Making a Living
Oportunities For Work In Arkansas and Then Tennessee.
In the fall of the year I moved to Arkansas where my wife had three children, all girls.
The first was born December 6, 1853, whose name was Amanda Caroline.
The next was born February 27, 1856, named Dora Melvina.
She died September 14, 1858.
The next was born August 27, 1858.
We named her Ella Eugenia.
In Arkansas we found things quite disagreeable under the care of Brother Corbitt.
We conversed together and prayed to the Lord to set things right, which He did, and we labored among the people and had some success and built up quite a branch in that section.
Finally Brother Corbitt and his wife left for Nashville [Naylerville?], Tennessee, leaving me to preside alone for many years.
I moved to another part of the country and worked hard to get an outfit to start to the Valley of Salt Lake City.18
During this time in February 1857 Brother Isaac [sic.] M. Coombs, an Elder from the valley, came to visit us and preach to us.19
It gave us much joy and satisfaction to hear about the Saints in the valley.
I then moved to the State of Tennessee and attended to a large wood yard until 1861, when the Civil War commenced in the U. S.20
The Move To Utah Territory.
I started to the valley with my family on May 10, 1861, arriving in Salt Lake City on August 17.
We traveled in David A. Cannon’s train and had a pleasant trip across the plains.21
We located in the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon.
On September 1, 1861, my wife had a son whom we named David Alvin.
He was born two weeks after our arrival in the valley.
In November we were all rebaptized and got our endowments in the House of the Lord.22
Running A Shingle Mill.
I rented a shingle mill of John M. Woolley and Nathan Davis, which I ran for four years23.
During this time on August 18, 1863, John Woolley got killed.
All things went well after I quit the mill I rented.
It had caused me some little perplexity from the fact that the manager speculated too much on my labor, for the which I shall hold them responsible in eternity:
John M. Woolley, Samuel Woolley, and Isaac Groo.