The Awakening Of The Desert Part 19

The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was administered each Sabbath. Water was used instead of wine, and along with the bread was carried round by officers of the church, during the delivery of the afternoon address.

There seemed to be no effort to make it the solemn occasion that other churches make of the communion service.

In the minds of the curious there is a peculiar interest in the complex family life of a people where numerous families center in a single head.

Although an occasional guest at the president's home, I found it impossible to learn with certainty how many persons were comprised in his family, and much diversity of opinion seemed to exist in the minds of those who would be most likely to know the facts. On many semi-public occasions I have seen sixteen of his wives and was led to believe that to be the number then living. In 1869, after the completion of the railroad, when the Boston Board of Trade visited the city, in reply to a direct question made by one of the visitors, Brigham stated that he had 16 wives and 49 children. In the Utah notes MS., the statement is made that this was the first occasion on which he publicly gave the statistics. During our stay I noted such information on this subject as could conveniently be obtained.

These notes have been revised after reference to some later official publications and being now substantially correct may be of interest, especially as the names of his consorts are also given.

The following is a summary of the names of the wives of Brigham Young, the dates of their births as fully as can be ascertained, also the dates of their marriages to the president, also the number of children resulting from each union.

BORN MARRIED TO DIED NO. OF BRIGHAM CHILDREN -------------- -------------- ---------- -- Miriam Works Oct. 8, 1804 Aug. 8, 1824 Sept. 8, 1832 2 Cayuga Co, N. Y. State

Mary Ann Angell June 8, 1803 Feb. 18, 1834 June 27, 1882 6 Seneca, N. Y.

Lucy Decker May 17, 1822 June 16, 1842 Jan. 24, 1890 7 Phelps, N. Y.

Harriet E. C. Nov. 7, 1824 Nov. 2, 1843 1 Campbell Whitesborough, N. Y.

Augusta Adams ------ 1802 Nov. 2, 1843 ------ 1886 Lynn, Ma.s.s.

Clara Decker July 23, 1828 May 8, 1844 Jan. 5, 1889 5 Phelps, N. Y.

Louisa Beman Feb. 7, 1815 ------ 1844 Mar. 15, 1850 4 Livonia, N. Y. Widow of Joseph

Clara C. Ross June 16, 1814 Sept. 10, 1844 Oct. 17, 1858 4 N. Y. State Widow of Joseph

Emily Dow Feb. 28, 1824 Sept. 1844 -------- 7 Partridge Painesville, O. Sealed for time

Susan Snively Oct. -- 1815 Nov. 2, 1844 Nov. 20, 1892 Woodstock, Va.

Olive F. Frost July 24, 1816 Feb. -- 1845 Oct. 6, 1845 Bethel, Me. Widow of Joseph

Emmeline Free ------ Apr. 30, 1845 July 17, 1875 10

Margaret Price Apr. 19, 1823 ------ 1845 ------ 1 Ashton, Pa.

Naama K. Carter Mar. 20, 1821 Jan. 26, 1846 ------ Wilmington, Ma.s.s. Sealed for time

Ellen Rockwood ------ 1829 Jan. -- 1846 Jan. 6, 1866 Holliston, Ma.s.s.

Maria Lawrence ------ Jan. -- 1846 Died in Nauvoo Canada Widow of Joseph

Martha Bowker Jan. -- 1822 Jan. -- 1846 Sept. -- 1890 Mt. Holly, N. Y.

Margaret M. Dec. 19, 1825 Oct. -- 1846 Nov. -- 1852 2 Alley Lynn, Ma.s.s.

Lucy Bigelow Oct. 3, 1830 Mar. -- 1847 ------ 3 Charleston, Ill.

Zina Diantha Jan. 31, 1821 Huntington Watertown, ------ 1848(?) Had been N. Y. sealed to Joseph at age of 17

Eliza Roxey Jan. 21, 1804 June 29, 1849 Dec. 5, 1887 Snow Becket, Ma.s.s. Widow of Joseph

Eliza Burgess ------ Oct. 3, 1850 ------

Harriet Barney England ------ ------ 1 divorced from former husband

Harriet Amelia Aug. 23, 1838 Jan. 24, 1863 ------ Folsom Buffalo, N. Y.

Mary Van Cott Feb. 2, 1844 Jan. 8, 1865 Jan. 5, 1884 1 Elmira, N. Y.

Ann Eliza Webb ------ 1844 Apr. 6, 1868 Had been Illinois divorced from former husband

It will be observed that of the twenty-six wives who were from time to time united to Brigham Young, sixteen were added to his household within a period of forty months, five were united to him in each of two years; two of the wives, Lucy and Clara Decker, are said to have been sisters; six of the number were widows of Joseph Smith, the first president; eleven were born in the state of New York; and six were born in New England. Our investigations also disclose the fact that two of Brigham's wives were women who had been divorced from former husbands, also that one of his wives, the attractive Zina Diantha, had been sealed when a young girl to the prophet, Smith. It also shows that two of the wives were not regularly married but were sealed for time to President Young.

These peculiar and varied relations will be referred to in another chapter.

CHAPTER XXV

SOME INSIDE GLIMPSES OF MORMON AFFAIRS

"That fellow is a Danite, one of Brigham's destroying angels," remarked a man who formed part of a group with whom I and some of our boys were sitting in front of the Salt Lake Hotel. Our informant, who was a guest at the hotel, knew that as we had recently arrived any startling information concerning local affairs would certainly be received with interest. As he made the announcement, he raised his eyebrows and cast a knowing glance toward the object of his remark, an unshaven, dark-haired man, who was slowly pa.s.sing on the sidewalk. a.s.suming that we were ignorant of the functions of the destroying angels, he informed us, with an air indicating familiarity with the Mormon underworld, that Brigham had a lot of those fellows who were sworn to do anything, even to kill at the Prophet's command.

"I'm glad to see one of 'em," interjected a member of the group, "and say, friend, is it true that Brigham has a pile of money he has got one way and another?"

"O yes," replied our oracle, "he has eight million in the Bank of England."

"Yes, I've heard that, but is it in pounds, dollars, or s.h.i.+llings? It makes a d.a.m.n sight of difference which."

"I ain't sure which, but it is eight million and he has got ten thousand cattle and horses over on Church Island."

"He can afford to keep a lot of wives," said another.

"Wives! do you know that he has them in every part of Utah? He has got more than a thousand scattered around."

All these statements and many more of like import were received with more or less credulity, although the man who introduced the conversation just cited was said to be a professional gambler and an _habitue_ of Trowbridge's saloon.

We visited Camp Dougla.s.s and other points in and around the city until we were surfeited with knowledge concerning the villainy said to be practiced by the Mormons. These and many other tales equally startling and absurd were spread throughout the states by returning travelers who had escaped from that alleged abode of a.s.sa.s.sins.

While our party was gathered in a quiet room in a hotel one evening after we had been reviewing the results of our observations and the statements heard upon the streets and elsewhere, Ben with much gravity outlined in a single sentence what seemed to be a wise and dignified policy for us to pursue.

"Now here we are," said Ben, "among a people who are bitterly divided among themselves. We don't have to be Mormons, but I see no sense in vilifying and denouncing them as hundreds are doing on the streets, who don't know any more theology or facts than we do. Let's be fair and unprejudiced and avoid controversies on these local affairs. I believe the men who are doing most of the talking are a heap worse than any Mormons I have seen."

During that summer and autumn of 1866 the relations between the Mormons and the United States Government were exceedingly strained, and some unfortunate events occurred which increased the tension. The few Gentiles then in the city who were in any sense not friendly in their att.i.tude toward the local government (which was Mormon) were regarded with disfavor by the Saints--and for evident reasons. This was especially the case, if their relations with the army or United States officials were intimate. An anomalous condition existed in which even the Jews, with all the others who were not Mormons, were known as Gentiles! The Gentile was to the Mormon what the Giaour is to the Mussulman.

General Connor, who had been in command of the United States forces stationed at Camp Dougla.s.s, which post overlooked the city, had held the situation firmly. The antagonism between him and the Mormon authorities had at all times been generally recognized by all parties. Soon after the withdrawal of General Connor, and in the spring preceding our arrival, Newton Bra.s.sfield, recently arrived from Nevada, married a wife of one of the elders of the Church, who was then absent on a foreign mission.