| Show MORMON BATTALION VETERAN CALLED HOME rufus chester alien passes away after eventful career one of first white men to enter dixie rufus chester alien passed away at his home in this city of old age following a short illness tuesday december 7 1915 in the year of his age lie had a most eventful career was one of the first white men to enter the dixie country on an exploring expedition more any settlers and was one of the very few surviving members of the morman battalion rufue chester alien was a honorable upright man an exemplary citizen in every respect of a kindly disposition and as loved and respected hy all who knew him he was devoted to the church of which he was a member and died full of faith in hopes of a glorious resurrection he is survived by his wife two sons bishop rufus A alien of kingston diute piute co and chester W alien of circleville Cir cleville co one daughter mrs rachael emma berry of st johns arizona two brothers living at ogden two eia numerous grandchildren and about 25 great grandchildren the two sons were present at the funeral but the daughter could not be present on account of sickness funeral services were held in the st george stake tabernacle friday december 10 the speakers being elders david H cannon schuyler evarett Ev brigham jarvis sr pres ed H snow and bishop jas me arthur each of whom paid high tribute to the worth and integrity of the departed brother the bearers were all descendents of morman battalion veterans and the descendants of morman battakian Bat veterans followed the remains in a body from his late residence to the tabernacle interment was made in the city cemetery chester alien was born in new york state october 22 1827 and waa baptized into the church of jesus christ of latter day saints in the year 1837 he left nauvoo in daniel spencers company in the winter of 1846 7 and corked day and night assisting to ferry the people across the river he drove a team to the missouri river iowa and on arriving there was called back to mount bigah with others to move a family and goods that could not be taken at first the next day after returning to the missouri river ho responded to a call made by the U S government upon the authorities of the L D S church to furnish men for the mexican war his father and family arrived before the battalion started the former enlisting and making the gnp to california with him after the battalion was discharged in california in 1817 he joined a company fitted up with p ick animals and made the trip to the salt lake arriving there in the fall ii the spring of 1848 he went as teamster to meet a company of emigrants on the plains his mother and family were in this company and they mei on the river miles east of fort Lara roie he made another trip to meet emigrants in 1849 within a few weeks he was called to go south on an expedition the company led by 1 P pratt traveled thru sanpete valley then turned west over the mountains to tittle salt ake alley here the company freaa rated and explored 10 different directions re assembling in little salt like val lev now P anvan in december the company return cl to salt lake in march in the fall of 1850 ie went part way to fort badger I 1 meet a corn ganv of emigrants an 1 on returning to salt lake moved to ogden to live next spring 1851 he received a letter from the church authorities requesting him to be in salt lake a few days to on a minion he complied not knowing where he would be nor on what kind of a mission he was choen cho en to accompany elder to chill south america where they labored three in march 1853 ho married lavena H yearsley Year ami they made their home in ogden the next he was chosen ia one of the seven presidents of thia thirty third quorum of geventie be ventie and sent on a mission to the indians in south ern utah where he labored for three airs and six months in connection with this portion of mr aliens life the following quotation la taken from the book published in 1881 by the juvenile instruction office on th e life of jacob hamblin hamblin says on the first of june 1854 I 1 went with elder R C alien and others to visit the indians on the rio virgen and santa clara two streams now well known as forming a junction south of the city of st george rufus alien up to august was president of the southern indian mission but generally resided at harmony he was released in 1857 as the extract from a letter from pres bangham young to jacob hamblin proves presidents office great silt lake city aug 4 1807 elder jacob hamblin you are hereby appointed to succeed elder R C alien whom I 1 have released aa president of the santi clara indian mission I 1 wish you to enter upon the duties of your office immedi abely in march 1855 R 0 alien was commissioned captain of company F battalion Bit of infantry at cedar and harmony pots iron military district of the nauvoo legion while on the indan mission he married margaret mcconnell he was released and returned to ogden in september 1857 during the winter of 1857 he spent a good part of the winter as guard in echo can von in 1862 he moved to dixie believing the warmer climate would be beneficial to his health as he atas suffering with rheumatism in 1806 he was called to the missouri river to assist emigration he left virgin city in april and returned to the same place the following october on this mis ion he was under command of capt ezra thompson who is still living at scipio chas F foster of this city was also a member of this company which was sent to help poor saints in from the missouri rive another member of the company joseph perkins accidentally shot ang kaled himself while on the trip on account of indian esthe little settlement on north creek was broken up and he located at where he held positions as sunday school superintendent member of tha high council and bishops counselor in august 1855 he was called to work in the st george temple and spent a year in that labor in may 1886 he married laura E chaflin and with her spent a portion of hia time winter and sum mer working in the temple until the year wl when he purchased a home in st george where they hav cioce raided RUFUS CHESTER ALLEN |
