John Wells Hess

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Contributed by Charles Hess:

 

MEMOIRS OF JOHN W. HESS & HIS
BROTHER DAVID HESS
THEY KNEW THE PROPHET

In the Autumn of 1838, Joseph the Prophet and others came to my father's house
near the Richmond Landing and stayed there thirteen days. Father was the only
Mormon in that part of the country. At that time Joseph was studying Greek and
Latin. When he got tired of studying, he would go and play with the children in
their games about the house, to give him exercise. Then he would go back to his
studies. I was a boy then about fourteen years old.
He used to take me upon his knee and caress me as he would a little child. I
relate this to show the kindness and simplicity of his nature. I never saw
another man like Joseph. There was something heavenly & angelic in his looks
that I never witnessed in the countenance of any other person. During his short
stay I became very much attached to him, and learned to love him more dearly
than any other person I ever met, my father and mother not excepted.
The next time I saw the Prophet was at Richmond Court House, in chains after the
surrender of Far West. I used to walk six miles every day to see him during his
stay in the Richmond Jail.
Although a boy of about fourteen years, I became convinced beyond doubt that he
was a prophet of God, and that testimony has never left me.
(The Juvenile Instructor, XXVI (15 MAY 1892) PAGES 302-303)

RECOLLECTION OF THE
PROPHET JOSEPH
BY L.L. GREENE RICHARDS

Elder John W. Hess, who was for a long time President of the Davis Stake of
Zion, has given exceedingly interesting reminiscences of the Prophet Joseph.
When Elder Hess was a boy, about twelve years of age, his father rented a house
at Richmond Landing, or, as the place was also called, Pomeroy's Ferry. There
the Saints landed who came by water from Kirtland to go to Far West. And there
the Prophet Joseph, in company with his brothers Hyrum and William, and others,
thirteen in all, stopped as they were returning from laying out the city of Far
West. They stayed with the family of Father Hess for thirteen days.
The Prophet was studying Greek and Latin. He would study intently until he was
very tired, Then he would come out of his room and engage in a game, perhaps it
would be "hide and seek," with the children, showing the child-like simplicity
which characterized the life of that great man. And oh, how he was beloved by
every member of that family!

Brother Hess says he has never seen any one else that he has loved as he loved
the Prophet Joseph Smith. He can remember of Joseph's taking him on his lap at
different times, and of putting his own arms around the beloved Prophet's neck
and being embraced by him; and that, being thus clasped to the noble, generous,
mighty heart of the Prophet, gave him a heavenly sensation never to be described
or forgotten.
Upon one occasion, the little boy heard some of the brethren talking of the
strength they felt they possessed in resisting temptation, and he never forgot
what the Prophet said to them; it was: "Brethren, if you get onto the Devil's
ground, he will handle you! Keep away from him, the farther the better!"
When the Prophet went away from the home he had found with Father Hess, you
would have thought there had been a funeral in the family, the children all
loved him so! This is as Elder Hess remembered those days and events.

(Taken from the Improvement Era, Vol V pg. 943. This event took place in 1838).

LATTER-DAY SAINT
BIOGRAPHICAL
ENCYCLOPEDIA
By Andrew Jenson
Vol. 1, Page 463

John W. Hess, president of the Davis Stake, is the son of Jacob Hess and
Elizabeth Foutz, and was born Aug. 24, 1824, in Franklin county, Penn. In 1832
his father's family moved to Richland county, where he, together with his
father, mother and elder sister, were baptized by Bishop David Evans, about
1834. His father then moved to Ray county, Mo., where the family passed through
all the persecutions of those days, and was finally expelled from the State
with the rest of the Saints. John W. Hess was ordained a Seventy in the city of
Nauvoo in 1841 and became a member of the 22nd quorum. He assisted in building
the Nauvoo Temple and received his endowments therein. He was an orderly
sergeant in the Nauvoo Legion and was on guard just prior to the Prophet's
martyrdom. In the spring of 1846 he left for the Rocky Mountains together with
the other exiled Saints. July 16, 1846, he enlisted in the famous Mormon
Battalion in company E, and marched toward Mexico in defense of his country's
flag. He served till July 29, 1847, when he was mustered out in Salt Lake City.
In March, 1855, he was called, ordained, and set apart to preside as Bishop of
Farmington Ward by Pres. Brigham Young, in which office he faithfully served
till 1882, when he was called by Pres. John Taylor to act as first counselor to
Wm. R. Smith, President of the Davis State. March 4, 1894, he was set apart as
President of the Davis Stake by Apostle Franklin D. Richards, which position he
has filled ever since. Feb 8, 1900 he was ordained a Patriarch by Apostle
Francis M. Lyman. Elder Hess commanded the Davis county military district as
colonel from its organization till it was disbanded. Pres. Hess is the husband
of seven wives and the father of 62 children, fifty of whom are living. He has
at the present writing 250 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren.

THE FAMILY RECORD AND
JOURNAL OF
JOHN W. HESS

JACOB HESS
(Father of John W. Hess)

My Father, Jacob Hess, was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, on the 21st
day of May, A.D. 1792.

In 1816 he married Elizabeth Foutz, my mother, who was born in the above State
and County, June 4th, 1797. The names of their children are as follows:

Catherine Hess, born in Franklin Co,. Pa. 10 Sept. 1817.
Polly Hess, born in Franklin Co,. Pa. 27 June 1819.
Mary Ann Hess, born in Franklin Co., Pa. 11 Aug. 1821.
John W. Hess, born in Franklin Co., Pa. 24 Aug. 1824.
Sarah Hess, born in Franklin Co., Pa. 22 Feb. 1827.
Ann Elizabeth Hess, born in Franklin Co., Pa. 24 Mar. 1829.
Christina Hess, born in Franklin Co., Pa. 11 May 1831.
Harriet Hess, born in Richland Co., Ohio, 18 Aug. 1833.
Lydiann Hess, born in Richland Co., Ohio, 24 July, 1835.
David Hess, born in Ray County, Mo., 18 Feb. 1837.
Alma Hess, born in Ray County, Mo., 03 June 1839.
Emma Hess, born in Adams County, Ill., 17 May, 1841.

JOHN W. HESS

John W. Hess was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, on 24 August 1824. He
was married in Nauvoo, Ill, 02 November 1845, to Emeline Bigler (first wife),
and sealed by Brigham Young, 09 March, 1852. She was born in Harrison County,
Virginia, 20 August, 1824, and died in Farmington, Davis County, Utah, 31
January 1862. The names of their children are as follows:

Jacob Hess, born 06 Jan. 1849.
John Henry Hess, born 07 May 1850.
Sarah Jane Hess, 15 Jan. 1852.
Hyrum Hess, born 20 Apr. 1853.
Elzada Hess, born 11 Aug. 1854.
Moroni Hess, born 30 Dec. 1855.
Jedediah Morgan Hess, born 08 July 1857.
Joseph Wells Hess, born 11 Oct. 1859.
Albert Hess, born 17 Mar. 1861.

He was married to Emily Card (second wife) in Salt Lake City, Utah, 30 March
1852, by Brigham Young. She was born in Maine, 27 Sept. 1831, and died in
Farmington, Davis County, Utah, 04 Aug. 1872. The names of their children are as
follows:

Rheuamah Hess, born in Farmington, Utah, 02 May 1853.
Emily Rebecca Hess, born in Farmington, Utah, 26 June 1854.
Harriet Sophrona Hess, born in Farmington, Utah, 11 Mar. 1857.
Elizabeth Jane Hess, born in Farmington, Utah, 26 Jan. 1859.
Mary Lovina Hess, born in Farmington, Utah, 10 Apr. 1861.
Joseph Lancaster Hess, born in Farmington, Utah. 16 Aug. 1864.
Joel Preble Hess, born in Farmington, Utah, 04 Feb. 1866.
Alma Riley Hess, born in Farmington, Utah, 16 Aug. 1868.
Dexter Waterman Hess, born in Farmington, Utah, 09 Feb. 1870.
Maud Hess, born in Farmington, Utah, 04 Aug. 1872.

John W. Hess married Julia Pederson (third wife) in Salt Lake City, Utah, 16
Nov. 1856, by Brigham Young. She was born in Norway, 29 Sept. 1837. The names of
their children are as follows:

Heber Chase Hess, born in Farmington, Davis County, Utah, 12 Nov. 1859.
Arthur Hess, born in Farmington, Davis County, Utah, 22 May 1861.
John Fredrick Hess, born in Farmington, Davis County, Utah, 01 Jan. 1864.
Emeline Rosalia Hess, born in Farmington, Davis County, Utah, 22 July 1868.

John W. Hess married Mary Ann Steed (fourth wife) in Salt Lake City, Utah,
27 March 1857, by Brigham Young. She was born in Mahvern, England, 27 Nov. 1838.
The names of their children are as follows:

James Henry Hess, born in Farmington, Davis Co., Utah, 06 Mar. 1858.
William Alma Hess, born in Farmington, Davis Co., Utah, 03 Sept. 1859.
George Albert Hess, born in Farmington, Davis Co., Utah, 20 July 1861.
Madeline Eudora Hess, born in Farmington, Davis Co., Utah 23 Aug. 1863, and died
June, 1895.
Elisa Hess, born in Farmington, Davis Co., Utah, 04 July 1865, and died in 1934.
Wilford Hess, born in Farmington, Davis Co., Utah, 08 Mar. 1867.
Mary Elizabeth Hess, born in Farmington, Davis Co., Utah, 18 Jan. 1870.
Caroline Rebecca Hess, born in Farmington, Davis Co., Utah, 25 Mar. 1872 and
died 25 May, 1932.
Orson Pratt Hess, born in Farmington, Davis Co., Utah, 25 Feb. 1874.
Lorenzo Snow Hess, born in Farmington, Davis Co., Utah, 29 June 1876 and
died 02 Mar. 1905.

John W. Hess was married to Caroline Workman (fifth wife) in Salt Lake City,
Utah, 25 April 1862, by D.H. Wells. She was born in Tennessee, 28 Mar. 1844. The
names of their children are as follows:
Josephine Hess, born in Farmington, Davis County, Utah, 12 Aug. 1864.

David Cornelius Hess, born in Farmington, Davis County, Utah, 16 Aug. 1865.
John W. Hess Jr., born in Farmington, Davis County, Utah, 20 Sept. 1867.
Adaline Hess, born in Farmington, Davis County, Utah, 11 Dec. 1869.
Franklin Hess, born in Farmington, Davis County, Utah, 10 Mar. 1872.
Charles C. Hess, born in Farmington, Davis County, Utah, 07 Mar. 1874.
Lot Hess, born in Farmington, Davis County, Utah, 27 Jan. 1876.
Caroline Hess, born in Farmington, Davis County, Utah, 28 Mar. 1878.
Minerd Lyman Hess, born in Farmington, Davis County, Utah, 05 Aug. 1880.
Mark Hess, born in Farmington, Davis County, Utah, 19 June 1884.

John W. Hess was married to Sarah L. Miller (sixth wife) in Salt Lake City,
Utah, 30 May 1868, by Brigham Young. She was born in Farmington, Utah, 24 June
1850. The names of their children are as follows:

Sarah Jane Hess, born in Farmington, Davis Co. Utah, 30 Mar. 1869.
James T. Hess, born in Farmington, Davis Co. Utah, 25 Jan. 1871.
Alice Malinda Hess, born in Farmington, Davis Co. Utah, 16 Mar. 1873.
Josephine A. Hess, born in Farmington, Davis Co. Utah, 03 June 1875.
Helen Lovina Hess, born in Farmington, Davis Co. Utah, 23 Aug. 1879.
Horace Arnold Hess, born in Farmington, Davis Co. Utah, 19 Sept. 1880.
Milton Miller Hess, born in Farmington, Davis Co. Utah, 23 Dec. 1883.
Hannah Lenore Hess, born in Farmington, Davis Co. Utah, 26 July 1885.
Jess Eugene Hess, born in Farmington, Davis Co. Utah, 09 Aug. 1890.

John W. Hess was married to Frances Marion Bigler (seventh wife) in Salt Lake
City, Utah, 28 July 1875, by Wilford Woodruff. She was born in Farmington, Utah,
22 Oct. 1859. The names of their children are as follows:

Claudia Hess, born in Farmington, Utah, 21 June 1878.
Clarissa Hess, born in Farmington, Utah, 13 Aug. 1880.
Harriet Hess, born in Farmington, Utah, 21 May 1882.
Edward Hess, born in Farmington, Utah, 08 Mar. 1883.
Joseph H. Hess, born in Farmington, Utah, 06 May 1886.
Amy Hess, born in Farmington, Utah, 22 Jan. 1885.
Andrew Hess, born in Farmington, Utah, 19 May 1887.
Florence Ireta Hess, born in Farmington, Utah, 14 Apr. 1892.
Lucy Hess, born in Farmington, Utah, 19 Jan. 1895.
Reuben Hess, born in Farmington, Utah, 27 Feb. 1897.
Carl Bigler Hess, born in Farmington, Utah, 27 Mar, 1899.

TOTAL 63 CHILDREN

In 1832 A.D. my father moved to Richland Co., Ohio, and located on a piece of
heavy timber land, cleared a piece of ground and opened a small farm, and the
prospects for a better living were quite flattering, considering the many
difficulties consequent to a new country.
In March, 1834, my father, mother, three eldest sisters and myself, were
baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; previous to this
we lived in peace with our neighbors, but soon after we were baptized our
neighbors began to speak evil of us, and persecute us in various ways.
About May 1, 1836, my father and his family moved to the State of Missouri and
settled in Ray County of that State, near Pomorroy's Ferry, or Richmond Landing
on the Missouri River, where we lived on a farm which we rented from a John
Arbuckle, until the expulsion of the Saints from Caldwell County, when with them
we removed to the State of Illinois and settled in Hancock County of that State.
Here my father again settled on a piece of wild land, and in our extreme poverty
we began to open a farm, and after much privation and toil, we succeeded in
getting a comfortable home.
The many years of labor and hardships that my father had passed through caused
his health to fail, and I was the only boy in the family, therefore, the greater
part of the labor devolved upon me.
In the meantime I had bought forty acres of land for myself and had made some
improvement during the fall of 1844, and during the spring and summer of 1845 I
was putting up a hewed log house, while the mobs were burning the Saints'
possessions in Morley's Settlement, near Lima, in Hancock County. But I
continued to labor with my might until the violence of the mob was so great that
we did not feel safe in remaining on our farm longer; so we moved to the City of
Nauvoo and occupied a part of the house belonging to Bishop Foutz, my mother's
brother. We had left most of our supplies on the farm at Bear Creek, and before
we had time to get them away, they were destroyed by the mob, and we were again
left almost destitute.
In November, 1845, my father was stricken down with the shock of paralysis and
lost the use of one side, which rendered him entirely helpless.
In the meantime I married Emeline Bigler, who was born in Harrison County,
Virginia, 20 Aug. 1824. At this time the word went forth among the people that
the Church would leave Nauvoo in the spring. One may well imagine the situation
we were in, to start on such a journey, when we had been robbed of nearly all of
our belongings, and my poor father lying helpless in bed, but it being the only
alternative to get away from the fury of the mob, I began to gather up what I
had and commenced to get together an outfit, and the best I could do was rig up
two old wagons and two yoke of oxen, one of which was my own personal property.
I arranged one of these wagons with a bed cord for my father to lie upon, as he
could not sit up. It took one entire wagon for his convenience, and then it was
poor enough. This left one wagon to be drawn by one yoke of oxen to carry the
outfit for the entire family - eight in number - while everyone had to walk
every step of the way, rain or shine. But notwithstanding all these
difficulties, we fixed up the best we could and on the 3rd day of April, 1846,
we started, crossed the Mississippi River, and camped on the Iowa side the first
night, in a drenching rain.

April 4th. We started on the wearisome journey, but with our heavy loads and the
incessant rains that continued to fall, our progress was very slow, the best we
could do we could only travel from five to eight miles per day. As my father
occupied one of the wagons, the rest of the family had no shelter only what they
could get by crawling under the wagons, and much of the time we were obligated
to cut brush to lay on the ground to keep our beds out of the water. Women and
children walked through the mud and water and wet grass and waded many of the
streams so that their clothes were never dry on them for weeks and months until
we reached the place called Mt. Pisgah, in the western part of Iowa. Here
advance companies of the Pioneers had planted corn and vegetables for the
benefit of those who should come afterwards. We concluded to stop at this place
for a time as our limited supplies were about exhausted and my father was so
much worse that it was impossible to go any further, so we constructed a
temporary shelter of bark which we pealed from the elm trees that grew in the
vicinity, this was about the 15th of June, 1846.
Word had gone out that President Young would fit out a company to go to the
Rocky Mountains that season to locate a settlement and put in grain the next
season for the benefit of themselves and those that would come the following
season.
Seeing that I could do nothing where I was, I concluded to take my own team and
what I had, and go to Council Bluffs, 130 miles distance, where the Church
Authorities were then stopping. So I made my father's family as comfortable as I
could with the limited facilities I was in possession of, and taking my wife and
my own team and little outfit, bade the rest of the family goodbye and started,
traveling in Henry W. Miller's Company.
We were overtaken one evening about dark by Captain Allen, who was accompanied
by a guard of five dragoons of the regular United States Army, all of whom
camped with us for the night. The object of their visit soon became apparent by
questions asked by them: viz., that they were sent to see if the ''Mormons"
could and would respond to a call for five hundred men to help fight the battles
for the United States against Mexico. This indeed was unexpected news, while the
people of the State of Illinois had driven us out, and while we were scattered
on the prairie of western Iowa with nothing, in many instances, but the canopy
of heaven for a covering, to be called on under these circumstance for 500 of
the strength of the camps of Israel, seemed cruel and unjust indeed, but such
was the case, notwithstanding.
We arrived at Council Bluffs about the tenth day of July and found that four
companies had been enlisted and organized. I was advised by George A. Smith and
others to enlist, and after considering the matter, I concluded to do so, and
was enlisted in Company "E", Captain Daniel C. Davis [commanding]. My wife,
Emeline, also enlisted, as the Government had provided for four women to each
company of 100 men to go as laundresses.
I left my team and wagon and little outfit with my brother-in-law, Daniel A.
Miller, to be brought on the next year, as the Government had provided two
six-mule-teams to each company. I was solicited to drive one team, and for the
comfort and convenience of my wife I consented to do so, and many times I was
thankful that I had done so, as these teams had to haul the camp equipment which
consisted of tents, tent poles, camp kettles, etc., which filled the wagons up
to the bows, and the women would have to crawl in as best they could and lie in
that position until we stopped for camp. And as I had the management of the
loading, I could make the situation a little more comfortable for my wife. For
this and other reasons that I will not mention, I was glad that I was a
teamster.
About the 20th day of July, we took up our line of march for Fort Leavenworth.
About this time I heard of my father's death, which took place on the 22nd day
of June, 1846, at the place I had left him. Inasmuch as he could not recover, I
was thankful to God that he had relieved him of his suffering, although, it was
a dark hour for my poor mother to be left in such a desolate and sickly place
without her natural protector, and with four small children and nothing to live
on.

In due time we arrived in Fort Leavenworth, where we received our outfit of
clothing, provisions, arms and ammunition. We remained here about two weeks,
after which we started on our march to Santa Fe, a distance of one thousand
miles, a very tedious march, to be performed on foot. We traveled much of the
distance with very little water & grass, with dry buffalo chips for fuel. We
passed over one desert eighty miles across; the only means of carrying water was
in canteens holding two quarts each, one of which was carried by each man. A
great many of the men gave out by the way and had to be helped out by others,
the stronger carrying the water back to their comrades.
Finally we reached Santa Fe. During this time General Kearney was fighting the
Mexicans in Upper California and was about to be over-powered by them, so he
sent an express to Santa Fe to have the men of the Battalion inspected by the
doctor and all able-bodied men fitted out and put on a forced march to go to his
relief, and all the sick and disabled and all the women to be sent back.
Then came one of the greatest tests of my life. It happened in this way. I had
been a teamster all the way and had proved that I could take good care of a team
and was a careful driver, and as Captain Davis had his family with him, and his
own private team, he wanted me to drive it for him, but [his] intentions were to
send my wife back with the detachment of sick men. This I could not consent to
and retain my manhood. I remonstrated with Captain Davis, but to no purpose. I
could not make any impression on him. I told him I would gladly go and drive the
team if he would let my wife go along, but he said there was no room in the
wagon. Then I told him that I would not go and leave my wife! I would die first!
This was a bold assertion for a Private to make to his Captain, but the
emergency seemed to demand it. There were many others in the command who were in
the same situation that I was, who had their wives with them and wanted to go
back with them but had not the courage to make a fuss about it.
By this time I had done all that I could with the officers of the Battalion, but
they either could not or would not do anything for me, so I resolved to go and
see General Doniphan, the Commander of the Post. I asked John Steel to go with
me, he being in the same situation as myself. We went to the Colonel's Quarters,
found the Orderly at the door, asked permission to see the Colonel, and with our
hats under our arms we entered the Colonel's Quarters and called his attention
to our business. He informed us in a very stern manner that it was reported to
him that the men who had women there wanted to go on and let their women go
back, and in accordance therewith, provisions had been drawn for the Battalion
and for the Detachment, and there could be no change made. I told him that we
had not been consulted in the matter; he told us to leave the Quarters, gruffly
remarking that he had left his wife. I thought I would venture one more remark,
which was, "Colonel! I suppose you left your wife with her friends, while we are
required to leave ours in our enemy's country, in care of a lot of sick,
demoralized men." This seemed to touch a sympathetic cord; he called very
sharply, "Orderly! Orderly! Go up to the command and bring Adjutant George P.
Dykes." I whispered to Steel, "The spell is broken; let's go."
In a short time Adjutant Dykes returned to the Command and climbed upon the top
of the hind wheel of the wagon, & shouting at the top of his voice said, "all
you men who have wives here can go back with them. I have seen men going about
crying enough to melt the heart of a crocodile, so I went to the Colonel and had
it arranged." I said, "you hypocritical liar; you will take the credit that
belongs to others." This remark he did not hear, but, however, the object was
accomplished, and in a short time the Battalion was on the move west, and the
Detachment on the move east by north-east.

The Detachment was composed of all the men who had become disabled through the
long march which they had performed on foot. Their outfit of teams was composed
of given-out broken-down oxen that had been used in freighting supplies of the
Government across the plains, and were not fit for any kind of efficient
service, so they compared very well with the majority of the men. Our rations or
provisions, were very good in quality, but very short as to the quantity, the
Post of Santa Fe being very short of provisions at that time. After we had
gotten on the move, we found we had only three-fourths rations of flour, and
everything else in proportion, such as beans, sugar, coffee, pork and rice, with
the difficulties mentioned above, together with the fact that we were only
allowed the time to reach Fort Bent that a lot of able bodied men would be
allowed to make the same journey in. Our slow traveling soon put us on
half-rations as eight miles per day was the best we could do. We had a lot of
beef cattle, but they compared favorably with the rest of the outfit, so poor
that many of them gave out by the way. Great economy had to be used by killing
the poorest first; the reader can imagine that the quality of the beef was
limited.
As usual, on the march I had charge of a team, but instead of a six-mule-team it
was a team of four yoke of poor oxen, quite a contrast. Our progress being so
slow that we were put on quarter-rations in order to make them hold out until we
should reach Fort Bent. It seemed as if we had gone about as far as we could go,
when one morning, after the guard had driven the oxen into camp, it was found
that there were thirty head of stray oxen in the herd, all of them in good
condition. Captain Brown gave orders to distribute them in the teams of the
Detachment, and with this addition of strength to our teams, we got along fine.
About noon, however, there came into our camp, two men on horseback inquiring
for the stray oxen. Captain Brown told them that if they had any cattle in his
company, they could take them out. They replied that each teamster only knew his
own team. After examining our teams they claimed and took but four of the thirty
stray oxen. This still left us with thirteen yoke of fresh cattle, which we
considered a divine interposition of the kind hand of God in our behalf, as it
seemed about the only chance for deliverance from starvation.
In due time we reached Fort Bent and exchanged our dilapidated outfit for a new
one, with a full supply of rations for the winter, which seemed to put an end to
all our troubles. We moved up the Arkansas River seventy-five miles to a place
called Pueblo, where we put up houses for the winter. These houses were
constructed of cottonwood logs split in halves and the pieces all joined
together in the form of a stockade. Here we passed the winter drilling and
hunting and having a good time generally.
It was then about seven months since we had received any pay, so Captain Brown
concluded to go to Santa Fe with the payroll of the Detachment and draw our
wages. He took a guard of ten men, of which I was one of them. We started about
the last day of February, and had a high range of mountains to cross, called the
Rattoon range. We encountered a great deal of snow, at times we had to tramp the
snow for miles so our pack animals could walk over it, but in due time we
arrived at Santa Fe. The money was drawn, and we started on our return trip, got
back to our quarters at Pueblo about the first of April, and found spring
weather. We began at once to prepare for our march.
About the 15th of April, 1847, we started due north for Fort Laramie, three
hundred miles distant, on the California road, at which place we expected to
find or hear of the Pioneer Company that was expected to fit out and go to find
a location for the Saints. On our way we were met by Amasa Lyman and others who
had come from the Pioneer's Camp. This was indeed a happy meeting, and to get
news of our loved ones greatly relieved our anxieties, as we then learned that
the Camp was ahead of us, led by President Brigham Young, and he led by
revelation. So we pushed on with fresh courage and finally struck their trail
about two weeks ahead of us. We followed their trail, but did not overtake them
as we expected to. The pioneers reached Salt Lake Valley July 24th and the
Detachment on the 28th of July, 1847. On that same day we were discharged from
the service of the United States, and I became a free man once more.
I feel that the year's service described above, is one of the noblest and
grandest acts of my life, for the reason that Israel was on the alter of
sacrifice, and the "Mormon Battalion", of which I was a member, went as the "Ram
in the Thicket", and Israel was saved.

I was now in a country that was untried, and one thousand miles from where any
supplies could be obtained. I had only the outfit of a discharged soldier, which
consisted of a small tent, a sheet-iron camp kettle, a mess pan, two tin plates,
two spoons, two knives and forks, a pair of blankets badly worn, two old quilts,
ten pounds of flour, and my dear precious wife Emeline, who had been with me
through all of the trials and hardships and had endured them all without a
murmur. God bless her memory, had it not been for her noble spirit to comfort
me, I think many times I should have almost despaired, because of the gloomy
outlook. I concluded a faint heart would not buy baby frock (altho we were not
blessed with one at that time) and began to get out house logs to put up a
shelter for the winter.
I went in partners with Jim Bevan and put up a whip saw-pit, and began to turn
out lumber, and as there was none except what was sawed by hand, I found ready
sale for mine as fast as I could make it, which was slow, one hundred feet being
all we could turn out in a day. In this way I managed to recruit our indigent
circumstances and was able to get a little bread-stuff, corn meal at twelve and
one half cents a pound and flour at twenty-five cents a pound. We got along all
right during the winter. In the spring we moved out on Mill Creek, and I began
to put in what seed-grain I had, which was very limited; this, of course, cut
off the bread supply. Then began our want for food. Through the winter we dug
what we called "Thistle Roots", but by this time they began to leaf out, which
spoiled the root. We then resorted to the tops, gathered and cooked in salt and
water. This with some buttermilk, (which I begged of Jim Brinkerhoof and carried
one and a half miles), was all we had to eat for two months.
During this time another very discouraging circumstance took place; the crickets
made their appearance in countless numbers and attacked our grain crops. We
fought them until we found that we were about to be over-powered, when very
providentially, the seagulls came and completely devoured the crickets, so the
balance of our crops matured, and our pending starvation was averted.
On the 9th day of September, 1848, I started back to Council Bluffs after my
mother and her children (whom I had left at Pisgah), as they had no means to
come out with. I arrived at Council Bluffs of the 2nd day of November, rested a
few days, and then continued my journey to Pisgah, one hundred and thirty miles
distant, where I found my mother and her family all alive and well. It was a
joyful meeting. I stopped with them a few days to arrange for the move in the
spring then went back to the Bluffs to try to get work for the winter, as I was
very short of means to accomplish so great an undertaking. I engaged to work for
Apostle Orson Hyde for twenty dollars a month. I worked one month, and then the
weather got so severe that out-door work stopped, then I was out of employment
for the rest of the winter.
In the Spring I took all the means I had and bought with it a wagon and a yoke
of oxen, hitched them up and went down to Pisgah to bring Mother's family as far
as the "Bluffs, not knowing where the rest of the outfit would come from; but
another interposition of kind Providence, when I got back I found the country
swarming with emigrants on their way to the gold fields of California. On
finding that I had come over the road, they hired me for a guide giving me Two
Hundred Dollars in cash in advance. This was truly a blessing from the Lord that
I had not thought of. I was now enabled to get the rest of my outfit. About the
15th day of April, 1849, we started, but a difficultly soon made its appearance
that my emigrant friends had not thought of. They had horse teams with light
loads, while I had an ox team with a heavy load, so that I could not travel as
fast or as far in a day as they could. They would put me in the lead, and I
would urge my team on and make as far as I could to try and give them
satisfaction. I kept this up until they saw that my oxen were beginning to fail
and would soon give out, then they went on and left me. They served me a trick
that the devil never did, but I felt quite relieved, as I could then travel to
suit myself, which I did, taking time to hunt the best feed, and my team soon
began to recruit.

On the 27th day of July, I again arrived in Salt Lake Valley, having
accomplished one more magnanimous act by bringing my dear mother and her four
children to the home of the Saints. I found my dear wife Emeline well, and with
her first child in her arms, which had been born 06 January 1848, while I was
away. This was indeed a happy meeting, because I had been absent for eleven
months. While I was away, the land I had the year before was given to another
party, so I went north to a place afterwards called Farmington and located
there. In the meantime, Daniel A. Miller came out and brought my team and wagon
with its contents, which I had left with him two years before when I went into
the Battalion. With this and the outfit which I had brought with me, I felt
quite well fixed to what I had been. As it was the council for the people to
settle close together for mutual protection, I could only get twenty acres of
land; but bought more afterwards, as opportunity would present itself.
On the 30th day of March 1852, I married Emily Card (No. 2), who was born in the
State of Maine, 27 Sept. 1831. She was the mother of ten children.
In March, 1855 I was ordained a Bishop by President Brigham Young, and set apart
to preside over the Farmington Ward, and presided over said ward twenty-seven
successive years.
On the 16th day of November, 1856, I married Julia Pederson (No. 3), who was
born in Norway, 29 Sept. 1837. She is the mother of four children.
In March, 1857, I married Mary Ann Steed (No. 4), who was born in England 27
Nov. 1837. She is the mother of ten children.
In 1858, I was elected to the Utah Legislature; was elected again in 1860 for
two years, or two terms.
On the 31st day of January, 1862, my much beloved wife Emeline died of premature
child birth. This was one of the greatest trials of my life, as she was the wife
of my youth and had been through all of our poverty and trials of life which we
had passed through. She died as she had lived, a faithful, wife, a devoted
mother, and a true Latter-Day Saint. She was the mother of ten children.
On the 25th day of April, 1862, I married Caroline Workman (No. 5), who was born
in the State of Tennessee, 28 March 1846. She is the mother of ten children.
On the 30th day of May 1868, I married Sarah Lovina Miller (No. 6), who was born
in Farmington, Utah, 24 June 1850. She is the mother of nine children.
On the 4th day of August, 1872, my beloved wife Emily Card died after giving
birth to her tenth child. This was another great trial to me, and to have a lot
of little children left without a mother. She died as she had lived, a kind
mother, a dutiful wife, and a faithful Latter-Day Saint.
On the 28th day of July, 1875, I married Frances Marion Bigler (No. 7), who was
born in Farmington, Utah, 22 October 1859. She is the mother of eleven children.
About this time (1875), President Young called me to a mission with some
Lamanites located at Washakie, in the northern part of Box Elder County. I have
been engaged more or less ever since in directing that people.
In 1876, I was re-elected to the Utah Legislature. I was a Colonel, commanding
the Militia of Davis County for many years, but when Governor Harding issued his
famous proclaimation making it an offense to bear arms, I was relieved from that
responsibility.

On June 17, 1877 at a Special Conference in Farmington, Utah to organize a Stake
in Davis County, Brigham Young gave Bishop John W. Hess and the other men who
were called to Bishops in that Stake this advice: "To the now acting Bishops,
who will be ordained Bishops, as well as to brother Hess, who I believe is the
only ordained Bishop in the country, I will say that you will now be required to
look after your several Wards more assiduously than heretofore; see that
Teachers are diligent in the performance of their duties, and that all
difficulties that may arise among the brethren of the Ward be settled, if
possible, by the Teachers; and also see that all who claim membership in this
Church observe the moral law of our religion. We shall not expect to hear of
people breaking the Sabbath, and a hundred other things all of which are
inconsistent with our holy callings, and opposed to the accomplishment of the
work that the Father has given us to do.
You are called upon now to make yourselves familiar with the revelations and
commandments that have been given us of the Lord for our perfection, for our
sanctification preparatory to our exaltation, and so live that our acts and
conversations may conform to the same. We expect to see a radical change, a
reformation, in the midst of this people, so that, when the proper authorities
shall call upon you to do thus and so, every one may be found willing and ready
to respond, placing himself, with all he commands, for the up building of the
kingdom of God. This is in accordance with a revelation given to this Church
before the law of Tithing was revealed; but in consequence of unbelief and
imperfection on the part of the people it was not observed, and hence a law more
adapted to their condition was given, namely, that of Tithing. You are called
upon now to improve your ways, to seek with all earnestness for an increase of
faith that you may live according to the higher laws, which is your privilege to
do, and which is so necessary for our peace and comfort and for the good order
of society and for the salvation of the Latter day Saints. We shall look for
this change, and I do not think we shall be disappointed; if at all, I believe
it will prove a happy disappointment to all Israel, because of the great
reformation that will be effected among the Latter day Saints." (From the
Journal of Discourses, Vol. 19, pages 43 and 44. Inserted By Charles P. Hess 09
Sept. 1998)
September, 1882, I was called by President John Taylor and set apart to be the
First Councilor to the President of the Davis Stake of Zion, which had been
previously organized.
On the 17th day of March, 1885, the people of Farmington prepared a feast for me
at Social Hall to manifest their kindly feelings and a proper appreciation of
the long and faithful labor that I had performed during the twenty-seven years
of my Bishopric. In this feast nearly the entire ward participated. As a token
of the good feeling of the people, I was presented with a bust of President
Young and a set of books, the Church Works. The evening was spent in speaking,
toasts, and dancing.
November 20, 1869. Today I started a mission to the place of my birth, Franklin
County, Pennsylvania. Took the Union Pacific cars at Uintah, Weber County, Utah;
started at 2 P.M. and traveled over much of the road at a rapid rate; much of it
I had traveled twice before--once with pack mules and once with an ox team. The
present mode of travel compared with pack animals or ox teams, seemed a very
great contrast--a very great improvement.
The railroad runs over much of the route that we traveled in coming to this
country, and gave ample opportunity to reflect upon the hardships we endured in
the slow progress we made, fifteen miles per day on an average being all that we
could do, in many instances. In gliding so rapidly and easily over many places
that I could remember that I had passed in the depths of poverty, with lean
almost given out animals, when I looked on such places and in my mind made the
contrast between the two circumstances, I could but exclaim, "Oh, the goodness
of our God!" and shed many a tear of joy and gratitude to the Lord for his mercy
to me.
I forgot to state that at the time I was called on this mission, there were two
hundred other Elders called to different parts of the United States. We all
traveled on the same train in four palace cars, had an enjoyable time crossing
the plains, and in due time reached Omaha, on the Missouri River; there we
separated, each one going on the route best suited to him.

I took the Northwestern Railway to Chicago. At Cedar Rapid, Iowa, I got off to
visit my cousin, David H. Secrist, who lived near that place. I visited with him
a few days then continued my journey to Chicago, where I took the Chicago, Fort
Wayne and Pittsburgh Railroad, and the Pennsylvania Central to Harrisburg; there
I switched off on the Cumberland Valley Railroad to Green Castle, in Franklin
County, Penn. At that place I found a dear aunt, Mrs. Riley was a sister of my
dear mother. The family had heard of my coming and met me with open arms, and
made me very welcome. I felt very much at home here, indeed; I made it my home
much of the time while I was in the country. Mrs. Riley was so much like my dear
mother that I loved her as mother. She also had a lovely family. I preached the
Gospel to them and made a favorable impression, but the prejudice at that time
ran very high and our doctrine was very unpopular, and the time of my stay was
short.
They put off obeying the Gospel, but nearly the entire family have since died,
and while I was with them I got their names and ages, and a few years ago I did
work for them in the Logan Temple.
My object in going east at that time was to preach the Gospel to the living if
they wanted to hear it, and get genealogy of the dead. The former I succeeded in
very poorly, as the living did not care to hear; the genealogy of the dead was
very meager, as they had failed to keep a record, and the only way that I could
get the names and ages of the dead was to go to the cemeteries and obtain them
from the stones that marked their last resting places, as my people had been
very particular in keeping the record on their head stones. I got all the names
I could--perhaps fifty in all--and have done work for them in the Logan Temple.
I found all my relatives on my Father's side of the house all well off, with a
few exceptions. The old people came and settled in Franklin County, Penn. in an
early day when it was new, possessed themselves of the country, and having good
staying qualities, made themselves well-to-do. The old people--my father's
brothers and sisters--with few exception, are dead, and their children are in
possession of the country, which is hard to excel. This is the situation I found
them in, an all of them belonging to some kind of religion peculiar to their own
notions, and being much prejudiced against "Mormonism" they did not care to
listen to me.
February 15, 1870. Because of pressing business at home, I had spent about all
the time that I could spare, and having secured all the genealogy that I could
get at that time, I bade farewell to all of my dear friends, and on the 16th day
of February, 1870, I left Green Castle on my return trip over the same road that
I came; arrived in Harrisburg the same day, here I bought a ticket, which cost
me $70. I left Harrisburg at 4 o'clock for Pittsburgh. In due time I arrived in
Chicago safely, and on quick time; here I took the Northwestern Railway for
Cedar Rapids, stopped to see cousin David M. Secrist, visited with him; then
went on the train to Omaha, where I arrived on the 22nd of February. I left
Omaha, February 23rd, and on the 25th, I arrived in Ogden. I also reached my
home the same day and found all well. I had been gone about three months, and
felt well satisfied with my visit to the place I was born.
Sept 15, 1887. I left my place at Plymouth, Box Elder County, Utah, at 12
o'clock noon, went to Logan, and there joined Bishop Zundel and two Lamanites
John and Jim Brown, and secured a part of our outfit consisting of one baggage
wagon, two work horses, two riding horses, two horses and a buggy. I furnished
horses and buggy, the Church furnished baggage wagon, Bishop Zundel furnished
two horses to pull the wagon, and the Lamanites furnished riding horses. The
object of this mission was to carry a lot of presents to Chief Washakie, who was
camped on the east side of the Wind River Range of Mountains, now in the State
of Wyoming. The presents consisted of five hundred pounds of dried fruit, one
bale of blankets, shirts, underwear, and silk handkerchiefs in great numbers and
varieties.

September 16. We left Logan City, traveled up Logan Canyon, found the country
very rocky but the road good considering the country that it passes through;
camped for the night, having had no accident through the day.
September 17th. Traveled up the Canyon, reached top of divide about noon; in
Dean's Hill got a lot of pine hens and had our first feast of wild meat, which
we enjoyed very much. Traveled down the east side of the mountains to Garden
City, thence up the Bear Lake shore to Laketown; camped for the night with
Bishop Nebeker. Bear Lake is the most beautiful sheet of water that I have ever
seen--water as clear as crystal, and gravely bottom at a great depth. We
obtained a supply of oats for horse feed.
September 18th. We started this morning at 8 o'clock, crossed over a ridge and
traveled down grade to Bear River; found it almost dry; traveled across the
country to the mouth of Twin Creeks where we struck the Oregon Short Line
Railway. There we camped for the night and had our first feast of Mountain
Trout, John having secured a fine string of them.
September 19th. Started at 8 o'clock; traveled up Twin Creeks, also up the
Oregon Short Line R.R., which comes down the Creeks, the wagon road crosses the
Railroad nineteen times, very dangerous in places, just room enough for the
wagon to pass when there is no train at that time; camped at the tunnel on the
summit of the ridge. This tunnel is 800 feet through. Started at 2 o'clock,
traveled over the ridge down to Ham's Fork, went up Ham's Fork for three miles,
camped for the night. There we saw the first antelope, which were very wild and
not come-at-able.
September 20th. Started at 8 o'clock; traveled over some very steep hills;
struck the Lander Road which used to be one of the main roads that the gold
seekers traveled to California by the way of Fort Hall. We struck up a very
steep hill. almost perpendicular, hitched both saddle horses to the end of the
wagon tongue and pulled the horns of the saddles; traveled down the hill to
Fontinell, near Green River, and camped there for the night.
September 21st. Started at 7:30, passed over some rough, hilly country on to
Green River, then up Green River 13 miles to a beautiful stream called LaBarge;
noon halt, started out at 1 o'clock, traveled 24 miles up the river, good roads,
camped for the night on river bottom, good grass.
September 22nd. Broke camp at 8:30, crossed both Pineys, beautiful streams of
water, wide bottoms, good meadow land by the thousands of acres; antelope in
large herds but very wild; traveled over a ridge due north, struck Marsh Creek,
caught some nice Mountain Trout, waited for baggage wagon to come up; wagon came
up, then we found we had taken the wrong route and gone out of our way. Started
at two o'clock, traveled over High Cobble Stone Ridge to the fork of Green
River; this is the main fork of Green River, a large stream of beautiful clear
water.
September 23rd. We have gotten out of our way; went for 10 miles down the river,
struck the trail, traveled due east over Large Cobble Stone Ridge down on the
east fork of Green River; this fork has a great amount of water in it at some
seasons of the year, but low at present. Noon halt; at 2 o'clock started up the
river; hereafter must travel without a road through heavy sage brush; made slow
progress across the bottom to river, camped for the night.
September 24th. The mountains to the northeast begin to look very high and
difficult to cross. At 8:30 broke camp and climbed over hills, washouts, and
sage brush; difficult to travel; made slow progress; met some Indians who
informed us that Chief Washakie had gone on a hunt; not likely to see him;
camped for the night.

Sunday, September 25th. Camped about twenty-five miles from the foot of the
mountains; are told the mountains are very difficult to cross over to Chief
Washakie's camp; considering this, with the fact that we could not see him if we
did cross, we concluded to send a Indian over and ask the chief men of the camp
to send a delegation over to receive the presents. We were in camp waiting for
them to return. The Indians in that vicinity who were hunting, began to gather
into our camp, and we held meetings with them, preaching the Gospel to them, and
a number of them became converted and demanded Baptism.
September 27th. Still in camp waiting for the messenger to return; health good,
appetite good, and conscious that we are in no immediate danger from our enemies
that we had left so far in the rear in Utah, the Anti-Mormon raid (against the
families living in plural marriages) being in full bust when we left.
September 28th. This morning our express men returned with Chief Washakies's son
and three other of the principal men of the tribe. Dick Washakie, a son, is a
noble looking man, about 6 feet 4 inches tall, well proportioned, speaks good
English, about 25 years old, well dressed in the American Style, fine,
gentlemanly appearance, and must sooner or later be a great leader among his
people.
After greetings and breakfast were over, we all sat down, had prayer, John
Indian being mouth, after which Bishop Zundel preached to the Lamanites that had
gathered in--twenty in number; talked about one hour. John preached next. Jim
Brown followed, after which I bore a powerful testimony and prophesied of the
future of that people; much of the spirit of the Lord was enjoyed. After several
meetings, the Lamanites all asked to be Baptized, which was attended to with
much pleasure. Bishop Zundel did the Baptizing and I did the confirming. After
we had gotten through with the ordinance of Baptism, the presents were
delivered, and after hearty handshaking we separated from our kind friends; the
Lamanites going east and we south-west on our return trip; traveled ten miles
through sage and greasewood and camped for the night. Jim killed an antelope,
which was very acceptable, as we had had very little meat on our trip so far.
September 29th. This morning we Baptized four more Indians - two men and two
women. Broke camp at nine o'clock and traveled over to Green River; camped for
noon, and traveled over a ridge to Piney's two fine streams of water; meadow and
farm land in abundance; camped for the night.
September 30th. Broke camp at seven o'clock traveling up the largest Piney, much
of the time in the middle of the stream; very rough canyon and very difficult
pass over several high ranges; traveled until after dark down a steep mountain
side, almost perpendicular; camped on the creek in a narrow gorge.
October 1st. Had now gotten through the range of mountains, sixty miles distant,
and were at the head of Star Valley; traveled down the valley to the mouth of
the Salt River, camped for the night.
October 2nd. Laying over to rest the horses; started at noon up Salt River, and
camped for the night near the Summit.
October 3rd. Started at 7 o'clock; came out of the canyon and reached
Montpelier, nooned at Amasa Wright's place, fed, got dinner, then traveled to
Georgetown; stopped for the night with Nicholas Barkdall, my brother-in-law,
were treated royally.
October 5th. Started at 7 o'clock; nooned at Soda Springs, started at 2 o'clock;
camped for the night with Serl Hale; were treated to the best his house
afforded.
October 6th. Started at 7 o'clock, came over the ridge, camped at Church Farm,
fed got dinner, broke camp at 1 o'clock; traveled to Weston Creek, fed, lunched
and then we separated, Bishop Zundel and the Lamanites crossing the range of
hills into Malad Valley, and I going by way of Clarkston and reaching home at
nine o'clock, found all well; had traveled sixty miles on this last day, and
about seven hundred miles on the entire journey.

I thank and praise the Lord, who has had His kind and preserving care over us
while fulfilling this mission of peace to one of the largest friendly tribes of
Indians in this part of the country. (See page 103 for pictures of Jim & John
(Bishop John Brown).
---------------

Ogden City, Utah, November 23, 1895. This morning, in company with Ezra T.
Clark, John R. Barnes, and Ephraim P. Elleson, I left for Omaha, Nebraska, to
attend the Trans-Mississippi Congress to be held at that place on the 25th of
said month. We crossed the plains of a thousand miles without accident. I passed
my first night in a Pullman palace sleeping car, and with all of it grandeur in
appearance, I could not sleep; two men in one berth is one too many for comfort;
the car being very warm. Arrived in Omaha about 8:30 and took the street car to
the Millard Hotel. This Hotel was selected as the head-quarters of the members;
charges $3.00 per day. We had first-class fare and two good rooms for our
accommodation; all of the accommodations there were on the modern plan,
first-class style, with colored waiters, who were very polite.
November 26th. Held three sessions today. All the members were invited to a
reception given by a gentleman whose name I have forgotten, we were royally
treated to all kinds of drinkables, also candy and ice cream.
November 27th. Held one session. In the afternoon the members went in a body, by
invitation, to visit the Omaha Smelter where they reduce silver and lead ore to
bullion, from there it is shipped to Wales, and there refined; a great amount of
business is done there. The same afternoon we took the street car five miles to
South Omaha to visit the stockyards and slaughter houses. A great amount of
slaughtering and packing is done here. After looking through the mammoth
establishment we went back to the Hotel.
November 28th. Thanksgiving Day. Crossed the bridge over the Missouri River,
went to Council Bluffs, held meeting with a small branch of the Church presided
over by Robert Huntington; had Thanksgiving dinner; had a good time after dinner
and went back to Omaha; took a street car, went three miles up the River towards
Florence (once Winter Quarters) then back to the Hotel; had supper, packed our
grips, and got the lunch basket recruited. Union Depot.
November 29th. At 8:10 we took the train for Ogden, securing our berths in the
Pullman sleeper, "Suzanna. Cold north wind blowing.
Green River, November 30th, 8:15. Green River was once a thriving rail-road town
when the road was being built, but now it is dilapidated.
Echo. November 30th, 12:30. Had a pleasant trip, were favored with the company
of President George Q. Cannon all the way across the plains, which we
appreciated very much.
Ogden. November 30th 2:10. All in good health and spirits; changed cars for
Farmington, reached home in safety; found all well, glad to see each other.
This was a pleasure trip for me, in very deed. I had an opportunity to form the
acquaintance of influential business men from different parts of the country;
made acquaintances that will not be forgotten very soon.
January 15, 1894. Today William R. Smith, President of the Davis Stake of Zion,
died after a severe, lingering sickness of six months, of cancer in the
intestines. This was a severe shock to his family and to all the people of the
stake, as he was a first-class man, a good president, a good father, and a
friend to all good people; his faithful memory will live in the hearts of the
people.

About this time I was called by the Presidency of the Church to take the
Temporary Presidency of the Stake in President Smith's place, with Brother Hyrum
Grant as my first counselor to assist me. Of course, we took hold and did the
best we could, but because of the long illness of our latest President, all
public Stake matters were much run down so we had to labor with our might to get
matters straightened up.
March 4, 1894. Today at the Stake Conference in East Bountiful, I was set apart
to preside as the President of the Davis Stake of Zion with Joseph Hyrum Grant
as my first counselor; set apart by Apostle Franklin D. Richards and Heber J.
Grant, Apostle Richards being mouth.
Brother F.D. Richards stated to the Conference that my name had been considered
by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Apostles, and it was decided
unanimously that I was the man. It was put before the High Council and they were
unanimously in favor; it was also put before the Conference, and I was
unanimously sustained.
I had presided over the Farmington Ward as its Bishop for Twenty-seven
successive years, and had labored as the First Counselor to President W.R. Smith
from 1882 to 1894. I got along with this very well, or reasonably
satisfactorily, but to accept the responsibility of presiding over the Stake
seemed a great responsibility, and so it has proved in every sense of the word.
It has caused me to feel very humble and to live near to the Lord as a man of my
temperament could do, but through the help of the Lord I have done the best I
could, and as to how well I have succeeded, I will leave the Lord and my
charitable brethren and sisters to judge. I pray most earnestly that I may
continue to be faithful and humble in the future in my labors among the people,
that I may put my trust in the Lord and have His approval, then I will be
content.

EVENTS OF THE MONTH
IMPROVEMENT ERA VOL. V: 313

DEATH OF JOHN W. HESS. A noted pioneer, a member of the Mormon Battalion, and a
man of unflinching integrity, was President John W. Hess, of Davis Stake, who
died in Farmington, on the morning of the 16th. He was the son of Jacob and
Elizabeth Foutz Hess, and was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, August 24,
1824. He was baptized into the Church with his father's family, in March 1834,
in Richland County, Ohio, whither the family had removed in 1832. Then came
removals with the Saints to Ray and Caldwell Counties, Missouri, and later to
Illinois, and then again to Mt. Pisgah, Iowa. Elder Hess bearing the blunt of
the trials, the burdens of the family, and caring for his partly paralyzed
father, whose health failed owning to the severe hardship which he passed
through. On July 10, 1846, he and his wife having arrived at Council Bluffs, on
their westward journey, his father's family remaining at Mt. Pisgah, he enlisted
in the Mormon Battalion, in Company E, Captain Daniel C. Davis, his wife Emeline
Bigler whom he had married in Nauvoo, November 2, 1845, also enlisting as one of
the four women to accompany each company as laundresses. After his return, in
1848, to Mt. Pisgah, he found his father had died June 22, 1846. In the spring
of 1849, he arranged for the westward journey, taking him with his father's
family, and arriving in Salt Lake Valley July 27, settling shortly thereafter in
Farmington. In March 1865, he was ordained a bishop serving in this capacity for
27 years, until he was ordained, September 22, 1882, counselor to President W.R.
Smith, upon whose death he was made President, January 15, 1894. This position
he held until his death. He served three terms in the Territorial legislature,
in 1858, 1860, 1876; was commander of the Davis County Militia for many years,
and a delegate in 1895 to the Omaha Trans-Mississippi Congress. He filled a
mission to the Lamanites and to Pennsylvania. On February 8, 1900, he was
ordained a patriarch by Elder Francis M. Lyman, and remained an active worker in
his calling to the day of his going to rest.

A MANIFESTATION THAT
I BOTH SAW & HEARD
About September 15, 1900, during my late illness, on Sunday morning about 9
o'clock, while lying upon my bed, and my brethren of the Priesthood were out
among the people performing their various duties, I was thinking over my
helpless condition not being able to be with them in the performance of my own
duties; I began to pour out my whole soul in prayer. My prayer finally resolved
itself into a lamentation, asking the Lord what I had done or what I had not
done that I should be so seriously afflicted, that I should be deprived of the
privilege of going forth with the rest of my brethren and performing my duties.
I was told that it was not for any great sin of commission or omission that I
was thus afflicted, but it was because of my long and faithful labor and the
many hardships that I had passed through during my long life that had weakened
my faculties and brought me to my present condition. I was told that the Lord
accepted of my labors and that my career on earth would, in the near future, be
brought to a close.
About this time I saw, sitting on a box at the foot of my bed, a personage that
looked familiar to me, in the full bloom and vigor of life. I gazed upon it with
great earnestness and finally came to the conclusion that it was my own visage
in every form and feature except for age.
About this time I heard a voice saying, "this is the body of your spirit, you
see that it is in the exact form of your temporal body." He repeated again with
great earnestness, "this is the body of your spirit," and then remarked, "now,
let this suffice for the present."
Now, I do declare in all soberness, and in the fear of God while writing, that
the above statement is true, and shall be a testimony to all who read it
John W. Hess
Farmington, Davis County, Utah
13 January 1902

STATEMENT OF DAVID HESS
MADE 29 AUGUST 1920
TO E.F. RICHARDS
David Hess, second son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Foutz) Hess, and brother to the
late John W. Hess, late president of the Davis Stake, was born in Ray County,
Missouri, February 18, 1837. He removed with his father's family to Kirtland,
Ohio, locating in the vicinity of the Temple.
"I was a mere child," says Mr. Hess, "and do not remember the incidents but have
been assured by my mother that the Prophet Joseph, and Patriarch Hyrum Smith,
while waiting for a ferry boat to go down the Ohio River, spent several days at
my father's house, and that the Prophet often held me in his arms. She also
related that on a certain morning, at an early hour before breakfast, while
Joseph and Hyrum were there, The Prophet, with his hands behind his back, was
walking to and fro across the floor, when a knock came at the door and a
stranger said, "I understand that the pretended prophet, "Joe" Smith, is here
and I would like to see him," The Prophet turning to him quickly responded "I am
the man." At these words the stranger hurriedly departed.

"In our journeyings we next located in Hancock County, Illinois, seven miles
from Carthage jail, where the Prophet and Patriarch were shot, and twenty miles
from the city of Nauvoo, where we still lived at the time of the martyrdom of
Joseph and Hyrum. The news of their deaths reached my father's house at an early
hour thereafter. Though only seven years of age, I well remember the
lamentations of the Saints over their Seer and their Patriarch. I also have
vivid recollections of the burning from time to time by the anti-Mormon mobs of
the Saints' homes. On one occasion several of the mobocrats, who were mounted
and well armed, stopped at my father's gate, and were, as we supposed, debating
as to whether or not they should burn our house, but in a few minutes they
passed on. It was not uncommon at this time to see the smoke from the burning
homes and hay stacks of the Saints, which had been set fire to by mobs, and we
were kept in constant fear least our own property should be destroyed.
In the fall of 1845, we moved up to Nauvoo, occupying part of the house of my
uncle, Jacob Foutz. We were preparing to immigrate with the main body of the
Church, the following spring to the Rocky Mountains. The Spring of '46 found us
with father on sickbed, he having been stricken with paralysis the previous
November - setting out for the Salt Lake Valley. Owing to father's weak
condition, we were obliged to stop at Mount Pisgah, Union County, Iowa, where on
June 22, 1846, he died and was buried a short distance from our shanty, there
being no laid out burying ground. Because of the scarcity of good lumber, we had
to bury him in a coffin made from hewn timber. The next spring, however, we
obtained some good lumber, made a better coffin; dug up the remains and buried
them on Mount Pisgah Hill, where the Pioneer Monument, on which father's name is
inscribed, now stands. At this time my brother John W. separated from us, going
to Council Bluffs, Iowa, and leaving my mother alone with five small children,
the eldest (myself) of which was only ten years of age. My brother-in-law,
Stephen Johnson, on learning that father had died, and that we had lost one yoke
of our oxen, sent one of his yokes by one, Peter Dopp, to mother. We never saw
the oxen nor did we learn what became of them until fifty years after when we
learned that Dopp kept the oxen. In the following spring I was bitten by a
rattlesnake, and for over a month was confined to my bed, being finally healed
through the ministering of the Mormon Elders.
Apostle Lorenzo Snow, early in the Spring of 1847, knowing we had been disabled
by the loss of one yoke of oxen, promised that, if we would let him have our
remaining oxen and wagon for the use of the Mormon pioneers, who were going to
the Salt Lake Valley, he would see that we had a complete outfit with which to
go to the Lake the following season. (During the Mormon Exodus from Nauvoo,
Apostle Snow was appointed by President Young to preside over the Saints at Mt.
Pisgah, Iowa). No part of this promise ever materialized which caused us two
years delay in reaching the Valley, and untold suffering from hunger and
privation.

My brother, John W., who had been a volunteer in the Mormon Battalion, a company
of United States troops, made up principally of Mormons, organized for the
purpose of serving in the War with Mexico, and to accompany General Stephen
Kearney on his expedition to California, started, with others of the Battalion
in the Spring of '47, from Pueblo, Colorado, for Salt Lake, where he was
mustered out of service. He and his companions overtook a company of Saints
under Apostle Amasa M. Lyman, and reached the Valley with them, just a few days
after the arrival of the original 144 pioneers under Brigham Young, who arrived
there July 24, 1847. In the fall of '48, after taking leave of his wife and
baby, who had been with him throughout his service with the Battalion, brother
John returned to us at Mount Pisgah, and after remaining for a week with us, he
went to Kanesville, Nebraska, where he spent the winter of '48 working to get
means with which to take us to the Valley. He returned the following spring. At
this time Providence interceded in our behalf. A company of gold seekers en
route to California met brother John, and for the sum of $250.00 (which at that
time seemed a fortune) employed him as their guide to the Rocky Mountains.
About May 1, 1849, we began our long perilous journey across the Plains. Our
outfit consisted of two yoke of oxen, one yoke of cows, a pioneer wagon and
twenty head of sheep. Barefoot and half clad though I was, the burden of driving
the sheep fell upon me, then in my twelfth year. Excepting the usual hardships
characteristic of such an undertaking, our journey was marked by no particular
incidents of a tragic or sensational nature. Arriving at the Salt Lake July 28,
1849, we camped at what is now McCune Grove and the next day proceeded on to
Farmington, Davis County, Utah, where our family located.
Owing to conditions characteristic of a newly settled country, my scholastic
education was very meager. We were successful in procuring a tract of land, and
while suffering much from hunger and privation in company with the other
pioneers, we spent our time building homes, and redeeming the parched and barren
wasteland.
During the Fall and Winter of 1857, I served under Captain Lot Smith, Colonel
John R. Winder and others, protecting our homes and our people from Johnston's
army, who had been sent by the National Government to quell a supposed revolt of
the Mormons against the Federal Government.
On March 21, 1858, I married Jane Ann Wilson, daughter of Whitford G. and Mary
(Sheehan) Wilson. The same year, we joined the rest of the Saints in the move
south, coming as far as Payson, Utah County, leaving behind two men of whom my
brother, Alma was one, if necessary, to apply the torch to our homes and our
all, rather than allow them to fall into the hands of our enemies (Johnston's
Army). The sacrifice was accepted by the Lord and we were permitted to return
and repossess our property.
In the Spring of 1861, I, with my wife, Jane, and little son (D.W.) settled at
Smithfield, Cache County, Utah. During the following summer (July) trouble
occurred with the Indians in the vicinity of Smithfield. Several head of horses
had been stolen from Richmond, Utah, just north of Smithfield, and some Indians,
who were traveling through the country, were charged with the theft. The Chief
of the Indians was arrested at Smithfield, which angered some of the other
Indians who demanded his release. The Chief, while trying to break away was
shot, which was the immediate cause of the fight in which two white men were
killed and two others severely wounded.
In 1869, while working for the Union Pacific Railroad, I hauled rails for the
building of the trackage which connected the Union Pacific and Central Pacific
Lines. This connection marked the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.
On April 27, 1870, I was united in marriage with Elizabeth F. Fretwell. At the
Fall Conference of the L.D.S. Church in that year, I, with Ezra Clark and
others, was called to settle Soda Springs and vicinity in South-eastern Idaho.
The following spring with my wife, Elizabeth, I moved to Georgetown, near Soda
Springs, where for six years I was Superintendent of the Sunday School, and was
a member of the School Board of Trustees. I also labored in the Home Mission of
Bear Lake Stake.
I was called in the Spring of 1886 to fill a mission for the Mormon Church to
the Southern States, then under the Presidency of Brigham H. Roberts. I labored
in the State of Virginia. Shortly after my arrival at the mission field, I
contracted a severe cold and for about a month, I was unable to go about my
work. After six months in the mission field, I was honorably released. In 1895
my first wife (Jane) was called by death, leaving me a widower, my plural wife,
Elizabeth, having died a few years previous. On August 24, 1901 I married Luella
Minerva Hyde, daughter of Apostle Orson Hyde and Elizabeth (Goley) Hyde.

At a quarterly conference of the L.D.S. Church, at Centerville, Utah, during the
time when the people of Utah first began dividing along party lines, I heard
George Q. Cannon say, Brethren, I know as well as I live that it is the mind
and will of God that this people divide along party lines. This time marked my
entrance in politics. During my later years I have held several civic and
religious positions such as Bailiff of the Second Judicial District of Utah;
Precinct Chairman of the Republican Party at Farmington, Ward Teacher, Member of
the Fortieth Quorum of Seventies and Member of the High Priests Quorum of Davis
Stake. For two terms I was chaplain of the Utah State Legislature. I have been
blessed with the privilege of receiving my endowments in the Endowment House in
Salt lake City."

P.S. "I desire to acknowledge to my grandson Russell Leo Hess, and to my
great-grand son, Leslie Eugene Smart, my grateful appreciation of their ably
rendered assistance in preparing this record." David Hess (January 1st, 1921)