Manuscripts

Life sketch of Lemuel Hardison Redd [microform]: after 1891

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Description: Microfilm of Lemuel Hardison Redd's brief autobiography, recorded at White Pine, Nevada, sometime after 1891. Redd briefly describes his early life and journey to Utah, but mainly focuses on his life in Utah after 1850. He describes settling in Spanish Fork, where his father helped build the first saw mill (it was destroyed during the Walker War in 1853), and briefly describes his experiences during the Walker War, his marriage, his mission to Nevada, his participation in the Utah War, and helping colonize New Harmony as part of the Dixie Mission in 1862. Redd also mentions buying the John D. Lee homestead in 1870, helping establish the United Order at Harmony, and moving to San Juan County and later Mexico to avoid polygamy charges. The account also describes in some detail the various activities of Redd's children.
Type: Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)
Date: after 1891
Call number: MSS MFilm 00379

Life sketch of Sariah Louisa Chamberlain Redd [microform]: 1935

Manuscripts

Microfilm of a typed autobiography of Sariah Louisa Chamberlain Redd, written by her daughter Terresa Atremesia Redd Romney. The account describes Sariah's childhood, her life with her ill father in Santa Clara, her move to live with her mother after his death in 1862, her work as a housekeeper and marriage to Lemuel Redd, her work sewing and embroidering gloves to earn money, her keeping out of sight to avoid polygamy charges (including a description of a search by U.S. Marshals in 1890), the family's 1890 move to San Juan County and 1891 settlement in Mexico, and Sariah's life in Mexico. It concludes with a list of her children with birth dates.

MSS MFilm 00398 item 02

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A sketch of Silas Harris's life, as written by himself [microform]: c.1880

Manuscripts

Microfilm of a typescript of Silas Harris' autobiography, written in about 1880 and completed by his daughter Sarah F. Cutler sometime after Silas' death in 1897. In the autobiography Silas writes very briefly of his childhood and conversion to Mormonism, his experiences in the Mormon Battalion, his overland travels back to Council Bluffs from California, his return to Utah, his mission work, and notes on his children. The final few paragraphs were written by his daughter Sarah, and contain reminiscences of her father.

MSS MFilm 00132

Sketch of the life of William Morley Black [microform] : c.1915

Manuscripts

Microfilm of the life history of William Morley Black, probably in the handwriting of his daughter Eva Minerva Black Palmer. Black opens with recollections of the difficulties of frontier life in Ohio and Illinois, his work as a farmer and mason after his father's death, and his marriage to Margaret Bonks in 1846. While living in Illinois in 1848, Black notes that "news of the discovery of gold in California created quite a fever in our town, and I caught the fever in the spring 1849." He describes joining William Maxwell's joint stock company, passing through Nauvoo, and crossing the plains. His overland account is limited except for his notes on buffalo hunting, of which he reflected "sad indeed it was for the Sioux nation when the white man made a through fare [sic] thru [sic] their well stocked hunting grounds." The party entered the Salt Lake Valley in July 1849, and "were all on tip toe to see what kind of civilization the Mormons would exhibit." Black learned of the "martyrdom" of Joseph Smith, was impacted by the persecutions the Mormons had suffered, and was so impressed by a church sermon that he wrote "if that is Mormonism then I am a Mormon." He writes that "any desire and ambition for gold was swept away," and he abandoned the California company to remain in Utah. In February 1850 he was selected to go on a mission to the Sanpete Valley, which he was not eager to do. "I could not see just what right the President had to call me. I understood and expected them to guide me in spiritual matters, but this was of a temporal nature and beyond their jurisdiction." Black ultimately submitted to the call and writes of paying tributes to Indians on the road to Sanpete, quoting Brigham Young as saying that it was "cheaper to feed them than it was to fight them." Black describes living with a Father Morley at Manti, building a grist mill, and marrying his first plural wife. In 1851 he was finally allowed to travel back to Illinois with the J.M Grant company to retrieve his family. He broke his ribs falling into a well and was in poor condition when he arrived in South Canton in December. He writes that he was "full of enthusiasm" for Mormonism, and when he told his family about his conversion his mother-in-law was "wild with rage" and his father-in-law would not share a house with him. His wife and two children, as well as a brother and sister he converted, traveled back to Utah in October 1852. Along the way he was cheated out of wages by a Brother Leonard, but Brigham Young convinced Black to let Leonard use the money to fund a mission to China instead of paying him. Back in Utah Black partnered with a Brother Washburn in tanning and shoemaking. When local grist millers were killed during the Walker War in July 1853, Black took over the mill. He describes running various mills, including those at Nephi (he writes that with the establishment of Camp Floyd in 1858 his "wheat was turned to gold"), Ephraim, and Circle Valley, where he was held under siege by Indians (two brothers recently arrived from Illinois were killed). After abandoning the Circle Valley settlement in 1867, Black moved to Beaver before being called to a mission in Washington. He later helped John R. Young build a grist mill at Kanab. He praised the establishment of United Orders and lived at Orderville until the late 1870s. He describes moving to Mexico in 1889 "not out of choice but of necessity," and of his various homes there. He writes that when war broke out between the Madero and Diaz parties in Pacheco, his family fled to El Paso and later returned to Utah. The final pages of the autobiography contain genealogy and a note on Black's death probably written by Eva Palmer.

Reminiscences of John Langston [microform] : 1877

Manuscripts

Microfilm of the autobiography of John Langston, covering his childhood through 1875. Langston recalls growing up in England and briefly moving to the United States before his father's interests failed and the family returned to England. Langston worked at iron works in Staffordshire and Wales before returning to the United States at the age of sixteen. He writes of working at iron works in New Jersey and Pittsburgh, and of spending the early 1840s looking for work in Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky. He eventually got hired as a steamer fireman in St. Louis and settled in Independence, Missouri, in 1844. Langston then describes a serious illness he suffered and his subsequent decision to join the Carmelite Church. He briefly covers his time in California, his journey to Council Bluffs, and his decision to join the Mormon Church after much internal debate over the practice of polygamy. After briefly writing of his overland journey to Utah, Langston focuses on the Utah War of 1857-1858, including his time in the Alpine militia at Echo Canyon. He believed that the U.S. Army was "sent out ... with the intent of hanging and killing all the leading Mormons." The last few pages of the volume trace Langston's move to Rockville and his cotton growing experiences through about 1875.

MSS MFilm 00124

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Autobiography of Asahel Woodruff Burk [microform]: after 1947

Manuscripts

Microfilm of A.W. Burk's autobiography, covering events through approximately 1947. The account opens with some family history and notes on Burk's childhood in Arizona, and briefly covers his move to Utah, educational endeavors, teaching positions, his assignment to the 1942-1943 Northern California Mission, and his sons' enlistment in the military during World War II. Much of the autobiography focuses on home events such as family illnesses, church activities, and agricultural work. Portions of the manuscript are in lightly colored ink that is partially illegible.

MSS MFilm 00146

A short sketch of the life of Levi Jackman [microform]: c.1832-1848

Manuscripts

Microfilm of Levi Jackman's autobiography and diary, which begins with an account of his childhood and conversion to the Mormon faith. He also gives an extensive account of mob violence in Missouri in 1833 and of his journey to Kirtland by way of Louisiana. He describes his missionary work in Illinois from 1835-1836, writes of the death of Joseph Smith in 1844, and mentions his work on the temples at Kirtland and Nauvoo. Much of the volume is a detailed diary account of his overland travels to Utah with the first company of Mormon pioneers in 1847. He gives a daily account of scenery and landmarks passed, as well as an account of camp life. He specifically describes Pawnee Indians, passing through a prairie dog town, sighting buffalo, and meeting Sam Brannan on the trail near the Salt Lake Valley. Jackman also writes of his reaction to his first sighting of Utah, declaring that "like Moses on Pisgah's top we could see a part of the Salt Lake Valley, our long anticipated home. We did truly rejoice at the sight" (July 19, 1847). The remainder of the volume includes Jackman family genealogy and a brief continuation of the autobiography, in which Jackman describes his life in Utah from 1847-1848, including a mention of the Mormon Battalion. Portions of the text are very faint and may be partially illegible.

MSS MFilm 00071

Life sketch of Lemuel Hardison Redd [microform]: after 1891

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Life sketch of Sariah Louisa Chamberlain Redd [microform]: 1935

A sketch of Silas Harris's life, as written by himself [microform]: c.1880

Sketch of the life of William Morley Black [microform] : c.1915

Reminiscences of John Langston [microform] : 1877

Autobiography of Asahel Woodruff Burk [microform]: after 1947

A short sketch of the life of Levi Jackman [microform]: c.1832-1848