Pioneer Heritage via Chelsea
Two days ago, my sister Chelsea posted an awesome tribute to our pioneer ancestors. I learned things about my own ancestors that I had never heard before and wanted to preserve the account in my blog book at the end of the year, so I am re-posting Chelsea's wonderful post (original blog post found HERE). Enjoy!
I have been blessed with great pioneer ancestry on both my mother and father's side of the family and it is a legacy I don't always appreciate as fully as I should but growing up and learning of their stories has instilled a desire to work hard and stay true to the faith.
My Great Great Grandfather Edmund Lovell Ellsworth was one who was not afraid to work hard. He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1841 and shortly thereafter moved to Nauvoo. He married Brigham Young's eldest daughter a year later and then in 1844 served a mission in New York until the prophet Joseph Smith was killed. He returned, helped finish the temple and assisted in moving the saints to Winter Quarters and setting things up. In 1847 he answered a call to travel to the Rockies and arrived with his family in October of that year. They survived the winter and then he stayed long enough to put in crops and left with some other men to help assist other groups of Saints travelling to Utah. Growing up I always thought the saints crossing the plains from Illinois to Utah was miraculous but I never realized until recently that several of the men traveled that same path over and over as they went back and forth helping saints along.
In 1854 he was called to serve a mission to England where he faithfully served for two years. While on his mission he had a dream that he was home and went to President Young's office who said, "Why Edmund we were just talking about you. We are thinking of having a company of the Saints to cross the plains with handcarts next year. We would like you to take charge of the company. Will you do it?" A few weeks later, he received a letter from the prophet asking him to return to lead the first hand cart company to the Valley.
Shortly after he sailed with 529 saints (my Grandfather was Captain to about half of that company) from England to America on the Enoch Train and then by several crowded trains to Iowa City where they got off and quickly made handcarts for the journey.
My Great Great Grandmother Mary Ann Jones was only 19 at the time and a part of the company (she was married to my great great grandfather shortly after they arrived in the Salt Lake Valley) and wrote the following in her journal:
"Started again on the 20th of July and began our long march across the plains. We had in the company on leaving 274 persons. Had only 7 deaths on the journey, which I think is remarkable as we had a number of aged people and lots of children. We had 4 wagons, 3 drawn by oxen 1 by 4 horse team. We traveled 1400 miles. We were allotted 1 tent to 20 persons, 4 handcarts to the tent. We traveled as high as 28 miles in one day, and always got to camp long before the wagons. We [were] allowed 17 lbs. of baggage apiece. This means clothing, bedding, cooking materials etc. When the brothers came to weight their things, some wished to take more than allowed, so put on extra clothes, so some were real thin soon became stout. As soon as the weighing was over put the extra clothes on the handcarts again. This did not last long when--for in a few days we were called upon to have weights taken again. Quite a few were found with more than allowed. One old sister carried a tea-pot and a colander tied on her apron strings all the way to Salt Lake. Another carried a hat box full of things, but she died on the way. The Lord was with us on our journey, tho tired and foot sore we would sing a song to Zion. Some stomachs may recoil at a supper cooked with the water dug in a buffalo wallow, and cooked with buffalo chips. It tasted good to most of us regardless. We came to an immense herd of buffalo. It seemed as though the whole prairie was moving. We watched for over an hour for them to cross the road, so we could go on. We were stopped on the Platt River by a large band of Indians, who demanded food. They were painted in war paint and very hostile. Captain Edmund Ellsworth talked to them, and told the brethren to pray while he conversed. He gave them some beads, and they let us go on our way. We really felt thankful for this action. A very remarkable thing happened on the Platt River, one of the oxen died, and brother Ellsworth was asking the group what could be done. Could they put a cow in the team so we might go on? One of the men said “Look brother at that steer on the hill”, for there stood a fat steer looking at us. Brother Ellsworth said “The Lord has sent him to help us to the valley”. “Go fetch him so we may move on”. They did this and he worked as good as the others. When we reached within two days travel of Salt Lake, we met some teams sent out from the valley with provisions, and to help us in. The next morning when the boys went to round up the cattle to start, the steer was gone. They hunted for him for hours but he was never seen again. He went as mysteriously as he came. The Lord had sent him to us as long as we had really needed him. We were met in Emigration Canyon by the First Presidency and brass band, and hundreds of persons in carriages, on horse-back and on foot. It was a day never to be forgotten, we had reached the goal on foot all the way. I never left my handcart for one day, and only rode over two rivers. We waded streams, crossed high mountains and pulled through heavy sand, leaving comfortable homes, father, mother, brothers, and sisters, for what? This is the answer. To be where we could hear the Prophet’s voice and live with the Saints of God. I have never seen the day I have regretted my trip. We arrived in Salt Lake the 26th day of September 1856."
Wilford Woodruff (4th President of the Church) said, "Elders Ellsworth and McArthur have earned honor and glory to themselves in the leading of those companies. … Brother Ellsworth went through the city covered with dust at the head of his brave company, drawing a handcart under the close scrutiny of the thousands who crowded the streets with weeping eyes to gaze upon the scene; as he passed by his own lovely home and saw his [family] standing in his door, he made no halt, only gave a passing salute, continuing with his company until he reached the public square and saw them all comfortably encamped and fed."
*****
I have been blessed with great pioneer ancestry on both my mother and father's side of the family and it is a legacy I don't always appreciate as fully as I should but growing up and learning of their stories has instilled a desire to work hard and stay true to the faith.
My Great Great Grandfather Edmund Lovell Ellsworth was one who was not afraid to work hard. He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1841 and shortly thereafter moved to Nauvoo. He married Brigham Young's eldest daughter a year later and then in 1844 served a mission in New York until the prophet Joseph Smith was killed. He returned, helped finish the temple and assisted in moving the saints to Winter Quarters and setting things up. In 1847 he answered a call to travel to the Rockies and arrived with his family in October of that year. They survived the winter and then he stayed long enough to put in crops and left with some other men to help assist other groups of Saints travelling to Utah. Growing up I always thought the saints crossing the plains from Illinois to Utah was miraculous but I never realized until recently that several of the men traveled that same path over and over as they went back and forth helping saints along.
In 1854 he was called to serve a mission to England where he faithfully served for two years. While on his mission he had a dream that he was home and went to President Young's office who said, "Why Edmund we were just talking about you. We are thinking of having a company of the Saints to cross the plains with handcarts next year. We would like you to take charge of the company. Will you do it?" A few weeks later, he received a letter from the prophet asking him to return to lead the first hand cart company to the Valley.
Shortly after he sailed with 529 saints (my Grandfather was Captain to about half of that company) from England to America on the Enoch Train and then by several crowded trains to Iowa City where they got off and quickly made handcarts for the journey.
My Great Great Grandmother Mary Ann Jones was only 19 at the time and a part of the company (she was married to my great great grandfather shortly after they arrived in the Salt Lake Valley) and wrote the following in her journal:
"Started again on the 20th of July and began our long march across the plains. We had in the company on leaving 274 persons. Had only 7 deaths on the journey, which I think is remarkable as we had a number of aged people and lots of children. We had 4 wagons, 3 drawn by oxen 1 by 4 horse team. We traveled 1400 miles. We were allotted 1 tent to 20 persons, 4 handcarts to the tent. We traveled as high as 28 miles in one day, and always got to camp long before the wagons. We [were] allowed 17 lbs. of baggage apiece. This means clothing, bedding, cooking materials etc. When the brothers came to weight their things, some wished to take more than allowed, so put on extra clothes, so some were real thin soon became stout. As soon as the weighing was over put the extra clothes on the handcarts again. This did not last long when--for in a few days we were called upon to have weights taken again. Quite a few were found with more than allowed. One old sister carried a tea-pot and a colander tied on her apron strings all the way to Salt Lake. Another carried a hat box full of things, but she died on the way. The Lord was with us on our journey, tho tired and foot sore we would sing a song to Zion. Some stomachs may recoil at a supper cooked with the water dug in a buffalo wallow, and cooked with buffalo chips. It tasted good to most of us regardless. We came to an immense herd of buffalo. It seemed as though the whole prairie was moving. We watched for over an hour for them to cross the road, so we could go on. We were stopped on the Platt River by a large band of Indians, who demanded food. They were painted in war paint and very hostile. Captain Edmund Ellsworth talked to them, and told the brethren to pray while he conversed. He gave them some beads, and they let us go on our way. We really felt thankful for this action. A very remarkable thing happened on the Platt River, one of the oxen died, and brother Ellsworth was asking the group what could be done. Could they put a cow in the team so we might go on? One of the men said “Look brother at that steer on the hill”, for there stood a fat steer looking at us. Brother Ellsworth said “The Lord has sent him to help us to the valley”. “Go fetch him so we may move on”. They did this and he worked as good as the others. When we reached within two days travel of Salt Lake, we met some teams sent out from the valley with provisions, and to help us in. The next morning when the boys went to round up the cattle to start, the steer was gone. They hunted for him for hours but he was never seen again. He went as mysteriously as he came. The Lord had sent him to us as long as we had really needed him. We were met in Emigration Canyon by the First Presidency and brass band, and hundreds of persons in carriages, on horse-back and on foot. It was a day never to be forgotten, we had reached the goal on foot all the way. I never left my handcart for one day, and only rode over two rivers. We waded streams, crossed high mountains and pulled through heavy sand, leaving comfortable homes, father, mother, brothers, and sisters, for what? This is the answer. To be where we could hear the Prophet’s voice and live with the Saints of God. I have never seen the day I have regretted my trip. We arrived in Salt Lake the 26th day of September 1856."
Wilford Woodruff (4th President of the Church) said, "Elders Ellsworth and McArthur have earned honor and glory to themselves in the leading of those companies. … Brother Ellsworth went through the city covered with dust at the head of his brave company, drawing a handcart under the close scrutiny of the thousands who crowded the streets with weeping eyes to gaze upon the scene; as he passed by his own lovely home and saw his [family] standing in his door, he made no halt, only gave a passing salute, continuing with his company until he reached the public square and saw them all comfortably encamped and fed."
My Great Great Grandparents Edmund Lovell Ellsworth and his fourth wife Mary Ann Jones (He was a Polygamist and the 2nd-4th wives were all named Mary Ann so he lovingly referred to them as Polly Dudley, Polly Bates, and Polly Jones. haha (polly=polygamy))
President Young spoke to the handcart companies after they arrived and said that he had always had faith that men, women, and children could cross the plains on foot and draw handcarts and now his faith was based on actual knowledge. He stated: “My reasoning has been like this: Take small children, … and if their steps were counted and measured, those that they take in the course of one day, you would find that they had taken enough to have traveled from 12 to 20 miles. Count the steps that a woman takes when she is doing her work, … steps enough to have traveled from 15 to 20 miles a day. … So with men. … Many people have believed that they could not walk much of a distance, if they had to walk right along in a road, but this is not so. …
“I wanted to tell one secret. While those brethren and sisters were faltering, and did not know whether to stop or go along, there was faith in this valley that bound them to that journey. … That is the secret of the movement.”
I believe we are ALL stronger than we think we are and can accomplish more than we believe possible if we answer the call of our Savior and just keep moving and with each step we will be one step farther than we were before until we have reached our goal. How grateful I am for the steps of my pioneer ancestors who bolster my faith, strengthen my testimony and silently urge me along until the day when we will be reunited.
**All stories and quote taken from the accounts in Edmund and Mary Ann's journals (posted on www.familysearch.org) and the following Ensign article https://www.lds.org/ensign/2000/07/they-walked-1300-miles?lang=eng
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