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| Thoma Palmer |
While a young man, he heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by the Mormon Elders and being a God fearing young man he believed and was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church 29 April 1847 by Elder Thomas Smith in Leamington, Worchester, England. For this he was driven from his home, disowned by his family and ridiculed by his friends. His mother was instrumental in driving him out of town and he never saw any of his people again.
He was married to Ann Smith in England , who was also a convert. They moved to Cheltenham, England, where their only child was born whom they named Ann Eliza. She was born April 10, 1845.
The spirit of gathering was very strong among the converts and especially in Thomas & Ann’s humble home. They began saving for that purpose and in the year 1855 their desire was granted. They sailed from Liverpool, England on the ship Charles Buck, under the direction of Richard Ballintyne, on Wednesday 17 January 1855 with 403 other saints.
EIGHTY-SECOND COMPANY. -- Charles Buck, 403 souls. On the seventeenth of January, the clipper ship Charles Buck, Captain Smalley, sailed from Liverpool, England, with four hundred and three souls on board including the remainder (about seventy) of the Scandinavian emigration for the season, in charge of Elder Eric G. M. Hogan, and the remainder of the British Saints who had been reshipped from the Helios, the whole under the presidency of Elder Richard Ballantyne, who had recently arrived in England from his mission to Hindostan.
The emigrants, who sailed on the Charles Buck, were somewhat depressed in spirits, because of their long detention in Liverpool; and by living in unhealthy places as well as on scanty diet, their general health had become somewhat impaired. When they came on board seasickness also prostrated many, but through the blessings of the Lord attending the ordinance of the laying on of hands, and anointing with oil, together with such medicines as the spirit of wisdom dictated the brethren to administer, the sick were raised to health, and only three children died during the voyage. One of these was a boy, seven years old, who got entangled in the ropes of the ship, about a week after sailing from Liverpool, and was thrown overboard and drowned. One birth also occurred on board. The voyage throughout was prosperous; the winds being light and the sea calm. In consequence of head winds after leaving the Irish Channel, the ship took a more easterly course than usual, and came in sight of the Cape de Verde Islands on the tenth of February. A favorable wind then brought her to the Islands of Guadaloupe and Antigua on the twenty-seventh. The English part of this company who had been shipped on board the Helios at Liverpool by President F. D. Richards, had been provided for on an unusually comfortable and liberal scale on that ship; but when finally reshipped on the Charles Buck, the excellent provisions furnished by President Richards were withheld from them, and in their stead some raw oatmeal, coarse biscuit and a little rice and flour were furnished; and even of these articles a sufficient quantity was not shipped, so that the passengers, after being out six weeks, were placed on short allowance of provisions. This was about two weeks before their arrival in New Orleans. For several days many of the Saints had nothing to eat but oatmeal cakes or porridge, and for three days only two quarts of water was served out to each passenger.
Notwithstanding these unpleasant circumstances, the emigrants manifested an unusual measure of cheerfulness and patience. Whatever sickness and debility they suffered was chiefly occasioned through the want of something nutritious and desirable to eat. About the fourteenth of March, 1855, the Charles Buck arrived at New Orleans from which city the emigrants continued the journey up the Mississippi River on the sixteenth, on board the fine steamer Michigan. Through the exertions and preferred help of Elder McGaw, the church emigration agent at New Orleans, together with the liberal contributions of those Saints who had a few shillings to spare, the whole company were taken along. Had it not been for this, a number of the Saints would have stopped at New Orleans to earn means, wherewith to pay their passage to St. Louis or Cincinnati, later on. The fare from New Orleans to St. Louis was three dollars and a half for each adult passenger; children under fourteen and over one year, half price. The captain of the Michigan behaved very badly toward the Saints. As the boat left the warf in New Orleans, John Eccleson fell overboard and was drowned. Four children died on the way to St. Louis. A Danish brother by the name of Nordberg fell overboard the morning before arriving at St. Louis and perished.
On the twenty-seventh of March the company arrived at St. Louis, from whence one hundred and ninety-one Saints reembarked on the third of April, in charge of Elder Richard Ballantyne, who was instructed to land at Atchison, and take charge of all P. [Perpetual] E. [Emigration] Fund passengers who would be shipped to that place. Forty of the Danish Saints under the preseidency of Elder Hogan, left St. Louis for the same destination on the thirty-first of March, and joined P. O. Hansen's company a few days later in Leavenworth; and thence subsequently traveled to Mormon Grove, near Atchison. In consequence of the rivers being low, boats were scarce, and fares very high, and it was with considerable difficulty that the brethren at St. Louis succeeded in shipping the company to Atchison. The unprecedented rush of people to Kansas and Nebraska also materially increased the rate of fares and the difficulty of shipping to the upper county.
A short distance from Fort Laramie
an Indian attack took place and orders were given to corral and get fire arms.
While obeying orders, a gun was accidently discharged and the wife and mother
Ann (Smith) Palmer was fatally wounded. Being unable to travel with his dying
wife, he and his little daughter, Ann Eliza were forced to go to Fort Laramie
for aid and protection. They were treated badly by the soldiers. The doctor
would render no assistance and would not give the dying woman a cup of tea,
saying “they are only damned Mormons!” Mrs. Palmer died and Thomas and his
little girl, Ann, were forced to bury their loved one alone. He wove a basket
of willows, and after wrapping her in their only blanket placed her in the
basket. He dug the shallow grave and the little girl helped by pushing the
basket in. He dedicated the grave and covered it in. This was their first sad
experience in the new land of freedom.
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| Fort Laramie in the early 1860's as drawn by Caspar Collins |
Thomas Palmer had a dream or a vision before leaving England in which he was privileged to see this very accident and hear the very words that were spoken to him at the Fort. At the time of the shooting he was some distance away from the wagon helping care for the animals and when he heard the shot and a scream he knew what had happened and went at once to his wagon.
He remained at Fort Laramie
that winter, continuing his journey to Salt Lake
the following year. Before leaving the Fort he became a very good friend to the
soldiers and they desired him to remain with them. Some of them visited him
later in his home, and when they met him years later in Salt Lake City, they were so glad to see him
that they embraced him.
The following is an excerpt from the diary of Richard Ballintyne; leader of the Ballintyne Pioneer Company, 1855. In it he describes the accidental shooting of Thomas’ first wife Ann.
Thursday August 16
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| Richard Ballintyne Founder of Sunday School |
Another description of the death of Ann Palmer from a member
of the Ballantyne Company:
"There were eleven accidents
on the trip. Eight run over, 3 shot, 5 died. Feed was very poor on the plains
that year. Lots of cattle lay down and died for lack of feed and when we came
to Fort Laramie, we met about 500 Cheyenne
Indians. Captain [Richard Ballantyne Company of 1855] Ballentine called every
man to show us his gun and keep along side of the wagons as guards to the
company. When we camped for noon, they came in crowds as it were, begging for
sugar, flour, and trading." While they was all around camp one of the brethren,
a young man, was standing with a gun in his hand, playing with it. The gun went
off and shot sister Palmer in the knee, shattering her knee all to pieces. This
caused a great excitement both with our people and with the Indians. They got
on their horses and prepared for battle in a moment, but when they got to
understand what was the matter, they came into camp and seemed to feel sorry at
the accident. The poor woman was taken back to Laramie and she suffered terrible. They cut
her leg off above the knee but they had to cut above again and again and she
finally died. This caused a sad feeling in the company as she was a beautiful
singer and the life of the camp. Some of the company had the cholera, buried 32
in 2 days. Those were days of trial to some while others came singing songs of
everlasting joy and this was the travels in those days. After we came to Sweet
Water, we had a stampede in the day time. sixteen wagons all running, breaking
wheels, tongues and however in about half day all was repaired and we moved
along..." (Our pionner Heritage, In Their Own Words, pg 266-7)
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| John Taylor |
While living in Salt he was an
ardent Church worker. President John Taylor whom he visited as a ward teacher
gave him the name of “The son of the benevolent.”
In 1859, he was asked by President
Young to accompany Brother Jessie Haven into Morgan county and to help colonize
that part of the state. He willingly did this, taking his little family and
what modest household furniture they possessed in a wagon drawn by an ox team.
He located in Enterprise, building a log house
without windows and a dirt floor and roof, between the Weber
River and where the Union Pacific railroad has its tracks. Later, he
moved upon the highway for protection.
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| The Thomas Palmer Home |
He cleared the sage brush away and
made a small clearing so he could raise food for his family. For several weeks
at a time he did not have anything made of flour, but lived on weeds, meat, and
a few vegetables which he was able to raise.
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| Louisa Harriet Mills Thomas Palmer's 4th Wife |
He became a great friend and
interpreter of the Indians. At one time he entertained Chief Washakie and nine
hundred of his braves. The Indians insisted that he sit with them and the Chief
stood at the head of the table and said, "Pray heaps, Tom, pray
heaps."
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| Chief Washakie and his village |
His early teamwork was done with an ox team, but later he had some very fine horses. During the grasshopper plague his entire crop was destroyed and the family was forced to live on pigweeds, wild carrots, and wild berries and meat.
While returning from Salt Lake City after
disposing of his farm products for clothing and other necessities, his team ran
away at Kaysville near Kay's Creek, and his leg was badly broken. When he was
picked up the bones were sticking in the ground. The bone was sawed off with an
ordinary saw. He was bedridden for a long time and before he was entirely well
he would lay in a bed made in the wagon and supervise the work of his small sons
on the farm and in helping them to get wood for use in the following winter.
During the early years of the
railroad he was employed by the Union Pacific and had a boardinghouse train in Weber Canyon
at Strawberry.
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| 37 Star Flag of 1876 Utah was still a territory and did not receive a star of statehood until 1896 |
He was a very sincere man in his
religion, his faith was unwavering and he adhered strictly to the teachings of
the Church. He was honest and truthful and a leader among men. In 1875 he was
called as first councilor to Bishop John K. Hall and held this position to the
time of his death.
He went twice each year with team
and wagon to Salt
Lake to renew old
acquaintances and to hear the word of the Lord spoken by the prophets. He had
charge of the tithing house at Enterprise.
He was very liberal with the things which the Lord blessed him with on his
little farm. At harvest time, all the poor and widows in the community received
vegetables and meat from him.
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| Logan Temple |
John Smith. He was an excellent athlete, a wonderful marksman, as well as a good fisherman. He could throw a rock as straight as an Indian. He had a very amiable disposition and was a very loving husband and father. He was loved and respected by all who knew him.
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| Copy of Original Ticket to Salt Lake Temple Dedication Belonging to Thomas Palmer Signed by Wilford Woodruff |
He was active in his church work and his farm activities until three days prior to his death on the 17 of November, 1900. He was 80 years old. His death was due to pneumonia. He died at the family home at Enterprise, Morgan County and was buried in the family plot. He left a large family and a host of sorrowing friends.
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| Grave Site of Thomas Palmer & Family in Enterprize, Morgan, Utah |
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| Thomas Palmer Headstone Reads: FATHER THOMAS PALMER BORN JAN 15 1820 DIED MAR 17? 1900. |
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| Thomas Palmer and Frances Farr Mills
(It is not mentioned in the above
history, but Thomas Palmer was also married to Frances Farr Mills. They were
married one year
before his Marriage to Louisa Harriet Mills.)
|
Charles Buck -
Details from several sources: Millennial Star, Vol. XVII, pp.73, 202, 267, 300, 315, 490; Desert News of June 13, 1855 Contributor: Representing the Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association of the Latter-day Saints 13:12 (Oct. 1892), pp.544-45
Nice how he was able to marry his 16-year-old step-daughter. Very convenient. He was 45.
ReplyDeleteNot knowing the whole truth can cause people to judge others. Voicing your opinion proves your smallness.
DeleteThank you so much for this wonderful blog. I enjoyed every word. I have his history from my mother-in-law Doris Palmer. This one is so much nicer and done beautifully. I look forward to meeting this man.
ReplyDelete