Chapter 2: Pioneers
“A new American
Religion”
In upstate New York in the spring of 1820, 14 year old
Joseph Smith returned from praying in the woods near his home in Palmyra
relating that he had seen a heavenly vision and that he was to be the
instrument through which God would restore his Gospel again to the earth. By
1830, a new book of scripture, the “Book of Mormon” had been published, the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints had been officially organized and
missionaries were being sent out to teach this new “Gospel”.
While many embraced this new church, most found its
teachings and young “prophet” peculiar at best, a threatening menace at
worst. Persecution of the new movement
led to resettlement in Kirtland, Ohio, near present day Cleveland, and then on
to the Midwest. After several turbulent
years along the Missouri frontier, in 1839, Joseph Smith and his people settled
on the east side of the Mississippi River in southern Illinois and established
the city of Nauvoo. Here, they enjoyed a
time of peace and prosperity in which many missionaries were sent throughout
the eastern United States and Europe. Thousands joined the movement and
answered the call to join the “Saints” - to establish a modern day Zion in
America. Sometime before 1848, Thomas Armstrong Chappell and his wife Sarah
Marie Gavitt heard and accepted this message.
While the exact date and location of this conversion is
unknown, it is supposed they joined the Church in Connecticut. The Mormon Elders would enter into a
community and hold meetings in which they would preach their message and invite
participants to study and learn more.
Thomas, upon hearing the message, felt of its truth, and embraced this
new faith and headed the call to gather with the main body of Saints, who by
1846, had already began their western migration. ‘
While little is known of the conversion of Thomas Chappell
and Sarah Marie Gavitt to Mormonism, their story is likely similar in many
ways, to that of the Sperry and Sidwell families
Aurilla Sperry’s grandfather, Joy Sperry, and her mother,
Mary Lamont, first heard the Mormon Elders while living the La Harpe,
Illinois. From the Journal of Aurilla’s
uncle, Harrison Sperry, we have the following:
“….The Mormon Elders
came into our community. My father went
to their meetings to hear them. He embrace their faith and joined them. I used to go with my father to many of their
meetings. Very frequently they would speak in tongues. I
became very interested in Mormonism and told my father that I wished to
be baptized. It was not long after this when the Mormon Elders announced that
there was going to be a baptismal day in a small stream not far away. I along with a great many others, including
my sister, Sarah, was baptized by one Samuel Gurley. We were confirmed by Samuel and others at the
water’s edge. This was in the fall of 1841.
The next March I would have been ten years old.”
“Shortly after my baptism
mobs gathered and commenced to threaten the people and make trouble throughout
the whole of Hancock, County, Illinois.
My father was amount those warned to leave the country. I remember very well an incident down on the
creek bottoms while we were hunting cows that had strayed out that
evening. I looked across the creek. A horseman was coming toward us. He proved to be one of our townsmen by the
name of Post. He informed us he had been
to a meeting that evening. He hade been
picked by these people to cover a certain district. He said that it was his
responsibility to warn the Mormon in the district to leave the county. I remember how my father reacte34d. He straightened up and commenced to talk in
serious tones to Mr. Post. He said, “I
and my family have been some of the first settlers in La Harpe. We have tried at all times to be good
citizens. I have four boys and
myself. We all have guns and ammunition.
If you come after us, I can guarantee, we will make it mighty warm for
you.” They never came after us.”
“The mobs became
increasingly more threatening. They
marched up and down the county, mostly at night, trying to burn down Mormon
property, stacks and houses., Most of the Mormons were on the lookout fo
them. They had to remain continually on
guard night and day to keep the mobs form doing violence and burning houses. These insensible mobs were determined to
drive the Mormons out of the country.
Finally they trumped up a charge against the Mormon Prophet, Joseph
Smith. He and his brother, Hyrum Smith, were arrested. They surrendered to the authorities at Carthage,
who placed them in prison there. They
had been promised a fare trial, but on the 27th of June, 1844, the
Carthage Grays, a band of blackened faced ruffians, advanced on the jail with
guns and brutally murdered the Prophet and his brother, Hyrum. Later these same
mobs not being completely satisfied with the killing of the Prophet and his
brother, tried a raid upon Nauvoo with about 3000 men. A real battle ensued resulting in the death
of some Mormons and also some of the mob.
Finally, in order to avoid further bloodshed, a treaty was made. The Mormon community was forced to agree to
leave the country.”
“After the death of
the Prophet, Brigham Young, being the President of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles of the Church was chosen to lead the people. Brigham Young’s words were: “To your tents, Oh Israel”. Preparations for leaving were going on during
the winter of 1845 and all through 1846.
Wagons were made; teams were bartered and traded for; homes were sold;
and improvements were sold for as much as they could get for them. However a
great many had to leave their homes and furniture unsold. Very early in the spring of 1846, the Great
Exodus Began.”
“During the spring of
1846, as the weather got warmer, the Great Exodus feeling was so noticeable. In
the spirit of the times, my father sold our home, in reality he rather gave it
away. The house in the values of the
times was worth two or tree thousand dollars, but father got only a span of
horses and a harness for it.
Undiscouraged as a family we loaded up our effects; and in the spring of
1846 we started for the West. Our family
party consisted of my father, Joy Sperry, my mother Mary Lamont Sperry, two
sisters, Betsey and Sarah; four brothers, William, Aaron, Charles, and
Harrison. We also had a little niece
called Josephine. We left La Harpe and
its memories and went down to the Mississippi River. Here we place my sister Sarah on a northbound
Mississippi steamboat. She traveled up the river to a town call Oquaua,
Iowa. There her lover, Mr. Asa Abbott,
met her and they were married. She never
saw her father or her mother again.”
“The remainder of our
family crossed the Mississippi River and began our march westward, not even
knowing where we were going. It was an act of faith.” (1)
While Aurilla Sperry’s father’s family joined the Church in
western Illinois and suffered with the Saints there, her mother’s family
learned of Mormonism in Pennsylvania.
Her mother was Margaret Ann Sidwell, daughter of Job Sidwell and Susan
Robbinson. From their family history we
have the following:
“Job Sidwell was born
on the sixth of June, 1801, in Little Briton, West Chester County,
Pennsylvania. He was the son of Job
Vincent Sidwell and Rebeecca Thetzer Sidwell. He was an American descent. There were ten children, five boys and five
girls in the family. They were farmer,
stock and sheep raisers. Job , the
second, was a hatter by trade. They were
Quakers by faith, followers of the great William Penn.”
“Job married Susan
Robbinson who was born October 17, 1808 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She was of American and Irish descent. There was a large family on her side. The Sidwells were not wealthy but were quite
well to do. They had all the comforts of
life and owned their colored servants.
In 1845 they heard the Gospel preached by LDS missionaries and were
converted to the truthfulness of the same and out of large families on both
sides were the only ones who became members of the Church.”
“As soon as they
became members of the church, the spirit of gathering took possession of them
as a desire to follow the Mormons. They
could not settle to work or feel contented at anything. Their parents, brothers, sisters, friends
were very much opposed to them ever thinking of selling out and did everything
in their power to persuade them to give up Mormonism but no persuasion or
anything they could say or do had the least effect. They sold everything they could and whey they
could not sell, they left behind.”
“In the year 1846 they
left home, parents, brothers, and sisters, kindred and ties never to see again
in this life for their religion and with four living children, Margaret Ann,
age 18 years, George 16, John 7, Rebecca Catherine 4, they started out. They hired teams to take them to Pittsburg
and from there the took the canal boat to Columbus, from there to Cincinnati
when by steam boat from there to St. Louis and to Winter Quarters. They then
went back to St Joe and stayed all winter.”
“They bought five yoke
of oxen and three wagons and supplies.
They had plenty when they started out.
They met Jedidiah M. Grant’s company in Winter Quarters in the spring of
1847 and started for the Rocky Mountains.
They were in the Joseph Nobles captain of 50 and Hazen Kimball captain
of 10.
Grandpa drove on yoke , his son
George, tow yoke, Margaret Ann and John, one yoke. They had three cows, two
pigs, and some chickens. They brought seeds and a few potatoes. They met Wilford Woodruff and Orson Hyde who
had just come from Nauvoo and grandpa gave several, hundred dollars to them for
the Camp of Israel. He gave also one hundred
each to Woodruff and Hyde to help them on their way.” (2)
The death of Joseph Smith in June of 1844, in Carthage,
Illinois, was a terrible shock, not only to the thousands of Mormons now living
in and around Nauvoo, but to the many living throughout the eastern United
States and Europe. While the Quorum of
Twelve Apostles, led by Brigham Young, felt certain Joseph had given them the
right and authority to lead the Church, Joseph never made this publicly clear
to the general membership prior to his death.
While the majority of the Saints did follow Brigham Young and the Quorum
of the Twelve Apostles, the debate about who was the rightful heir to lead the
Latter-Day Saints was not at all clear in the minds of many. As we shall see, this
debate touched the lives of the Chappell and Sperry families in very personal
ways. (Please see appendix A: The Oatman Massacre)
Prior to his death, Joseph Smith prophesied that the Saints
would eventually move to the Rocky Mountains and become a mighty people there.
(3). Once the persecutors of the Mormons realized the movement was not going to
disband with the death of their prophet, pressure again increased to drive the
people out of Nauvoo. In search of piece
and religious freedom, the Latter-day Saints, under the direction of Brigham
Young, prepared to move west beyond the borders of the United States, into
Mexican territory in the Great Basin of the Rocky Mountains. The exodus began in February of 1846 and was
in full swing by spring of that year.
The original plan was to move a large number of the people to the Rocky
Mountains that first year. However, Iowa was much more difficult to cross than anticipated.
The wet spring turned the Iowa prairie into a large mud
bog. The warm weather so anxiously
anticipated, turned the ice and snow into mud and mire. Travel was slowed to only 1-2 miles a
day. The up and down terrain with slushy
bogs in the bottom and slipping slopes on each side required great effort on
the part of man and beast just to make head way at all.
Regarding the difficulties of the trek across Iowa, we have
from the history of Harrison Sperry:
“The roads were
extremely muddy, and we had storms almost every day. We continued west through Iowa until we were
upon the Grand River. There the Saints had fashioned a resting place. It was named, Mount Pisgah. My father
pushed on to the bottoms of the Grand River, felled trees, cleared away
the brush, plowed, and put in a little garden.
We also built a shanty-like house for the family. Everything was of a temporary nature, but in
this condition we remained most f the summer.”
“It was while we were
still at Mount Pisgah that my brothers, William, Aaron, and Charles took our
horse team back to Bonepart, Iowa, on the Des Moines River to work n the
harvest and get more provisions to take with us on the journey west. While they were away our mother took sick. We
were living in a little shanty built from the trees we had felled. We had
covered it with bark. We built it at the
same time we prepared the garden. My
father called to me one day. “Harrison,”
he said, “I wish you would go over to Brother Mansfield’s. Tell him to come over because I believe
mother is dying.” Brother Mansfield
lived up the river about twenty rods or more. It was a trail through the brush
and very dark. When I got there I asked him to come. He replied feebly, “I cannot because we are
all sick, too”. When I got back, mother
was just breathing her last breath. Shortly after mother was buried at Mount
Pisgah, Aaron and Charles returned.
William had gone back to La Harpe to attend to some of our business. He
joined us again at Hyland Grove. About
this time some of our La Harpe friends came along. They had heard that we were
sick and in trouble. As good friends
they came to our camp and offered to assist us. We gladly accepted their offer,
gathered up our teams, put our goods in the wagons, and went on west with them,
finally stopping at a place near Council Bluffs, Iowa, called Hyland
Grove. It was their we made our winter
quarters.“(4)
Having only minimal knowledge of their eventual destination
and the difficulty they would encounter in getting there, prudence suggested
they winter over and resume their journey in the spring. On the western shore
of the Missouri River, just north of present day Omaha, Nebraska, the Saints
set up their “Winter Quarters”. They
built rough log cabins, planted crops and prepared for winter. In future annals of Mormon History, Winter
Quarters was to become synonymous with great suffering. The severe winter of 1846-47 combined with
the crude accommodations, terrible sanitary conditions and disease, resulted in
the death of hundreds of people that first winter. (5)
While the main body of Saints suffered in Winter Quarters,
the Sperry family spent the winter in the small encampment at Hyland Grove. It
was one of many such encampments on the Iowa side of the river. The Sperry’s
suffered greatly that winter as we again read in Harrison Sperry’s journal:
“A group of Saints had
reached Hyland Grove before us. In
anticipation of winter they had built some rude log houses. Among these fine people was a good friend by
the name of Behormon. He had built a
double log house. Even though he had a
large family, he proffered to let us come in and live with him until we could
build. We will never forget his
unselfish kindness. It was while we
were living in Behormon’s house during the early winter of 1846, the whole
family came down sick with the “durned” Ague (A fever similar to malaria marked
by chills, fever and sweating at regular intervals). In addition to this, my
brother Aaron developed blackleg (Scurvy). It was caused by not having enough
green vegetables to eat. Great sores appeared
on is legs and the tops of his feet.
Maggots were often in his sores.
Aaron died in the month of December 1846. He was buried in the grove
nearby.”
“Brother Behormon and
his boys were graciously building a house for us because we were all so
sick. It was near and we moved into it
right after my brother died. My father
wasn’t able to rally like the rest of us and continued very sick. We had no medicines. We had nothing with which to help him. On New Year’s Day in 1847, my father
died. He was 62 years old. We buried him by the side of my brother Aaron. There is no gravestone at Hyland Grove to
show where they lay. Hyland Grove is
about seven miles east of Winter Quarters (Florence, Nebraska), or just across
the Missouri River from the present Omaha, Nebraska.”
“Before our father
died, he called his whole family around his bedside. He requested us to follow the heads of the
Church, who were moving west. This we
unanimously agreed to do. Accordingly,
during the spring of 1847, after the grass had grown sufficiently for travel,
we hitched up our teams, loaded in our good and our outfit. We were moving out west.”(6)
As spring approached in 1847, the Saints were restless. Even
though they were moving off into a great unknown, most of the inhabitants were
more than anxious to be away from this terrible place and back on the trail
that spring and summer. The lead group
of immigrants directed by Brigham Young arrived in the valley of the Great Salt
Lake July 24th, 1847. History
states that upon entering the valley from an eastern canyon, Brigham Young, ill
from Mountain Fever, raised up from his sick bed in the back of a wagon, gazed
over the valley before him and after a few moments stated, “This is the right place,
drive on”. (7) Following behind President Young, several other companies
followed, including the Jedadiah M. Grant Company of which the Sperry and
Sidwell families were a part. When the
last wagon train arrived in October of 1847, nearly 1900 Mormons had arrived in
their new Zion in the west. (8)
Harrison Sperry, brother to William Lamont Sperry, father of
Aurilla Sperry, recorded many of the adventures and challenges of a cross
continental wagon train excursion. He
was fifteen years old at the time. The
following are some excerpts from his personal journal:
“One day while our
company was traveling west along the north shore of the Platt River, a large
band of Indians approached our camp.
They wanted to buy whiskey, sugar, and a white squaw. Unfortunately, we
were just our of white squaws and whiskey for sale. However, we did trade them some sugar and
floor. Another morning as we were about
to continue the trek, we looked off to the bluffs. Thousands of buffalo were coming straight for
our camp. They were on the way to the
Platte River for water. It was
immediately apparent that we had to send out men with guns. They had to fire their rifles in order to
turn the herd from overrunning our camp.
This also prevented them from stampeding our ox teams, all hitched to
our wagons. We were detained almost a half day while this big herd passed. After the buffalo went down to the river and
drank, some returned in the direction from whence they came. Others swam over
the river and disappeared. After the
danger had passed, we drove on. Buffalo
were so numerous all along the plains, we could go out and kill one almost any
time we wished.”
“Another time when the
train was moving west in full tranquility, suddenly the whole picture
changed. Every one of us found ourselves
in a wild stampede. The cause of it was
the hind team. They got lazy and
loitered behind. In order to close the distance, the teamster had overdone the
use of his whip. They caught up with
the team ahead of them and ran by them. That action scared the team ahead. Similarly it went through the whole camp
until the entire train was running recklessly ahead. A considerable number of women and children
were walking. When they saw the teams
and wagons all running away, they got scared.
They ran after us howling and in tears.
Everything was in an uproar. With
a great effort and considerable confusion, we finally got the teams
stopped. Order was restored. Luckily no
one was hurt. With some greater
experience and caution we continued our journey west. “
“Another time when
Indian danger was high, we camped and corralled our animals. It was decided to take the cattle out to
feed. About dark they were brought in
again. After super and prayers were
over, everything became quiet. We had
retired to rest. One of the steers came
up to one of the wagons and probably jiggled it a little. This angered on of the sleepers in the
wagon. He got up and in righteous anger
threw a buffalo robe on the critter’s head.
That action frightened the animal.
He started to run. Others join
in. Soon the whole herd was running around the corral in fright. Finally the herd broke out of the corral,
smashing the wagon placed across the opening.
The whole herd went out, taking the back track and running for several
miles before hey could be stopped. You can bet the whole camp was aroused. Men
on horseback started after the animals, and it was almost daylight when they
brought them back. Every tragedy has its
humorous moments- for after the herd had passed over the wagon at the opening
of the corral, mashing it down, a young lady crawled out fro under the debris
and innocently asked what was the uproar.
It was miraculous that this young lady was not trampled to death. …Next
morning teams were hitched up as usual. We continued our journey. “
“ Thus traveling west,
day after day, we eventually came in sight of the mountains. They loomed up a hundred miles ahead of us.
The tops of the mountains were so high that they were capped with snow. It seemed an intolerably long time before we
reached those big Rocky Mountains.
Storms began with our reaching the mountains. It was very cold and disagreeable at times -
snow falling in places several inches in depth”
“We traveled through
the mountains for a long time and finally came upon Big Mountain. Here we got a sight of our promised valley
and the Great Salt lake. It looked
scenic to see such a large open basin.
However, at the speed we were moving, it took another day or two of
mountain travel down through the canyon before we reached the valley. Our company, under the
leadership of Jedediah M. Grand, emerged into the Salt Lake Valley on or about
the 17th of October, 1847. It
was late in the year, and the next most important thing to do was to prepare
for winter.“ (9)
Meanwhile, back along the Missouri River, Winter Quarters
continued to be the final staging area for immigrating Mormons through the fall
of 1848. It being on Indian territory,
the main encampment was eventually moved back across the river from Nebraska
into Iowa . We do not know if the
Chappell family from Connecticut, made up of Thomas Armstrong Chappell, his
wife Sarah Marie Gavitt, his mother in law, Mary Nye Gavitt, and their
children, George Armstrong, Edwin and Sally spent the winter of 1847-48 in
Winter Quarters. If they did, they likely endured similar suffering to those
who had spent the winter the previous year. Many other smaller Mormon camps
were set up both on the Iowa and Nebraska sides of the river and they may have
spent the winter there. It is possible they wintered further east, but in any case, come June
1848, they were at Winter Quarters and a part of the Heber C Kimball company
soon to be joining others in the westward trek of over a thousand miles to the
Great Salt Lake Valley.
Heber C Kimball was a close associate of Joseph Smith, a
brother in law to Brigham Young, one of the Twelve Apostles of the Church and a
revered leader of the day. He had joined
the Mormons in 1832 in upstate New York and had been a participant in the early
rise of the Church and the persecutions of Ohio, Missouri and Illinois. He was familiar with the trail from Winter
Quarters to the Great Salt Lake Valley in that he had made the trip the
previous year with Brigham Young. After a short stay in the Salt Lake Valley,
he had turned around and headed back east to rejoin his family and the Saints
still residing in the east.
The Heber C Kimball Company of 1848 consisted of 662
individuals when it left Winger Quarters on June 7, 1848 and arrived in Great
Salt Lake City September 24. (10) Even though the trip itself went without undo
hazards, the beginning was difficult in that on June 6,1848, the company was
involved in a gun battle with local Indians who had attempted to steal cattle.
Heber C Kimball in his journal records:
Tuesday 6th
about 8 o clock an alarm was brought to camp, by one of the herdsboys, that
Indians were driving off some of the cattle, from the herd about two miles
below. A number of the brethren immediately started in pursuit, some on foot
and some on horses. Howard Egan and Wm. H[enry]. Kimball went in company, and
were afterwards joined by [Thomas Edwin] Ricks & [Noah Willis] Bartholomew
all having horses. They proceeded at a rapid pace about six miles down the
river and as they went heard a number of shots fired which created much anxiety
for the safety of those on foot. When about six miles from camp, they came
suddenly upon a party of about ten armed Indians who appeared very hostile, but
the brethren did not anticipate any danger, their object being to hunt for the
cattle and if they found any to drive them back. However, immediately on the
arrival of the brethren amongst the Indians the latter fired several shots, one
of which took affect on Ricks, who fell from his horse to the ground apparently
dead. At the same instant Howard Egan observed an Indian standing about 20 or
25 feet from them, and taking a dead aim with his rifle at Wm. Kimball, quick
as thought he levelled his pistol and fired at the Indian to save W's life. The
rifle fell from the Indians hands, but in falling it exploded the ball passing
through the fleshy part of Wms. horses hip. The Indian then ran off, but during
this scene another Indian had fired upon Egan, the ball passing through his
right arm above the wrist, mangling it severely, which caused his pistol (a six
shooter) to drop to the ground. Another ball passed through his horses neck
which caused him to wheel round making it difficult for Egan to keep the
saddle. The brethren then saw it was best to retreat on account of lack of
numbers and arms, and seeing that the Indians were determined to fight. All this
scenery was but the work of a moment, during which time shots were heard in
several other directions. The brethren then drew off towards camp, some
distance, leaving Ricks on the ground, and on looking back, they observed one
of the Indians proceed towards where Ricks lay & they feared it was to
scalp him. However he only picked up the pistol and then followed the others
down the river. Es [E]gan soon grew faint with loss of blood and had to be held
on his horse by Wm. Kimball, who also bound up his arm with his handkerchief to
staunch the blood. They then proceeded onwards towards the camp untill they
arrived at the place where they crossed the river (being now on the East side)
and here they found several other brethren and informed them of Ricks's situation,
requesting them to fetch him to camp, which they agreed to do, and started
accordingly by Es Egan and Wm. Kimball then proceeded slowly towards camp
taking a circuit towards the bluffs, to avoid the timber, untill they saw some
wagons going towards the camp, which proved to be a company with Martin
H[orton]. Peck. On arriving at the wagons Es Egan was put in one of them being
very faint with loss of blood, and they soon after arrived at the Ford of the
Elk Horn. Here Dr. [John Milton] Bernhisel was sent for, and he dressed the
wound, and ascertained that no bones were broke. The facts above being made
known in camp brother Joel Ricks and T[homas]. [Levi] Whittle with one or two
others, took a light wagon, and started to fetch up brother Ricks’ son, proceeding
down the East side the river. On arriving near the place where they expected to
find the wounded, they were surprised and taken prisoners by a party of 20 or
30 Indians, who took them some distance down the river. The brethren had a
trunk or trunks in the wagon which the Indians ransacked, taking a number of
articles, and a good coat, worth fifteen dollars. After doing this, and making
many signs and gestures of a hostile character, they let the brethren go
without farther harm, and they immediately returned towards camp, learning by
the way, that the wounded man, had already been taken to camp by the route on
the other side the river. Those brethren who started at the request of Es Egan
and Wm. Kimball, together with others who joined them went back to this place,
where the affray took place, and found brother Ricks still laying in the same
place and alive. They took him up and proceeded with him towards camp, and were
met by a carriage, in which he was placed and about two o clock arrived with
him at his fathers wagon. Dr Bernhisel examined him and found that he was
wounded by 3 large buckshot having penetrated the small part of his back. The
Dr dressed his wound but it was generally believed that he could not long
survive. However Prest. Kimball and one or two others laid their hands on him
and prayed for his recovery. The Lord heard their prayers and he revived
immediately. There were still one or two brethren missing who went out on foot,
and much anxiety was felt on their account, but towards evening they arrived
safe. The Indians succeeded in killing and carrying off an ox belonging to Br
John Pack, but on starting away from the Elk Horn, a stray ox came to his wagon
for which no owner could be found, so that the loss was in a measure made up. About
3 o clock the camp commenced moving off from the River, as it was considered
wisdom to leave the timber as soon as possible, and all the wagons being over
which had then arrived, so that we should not be in so much danger from the
attacks of Indians, who, it is pretty certainly ascertained are of the Omaha
and Ottoc [Otoe] tribes, and from every circumstance are doubtless in the
neighborhood for the purpose of plundering us of cattle &c. Brother
C[ornelius]. P[eter]. Lott, Joseph Fielding, sister Mary Smith and families had
been expected at the "Horn" soon after dinner and as it was known
that they were not far distant some anxiety was felt for their safety, after
the camp had moved about 2 miles, and the encampment had been formed, Prest.
Kimball sent back 10 footmen, well armed to meet brother Lott and company, and
about 5 o clock they arrived all safe with the exception of having broke an
axle tree and being very short of team. The wagons were soon ferried across,
the chains attached to the raft taken up, the raft made fast, and the last
wagons composing this company on their way to camp, and before dark we had the
satisfaction of seeing 210 wagons formed in one Carrol [corral] preparatory to
our proceeding on our long journey West. Those who were wounded felt as well as
could be expected after the short journey. (11)
Even though Thomas Chappell’s name is not mentioned in this
account, he along with his family, was certainly aware and an active
participant in the dramatic events of this day.
Mormon wagon trains were very organized. The travelers were organized into companies
of 10, 50 and 100 with an assigned leader over each group. From the records of
the Heber C Kimball Company, we know that Thomas Chappell was a leader of
10. His responsibilities would have been
oversee and assist the 10 families in his group.
Harrison Sperry describes the organization of a Mormon
immigrant train as follows:
“The company was
organized with a captain over 10 wagons, a higher captain over 50 wagans, and a
head captain over 100 wagons. As soon as
there were sufficient wagons to make a company of a hundred wagons, they were
organized and permitted to move out. On
account of the Indian danger, it was thought to be unsafe to travel with less
than that number.” (12)
Regarding the day to day activities of the wagon train,
Harrison Sperry describes:
“Our rate of travel
varied from about ten to twenty miles a day.
On Sundays, the Sabbath was observed.
We would lay bye and hold meetings.
Sometimes a half day on Saturdays was set aside, to let the women get
their washing done. At times our travel
was governed by the amount of feed available for the animals and the distance
to water holes. As a general rule, the
food available to the animals was very good. We were short of wood at times and
hd to resort to buffalo chips (droppings or the manure of the buffalo) for our
fires. Buffalo chips made good fires
when they were dry. “
“Once camp was
organized at night, you would see everyone our gathering chips and bringing
water in. With the camp fires started, you knew that super was being
cooked. After super the herds were
looked after. Each night four or five
men were detailed to the herd, to take them out to feed, to guard them, to make
sure that the Indians didn’t sneak them away.
This guard group would stay with them all night, then bring them in
early in the morning. About nine o’clock
at night, camp fires were put out. All the camp went to bed. Sometimes when Indian danger was thought to
be great, the herd was brought into the corral, formed of our wagons driven in
an oval shape fity wagons on each side, wheels chained together, and a wagon
drawn across each entrance. Guards were placed all around the camp.” (13)
Other notable members of the Heber C. Kimball Company of
1848 include Mary Fielding Smith, widow of Hyrum Smith (brother of Joseph Smith
who was also killed in Carthage, Illinois in June, 1844) and her 9 year of son
Joseph Fielding Smith, future president of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints. (14)
The three and a half month journey ended on September 24th
1848 when the Chappell family arrived in the Salt Lake Valley.
References:
1. Harrison
Sperry, “Sperry Family Crossing the Plains”, Original Journal of Harrison
Sperry, as found in: “George Armstrong
and Aurilla Sperry Chappell”, Compilation of family history and genealogy by
the descendants of George Armstrong Chappell and Aurilla Sperry.
2. “Sidwell
Family History”, Compiled by Ettie Jane Sidwell, as recorded in “George
Armstrong and Aurilla Sperry Chappell”, Compilation of family history and
genealogy by the descendants of George Armstrong Chappell and Aurilla Sperry.
3. In
August of 1842 Joseph Smith prophesied “that the Saints would continue to
suffer much affliction and would be driven to the Rocky Mountains, many would
apostatize, others would be put to death by our persecutors or lose their lives
in consequence of exposure or disease, and some [would] live to … build cities
and see the Saints become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains”
(Documentary History of the Church, 5:85, August, 1842)
4. Harrison
Sperry, “Sperry Family Crossing the Plains.
5. “Church
records for the first summer do not contain information on disease victims;
however, later records indicate that, from mid-September 1846 to May 1848,
disease caused the deaths of 359 residents”. Wikipedia.com
6. Harrison
Sperry, “Sperry Family Crossing the Plains.
7. “When
he first gazed upon the valley, Brigham Young recorded, the “Spirit of Light
rested on me and hovered over the valley, and I felt that there the Saints
would find protection and safety.” Years later, Wilford Woodruff elaborated:
“He had seen the valley before in vision, and upon this occasion he saw the
future glory of Zion and of Israel, as they would be, planted in the valleys of
these mountains.” When the vision had passed, President Young said, “It is
enough. This is the right place. Drive on.” (Ronald K. Esplin, "A “Place
Prepared” in the Rockies", Ensign, July 1988, 7, as quoted from: Manuscript
History of Brigham Young, 23 July 1847, Church Archives; and Wilford Woodruff
Address, 24 July 1880, The Utah Pioneers, p. 23, quoted in B. H. Roberts, A Comprehensive
History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Century I, 6 vols.,
(Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1930), 3:224)
8. “Some
confusion exists about the total number entering the valley in 1847. Church
historian B.H. Roberts, basing his calculations on Thomas Bullock's reports,
asserted a total of 2,095, but he did not take into account the battalion
members from California. Leonard J. Arrington estimated that 1,681 pioneers
spent the first winter in the valley, and a church letter of 6 March 1848
reported that the total population stood at "1,671 persons living in 423
houses." There were also some births and deaths, and a few battalion men
decided to go back east to their families. In addition, some 250 people who
came into the Salt Lake Valley in 1847 returned soon afterwards to Winter
Quarters or to California. Thus about 1,930 people could claim the title
"Pioneers of '47." (Eugene E. Campbell, “Establishing Zion: The Mormon Church in the American West, Chapter
1, 1847-69”, 1988, Signature Books, Salt Lake City, Utah.)
9. Harrison Sperry, “Sperry Family Crossing the Plains”.
9. Harrison Sperry, “Sperry Family Crossing the Plains”.
10. Mormon
Pioneer Overland Trail, 1847-1868, www. lds.org/church history/ library/pioneer
company
11. Heber
C Kimball, Journal, Trail Excerpts, lds.org/church history/library/pioneercompanysources
12. Harrison Sperry, “Sperry Family Crossing the Plains
12. Harrison Sperry, “Sperry Family Crossing the Plains
13. Harrison
Sperry, “Sperry Family Crossing the Plains
14. Mormon
Pioneer Overland Trail, 1847-1868, www. lds.org
Appendix A: The Oatman
Massacre
In early August 1844, just a few weeks after Joseph’s death,
the Saints gathered in Nauvoo to address who should lead the church. The main contenders for the role were Sidney
Rigdon, former council to Joseph Smith in the First Presidency of the Church,
and Brigham Young, leading apostle in the Council of the Twelve Apostles. Sidney addressed the congregation first,
followed by Brigham Young. The majority
of the Saints felt the authority to lead was with Brigham Young and the Quorum
of the Twelve. Many in attendance saw the image of Joseph come over Brigham
Young, and as he spoke and heard the voice of their fallen prophet. Brigham
Young was to lead the Church.
While the majority of the Saints did follow Brigham Young
and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the debate about who was the rightful
heir to lead the Latter-Day Saints was not at all clear in the minds of
many.
Joy Sperry’s eldest daughter, Mary Ann, married Roys Oatman, also from La
Harpe, in 1832. This couple later
converted to Mormonism in about 1839 along with the rest of the Sperry family . While the Sperry family followed Brigham
Young, Roys Oatman felt Sidney Rigdon was the rightful leader of the
Church. Roys and Mary Ann followed
Rigdon and his supporters to Pennsylvania but soon became disillusioned and
returned to western Illinois. Even though
they were again residing near his wife’s family, Roys remained convinced Brigham
Young was not the one to lead the Church.
In the spring of 1846, as the Sperry family was making final preparation
to move west, Roys and Mary Ann Oatman went to see them off.
“Joy Sperry and his wife Mary Ann made preparations to leave
Hancock County with Brigham Young in the spring of 1846. Roys and Mary Ann Oatman came down from
Whiteside County to see them off. They
wanted, no doubt, to wish Mary Ann’s parents well on their journey westward;
they were going to a “New Jerusalem” somewhere in the West, but exactly where
not even Brigham Young knew for sure.
But the visit quickly took on a disagreeable tone. Sperry, an ardent
Young supporter, may well have tried to persuade the Oatmans to join them on
the trek. But Roys wanted none of Young’s leadership. The two Mormons argued their respective
positions for about a week, until the day the Oatmans were to start back to
Whiteside County.
Joy’s son Charles
later remembered that the two men “got to arguing at the breakfast table and
they both got quite warm and in earnest in their argument.” Finally Roys said to his father-in-law,
“I see, Father Sperry, it is no use to talk with you. I
prophesy in the name of the Lord that if you go west with your family, your
children will go hungry and some will starve to death and your throats will be
cut from ear to ear by the Indians.” A more reasonable man would have regretted
the words as soon as they parted his lips, but Roys Oatman apparently never did
so. Joy Sperry was older, perhaps
wiser, but no less firm in his
convictions. His only reply to Roys was
“Be careful how you prophesy in the name of the Lord”. (As quoted in book by Brian
McGinty “The Oatman Massacre: A Tale of Desert Captivity and Survival”, 2006)
This prophecy did come true; upon the family of Roys
Oatman. He and his family eventually
became followers of James Collin Brewster another of many who presented himself
as the divinely appointed leader of the Latter Day Saints. He taught that the true “gathering place”
for the Mormons was at the confluence of the Gila and Colorado Rivers in
present day Arizona. It was in search of their “Zion” that the Oatman family
found themselves in February of 1851, along the banks of the Gila River. Here is this remote, rugged place, Roys and Mary
Ann Oatman and their children were brutally attached by local Indians. All were killed but for two daughters who
were taken prisoner, and a son who was left for dead. While the younger of the two sisters died in captivity,
the older sister lived to be rescued about 5 years later and was eventually
reunited with her surviving brother. The
story of the “Oatman Massacre” was widely covered in the newspapers of the
country and the event was forever immortalized by a Methodist minister, Royal
Stratton, who’s book, “Captivity of the Oatman Girls”, first published in 1857,
remained a best seller for decades. The
surviving daughter also helped with the celebrity by participating in a
speaking circuit where she would share her harrowing experiences with large
audiences. The “Oatman Massacre” is a story
of the west told and retold, most recently in the book, “The Oatman Massacre: A
tale of Desert Captivity and Survival” written in 2006 by Brian McGinty.
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