The Life and Missionary Labors of George Washington Hill

Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 1956 The Life and Missionary Labors of George Washington Hill Ralph O. Brown Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the History Commons, and the Mormon Studies Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Brown, Ralph O., "The Life and Missionary Labors of George Washington Hill" (1956). Theses and Dissertations. 4563. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/4563 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. this book is lovilovinglyy dedicated to my mother who is the living embodimembodimentn of the highest ideals of latterlatterdayday saint motherhood 3 7 THE liflimLIFEF ANDAMD missionary LABORS OF GEORGE washington hilhllHIIhlllHILL A thesis submitted to the division of religion brigham young university provo utah in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree master of science 2052054051144 14 byy ralph abrown0brownobrown0lbsnbolb0r june 1956 acknowledwntacknowledgaemt without the cooperation encouragement and helpful suggestions of a number of people this thesis could not have been completed the writer is especially indebted to the following persons whose efforts have been particularly helpful dr russellrusselibussell rich who in his capacity as chairman of my graduate committee has spent many hours in reading the manuscript his patience and helpful suggestions have been most appreciated drdredro B west belnap and other ambersmembers of the division of religion of brigham young university whose suggestions and constructive criticism have been invaluable A william lund and other members of the LDS church historians library who have been so considerate and helpful in making available the facilities of the library o george RK hill general superintendent of the deseret sunday school union who so graciously made available the journal of george washington hillhielHJLI and other valuable manuscripts my parents dr and mrs scott B brown who spent long hours in gathering related materials and pictures to other members of the hill family who offered helpful suggestions and searched through family albums for pictures which might be helpful to my lovely wife jackie who has given unfaltering support and assistance in typing and retyping the various materials iii to these and to all others who have in any way contributed toward the completion of this project the writer expresses appreciation iv TABLE OF CONTENTS pabepage LIST OF illustrations viii chapter Iio1 introduction 0 0 0 Is 0 0 0 0 1 overview method of conducting the study II11 BIRTH AND EARLY YEARS birth and early wanderings george meets his wifetobewife to be experiences with a campbellite preacher marriage of george hill and cynthia stewart iliIII111 ACROSS THE PLAINS TO UTAH 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 ID 0 10 journey to meet the saints A remarkable manifestation arrival at mt pisgah hardships near winter quarters baptism of george washington hill experiences on the plains arrival in salt lake valley IV BUILDING A HOME IN teeTHE WEST I1 0 0 0 0 20 hardships in salt lake valley brigham youngs attitude toward Goldgoldseekersseekers prophecy and fulfillfulfillmentm nt return to the east conversion of the hill family settlement of the stevartstewart estate cholera on the plains an unwelcome suitor dismissed george and family move to ogden cynthiacynthiasI1 s vision A strange dream and its result V THE SALMON RIVER MISSION 10 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 30 calling missionaries to the indians journey into southeastern idaho v chapter page building of fort limhi A hearnear tragedy taming a bull brigham young visits fort limhi the indian prophet experiences in the militia the indians attack fort limhi saints to the rescue VI THE DEFENSE OF ZION 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 46 flight to the south the saints return homerome george participates in the church team plan difficulties with the indians A regrettable incident the railroad comescamcnm s to utah experiences as a nightnightwatchmanwatchman VII SECOND MISSION TO THE LAMANITES 9 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 57 religious revival among the indians A call to service from brigham young first visit to the indian camp establishing a permanent indian colony progress in civilizing the indiansianslans VIII THE CORINNECORINME conspiracy 0 0 68 development of a plot federal troops to the rescue an ultimatum is delivered indian reaction A child is restored to life newspaper reactions to the corinne fiasco for shame corinne the corinne collapse IX tebteeTHE SUNSET YEARS 0 0 0 0 0 9 10 80 efforts to reregroupgroup the indian converts permanent indian settlement established federal government vs LDS polygamy genealogical data obtained death and funeral services SELECTED referencesNCES 0 40 0 0 0 9 0 9 1 0 a 88 vi appendices page A POOR SCARED CORINNECORINNESIS LAST KICK 91 B THE CORINNECOBINNE conspiracy AND COLLAPSE 0 0 9 0 0 92 TRIP C eheTHEthir FARCE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 93 D INDIAN EJECTMENT 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 95 E LETTERLE TO THE EDITOR 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 F PEACE AND GOOD WILLW 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 102 go W & ID G LETTER FROM GEORGE hlllHILLH 0 0 v 0 0 0 0 103 Hho GEORGE washington hlllHILLH BAPTIZED THOUSANDS OF INDIANS 107 I1 I1 MY FIRST daxDAYSDAY S WORK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 109 J AN INDIAN VISION 0 0.0 6 0 0 0 1 & 0 0 0 0 ill K LETTER FROM A GRAND DAUGHTER OF GEORGE W hlllelalhlalHILL 113 lo10L MESSAGE FROM AN IRDIMINDIAN PROPHET 0 0 0 0 & 10 likUA114 M EULOGYLOGY OF GEORGE washingtonWAMINGTON eillhlllHILLH 0 0 a 0 0 0 0 0 ilg116 noN OBITUARY NOTICE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 120 vii LIST OF illustrations figure page 1 cynthia stevartstewart hill wife of george W hill ix 22& george washington hill I1 6.6 0 & 0 x 3 george washington hill and a group of indianan converts & 58 4 george washington hill 0 0 0 67 5 washakie chief of the shoshones 0 0 0 0 81 6 salt lake honehome of george W hill and family 83 7 obituary notice of george washington hill 120 viiivill NI 5 4 A aid Y 7 ity figure 1 cynthia stevartstewart hill wife of george washington hill ix figure 2 george washington hill ip CHAPTER I1 i11moducti011etoroixjctioh someoneoverview the epic story of the mormon pioneers is the story of a valiant though persecuted group of people driven from their homes in the dead of winter this courageous band of saints succeeded in regrouping thetheiri1rar forces and crossing a vast expanse of indian country to found an empire in the midst of the great american desert occasionally we become overzealousover zealous and attribute to these pioneers the distinction of bebeinging the first white men to set foot in this western country this however is not the casecabescases the mormons were hom- ebuilders their goal irasinasvaswas not to discover but to settle roberts aptly discusses this distinction in the following paragraph these latterlatterdayday saint pioneers were not rienmenlen of the wilderness in the sense that the hunters and trappers of years before them were such as peter skeen ogden or etienneettienneettenne provost or james bridger or the men of Crittencrittendencrittendentsdents volumes of the north- west nor were they pathfinderspathfinders or explorers such as the men of the levislewislewid and darkhankclarkmank expedition or fremont or bonneville or jedediah smith they were pioneers ol01of the it covered wagontfwagon type and mission pioneers of eempirelimireeimire founding they brought with them plows and seeds and fandfamiliesileseilesahomemakers these they will found settlements make villanesillagesvillages3 build towns and cities create states and civilization it detracts nothing from their work or fame to say that the pioneers were not pathfinderspathfinders or Tl explorerstlexplorers or men of the wilderness after the hunter and trapper type to credit men vithwith what they are not detracts from what they are the thought here is to accredit the men of the latterlatterdayday saint planting in the wilderness with nothing more than what they were and what they did this will give them the title of state founders pioneer builders of civilization where before it did not exist making more thaathanchaa tvo11twotwo spears of grass to grow where but one grew before and in 1 2 such achievement there is enough of honor and of glory for them and for their posterity I1 such a man was george washington hill though but a young man when he crossed the plains with the mormon pioneers in 1847 his leader- ship and influence was extended over a large area in this new western em- 7 pire which the mormons were building butdut3 george was more than just a builderDuluder and a homemaker haturehasurenature had endowed him handsomely he was a natural athlete of large and powerful stature with a dignity and magnetism which drew men to him he was one of the 1bestoest marksmen in the territerritorytonjtony and few indeed were the men whoveno cared to face him in a contest 2 A man of his talents was in constant demand in this frontier territory and consequently he served in many capacities such as hunter scout interpreter body guard to wilford woodruff and captain of the militia outstanding though he was in these positions however his greatest contribution was in yet another field george washington hill was a man with a mission early in life he had received a manifestation in which he was told that

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