Shadrack ROUNDY Nauvoo Pioneer - First Brigham Young Company - July 1847

Faith In Every Footstep Shadrack ROUNDY Nauvoo Pioneer - First Brigham Young Company - July 1847

My name is Shadrach Roundy. My forefathers on both my Mother and my Fathers sides had been in America for seven generations before I was born on July 1, 1789. [My father and grandfather served in the American Revolutionary War.] I was born in Rockingham, Windham Co., Vermont to Uriah and Lucretia Needham Roundy. When I was 25 I married Betsey Quimby. My wife Betsey and I moved to Spafford, New York. There we learned of the Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter- day Saints which had been founded April 6 1830 by Joseph Smith Jr. I road by horseback to talk with the Prophet Joseph Smith in Fayette, New York. We joined the Church and by 1833 my family had followed the Saints to Kirtland, Ohio. In Kirtland I helped the Saints build a

Shadrach Roundy

*Shadrach ROUNDY Born: 1 Jan 1789 Place: Rockingham, Windham, VT Married: 22 Jun 1814 Place: Rockingham, Windham, VT Spouse: Betsey QUIMBY

Pioneer: 22 July 1847, First Pioneer

Company with Brigham Young; Kirtland Temple east-President Missionary Company 1849; west-Shadrach Temple to the Lord. To make it a beautiful place Roundy Company 1850; and other the women donated their fine china and it was pioneer trips crushed and mixed in the stucco so the building would shine in the sun light. Many people Died: 4 July 1872 found fault with the Prophet Joseph Smith and Place: Salt Lake City, UT trouble soon drove us to Missouri. In Missouri we tried to live our religion in peace but our Grandparent neighbors became worried they would be out * 1847 Brigham Young first pioneer numbered because thousands of Mormons move company in. The earlier settlers in Missouri didn’t know By Courtlin Reasor gr. gr. gr. gr. granddaughter (with help from Lark Wood Reasor) 1999 Courtlin REASOR, Lark WOOD, Kirt D. WOOD, Laura PARKER, Charles PARKER, Almeda S. ROUNDY, Shadrach ROUNDY 1 Faith In Every Footstep Shadrack ROUNDY Nauvoo Pioneer - First Brigham Young Company - July 1847

our beliefs and didn’t want to be our neighbors. of the yard. William Law insisted I admit them. They began attacking our people and burning He said they were gentlemen merchants and I our homes and crops. On Oct 27, 1838 told them “if they where gentlemen they should Governor Lilburn Boggs passed an order to come at gentlemen’s hours.” exterminate or drive all the Mormons from the The hate for my religion began to state. Three days latter at Haun’s Mill a small increase in Illinois. On June 27, 1844 in Mormon community, 200 men attacked with Carthage, Illinois the Prophet Joseph Smith and guns and 17 Mormon men and boys were killed his brother Hyrum were shot to death. A mob of and 15 were wounded. I signed a pledge to help about 200 men with their faces painted black the poor Saints move to Illinois. Most people attacked them. We started to make plans to had only the clothes they were wearing and it leave the United States and find a place in the was winter many were sick and dieing. Rocky Mountains were we could live in peace. The citizens in Illinois tried to help and Because of the persecution on Feb 4, we soon found a place to build again. It was a 1846 the first group of our wagons crossed the swampy area along the Mississippi River. After river into Iowa. An ox kicked a hole in a boat the swamp was drained we began to build and and the boat sank. People held onto feather beds Nauvoo became our beautiful home in 1840. In and wagons while the cows and oxen swam to the early 1840’s Nauvoo became the biggest shore. Two weeks latter the river froze and city in Illinois. wagons crossed on the ice. In Nauvoo I had a lot to do. I supported I was a captain over 100 people on the my family by working as a merchant. I was trip across Iowa. It was a hard trip. The first called into the Presiding Bishopric of the night 9 babies where born. When the ice and Church with Vinson Knight and the Prophets snow melted the wagons got stuck in the mud. brother Samuel H. Smith. I was a member of We only traveled 2 or 3 miles a day. It took us the Nauvoo Legion. (In those days the cities 131 days to go 310 miles across Iowa. We had legions for protecting the citizens kind of learned a lot about traveling and we helped each like the National guard today.) I was a other. Brigham Young had groups stop and lieutenant and then a captain of the Nauvoo plant crops and build some homes along the way police force. I helped build the Temple in so we could help those who would follow us Nauvoo. I also acted as a body guard for the later. We built small homes in a place we called Prophet Joseph Smith. Winter Quarters, it was near Omaha, Nebraska. One night Joseph knew he was in Some of my ten children had families of their danger. He asked me to pick a trusted friend to own, those that lived with Betsey and I spent guard the house because he was told there that year at Winter Quarters. I was Bishop of the would be a party coming by water to kidnap Winter Quarters 5th Ward. (A Ward is a unit of him. My friend Josiah Arnold guarded the the Church.) house while I walked along the Mississippi By spring of 1847 I had been asked by River bank not far from the house. I heard a Brigham Young (Young was the second leader noise and ran to the house. A group of men of the church) to be part of the first pioneer were pushing their way through the gate. I had group to travel across the Great Plains. I was a my hickory walking cane and held it with one leader over 50. We were chosen because of our hand on each end and pushed the group back out skills in clearing roads and find the best way to

By Courtlin Reasor gr. gr. gr. gr. granddaughter (with help from Lark Wood Reasor) 1999 Courtlin REASOR, Lark WOOD, Kirt D. WOOD, Laura PARKER, Charles PARKER, Almeda S. ROUNDY, Shadrach ROUNDY 2 Faith In Every Footstep Shadrack ROUNDY Nauvoo Pioneer - First Brigham Young Company - July 1847 cross the rivers and the mountains. And our we crossed the continental divide. (The ability to build and plant in our new home. We continental divide is the place in the Rocky were to find the place in the Rocky Mountains Mountains where the water runs west to the were our people could live in peace. I was the Pacific Ocean and East to the Atlantic ocean.) oldest man to go. I turned 59 before the trip was June 26th we had traveled 61 days and gone 819 over. miles and were at a mountain pass 7,085 feet This first pioneer group was made up of above sea level. On the 27th we met a group of 143 men 3 women and 2 children. We had a Oregonians going East and gave them letters to boat and a cannon, 70 wagons and carriages, 93 take to our families in Winter Quarters. horses, 52 mules, 66 oxen, 19 cows, 17 dogs We got up between 4 and 5:30 in the and some chickens. morning had our breakfast, cooked our noon We began the journey Wednesday, April meal, and started traveling by 8. Some weeks 14, 1847 the last wagon left Winter Quarters at we only traveled 21 miles and other we traveled 2 p.m., and we traveled 19 miles that day. 100 miles. William Clayton tied a red clothe to a spoke of June 28th we met Jim Bridger traveling the wagon wheel. As it turned he counted and East. Jim Bridger was the fur trapper who had figured out how many miles we traveled. By found the Great Salt Lake and thought it was the May he had invented and built the first pacific ocean when he drank its salty water. It odometer. He called it the roadometer and it took us the next three days to get all our wagons counted the miles by its self. across the Green river. On Sunday July 4th we I bought baffalo meat from Indians on didn’t celebrate but we ate ice cream George A. April 18. On the 21st we gave tobacco, salt, Smith made it out of sugar and snow. On the 5th powder, and lead, same flour and other small we had our first glimpse of what is now Utah, articles to the Indians. On Monday the 26th at 3 “rising dimly out of the mist, far to the o’clock in the morning an alarm was sounded. southwest.” We only past two permanent places We were ready for action. Three of the guards on the trail they were Fort Laramie and Fort heard something moving in the grass and the Bridger. July 11th the night was cold and there horses near the spot were snorting, and we was 1/4 inch of ice on the water in the buckets found some Indians crawling up to the wagons. in the morning. We fired in their direction and six Indians ran July 12th some were very sick with off. We loaded the cannon but didn’t use it. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. A few stayed Breakfast on the 29th was wild goose with the sick the rest of us moved on. We and moldy bread. May 5th the whole prairie needed to arrive in time to plant crops. July was on fire and sparks and cinders flew in every 13th word came from Brigham Young he was direction. On the 6th and 7th of May there were one of the very sick. Orson Pratt and I along 1,000’s of buffalo all around us. We didn’t do with a few others were to form an advance party any hunting because we didn’t need any meat. and keep traveling. By the 15th of July we were June 7th at the Platte River we met many 23 and 1/4 miles ahead of the main camp. The parties going to Oregon. Some forded the river sick had joined them. some paid to use our ferries other built ferries. The main camp repaired broken wagons. We needed grasses and fullage for our animals This was the worst road we had come to to eat some times there wasn’t any. June 25th because of the boulders and the narrow passages

down the mountain. The cattle were uneasy to Italy, Franklin D. Richards to England, and because of the echo in the canyon. “The several Elders accompanying each of these wagons sounded like carpenters hammering Apostles. Jedediah M. grant was appointed away for dear life inside the mountain.” captain of the guard and Bishop Edward Hunter By July 23 nine of us had reached the was with us. We left on the 19th of October valley by horse back. The main camp was with 12 wagons, 42 horses and mules, 1 carriage building a road for the wagons to pass down and 35 men. This included a couple merchants, Emigration Canyon. In the valley me and two going to St. Louis after goods, and a number of others plowed the ground to plant potatoes, corn brethren who went east on business. While we and beans. We were the first white men to plow stopped at noon along the Platte River on the the ground in the Great Salt Lake Valley. The 12th of November we were charged upon by ground was so hard one plow broke. 200 Cheyenne warriors. Erastus Snow wrote “ they were on the lookout for a war party of Crows and thought to gobble up our little party for pastime, but we did not quite relish the sport, and having about one hundred and thirty shots with us, in about one minute’s time we formed a line of battle,... in front of our wagons, with our animals behind them on the river’s bank, and when every man’s finger was upon his piece ready to fire, the savage horsemen were brought to a sudden standstill. A parley commenced, which resulted in their giving us the road, and they with drawing to their camps… We reached

the Missouri river, on December 7th in a When Brigham Young our leader saw blinding snow storm which lasted about the valley on July 24th he rose up from his sick fourteen hours. The snow was three feet deep bed and said “This is the right place.” It took us when we reached the old barracks (Old Fort 110 days to travel 1,000 miles. Kearney) on the west side of the river…finding The first few seasons we ate crows, there cabins to shelter ourselves and shelter for thistle tops, bark, roots and sego lily bulbs. I our animals…we gave God thanks for our helped build the Salt Lake Fort. I was called to successful journey.” the first High Council in the Salt Lake Stake (a Stake is a large unit in the Church. It is made up of several Wards.) I was called as the bishop of the 16th Ward (1849-1856). In 1849 I was appointed captain over the wagon train that was to leave the Great Salt Lake Valley with the first missionaries from there to serve in all parts of the world. Erastus Snow was to serve in Denmark, Elder John Taylor was appointed to France, Lorenzo Snow

4. Deseret Evening News, Salt Lake City, Utah July, 1897. 5. Our Heritage, 1996, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, USA. 6. Brigham Young American Moses, Leonard J. Arrington, 1985, Alfred a. Knoph, New York. 7. Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 2, Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, The Pioneer Heritage CD-ROM, 1996 Infobases, Inc. Provo, UT. Early log cabin in the Salt Lake Valley 8. Treasures of Pioneer History, Vol. 2, Daughter of the Utah Pioneers, Pioneer Heritage Library in the LDS Family I was elected to the first Legislature. I History Suite, 1996 Infobases, Inc. worked as a farmer and a merchant. In 1868 I Provo, Utah. helped organize the first department store in the 9. Church History in the Fullness of Times, country. It is called ZCMI. I was Captain in the Church Education System, 1993, The Silver Greys which was a unit of older citizens Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day organized to protect the Valley. Saints. I crossed the plains five times to help 10. Erastus Snow, LDS Biographical others on their journey. 60,000 Mormon Encyclopedia, Andrew Jepson, Vol.. 1, pioneers crossed the Great Plains to Utah. Most p. 103 of them walked carrying their belongings in ox 11. Doctrine and Covenance 124: 141 or horse drawn covered wagons or hand carts. 12. Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia, 1997, The Railroad was completed in 1869. That Compton’s Home Library. ended the pioneer era. The day after I died my obituary in the Great Salt Lake City, Deseret Evening News read “he died of old age, at 7:00 yesterday (July 4, 1872) at his residence in the city.”

Sources: 1. The Roundy Family in America, Everett Ellsworth Roundy, 1942, published by author at Dedham, MA 2. LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, Andrew Jenson, Vol 1, Collectors Library, 1990-1998 Infobases, Inc., A Bookcraft Company. 3.Who’s Who in the Doctrine and Covenants, by Susan Easton Black, 1990-1998, Infobases, Inc., A Bookcraft Company. By Courtlin Reasor gr. gr. gr. gr. granddaughter (with help from Lark Wood Reasor) 1999 Courtlin REASOR, Lark WOOD, Kirt D. WOOD, Laura PARKER, Charles PARKER, Almeda S. ROUNDY, Shadrach ROUNDY 5