HISTORICAL SKETCH OF MY LIFE
John Johnson Davies1
I am a very poor
speller
And also very poor
writer
I know but little
about grammar
Then please excuse all
my blunders.
I was born the 28th of December, 1831, in the City of Carmarthen,
Carmarthenshire, South Wales. My father's name was John and my mother's maiden
name was Sarah Lewis. My father was born in the year 1797, and died in the
month of December, 1839. My mother was born in the year of 1798, died in the
month of November, 1856. They were buried in Carmarthen, South Wales. My
parents had ten children.
My father was a stone cutter by trade, and by lifting too hard,
and inhaling the dust of the stone, he bled to death. My sister Sarah Jane,
died a few days before father died. My mother was then left with four children
to provide for in that hard country. This was a gloomy time for mother. The
names of the children that were left with mother, were David, Phillip, John and
Louis.
When I was nine years old, I had to work to help mother get the
comforts of life. I worked in a weaver's shop, guiling for the weavers, and I
learned that trade. After I served my apprenticeship, I thought I would take a
trip from home to see the towns and cities in other parts of the country. It was
in the month of January, 1850, that I started from home on foot, because there
were no railroads in that part of the country at that time.
The first place I came to was the City of Jlanellhe. This was
twenty miles from home. I felt a little homesick because I did not get work
here. I stayed with my Aunt a few days in this city. I felt quite lonesome
here. Why? Because I was among strangers and was very young and had but little
experience in the world.
The next place I came to was Caslocker. I was lucky this time. I
got work with a man named David Thomas. I worked for him three months and made
good wages. I went to meeting with him on Sunday. He was the leader of the
choir of the Baptist Church. He introduced me to the singers and I joined them
in their singing. I made many friends in this place. I left the place feeling
good because I had some money. I started again in a rain storm. I traveled a
few miles and got to Swanze City, Glanmor Ganshire. This is a great seaport.
I did not get work in this place and now I began to be homesick
again. I met a friend in this city who introduced me to a gentleman [End
Page 155] by the name of William Jones. I asked him if he could give
me a job and he asked me if I had served my apprenticeship. I said, “Yes, sir,
here's my diploma.” After he read it he said, “Yes. I will give you a job
because you have learned the trade from a good tradesman.” And in a short time
after that I was traveling towards his home. His home was twenty miles from
Swanze on the seashore.
The next day was Sunday. He took me to meeting, the Presbyterian
Church. On Monday I started to work and he watched me very close. But he soon
found out that I understood my business. In a few days, he found that I could
sing and he also introduced me to the choir and I took part with them in the
choir. I did well in this place and made quite a bit of money while I was here
and I enjoyed myself well.
Now for home; I bought a new suit of clothes and started for
home. I got home on the 21st of December, 1850. I can tell you that I felt like
the poet says, “There's no place like home.” And that is true. And when I got
back home, my old friends came to see me and we had a good chat together and
also singing. That evening I went to see the girl I kept company with before I
left home and she welcomed me home, and truly I felt "at home" in her
company. Her name was Mariah.
I started to work again at home for a man by the name of David
Edwards. He was a Methodist and very religious. The loom that I got to work on
was near the door, and I caught a very bad cold, and was taken very sick with
the chills and fever. I had a chill every day for many days, yes, for three
months. Then they quit and in a few days I felt middling well. Mother told me
to go to Jlanstafan village by the seashore to regain my strength. I went to
this place in a boat, down the river fifteen miles. I enjoyed myself very good
for awhile. I got healthy and strong.
I was here for two weeks, but to my sorrow I was taken sick
again, I started out one day from the village and went as far as one of the old
castles that were built by the Welsh people hundreds of years ago, and when I
got there I sat on a log that was close by the castle. It was built on a high
cliff close to the seashore and while I was looking at the tide coming in, and
the ships out on the sea, I felt a queer feeling and I said, "Is it
possible I am going to have the chills again?" I did not stop there but a
few minutes before I was on the way to the village a mile away. I was getting
sicker all the time. I took a drink of brandy, then I felt a little better, but
the next morning I had a heavy chill. I told the landlord next morning that I
was very sick, I paid him for my board and started back home with the evening
tide. I got back home the 24th of June, 1851, and when I got in the house my
mother looked at me and said, "What is the matter, John?" I said,
"I am sick with the chills again.? She said, "Never mind, you will
get over it." [End Page 156] She was a good mother and
did all that was in her power to help me. I was sick until the middle of
September. And after I got over the chills this time, my brothers told me to go
to school, that they would pay for the school bill. I was in school one quarter
and this is all the schooling that did me any good in my days.
In the month of August, 1851, the father and mother of the girl
that I kept company with, were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints. I was satisfied what the Elders preached was according to
the teachings of our Savior and His Apostles. I started to work again in the
month of January, 1852, for a man by the name of John Jones.
In the month of January, 1852, I and the son and daughter of
Father Davies were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,
by Abednego Jones. The names of the family of Father Davies are Henry, the
father; Martha, the mother; Mariah, the daughter, and William, the
son. The next day was Sunday and we went to meeting and
were confirmed by the Elders of the Church. Monday morning I went
to my work; and when 1 entered the work shop they all made fun of me. But I did
not care for I knew that what I had done was right.
Next Sunday, the 18th, I went to meeting and we had a good
meeting. The Spirit of God was with us. I was ordained a Priest in this meeting
and sent out with two of the Elders to bear my testimony to the people. I
traveled a good deal with the Elders to help them sing, and bear my testimony.
I know that the preaching and singing of the Latter-Day Saints has an influence
that the world doesn't have. I know that this is true.
My girl and myself used to go on excursions to the seashore in a
steamer. And sometimes down to the seashore in a boat. England and Wales is a
great country for enjoyments. Excuse me for saying so much about my girl, I
can't help it for she was good company to me.
Now I will write a few words about the wedding. It was on the 3d
of October, 1853, that I got married to Mariah Davies, the daughter of Henry
and Martha Davies; this was in Carmarthen City, South Wales. A few prominent
Elders were invited to the wedding and we had a pleasant time; we had songs,
speeches, recitations, toasts, and poetry composed for the occasion by the
Elders of the Latter-Day Saints. I stayed in Wales a few months after the
wedding,
Now comes the
sorrowful time for us to leave our friends and relations behind us in our
native land. We prepared everything that we could think of for the journey. Now
we are going to start on that great journey across that great and mighty sea.
We got to Liverpool on the 2nd of February, 1854. My father and mother-in-law,
myself and wife started to the valleys of the mountains on [End Page
157] the 4th of February, 1854, in the ship Colcondale, sailing
vessel. There were 464 Saints on board.
The ship was taken out
to the open sea by a steamer and then we were left to the mercy of God. There
was one thing that gave us joy and satisfaction, for we knew that God was with
us to protect us on the sea, and we had a good Captain to guide the ship. In a
short time after the steamer left us, the ship was in full sail and she looked
handsome. We had a good breeze and she ploughed the Main very fast. It was very
cold when we left Liverpool, but in a few days we got to a warmer climate and
we were comfortable on deck. It was a sight to see the ships sailing on the
sea.
We had a brass band on board. I was one of them—all Welsh. There
was a choir on board, and I was one of them; also a string band. They played
for dances; we had dancing on the sea. There were some Elders along with us
returning from their mission. There were a few bachelors on board. They had a
place by themselves. They called it Bachelor's Hall. They made lots of fun for
us on the sea. The Captain was very kind to us, especially to the sick. But
there was very little sickness and only one death, and that was an infant.
Indeed it was a solemn time when the child was dropped into the sea.
We enjoyed ourselves very well while traveling on the sea. Our
President was Elder Curtis; he was returning from his mission. He organized us
and appointed Teachers to look after us. And we had meetings every Sunday. We
had a good voyage and but one storm; but that was a fearful one and I shall
never forget it. It lasted about four hours and I was on deck to see it all.
The waves were as big as mountains. The sailors got all the sails fastened
before the storm was very bad. The thunder and lightning was terrible, and the
rain was pouring down. The ship did well but she sprung a leak, though it was
soon stopped. The storm quit about dark. The next day the ship was in full sail
again and we all felt to rejoice for fine weather once more, and I tell you my
friends, that we did feel indeed to rejoice.
We had the pleasure to see a wedding on the sea. The bride was
tied to a chair and was hoisted up the mast quite a ways. The Captain
said: “What a brave woman!” Then she took her handkerchief and waved it
in the breeze. The bridegroom was carried around the ship in a chair by four
bachelors. They made it for that purpose. This took place about the first of
March, 1854.
We had a great deal of amusement on the sea and when we got
through the Gulf of Mexico, the Captain said: "Ship about." Then we
traveled northwest until we got to that great river, Mississippi. Here a
steamer came to meet us and towed us up that mighty river. The water was very
muddy, and when we came to Quarantine Station, we had to stop for the doctors
to examine us. When the doctors came on board, we passed them two by two
and [End Page 158] they pronounced us all well. We started
again and got to New Orleans on the 18th of March, 1854. We made the trip in
six weeks from Liverpool to this place.
We stayed in New Orleans a few days to get ready to travel up
the river again. It is about one hundred miles from the mouth of the
Mississippi to New Orleans, and we were glad to get there. About the last of
March we started for St, Louis, in a small steamboat, and we were crowded.
Now we are going, yes, faster and faster. The steamboat puffing
and snorting and pushing hard against the stream, but oh what dirty water for
us to use! We dip it up to settle it, but it doesn't get much better. Never
mind, we will do the best we can with it. I must drink it anyhow, because I am
very thirsty. And what a "rackity" noise; it made me shudder! The
Captain shouting and the water splashing and the band playing and some of us
singing, and some of the sisters washing and the babes crying and the sailors
talking, and many of them smoking. All of us trying to do something, and the
boat tugging and snorting when traveling up the Mississippi River! The
Mississippi indeed was a great sight to us, to see such forests of timber on
the land. What a wonderful stream this is, going in such force, taking down
some very large logs; they sometimes strike the boat with tremendous blows; but
we got through all right.
We got to St. Louis about the 10th of April, 1854; and we were
glad to get there. But what a dirty looking place it is, to be sure; and when
we got on shore we had a great and sad sight to see the Negroes working rolling
the cotton bales. The boss that was looking after them used them very rough.
Sometimes he would give them a hard lick with his whip. I thought that was bad
to treat human beings in that way. Here we are crowded into an old hospital,
the best place we can get. We stayed two weeks in St. Louis. Here the cholera
started among us; and we buried a few of the brethren and sisters in this
place. In a few days the word was to get ready to start up the river again; and
we were glad of the chance. Distance from New Orleans to St. Louis is about
twelve hundred miles.
We started from St.
Louis on the 24th of April, 1854. After we got started the Captain of the boat
said: "Put on more steam," and away she go! We had a good view of the
country on both sides of the river. It was a great sight to us because most of
us were tradesmen, and that is the reason traveling through this country was
interesting to us. We had to stop a few times to bury the dead while going up
the river. We got to Kansas City, Missouri, in the month of May. The distance
from St. Louis to Kansas City is about four hundred miles. This was a trading
post in those days, one or two stores, and a few houses; and after we got on
shore we camped close to the river. [End Page 159]
The cholera was very bad among us by this time, and in a few
days we moved to Mr. Magee's plantation. Now we had a good place to camp. We
buried quite a few of our brethren and sisters in this place. It was here I
buried my father and mother-in-law. We stayed in these camps six weeks. We went
from here to Westport and stayed here a few days to get ready to start on the
Plains.
Now comes the labor and toil for a people who have no experience
whatever for travel; more than a thousand miles across the great Plains, and
also the great mountains, before we would get to the "Valleys of the
Mountains." Oh yes, we had a fine time seeing the Negroes breaking the
young steers for the company!
We started on the Plains on the 1st of July, 1854. We traveled
along the best we knew how for many a day. Now I will relate a few things that
happened to us on the Plains between West-port and Laramie. The first night we
camped at Indian Creek and between twelve and one o'clock in the night my wife
gave birth to a daughter in a tent; and at eight o'clock in the morning we
rolled out again. We traveled twenty-five miles and camped for the night.
Now I will tell you about the circus that we had the first few
days on the Plains. Our Captain told us to get up early in the morning to get
ready to start in good time. After breakfast was over, we got the cattle
together and tried to yoke them up. I can assure you that this was quite a task
for us, and after we got them hitched to the wagon, we started out. Now comes
the circus, and it was a good one! The Captain was watching us and telling us
what to do. He told us to take the whip and use it, and say "whoa Duke,
gee Brandy" and so on! Now the fun commenced. Then we went after them
pretty lively. When the cattle went "gee" too much we would run to
the off side, yelling at them "whoa!", and bunting them with the
stock of the whip. Then they would go "haw" too much and we were
puffing and sweating. If you had been there you would say that it was a great
circus. This was a great experience and a tough one, but by the time we got
half way across the Plains, we could drive an ox team as well as you can any
day.
There were ten persons to every wagon, though there were only
six men in my wagon; three of them left me at Fort Kearney; two were sick in
the wagon and one died on the road. We buried him next morning. I had to drive
the team alone across the Plains and mountains. I had a big red boil under my
right arm, which gave me great pain. We had plenty of grass and water but very
little wood on the Plains. The women gathered buffalo chips to make fires to
cook by to give us something to eat. We traveled a few days more and got to Ash
Hollow, which is one hundred fifty miles from Fort Kearney; and Fort Kearney is
between two hundred and three hundred miles from the Missouri River. [End
Page 160]
When we were on the Ash Hollow Hill, a wagon wheel went over a
boy's head; and he came very near losing his life. The Elders administered to
him and he got better. His name was |Jonathan Prothero. We had to lock both
wheels to go down this hill. We camped for the night on the bottomlands of the
Platte River. Next morning we were off again, and after I got out a ways from
this place, the wagon wheel went over my foot. I took some oil and anointed my
foot, and in a short time it was all right.
In camp after supper, we would sing and chat. At nine o'clock we
had prayers; then we'd go to rest. There were fifty wagons in the train.
Besides the Captain of the train, five more were chosen, one for every ten
wagons, to tell us what to do. One day when traveling on the road we had a
stampede. The teams started out on the run and they tangled up fast together.
It was a wonder that no one was killed and nothing broken, Then we parted them
and hitched them up again and traveled a few miles and camped for the night. We
had another stampede in the night while they were in the corral. The Captain
was afraid of Indians that night. We made the corral with wagons every evening.
The cattle that night bunted the wagons pretty lively, and the Captain shouted
to the guard to let them go, and they went out on the run. Next morning after
breakfast we got them together, some fifteen miles away. We traveled a few
miles that day. Next morning we rolled out again. When looking towards the
west, we could see Chimney Rock. We thought we would get to it that day, but
it took us three days. Indeed, it does look like a Chimney.
My wife had a gathered breast; she was sick for a long time. I
got the Elders to administer to her and she recovered. The buffaloes on the
Plains were by tens of thousands. The boys wounded a young bull and he came
snorting, and crossed the road between the wagons; but they downed him, and
fetched one quarter to camp.
The night before we came to Laramie we camped a few miles from
the Fort. This Fort is located on the South Side of the North Platte at the
foot of the Black Hills, being five hundred fifty miles west of the Missouri
River. In the morning we rolled out towards the Fort, in a short time after we
started. We passed a large camp of the Sioux Indians. We passed the Fort and
camped by the Platte River for noon.
The Danish train that
was behind us came along the same day. The Indians killed one of their cows.
The Danish Captain told the Military Captain about it. The Captain of the Fort
sent some men to see the Indians about it. They got to disputing and the
soldiers fired at them. The Indians then killed some of the soldiers and burned
the Fort. The Danish Captain told our Captain to wait until his train came
along and said that the Indians were on the war path. The trappers also were
coming towards us, [End Page 161] for dear life. We all
crossed the river all right. We had a large camp. That night we thought we
would have to fight, but the Indians had had their revenge. We camped together
for a few nights then separated. I believed that the Lord overruled it for our
good. We did not see any more Indians until we came to Salt Lake City.
Now we are in the Black Hills, and in a few days travel we got
to the Red Buttes. We jogged along again and got to the Willow Springs, and
next place was Coyote Springs, and from here to the Independence Rock is ten
miles. Here we struck the Sweetwater. The next place was the Devil's Gate, and
the next was the Rocky Ridge; this Ridge is the backbone of the Rocky
Mountains. The streams run from here in all directions, here where the South
Pass is. We are still going up and down through the hills until we reach Little
Sandy, and the next place was the Big Sandy.
Six miles farther west, we struck the Green River. The next
place we came to was Fort Bridger. The distance from Fort Bridger to Salt Lake
City is one hundred thirteen miles. We bid goodbye to the Fort and
traveled along the
best we could until we got through the Emigration Canyon. Then we could see the
valleys of the mountains, which made us rejoice and thank the Lord for His
blessings to us on our journey. We got to the City of the Saints a few days
after the October Conference of 1854. We rolled through the City with joyful
hearts, and camped on the Emigration Square, west of Temple Block.
My wife's cousin, Elizabeth, and her husband, Rees J. Williams,
came to see us in camp and we had a good chat together. He said: "I want
you to come and stay awhile with us.' We stayed with them until Christmas time
was over. After I rested a few days, I started to work on the new road from the
City west to the Jordan Bridge. After this job was done I worked on the public
works. I helped to build the Endowment House, and also worked on the foundation
of that Great Temple. When I was working here I had a terrible blow. One of the
large blocks of stone slipped down to the foundation and stuck one of the
levers, and it came in such force it struck me on the side of my head, senseless
to the ground. The brethren administered to me and I got better. The
Superintendent of the work was Brother Daniel H. Wells.
Now I will say a word about the fight. It was in the winter of
1854, between the Mormon boys and Colonel Steptoe's soldiers. I was right there
on Christmas morning. It was getting quite rough before they quit. President
Young sent Brother Orson Hyde to stop it, and it was lucky that it was stopped,
because it was getting quite rough. [End Page 162]
The work on the public works quit at Christmas time. Then I went
to work for Sister Mackeny at my trade of weaving. She lived in the Eleventh
Ward. I worked for her until the April Conference in 1855.
Sister Mackeny, myself and wife went to meeting held in the
Tabernacle, on Sunday, in a carriage. This was a great honor for us. I wove
that winter five hundred yards of carpet for use in the Tabernacle. After the
April Conference was over I went to North Ogden to live. The first Sunday I was
there the Bishop, Thomas Dunn, set me apart to lead the singing and to organize
a singing class. So I did, and before I left North Ogden, we had a good choir.
Now I will say a few words about the Grasshopper war. They
destroyed nearly all the crops in the Northern Settlements, and bread stuff was
very scarce. Many had to dig roots to sustain life; I had to do that myself. I
went to the fields to water my corn and got very weak. I started for home and
when I got to the house I met my little daughter, Martha, in the door, and she
asked me for some bread, and there was no bread in the house. This was a trying
time for us. I took a sack and started out and said, "I will get some
flour before I come back." I went to Sister Marler; all she had in the house
was twenty pounds of flour and one loaf of bread. She gave me half of what she
had, and when I got home my wife smiled. Then we had a good breakfast.
I wove one hundred yards of cloth for Sister Marler's
son-in-law, Brother Bailey Lake. He paid me in flour. Then I had flour to do me
until fall. He was killed by the Indians on his way home from his Salmon River
Mission. This was in the spring of 1858.
Now I will say a word or two about the great feast we had after
the famine. It was on the 24th of July, 1856. We had bread made from the wheat
that grew this year, and all kinds of vegetables. And I can tell you, my
friends, that this was a feast in reality. We did enjoy ourselves, you bet. A
more jovial crowd you never saw. The winter of 1856-57 was exceedingly severe
in Utah. Snow fell to the depth of eight feet at various places in the valley.
And I will never forget that winter the snow was six feet deep in North Ogden.
Early in the spring of 1858, President Young told the Latter-Day
Saints that the salvation of the Saints was in moving south; and towards the
latter part of March, the people began to evacuate Salt Lake City and the
entire country north of Utah Valley.
The people had teams and wagons of all descriptions. The best
looking team to my fancy was three yoke of yearlings, and they did look pretty.
I went as far as Spanish Fork and stayed there one year, and returned to my
home, in the north, in the fall of 1859. I bear my testimony that the
Lord did bless His people [End Page 163] just as the Prophet
Brigham Young said, and all the people rejoiced, although it was a great
sacrifice.
I bought a city lot in Spanish Fork when I was there the time of
the move, and made quite a sum of money off my garden truck that summer. Sold
them to the peddlers. They took them to Camp Floyd. I worked in this Camp in
the fall. I did not have a team of my own the time of the move.
I bought a yoke of cattle and a wagon and started back to my old
home in the North, in the fall of 1859.
In the fall of 1864, I left North Ogden to go to Kanarra, Iron
County. We started on the 5th of November. We got to Salt Lake City and had a
snow storm. We went from there to Lehi and stayed with my Uncle, Thomas Davies,
two days. We started again and got to Spanish Fork and stayed with my nephew, Alfred
Reese. We traveled a few days more and got to Wales, Sanpete, on the last day
of November and stayed for the winter with my brother-in-law, Thomas Rees.
Brother John Rees, the President of the place, said: "I want you to teach
the folks to sing." I said. "Very well, I will do that." I
organized a class and went to work. They learned very fast, and in a short time
we had a pretty good choir. Brother Orson Hyde, one of the Twelve Apostles,
lived in Springtown, Sanpete. He said, "I want you to visit the settlements
of Sanpete and sing for them to cheer them up." The first place we went to
was the City of Manti. We gave them a concert and a dance on New Year's night,
1865. Brother James Davies and wife were with us at this place. They were going
back home to Kanarra. I was taken sick a few days after this so I did not go to
all the settlements to sing for them.
It was in the spring of 1865 that the Sevier Valley was settled.
My brother-in-law, Thomas Rees, and his boys and myself, went to that Valley to
take up land. We took up land in Monroe. I had a very good show, made a good
home in this place. But the Indians drove me away in the month of July, 1865. A
young man named David Wilson and myself started from Monroe to cross the Beaver
Mountains to go to Kanarra, and had a very hard trip of it. Only one yoke of
cattle. We had three hills to climb. In one place we had to leave everything
but the four wheels. We took the old wagon bed apart and packed one board at a
time. We got on top but it was hard work. The drinking water was all gone and
we suffered for water a great deal, as did the cattle; and we were badly used
up before we got to water. We got to a spring of water at sundown. The next day
we got to the Beaver road and we were glad to get there. We got to Kanarra on
the 21st of July.
This trail that we traveled was made by that great explorer,
John C. Fremont, in 1853. Very near all of his animals died from starvation,
and some of his men died. He was snowed in. He got [End Page 164] to
Parowan on the 7th of January, 1854. It was a settlement of the Saints which
was settled by Brother George A. Smith and party in 1851.
My brother-in-law, James Davies, lived in Kanarra. He took me to
Pinto Creek to spend the 24th of July; and on the 26th I started back home. We
got there all right on the 3d of August. My wife was glad to see me because the
Indians were hostile in those days. It was in this year the Black Hawk War
commenced. The Indians stole hundreds of horses and cattle from Sanpete and
Sevier Counties and many of the Brethren were killed.
On the 1st of November, 1866, I left Sevier County with one yoke
of cattle, one cow and a wagon and started for Kanarra. We traveled through a
few settlements and got to Kanarra on the 25th. We stayed with my uncle's folks,
William R, Davies; and in the spring of 1867, the place was moved one mile
south. It was moved by the orders of Brother Erastus Snow, one of the Twelve
Apostles. I bought a farm in this place with Brother Llewellen Harris. Here
again I organized a choir and one in Harmony, a settlement eight miles from
Kanarra.
On the night of the 16th of May, 1869, my wife was taken sick at
four o'clock in the morning; she gave birth to a daughter, and at seven o'clock
she died. This was the most trying circumstance that ever came to me in my
life. It is impossible for me to express the feeling I had at that time. I
thought there was no more happiness for me anymore on this earth, but there was
one thing that gave me joy and satisfaction. I knew that she died in full faith
in the Gospel of Jesus. She was a good woman, a kind wife and a good mother.
She embraced the Gospel the first time in 1846. She was a faithful Latter-Day
Saint and died in peace in my arms. The baby was taken care of by Sister Ann
Young and she was a good mother to the child. My wife was buried on the 18th,
She was the mother of eight children. I buried two children in North Ogden. I
did the best I could to provide for the six children that were left with me.
The oldest was fourteen years old; her name is Martha Mariah, and she did very
well to help me with the other children.
2In the spring of 1873, the United Order commenced in Kanarra.
The Brethren and Sisters were organized by Bishop Lorenzo W. Roundy and his
Counselors A. B. Griffin and J. H. Willis, Sr. We worked faithfully all summer.
A. B. Griffin was the Superintendent of the farms and John J. Davies the
Superintendent of the gardens. In the fall it was discontinued, not because it wasn't
right; no, I believe it will be established in the Church of Jesus Christ yet,
because the Revelation of the Prophet Joseph Smith [End Page 165] will
yet come to pass. In the month of October, I was sent to herd the sheep of the
Order on the Kanarra mountains. I took John H., my son, with me. It is very
pleasant to be on the mountains in the summer and fall, to breathe that pure
air and drink that pure water.
On the 25th of July, 1870, I married Elizabeth Williams, a
cousin to the wife that I buried. On the 12th of May, 1872, my wife gave birth
to a son at two o'clock in the afternoon at Kanarra. In the latter part of
August, 1890, my wife was taken sick and died on the 27th of September, of
quick consumption. Once again a gloomy day came to me. She had five children of
her own and I had six.
My children are grown up and I am getting feeble, so I concluded
to sell my place in Kanarra. After I buried my wife, I lived with my son,
Henry, in Kanarra, until the 8th of July, 1891, when I went to live with my
son, John H., in Cannonville.
UNCLE SAM AND THE MORMONS
Yes Uncle Sam is trying his best
To drive the Mormons from the West
I hope that we shall stand the test
Brigham at the head
Chorus
Sing, let us
sing
Brigham Young shall be our King
Sing, sing, let us sing
Sing for the Priesthood, sing.
Colfax, he was in a fret
When he was here in Deseret
He said, "The Mormons we'll upset
Brigham ain't the man."
And Cragin thought that he was wise
Yet Mormonism he despised
But he, with all the others, lies
About the Mormon boys.
Bill Collum also with the rest
Said in Congress he knew best
"We'll rout the Mormons from the West
Brigham ain't the man."
The Editors they've tried their best
To publish lies on Deseret
And some of them proclaimed we'll fight
Brigham at the head [End Page 166]
Sectarians they do all they can
To stop the Savior's glorious plan
But Mormonism goes on
Brigham is the man
They say that we're an awful set
Away out here in Deseret
But we don't care and let them sweat
Brigham is the man
Minister Foote I understand
Is coming back to the Mormon land
With twenty thousand dollars on hand
To civilize the Saints
Minister Foote must be a fool
To think the Mormons he can rule
And we don't want Gentile schools
We can do without them
The next comes in is Judge McKean
He thought the Saints were very green
He soon found out a different scene
Brigham is the man
And Doctor Newman came to test
Plural marriage in Deseret
But Orson Pratt made him to sweat
Orson was the man
Prince Edmunds thought that he did well
His proclamation he did tell
He must repent or go to hell
Brigham is the man
Come faithful Saints and be on hand
To obey the Lord's command
That we may go on hand in hand
Brigham is the man
My friends the truth I must unfold
That Brigham Young was called of God
As Abraham in days of old
God is at the helm.
Composed in 1870, by
John J. Davies. [End Page 167]
__________
1This autobiography
was obtained from Mr. Iran J. Davies, Kanarraville, Utah, grandson of the
subject.
2See The Orderville United Order of Zion, by Mark Pendleton; and
Personal Memories of the United Order of Ordervllle, by Emma Carroll
Seegmiller, in Utah Historical Quarterly, October, 1989.
