangs  his  life,  if  I  should  embrace  the  present  oppor- 
tunity to  return  to  my  home,  or  hold  on  my  way.  I  chose 
the  latter.  When  they  were  out  of  hearing  again,  I  travelled 
on  cheerfully  and  hopeful. 

It  was  not  until  about  daylight  that  I  discovered  I  had 
missed  my  way,  and  that  I  was  still  not  far  from  the  settle* 
ment.  I  was  greatly  disheartened  by  this  discovery,  and  after 
resting  myself  a  short  time,  I  found  the  right  road,  plain 

15 


338        Fifteen  Yeaks  among  the  Mormons. 

enough  by  daylight,  and  with  what  heart  I  could  muster,  ] 
went  on  again. 

I  soon  began  to  meet  the  goers  and  comers  to  and  from  the 
settlement ;  but  I  was  so  well  disguised  with  my  Indian  blan- 
ket that  I  was  not  recognized,  although  many  were  known  to 
me.  But  my  long  night's  travel  and  want  of  rest  began  to 
tell  upon  me  ;  and  I  found  myself  so  much  exhausted  that  I 
was  obliged  to  seek  rest  by  the  roadside.  I  was  now  in  an 
open  prairie,  with  no  cover  near  ;  and  it  was  with  some  alarm 
that  I  saw  two  horsemen  coming  up  the  road  towards  me. 
As  they  were  evidently  from  the  "  stake,"  I  felt  certain  they 
would  not  pass  without  looking  into  my  face,  and  if  it  should 
turn  out  that  one  was  my  brother,  nothing  could  prevent  my 
being  recognized. 

I  rose  from  the  ground  before  they  saw  me,  and  moved  off 
leisurely  from  the  road  to  the  right,  hoping  to  put  such  a  dis- 
tance between  them  and  myself,  by  the  time  they  arrived  op- 
posite me,  as  to  mislead  them. 

I  was  confident  of  my  disguise  as  against  the  eyes  of  every 
one  except  my  brother ;  but  it  proved  that  he  was  one  of  the 
horsemen.  They  were  already  a  little  passed  me,  and  I  began 
to  breathe  freely  again,  when  Howard  said  to  his  companion, 
George  Bryant, "  that  is  Ettie." 

"  Ettie,"  said  Bryant,  impatiently,  "  that  is  a  squaw." 

"  At  all  events,"  replied  Howard,  "  I  must  see,  for  I  think 
that  is  the  walk  of  my  sister." 

Leaving  brother  Bryant,  he  came  near  me,  and  said, 
with  a  lone  that  proved  he  was  not  fully  certain  he  was 
right*  '  B 


The  Flight  and  Recapture.  339 

"  Nett,  you  had  better  ride." 

I  turned  round  at  once,  and  said, "  Possibly  I  had,  for  I  am 
nearly  tired  to  death — too  tired  to  get  up  behind  you." 

By  some  effort,  I  succeeded  in  getting  on  to  the  horse  with 
his  assistance ;  and  when  we  rode  back  to  where  Mr.  Bryant 
was  waiting  in  the  road,  he  said,  "  Well  done  for  us." 

"  But  not  so  well  done  for  me,"  I  replied. 

"  Oh,  I  think  you  will  be  satisfied  in  a  few  days,  said  he  ; 
that  it  is  better  even  for  you.  We  have  had  every  man  in 
the  settlement  out  looking  all  night,  and  they  are  still  scour- 
ing the  mountains  for  you. 

"  Did  you  take  Smith's  portrait  with  you  ?"  said  my 
brother. 

II  Certainly." 

"  It  is  owing  to  the  influence  of  that  portrait  that  she  can- 
not forget  the  original,"  said  Bryant.  "Hand  it  to  me, 
Nett." 

I  told  him  I  preferred  to  keep  it ;  but  he  insisted  upon 
taving  it.  I  looked  to  my  brother  for  protection,  but  finding 
no  sign  of  sympathy  for  the  portrait  in  him,  I  was  forced 
to  yield,  and  I  handed  it  to  him  with  a  presentiment  that  it 
was  lost  to  me.     I  asked  him  to  return  it. 

Opening  it,  he  said,  u  Well,  he  is  good  looking.  I  am  not 
surprised  at  your  efforts  to  get  to  him.  I  am  sorry  to  injure 
your  feelings,  Nett ;  but  you  can  never  see  this  again." 

Dismounting,  he  dug  a  hole  in  the  ground,  with  a  long 
kr  ife  he  wore  in  a  scabbard  at  his  side,  and  buried  it — buried 
all  I  had  left  of  my  husband. 

Little  was  said   between  us,  as  we   slowly  letwrned  to  the 


340        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

settlement.  It  seemed  that  every  desire  of  life  was  crushed 
out  of  me. 

A  man  soon  overtook  and  passed  us,  by  whom  my  brother 
sent  word  to  the  president  of  the  stake  that  I  had  been  found. 
We  saw,  before  reaching  home,  a  large  flag  elevated  upon  a 
pole,  in  honor  of  the  "  capture/'  and  carried  through  the  set- 
tlement, and  heard  the  firing  of  guns ;  and  when  we  arrived, 
the  streets  of  our  little  stake  were  full  of  men,  women,  and 
children,  and  Indians,  to  see  a  conquered  woman. 

"  This  will  be  a  lesson  to  her,  as  well  as  to  other  women," 
6aid  the  president  of  the  stake,  heartlessly,  as  we  came  to  dis- 
mount ;  and  he  added,  "  May  the  spirit  of  the  living  God 
hereafter  direct  vou,  Nett." 

But  I  heard  little  more,  and  was  indifferent  to  what  I  did 
hear ;  for,  half  famished  and  exhausted  by  excitement  and 
long  travel,  and  exposure  to  cold  and  want  of  sleep,  I  was 
carried  into  the  house,  and  put  into  the  possession  of  Martha. 
I  recollect  seeing  her  kind  and  gentle  face,  beaming  upon 
me  with  pity,  as  she  received  me  with  a  tenderness  peculiar 
to  her,  and  sent  back  the  crowd  from  the  door.  Days  of  suf- 
fering, of  burning  fever  followed,  of  which  I  have  but  little 
recollection,  save  that  Martha  was  always  near,  and  her  sooth- 
ing presence  was  the  good  angel  which  wooed  me  back  half 
reconciled  to  life  again.  She  told  me  afterwards  that  I  had 
spent  much  of  the  time  in  pleading  with  the  Prophet,  who  I 
imagined  to  be  present,  that  he  would  not  have  my  husband 
buried  alive — an  idea  traceable  to  the  loss  of  his  portrait, 
taken  from  me,  and  buried  by  Bryant. 

I  awoke  one  morning,  as  if  from  a  long  and  troubled  sleep, 


Tiik  Flight  and  Recapture.  341 

and  heard  Martha  in  conversation  with  Howard ;  and  I  soon 
understood  that  I  was  the  subject  of  it.  I  was  free  from  pain, 
and  calm ;  but  it  was  some  time  before  I  was  fully  able  to 
call  to  mind  the  events  connected  with  my  attempted  escape. 

Martha  was  representing  in  a  subdued  and  earnest  man- 
ner to  Howard,  how  cruel  it  was  to  keep  me  imprisoned  thus 
from  my  husband.  She  said,  "  If  Nett  is  ever  well  again,  she 
shall  be  restored  to  her  husband.  Mormonism  of  late  blights 
whatever  it  touches,  and  is  fast  becoming  past  endurance. 
Don't  you  think  you  men,  who  claim  to  be  our  saviours,  run 
some  risk  of  being  called  to  an  account  in  the  next  world  V* 
She  said  many  other  things  which  I  do  not  recollect. 

Howard  listened  thoughtfully  to  the  strong  good  sense  of 
Martha's  plea  in  my  behalf;  and  evidently  struggling  against 
the  bonds  of  his  implicit  Mormon  faith,  said  at  length : 

"Brother  Brigham  must  be  counselled  as  to  Nett  at  once. 
I  cannot  bear  this  state  of  things.  It  makes  me  wretched.  I 
wish  she  could  be  satisfied  to  make  what  sacrifices  the  Church 
demands  of  her  ;  but  if  she  cannot,  we  must  try  to  lighten  the 
load  for  which  her  faith  seems  to  be  too  weak." 

As  I  slowly  regained  my  usual  health  and  tone  of  mind,  it 
became  a  question  of  serious  concern  with  me,  what  effect  my 
late  adventure  might  have  with  the  Prophet.  I  knew  that, 
on  my  brother's  account,  he  would  be  disposed  in  a  measure 
to  overlook  my  fault;  and  yet  a  due  regard  to  dicipline 
among  the  women  would  force  him  to  hold  me  up  as  an 
example. 

While  thus  debating  with  myself  what  line  of  conduct  to 
pursue,  the  Prophet  directed  me  to  return  to  the  city.     I 


342        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

obeyed  him,  and  when  we  met,  I  explained  frankly,  why  I  had 
attempted  to  escape  ;  and  I  judged  it  best  to  indicate  to  him, 
that  now  I  had  no  further  wish  that  way.  That  I  was  dis- 
posed to  content  myself  with  Mormonism  as  I  found  it;  and 
hoped  he  would  impose  upon  me  .no  serious  burdens 
again. 

He  received  me  graciously,  and  seemed  to  accept  my  pro- 
fessions of  reformation  as. if  made  in  good  faith.  I  felt,  how- 
ever I  could  not  expect  him  to  believe  in  me  fully  at  first : 
and  he  soon  gave  me  reason  to  know  he  did  not ;  for  after 
this,  I  had  frequent  opportunities  to  leave  the  territory  ;  but 
I  positively  declined  them  all ;  fearing  they  came  from  Mor- 
mons in  disguise,  although  professedly  of  Gentile  origin. 
The  event  proved  this  was  true :  the  hand  of  the  Prophet  was 
at  the  bottom  of  it.  He  wished  to  test  in  this  way,  the  sin- 
cerity of  my  return  to  the  true  fold  ;  but  he  was  not  long  in 
coming  to  the  conclusion,  that  I  could  really  be  trusted  again. 
I  well  knew  that  my  only  hope  of  a  final  success  lay  in  such 
a  well  dissembled  contentment,  as  should  in  the  end,  regain  his 
confidence  ;  and  I  pursued  this  line  of  policy  until  it  paved 
the  way  for  my  success,  at  length,  when  I  had  nearly  aban- 
doned myself  to  despair. 


Hopb.  343 


CHAPTER    XXXII. 

HOPE. 

It  was  in  the  spring  of  1855  that  I  returned  to  the  city 
from  Tooille.  My  sister  Lizzie  had  been  married  the  previ- 
ous year  to  Richard  Cordon,  an  Englishman  by  birth  and  a 
Mormon.  He  was  a  member  of  a  military  corps  known  at 
the  valley  as  the  "  Minute  men."  This  is  a  body  distinct 
from  that  of  the  "  Danites."  The  latter  are  set  apart  for 
secret  assassinations  and  such  other  acts  as  have  no  foundation 
in  right  but  the  Prophet's  will  and  order:  white  the  former 
is  a  well  drilled  corps  of  picked  men,  taking  more  the  char- 
acter of  a  militia,  held  in  reserve  for  general  defence.  Both 
however  are  equally  subject  to  the  Prophet's  control;  and 
their  hands  are  perhaps  equally  staiued  with  innocent  blood. 
The  Danite  band,  however,  being  a  smaller  body  of  tried  and 
devoted  adherents  of  the  Prophet,  who  render  an  unques- 
tioning obedience  to  his  counsel,  have,  individually,  committed 
by  far  the  greatest  amount  of  crime. 

The  darkest  annals  of  the  world  can  scarcely  furnish  a  more 
terrible  record,  than  would  the  simple  biography  of  a  few  of 
these  Danite  leaders.     When  that  record  is  written,  the  names 


344        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

of  Porter  Rockwell,  Wm.  Hickman,  Hiram  Clawson,  Cap- 
tain James  Brown,  John  and  Wiley  Norton,  James  Furguson, 
Robert  Burton,  and  others,  whose  names  I  do  not  recollect, 
will  be  found  linked  with  the  most  cruel  and  bloody  acts, 
that  have  ever  disgraced  humanity. 

Rockwell  was  the  leader  of  this  band  at  Nauvoo ;  but 
Wm. -Hickman  is  now  supposed  to  fill  that  post ;  having  won 
this  distinction,  by  his  daring  and  success.  It  is  said,  that 
his  soul  knows  no  pity  ;  and  he  fears  no  law  but  the  Prophet's 
will.  It  was  this  man  who  won  for  his  band  the  title  now 
proudly  borne  by  them  ;  viz.,  "  Destroying  Angels." 

Some  time  in  the  following  summer,  my  mother  received  a 
letter  from  my  third  sister,  Mrs.  Phebe  Knapp,  still  living  in 
Pennsylvania,  near  the  old  homestead. 

The  letter  stated,  that  a  piece  of  land,  which  for  some  rea- 
son my  father  did  not  sell  when  he  moved  from  Pennsylva- 
nia ;  but  which  he  had  left  in  the  possession  of  his  relatives 
there,  was  without  a  legal  claimant.  That  this  land  until 
recently,  had  been  regarded  of  but  little  value ;  but  was  now 
supposed  to  contain  valuable  deposits  of  coal :  and  advised 
her  to  return,  for  the  purpose  of  securing  it  for  herself  and 
children. 

"We  paid  but  little  attention  to  this  at  first,  as  we  had  never 
known  much  about  my  father's  affairs  ;  and  had  no  knowledge 
of  this  particular  property.  Moreover,  we  had  no  reason  to 
hope  the  Prophet  would  consent  to  our  leaving  the  valley 
But  my  brother-in-law.  Richard  Corden,  went  to  him 
with  this  information,  which  excited  his  curiosity  so 
much,  that  be  sent  for  Howard,  who  was  still  at  Tooille 


Hope.  345 

About  this  time,  we  obtained  some  account  of  the  same  thing 
through  Judge  Keed  who  was  from  Bath,  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y 
lie  was  one  of  the  Judges  of  the  territory,  and  an  acquain 
tance  of  my  mother's  brother,  Col.  John  R.  Stephens  of 
Hornellsville,  N.  Y.,  from  whom  he  had  learned  these  facts. 
My  uncle  had  requested  the  Judge  before  he  left  the  States,  to 
inform  my  mother,  that  it  would  be  necessary  for  her  to  return 
before  she  could  regain  possession  of  the  property. 

This  information,  coming  from  different  sources,  confirmed 
the  Prophet  in  the  belief  that  there  was  something  in  it. 

When  Howard  came  to  the  city,  brother  Brigham  laid 
before  him  what  he  knew  of  the  matter,  and  advised  him  to 
attend  to  it  at  once ;  "  for,"  said  he,  "  the  time  is  near  at 
hand  when  the  Gentiles  and  the  Mormons  will  dissolve  part- 
nership, and  then  it  will  be  too  late." 

lie  referred  in  the  above  words  to  the  time,  never  lost  sight 
of  by  the.  true  Mormon,  when  it  is  expected  the  Church  will 
throw  off  all  allegiance  to  the  General  Government,  and  raise 
the  standard  of  a  Mormon  theocracy:  when  an  appeal  to 
arms  will  be  had,  for  the  mastery  in  Utah. 

Mother  was  at  this  time  over  sixty  years  of  age,  and  not  in 
very  good  health.  She  refused  to  attempt  the  journey,  unless 
Lizzie  and  myself  were  both  allowed  to  go  with  her  :  "  for  it 
is  not  unlikely,"  said  she,  "  that  I  shall  die  upon  the  plains, 
and  I  do  not  wish  to  be  alone.  If  the  Prophet  insists  upon 
it,  I  will  go,  and  bring  him  the  money  for  the  property,  if  we 
find  any  ;  but  I  must  take  my  children  with  me." 

This  appeared  but  reasonable.  When  Lizzie  and  myself 
were   consulted,  we   both  discouraged  the   enterprise.     We 

15* 


446        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

professed  an  unwillingness  to  go,  and  attempted  to  convince 
the  Prophet.,  that  as  to  the  property,  it  was  a  question  of 
great  uncertainty  whether  there  was  any,  and  a  still  more 
doubtful  one,  whether  we  should  be  able  to  obtain  it.  But  as 
we  had  expected,  this  only  fixed  more  firmly  in  his  mind 
the  determination,  that  we  should  make  the  attempt.  He  is 
not  easily  baffled  when  upon  a  money  scent.  He  had  set  his 
mind  upon  it,  and  we  submitted  to  the  will  of  the  "  Prophet," 
and  set  about  making  preparations  for  the  journey.  I  was 
questioned  very  closely  by  different  persons,  as  I  well  knew 
by  the  Prophet's  direction,  with  the  secret  intention  of  sound- 
ing my  state  of  feeling.  But  I  was  never  off  my  guard.  I 
always  regretted  the  necessity,  and  doubted  the  policy  of  the 
enterprise ;  I  had  become  satisfied  with  the  Church,  and  given 
up  my  husband ;  and  I  had  no  wish  to  leave  Utah.  So 
long  and  tiresome  a  journey,  over  the  plains  and  back  again 
had  no  attractions  for  me.  I  did  not  wish  to  undertake  it, 
and  I  consented  only  on  my  mother's  account.  Elizabeth 
consented  with  the  more  cheerfulness,  as  her  husband  was  to 
accompany  us.  And  thus  it  fell  out,  providentially,  as  I 
nave  since  believed,  that  we  were  to  leave  by  the  open  con* 
sent  of  the  Prophet,  this  Mormon  prison  :  of  course  under  a 
promise  to  return.  But  we  were  going  to  a  land  where  the 
will  of  the  Prophet  was  not  the  law.  I  was  so  much  elated 
with  my  prospects,  that  I  trusted  myself  to  speak  upon  the 
subject  only  with  the  greatest  caution,  and  always  with  a 
sigh,  and  a  long  face. 

Mother  had  a  city  lot,  on  which  her  house  stood.     These 
lots  contain  an  acre  and  a  quarter  of  land,  one  fourth  of  which 


Hope.  347 

she  had  given  tc  mb.  She  obtained  the  permission  of 
Brother  Brigham  to  sell  her  place,  to  defray  the  expenses  of 
her  journey.  I  went  to  him  to  obtain  his  consent  to  sell 
mine  ;  giving  as  a  reason  that  we  might  need  the  money 
before  we  returned.  But  to  this  he  objected.  He  said  tc 
me,  "  leave  your  lot  in  the  care  of  brother  Judd,  and  I  will 
have  him  ornament  it  with  trees  and  shrubs,  and  when  you 
return  you  shall  find  it  a  little  paradise.  If  you  need  any- 
thing for  your  journey,  let  me  know  when  you  are  ready  to 
start,  and  I  will  furnish  what  you  lack,  to  make  you  comfort- 
able." 

I  therefore  consented  to  this  arrangement  with  apparent 
cheerfulness,  and  thanked  him  for  the  interest  he  took  in  my 
affairs.  The  following  winter  passed  quickly  enough ;  for  we 
were  employed  in  preparing  for  the  journey,  and  in  joyful 
anticipation  of  it. 

When  the  spring  arrived  we  were  nearly  ready.  It  was 
by  this  time  generally  known  that  we  were  about  to  leave  ; 
and  our  friends  called  to  bid  us  adieu,  and  many  of  the  poor 
women,  whose  better  instincts  told  them  our  sorrow  at  leaving 
the  society  of  the  Saints  was  feigned,  pressed  our  hands,  and 
with  tears  expressed  the  wish  to  go  with  us  to  the  land  where 
the  rights  of  woman  were  respected  :  and  where  the  high  and 
the  low,  were  alike  governed  by  written  laws,  founded  in 
right ;  and  not  dependent  upon  special  revelations. 

Could  my  countrywomen  of  the  United  States  have  listened 
to  the  moans  of  these  crushed  and  broken-hearted  women, 
could  they  be  made  to  understand  the  hopeless  despair  that 
weighed  them  down,  a  despair  that  sent  a  shudder  even 


348       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

through  my  frame,  who  had  spent  my  life  among,  and  had 
suffered  with  them :  could  they  but  for  one  moment  mark  the 
effort  to  crush  back  into  silence  the  rising  sob,  and  stealthily 
dry  the  tear,  that  nevertheless  would  flow,  I  am  not  sure,  but 
they  would  rise  in  a  body,  and  if  there  was  no  other  remedy 
for  these  wrongs  against  the  sex,  they  would  march  to  their 
relief.  They  would  at  least  shame  the  authorities  into  the 
right. 

About  the  time  we  were  to  set  out,  a  discussion  arose  in 
certain  quarters,  which  threatened  to  break  up  the  expedition 
altogether,  or,  at  least  to  prevent  my  going  with  it,  and 
nothing  but  the  firmness  of  my  mother,  and  my  assumed 
indifference  to  the  result,  averted  this  disaster. 

Robert  Burton,  the  two  Nortons,  Mr.  Judd,  and  others  of 
this  class,  mostly  D.anites,  went  to  the  Prophet  to  remonstrate 
against  my  being  permitted  to  leave  the  valley.  They  repre- 
sented to  him  how  hazardous  it  would  be  to  allow  one  who 
knew  what  I  did  of  the  secret  history  of  the  Church,  to  go 
among  the  Gentiles,  and  beyond  a  "restraining"  influence. 
I  was  at  least  liable  to  apostatize ;  and  there  was  no  knowing 
what  I  might  be  led  to  divulge.  I  took  occasion  to  see  the 
Prophet  when  I  heard  of  it,  and  to  second  their  appeal  with 
such  apparent  good  faith,  that  he  said,  laughingly  :  he  thought 
I  could  be  trusted,  and  he  wished  to  hear  no  more  about  it. 

Some  of  the  Danites  became  very  much  excited,  and  it 
appeared  to  me  with  reason,  for  I  thought  of  the  case  of  pooi 
Dr.  Roberts,  and  Bowman,  and  many  other  similar  ones,  which 
if  known  to  the  Government,  must  make  it  difficult  for  some 
of  these  men  to  keep  their  necks  safely  between  their  heads 


Hope.  34:9 

and  shoulders.  Wiley  Norton  went  so  far  as  to  say,  that  if 
the  Prophet  allowed  me  to  accompany  my  mother,  our  party 
would  not  go  far,  that  we  should  be  followed  to  the  mountains, 
and  if  the  worst  came  to  worst,  they  would  break  up  the 
expedition.  To  this  my  mother  replied  firmly,  that  she  was 
willing  to  have  the  expedition  broken  up,  and  now  was  the 
1>'  :er  time  to  do  that;  but  if  she  went,  both  her  children 
should  accompany  her. 

Nothing  ever  came  under  ray  notice  during  the  fifteen  years 
of  my  sojourn  among  the  Mormons,  amounting  as  it  has  to  the 
best  part  of  my  life,  which  so  well  illustrates  the  absolute  au- 
thority of  the  Prophet  as  the  discussion  growing  out  of  this 
difference  of  opinion  between  him  and  his  "Danites."  What 
makes  it  a  still  stronger  case  is,  that  common  sense  and 
right,  estimating  right  by  their  standard,  were  clearly  against 
him ;  and  yet  his  simple  dictum,  without  reason,  was  submit- 
ted to  by  strong  full-grown  men. 

He  was  evidently  blinded  by  his  overweening  greed  for 
money,  otherwise  he  would  have  seen  that  the  mere  prospect 
of  meeting  my  husband  once  more  was  a  good  reason  why  I 
should  wish  to  go  anywhere  to  get  away  from  Utah,  and  that 
finding  him  would  be  a  sufficient  bar  against  returning  to  the 
valley.  But  it  is  due  to  the  sagacity  of  the  Prophet  that  I 
say,  I  had  ample  reason  afterwards  to  believe,  that  my  brother- 
in-law,  Eichard  Cordon,  was  privately  charged  with  the  duty 
of  preventing  a  meeting  between  myself  and  husband  ;  and 
also  to  apply  the  antidote  so  familiar  to  a  Danite,  in  case  I 
should  attempt  to  apostatize  or  make  dangerois  develop- 
ments. 


450       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

Everything  was  now  ready  except  to  procure  our  letter  of 
recommendation.  The  following  is  a  true  copy  of  mine,  which 
is  still  in  my  possession  : — 

{Copy) 

"Great  Salt  Lake  City,  Jfay25,  1856. 

To    ALL   WHOM   IT   MAY    CONCERN  I 

"  This  is  to  certify,  Sister  Mary  Ettie  V.  Smith  is  a  wor- 
thy member  in  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ,  of  Latter  Day 
Saints  ;  we  therefore  recommend  her  to  all  good  people  where 
God  in  his  Providence  may  call  her,  or  where  her  lot  may  be 
cast. 

(Signed)     "  Thomas  A.  Judd, 

«  Clerk? 

My  mother  and  sister  had  similar  ones. 


Going  to  the  Land  of  my  Birth  351 


CHAITER  XXXIII. 

OOHO     TO      THE     LAND      OF     MY     BIRTH. 

At  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  May  26,  1856,  our  little 
party  left  the  city  to  commence  the  long  and  tedious  journey, 
over  mountains  and  plains,  to  the  land  of  our  fathers. 

It  occurred  to  us,  as  we  looked  back  upon  the  city  for  the 
last  time,  that  it  was  a  few  months  over  ten  years  since  we  had 
followed  the  Mormon  hosts  from  Nauvoo,  slowly  and  sullenly 
moving  towards  the  setting  sun,  in  pursuit  of  an  asylum  from 
Gentile  mobs  and  persecutions ;  and  we  were  now  fleeing 
back  to  the  east  to  find  a  refuge  against  Mormon  cruelty  and 
crime.  What  changes  had  come  over  us  and  over  the  Church 
since  that  time ! 

There  was  the  capital  of  an  empire,  which  the  Heads  of  the 
Church  had  founded  and  reared  wiihin  the  short  space  of  ten 
years,  and  which  they  and  their  trusting  followers  believed  to 
be  as  firm  and  lasting  as  the  snow-capped  mountains  by  which 
it  was  shut  out  from  the  Gentile  world.  A  new  empire  grown 
bo  strong  and  confident  as  already  to  bid  defiance  to  the  Gen- 
eral Government.  Was  it  strange  that,  before  we  had  shaken 
the  dust  of  the  city  from  off  our  feet,  we  looked  upon  the  ris- 
ing capital  of  this  daring  and  ambitious  people,  and  felt  the 


352        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

oppression  of  a  vague  fear  in  view  of  the  future  of  a  sect 
whose  short  past  had  been  so  remarkable?  And  that  we 
asked  ourselves  with  some  concern  what  wonders  it  might  not 
be  expected  to  develop  hereafter  ?  We  encamped  that  night 
at  the  foot  of  Little  Mountain,  a  few  miles  northeast  of  the 
city.  The  next  morning  we  commenced  the  tiresome  ascent 
It  was  a  slow  and  tedious  journey  of  two  days  to  the  summit. 
On  the  night  of  our  first  encampment  at  the  foot  of  Little 
Mountain,  the  weather  had  been  warm  as  midsummer.  Our 
third  encampment  was  made  in  the  snows  upon  the  mountain- 
top.  I  had  my  feet  and  one  of  my  fingers  frozen  in  getting 
supper  that  night.  We  had  labored  incessantly  in  making 
the  ascent  with  our  ponies  and  light  wagon.  Before  we  reached 
the  snow  line,  we  were  obliged  to  unload  the  wagon,  and 
go  up  empty,  and  even  this  was  effected  with  difficulty,  as  our 
little  ponies  found  the  wagon  alone  a  sufficient  load.  Then 
to  return  with  the  ponies,  and  packing  the  luggage  upon  their 
backs,  and  upon  poles  fastened  to  their  sides,  and  trailing 
behind,  after  the  Indian  fashion,  to  drag  this  up  also.  We 
were  thus  scorched  and  blistered  with  the  heat  of  the  first 
day,  and  half  frozen  the  third. 

The  next  morning,  we  commenced  at  an  early  hour  the 
descent,  and  cooked  a  late  breakfast  at  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tain, in  a  warm  and  genial  climate. 

Perhaps  nothing  could  better  illustrate  the  character  of  the 
country,  and  the  usual  incidents  of  travel  in  it,  than  an  account 
of  this  beginning  of  our  journey,  and  its  quick  changes  from 
smiling  valleys,  green  with  rich  pastures,  to  the  lofty  moun 
tain-top,  covered  with  snow. 


Going  to  the  Land  of  my  Birth.  353 

Our  route  for  several  days  was  among  the  mountains,  and 
lay,  for  the  most  part,  through  the  narrow  canons,  which 
form  so  wild  a  feature  of  the  country.  One  of  these,  I  recol- 
lect, was  remarkable  for  its  wonderful  combination  of  simple 
beauty  and  imposing  grandeur.  For  miles,  perhaps,  the  pass 
would  be  little  more  than  wide  enough  for  the  free  passage  of 
the  team  ;  with  a  smooth  and  perpendicular  wall  of  rock  rising 
on  each  side  to  an  immense  height,  which  would  glisten  far 
above  us  in  the  rays  of  the  sun,  like  polished  marble.  The  mina 
is  lost  in  astonishment  in  attempting  to  account  for  the  pecu- 
liar formation  of  these  passes,  and  is  kept  continually  upon  the 
stretch  of  expectation  while  travelling  through  them;  sur- 
prised, at  each  turn  of  the  crooked  way,  by  some  new  wonder, 
or  some  more  imposing  point  of  view.  Perhaps  when  the 
senses  fairly  ache  with  the  effort  to  comprehend  the  rocky 
labyrinth — when  they  are  ready  to  droop  with  exhaustion,  they 
are  relieved  as  the  way  opens  suddenly,  may  be,  upon  a  green 
and  narrow  plat,  where  the  clear,  pure  stream,  which  before 
had  fretted  and  lashed  its  bright  waters  into  fury  by  throwing 
itself  madly  against  the  rocks  from  side  to  side,  now  gently 
sings  a  pleasing  tale  among  bright  flowers  and  grassy  bor- 
ders. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  fifth  day,  we  overtook  a  family  by 
the  name  of  Hunley,  who  were  leaving  the  Mormons  to  return 
to  a  deserted  home  in  Texas.  We  found  them  in  camp,  and 
as  our  team  was  somewhat  jaded,  we  concluded  to  join  them. 

As  their  history  was  a  peculiar  one,  and  serves  to  illustrate 
Mormonism,  I  will  give  it  as  I  received  it  from  them.  Mr. 
Hunley  was  a  planter,  living  in  Texas  near  Galveston,  and  had 


354        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

married  an  educated  and  accomplished  young  widow,  by  whom 
he  received  a  large  amount  of  property.  She  had  at  this  time 
one  daughter.  After  becoming  the  mother  of  three  other 
children,  Mrs.  Hunley  became  a  convert  to  Mormonism,  under 
the  preaching  of  a  missionary  saint,  at  that  time  wandering 
through  Texas.  She  was  endowed  with  an  earnest  and  trust- 
ing nature,  joined  to  a  strong  tendency  to  enthusiasm ;  and 
at  once  felt  it  her  duty  to  leave  her  family,  her  husband  not 
sympathizing  with  her,  and  accompany  the  missionary  elder 
to  Great  Salt  Lake  city.  She  therefore  set  out,  upon  the 
spur  of  the  moment,  with  her  daughter,  then  about  fourteen 
years  of  age,  leaving  the  other  three  children  with  the  hus- 
band, and  arrived  at  the  valley,  strong  in  the  faith  that  Brig- 
ham  Young  was  the  only  true  prophet.  She  had  adopted 
Mormonism  in  good  faith,  purely  from  a  high  religious  con- 
viction ;  but  when  once  at  the  valley,  she  was  not  long  in 
making  out  the  true  state  of  things.  She  had  no  sympathy 
with  the  gross  and  sensual.  When  the  Prophet  understood 
how  she  had  left  a  devoted  husband,  for  the  love  she 
bore  the  true  faith,  he  insisted  upon  having  her  "  sealed " 
to  one  of  the  saints.  When  it  was  too  late,  she  made 
the  terrible  discovery  that  from  the  will  of  the  Prophet 
there  was  no  appeal,  and  she  was  forced  to  submit.  She, 
however,  found  means  to  get  word  to  her  husband  in  Texas, 
as  to  the  state  of  things,  and  implored  him  to  come  for  her. 
Mr.  Hunley,  who  never  doubted  his  wife's  integrity,  regretting 
only  her  error,  flew  at  once  to  her  succor.  When  he  arrived, 
Mrs.  Hunley,  who  was  after  all  a  shrewd  woman,  contrived 
some  story  by  which  she  induced  the  Prophet  to  consent  to 


Going  to  the  Land  o*  my  Birth.  355 

her  leaving  the  valley  with  her  husband,  under  a  strong 
promise  to  return. 

He  pronounced  a  terrible  curse,  which  he  said  should  fol- 
low her,  in  case  she  apostatized.  She  did  not  tell  me  what 
the  Prophet  expected  her  to  accomplish,  but  it  was  something 
connected  with  her  husband's  property,  as  I  suppose. 

She  had  with  her  a  young  child,  the  fruit  of  her  Mormon 
marriage.  Mr.  Hunley  was  fond  of  his  wife,  and  appeared 
glad  to  regain  her;  but  he  would  take  no  notice  of  the 
child. 

They  left  the  valley,  but  a  few  days  before  us.  There  were 
several  other  families  at  the  valley  who  had  joined  the  Mor- 
mons from  the  neighborhood  of  Galveston,  some  of  whom 
were  less  successful  in  making  a  safe  retreat.  Some  of  these 
families  had  been  there  several  years,  and  were  all  very 
wealthy.  One  of  them  named  Grier  owned  near  Galveston 
large  possessions  in  land,  most  of  which  he  had  sold,  taking 
the  proceeds  with  him  to  the  valley. 

Old  Mr.  Grier  had  five  sons  if  I  recollect  right,  and  one 
daughter,  and  took  all  with  him  ;  but  dying  on  the  plains,  he 
never  saw  the  new  Zion  himself.  His  wife  and  six  children, 
arrived  in  tne  valley  in  due  time ;  and  on  account  of  their 
great  wealth  were  graciously  received  by  the  Prophet.  He 
required  first  a  tenth  of  all  they  had,  which  amounted  to  a 
large  sum,  and  the  next  spring  required  them  to  "consecrate" 
the  balance.  To  this  they  objected,  and  they  were  soon 
involved  in  difficulty  with  the  Heads  of  the  Church,  and 
beijan  openly  to  express  a  wish  to  return  to  Texas. 

This  was  the  signal  for  the  faithful  to  pounce  upon  them. 


356       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons, 

Their  great  wealth  made  them  a  conspicuous  mark.  When 
they  went  to  drive  up  their  cattle  and  mules,  they  found  the 
Church  mark  upon  them  :  and  thus  they  were  lost,  for  that 
consecrated  them  to  sacred  purposes  ;  and  no  one  could  ques- 
tion that  mark,  or  how  it  came  there.  They  were  harassed 
in  every  possible  manner,  and  finally  they  attempted  to  get 
together  what  cattle  and  mules  they  had  left,  with  the  view  of 
leaving  the  valley ;  but  at  night  they  were  scattered  agaiQ 
by  the  "  Danites."  The  more  effort  the  five  brothers  made 
to  get  away  with  their  property,  the  less  they  had  to  take 
away,  and  the  chances  of  escape  lessened,  in  the  same  propor- 
tion. They  had  a  great  amount  of  money  when  they  came, 
which  had  been  loaned  to  different  members  of  the  Church. 
But  wishing  to  collect  it  again,  the  Prophet  absolved  the 
debtors  from  payment.  Thus  the  more  they  resisted,  the 
more  they  became  involved  in  difficulty. 

The  daughter  had  married  a  Mr.  Johnson  before  leaving 
Texas,  who  had  joined  his  fortunes  with  that  of  the  Griers,  and 
was  now  involved  in  their  embarrassments.  They  had  a  large 
store  of  goods  at  Salt  Lake  city,  which  they  sold  to  a  Mor- 
mon at  a  great  sacrifice,  and  were  making  great  efforts  to 
leave  the  valley  in  company  with  Mr.  Hunley.  The  Griers 
found  it  impossible  to  do  so ;  for  besides  having  their  mules 
and  cattle  scattered  and  spirited  away  whenever  they  attempt- 
ed to  collect  them  for  the  journey,  they  were  involved  in  law- 
suits, which  threatened  not  only  to  absorb  what  property  they 
had  left,  but  to  detain  them  indefinitely. 

Things  were  in  this  state  when  Hunley  left  the  city;  and 
Johnson,  seeing  the  Griers  were  not  likely  to  get  away  soon 


Going  to  the  Land  of  my  Birth.  $5? 

quietly  arranged  his  affairs  to  accompany  the  former.  Taking 
only  those  things  most  needed,  and  the  items  of  his  large  pro- 
perty least  likely  to  excite  notice,  and  his  wife,  he  set  out,  hop- 
ing to  overtake  Hunley. 

We  all  remained  in  camp  the  next  day.  As  for  us,  we 
were  glad  to  give  the  ponies  a  rest,  and  at  the  same  time,  to 
keep  in  the  company  of  Hunley ;  but  we  afterwards  learned, 
that  his  object  was  to  give  Johnson  time  to  join  him,  about 
whom  he  was  very  anxious.  As  Johnson's  party  did  not  come 
up  with  us,  we  went  on  the  next  morning. 

Nothing  of  importance  occurred  to  us  during  that  day,  and 
we  went  into  camp  at  night,  without  hearing  from  Johnson. 
The  next  day,  sometime  after  noon,  we  arrived  at  Webber 
river ;  and  were  greatly  disappointed  in  finding  it  at  full 
banks,  and  impassable,  except  by  means  of  rafts.  My  bro- 
ther-in-law and  Hunley,  assisted  by  the  two  men  the  latter 
had  with  him,  at  once  set  to  work  to  construct  one,  by  which 
they  hoped  to  cross. 

Towards  night  we  saw  two  women  on  horseback  approach- 
ing the  carup,  attended  by  an  Indian  boy.  They  looked 
fatigued  and  disheartened,  and  their  clothing  was  torn  and 
soiled.  When  they  came  up,  they  were  at  once  recognized  by 
the  Hunleys.  One  was  Mrs.  Johnson,  and  the  other  a  Mrs.  Dana. 
The  latter  it  appears  had  joined  Mrs.  Johnson's  party,  when 
on  the  eve  of  quitting  the  city.  Her  husband  was  a  Mormon 
elder,  then  on  a  mission  to  England,  and  during  his  absence, 
she  had  made  some  new  discoveries,  which  disgusted  her  with 
the  Church,  and  she  attempted  to  make  her  escape  with  her 
two  children  ;  but  she  was   forced  by  the  Mormons  to  leave 


358       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

them  at  the  valley ;  and  she  was  now  inconsolable  at  tteii 
loss.  She  was  always  crying  while  with  us,  and  did  nothing 
but  mourn  for  them.  Hers  was  but  one  of  the  many  sad  and 
cruel  cases  of  injustice  and  wrong,  that  claimed  our  sympa- 
thy on  the  way. 

All  were  anxious  to  hear  Mrs.  Johnson's  story — and  she 
gratified  the  company  at  once — it  was  as  follows : 

She  said,  "  we  had  a  terrible  time  in  getting  out  of  the 
city,  'and  when  once  upon  the  way,  we  were  dogged  by  the 
"  Danites,"  until  we  lost  everything  but  two  wagons,  and  the 
horses  and  property  belonging  to  them ;  and  a  few  spare 
mules  and  ponies.  They  were  bent  upon  killing  Mr.  Johnson, 
and  he  thought  it  best  to  leave  us,  in  order  to  avoid  them,* 
and  take  another  route  over  the  mountains,  hoping  to  meet  us 
again  at,  or  beyond  Fort  Bridger. 

Accordingly,  taking  one  of  the  mules,  he  set  off  alone,  and 
that  is  the  last  we  have  seen  of  him.  But  I  am  anxious  to  get 
3n,  to  find  him.  After  he  had  gone,  the  "Danites,"  made 
another  attack  ;  but  not  finding  Mr.  Johnson,  they  contented 
themselves  with  using  only  threats,  and  then  left  us.  They 
evidently  came  with  the  intention  of  killing  my  husband ; 
but  luckily  his  absence  saved  him.  We  were  greatly  fright- 
ened, and  when  they  were  out  of  sight,  our  men  advised  us  to 
get  upon  the  ponies,  and  come  on  and  try  to  overtake  you  with 
the  other  families,  known  to  be  somewhere  ahead.  I  told  the 
men  I  dare  not  attempt  that,  as  I  was  unacquainted  with  the 
way.  Whereupon  our  Indian  boy  said  he  had  been  upon  this 
road  many  times  before  he  was  sold  to  the  Mormons ;  and  he 
recollected  the  way.     We  therefore  started  with  my  Indian 


Going  to  the  Land  of  my  Birth.  359 

slave  as  guide,  who  has  led  us  by  one  of  his  Indian  trails, 
unknown  even  to  the  "  Danites,"  over  the  mountains  and 
through  the  bushes,  and  here  we  are  with  our  dresses  nearly 
torn  from  our  backs." 

We  all  sympathized  with  the  new  comers,  and  after  listen- 
ing with  interest  to  their  story,  and  while  the  men  were  in 
the  meantime  busily  engaged  in  arranging  the  raft  to  cross 
the  river,  we  employed  ourselves  in  rendering  them  what 
assistance  we  could. 

As  for  me,  I  was  happy  to  interest  myself  in  others' 
woes,  rather  than  my  own.  From  t  what  Wiley  Norton  had 
said  to  us  before  leaving,  we  had  expected  the  "Danites," 
would  have  followed  us.  But  having  escaped  thus  far,  we 
felt  at  ease,  thinking  that  as  they  had  so  many  others  to  pur- 
sue, they  had  either  overlooked  us  altogether,  or  had  con- 
cluded to  obey  the  Prophet's  "  counsel,"  in  relation  to  us. 


660       Fifteen  Yeaes  among  the  Mormons. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

i 

CROSSING    THE    WEBBER PERILS    BY    THE    WAY. 

Before  the  raft  was  finished,  a  party  of  men  with  three 
wagons  and  several  mules,  appeared  upon  the  other  side  of 
the  river,  having  in  charge  the  U.  S.  mail  going  to  great  Salt 
Lake  city. 

When  every  thing  was  ready,  one  of  these  men,  named 
Mitch  el,  swam  a  mule  to  our  side,  with  some  ropes,  which 
were  tied  to  the  raft ;  and  then  returning,  he  drew  it  over, 
loaded  with  Mr.  Hunley's  wagon,  safely.  He  then  returned 
with  the  rope  to  our  side,  and  the  raft  was  drawn  back,  with 
a  part  of  the  U.  S.  mail,  which  was  also  safely  landed,  and 
our  wagon,  with  all  the  property  belonging  to  us  except  the 
ponies,  was  taken  back  with  it,  in  good  order.  The  balance 
of  the  mail  was  now  placed  upon  the  raft,  and  several  men 
with  it,  and  it  set  out  for  another  voyage  to  our  shore.  But 
when  in  the  middle  of  the  stream  the  ropes  broke,  and  the 
raft,  with  its  valuable  freight,  went  rushing  down  the  stream, 
borne  by  the  mad  current  at  a  bounding  speed,  and  was 
quickly  out  of  sight.  The  men  had  the  presence  of  mind  to 
throw   what  they  could  of  the  mail  bags  ashore,  as  the  raft 


xiOSSING   THE  WEBBER — PERILS   BY   THE  "WAY.    361 

passed  near  the  land  at  a  sharp  turn  of  the  river  just  below  u& ; 
and  in  this  way,  a  part  of  them  were  saved ;  but  most  of 
the  bags  went  down.  The  men  saved  themselves  with  diffi- 
culty by  swimming. 

We  had  been  in  high  spirits  until  now,  as  we  had  expected 
to  get  over  that  night.  All  our  provisions  and  bed-clothing 
were  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  while  the  men,  women, 
and  children,  of  both  parties,  were  on  our  side.  Over  twenty 
persons  in  all,  with  nothing  to  eat,  and  many,  with  but  little 
to  wear.  One  of  the  men  from  the  other  side,  had  put  on 
linen  pantaloons  for  greater  convenience  in  working  about 
the  raft;  but  when  the  night  set  in  he  felt  terribly  the  want 
of  warm  clothing.  The  day  had  been  warm,  but  the  cold 
winds  came  down  from  the  mountains  in  chilling  blasts, 
and  we  all  suffered  immensely ;  but  this  man  especially  was 
nearly  frozen  before  morning. 

The  men  gathered  what  fuel  they  could  and#built  a  fire, 
about  which  we  crowded  to  make  ourselves  as  comfortable  as 
possible ;  but  all  wanted  food.  Finally,  my  brother-in-law, 
Cordon,  took  a  mule  and  swam  the  river,  and  returned  with 
some  crackers  and  tea,  and  two  bed-covers,  which  were  shared 
with  the  company.  This  was  a  but  a  meagre  supply,  but  it 
was  all  we  had. 

It  was  a  long  weary  night  for  most  of  the  company  ;  but  the 
morning  came  at  last,  and  then  Mitchel  swam  his  grey  mule 
over  the  river  again,  and  brought  back  some  bread  and  coffee, 
and  other  articles  in  such  abundance,  that  we  all  made  a  very 
comfortable  breakfast. 

Then  the  question  arose  how  wo  were  to  make  the  passage 

16 


362       Fifteen  Tears  among  the  Mormons. 

of  the  river.  It  was  decided,  after  much  discussion,  that  one 
of  the  men  should  go  over  with  the  mule  belonging  to 
Mitchel,  which  by  this  time  had  become  quite  the  hero  of 
our  party,  and  cork  one  of  the  wagon  boxes,  to  be  used  as  a 
boat.  This  was  accomplished  with  such  success,  that  aftei 
running  it  over  and  back,  loaded  with  harness,  and  whatevei 
loose  property  there  was  left,  a  call  was  made  for  volunteei 
passengers,  but  none  were  willing  to  risk  the  frail  bark. 

Thinking  it  would  be  as  well  to  drown  in  the  attempt  to 
cross,  as  to  remain  with  the  prospect  of  starving,  for  we  had 
already  devoured  what  had  been  brought  over,  I  offered  tc 
go  for  one,  and  Mrs.  Hunley  for  another  ;  but  no  more  of  the 
women  dared  to  venture,  and  the  boat,  such  as  it  was,  was 
pulled  off  by  the  men  having  hold  of  the  rope  on  the 
opposite  side,  and  the  next  moment  our  fortunes  were  cast 
upon  the  angry  current. 

We  had  with  us  one  man,  who  baled  incessantly  to  keep 
the  wagon  box  from  sinking,  and  yet  the  water  gained  upon 
him.  We  watched  with  untold  interest,  the  water  slowly 
rising  inside  the  box  and  the  opposite  shore  which  we  were 
approaching  slowly. 

The  problem  was  a  very  simple  one,  and  it  was  this* 
whether  our  boat  could  reach  the  opposite  shore  sooner  than 
the  water  could  reach  the  top  of  the  box,  and  the  chancer 
appeared  to  be  evenly  balanced  for  a  time.  We  gained  upon 
the  shore,  and  the  man,  encouraged  by  us,  redoubled  hi? 
efforts;  but  the  water  was  gaining  also ;  and  now  the  sceno 
became  to  us  one  of  the  most  absorbing  interest.  The  box 
was  nearly  full,  and  *he  man  looked  up  from  his  work  as  if 


Crossing  the  Webber — Perils  by  the  Way.    363 

he  thought  we  were  really  past  hope.  Then  the  men  on 
shore  gave  a  strong  pull  at  the  rope,  and  for  a  moment  we 
flew  towards  the  land,  and  the  next,  the  box  went  under 
But  it  was  fortunately  too  near  the  shore  to  sink  far,  and  we 
held  on  the  sides  with  the  strong  current  rushing  against  us, 
until  the  men  pulled  us  to  the  land,  with  no  further  damage 
than  getting  thoroughly  wet.  They  had  built  a  large  fire, 
around  which  blankets  were  hung,  where  we  dried  our  cloth- 
ing, and  were  soon  comfortable  again ;  gratefully  acknow- 
ledging our  narrow  escape. 

The  wagon  box  was  so  much  swelled,  by  this  time,  that  it 
leaked  less  and  less,  and  Alice  Hunley  and  my  mother  and 
sister  were  next  drawn  over  with  safety,  although  the  rude 
boat  was  nearly  full  of  water  before  it  struck  the  shore.  Then 
Mrs.  Johnson  and  Dana,  with  a  Mrs.  Coward,  another  fugitive 
from  Mormonism,  who  had  arrived  at  the  crossing  since  day- 
light, were  taken  over. 

The  ponies  and  mules  were  after  this  turned  into  the  river, 
and  it  was  a  novel  spectacle  to  see  them  with  their  heads  just 
out  of  water,  moving  faster  down  the  stream  than  they  did 
across  it,  swim  to  our  side.  But  they  all  came  in  at  last, 
though  at  some  distance  below. 

When  all  were  over,  preparations  were  made  to  resume  the 
march — to  encounter  perhaps  new  dangers.  Mrs.  Johnson, 
now  that  the  perils  of  crossing  an  angry  river  were  passed 
without  harm,  became  anxious  again  about  her  husband.  He 
had  left  word  that  she  must  not  expect  to  meet  him  until  the 
party  arrived  at  Fort  Bridger ;  but  unable  to  brook  the  delay 
of  travelling  so  slow  with   the  teams,  she  took  the  pony  and 


364       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

the  Indian  boy  as  guide,  and  providing  herself  with  some 
crackers  and  matches,  a  blanket,  and  rope  to  tie  the  horse,  she 
set  out  in  search  of  him  the  next  morning,  though  remon- 
strated with  by  all  the  company.  It  was  in  vain  they  repre- 
sented how  dangerous  the  undertaking  would  be that  it 

was  little  short  of  madness she  bravely  galloped  away  to 

£nd  a  husband  on  whose  track,  perhaps  even  now,  the 
w  Danites"  were  prowling,  anxious  to  shed  his  blood.  . 

We  heard  nothing  more  from  either  of  them  until  in  the 
afternoon  of  the  following  day,  when  we  met  Mr.  Johnson 
coming  back  to  learn,  if  possible,  what  had  been  the  fate  of 
his  party.     He  had  seen  nothing  of  his  wife. 

Successful  in  eluding  the  "  Danites,"  he  had  arrived  safely  at 
Fort  Bridger;  but  unable  to  restrain  his  anxiety,  had  returned 
through  a  by-way  to  seek  his  wnfe,  who  had  gone  to  seek 
him  by  the  regular  road  ;  and  they  had  thus  missed  each 
other.  But,  sick  and  fatigued  with  long  travel,  watchfulness 
and  exposure  among  the  mountains,  he  thought  it  best  to 
remain  with  the  teams,  believing  Mrs.  Johnson  had  gone  on 
to  the  fort,  where  he  would  be  likely  to  find  her.  In  fact  he 
was  already  too  sick  to  ride  on  horseback. 

He  had  not  been  with  us  long  before  a  man  was  seen  com- 
ing down  the  road,  who  was  soon  recognized  as  Lewis  Rob- 
inson the  keeper  of  the  fort,  which  was  occupied,  I  believe, 
only  by  himself  and  family.  Robinson  was  a  Mormon,  and 
Mr.  Johnson  thought  it  singular  that  he  should  follow  him 
from  the  fort,  for  he  had  been  allowed  to  depart  from  it  in 
peace  that  morning.  He  therefore  secreted  himself  in  one  of 
the  wagons,  hoping  to  escape  his  notice  ;  not  knowing  what 


Crossing  the  Webber — Perils  by  the  Way.  365 

he  might  want.  It  was  not  impossible  but  some  of  the 
"  Danites  "  had  arrived  at  the  fort  since  he  had  left  it ;  and  if 
so,  he  was  certainly  not  very  safe.  It  was  with  the  greatest 
anxiety  that  he  listened  as  Robinson  came  up,  for  his  first 
inquiry,  expecting  it  would  be  for  him  ;  and  then  he  imagined 
his  wife  to  be  already  in  the  hands  of  the  "  Danites."  In  fact 
he  nearly  gave  himself  up  as  lost ;  but  he  was  at  once  relieved 
when  he  found  that  Robinson  not  only  asked  no  questions 
about  him,  but  in  reply  to  the  anxious  inquiry  of  Mrs.  Hunley, 
informed  her  that  Mrs.  Johnson  was  at  the  fort,  safe,  and  wait- 
ing for  her  party  to  come  up.  Robinson  was  about  to  pass 
without  further  delay;  but  as  he  came  near  our  wagon 
Richard  Cordon  said  to  him,  in  a  tone  that  proved  how 
much  his  heart  was  in  the  ugly  deed,  "  I  say,  Robinson,  do 
you  know  Johnson  is  in  one  of  these  wagons,  and  that  our 
boys  are  after  him  V9 

Robinson  looked  at  Cordon,  surprised  at  first,  and  after  a 
moment  of  hesitation  his  face  wore  an  expression  of  contempt, 
then  laughing,  he  said  :  "  Oh,  I  don't  care ;  I  am  not  on  that 
mission  to-day."  And,  as  if  as  anxious  to  escape  from  us,  as 
we  were  to  flee  from  the  "  Danites,"  he  went  his  way. 

Covered  with  chagrin  and  mortification,  Cordon  for  some 
time  stood  looking  after  the  generous  man,  who  had  so  nobly 
scorned  to  do  a  mean  action,  and  I  took  care  not  to  lessen  his 
embarrassment  by  any  very  gentle  notice  of  his  cowardly  aim. 

From  this  time,  I  watched  him  closely,  and  had  reason 
afterwards  to  distrust  him  still  more,  as  to  myself. 

The  next  day  we  arrived  at  Fort  Bridger,  where  we  found 
Mis.  Johnson — and  we  all  shared  in  the  joy  of  her  meeting 


366        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

with  the  husband  for  whom  she  had  shown  such  heroic  devo- 
tion. It  was  a  scene  of  touching  tenderness  worthy  the  suc- 
cess her  unselfishness  had  won.  She  was  too  much  occupied 
with  her  new  joy  to  gratify  our  numerous  questions,  but  still 
clinging  to  her  husband  as  if  fearful  of  losing  him  again. 
She  modestly  stated,  as  if  there  was  nothing  remarkable  in  it, 
that  after  leaving  us,  she  had  pursued  her  way  with  what 
speed  she  could  until  dark,  and  then  finding  the  ponies  must 
have  rest,  and  that  it  was  too  dark  to  keep  the  road  with  ease, 
she  picketed  the  animals,  and  building  a  fire,  remained  in  the 
canon  until  morning,  comforting  herself  with  the  reflection 
that  perhaps  Mr.  Johnson  was  not  far  off,  and  possibly  he 
might  be  attracted  by  the  light  of  the  fire  before  morning,  and 
come  to  her. 

She  said  the  wind  blew  cold  as  the  snows  that  overhung  the 
canon  from  whence  it  came ;  but  daylight  appeared  at  last, 
and  then  she  hastened  on,  and  arrived  at  the  fort,  only  to  find 
Mr.  Johnson  had  returned  to  look  for  her. 

Fort  Bridger  was  to  me  an  object  of  great  interest,  as  I  had 
often  heard  the  story,  which  associated  with  it  the  fortunes  of 
a  man  whose  name  it  still  bears,  told  by  some  of  the  men  who 
were  actors  in  the  wild  adventures  connected  with  his  disap- 
pearance. This  interest  was  not  lessened,  perhaps,  by  the 
mystery  that  still  hangs  over  it ;  for  the  real  fate  of  the  dar- 
ing man  who  first  built  the  fort  is  even  yet  unknown — like  a 
thousand  others  who  have  gone  down  before  the  fiat  of  the 
relentless  Prophet  among  the  lonely  passes  of  the  mountains 
of  Utah. 

This  is  not  properly  a  fort,  but  several  adobe  buildings  ar- 


Crossing  the  Webber — Perils  by  the  Way.  367 

ranged  for  the  purpose  of  defence.  They  were  built,  and  long 
occupied  by  a  Mr.  Bridger,  a  man  of  whose  early  history  I  have 
never  heard  much.  He  had  a  family,  and  was  well  provided,  it 
is  said,  with  retainers,  and  stores  of  arms,  and  ammunition,  and 
at  length  became  powerful.  He  was  not  a  Mormon  ;  but  was, 
at  one  time,  on  good  terms  with  the  Church.  But  in  an  evil 
hour,  he  incurred  the  displeasure  of  the  Prophet  from  some 
cause  not  generally  known.  The  matter  created  great  excite- 
ment at  the  time,  and  an  expedition  was  long  talked  of  to 
bring  him  to  terms.  I  recollect  the  matter  well ;  but  nothing 
more  was  said  about  it  than  necessary  ;  and  this  is  the  reason 
why  much  of  the  transaction  is  still  shrouded  in  the  same 
secrecy. 

When  the  dispute  came  to  the  worst,  an  expedition  was 
fitted  out  from  the  city  to  take  the  fort,  with  orders  to  bring 
back  Bridger  a  prisoner.  The  city  was  in  a  high  state  of  ex- 
citement for  several  weeks,  and  in  constant  expection  of  the 
arrival  of  the  captive.  I  knew  many  of  the  men  who  were 
members  of  this  party  ;  and  I  heard  James  Ferguson,  Hiram 
Norton,  and  Wiley  Norton,  and  Andrew  Cunningham,  and 
many  others,  relate  all  they  were  at  liberty  to  tell  of  it,  after 
they  returned. 

The  party,  with  Andrew  Cunningham  in  command,  arrived 
at  the  fort,  and  found  Bridger  gone.  But  his  wife  was  there, 
living  quietly  as  usual.  She  knew  nothing  of  her  husband. 
Cunningham  judged  rightly,  as  it  afterwards  proved,  that 
Bridger  was  concealed  in  the  mountains  not  far  off,  and 
that  he  must  either  return  occasionally  to  the  fort  for  food,  or 
that  those  at  the  fort  must  communicate  with  him  for  this 
purpose. 


368        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

He  therefore  withdrew  his  party,  professedly  with  a  view 
of  giving  up  the  enterprise,  and  returning  to  the  city ;  but 
afterwards  came  back  with  a  number  of  his  men,  and  sta- 
tioned them  in  secure  positions,  from  which  strict  watch 
could  be  kept  upon  the  movements  at  the  fort.  The  measure 
was  well  taken ;  but  Bridger  was  not  easily  decoyed,  and  it  took 
an  experienced  ranger  of  the  mountains  to  mislead  him,  or  to 
conceal  the  signs  of  what  was  passing  from  his  practised 
eye.  It  proved  therefore  to  be  a  long  siege.  Many  weeks 
passed,  and  no  trace  of  Bridger  was  found ;  but  the  faith  of 
the  Mormon  leader  was  strong,  and  he  was  content  to  abid6 
his  time — and  he  redoubled  his  watchfulness. 

The  wife  was  at  last  detected  in  holding  communication 
wifh  the  proscribed  man,  no  sign  of  whose  whereabouts  had 
before  been  discovered.  It  was  a  short  work  to  make  out  his 
hiding-place  after  that.  What  was  his  fate,  or  that  of  his 
family,  none  but  the  few  "  Danites,"  who  were  engaged  in  that 
"mission,"  can  tell;  and  for  some  reason,  the  same  men  who 
had  spoken  freely  to  me  of  other  crimes,  were  silent  upon  this 
point.  When  asked  what  became  of  him,  they  did  not  know. 
A  large  amount  of  property  was  taken  from  the  fort  to  the 
city,  among  which  were  arms,  and  powder,  and  lead. 

These  circumstances  made  a  deep  impression  upon  my 
mind  at  the  time ;  but  with  the  great  mass  of  the  Church, 
other  and  newer  excitements  took  their  place  ;  and  now  the 
fate  of  Bridger  is  seldom  mentioned.  But  there  are  those 
in  Utah  who  will  still  shud.ler  at  the  mention  of  his  fate  ;  and 
though  it  would  be  unsafe  to  question  thus  anything  "  ordained  n 
of  the  Prophet,  yet  many  of  these  still  hope  to  see  the  time 


Crossing-  the  Webber — Perils  by  the  Wal  3G9 

when  the  mystery,  of  which  Fort  Bridger  now  stands  the  dark 
and  frowning  monument,  shall  be  unsealed  through  an  inves- 
tigation by  Governmental  authority.  Shall  this  day  ever 
come? 

Not  wishing  to  attract  unnecessary  notice,  we  made  but  a 
short  halt  at  the  fort,  but  drove  on  several  miles  that  night 
before  going  into  camp.  This  was  the  first  time  since  leaving 
Salt  Lake  we  had  felt  anything  like  security.  Our  party  had 
now  swelled  to  a  large  and  promiscuous  companv  of  Gentile 
merchants  and  adventurers,  and  Mormon  fugitives;  and  if 
the  Danites  had  not  already  given  up  the  pursuit  of  Johnson 
or  others  of  the  party,  we  thought  they  would  hardly  think  of 
attacking  us ;  for  if  our  numbers  did  not  deter  them,  the  pre- 
sence of  those  having  the  United  States  mail  would  at  least 
have  that  tendency.  From  motives  of  policy,  these  carriers 
had  always  been  respected,  as  far  as  was  then  known. 

A.  few  days  of  easy  travel,  undistinguished  by  any  event  of 
importance,  brought  us  to  Green  River,  which  we  crossed 
without  difficulty  by  a  convenient  ferry. 

At  this  point  our  Texas  friends  left  us.  They  took  the 
Cherokee  trail  for  home,  and  we  knew  nothing  more  of  their 
fate,  but  presumed  they  arrived  safely  at  Galveston,  a  success 
they  had  well  deserved. 

I  regarded  the  escape  of  Mr.  Johnson  and  his  wife  the  most 
remarkable  of  any  that  came  under  my  notice  while  at  the 
valley.  To  attempt  an  escape  when  the  Danites  are  in  pur 
suit  is  like  disputing  the  decrees  of  fate. 


lf>* 


370        Fifteen  Years  among  ihk  Mormons. 


j 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 

CROSSING     THE     PLAINS. 

Nearly  the  whole  route  from  Great  Salt  Lake  city  thug 
far  had  been  associated  in  my  mind  with  sad  reminiscences 
similar  to  that  of  Fort  Bridger,  most  of  which  I  have  neces- 
sarily neglected  to  mention.  Several  of  these  were  connected 
with  the  Green  River  Ferry,  one  of  which,  the  case  of  Mrs. 
Hartley,  I  have  already  referred  to  in  a  former  chapter. 
Another  case  now  occurs  to  me,  an  account  of  which  I  re- 
ceived from  Richard  Cordon,  and  others  who  were  concerned 
in  it. 

It  would  seem  that  some  years  before  this,  an  American, 
known  as  Big  Bill,  had  erected  a  ferry  at  this  point.  What 
his  real  name  was,  if  I  ever  knew,  I  have  now  forgotten.  The 
Mormons  had  one  here  also,  and  from  motives  of  interest 
growing  out  of  the  ferry,  or  from  other  causes,  they  wished 
Big  Bill,  who  was  a  Gentile,  to  transfer  his  interest  in  the 
place  to  them.  Whether  they  could  not  agree  upon  the 
terms,  or  whether  Big  Bill  had  offended  the  Heads  of  the 
Church  in  some  other  way,  I  never  knew.  At  all  events,  a 
party  was  sent  by  the  Prophet,  under  the  command  of  Robert 
Burton,  to  bring  him  in  a  prisoner.   The  pretence  under  which 


Crossing  the  Plains.  371 

de  was  to  be  arrested,  I  think,  was  in  some  way  founded  upon 
a  refusal  to  accept  from  the  Prophet,  who  claimed  jumdic- 
tion  over  the  matter  as  the  civil  Governor  of  the  territory, 
a  license  to  keep  a  ferry  there.  Big  Bill  not  only  denied  the 
jurisdiction,  but  claimed  that  the  fee  fixed  by  the  Prophet  was 
unequal  and  exorbitant ;  and  that  it  discriminated  to  his  dis- 
advantage in  favor  of  the  other  ferry. 

He  was  a  bold  and  daring  man,  of  great  size  ;  trained  to 
the  free  life  of  the  plains,  and  young  in  years,  though  pro- 
bably not  aware  of  the  kind  of  foes  he  had  to  deal  with,  and 
still  less  accustomed  to  submit  to  oppression.  Hence  when 
the  Mormons  came  to  arrest  him,  he  positively  refused  tc 
accompany  them,  but  resisted  the  arrest. 

Burton  gave  him  no  time  for  reflection,  but  ordered  his 
men  to  fire  at  once,  and  he  fell  mortally  wounded  upon  his 
own  premises.  Big  Bill  had  evidently  not  anticipated  things 
were  to  be  pushed  to  this  extreme ;  otherwise  the  Mormons 
would  have  found  him  a  dangerous  foe,  on  account  of  his 
great  strength  and  experience  in  border  warfare.  Though 
crippled  by  his  wounds,  and  unable  to  rise,  he  was  still  alive, 
and  it  was  considered  unsafe  to  approach  too  near  the  strug- 
gling giant,  and  the  men  fired  into  his  breast  while  he  lay 
upon  the  ground  till  he  was  dead.  I  have  heard  those  who 
shared  in  this  cowardly  act,  describe  it.  One  of  them  was 
Richard  Cordon.  But  why  multiply  cases  of  this  kind 
Human  nature  revolts  even  at  the  recital  of  them  ;  and  yet 
^every  corner  of  Utah  is  stained  by  the  innocent  blood  of  these 
victims. 

When  we  were  again  upon  the  way,  we  found  ourselves 


372        Fifteen  Years  among  thp.  Mormons. 

nearly  alone,  accompanied  only  by  a  merchant  from  Weston 
Mo,  named  Gilbert,  with  a  clerk  in  his  employ,  whose 
name  was  Henry  Blood.  They  were  returning  from  the 
valley,  where  they  had  been  with  a  stock  of  goods.  They 
had  a  man  to  look  after  and  pack  the  mules,  and  these  three 
men  with  Kichard  Cordon,  now  constituted  the  male  force  of 
our  party,  with  which  we  were  to  cross  the  Indian  country 
and  that  too  when  the  savages  were  understood  to  be  uncom- 
monly hostile. 

As  I  kept  no  memoranda  of  our  journey  home,  I  am 
obliged  to  trust  mostly  to  recollection  for  the  principal  events, 
and  I  shall  not  attempt  to  be  accurate  as  to  time  and  dis- 
tances, and  indeed  I  do  not  propose  to  give  a  detailed  account 
of  it;  but  shall  seize  only  upon  the  most  notable  events  of 
what  remains  to  be  told  of  this  narrative  ;  already  grown  to 
a  bulk  much  beyond  the  original  design. 

We  travelled  many  days  with  nothing  unusual  to  break 
the  monotony  of  the  journey,  until  we  arrived  at  the  South 
Pass.  After  this  the  Indian  signs  were  more  numerous  and 
threatening.  Several  of  the  tribes  were  at  war  with  each 
other,  as  we  soon  learned,  and  they  thus  had  but  little  time  to 
devote  to  emigrants ;  but  more  than  one  party  had  been  cut 
off,  as  all  were  liable  to  be  when  unprotected.  We  travelled 
in  constant  "ear  of  them  by  day,  and  at  night  we  built  no  fires, 
not  wishing  to  attract  their  attention. 

Our  load  was  very  heavy  for  the  small  ponies  over  the 
sandy  roads,  and  through  the  day,  all  except  mother  walked 
most  of  the  time  ;  but  during  the  long  drives  after  dark,  often 
continued  deep  into  the  night,  to  reach  safe  camping  grounds 


Crossing  the  Plains.  373 

convenient  to  water  and  pasture,  my  sister  Lizzie  was  obliged 
to  ri  Je,  in  order  to  hush  her  child  and  keep  it  still ;  for  at 
these  hours  stray  Indian  bands  were  likely  to  be  prowling 
along  the  trail  to  pick  up  defenceless  parties  like  ours. 

Mr.  Gilbert  one  day  rode  up  to  us  as  we  were  seated  upon 
the  ground,  to  rest  the  team  and  ourselves,  and  said,  "  Mrs. 
Smith,  I  notice  you  do  not  ride  much.  Is  your  wagon  heavily 
loaded  ?" 

"  It  is,"  said  I,  "  and  our  ponies  are  light." 

"  Let  me  see,"  said  he,  "  you  had  better  ride  one  of  my 
ponies ;  you  shall  do  so  in  welcome  if  you  think  you  can." 

I  was  very  much  fatigued,  and  had  answered  him  with 
indifference  until  he  said  this.  I  then  rose  and  said  to  him 
with  animation,  "  I  shall  be  but  too  happy  to  try ;  I  have  been 
accustomed  to  ride  Indian  ponies  all  my  life,  and  I  would 
just  now  dare  to  attempt  anything  to  avoid  travelling  these 
sand  hills,  and  over  these  plains  on  foot." 

The  pony  of  which  he  spoke,  was  one  he  had  bought  of  the 
Snake  Indians,  and  was  one  of  the  most  vicious  and  restive  of 
its  kind.  Mr.  Gilbert  was  leading  it  by  a  small  cord  beside 
the. one  he  was  riding,  and  I  went  to  the  wagon  and  took  a 
Spanish  saddle  which  Eichard  Cordon  had  there,  and  put  it 
upon  its  back.  I  was  so  intent  upon  the  one  idea  of  riding, 
that  it  did  not  occur  to  me  that  the  pony  had  no  bridle  on, 
and  no  sooner  was  the  girth  of  the  saddle  securely  fastened, 
than  with  an  easy  spring  I  took  my  seat  in  it,  and  the  next 
moment  we  were  careering  over  the  plains  at  the  top  of  pony 
speed.  We  were  under  motion,  before  the  full  state  of  the 
case  flashed  across  my  mind.     I  was  upon  the  back  of  a 


&[4-       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

loose  and  half-tamed  pony,  upon  the  verge  of  a  boundless 
stretch  of  prairie  and  sand  hills,  with  no  bridle  to  guide  or 
control  the  animal. 

This  part  of  the  country  was  often  frequented  by  the  Snakes, 
the  tribe  from  which  the  pony  had  been  purchased,  and  pos- 
sibly we  were  not  far  from  one  of  their  villages  now  ;  and 
if  so  and  should  the  pony  chance  to  remember  it,  which  it 
was  very  likely  to  do,  it  would  not  be  long  in  taking  me 
there. 

This  was  about  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  and  Blood  had 
gone  forward  with  Gilbert's  man,  to  look  out  a  camping 
ground  for  the  night,  and  the  pony  took  their  trail.-  But 
there  was  no  certainty  as  to  how  long  this  would  continue, 
for  the  instincts  and  recollections  of  these  animals*are  strong, 
and  my  prospects  were  good  for  a  swift  ride  to  the  nearest 
Indian  camp. 

During  the  first  mile  my  spirits  rose  fully  equal  to  the  oc- 
casion. Holding  easly  to  the  pummel  of  the  saddle,  with  my 
hair,  which  the  first  bound  of  the  pony  had  unloosed,  stream- 
ing wildly  back,  and  my  dress  fluttering  in  the  wind,  I  felt 
the  inspiration  of  an  untrammeled  ranger  of  the  plains,  and 
for  the  first  time  since  leaving  the  land  of  the  "  Saints,"  did 
I  appreciate  the  sweet  joy  of  freedom  lately  won.  But  reflec- 
tion soon  succeeded.  Looking  back,  I  noticed  we  were 
already  nearly  out  o^  sight  of  the  wagon  ;  while  Gilbert  was 
a  long  way  off  in  pursuit,  but  instead  of  gaining  upon  me  he 
was  fast  falling  behind. 

I  took  but  little  time  to  calculate  the  chances.  Gathering 
up  my  skirts  to  free  them  from  the  darger  of  entanglement, 


Crossing  the  Plains.  875 

then  waiting  for  a  favorable  show  of  sand  on  which  to  cast 
my  fortune,  I  vaulted  lightly  from  the  saddle  and  went  rolling 
and  spinning  rough  and  tumble  along  the  ground,  until  the 
velocity  I  held  in  common  with  the  pony  was  broken.  I  arose 
unhurt,  although  somewhat  disordered  and  soiled  in  dress. 

When  sufficiently  collected  to  look  about  myself,  I  found 
the  pony  standing  near  me,  apparently  much  astonished  at  what 
had  happened.  Mr.  Gilbert  soon  came  up,  and  by  means  of 
a  lasso  secured  it.  Waiting  till  the  wagon  arrived,  Richard 
gave  me  a  bridle  for  the  animal,  and  I  then  remounted,  secure 
in  being  able  to  guide  it,  and  I  had  a  delightful  ride  the  re- 
mainder of  the  afternoon  in  company  with  Mr.  Gilbert.  We 
rode  a  long  way  in  advance  of  the  wagon,  expecting  each 
moment  to  overtake  the  men  who  were  seeking  a  camp-ground, 
but  at  length  the  night  closed  in  upon  us,  and  we  saw  no 
signs  of  them. 

The  sky  now  began  to  thicken  overhead,  and  the  mutter- 
ing of  distant  thunder,  with  flashes  of  lightning  from  the 
southwest,  indicated  rain.  I  had  been  so  long  unaccus- 
tomed to  riding  on  horseback,  that  I  began  to  tire  of  the 
unwonted  luxury.  With  a  headache  that  was  every  mo- 
ment increasing,  I  was  scarcely  able  to  keep  the  saddle, 
while  Mr.  Gilbert,  who  wished  to  get  into  camp  before  the 
rain  came  on,  urged  the  necessity  of  riding  faster.  This  I  was 
unable  to  do,  and  I  asked  him  to  ride  on  to  find  the  camp, 
and  leave  me  to  sit  down  by  the  trail  till  the  wagon  came  up. 
But  as  he  was  generous  and  manly,  he  at  first  declined.  He 
said  we  were  liable  to  stumble  at  any  moment  upon  a  band  of 
Indians,  and  he  could  not  think  of  leaving  me,  a  woman,  thus 


376        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

exposed  upon  the  open  prairie  at  night.  But  I  insisted  upor 
his  doing  so,  as  I  should  be  less  liable  to  attract  attention 
thus,  than  with  company ;  and  if  anything  happened,  1 
would  mount  my  ponv  and  fly,  or  hide  in  the  grass  as  I 
thought  best.  He  therefore  went  on,  but  handed  me  his  re- 
volver before  he  left,  saying  ;  "  You  had  better  take  this,  as 
you  may  find  occasion  to  use  it. 

When  he  rode  away,  my  pony  was  inclined  to  follow  ;  and 
instead  of  being  at  liberty  to  crouch  quietly  down  by  the 
trail  until  the  wagon  overtook  me,  I  now  found  myself  en- 
gaged in  a  fierce  contest  with  the  vicious  animal  to  prevent  it 
from  leaving  me.  I  held  him  firmly  by  the  bit,  while,  by 
rearing  upon  his  hind  feet,  and  plunging  from  side  to  side,  and 
shaking  its  impudent  little  head,  it  was  nearly  successful  in  it. 
Then,  to  make  the  matter  worse,  and  almost  desperate,  it 
commenced  to  rain.  The  thunder  had  slowly  increased  in 
nearness,  until  now  it  bellowed  directly  overhead,  and  rolled 
in  wild  volleys,  rumbling  and  clattering  away  off  upon  the  wide 
prairies,  and  as  if  there  met  by  an  opposing  wave  of  sound,  it 
was  forced,  with  a  deafening  roar,  back  again,  just  in  time  to 
meet  other  similar  ones  from  the  four  quarters,  to  surge  in 
broken  bowlings,  about  the  struggling  pony  and  myself,  as  a 
centre.  But  if  the  thunder  was  terrific,  the  quick  succession 
of  light  that  flashed  from  the  sky,  and  broke  in  jets  of  fire  along 
the  plains,  was  appalling.  Blinded  one  moment  by  the  fierce 
lightning,  and  the  next,  stunned  by  the  thick  darkness,  and 
deluged  by  the  rain,  awed  and  subdued  by  the  crash  and  the 
strife  of  the  terrible  forces  that  tore  among  the  maddened  ele- 
ments, the  pony  and  myself,  as  if  impelled  by  a  mutual  svm 


Grossing  the  Plains.  377 

pathy,  gave  ovei  our  puny  strife,  and  looked  with  astonish- 
ment upon  the  sublime  and  awful  drama. 

The  sagacious  animal,  with  ears  pointed  and  head  erect,  and 
nostrils  distended,  with  eyes  that  reflected  back  the  fire  from 
the  clouds,  surveyed  the  storm  from  every  point  of  the  com- 
pass ;  and  when  satisfied,  and  after  repeating  a  wild  snort  at 
each  fresh  volley  of  the  thunder,  nestled  close  by  my  side, 
with  apparently  no  wish  to  leave  me  ;  and  as  the  uproar  be 
gan  to  subside,  turned  his  face  from  the  storm,  and  was  quiet 
aorain. 

o 

At  length  the  storm  passed  away,  leaving  me  thoroughly 
drenched  and  chilled.  I  cannot  tell  how  long  I  shivered  be- 
side the  pony,  waiting  and  listening  for  the  wagon.  It  was 
something  after  ten  o'clock,  that  while  looking  carefully  into 
the  darkness  on  every  side,  I  discovered  a  single  light  a  great 
way  off  in  the  direction  we  were  travelling.  It  was  faint  at 
first,  but  soon  increased  in  brightness,  and  gave  me  great  un- 
easiness ;  for  as  we  were  cot  in  the  habit  of  indulging  our- 
selves in  the  luxury  of  camp-fires  at  night,  I  was  certain 
this  could  not.  be  the  work  of  our  party;  and  hence  it 
must  be  that  of  the  Indians,  who,  I  imagined,  had  discovered 
and  massacred  Mr.  Gilbert  and  his  men,  and  had  now  built 
this  fire  to  decoy  us  to  a  similar  fate.  I  was  still  revolving 
in  my  mind  the  probabilities  of  the  case,  when  the  welcome 
sound  of  wheels  slowly  trundling  along  the  trail  gave  me  new 
hope ;  and  soon  after,  Richard  drove  up,  with  my  mother  and 
sister,  and  were  saluted  by  the  pony  with  a  sudden  snort, 
which  brought  the  party  to  a  stand.  I  was  not  long  in  mak- 
ing myself  known,  and  found  them  as  much  alarmed  about 


378        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

the  light  as  myself.  We  all  came  to  the  conclusion,  after  ex- 
changing views  upon  the  subject,  that  escape  was  impossible, 
and  that  probably  our  trail  had  been  dogged  during  the  day 
by  the  Indians  with  the  design  of  cutting  us  oft'  at  night. 

It  was  suggested  to  Richard  that  it  would  be  as  well  to 
know  the  worst  state  of  the  case  at  once ;  and  proposed  he 
should  take  the  pony,  and  go  as  near  the  fire  as  possible,  and 
see  what  we  had  to  expect.  To  this  he  consented,  and  when 
he  rode  away  into  the  darkness,  we  had  but  small  hope  of 
seeing  him  again.  "  God  help  my  child,  if  he  does  not  come 
back,"  said  Lizzie,  as  she  strained  the  sleeping  infant  to  her 
anxious  breast. 

I  got  into  the  wagon  and  held  the  reins,  and  we  waited 
with  what  patience  we  could  for  the  result.  We  were  at  least 
two  miles  from  the  light,  and  some  time  must  necessarily 
elapse  before  he  could  accomplish  that  distance  and  return. 
We  waited  a  long  while,  and  heard  nothing  of  him.  I  held 
the  lines  in  one  hand,  and  the  revolver  in  the  other,  deter- 
mined, if  we  were  molested,  to  make  the  most  of  what  means 
of  defence  we  had  at  hand. 

We  grew  every  moment  more  anxious,  and  were  about  to 
yield  ourselves  up  to  despair,  when  a  slight  noise  was  heard  in 
the  grass  near  us.  It  was  like  the  soft  step  of  a  moccasined 
foot ;  and  we  could  well  imagine  it  to  be  the  stealthy  tread 
of  an  Indian.  We  were  sensible  that  it  came  towards  us,  and 
vet  so  intense  was  the  darkness  of  the  night,  that  we  found  it 
impossible  to  recognize  each  other,  and  much  less  could  we 
make  out  the  cause  of  our  alarm. 

We  held  a  whispered  consultation  ;  but  were  quite  at  a  loss 


Crossing  the  Plains.  379 

t(  know  what  course  to  take.  Lizzie  said  she  knew  it  was  an 
InJian,  and  mother  added,  "We  shall  all  lose  our  scalps,  if 
it  is." 

We  all  felt  our  case  to  be  desperate.  As  for  myself,  I 
thought  this  to  be  but  a  fitting  termination  of  the  extraordin 
ary  adventures  of  the  day ;  but  the  reflection  of  a  moment, 
convinced  me  there  was  no  time  to  indulge  in  childish  fears. 
Giving  the  lines  to  Lizzie,  I  prepared  myself  for  whatever 
might  come ;  and  getting  the  revolver  ready,  and  in  hand, 
waited  the  result,  with  such  calmness  and  self-possession  as  I 
had  in  command.  Mother  said,  in  a  low  whisper,  "Perhaps 
it  may  be  Richard." 

"  No,"  replied  Lizzie,  "  it  is  an  Indian,  and  you  must  be 
certain  and  kill  him  the  first  fire,  or  we  are  lost." 

"What  good  will  it  do?"  said  my  mother,  whose  strong 
good  sense  never  forsook  her,  even  under  excitement.  "  For 
if  there  is  one  Indian,  there  may  be  twenty,  and  you  cannot 
expect  to  kill  them  all." 

But  I  had  made  up  my  mind  what  to  do.  The  object  of 
our  alarm  was  now  so  near,  that  although  I  was  unable  to  see 
it,  I  judged  it  would  not  be  difficult  to  send  a  ball  through  the 
miscreant,  as  I  could  mark  with  certainty  the  direction  ;  and 
drawing  the  revolver  to  a  rest  across  my  left  hand,  I  was 
about  to  pull  upon  it  steadily,  and,  as  I  believed,  calmly,  with 
the  intention  of  firing,  when  the  stillness  of  the  night  was 
broken  by  the  gruff  voice  of  Richard,  saying,  in  a  petulant 
tone,  "  There,  cuss  the  fools,  I  met  them  coming  back  to  meet 
us,  before  I  reached  the  fire." 

"Richard!"  exclaimed  Lizzie  and  my  mother  at  the  same 
breath. 


380        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

I  lowered  the  muzzle  of  the  revolver,  and  dizzy  with  the 
leaction  which  followed  the  sudden  relaxation  of  my  over- 
strained spirit,  I  said,  choking  with  disgust  and  emotion  : 

"  Richard,  your  folly  had  nearly  cost  you  your  life.  Why 
did  you  come  up  so  still  ?" 

"  How  did  I  know  but  you  were  all  dead,  and  the  wagon 
was  in  the  possession  of  the  Indians  ?"  said  he,  heartlessly. 

The  coward  had  evidently  chosen  to  frighten  us,  rather  than 
take  the  precaution  to  investigate  the  state  of  the  case,  which 
he  could  have  done  with  safety  to  himself,  and  without  harm 
to  us. 

After  overcoming  in  a  measure  the  excitement,  we  began  to 
comprehend  the  cause  of  the  fire,  which  Richard  said  had  been 
built  by  Gilbert's  men,  while  the  former  was  absent  to  picket 
the  horses  in  some  fine  grass  he  had  discovered  by  a  stream 
not  far  from  the  camp.  "They  wished  me  to  tell  you,"  he 
added,  "  they  are  very  sorry  for  having  frightened  you  ;  and 
they  have  made  some  coffee,  and  prepared  a  good  supper, 
which  is  now  waiting  for  you." 

We  were  not  long  in  arriving  at  the  camp  ;  and  after 
farming  our  chilled  and  stiffened  limbs,  and  accepting  cheer- 
fully the  apologies  of  the  two  men  who  had  built  the  fire,  we 
had  an  excellent  supper,  which  we  all  enjoyed  with  great 
relish. 

It  was  after  midnight  before  the  fire  was  put  out,  and  we 
were  asleep.  The  day  had  been  one  of  unusual  adventure 
and  peril,  but  its  close  had  left  us  pleased  and  satisfied,  and 
nothing  short  of  a  genuine  alarm  of  Indians  could  have  dis- 
turbed oui  heavy  slumbers  for  the  remainder  of  the  night. 


Crossing  the  Plains.  381 

I  have  th»*s  given  in  detail  the  events  of  this  0Le  day,  not 
o'Jy  because  they  were  remarkable  in  themselves,  but  as  I 
have  before  intimated,  because  I  do  not  propose  to  detain  the 
reader  with  a  minute  account  of  this  journey ;  and  since  it  so 
happened  that  many  of  the  marked  features  of  it  were  thus 
crowded  into  a  single  day,  this  may  perhaps  serve  as  a  gene- 
ral index  to  our  life  upon  the  plains. 

The  next  morning  found  us  unharmed,  and  the  march  was 
resumed  with  the  more  courage,  as  wre  were  now  nearing 
Fort  Laramie.  Two  days  before  arriving  there,  Mr.  Gilbert 
left  us,  as  he  wished  to  push  on  at  a  greater  speed  than  was 
within  the  power  of  our  ponies  to  accomplish.  We  were  now 
so  near  the  fort  that  we  had  little  to  fear  from  the  Indians, 
and  we  parted  from  him  with  emotions  of  deepest  gratitude, 
for  the  protection  the  presence  of  his  party  had  afforded 
us. 

I  take  pleasure  in  saying  of  Mr.  Gilbert,  that  he  ap- 
peared to  be  a  kindly  and  honorable  gentleman,  inclined  to 
noble  and  generous  impulses. 

After  making  two  encampments  alone,  we  arrived  safely  at 
Laramie,  where  we  found  Lieutenant  Foot,  and  several  other 
officers  of  the  army,  who  with  their  wives  had  boarded  with 
my  brother  Howard  at  Fort  Kearny  several  years  before  this ; 
and  we  were  received  with  great  kindness  by  them  on.  that 
account. 

These  ladies  greatly  commended  us  for  leaving  the  Mor- 
mons, and  took  it  for  granted  we  were  not  to  return  to  the 
valley.     As  for  my  mother  and  myself,  we  had  tut  little  to 


382       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

say  upon  the  subject.  We  were  yet  too  far  from  the  borders 
of  civilization  to  feel  ourselves  safe ;  and  moreover  we  had 
learned  to  distrust  Richard  too  much  to  confide  to  him  oui 
real  intentions,  and  we  were  still  in  his  hands. 


Conclusion.  383 


CHAPTER    XXXVI. 


CONCLUSION. 


We  had  been  at  Laramie  I  think  two  days,  when  an 
express  came  in  from  Fort  Kearny,  asking  for  a  few  soldiers; 
and  giving  the  information  that  several  emigrant  trains  had 
been  cut  off,  between  that  and  Laramie;  and  that  the  Indians 
were  out  upon  the  trail  in  force.  This  was  very  discourag- 
ing news  for  us.  The  army  officers  advised  Richard  by  no 
means  to  attempt  to  make  the  journey  alone,  but  to  wait,  and 
join  if  he  could  some  party  going  to  Kearny,  sufficiently 
strong  to  afford  us  protection. 

Notwithstanding  we  had  expected  some  delay  from  this 
state  of  things,  it  soon  transpired  that  a  company  of  Govern- 
ment wagons  employed  in  drawing  corn  from  Kearny  to 
Laramie,  was  to  return  to  the  former  place  the  next  after- 
noon. 

A  party  of  U.  S.  soldiers  was  to  leave  also  for  the  same 
place  the  next  morning,  in  answer  to  the  summons  by  express, 
but  these  last  wTould  move  too  fast  for  us,  and  we  were  recom- 
mended to  join  the  wagons,  as  that  party  was  sufficiently 
btrong  to  ensure  our  safety. 


384:       Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

The  wagon  master  was  a  grey-headed  old  man  from  Wes- 
ton, Mo.,  with  whom  the  officers  kindly  used  their  influence  in 
our  behalf,  which  proved  to  be  of  great  service  to  us  after- 
wards. His  name  was  Samuel  Foster,  and  he  rendered  us  all 
the  assistance  needed. 

This  party,  which  we  joined  next  morning,  moved  but 
slowly,  and  we  were  thus  enabled  to  camp  by  them  at  night, 
until  so  near  fort  Kearny  as  to  be  past  danger  from  the 
Indians.  After  this,  we  made  our  way  alone,  without  further 
accident  or  delay,  and  had  the  great  good  fortune  to  arrive  at 
Perry,  Pike  county,  Illinois,  about  the  middle  of  August,  1856, 
having  made  the  journey  from  great  Salt  Lake  city  within  the 
space  of  three  months.  Here  we  met,  after  a  separation  of 
•?ears,  my  oldest  sister,  Mrs.  Deuzenbury,  with  a  joy  those 
who  have  followed  us  thus  far  can  well  imagine.  My  mother, 
now  well  spent  in  years,  and  broken  in  health,  and  above  all, 
bowed  to  the  dust  with  the  sad  conviction  that  Mormonism, 
for  which  she  had  sacrificed  so  much,  was  not  only  an  error, 
and  a  cruel  delusion,  but  a  wicked  fraud  :  she — my  mother, 
now  stood  where  fifteen  years  before  she  had  made  this  sacri- 
fice in  good  faith,  and  where  she  had  buried  my  father  ;  and 
wept  such  bitter  tears  as  should  have  silenced  the  voice  of  cen- 
sure :  howbeit,  when  once  in  the  midst  of  these  tears  and 
unavailing  regrets  for  the  wrong  she  had  done  her  children, 
a  soft  voice  which  she  had  heard  that  day  for  the  first  time 
for  many  years,  whispered  in  her  quick  ear,  doubly  quick 
to  words  of  blame,    "How  could  you,  nay  mother,  have  taken 

the  family  to  such  a" But  the  sentence  was  stayed,  arid 

mv  mother's  tears  ceased  to  flow,  as  she  said  with  a  strange 


Conclusion.  385 

mingling  o'  enthusiasm  for  the  faith  as  she  first  received  it, 
and  mortification  at  its  prostitution  since — "  My  child,  but  for 
Morraonism,  I  should  not  be  able  now  to  hear  your  question,  or 
feel  the  pain  of  your  censure.  You  do  not  remember  that  a 
Mormon  elder,  through  the  divine  authority  conferred  upon 
him  by  the  Prophet  Joseph,  restored  my  lost  hearing.  Aan 
though  I  now  Badly  mourn  the  perversion  of  our  noble  faith 
to  unworthy  purposes  by  the  present  Heads  of  the  Church, 
am  I  to  be  blamed,  that  I  still  remember  the  time  when  it  was 
pure  ;  or  that  I  accepted  at  the  hands  of  the  great  Prophet 
Joseph,  the  evidence  of  his  exalted  mission,  confirmed  by  a 
miracle  wrought  upon  my  own  person !" 

We  spent  two  months  at  my  sister's,  in  the  full  enjoyment 
of  a  reunion  with  our  kindred,  and  in  the  free  exercise  of  our 
natural  rights  in  a  Christian  land ;  a  boon  to  which  we  had 
been  strangers  for  the  last  fifteen  years. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  convey  anything  like  a  clear  notion 
of  our  experience  during  these  two  months. '  Everything  was 
new,  not  only  in  the  manners  and  customs,  and  dress  of  the 
people,  but  in  all  their  aims  and  ideas.  I  was  particularly 
struck  with  the  remarkable  fact,  that  they  were  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  absolute  right  of  acting  and  thinking  indepen- 
ently  ;  and  governed  by  established  laws ;  it  was  not  easy  to  free 
myself  from  the  oppressive  habit  of  squaring  my  conduct  and 
wishes  to  comply  with  the  Prophet's  "  counsel."  But  as  yet 
I  had  heard  nothing  from  my  husband.  This  was  now  the 
only  corroding  care  of  my  life.  I  supposed  him  to  be  in  Cali- 
iornia,  but  had  heard  nothing  from  him  for  the  last  two 
years.     The  Prophet  told  me  before  I  left  Salt  Lake  city 

17 


386        Fifteen  Years  among  the  Mormons. 

that  I  must  never  think  of  seeing  him  again  :  and  now  Richard 
Cordon  watched  me  with  untiring  care,  evidently  with  a  view 
to  prevent  my  holding  correspondence  with  him.  I  managed, 
however,  to  get  other  members  of  my  family  to  write,  and 
used  every  precaution  not  to  arouse  Richard's  suspicions  as 
to  my  aims. 

About  the  last  of  October  we  left  Illinois  for  Hornellsville, 
Steuben  county,  N".  Y.,  where  we  arrived  in  safety.  Here  we 
found  a  large  number  of  my  father's  connections,  as  well  as 
those  of  my  mother,  by  whom  we  were  well  received. 

Remaining  here  until  February  of  the  following  winter,  I 
heard  from  my  husband,  with  a  joy,  compared  to  which  all 
other  joys  are  but  nothing.  He  was  alive  ;  I  could  wait  pati- 
ently while  he  was  unharmed.  He  sent  me  assurances  of  his 
love,  and  said  soon,  very  soon,  he  would  be  with  me. 

When  Richard  knew  what  information  I  had  received  from 
my  husband,  he  was  at  first  furious,  and  said :  "  You  shall 
never  see  him."  But  he  Lad  forgotten  he  was  not  in  a  Mor- 
mon land,  where  no  law  but  the  will  of  the  Prophet  is  recog- 
nized ;  and  very  quickly  afterwards  he  saw  the  necessity  of 
greater  caution  in  speech  while  I  was  surrounded  by  the 
friends  of  my  family.  He  at  once  assumed  a  different  line  of 
cor  luct.  Treating  me  with  the  greatest  attention,  he  wished 
to  induce  me  to  go  back  to  Illinois,  where  he  hoped  to  keep 
me  under  his  control ;  and  if  I  could  not  be  induced  to 
return  to  Utah,  I  have  no  doubt  as  to  what  he  designed  my 
fate  should  be. 

Feeling  myself  unsafe  while  near  him,  it  was  arranged 
that  he  should  go  on  to  Illinois  with  his  wife,  where  I  was  U 


Conclusion.  387 

follow  with  my  mother  at  a  specified  time.  But  when 
he  was  gone,  I  took  care  to  put  myself  beyond  his  reach  ;  an<-' 
since  then  my  whereabouts  has  been  a  subject  of  some  specu 
lation  sail  uncertainty  as  far  as  he  was  concerned. 

When  my  new-found  connections  heard  my  story,  they 
insisted  that  its  publication  was  due  the  world  ;  and  I  have, 
by  their  advice,  and  under  a  high  sense  of  duty,  made  written 
and  verbal  statements  to  a  friend  who  has  prepared  the  forego* 
ing  narrative. 

When  Richard  Cordon  heard  of  my  intention  to  publish 
an  account  of  my  Mormon  experience,  he  returned  at  once  to 
Steuben  county  to  find  me,  and  being  unable  to  do  so,  was 
very  much  exasperated. 

In  conversation  with  one  of  my  uncles,  George  Stephens, 
he  said  :  "  If  Mary  Ettie  attempts  to  expose  us  (the  Mor- 
mons), she  shall  rue  it.  It  will  be  a  dear  job  for  her.  Her 
blood  shall  flow." 

About  two  months  after  this,  some  excitement  was  created 
within  the  circle  of  my  immediate  friends  by  the  appearance 
of  a  rough  looking  stranger  among  them,  who,  upon  various 
pretences,  wished  to  find  me.  He  was  described,  by  those  who 
saw  him,  as  every  inch  a  villain  in  appearance;  and  was  so 
persevering  in  his  search,  that  measures  were  about  to  be 
taken  for  his  arrest  when  he  disappeared. 

I  think  my  readers  will  not  fail  to  sympathize  with  me 
when  they  are  informed,  in  these  closing  lines  of  my  story, 
that  as  yet,  I  have  not  seen  my  husband.  That  although  I 
am  in  daily  and  hourly  expectation  of  his  coming,  I  wait  as 
one  whose  hope  is  well  nigh  exhausted.     The  Prophet.  Brig- 


388       Fifteen  Teaks  among  the  Mormons. 

ham  Young,  said  I  should  never  see  him,  and  the  Danite  to 
whose  care  I  have  been  intrusted  in  this  land  of  the  Gentiles, 
has  said  the  same.  Will  they  kill  him  ?  September  was  the 
latest  point  of  time  beyond  which  he  would  allow  any  earthly 
consideration  to  detain  him,  as  he  has  written  me ;  and  this  is 
the  first  of  October,  and  he  comes  not  yet. 


APPENDIX. 


CONTINUATION  OF  THE  NARRATIVE. 

The  "closing  lines"  of  the  foregoing  Narrative,  went  to  press 
about  the  middle  of  October,  1857,  by  which  the  sad  story 
of  Mrs.  Smith  and  her  mother  was  brought  down  to  that 
date.  Since  then,  events  of  the  highest  importance  to  ther 
have  transpired.  With  a  view  of  giving  completeness  U 
these  personal  histories,  as  well  as  to  furnish  full  and  satisfac- 
tory answers  to  the  numerous  inquiries  from  various  quarters 
of  the  country,  it  is  deemed  proper  and  advisable  to  add  the 
following  new  facts. 

Early  in  the  fall  of  1857,  Mrs.  Smith  went  to  Old  Forge, 
Luzern  County,  Pennsylvania,  to  the  residence  of  her  sister, 
Mrs.  Phebe  Knapp,  near  the  place  of  her  birth.  The  life  of 
the  mother  was  slowly  ebbing  away ;  and  it  was  fitting  she 
should  seek  a  tomb  beside  the  crystal  waters  of  the  noisy 
Lackawanna,  where  much  of  her  early  life  had  been  passed. 
Before  leaving  Hornellsville,  Mrs.  Coray  had  been  bleeding 
violently  at  the  lungs:  and  although  she  rallied  somewhat 
at  first,  under  the  bracing  influence  of  the  pure  air  of  the 
mountains,  and  the  kindly  attentions  and  sympathy  of  her 
kindred,  yet  it  was  soon  evident  that  her  race  was  nearly  run. 

889 


S90  Appendix. 

She  went  to  Pennsylvania  still  strong  in  her  Mormon 
faith :  and  still  believing  in  the  "  Prophet  Joseph."  The 
state  of  mind  indicated  in  the  "concluding  chapter"  (page 
385)  was  yet  applicable.  But  toward  spring,  as  the  signs 
of  an  immediate  dissolution  thickened  about  her,  that  con- 
fidence in  the  "Prophet"  slowly  gave  way;  and  as  the 
memories  of  childhood,  which  the  sight  of  former  associa- 
tions recalled,  rushed  back  upon  her,  with  their  thousand 
gentle  and  touching  recollections,  there  came  with  them  the 
image  of  the  Cross,  and  her  childhood's  hope  of  salvation 
through.  Christ;  and  when  the  summons  finally  came,  she 
received  it  with  joy,  and  died  a  Christian.  The  seed  that 
had  "fallen  among  thorns,"  had  at  length  struggled  into  the 
light ;  and  at  the  last  moment  bore  fruit  abundantly.  By 
her  own  request  the  "  Endowment  robes "  were  laid  aside, 
and  she  received  a  Christian  burial  by  the  side  of  her  an- 
cestors, at  the  hands  of  the  Christian  associates  of  hei 
youth. 

But  during  all  this  time,  Mrs.  Smith,  in  addition  to  the 
anxieties  incident  to  the  care  of  her  mother,  was  watching 
and  waiting  the  return  of  the  husband,  for  whose  safety  she 
entertained  so  many  fears. 

With  repeated  assurances  of  his  safety  and  his  good  faith, 
month  after  month  rolled  away,  and  still  he  came  not.  Then 
followed  cruel  rumors  which  she  was  unable  to  reconcile 
with  his  known  character.  Time,  and  this  continued  sus- 
pense began  to  tell  fearfully  upon  her  health.  But  she  had 
yet  to  meet  other  forms  of  Mormon  intrigue  for  which  she 
found  herself  but  ill  prepared. 

About  the  last  of  April,  while  watching. by  the  sick-bed 


Continuation  of  the  Narrative.  391 

of  her  mother,  she  received  a  letter  purporting  to  be  from 
her  nephew,  Warren  Duzenbury  ;  who  lived  at  Perry,  Pike 
Co.,  111.  Although,  upon  further  examination,  the  letter  was 
found  to  bear  the  unmistakable  marks  of  Mormon  influence, 
if  not  of  Mormon  origin,  yet  at  the  time,  it  was  received  by 
her  as  genuine.  The  letter  stated  with  apparent  frankness 
that  the  writer  had  seen  a  man  then  living  near  him,  but 
lately  returned  from  California,  who  knew  her  husband, 
Reuben  P.  Smith,  and  that  he  knew  Mr.  Smith  had  married 
into  a  family  of  wealth  and  position  in  Oregon,  and  was  then 
living  with  his  new  wife  in  California.  This  was  too  much. 
Absence  from  her  husband,  while  hope  of  his  return  yet  re- 
mained to  her,  she  could  bear.  But  the  idea  that  Reuben 
P.  Smith  could  desert  her,  was  a  new  horror,  so  completely 
overwhelming,  that  it  cut  off  even  the  wish  to  fathom  the 
mystery  involved  in  the  web  of  contradictions  among  which 
she  found  herself  entangled. 

She  who  had  successfully  baffled  the  intrigues  of  the 
"Prophet,"  and  had  risen  superior  to  danger,  and  fatigue, 
and  suffering,  during  the  fifteen  long  years  of  her  sad  Mor- 
mon experience ;  now  sunk  without  resistance  before  a  fact — 
if  fact  it  was — that  rendered  her  life  simply  worthless.  Her 
strong  will,  which  had  borne  itself  so  heroically  through  so 
many  difficulties,  for  the  first  time  faltered  ;  and  her  physi- 
cal energy,  wanting  this  support,  faltered  with  it.  Obstructed 
circulation  intervened,  and  the  delicate  machinery  of  the 
heart  refused  to  do  its  office.  Danger  of  a  permanent  dis- 
ease of  the  heart  was  imminent,  and  a  fatal  termination  was 
only  averted  bj  copious  bleeding  and  oth*r  timely  treat- 
ment,  skillfully  administered  by  the    attending  physician 


392  Appendix. 

(Dr.  Henry  A.  Dorr,  of  Pittston,  Pa.)  When  immediate 
danger  was  thus  averted,  it  occurred  to  her  that  possibly  this 
story  of  the  infidelity  of  her  husband  was  a  Mormon  inven- 
tion. She  then  took  measures,  by  availing  herself  of  the 
assistance  of  her  brother-in-law,  Burier  Griffin,  then  in  Cali- 
fornia, to  solve  the  problem  at  once.  It  was  better  to  know 
the  truth,  whatever  it  might  be.  Nothing  could  be  more 
fatal  to  her  than  continued  uncertainty.  But,  as  will  be 
seen  by  Mr.  Smith's  statement,  while  Mr.  Griffin  was  thus 
making  his  investigations  in  California,  and  before  he  had 
found  Mr.  Smith,  the  latter,  by  a  rare  good  fortune,  happened 
to  receive  one  of  the  many  letters  his  wife  had  written  him, 
which  had  the  effect  to  render  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Griffin 
unnecessary. 

The  reader  will  understand,  that  up  to  this  time,  most  of 
their  letters  sent  through  the  mails  had  been  mysteriously 
diverted  from  the  channel  intended  and  indicated  by  the  di- 
rection; but  that  both  had  received,  at  various  times,  let- 
ters, which  as  has  since  been  ascertained,  misrepresented 
both ;  with  the  apparent  intention  of  keeping  them  apart. 

In  a  state  of  mind  which  it  is  impossible  for  those  fully  to 
appreciate  who  are  not  well  versed  in  the  mysteries  of 
Mormonism,  Mrs.  Smith  was  still  waiting,  with  but  small 
hope,  the  return  of  her  husband ;  yet  having  confidence  in 
his  good  faith.  Whatever  else  had  happened  or  might  hap- 
pen, she  still  clung  to  a  belief  in  that  honest  manliness  which 
at  one  and  the  same  time  had  won  her  to  himself,  and  had 
been  instrumental  in  bringing  her  to  doubt  the  "  Prophet * 
and  Mormonism.  Time  wore  on,  and  with  it  wore  away  the 
life  of  the  mother. 


Continuation  of  the  Narrative.  393 

One  evening  Mrs.  Smith  sat  by  the  mother's  bedside,  and 
watched  her  slow  and  troubled  breathing  with  unusua.. 
anxiety.  The  physician  had  just  told  her  what  she  might 
expect  within  the  next  three  days.  The  journey  of  the 
mother's  eventful  life  was  about  to  end.  It  was  the  14th  of 
August,  1858.  A  calm  twilight  had  followed  a  quiet  sunset. 
The  hush  and  silence  which  hung  upon  the  creeping  shadows 
were  relieved  only  by  the  impatient  murmur  of  the  river  near 
by — the  bright  and  fretful  Lackawanna,  which  "  uttered  its 
voice "  from  its  rocky  bed  that  night,  with  all  its  wonted 
earnestness. 

Who  shall  fathom  those  two  human  hearts !  The  crushed 
and  nearly  broken  spirit  of  the  silent  watcher  by  the  bed 
of  death — and  the  dying  mother.  The  world  had  dealt 
harshly  enough  with  both,  but  with  one  it  had  nearly  lost 
it*  hold. 

There  is  something  infinitely  touching  in  the  going  down 
to  the  grave,  slowly,  and  sedately,  and  alone,  of  a  well  bal- 
anced mind  and  a  strong  will;  with  its  full  load  of  errors — 
crippled  by  age,  and  disappointment,  and  that  stern  necessi- 
ty which  knows  no  relenting — if  haply  the  fall  be  broken 
£>y  the  Rock  of  Ages.  It  resolves  the  enigma  of  life,  and  the 
mystery  of  death — submission — faith !   "  Christ  receive  us." 

But  who  shall  analyze  the  emotions  of  Mrs.  Smith  ?  Why 
does  she  yet  tarry  ?  Why  does  the  mother  go  alone  ?  Had 
they  not  suffered,  and  explored,  and  believed,  and  doubted, 
and  apostatized,  together  ?  And  now,  had  they  not  come 
back  together  to  the  faith  of  their  ancestors  ?  Had  not  she 
too  finished  her  work  ?  When  strong  men  of  the  world, 
who  were  governed  merely  by  the  questionable  maxim*  of 

17* 


394  Appendix. 

political  prudence,  lad  wanted  the  courage  to  say  frankly  to 
their  fellow  men  what  they  knew  of  the  abominations  of 
Mormonihm,  had  she  not  spoken  openly  the  truth,  and  trusted 
the  issue  to  God  ? 

What,  though  the  public  authorities  may  be  misled  for 
the  time  by  officious  Mormons  in  disguise  ;  and  what  though 
injudicious  "  Proclamations,"  and  "  Peace  Commissions," 
may  compromise  the  national  dignity  by  unworthy  negotia- 
tions with  outlaws  ;  and  by  making  terms  with  crime;  shall 
not  the  future  public  sense  avenge  the  outrage  ? 

Truth  has  nothing  to  fear  from  the  future.  It  is  only  the 
truckling  importunity  of  the  hour — at  once  audacious  and 
time-serving — that  is  liable  to  overpower  it.  That  "  Book  of. 
Martyrs "  is  defective  which  records  only  the  deaths  of  the 
sufferers  for  truth's  sake.  It  is  the  living  and  unscrupulous 
present  that  can  roast  most  cruelly,  while  it  spares  with 
ostentatious  show;  and  pursues  absolutely  without  mercy  for 
the  attainment  of  momentary  ends ;  with  entire  indifference 
as  to  what  possible  opinion  posterity  may  entertain  as  to  it. 

Were  these  her  thoughts  ?  Perhaps.  Whatever  they  may 
have  been,  they  were  interrupted,  when  it  was  near  dark,  by 
a  knock  at  the  door.  Then  followed  the  inquiry  by  a  manly 
voice:  "Does  Mrs.  Smith,  lately  from  Utah,  live  here?" 
That  voice  could  not  be  mistaken.  She  had  last  heard  it  in 
Mormon  land,  more  than  five  long,  long  years  ago ;  and  she 
had  not  forgotten  it.  After  looking  for  several  moments  at 
the  stranger  standing  in  the  open  door,  where  he  was  partly 
obscured  by  the  darkness,  she  said  :  "  Oh,  Smith !  Reuben  ! !" 
Mrs.  Knapp,  who  had  heard  the  knock  and  was  about  to 
answer  the  summons  at  the  door,  was  nearly  paralyzed  when 


CONTINUATION"    OF    THE    NARRATIVE.  395 

she  heard  this  exclamation  from  her  sister ;  for  she  felt  she 
was  about  to  realize  the  fear  which  had  of  late  oppressed 
her,  viz.,  that  Mary  Ettie  would  in  the  end  go  mad,  if  her 
husband  should  not  return.  She  therefore  said  to  her: 
"  Ettie,  come  with  me.  You  need  sleep.  You  have  watched 
with  mother  so  long,  you  are  worn  out.  That  is  not  your 
husband." 

But  it  did  not  matter  Two  true,  human  souls,  long  sepa- 
rated by  Mormon  intrigue,  were  now  face  to  face.  Who 
shall  understand  the  mute  investigation  which  their  brief 
communion  vouchsafed  them  ?  It  had  been  represented  to 
each  that  the  other  had  married  again ;  and  now  both 
silently  questioned  of  the  past.  But  good  faith  needs  not 
the  intervention  of  words  to  make  itself  understood.  The 
stranger  faltered,  but  not  long,  for  he  saw  how  it  was ;  and 
as  Mrs.  Knapp  essayed  to  lead  her  sister  away,  he  said,  in  a 
tone  of  voice  wanting  somewhat  the  firmness  it  possessed  at 
first :  "  She  is  right.     I  am  Smith.     She  is  my  wife  !" 

We  leave  the  reader  to  imagine  the  scene,  and  the  expla- 
nations which  followed.  Although  the  mother  was  already 
too  far  gone  to  speak  with  ease,  she  gave  Mr.  Smith  a  smile 
of  recognition,  as  she  felt  his  band  and  heard  his  voice;  and 
afterwards  she  was  able  to  say,  "  I  always  told  Mary  Ettie  you 
would  come."  These  were  her  last  words.  She  lingered, 
however,  for  three  days  longer,  and  died  on  the  17th. 

Her  funeral  was  attended  by  a  large  concourse  of  her 
sympathizing  friends  and  old  neighbors,  as  well  as  by  many 
strangers  who  had  heard  her  story,  from  the  Wyoming  and 
Lackawanna  valleys  and  the  surrounding  hills ;  and,  as  was 
very  fitting,  the  religious  services  were  conducted  by  Elder 


396  Appendix. 

Mott,  the  Baptist  minister  at  Hyde  Park,  Luzern  county,  Pa  f 
who  had  known  Mrs.  Coray  and  her  husband  when  they 
were  young,  which  he  stated  from  the  pulpit ;  he  also  said, 
he  had  kept  track  of  the  family  most  of  the  time  since. 

The  little  that  yet  remains  to  be  told,  in  order  to  a  full 
kiiderstanding  of  the  foregoing,  will  be  found  in  the  state- 
ment of  Eeuben  P.  Smith,  annexed. 

Dansville,  JST.  Y.,  Sept.  30,  1858. 

Statement  of  Reuben  P.  Smith,  in  continuation  of  the  ac- 
count given  of  him  by  his  wife,  Mary  Ettie  V.  Smith  ; 
from  page  242  of  her  Narrative,  entitled  "Fifteen  Years 
among  the  Mormons?  etc.,  made  at  Danville,  N.  Y. 
August  28,  1858. 

STATEMENT. 

I  propose  to  give  a  brief  account  of  my  personal  adven- 
tures since  my  separation  from  my  wife,  so  far  as  it  is  con, 
nected  with  her  Narrative,  and  particularly  so  far  as  it  may 
serve  to  illustrate  and  expose  Mormonism ;  but  before  doing 
this,  I  deem  it  proper  to  give  some  account  of  my  birth  and 
parentage. 

I  was  born  near  West  Union,  Adams  county,  Ohio.  My 
grandfather,  Reuben  Smith,  had  three  sons:  Joseph,  Joel 
and  John  B.  The  last-named  was  my  father.  My  uncle 
Joel  is  now  living  on  Brush  Creek,  near  my  birth-place ;  and 
Joseph  at  Selina,  111.  My  father  moved  to  Stringtown,  Iowaf 
where  he  died  in  1847.  My  mother  was  Elizabeth  Chap- 
man, and  a  sister  of  Joseph  Chapman ;  the  latter  somewhat 
celebrated  as  a  politician  and  stump  orator  at  the  West,    Ho 


Continuation  of  the  Narrative.  397 

?*as  an  old-school  Democrat,  and  edited  and  published  a 
paper  entitled  the  "  Koon  Skinner,"  at  Indianapolis.  He  was 
better  known  there  as  "  Crowing  Chapman."  He  com- 
manded a  company  of  volunteeis  in  the  Mexican  war,  and 
died  on  his  way  back. 

Since  my  return  from  California,  I  have  examined  carefully 
the  foregoing  Narrative  of  my  wife,  Mary  Ettie  V.  Smith ; 
and  as  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  discover,  it  is  correct ;  with 
the  unimportant  exception,  that  she  appears  to  have  con- 
founded my  object  in  going  to  California,  mentioned  on  page 
240,  with  that  mentioned  on  page  242.  It  was  at  the  latter 
time  that  I  went  on  my  own  business.  At  the  time  first 
mentioned,  I  was  in  the  employ  of  Major  Hollman,  Indian 
Agent  of  the  Territory.  I  accompanied  him  to  Humboldt 
Eiver  and  Carson  Valley,  where  he  went  to  distribute  the 
goods  due  the  different  Indian  tribes  in  that  vicinity.  We 
were  gone  about  three  months  ;  and  before  our  return  to 
Great  Salt  Lake,  we  crossed  the  Sierra  Nevada  into  Califor- 
nia, to  sell  some  extra  horses  the  major  had  on  hand.  Our 
party  was  composed  of  young  men,  Mormons  and  Gentiles 
picked  up  for  the  occasion  at  Great  Sail  Lake.  The  Indian 
interpreter  on  this  expedition  was  a  Canadian  Frenchman, 
named  Papa,  between  whom  and  myself  there  soon  grew  up 
a  strong  friendship.  Papa  was  an  old  mountaineer,  one  of 
that  celebrated  class  of  rangers  who  knew  the  mountains  and 
the  plains,  and  loved  them  immensely.  He  wore  under  his 
greasy  hunting  shirt  a  brave  and  true  heart,  and  was  influ- 
enced only  by  honest  purposes.  He  had  conceived  a  strong 
dislike  to  the  Mormons,  and  waf  always  seeking  some  way  to 
thwart  their  aims, 


398  Appendix. 

He  once  said,  in  his  rough  and  droll  way,  that  he  would 
give  twenty  years  of  his  life,  for  the  privilege  of  playing  for 
as  many  minutes  upon  Brigham  Young's  house  with  a  can- 
non, if  he  only  knew  his  precious  "  Twelve  Apostles "  were 
with  him.  When  he  found  how  I  was  situated,  he  volun- 
teered to  get  my  wife  away.  He  said,  if  I  would  go  on  to 
California,  he  would  bring  her  to  me  within  the  year,  which 
I  have  no  doubt  he  would  have  done,  had  he  lived.  His 
family  were  with  his  father-in-law,  at  Devil's  Gate,  on  the 
Sweetwater,  near  the  South  Pass.  He  left  us  at  Salt  Lake, 
to  go  home;  but  we  soon  heard  of  his  death,  and  I  could 
never  learn  the  cause  of  it.  His  imprudence  in  speech  had 
probably  brought  him  under  the  notice  of  the  Mormon 
authorities. 

It  was  in  the  fall  of  1852  that  Major  Hollman's  party 
returned  to  the  city.  The  major,  immediately  after  this, 
went  on  to  Fort  Bridgerf  to  look  after  something  connected 
with  his  official  duties  ;  and  having  been  delayed  unavoida- 
bly, he  was  overtaken  by  the  snows,  and  was  obliged  to  pass 
the  winter  there. 

He  had  left  his  horses  and  mules  in  my  charge,  and  in 
order  to  procure  good  grass,  I  took  them  to  Utah,  forty  miles 
south  of  the  city.  I  left  a  man  to  look  after  them,  and  re- 
turned to  Salt  Lake  City ;  and  soon  after,  two  of  the  mules 
were  stolen. 

The  mules  were  missed  about  the  time  of  the  passage  of 
the  Mormon  train  from  the  city  to  San  Bernardino,  in  charge, 
I  think,  of  Charles  C.  Eich  and  Amasy  Lyman,  by  whom  I 
have  always  believed  they  were  taken.  I  advertised  for 
them  in  the  "  Deseret  News,"  but  the  only  thing  that  ever 


Continuation  of  the  Narrative.  399 

came  of  it  was,  the  kncwing  laugh  it  occasioned  aincng  the 
Mormons.  This  was  one  of  the  many  things  that  opened 
my  eyes  to  the  real  state  of  things  in  Utah,  and  more  fully 
determined  me  to  leave  the  Territory. 

As  will  be  seen  by  the  beginning  of  chap.  23  of  the  fore- 
going Narrative,  I  had  made  arrangements  to  go  to  Cali- 
fornia with  Mr.  Mac.  He  could  not  delay ;  and  although 
Major  Hollman  had  not  returned,  I  went  on  to  Bear  River 
leaving  the  horses  in  the  care  of  John  Hammer,  a  Mormon,* 
expecting  Mac  would  join  me  there,  and  bring  my  wife.  But 
it  appears  that  after  I  had  left  the  city,  some  horses,  and 
other  mules  were  stolen,  and  when  Major  Hollman  returned, 
late  in  the  spring,  he  was  told  by  the  Mormons  that  I  had 
aken  them. 

The  major,  after  some  trouble,  found  them  all,  except  the 
two  mules  first  mentioned,  in  the  possession  of  Mormons, 
who  claimed  they  had  bought  them  of  me  before  I  left,  which 
I  afterwards  heard  Major  Hollman  at  first  believed,  but  I 
am  well  satisfied  he  finally  understood  how  it  was,  for  he 
afterwards  came  to  California,  and  passed  within  two  miles 
of  where  he  knew  I  was  stopping ;  and  although  he  spoke  of 
me,  and  expressed  a  wish  to  see  me,  he  said  nothing  that  in- 
dicated a  loss  of  confidence.  Had  I  been  informed  of  his 
being  there  at  the  time,  I  should  have  taken  all  pains  to 
have  met  him  ;  and  I  know  I  could  have  shown  him  that  the 
hand  of  Mormonism  was  at  the  bottom  of  it.  Indeed,  I  have 
since  learned  by  my  wife  and  others,  that  tho  mystery  of  the 

*  This  Hammer  is  the  brot  ler-in-law  of  John  Norton,  the  "  Dan- 
ite  ;"  whether  he  is  himself  a  "  Danite  "  I  never  knew.  As  to  Nor- 
ton, gee  Chap.  xxiv.  and  xxv  of  this  Narrative. 


400  Appendix. 

disappearance  of  Major  H  oilman's  stock,  was  a  standing  joke 
among  the  Mormons  at  the  city  for  a  long  time  afterward. 
He  is  now  in  the  States,  as  I  understand,  and  I  should  be 
glad  to  have  this  statement  meet  his  eye.  My  relations 
with  him  in  Utah  were  of  the  most  pleasant  and  agreeable 
character. 

It  was  the  middle  of  April,  1853,  that  I  left  great  Salt 
Lake  City  for  the  last  time.  I  had  some  young  cattle  which 
I  wished  to  take  with  me,  and  I  joined  my  drove  with  one  of 
about  the  same  size,  owned  by  Charles  Hunt,  and  we  travel- 
led in  company  for  mutual  protection.  We  were  also  accom- 
panied by  Captain  Mott  and  his  family,  who  were  going  to 
Carson  Valley.  This  Captain  Mott  is  the  man  mentioned  on 
page  55  of  the  foregoing  Narrative.  He  had  brought  tha 
bell  there  mentioned,  with  his  own  team  all  the  way  from 
Nauvoo,  and  when  it  was  delivered  safe  and  sound  at  Salt 
Lake,  the  Prophet,  contrary  to  Mott's  reasonable  expecta- 
tions, refused  to  pay  for  this  important  service.  Mott  there- 
upon grew  dissatisfied,  and  sold  a  claim  which  he  had  on  the 
American  Fork,  about  ten  miles  north  of  Provo,  and  pre- 
pared to  leave,  thinking,  that  if  he  went  to  the  Mormon 
settlement  at  Carson  Valley,  his  design  possibly  might  not 
be  understood.  But  the  Heads  of  the  Church  were  not  de- 
ceived, and  when  we  had  arrived  at  Willow  Creek,  sixty 
miles  from  the  city,  he  was  taken  back,  upon  the  pretence 
that  the  title  to  the  claim  which  he  had  sold  was  defective. 
After  he  had  shown  this  to  be  untrue,  he  was  permitted  to 
rejoin  his  family ;  but  he  was  again  arrested  when  we  had 
proceeded  fifteen  miles  farther,  upon  the  pretence  that  his 
tithing  had  not  been  paid. 


Continuation  of  the  Nakratiye.  401 

We  went  on  to  Bear  River,  where  we  all  encamped,  to 
await  the  result  as  to  his  case,  as  well  as  to  watch  for  the 
coming  of  my  wife,  where  Mac  had  agreed  to  bring  her.  We 
were  now  eighty  miles  from  the  Mormon  capital.  It  was 
uncertain  how  long  we  might  be  detained,  or  what  the  real 
intentions  of  the  Church  toward  us  were. 

After  a  few  days,  however,  Captain  Mott  came  to  us  again, 
accompanied  by  some  Gentile  emigrants,  by  whom  I  learned 
that  my  wife  had  been  detected  in  her  efforts  to  escape,  and 
that  she  was  to  be  detained. 

I  saw  how  useless  it  would  be  to  remain  longer  for  her, 
and  our  train  then  moved  on  for  California.  I  had  not  yet 
heard  of  the  death  of  Papa,  and  I  entertained  the  hope  that 
he  would  be  able  to  carry  out  .his  proposed  plan  of  her  res- 
cue. When  I  afterwards  heard  that  he  was  dead,  I  felt  that 
there  was  but  small  hope  of  her  escape,  at  least  not  through 
the  agency  of  any  power  outside  the  "  Church."  There  were 
several  Mormons  at  the  city  who  pretended  to  be  my  friends, 
and  through  whose  good  offices  I  still  hoped  to  regain  my 
wife. 

Our  train  advanced  without  further  interference  or  delav, 
and  we  commenced  our  slow  journey  over  the  plains  and 
sandy  deserts,  to  Humboldt  River,  where  we  arrived  in  the 
fore  part  of  June,  without  other  accident  than  the  loss  often 
or  twelve  head  of  cattle,  stolen  as  we  supposed  by  the  In- 
dians, under  cover  of  a  stampede.  How  it  was  in  our  case 
we  were  unable  to  determine ;  but  many,  and  perhaps  most 
of  these  depredations  upon  the  property  of  emigrants  while 
crossing  from  Utah  to  California,  as  also  those  in  the  moun- 
tains, are  the  works  of  Mormons  disguised  as  Indians. 


402  Appendix. 

The  Mormons,  as  a  people,  have  been  greatly  distinguished 
for  enterprise,  and  for  a  rapid  growth  in  wealth.  Success 
undoubtedly  has  a  tendency,  with  many  of  us,  to  cover  a 
"  multitude  of  sins ;"  but  perhaps  it  has  not  occurred  to  those 
who  profess  to  find  in  this  apparent  success  of  Mormonism, 
as  a  social  and  political  system,  evidence  of  industry  and  fru- 
gality, and  as  a  consequence,  a  proof  of  that  high  state  of 
social  virtue  and  moral  rectitude,  which  right  aims  (how- 
ever much  misguided),  will  often  secure ;  to  ask  the  ques- 
tion, how  a  people  could  become  so  rich  in  so  short  a  time 
who  produce  so  little  of  any  article  capable  of  a  profitable  ex- 
change with  the  rest  of  mankind.  The  overflowing  coffers 
of  the  "Prophet"  are  unquestionably  more  or  less  indebted 
to  the  liberal  contributions  of  converts  from  foreign  coun- 
tries ;  but  making  a  fair  allowance  for  this  "  source  of  reve- 
nue," we  are  still  unable  to  account  for  the  unparalleled 
wealth  of  the  "  Church." 

The  "  Church  store "  at  Great  Salt  Lake  city  is  always 
full,  and  the  "Church  brand"  is  borne  by  innumerable  cat- 
tle, and  the  amount  of  public  buildings,  and  roads,  and 
bridges,  and  the  work  and  money  already  expended  upon 
the  temple,  is  almost  without  a  precedent  in  the  his- 
tory of  human  enterprise.  It  must  be  recollected  that 
while  all  these  public  enterprises  have  been  in  successful 
execution,  every  member  of  the  Church  has  had  his  own 
houses  and  barns  to  build,  and  his  own  farm  to  bring  under 
cultivation,  and  when  these  things  have  been  hastily  put  in 
order,  he  has  been  obliged  to  take  his  turn  in  filling  a  foreign 
mission,  and  hence,  few  of  them  can  be  producers  at  home. 

The  conclusion  is  unavoidable,  that,  from  the  very  nature 


Continuation  of  the  Narrative.  403 

of  the  facts  of  the  case,  and  from  the  known  character  and 
aims  of  the  people,  there  must  be  some  important  source  of 
revenue,  other  than  that  which  appears  upon  the  surface  of 
things  +n  Utah.  The  Mormons  are  enterprising — fiercer 
and  unrelentingly  so — but  theirs  is  not  the  energy  of  an 
honest  purpose ;  nor  are  they  producers,  but  appropriators 
of  whatever  comes  in  their  way.  "The  earth  is  the  Lord's, 
and  the  "  Saints  are  to  possess  the  earth."  This  is  the  key 
to  Mormonism.  What  they  cannot  do  by  force,  they  will 
effect  by  fraud  and  cunning. 

The  "  Prophet "  has  interdicted  the  working  in  the  gold 
mines  in  California  by  his  people ;  but  the  discovery  of  gold 
Miere,  has  been  the  saving  clause  with  the  "  Church v  in 
Jtah.  When  everything  else  failed,  there  was  one  resource 
left.  There  were  the  California  emigrants  to  rob  and  plun- 
der ;  and  they  have  been  mercilessly  robbed  and  plundered  : 
and  latterly,  more  than  at  first,  it  has  been  deemed  safest  to 
cut  off  all  chance  of  detection,  by  killing  the  people  they 
have  robbed. 

A  full  record  of  these  robberies,  often  accompanied  as 
they  have  been  by  assassination,  would  be  perfectly  appalling. 
It  would  be  the  darkest  of  those  yet  unwritten  chapters  of 
the  secret  history  of  the  "  Church  in  the  wilderness."  No- 
thing else,  among  the  annals  of  the  "  West,"  can  bear  to  it 
the  shadow  of  a  comparison.  Age,  sex,  helplessness — the 
appeal  for  mercy — simple  mercy  from  the  defenceless ;  no- 
thing— nothing  could  stay  the  hand  that  would  sooner  "  for- 
get its  cunning,"  than  disobey  this  pretended  "Prophet  of 
God." 

is  it  possible  that  Mr.  Buchanan  comprehended  the  char* 


4:04  Appendix. 

acter  of  the  men  between  whom  and  the  halte:  he  has  in- 
terposed his  official  protection  ?     If  he  did,  God  help  him. 

We  left  Captain  Mott  at  Carson  Valley,  and  after  recruit- 
ing our  cattle  for  several  weeks  upon  the  rich  grasses  which 
abound  in  that  vicinity,  we  crossed  the  Sierra  Nevada  into 
California,  and  arrived  without  material  accident  at  Cosum- 
nes,  Sacramento  county,  where  I  sold  my  stock,  and  re- 
mained for  eight  months  in  the  employ  of  Solomon  Mizer. 
After  this  I  worked  in  the  mines  at  Spanish  Camp,  four 
months,  and  then  went  to  Sacramento  City,  where  I  re- 
mained six  months ;  when  my  brother,  William  J.  Smith, 
came  to  me  from  Iowa,  and  we  went  to  Live  Oak  City,  and 
bought  a  mining  claim  together,  which  we  worked  tho- 
roughly for  three  months,  at  a  dead  loss ;  for  owing  to  the 
peculiarity  of  the  soil,  it  failed  to  pay. 

We  then  bought  a  farm  on  Cache  Creek,  which  we  worked 
with  better  success  for  two  years,  and  were  making  money, 
when  we  were  dispossessed  by  an  order  of  the  court  in  favor 
of  other  parties,  claiming  under  a  Spanish  title.  We  then 
went  to  Suisun  Valley,  where  we  bought  a  rancho,  and 
remained  until  July  19th,  1858,  when  I  left  California  for 
the  east. 

During  all  this  time,  the  one  great  aim  of  my  life,  to  which 
all  others  were  subordinate,  was  the  rescue  of  Mary  Ettie 
torn  her  Mormon  imprisonment. 

While  at  Cosumnes,  I  met  Eiley  Judd,  as  I  supposed  at 
the  time  accidentally,  who  was  just  from  Salt  Lske,  and  he 
told  me  my  wife  had  made  an  attempt  to  escape,  by  disguis- 
ing herself  in  men's  clothing,  but  had  failed.  He  professed 
to  be  friendly  to  us,  and  I  sent  her  thirty  dollars  >y  him,  ten 


CONTINTJATION   OF  THE  NARRATIVE.  405 

of  which  he  kept,  telling  Ettie  it  had  been  stolen  from  him.  I 
soon  after  received  a  letter  from  my  wife,  acknowledging  the 
letter,  and  part  of  the  money  sent  by  Judd,  but  telling  me 
to  send  no  more  money  after  that,  as  the  Mormons  would 
manage  to  get  it  from  her.  I  received  after  this  one  or  two 
letters,  but  finally  I  failed  to  get  anything  through  the  mails 
that  I  recognized  as  being  from  her  hand,  but  I  had  no  diffi- 
culty in  keeping  up  a  correspondence  with  others  at  Salt 
Lake  City,  who  had  taken  an  interest  in  us.  I  frequently 
received  letters  from  Wiley  Norton,  but  his  statements  were 
so  contradictory,  and  unaccountable,  that  they  only  served 
to  increase  my  embarrassment. 

Through  these  channels,  the  only  ones  now  open  to  me,  I 
was  soon  informed  that  Mary  Ettie  now  regretted  her  mar- 
riage, and  that  it  would  be  easy  enough  for  her  to  get  to  me 
if  she  wished.  In  fact,  that  she  had  repudiated  me,  and  was 
already  seeking  another  husband. 

At  this  time,  and  during  my  stay  in  California,  it  so  hap- 
pened, either  by  accident  or  design,  that  the  Mormons 
always  kept  track  of  my  whereabouts.  Whenever  I  changed 
my  place  of  residence,  which  I  often  did  quietly  to  avoid 
them,  some  one  from  Salt  Lake  would  soon  appear  at  my 
new  locality,  though  before  unknown  there,  and  inquire  me 
out,  on  the  score  of  old  acquaintance,  always  professing  the 
greatest  friendship  for  me,  and  giving  some  new  account  of 
Mary  Ettie  having  a  tendency  to  estrange  us. 

Some  time  in  September,  1856, 1  received  a  letter  from  my 
wife,  and,  at  the  same  time,  from  others  of  her  family,  giving 
me  the  information  that  she  had  effected  an  escape  from 
Utah,  *ud  was  then  at  Perry,  Pike  county,  111.    The  letter 


4:06  Appendix, 

involved  several  contradictions,  and  the  account  it  gave  o« 
her  escape  was  not  satisfactory.     This,  with  the  conflictinj 
accounts  before  received  from  Utah,  suggested  the  idea  o 
looking  further  into  the  facts  before  deciding  what  to  do,     I 
therefore  wrote  to  rny  brother,  H.  C.  Smith,  at  String'  >wn, 
Iowa,  and  awaited  his  answer.     But  soon  after  th'  <  I  re- 
ceived another  letter  from  her,  saying,  in  a  ver,  few  and 
hard  words,  that  she  had  married  a  man  by  t]^  name  of 
Thompson.      There  were  other  things  in  t>  j  letter ;    but 
this  was  all  I  read.     This  was  enough — too  aiuch. 

I  happened  to  be  in  Sacramento  City  «ne  following  winter 
(1857),  and  there  met  a  Mormon  with  whom  I  had  had  a 
passing  acquaintance  in  Utah,  from  whence  he  had  just  ar- 
rived. He  said  he  was  on  his  way  to  China  as  a  missionary. 
Among  other  things,  he  told  me — apparently  without  having 
any  interest  in  the  matter — that  Mary  Ettie  had  lately  been 
married  to  a  man  named  Thompson.  He  said  he  was  welJ 
acquainted  with  her  new  husband. 

Some  time  in  the  following  spring,  I  received  another  let- 
ter, purporting  to  be  from  a  Mr.  Watkins,  of  Illinois,  giving 
me  the  same  pleasant  information.     I  knew  no  such  man  ;  * 

*  It  is  now  known  that  at  this  time  Allen  Cunningham  was  wito 
Richard  Cordon,  and  that  the  "  stranger  "  from  California  (believed 
to  be  a  Mormon),  referred  to  by  Warren  Duzenbury  in  his  letter  to 
Mary  Ettie  (who  was  represented  as  saying,  "I  know  R.  P.  Smith, 
and  know  he  has  married  again  "),  was  also,  at  this  time,  at  Perry, 
Pike  Co.,  111.,  and  was  living  in  the  same  house  with  Cordon. 

The  character  of  Cunningham  will  be  understood  by  referring  to 
pages  235  and  367  of  the  foregoing  Narrative. 

The  fact  that  these  three  rogues  were  together,  leaves  but  little 
doubt  as  to  their  "  mission,"  and  still  less  doubt  as  to  who  wrote  this 
Watkins  letter. 


Continuation  of  the  Narrative.  407 

but  the  singular  agreement  of  his  statement  with  the  infor- 
mation before  received,  as  to  the  one  important  fact,  viz., 
that  Mary  Ettie  had  been  faithless,  and  was  now  lost  to  me, 
seemed  to  cut  off  all  inducement  for  further  investigation. 
The  statement  over  her  own  signature  appeared  to  be  con- 
clusive. It  did  not  occur  to  me  at  the  time,  that  possibly 
the  letters  bearing  her  name  were  forgeries ;  and  it  was  long 
afterward,  and  under  a  more  fortunate  state  of  things,  that 
Mary  Ettie  herself  pointed  out  to  me  the  fact,  that  the  letter 
of  Watkins,  and  the  one  bearing  her  own  signature,  had 
evidently  been  written  by  one  and  the  same  hand,  and  that 
neither  were  written  by  her. 

Things  were  in  this  position  until  January,  1858,  when 
mv  brother  wrote  me  that  he  had  made  what  investigation 
he  could,  but  that  he  found  himself  embarrassed  in  coming 
to  a  determination  as  to  the  merits  of  the  case,  but  that  he 
was  satisfied  that  one  of  two  things  was  true,  "  Mary  Ettie," 
he  said,  "  is  either  the  best  or  the  most  questionable  of  wo- 
men." 

He  had  not  seen  her,  but  she  had  not  married  again. 
This  letter  was  followed  by  another  from  him,  under  date  of 
June  12th,  1858,  saying  frankly  and  emphatically  that  he 
was  now  satisfied,  that  for  reasons  which  were  as  yet  not 
clear  to  him,  interested  parties  were  seeking  to  keep  Mary 
Ettie  and  myself  apart ;  but  that  he  believed  her  every  way 
Reserving ;  that  if  he  had  such  a  wife,  no  earthly  power 
should  keep  him  from  her. 

I  had  before  this  determined  to  seek  her  out,  and  solve 
the  mystery  for  myself,  as  soon  as  my  business  could  be  ar- 
ranged ;  and  yet  I  felt  I  had  but  small  foundation  for  hope. 


408  Appendix. 

from  all  I  knew  of  Mary  Ettie,  I  believed  her  incapable  ol 
deception.  She  was  frank  to  a  fault.  Had  she  not  told  me 
over  her  own  signature  that  she  had  married  again  ?  And 
yet  I  wished  to  see  and  hear  from  her  own  mouth  what  ex 
planation  was  possible ;  not  so  much  that  I  yet  clung  to  the 
hope  that  she  was  not  altogether  lost  to  me,  as  that  she 
should,  if  she  could,  vindicate  her  sex  :  for  I  am  free  to  ac- 
knowledge, that  had  I  found  her  at  last  wanting  in  good 
faith,  I  should  not  have  looked  for  that  virtue  elsewhere. 
But  while  in  a  state  of  mind  wanting  equally  the  determina- 
tion to  go,  or  to  refrain  from  going,  I  received  a  letter  which 
I  at  once  recognized  as  being  from  under  her  own  hand.  It 
had  about  it  the  odor  of  other  days,  and  at  once  determined 
me  what  to  do.  The  letter  reached  me  Saturday,  July  17  th, 
1858,  and  "Monday,  the  19th,  two  days  after,  I  left  Suisun 
Valley,  California,  on  my  way  to  find  her. 

It  is  often  easier  to  do,  than  to  decide  what  to  do.  The 
journey  from  San  Francisco  to  New  York,  by  the  Isthmus, 
was  accomplished  in  due  time  without  accident,  and  on  the 
14th  of  August,  1858, 1  arrived  at  Old  Forge,  Luzern  Co. 
Pa.,  where,  as  before  narrated,  I  found  Mary  Ettie. 


ERRATA. 

For  Tooille,  In  chapter  30,  and  wherever  this  name  occurs  in  this  book,  real 
Tooele. 
Also,  for  Kearny,  read  Kearney,  wherever  this  name  occurs. 
Also,  In  chapter  xii.,  for  Tank!*,  read  Tarkio.