"That winter ws a sorrowful time for the church. 500 of our young men were demanded by the general goverment through the influence of old Tom Benton, who was a noted mobber in the first Missouri persecutions, and was then in the senate. This left the church with old men, children and many poor women, while their husbands were fighting the battles of the United States."
(Fortunatley, none of the Mormon Battalion were required to fight in any battles. They did contribute greatly to helping establish parts of San Diego.) Zerah's young daughter, Sarah, traveled with the Battalion as did Zerah's nephew, David Pulsipher. If you ever go to the Mormon Battalion Visitor's Center in San Diego you can look up David and find a little bit more about him. Why Sarah went when none of her brothers or her father were there is a mystery. I believe she was only about ten years old at the time.
"There were not well people enough to take care of the sick and dying. My boys continued to team through the winter till they both got sick. John was laid on the bed and was near the gate of death for a long time, when I was called in to see him breathe his last. He was taken with pneumonia which many people think to be a certain sign of death. He looked very much like it to be sure. When I came in the doctor and my family stood around the bed. I called to him and he opened his eyes. I said, "John, you are not going to die now. I cannot spare you now. You must get well to help us move through the mountains." He immediately began to vomit a large quantity of the most filthy matter I ever saw come from any person's stomach, as black as ink. From that hour he began to recover and soon was able to drive a team.
In the spring the church leaders organized a company of about fifty wagons and we started for Salt Lake. I was advised to take ten wagons and go ahead and assist in making roads, but such storms followed us as I never saw. The highest and driest land in the country was soaked with water so that it was difficult to get along with a wagon. One morning I got on my horse and rode back a few miles to see how the company was getting along. I saw a man walking with a rubber coat on. I asked him how they got along and he said, "'First rate." He put his hands in his pockets and they were full of water.
Parley P. and Orson Pratt and myself went forward to look for a location for the poor, and such as could not go on. We found a grove of timber and called it Garden Grove, a convenient place for a settlement. I then unloaded my wagon and delivered my load of flour and bacon and went back to look after my family. I met them not far from the Mississippi River in the year 1847. One boy got his leg broken and one man broke his arm in my company, but I set them and they soon got well."
Zerah does not share any details of the trek to the western mountains, but we know he was a captain of 100 and the Burgess family was a part of his group. Again, this family traveled together from the time they left Kirtland, Ohio until they eventually settled in Southern Utah.
The next post will begin with their arrival in the Great Salt Lake Valley.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Saturday, October 12, 2013
The Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum
"I labored to support my family (in Kirtland, Ohio) and in the fall of 1837 I went to Canada on a mission, raised a branch of twenty-nine members, and returned January 29, 1838 to Kirtland. I was ordained to the council of the first president of seventies." See Doctrine and Covenants 122:138
"And again, I give unto you Joseph Young, Josiah Butterfield, Daniel Miles, Henry Herriman, Zera Pulsipher, Levi Hancock, James Foster, to preside over the quorum of seventies."
The Missouri Years:
"The Missouri mobs were continually seeking the life of Brother Joseph. I think there had been some raisings against him without success. These mobbers finally came to the conclusion that the law could not reach him, but powder and ball could. Therefore, they organized a mob of about 200 men, and put him in Carthage jail with Dr. Richards, Hyrum Smith and John Taylor. The mobs came and broke into the jail, shot Joseph and Hyrum and wounded John Taylor by shooting four balls into him. The fourth saved his life, striking his watch which was in his vest pocket. After Joseph had fell dead one of the ruffians made a move to take off his head, but a singular light shown around him that struck the man with fear. They therefore flew in every direction and disappeared. This being done it gave us a hard shock and caused much mourning. Our brethren went and brought them home and buried the dead and restored the wounded.
At this time the mob expected we would rise and give them battle. We thought best not to do it. We just kept still, continued our work on the temple, finished it and got our endowments. At that time most of the twelve were absent on missions. Sidney Rigdon, who aspired for the presidency, came and called the church together and presented his claim for the presidency. But the twleve soon came home and appeared on the stand at the day appointed for choosing. Sidney made his plea. Brigham Young began to speak and at that time I sat with my back towards the stand as did many others. When Brigham spoke he spoke with the voice of Joseph and we turned around to see Brigham speaking in Joseph's voice and beheld Jospeh's mantle had fallen on him. The people understood it in the same way. Brigham stood at the head of the twleve, therefore the church turned to him.
Persecution continually waxed against the church. They thought it best to go to a more secluded land. Accordingly in January of 1846, I had notice to be ready at three days notice to leave on account of so many attempts to destroy the church.
At length I had the notice and started with a good team the second day of February, crossed the Mississippi River and went as far as Sugar Creek, until the cold weather broke. There were about 500 of the heads of the church here. I went back once, gave my son orders to sell what property he could and take the family and follow as soon as the spring opened. We went on from Sugar Creek in the spring, but streams and tempests opposed our march till late in the season.
I frequently went forward to pioneer the way and organize places for the poor to stop that were not able to go any further. In May I took my team and went back to meet my family and found them in Lee County (Iowa) with two teams, a few cows and a few sheep. My sacrifices there was about two thousand dollars. We went on and crossed the Missouri River that season and established a place called Winter Quarters.
That fall and winter, which was 1846 and 1847, the church suffered exceedingly. When we got there we found so many sick and dying from exposure that I took my team and what help I could raise and drew timber four miles and built six houses. Then I was obliged to go down to Missouri for provisions, was gone about six weeks in winter, camping out, and exposed to all the storms that are common in that season of the year.
I brought home what I could. When I got home I was so far exhausted from exposure that I could not walk one step without two crutches. I then sent my boys again, while I took care of the cattle wich amounted to eighteen head. Many times I went on my crutches to get my horse, then rode all day to save my cattle from the Indians, who were continuously killing them."
"And again, I give unto you Joseph Young, Josiah Butterfield, Daniel Miles, Henry Herriman, Zera Pulsipher, Levi Hancock, James Foster, to preside over the quorum of seventies."
The Missouri Years:
"The Missouri mobs were continually seeking the life of Brother Joseph. I think there had been some raisings against him without success. These mobbers finally came to the conclusion that the law could not reach him, but powder and ball could. Therefore, they organized a mob of about 200 men, and put him in Carthage jail with Dr. Richards, Hyrum Smith and John Taylor. The mobs came and broke into the jail, shot Joseph and Hyrum and wounded John Taylor by shooting four balls into him. The fourth saved his life, striking his watch which was in his vest pocket. After Joseph had fell dead one of the ruffians made a move to take off his head, but a singular light shown around him that struck the man with fear. They therefore flew in every direction and disappeared. This being done it gave us a hard shock and caused much mourning. Our brethren went and brought them home and buried the dead and restored the wounded.
At this time the mob expected we would rise and give them battle. We thought best not to do it. We just kept still, continued our work on the temple, finished it and got our endowments. At that time most of the twelve were absent on missions. Sidney Rigdon, who aspired for the presidency, came and called the church together and presented his claim for the presidency. But the twleve soon came home and appeared on the stand at the day appointed for choosing. Sidney made his plea. Brigham Young began to speak and at that time I sat with my back towards the stand as did many others. When Brigham spoke he spoke with the voice of Joseph and we turned around to see Brigham speaking in Joseph's voice and beheld Jospeh's mantle had fallen on him. The people understood it in the same way. Brigham stood at the head of the twleve, therefore the church turned to him.
Persecution continually waxed against the church. They thought it best to go to a more secluded land. Accordingly in January of 1846, I had notice to be ready at three days notice to leave on account of so many attempts to destroy the church.
At length I had the notice and started with a good team the second day of February, crossed the Mississippi River and went as far as Sugar Creek, until the cold weather broke. There were about 500 of the heads of the church here. I went back once, gave my son orders to sell what property he could and take the family and follow as soon as the spring opened. We went on from Sugar Creek in the spring, but streams and tempests opposed our march till late in the season.
I frequently went forward to pioneer the way and organize places for the poor to stop that were not able to go any further. In May I took my team and went back to meet my family and found them in Lee County (Iowa) with two teams, a few cows and a few sheep. My sacrifices there was about two thousand dollars. We went on and crossed the Missouri River that season and established a place called Winter Quarters.
That fall and winter, which was 1846 and 1847, the church suffered exceedingly. When we got there we found so many sick and dying from exposure that I took my team and what help I could raise and drew timber four miles and built six houses. Then I was obliged to go down to Missouri for provisions, was gone about six weeks in winter, camping out, and exposed to all the storms that are common in that season of the year.
I brought home what I could. When I got home I was so far exhausted from exposure that I could not walk one step without two crutches. I then sent my boys again, while I took care of the cattle wich amounted to eighteen head. Many times I went on my crutches to get my horse, then rode all day to save my cattle from the Indians, who were continuously killing them."
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