MORMON WOMEN WHOSE ANCESTORS WERE ON BOARD THE "MAYFLOWER"--A BRADFORD,
AND DESCENDANT OF THE SECOND GOVERNOR OF PLYMOUTH COLONY--A DESCENDANT
OF ROGERS, THE MARTYR--THE THREE WOMEN WHO CAME WITH THE PIONEERS--THE
FIRST WOMAN BORN IN UTAH--WOMEN OF THE CAMP OF ZION--WOMEN OF THE
MORMON BATTALION.
Harriet A., wife of Lorenzo Snow, was born in Aurora, Portage Co.,
Ohio, Sept. 13, 1819. Her honorable lineage is best established by
reference to the fact that her parents were natives of New England,
that one of her grandfathers served in the Revolutionary war, and that
her progenitors came to America in the _Mayflower_.
At twenty-five years of age she embraced the gospel, and in 1846
gathered with the church at Nauvoo. In January, '47, she was married
to Elder Snow, and in the February following, with her husband and his
three other wives, crossed the Mississippi and joined the encampment of
the saints who had preceded them.
Thence to Salt Lake Valley her story is not dissimilar to that of the
majority of the saints, except in personal incident and circumstance.
A praise-worthy act of hers, during the trip across the plains,
deserves historical record, however. A woman had died on the way,
leaving three little children--one of them a helpless infant. Sister
Snow was so wrought upon by the pitiful condition of the infant, that
she weaned her own child and nursed the motherless babe. By a stupid
blunder of her teamster, also, she was one night left behind, alone,
with two little children on the prairie. Luckily for her, a wagon had
broken down and had been abandoned by the company. Depositing the
babes in the wagon-box, she made search, and found that some flour and
a hand-bell had been left in the wreck, and with this scanty outfit
she set about making supper. She first took the clapper out of the
bell, then stopped up the hole where it had been fastened in. This now
served her for a water-pitcher. Filling it at a brook some distance
away, she wet up some of the flour; then, with some matches that she
had with her, started a fire, and baked the flour-cakes, herself and
thirteen-months-old child making their supper upon them. She then
ensconced herself in the wagon with her babes, and slept till early
morning, when her husband found her and complimented her highly for her
ingenuity and bravery.
From the valley Apostle Snow was sent to Italy on mission, where he
remained three years. An illustrative incident of his experience on
his return, is worth telling. His return had been announced, and his
children, born after his departure, were as jubilant over his coming as
the others; but one little girl, although in raptures about her father
before he came, on his arrival felt somewhat dubious as to whether he
was her father or not, and refused to approach him for some time, and
no persuasion could entice her. At length she entered the room where
he was sitting, and after enquiring of each of the other children,
"Is that my favvy?" and receiving an affirmative response, she placed
herself directly in front of her father, and looking him full in the
face, said, "Is you my favvy?" "Yes," said he, "I am your father." The
little doubter, being satisfied, replied, "well, if you is my favvy,
I will kiss you." And she most affectionately fulfilled the promise,
being now satisfied that her caresses were not being lavished on a
false claimant.
Sister Snow, as will be perceived, was among the first to enter
polygamy, and her testimony now is, after thirty years' experience,
that "It is a pure and sacred principle, and calculated to exalt and
ennoble all who honor and live it as revealed by Joseph Smith."
--
Mrs. Elmira Tufts, of Salt Lake City, was born in Maine, in the year
1812. Her parents were both natives of New England, and her mother,
Betsy Bradford, was a descendant of William Bradford, who came to
America on the _Mayflower_, in 1620, and, after the death of Governor
Carver, was elected governor of the Little Plymouth Colony, which
position he held for over thirty years. Her father, Nathan Pinkham,
also served in the Revolution.
With her husband, Mrs. Tufts gathered to Nauvoo in 1842. With the body
of the church they shared the vicissitudes of the exodus, and finally
the gathering to the valley. Here Mr. Tufts died in 1850.
Mrs. T. had the pleasure of visiting the recent centennial exhibition,
and declares that this is the height and acme of America's grandeur.
"The grand display," she says, "which all nations were invited to
witness, is like the bankrupt's grand ball, just before the crash of
ruin."
--
Vienna Jacques was born in the vicinity of Boston, in 1788. She went
to Kirtland in 1833, being a single lady and very wealthy. When she
arrived in Kirtland she donated all of her property to the church.
She is one of the few women mentioned in the Book of Doctrine and
Covenants. Her lineage is very direct to the martyr John Rogers. She is
still living and retains all of her faculties.
--
The three women who came to the valley with the pioneers are deserving
of mention in connection with that event.
Mrs. Harriet Page Wheeler Young, the eldest of the three above
mentioned, was born in Hillsborough, N. H., September 7th, 1803. She
was baptized into the Mormon connection in February, 1836, at New
Portage, Ohio; went with the saints to Missouri, and was expelled from
that State in 1839; went from there to Nauvoo, and in the spring of
1844 was married to Lorenzo Dow Young, brother of President Young. She
was with her husband in the exodus; and, on the 7th of April, 1847,
in company with Helen Saunders, wife of Heber C. Kimball, and Clara
Decker, wife of President Young, accompanied the pioneers on their
famous journey to the valley of the Great Salt Lake.
They arrived in the valley on the 24th of July, 1847, and camped
near what is now Main street, Salt Lake City. Plowing and planting
was immediately commenced, and houses were soon reared in what was
afterwards called the "Old Fort." On the 24th of September, following,
she presented to her husband a son, the first white male child born in
the valley.
In the early days, as is well known, the new settlers of Salt Lake
were considerably troubled with Indian depredations. One day, when
"Uncle Lorenzo" was gone from home, and his wife was alone, an Indian
came and asked for biscuit. She gave him all she could spare, but he
demanded more, and when she refused, he drew his bow and arrow and
said he would kill her. But she outwitted him. In the adjoining room
was a large dog, which fact the Indian did not know, and Sister Young,
feigning great fear, asked the Indian to wait a moment, while she made
as if to go into the other room for more food. She quickly untied
the dog, and, opening the door, gave him the word. In an instant the
Indian was overpowered and begging for mercy. She called off the dog,
and bound up the Indian's wounds and let him go, and she was never
troubled by Indians again. Her dying testimony to her husband, just
before she expired, December 22d, 1871, was that she had never known
any difference in her feelings and love for the children born to him by
his young wives, and her own.
Sister Helen Saunders Kimball remained in the valley with her husband
and reared a family. She died November 22d, 1871.
Clara Decker Young is still living, and has an interesting family.
--
Here may very properly be mentioned the first daughter of "Deseret;"
or, more strictly speaking, the first female child born in Utah. Mrs.
James Stopley, now a resident of Kanarrah, Kane county, Utah, and the
mother of five fine children, is the daughter of John and Catherine
Steele, who were in the famous Mormon battalion. Just after their
discharge from the United States service they reached the site of Salt
Lake City (then occupied by the pioneers), and on the 9th of August,
1847, their little daughter was born. This being a proper historical
incident, inasmuch as she was the first white child born in the valley,
it may be interesting to note that the event occurred on the east side
of what is now known as Temple Block, at 4 o'clock A. M., of the day
mentioned. In honor of President Brigham Young, she was named Young
Elizabeth. Her father writes of her at that time as being "a stout,
healthy child, and of a most amiable disposition."
--
Among the veteran sisters whose names should be preserved to history,
are Mrs. Mary Snow Gates, Mrs. Charlotte Alvord, and Mrs. Diana Drake.
They are uniques of Mormon history, being the three women who, with
"Zion's Camp," went up from Kirtland to Missouri, "to redeem Zion."
Their lives have been singularly eventful, and they rank among the
early disciples of the church and the founders of Utah.
--
And here let us make a lasting and honorable record of the women of the
battalion:
Mrs. James Brown, Mrs. O. Adams, Albina Williams, J. Chase, ---- Tubbs,
---- Sharp, D. Wilkin, J. Hess, Fanny Huntington, John Steele, J. Harmon,
and C. Stillman, daughter, ---- Smith, U. Higgins, M. Ballom, E. Hanks,
W. Smithson, Melissa Corey, A. Smithson.
These are the noble Mormon women who accepted the uncertain fortunes of
war, in the service of their country. Be their names imperishable in
American history.