| Show LIFE AND JOURNEYS OF JOHN SOMERS HIGBEE Was Vas Mobbed l and Driven from front Missouri l With Other Oth Oth- er Mormons Army Mormons Army Takes Guns and Leave Them Unarmed in Savage Country Following are notes from the journal of John Somers Higbee read road at nt a re recent recent recent re- re cent meeting of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers by Charlotte a granddaughter He Jle was an early pioneer to this country country country coun coun- try and the dotes depicts his life previous previous previous ious to the time he left for the mountains mountains moun moun- talus and after his arrival here until the time of his death i in Toquerville Utah Oct 27 1877 John Somers was the son of Isaac and Sophia born In Talt Tait Township Clearmont Count Ohio on March 7 1804 On Feb 26 1826 he was married to Sarah Ann Vorhees and he heith with ith his wife and parents parents' joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Latter Saints In 1832 They sold their property property property prop prop- erty and moved to Jackson County Missouri Feb 1833 where they bought land and planted corn I. I Mr Somers Somer journal reads that there was some trouble between the old and new settlers The Mormons Mormons Mormons Mor Mor- mons were mobbed and driven out and andIn andin andin in November I moved with a sick wife to Clay County with only what we could carry carryon on our backs In this condition condition con con- five families made huts out of the bark of trees for the winter and depended entirely on the success of my hunting bunting wild game gamo with a flintlock flint s lock shotgun as the mob had taken all of our guns I was very successful with the old shot gun and we had many deer to eat that winter For bread we crossed the Missouri river inthe in inthe inthe the night to steal some somo of our own corn we ve had not sold it from my brothers brother's f farm um a distance of six miles from where we were camped The mob kept threatening us so my parents brothers and the other families moved to Caldwell County Missouri near Far West where my mother died through exposure August 24 24 1840 Now the State rose up against us The Governor sent an on army who told us you are rebellious and must comply comply comply com com- ply with our frontier opinions called law The army took our guns from us and we were left living on the edgo edge of an Indian country filled with sav say ages When I gave up my arms I I was forced to sign a deed giving all my myland myland myland land in J Jackson and Caldwell counties Missouri for the use of the executives of the State to defray the expenses In Inthis Inthis Inthis this war Then When they selected 57 of us to make examples of and took us to Richmond and put us in the courthouse courthouse courthouse court court- house under a strong guard After Alter 29 2 Continued on Page Eight I II I Life Of John Somers Higbee Continued from Page One Ing world from Ancient Europe In particular and to pull In one boat days clays we were tried and nothing found ag us We were ordered to leave the state which we did January 1838 1818 going to Illinois In an old rickety one horse wagon There were three families families families fam fam- of us on this trip and all that could walked most of them bare footed footed footed foot foot- ed over frozen ground women as well as children Nevertheless In all this trial and trouble we seemed to be hap- hap py We traveled about 15 miles per day our wagon breaking down on us every few days After arriving at Quincy Illinois my father died from the fatigue of the journey He lie was 75 years of age May 1838 we moved to Nauvoo Illinois but It was only a few years when rumbles of the Mormons being In again were heard some of them were mobbed and had their homes burned after which the Prophet Joseph and Hyrum Byrum Smith were m martyred In Carthage jail In 1844 February 1816 1846 I enlisted under Col Markham as a pioneer to go through the wilderness to California and was elected as captain of ten men On the of February commenced to ferry across the Mississippi river to Mona- Mona rose Iowa all those that wished to Join the tile company The people locked up their homes leaving all they could not take with them or sell which was very little lUtle Very few ever realized anything anything anything any any- thing on what they had left Very slowly we took up the line of march for the West I hunted wild game came for the camps stood guard and worked splitting rails for farmers In northern Iowa to get horse feed and other necessities At Sheridan river I Iwas Iwas Iwas was appointed general hunter for Heber Heb- Heb er C. C Kimball company In April game was scarce and thunder showers and wet hunters were very common Once I got lost In a storm sat up all night without a fire with wild animals a- a bout Next morning I went back to meet my and traveled with them to Mt Pisgah where we we stopped and planted crops Here my wife Sarah Barah Ann Voorhees took sick thru exposure and want of some of the necessities of life Ute She died June 15 1846 and was buried burled In an nn unknown grave She was 41 years and 30 days das old at time of her death She departed this life leaving four children John M. M Silas and Harriet About this time they were recruItIng recruiting recruiting recruit recruIt- ing for the Mormon Battalion I volunteered taking my son John In with me a neighbor caring for the theother theother theother other children It was arranged for us to drive teams up to Council Bluffs but on arriving the battalion was made up and had started 24 hours previous John M. M cried because we could not toIl follow ow The leaders of the camp then appointed me to take charge of the ferry across the Missouri river a rapid whirling boisterous stream able most of the year year for small steam boats Here at Winter Quarters I married Judith Ball Dall a widow from South Caro Caro- lina I again volunteered to go with Pioneers to the Rocky Mountains and was chosen one of the hunters the necessary articles for a Pioneer to cross eross the plains I put In John Wheelers Wheeler's Wheelers Wheeler's Wheel Wheel- ers er's wagon agon April 5 1847 1647 were as follows follows follows fol fol- lows Ibs IDs corn for horse feed Ibs lbs flour corn meal beans potatoes 17 tbs IDs bacon 25 Ibs seed corn 12 tbs IDS salt a few garden seeds Hatchet knife broad ax chopping ax tools fish fishnet fishnet fishnet net trunk and clothing wash kettle bucket shovel hoe auger gauger gun brace of pistols saddle bridle bridie halter baiter traps straps martingales 4 Ibs powder powder powder pow pow- der 8 Ibs IDs lead fish hooks and line Iron tron wedge and pick the whole totaling a value of April of that year ear at noon we started from Winter Quarters I was captain of ten myself John Wheeler Percy Fitzgerald Thomas Roker Hoker Benjamin Benjamin Ben Den jamin Rolf Hanson Walker John Tib Tib- ets I traveled with the pioneers to Upper Crossing of Platt river killed all ail the buffalo we wanted for meat When we arrived at Upper Crossing we made a boat to ferry our wagons a- a cross After crossing the Great Colonizer Colon Colon- izer tzer Brigham Young detailed myself and others to remain and ferry the Immigrants across on their way to California and Oregon during the high highwater highwater water until our families came along they arriving August k Leaving Upper Crossing upon the arrival of our families we arrived in 1847 Salt Lake Valley September 20 26 On the of December I was appointed apt apr ap ap- r t pointed to solicit assistance for some of the Battalion boys bes who had Just returned obtaining 35 Ibs lbs of bread breadstuff breadstuff breadstuff stuff and 27 Ibs lbs of meat which was received with thankful hearts My family faintly were on a II 1 h i lb Ib corn meal al allowance allowance allowance al- al lowance per day iby just enough to make A a man hungry until crops could be raised January 1848 I went with Parley P. P Pratt J. J Tibbets and others on an exploring hunting and fishing expedition expedition expedition tion south of Utah Lake crossing over the point of the mountain between the two valleys alleys taking taking our wagon with a skiff on It We crossed without cutting cutting cutting cut cut- ting a brush or making a road My Myson Myson Myson son John was teamster In the spring of 1849 in charge of ofa ofa Jf a company I was sent to make a settlement settlement set set- in fn Utah Valley at which place we called Provo We surveyed surveyed sur sur- eyed and drew numbers for city lots Each mans man's name was written on a number as drawn on the city plot We did the same with farming land band We built a stockade fort for our protection against the Indians The Indians stole from us and annoyed us very much The first white man killed by them was my brother Isaacs Isaac's only son John a well liked and very promising promisIng promising promis promis- ing young oung man The hardships endured endured endured en en- dured thru the depredations of the Indians were very grevious and dis- dis The want of food land clothing was also severe Some whole families lived for months on fish buttermilk buttermilk buttermilk but but- and what few roots they could dig Armed men had to herd and guard the stock go with teams after wood or plow besides guarding at night In the fall of 1849 my brother Isaac was called to take charge at Provo and andI I was sent on on a 0 mission to England leaving Salt Lake City October 1849 I was chosen to preside over our company company company com com- pany going across the ocean Then I Idas Iwas das was as appointed president of the New- New castle conference and served until January January January Jan Jan- JanI I uary 5 1852 when I was as released to return home I traveled In England miles mUes mostly on foot On January January Janu Janu- ary 8 1852 I was appointed to preside JanU-j JanU over O the Saints on board of the good ship which b sailed January January January Jan Jan- uary 10 30 1852 Among the passengers was Mrs Jane Homer Grainger with several children She died on board boan ship and was burled In the ocean Her daughter Ann married John Somers March 1852 In company with Pres Brigham Young I went on an exploring trip to Salmon river October 10 1857 was Wa appointed d captain of the 1st 10 am and 2nd 50 of Militia I moved on to Weber Web Web- er river April 4 1858 and In February 1865 moved to Toquerville Utah with my wife Ann and children Sarah Barah Ann Charlotte Jane Sophia Sabra Richard Richard Richard Rich Rich- ard Talt Tait and Isaac William WilHam |
