Lathrop, Lydia

Female 1775 - 1846  (70 years)


 

Life of William Draper Jr.



Life of William Draper Jr.
Born in Richmond, Frontanact County, Canada, April 24, 1807.
Died in Freedom, Sanpete County, Utah, May 28, 1886.

(A biographical sketch of the life, travels, birth, and parentage of William Draper, Jr., the son of William Draper Sr. and Lydia Lathrop.)

My grandfather’s name was Thomas Draper and my grandmother’s maiden name was Lydia Rogers. My father and grandfather were born in Pennsylvania State and I was born in the Providence of Upper Canada, Township of Richmond, County of Frontanact, Midland District, April 24, 1807.

In June 1832, for the first time I heard the Gospel preached by Elder Miller and others in company with him, and then January, 1833, I heard Brigham Young preach the same Gospel and I believed it.

This was all in the township of Longbarough, Upper Canada, and I was baptized March 20, 1833, and in June the same year I was ordained a Priest under the hands of Brigham Young, and I bore testimony and traveled and preached as circumstances permitted until September 11, 1834. I then, in company with Daniel Wood and family, with my family (which consisted of a wife and three children) bid ado to Canada, to my birthplace, and to my father and mother, brother’s and sisters, for the sake of the Gospel and together with the saints traveled to Kirtland, Ohio which was reached the 24th day of the same month. I was satisfied and rejoiced at the meeting some of my old friends, brethren from Canada, and more than satisfied to see the face and hear the voice of the Prophet Joseph, and from him and his brethren received much valuable instructions.

I then went to work and found location, built me a house and by hard labor provided a comfortable living for my family which consisted of a wife and three children, but I was quite poor as to the world’s goods, but I labored faithfully and prospered exceedingly and next spring, 1835 at the April conference, by a unanimous vote of the conference, the wall of the basement of the temple which had been covered the fall previous, were uncovered and the work of building the temple resumed with a covenant to finish the walls that season. I threw in my might of labor with the rest of my brethren, which was but a few to do so great a work, but it was done. I also went to Canada that summer on a short mission and was abundantly blessed, and returned again in safety to my family, and to the security of the Church in Kirtland.

The following winter, I had the privilege of attending the theological school, which was superintendanted by the Prophet Joseph and his councilors, which I enjoyed and from which I received much good instruction and information, and the meeting instructions preparatory to the endowment. When the temple was finished during which time I was put into the presidency of the priest’s quorum, which the bishops presided over.

During the meetings and endowment which gave me another opportunity of forming more new and valuable acquaintances, to-wit, Bishop Edward Partridge of Zion of Missouri, and Bishop N. K. Whitney of Kirtland with their respective councilors, under who’s hands I received the ordinances and blessings which were many and great. They being the only Bishops in the church at that time. The twelve apostles and the first quorum of the Seventies were chosen about that time and there in the temple on the Day of Pentecost or the 6th day of April, 1836, there was such a time of the out-pouring of the Spirit of the Lord that my pen is inadequate to write it in full, or my tongue to express it.

But I will here say that the Spirit was poured out and came like a mighty rushing wind and filled the house, that many were present spoke in tongues and had visions and saw angels and prophesied, and had a general time of rejoicing, such as had not been known in this generation.

Then all things remained quiet until about the first of June. The quorum of the twelve was sent to the eastern states and Canada to hold conference and regular affairs in the Church abroad in that direction, and I was counseled by the Prophet to go on a mission, which I did, and traveled in company with them in Longarough in Canada, which I had formerly lived and joined the church.

We there, and in the vicinity around, held several meetings and conferences and set the branches in order and baptized quite a number of people and had a time of rejoicing together to think and to see that the Lord was blessing our labor with success.

But in this place we separated and the twelve continued in their mission further east down the river, St. Lawrence and crossed into the states and by that route home, but I took up on the north side of Lake Ontario, by way of Toronto, and there crossed Lake Ontario to Lewisten and by that route home, found all well and rejoicing in the blessing of the gospel.

Things went on comfortable and pleasantly during the ensuing fall and winter and by the assistance and counsel of the Prophet, I prospered exceedingly well, so that I got a nice little farm of twenty acres on which I built a good comfortable house and made other suitable improvements, suitable for the comforts of life.

All went well until some time in the summer of ’37, when travelers began to creep in which changed the state of affairs financially throughout Kirtland, which damaged me to the amount of over one thousand dollars, which took my team and other good property.

But during the ensuing winter we had a good time in the temple, and I was called upon to be ordained a high priest under the hands of Don Carlos Smith and council, who was the president of the high priest quorum and brother of the Prophet Joseph, and I was set apart to go to Illinois the coming spring to take charge and preside in the branch of the Church that had been previously raised up.

I then went to work with a main and might to make up an outfit and I succeeded in procuring a team and wagon as I intended to take my family with me, for many of the saints were making preparation to leave Kirtland in the spring and I never expected to return there any more, and I expected the avails of my little farm and home to supply me with the means to get me another home if I should ever be so happy to reach Far West where we were all aiming to go and to make a permanent home, we thought.

But let me say that I was sadly mistaken and seriously disappointed, for instead of having means to buy me another home in Far West, lo and behold, a Christian gentile had me in his clutches and swindled me out of my little home, so I never got a dime for the whole. But he made me a liberal offer that was, if I would stay and live on the farm I should have it all my life to support my family on and if not, he would keep it, and so he kept it, although he had every dollar of his pay for it.

This was the fruits of Mr. William Branches religion, although a stray Presbyterian, but as I do not intend this to expose other people’s faults, I will let the above suffice, and resume my own travels and say that the above affair afforded another opportunity for me to leave father, mother, brothers, and sisters, house and land for the Gospel’s sake.

I hastened to start on my mission to Morgan County, Illinois. Accomplished and started on the 16th of April, 1839, only having my family which consisted of a wife and five children. That was all the company I had to travel with for the first hundred and twenty miles. I was there lay weather-bound for a week on account of a storm which made the roads so bad that I could not travel, and while laying by a number of brethren came up, some from Canada and some from Kirtland, Ohio.

Among that company was George A. Smith and his father and mother, and brother, John. I fell in with them and we traveled on through mud and mire for two or three weeks and finally reached the place of destination for me, some time in May, namely, Morgan Country, Illinois. There I stopped, finding the place of my appointment filled by previous action of the branch. I was satisfied and concluded to make my way on to Far West, so I took leave of the brethren and traveled on in that direction until some time in the fore part of June, when I was brought down with a severe attack of sickness, so that I was obliged to camp.

By the way-side stood a big oak tree, and under it a nice plot of grass. There I took up my abode for a little season. This was at Huntsville, Randolph County, State of Missouri about one hundred and twenty-five miles from Far West.

After laying there for a few days, I was taken up by a good Samaritan and lodged in the house of a brother by the name of Edward Weaver, where my wants were amply provided for. I soon began to revive and get better. After laying there a few days, there came along another company from Kirtland, bound for Far West, and in that company was the Prophet Joseph’s father and mother, two brothers, namely Hyrum and William Smith, and their families.

The old gentleman, the only living Patriarch then known in the Church was invited and entreated upon to stop and hold meetings which he did and it was a glorious meeting too, for the spirit of the Lord was poured out upon the capious Effrisian and there I had an open vision and presentment to much of the surprising of the saints, and especially that of the Smith family.

And I proclaimed it to the congregation, and it affected the Old Patriarch so that he wept like a child and said the vision was true and from the Lord, which in a few weeks or months proved to be true, as will be seen by that which followed in the coming fall. Father Smith and two sons tarried a few days with us after the meeting and organized the place or branch into a temporary stake of Zion for a resting place for the saints that were worn out in traveling form the East.

In which organization I was set apart by the, the Smiths, to take charge and preside over the same which I did to the best of my ability, until some time in August, when a message came to us to break up our organization and come to Caldwell County as there was a strong indication of hostilities by the mob.

So we hastened to comply with the instructions received from the Prophet, and in a few days were on our way for Far West. But the mob was getting so hostile that after traveling a day or two, we began to feel as though it was not safe to keep on the main traveled road, though the settlements, as the spirit of mobacracy was opposed to any more saints gathering to Far West, so we concluded to leave the main road and took a by-road that led through a thinly settled county, for about 15 or 20 miles where the settlement and road ended and we took across an uninhabited country without any road for about 40 miles, which brought us out at renown Hawn’s Mill, and from there through Caldwell Co., to within about 4 miles or 5 of Far West, where we concluded to stop and made our home in that place.

There was a large branch of the Church, known as Log Creek Branch so I bought me a snug little home consisting of a log house and blacksmith shop and seven acres of good land, under cultivation with a good rail fence around it, but that took all of my means to pay for it, but one yoke of oxen, one horse, and two cows. Corn and pork were aplenty. Corn being the main bread stuff then. So I set to work at shoemaking and made my family comfortable again and in being the only high priest in the branch. I accepted the appointment and all things went comfortable, not withstanding excitement reigned in the country around and hostilities increased daily by the mobs on the outside settlements in the adjoining counties, and finally by the middle of October hostilities ran so high that we received another message from the prophet, requesting us all in the out settlements to come into Far West City.

We readily compiled with the counsel and many of the brethren tore down their log houses and moved into the city, but I did not tear down my house, but went into the city with the rest of my brethren from that branch and took shelter in an old log cabin with three other families. This required some little patience for a family by the name of Fowles did apostatize and went off with the mob and I have not heard from them since.

I will here say that after we arrived in the city there was quite a stir among the people for reports were daily and almost hourly that the mob was gathering on every side, so it kept us on the look all the time, day and night, until on or about, the 22nd of October, there came a report that the mob was ruining houses, destroying property and killing our brethren that had not gathered into Far West, but lived about twelve or fourteen miles out from Far West. On hearing the report there was a company of about seventy men raised and dispatched to see what the trouble might be. They traveled on until they came to the place of trouble near Crooked River as it was called. There they came in contact with the mob which opened fire upon our brethren and quite a skirmish ensued which resulted in the death of David K. Patten, one of the twelve apostles, also Simeon Carter, and a young man by the name of Paterson Obunion and several more of the brethren badly wounded.

On their arrival to the city, it threw a gloom over the whole place, but the most of the brethren maintained their integrity, but some faltered; yet there were faithful ones enough left to keep on the lookout and stand guard and do what was required of them, until about three of four days after, or on the 27th of October, 1838, while on duty or watching for the mob, lo and behold, we espied their glittering armor some two miles in the distance. They came in the direction of our city, which produced some little stir in the place and in a few minutes there were about two hundred men both young and old mustered to the public squire in the city, the rest of the man being absent.

We were immediately marched to the south boundary line of the city in the direction of the mob, to defend our wives and children and property from destruction. When we arrived to our post the mob was coming down on to a low piece of ground on the borders of Goose Creek, where there was some scattering timber that took them out of sight, but some of them climbed up in the trees and looked over into the city and swore that they saw an army of men that would number thousands. This we learned from our brethren that were prisoners then in their camp. The sight of this great army brought terror to their camp which caused them to halt for a little time, but we soon saw a flag raised by a few men coming towards us. A detachment or committee consisting of four men, namely Cornel (Colonel ?)George M. Hinkle, Judge Phelps, John Carrel, and Major Reed Peck. They were chosen and soon sent with a white flag to meet the coming flag.

They met in our sight, but we could not hear what passed between the parties, but they all went to the enemies camp together and in a short time the committee returned to our ranks and said that it was a government army sent out by Governor Boggs to investigate the difficulty existing between mob and Mormon, and settle the difficulty if possible. They wanted Joseph and his councilors and the twelve to come immediately to their camp and hold council with them concerning the matter. On hearing this, Joseph said he would go as he did not wish to contend or resist the government, so he with all the required brethren that was present, started with the committee, immediately for the army’s camp. They soon met the flag born by a number of officers and to their great surprise, was delivered over by the committee to the officers as prisoners of war.

We set to work with all our might and threw up a breast-work of such material as we could get, house logs, poles, wagon boards, slabs and wagon boxes and other materials such as we could gather through the night and when morning came we had about a half or three quarter of a mile of breastworks, good, considering our circumstances. We had neither eaten or drank since the morning before, as our wives or children dare not come to us.

But after waiting some time in the morning our committee, again went to the camp to learn the result of the counsel. After a short absence they returned to us saying that a treaty had been effected, in which we were to lay down our arms in evidence of our living as peaceful citizens and sign over our property to the State to pay the expenses of the war. Joseph had agreed to all of this and that the army would be up soon to carry the treaty into effect, and that we must act accordingly. That was a tough pill to swallow, however, if Joseph says so all right!

Sure enough, in a short time, we saw the army approaching, and they marched up to our ranks and formed a hallow square into which we were all marched by our Commander, Colonel Hinkle. We were there ordered to lay down our arms, which we did, so that we were divested of every weapon for defense. Even our large pocket knives were taken. While this was going on, another square was formed and we marched into that, away from our arms in helpless condition, and we stood there waiting further orders. Every now and then a woman would come in crying and saying that was would all be shot down in a few minutes. The soldiers at the same time were busy picking their flints and priming their guns and making ready to fire, when their noble general said, “I suppose you are tired, you can sit down on the grass and rest a little”, which was quite a favor and we sat down, and the side of the square were my lot was cast was made up with painted demons, which proved to be the old Jackson County Militia.

After getting some instructions from the general we were allowed to go to our families within the city, but not to attempt to go out of the city at our peril, yet this was quite a privilege, as many of us had not eaten anything for nearly two days. After supper we retired to our beds, for we were glad to get a little rest and we had been advised to keep our houses dark or we would be liable to get shot. We could often hear guns firing, dogs yelping, hogs squealing and demons howling and yelling and cursing and swearing. After spending the night thus amused, we arose in the morning and could see hogs, dogs, sheep laying dead in the street and gateways that led out of the city. They had been shot by the ruffians that claimed they thought they were Mormons running away on all fours. They also committed many other deprivations, such as robbing and stealing, and the worst of all did outrage and shamefully abuse some of our most worthy and virtuous females.

I will here relate a short conversation that took place between a little boy of about twelve years by the name of Buduas Dustin and a Methodist preacher, a captain of a company and chaplain for the army by the name of Bogard, which took place as follows: One evening, when the little boy was present the army was called to order to attend evening services and a solemn prayer and thanks to their unknown God for the glorious work that he was permitting and assisting them to perform, and when the prayer was finished the boy stood as if in deep mediation and said, “Mr. Bogard, can I ask you one question?” “Yes, boy”, was the answer. The boy proceeded by saying, “Mr. Bogard, sir, which way do you think is right for a person to have their eyes closed or open, when they pray?” “Well, my boy, I suppose either would be acceptable if done in humility, but it looks more humiliating to have your eyes closes against the transitory objects around us and from the world.” “Well,” said the boy, “I think, if I was engaged in such a work as you are, I should fear the devil would carry me off if they were shut.” They then threatened his life for a young Mormon, but he said, “I am no Mormon.” And he was not, and so escaped, but he subsequently joined the Church.

I will turn to the doings, or some of the doings of the day. After breakfast we were all called to the public square in the city and then required to sign a deed to our property, to pay the expenses of the war. Yet Joseph did not come nor we did not know but little that was going on, but I will here mention one thing that occurred. The first night in camp there were four of our brethren that were prisoners in the allowed to come to the city which a brother by the name of Wm. Cary that lived in the house with me, (an old acquaintance that I had baptized in Canada some three years previous.), they brought him home on a board with his skull broken in with his own gun, by the hands of a mobber by the name of Wm. Dunnihoo. Brother Gary died the next day, an innocent man and giving no offense but for his religion and must and did die a martyr.

I will now say that after we had got mostly through the business of signing the deeds, we were called to witness one of the most heart rendering scenes – Joseph and his brethren were brought up from the camp and driven up to their own dear ones, where they were permitted to see their wives and children a few minutes to bid them an ever-lasting farewell, being told that they would never see them again. They were then driven off by a ruthless mob, never to return. But such was their condition, both husbands and wives in the hands and to the mercy of an unmerciful set of beings. But the Lord over-rules all and delivered them out of their hands in his own good time.

We learned when Joseph and brethren were in camp, instead of being in honorable counsel with the officers, for which they were competent and abundantly qualified, they were suffering abuse and undergoing a mock trial by court martial for crimes alleged which they were never guklty (guilty) of.

But the court decided guilty, and sentenced Joseph and brethren in company to be shot the next morning at 8 o’clock. General Daniphare with his command was appointed by court to execute the sentence, but he swore that he would not do it for he said it would be nothing but cold-blooded murder.

Consequently, early the next morning, Daniphare’s command was placed under marching orders and marched away about three miles from the main army so that he might not witness the scene, or be implicated with same. He, Daniphare, being a noted lawyer, it began to create some uneasiness with the rest of the officers of the court martial, and they concluded to change their former decision and made a new one that would give Joseph a fair chance of life. So they decided on sending them to Liberty Jail, among the old Jackson County mobbers, and so they did and sent some of them to guard them safely through. Now, after the prisoners were gone and the business of the day finished, we were called upon to listen to a piece of valuable counsel and advice from one noble General Clark, and then be dismissed, which was the best of all the goings, the speech was nearly as follows: “Now, men, I will say that you have thus far complied with the treaty as made with your leaders by giving up arms and deeding over your property to pay the expenses of this war which you have been the instigators of, and I think you must feel as though you have been dealt very leniently with, as our orders were to exterminate with the treaty made, you will now be let go to carry out the rest of its stipulation, which is to leave the state of Missouri, by planting time in the spring or be exterminated or driven out at the point of the bayonet or rifle and one of the two things must be done. Now on your dismissal.

“I will now give you a piece of good advice, when you are discharged to go and provide for the wants of your families and make speedy preparations to leave this state and hunt a place where ever you can and scatter about like other people and never gather together again in companies, not even of ten under presidents, prophets, or bishops and apostles to govern you. If you do you will heed this command and advice it will be well with you, and I will here invite the blessings of the great unknown God upon you to help you to do so, Men, you are now dismissed to carry out these measures.”

Now after prowling about the city for a day or two more and gathering what they could best manage of our most valuable, they concluded to leave, which they did, taking with them a few apostates which we could well spare, and now was the time for us to go back to our homes that we had been obliged to leave and which most of us did.

I soon set about hunting my team which I had turned on the prairie when I came to the city. I went in the direction of the soldier’s camping place and soon found the heads of my oxen lying in the road near their camp, and this stopped me from hunting any more. I returned to the city and got the Widow Cary’s team to move us back home, on condition that I would take her with us and keep her and the team until she could leave the state, the mob having just killed her husband a few days previous. I agreed to do so, which I did.

On arriving home I could find but one cow. I had left two, but on looking a short time, I found the head and hide of the other who had been destroyed. That left me with one horse and one cow to make up a team with which to leave the state in the spring.

I will here say that the most of the brethren from this branch came back to their old homes and soon forgot or neglected to observe or keep the counsel that was given at our dismissal from the army, for we did soon assemble ourselves together and rejoiced to think we were worthy to suffer for the gospel’s sake. We did not have the Prophet or bishop to govern us, but would have rejoiced to have had them.

I suffice to say that I went to work at shoemaking and pork and corn were plenty and cheap and we had plenty to eat and though the course of the winter traded my horse and cow and some clothing for a good yoke of oxen, and though the generosity of a brother by the name of Ebenezer Brown, I obtained money and bought me another yoke of oxen which made me a good outfit for a team, and on the 12th day of March 1839, I, with my family in company with Brother Brown and others bid farewell to our Missouri home and started to seek a new home in the more congenial clime.

We traveled on without anything of note taking place until the latter part of March. We then landed all safe in the little town by the name of Atlas on the border of the Great Mississippi bottom in the state of Illinois.

There we met a brother-in-law of mine, who beset me to stop with him a few days to which I consented, that separated me and Brother Brown, he taking the road leading North up the river in the direction of that subsequently became Nauvoo. I stayed a few days in Atlas and in the time met with a chance to sell my team which I did and being indebted to Brother Brown for the money that bought part of it, I immediately set out to find him and pay him what I owed, which I did by traveling about 12 miles up the river to a little town called Pleasantville. I there met Brother Brown and family. We were glad to meet again, not knowing when we parted that we should ever meet again in this world. But I payed him what I owed him and he insisted on my coming and settling in this place as the people were friendly and everything plenty to live on, so I looked around and soon found an old log cabin and three acres of ground which I rented and put the ground to corn and garden truck, which done well and I had plenty the coming year.

I will say here that about this time Joseph and Hyrum made their escape from Missouri and came to Quincy, Ill., about 30 miles up the river from where I stopped. They soon called a meeting and gave some general instructions to the saints that were at the meeting and to set abroad to all the saints scattered about through all the country, and then immediately looking for a location to gather the saints, so that they might again be in one place as a body.

They soon succeeded in obtaining a place by purchasing a little town called Commerce, that had been mostly vacated on account of its being so very sickly, but the saints commenced gathering into Commerce like droves coming to their windows. This was about 50 miles up the Mississippi River from Quincy.

I will now return to my own doings for a while. I went to work on my little rented place, making garden and also shoemaking and enjoyed my new home very well until some time in the month of June, when I was visited by one of the old original high council. After he found there were several saints in that part of the country, he called them together and organized us into a branch of the Church and I was set apart and chosen to take charge of the same and to hold meetings among ourselves, and if invited by the good responsible citizens to preach to them. Which I did, and the Lord blessed my labors and many believed and were baptized and the work prospered until October.

Then there was to be conference held in Commerce, October 6th, 1839. I went and another such sight my eyes never beheld, that portion of the assembly that had lived in Commerce during the summer looked more like ghosts that had neither flesh nor blood or but very little, yet they seemed to be satisfied and glad to think they were able to attend conference. They organized the place into a stake of Zion and changed the name of the place from Commerce to that of Nauvoo, a resting place, and in the organization I was chosen as one of the high council, but was subsequently released by telling Joseph what I was doing and what the prospect was in Pike County where I had been laboring during the summer, about eighty miles from Nauvoo. He told me to return and continue preaching and when the branch reached the number of 100, he would then come and organize the branch a stake of Zion. I went home and to my field of labor and doors were opened on every hand.

I preached and baptized and in about two weeks the branch numbered 112. I let Joseph know according to his instructions and he being over taxed with business, sent his brother Hyrum who was his first counselor, and Bishop George Miller.

They came and organized the branch into a stake of Zion for a resting place for the saints that were gathered from the east and from the south.

In the organization I was ordained and set apart to preside and William Allred, Bishop. We were then instructed to obtain a piece of land and lay it off into town lots and build a meeting house and provide for the comforts and conviences of the saints as they gathered in, which succeeded in doing. We built a frame meeting house, if I remember right, 36 by 40 feet and so far completed it that we held our meetings in it.

Many of the old citizens joined the Church and all went on comfortable until some time in the summer or fall of 1862, when mobcracy and persecution began to show their heads. By this time I had got me a nice little home and was comfortable situated, but a message came from the Prophet to discontinue and immigrate to Hancock County and most all the branch submitted to the call.

In the spring of 1843, I moved with my family and located in a place called Green Plain in the vicinity of Warsaw in Hancock County, with the notorious Levi Williams for one of my neighbors.

I there bought a farm on the terms and went to improving, built me a good house and small grist mill and put about twenty acres of land and a good fence around it, and was on good terms with my neighbors although most of them were gentiles, but they professed to be much pleased with my enterprise in the place, and all went well with me until sometime in June 1844. Then there were reports about Joseph from Nauvoo, that produced some little excitement, for priests and lawyers and apostates had combined together to again make trouble. The men in the neighborhood where I lived organized to go to Nauvoo and arrest Joseph. They came and invited me to go with them to take Joseph, but I refused. They wanted to know if I would go if the governor ordered me to go, I said; “No, I will not go if the devil himself ordered me to go against Joseph, for his people are my people and where he goes, I will go also.”

This appeared to vex them a little although we had always been on good terms as neighbors, and they said, “Then you will have to leave, for you can’t live here, although we like you as a neighbor.” So they left me and started for Nauvoo, with old Colonel Williams as their leader, which resulted in the martyrdom of Joseph, the Prophet, and Hyrum, the Patriarch. This was done in Carthage Jail, June 27, 1844.

Then the desperadoes came back to Green Plain, without having the black thoroughly washed from their necks and faces and they never could get it from their characters or consciences, but they did not interfere with me any more until about the 20th of September, 1845. Although they engaged in a little town called Lima that was settled mostly with saints, in burning houses and plundering and some times killing our brethren and one day there came an armed force of about sixty men, they set fire to my hay and grain that was……(This portion of story not available).

I will just say here that at the time I hat two little boys laying at the point of death. One four and a half, and the other two and a half years old. Albert Edward, oldest and Parley Pine, the youngest. They were carried out into the woods and bed made on the ground with bed and bedding under them and a large bedstead set over them with plenty of bedding and clothes over them to keep from getting wet with the heavy rain that was rapidly approaching.

I will say that while the woman and some of the generous crowd that volunteered to help her, were carrying out some of the things, the rest of the crowd divided the straw out of a bed into four corners of the room and set fire to it. The woman tired to put it out, but some of the ruffians took her by the shoulders and put her out of doors and she was not in a condition to be handled rough with safety. The house burned down with the rest of its contents.

I was obliged to flee to save my life. I remained out until there came on a very heavy thunder storm then I ventured out to see what had become of my family. I found them all alive and no personal injury done, but my house and hay and considerable fence was burned to the ground, which threw my field open to the cattle, where I had about a thousand bushel of corn, mostly in the shock, but all exposed to the ravages of hogs, sheep and cattle, which were roaming at large in abundance.

My wife begged to leave as the mob was hunting me the last time she saw of them so I was obliged to take shelter in a large shock of corn as it was raining hard. I lay there until it began to leak through onto me, so I was obliged to crawl out and I then went to see how my family was getting along and found them more comfortable situated, for a brother came along and carried the sick children and their bed and bedding into the mill which they did not burn, supposing it belonged to another man, although they had got some wet in changing locations. I remained with them until near daylight, then I ventured to go to my nearest neighbor, a Baptist preacher, by the name of Geo. Walker.

When I arrived and began to tell what the mob had done he said, “Mr. Draper, I know it, I saw it all, but I could do you no good, for I feared they would destroy me next. Is there anything I can do for you?” I said I wished to get his wagon to move my family from this mob and I would return it. He said, “there is my wagon, take it and if you return it, all well, and if not all well.”
I then went back to help my wife to gather the little fragment left. By this time daylight appeared and while we were busy preparing to leave, lo and behold, we saw ten armed me, they were in pursuit of me again, and I was obliged to flee and I made my escape, but it was upon my hands and knees through the brush. I succeeded in reaching another neighborhood. There I got a young man to go and let my folks know where I was and help them pack up there things and bring them to me, which he did.

I then took them to Pike Co., a distance of sixty miles where I got them into a house with my wife’s brother. After that I had them comfortably situated. The next day being the 6th of October, 1845, my wife was confined and brought me another son, and the other two little boys that were sick soon began to get better. After all was apparently safe and provided for I then took leave and started for Nauvoo, a distance of about eighty miles. Some part of this, I had to pass through a section of country where the mob was daily parading and doing damage and seeking the lives of men that would claim to be Latter-Day-Saints or Mormons.

I passed through unharmed and arrived safe in Nauvoo where Brigham and Heber, who were then the President of the Church, I told them what I had done, and how and where I had left my home, which was highly approved.

I then asked their counsel for my further movements, which they gave as follows: “Brother Williams, if you wish to remain with the saints, go back and take care of your family where they are the best you can through the winter and make every effort you can to get ready and go with us next spring to the Rockies Mountains, but come again to Nauvoo in about two months and get your endowments.” Which I did on the 27th day of January, 1846. While I was there, several of the brethren crossed the Mississippi river over into Iowa, then on their way for the mountains, but I returned back to Pike Co. and there made speedy preparations to follow on in the spring, which I did and left Pike Co. about the 20th of April 1846 and went to Nauvoo and added some to the family and to the outfit.

On the first day of May we crossed the Mississippi river and took the train to follow those that had started before for the mountain through a wilderness country where no white lived. We made quite a company and I was chosen their Captain. We traveled on some 200 miles and nothing worthy of note took place, but one night where we had camped, to our great surprise, up came Brigham and Heber, returning from the Missouri River, the place which they had reached. They brought us the information that the United States Officers had met them and called for 500 able bodied men from our traveling company to go to Mexico to fight their battles. This was quite a damper to us, not withstanding we traveled on, but Brigham and Heber went on east to meet their companies.

When we got within about 6 miles of the Missouri River, we came to a halt and struck camp to wait for Brigham and army officers and Colonel Thomas L. Cane (Kane), who had heard of the call made on us, and come to witness the result. After a short consultation in council with Brigham and the officers, it was decided to respond to the call made, and a call for volunteers then issued which was readily responded to, and within twenty four hours the required number of 500 was more than made up.

There was immediately a large bowery erected at a little place known as trading point, settled only by Indians, and their traders on the bank of the Missouri. There we had a jolly parting dance, and the next morning being the 16th day of July 1846, which was the parting between husband and wives, fathers, and children, brothers and sisters, and so 500 of our able bodied men were marched away across a 2000 mile desert to fight the battles of the United States from which we had just been driven.

Now I will leave those that have gone and turn to those that are left on the prairies. We could look in every direction and see the prairie dotted with wagons and tents and speckled with cattle whose owners were gone, now it was that something must be done for the women and children that were left un-provided for and without protection and in an Indian country, so a meeting was immediately called and the country divided up into districts or wards, and bishops appointed and bishop to each ward. It feel to my lot to be one of them and when I went to look up those that were in my district, there were 33 families and each of those bishops was to take charge and provide for all that was left in the ward that fell to him, so we immediately set about the work of gathering up the cattle and getting herdsmen to take care of them and the next move was to provide shelter for the folks and provide for the stock, as we were left with so few men that we could not move on any further until the brethren returned from the army, for some other way was provided for our deliverance, so we set to with all our mind and might and strength.

We built log cabins and brought some from the Indians that was about to be drove from their homes by the government, as we had already been. I will mention here that Brigham and a large number of the saints crossed the river to the west side onto the Omaha Lands not yet owned by the United States.

They built up quite a little town with over 500 houses, but the rest of the saints remained in the east side of the river on the Pottawattamie Land, that the government was about to take possession of, but they were soon gathered into more compact bodies where they could better provided for, and more easily protected. I located a little place called Council Point, where there was quite a settlement a comfortable house on it. I had built two cabins before as my family was large, but I was soon comfortably situated.

The saints kept flocking in so that in a short time we had a fine little town and it soon became necessary to have a better organization and it was desired to organize Council Point into a branch and have ordained a bishop to do business in a church capacity, so I was chosen and ordained bishop and done whatever business that became necessary in the branch by the Church law.

But by this time there was circumstances and characters in our midst that Church law did not fully provide for and they were not willing to be governed by what laws we had.

Iowa was not organized with territorial government, consequently was without any civil code to govern them, so in the absence of other law, we went to work and organized a provisional government with a law making department, and appointed or elected officers to administer the laws as they were made or as occasions required, in which department I held a position. We went on administering the laws as they were made by issuing writs, punishing crime, assessing fines and collecting them and settling in judgment in cases of debt, and using the means for enforcing Missouri and all other business necessary to preserve peace and safety in the county.

Everything moved on quietly some went to farming, and some to peddling off their surplus clothing and such articles as they could best spare to the merchant to obtain bread for the destitute, and so we were all provided for, and the next year we raised plenty for our own consumption and the country soon bore testimony in thrift. All things moved all well under our mode of government, then we ceased further operation under the provisional government, and sent our court records to Washington, which there met with highest approval.

I will now say a few words about the company that crossed the river and built up Winter Quarters, of which a large number died from privation and hardships they had to endure. However, those that were sick and did survive began to revive when winter set in and by spring had so far recovered that a company was raised and some time in April 1847 with Brigham at their head, started as a company of pioneers consisting of about 100 men to cross the trackless plain where nothing but the savage and the wild beast roamed.

This was to seek a home for the saints in the valley of the mountains where they could serve the Lord and keep his commandments. The various incidents of their travel I shall not attempt to write, but leave it for better writers and those that have the sad experience and let it suffice by saying that they arrived in safety to the valley of the Great Salt Lake, July 24th 1847, and then located the present and grounds, which stand forth in evidence of the greatness and wisdom and perseverance of its founders.

I will here say in the spring of 1848, all that was able, left Winter Quarters (as it was called with its 500 houses) and started to join the saints in Salt Lake Valley, and those that were not able to go were taken back across the river into Iowa and there provided for by the brethren who were doing well, building up flourishing little towns and making and cultivating large farms which produced for the inhabitant.

The chief place or headquarters for public business was Canesville (Kanesville) so called because of the kindness and gentlemanly conduct of one Colonel Thomas L. Cane (Kane), who came to visit and witness our afflictions soon the gentiles began to come to Canesville (Kanesville) with stores of goods, which afforded abundance or necessaries and luxuries and convinces to fit out for the mountains and plenty for them that stayed longer.

About this time and previous, the brethren had returned from the Mexican war and resumed the care of their own families. That liberated those that had the responsibility before they came. Now it was in the spring of 1849, I was counseled to immigrate to Salt Lake that season, I responded to the call and made speedy preparation to go with a company that was to immigrate that season, and on the 5th of July I bid farewell to my home and friends, at Council Point and started to join the company at old Winter Quarters where they organized. I was appointed by Geo. A. Smith to take part in the oversight of the traveling company in connection with Judge Alley and Judge Clark.

We then started out to cross the plains for Great Salt Lake. We traveled on slowly and nothing special occurred worthy of note. There was but little sickness and no deaths in camp, but I will name one little incident that occurred in the 2nd day of October near South Pass. We were caught in a great storm with our cattle and horses. That weakened our team some but after the storm ceased we shoveled our way and traveled on again. We did not travel many miles until we came to where there was no snow and all was fair weather, which continued until the 26th day of October, When we arrived safe in Salt Lake City, and broke up camp, having been four months and a half on the plains, but was happy now to meet our brethren that had also come up through great tribulation and made them a home in the mountains.

I then stopped a few days with my brother Zemira, in which time I met with a chance to rent a house and lot for one year. My family being large, it required some little exertion to provide for their wants, for flour raised before the harvest to the enormous price from seventy-five to one dollar per pound, and it was hard to get seed grain, but I succeeded in getting both my family did not suffer or do without bread.

During the winter I bought me a little farm and rented another about six miles south of the city, it being too far to go back and forth to farm it and tend crop.

I bought a small log cabin and some time in February moved a part of my family to Mill Creek, where my farm was. I put the city lot in with potatoes and farm with wheat and corn and raised a good crop of each, so I had plenty for the ensuing year and some to spare.

In the summer of fifty-three was a good new settlement started on what was then called South Willow Creek (now Draper) about 20 miles south of Salt Lake City, I was invited to come and settle there. I did, and in November 1850 moved my whole family there. I took up land and made me a good farm and raised plenty of grain and cattle and horses and the settlement increased so it became necessary to have the place organized into a branch of the Church.

I was called to preside and serve them as bishop, having been ordained to that office before. I served in that capacity until the close of 1857 and in the spring of 1858, I was obliged to leave a good home again and go south in the general move. I went as far south as Spanish Fork, about 42 miles in distance, there I stopped and located.

I never expected to go back to my old home again. I there purchased four houses and lots and about eighty acres of land of which over fifty acres was good farming land and the rest grass land.

I sued to raise plenty of grain for my own use and had lots to spare. And I done well until the year of 1862, then the grass-hoppers and crickets destroyed my crops so they proved almost an entire failure. The year ’63 as also followed with another failure and grain of all kinds raised to an enormous price, wheat $5.00 a bushel and wood was hard to get, being a long ways off, and I had four fires to keep up and my oldest boys had all married and left me with a large family of little helpless children with only their mothers to help me.

Putting all these disadvantages together, I found it taking off my best property faster then I could stand, one bushel of wheat per day for bread or five dollars and two loads of wood per week and it from two to three days to get a load, and I found I could not stand that way of living much longer, so I concluded to sell out and immigrate to Sanpete County, where cedar wood was plenty and where we got most of our bread stuff from.

So in the fall of 1863, I sold out my property in Spanish Fork for less than half what it cost me and early in ’65 immigrated to Moroni, Sanpete County where I bought a house and lot and about15 acres of land for which I paid nine hundred dollars in property. I also bought one third share of an old grist mill, worth four or five hundred dollars for which I agreed to pay fifteen hundred dollars for one third of the mill.

My property was going very fast for bread at five dollars a bushel and I could make my bread with the mill although I pay five hundred dollars down in property. I thought I would have my share in the mill left and if I paid it out for bread I should have nothing and I got about as near that as I wanted for I only realized for the whole after spending bread with it by working hard and raising some on the land I bought.

Since mill and land are all gone, I have had some anxieties, but I have nearly got through with all, for my young and helpless children that I have spoken of before are now grown and are men and women are to take care of themselves and lend a helping hand to their mother’s and as for myself, I think I shall not need any help, for I do not wish to be burdensome to my children or any one else.

I will say here that I have lived in Moroni hardly 17 years, but am sorry to say that in this short period I have suffered more in body and mind than I have all the rest of my life, although I have spent nearly fifty-five years of my life in this Church. When I was about to sink under the weight and influence of temptation, the Lord verified his promise, wherein he said, “You shall not be tempted more than you are able to bear, but in every hour of temptation I will make way for your escape,” and he did, by sending his servant, President John Taylor on or about the 18th day of August 1880. He invited me into the house of Bishop J.W. Irons, and after being seated he asked me a few questions which I answered briefly.

He then called upon one of his council, George. Q. Cannon, and one of the apostles, Erastus Snow, they layed their hands on my head and re-ordained me to all the offices and all the various grades of priesthood that I ever had been previously ordained to and confirmed, and in addition ordained me to the office of Patriarch after the ancient order and reconfirmed all the blessings that had ever been pronounced upon my head by those that had administered to me before by ordination or otherwise, and that seemed to impart new life and vigor to both body and mind and spirit.

But I find that I am on the decline so far as my bodily strength is concerned and must ere long lay off this mortal tabernacle and my spirit to rest or to join those that have gone before, who have passed through great tribulations and have conquered the last enemy, and for this reason I have written this imperfect narrative that my children and grand-children and finally all my posterity to the latest generation may see what their progenitor and those that he associated with in this Church had to pass through for the sake of the Gospel.

I now feel thankful that I have the privilege of bearing my testimony to the truth of what I have written although there may be some little errors in dates, but nothing designedly or that would destroy the truthfulness of this narrative.

I also feel to bear testimony to the truth of the everlasting Gospel as introduced to this generation by Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and is now being preached by his successors and Elders of Israel that are going forth to carry glad tidings of salvation to the nations of the earth.

And I feel to join in the labor by calling upon all men, Jews and Gentiles, bond and free men priest and people at home or abroad, all who have not obeyed the gospel to listen and hear and believe and baptize for the remission of your sins, and have hands laid on you by one who has authority for the gift of the Holy Ghost and you shall receive it, for the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are afar off as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Now in conclusion, I will say that I have been some two weeks, this imperfect narrative, and will now come to a close on this eleventh day of December, in the year of our Lord One Thousand eight hundred and eighty one, (Dec 11, 1881) which makes me seventy four (74) years seven months and seven days old, and the husband of five living wives and the father of fifty-one children, and grandfather to about one hundred and great grandfather to about twenty more.

I now leave my blessing upon them all, and ask my Heavenly Father to seal the blessings of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob upon their heads, that they may be honorable members of his Church and kingdom even so Lord let it be. Amen.
---- The end.

March 20, 1916
The foregoing is a full and correct copy of the original, as written by William Draper, of his own life and travels.

--Marriages of William Draper the son of William Draper and Lydia Lathrop—

•Elizabeth Staker
Born: 25 Feb. 1805
Married: 1827
Died: Dec. 1, 1888 at Draper, Utah

•Martha Raymer
Married: 1846
Died: 1848 at Gainesville, Iowa

•Muriel Thomson
Married: 1847
Died: Tooele, Utah

•Mary Ann Manhard
Born: 14 Feb. 1831
Married: Iowa
Died: 30 July 1909 at Sandy, Utah

•Mary Howarth
Born: 14 Feb. 1831
Died: 9 mar 1902 at Moroni, Utah

•Ruth Hannah Newton
Born: 1 April 1837
Married: 17 April 1854
Died: 4 April 1896 at Moroni, Utah

•Fanny Newton
Born: 1 March 1834
Married: 18 Dec. 1853
Died: 18 march 1907 at Moroni, Utah

(Transcribed from PH-1, Pioneer History Room, Mormon Trail Center at Winter Quarters. Note: Text is transcribed as written with spelling corrected in brackets.)


Linked toDraper, William Jr.; Draper, William Sr.; Lathrop, Lydia





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