Augustus Erastus Dodge: Substantiating a Family Legend by Grant Eckstein Prof. Richard Bennett Church History 342 Augustus Erastus Dodge: Substantiating a Family Legend The myth of Augustus Erastus Dodge is family apocrypha. Much is known about him in the family, yet almost none of it has been substantiated. He was a pioneer and he lived in Toquerville, Utah at the time of his death. Nearly all other details of the life of this enigmatic family hero are no more than rumor and hearsay. As part of an ongoing project to become familiar with and annotate the lives of long-lost relatives, I launched a research project to discover the real Augustus Erastus Dodge. Notable family lore asserts that he was a bodyguard for Joseph Smith and a stone mason on the Nauvoo and Manti temples. The march of the Mormon Battalion led him to what was then Cuided de los Angeles and he participated in the American acquisition of California. He was a lonely friend to countless Indians in Southern Utah; they in turned helped him escape from the war path of an angry tribe. He went to Toquerville after receiving forged documents supposedly written by Brigham Young and there became a fruit grower of regional renown. After three wives and countless occupations, Dodge eventually passed away in 1900. Despite the colorful imagery of his pioneer history, precious little of Dodge’s life is attributed to fact and most of it is legend. But is the legend of Augustus Erastus Dodge factual? What elements are true and which are likely inventions and modifications perpetuated through generations of retelling the story? It is the intention of this paper to prove that the Dodge legend can be verified both in its correct portions and its fallacies. Furthermore, this paper will present an outline of the family myth with corresponding evidence evaluating the validity of the family claim. Finally, a new story—one in line with the truth—will be presented as a preservation of family knowledge. After years of oral history, a definitive account based on the oral tradition of Augustus Erastus Dodge was written down by Howard Eckstein, great grandson to the enigmatic hero.1 It is the most complete and entertaining discussion of Dodge’s life to date. For this reason it will serve as the official documentation of family legend. Nauvoo to Manti The legend begins by describing some of Dodge’s occupations and subsequent activities. Consistent with pioneers of his era, Dodge would have been expected to provide a number of services to family, country, and church. Indeed, Dodge was something of a renascence man in his time. “[Dodge] was a bodyguard for Joseph Smith. There is evidence that [Dodge] lived in Nauvoo…He was mustered into the U.S. Army in the Mormon Battalion.” 2 Upon completion of his term in the Battalion, Dodge returned home and received orders to move to Manti. There he helped build the temple. He also worked on a public building in town. The story goes that he loaned his hammer to a fellow worker who subsequently lost it. Years later the building was razed and the friend who had lost the hammer was involved with the demolition. He found the old hammer under the flooring of the building and promptly returned it to Augustus. Nauvoo to Manti—Historical Rebuttal The move from Nauvoo, Illinois to Manti, Utah presupposes several items which will be treated separately. 1) Dodge as bodyguard for Joseph Smith. If Dodge was a bodyguard for the prophet, it is necessary that the pioneer be alive—and well framed—prior to the prophet’s death on 27 June 1844. Dodge was born 6 December 1822.3 He would have been only 21 years old at the time of the martyrdom. It is unlikely that the prophet would enlist boys just out of their teenage years to protect him. 1 Howard Eckstein, “Augustus Erastus Dodge.” Personal correspondence with author, 2004. 2 Howard Eckstein, “Augustus Erastus Dodge.” Personal correspondence with author, 2004. 3 Nauvoo Temple Endowment Register 1845-46, p. 334 On the other hand, Dodge is known to have been associated with the second President of the Church, “After the death of Joseph [Dodge] became very close friends with Brigham Young and was personally invited by him to serve as his guard.”4 As his guard, Dodge fled with the Mormon leader from Illinois to Iowa Territory.5 Regarding the legend’s allusion to Dodge as Joseph Smith’s bodyguard it appears that the truth was slanted to produce a more romantic view of Dodge in the early history of the church. Dodge served as the bodyguard of Brigham Young, the second president of the LDS church. 2) Augustus lived in Nauvoo. There is little debate about this issue once historical records are considered. Dodge owned block 1, lot 4 of the Robinson district of Nauvoo.6 It is here, in Nauvoo, that Dodge honed his masonry skills as a stone mason on the Nauvoo House and Nauvoo Temple7 where he received his endowment 7 February 1846.8 3) Dodge’s post in the Mormon Battalion. Historical evidence is rampant that Dodge served as a private in company C of the Mormon Battalion.9 He began 15 July 1846.10 As for his role in the taking of California as a territory, Augustus was likely involved. He marched to San Diego (a large portion of it on a smashed ankle), remained for six weeks, and then marched to Cuidad de los Angeles where he was discharged from the Battalion on 16 July 1847.11 Los Angeles was retaken by General Steven Watts Kearny during the Mexican War. He had succeeded in this endeavor 6 December 1846, but lost control of the new ground. By January of 4 Our Pioneer Heritage (compiled by Kate B. Carter, Salt Lake City: Daughters of Utah Pioneers, 1958), p. 210. 5 S. Black and L. Porter, Augustus Erastus Dodge (1822-1900), Biographies, Mormon Battalion. BYU. 6 Historic Nauvoo Land and Records Research Center. 7 Andrew Jenson, LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, 1951. Vol. 4, p.743. 8 Nauvoo Temple Endowment Register 1845-46, p. 334. 9 Frank Esshom, Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, 1913, p44. 10 Our Pioneer Heritage (compiled by Kate B. Carter, Salt Lake City: Daughters of Utah Pioneers, 1958), p. 210. 11 S. Black and L. Porter, Augustus Erastus Dodge (1822-1900), Biographies, Mormon Battalion. BYU. 1847, Kearny succeeded in securing Los Angeles again as an American city.12 This squarely implicates Dodge as a likely participant in the American take-over of Los Angeles. 4) His move to Manti. Augustus arrived in the Salt Lake Valley 23 December 1847. He spent some time in Bountiful as a farmer13 until 12 June 1849 when he left for Southern Utah. Dodge left with Captain Andrew L. Lamoreaux and a few others to build a ferry on the Green River.14 It is from here that Chief Walker of the Ute Indian tribe approached the church and requested colonists to “teach the Indians to build homes and till the soil” in Sanpete Valley. Dodge was in the group.15 It is assumed that this was his introduction to the Manti area. By 1851 the state census shows Manti as his residence.16 Whether orders were issued by President Young for him to move there is not clear. If indeed Dodge answered the call to assist the Ute Indians as an order from Young, then such a decree may have been issued but the historical evidence suggests that volunteers were requested, missions of settlement were not drafted. 5) Buildings and equipment in Manti. Family legend is substantiated by a published account of Dodge’s work in Manti. Augustus helped in building the first Council House in Manti…A Mr. Stringham was very worried over the loss of the hammer as he had borrowed it from Augustus, who, upon learning the details, informed Mr. Stringham that if he was in Manti when the Council House was torn down and the hammer found he could have it. Fifty-six years later when the building was being razed Mr. Stringham found the hammer still in good condition.17 It is clear that Dodge worked on buildings in Manti, or at least he lent his tools to be used on such buildings. The legend, however, that the misplaced tool was returned to Dodge is erroneous. Dodge’s generosity overrode his need for a hammer. Besides this, the building 12 Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2003. © 1993-2002 Microsoft Corporation. 13 Our Pioneer Heritage (compiled by Kate B. Carter, Salt Lake City: Daughters of Utah Pioneers, 1958), p. 210. 14 From 12 June 1849 as found in the Journal History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 15 Our Pioneer Heritage (compiled by Kate B. Carter, Salt Lake City: Daughters of Utah Pioneers, 1958), p. 211. 16 Utah Federal Census; Year: 1851, 1860. 17 Our Pioneer Heritage (compiled by Kate B. Carter, Salt Lake City: Daughters of Utah Pioneers, 1958), p. 211. containing Dodge’s hammer was erected in 1854. Fifty-six years later would place the razing of the building at 1910—ten years after the death of Augustus. There is no way that the hammer could have been returned to Dodge. Indian Relations On relations of the Dodge family to Indians, the family legend states interesting details. Augustus became a friend to the local Indians and even learned enough of their language to act as an interpreter. On many occasions, Augustus was able to smooth out differences between the aboriginal peoples and the Mormon settlers.