Andrew Purley Shumway

Andrew P. Shumway, son of Charles Shumway and Juila [Hooker] was born in the town of Sutton, Worcester County, State on Massachusetts, February 20^th, 1832. When I was about five years of age my father moved my mother and myself to my grandfathers (Samuel Hooker) near the town of Stourbridge, Worcester County and there left us to go to the west to visit a brother of his who went to the west some years previous. He returned soon after and moved his little family consisting of only my mother and sister Mary and myself. We located on a little stream of water called the Kill Buck near Rockford, State of Illinois. This was an unsettled country and at least very thinly settled, our nearest neighbor living one mile from us. After erecting a hewed log house and opening up a large farm and living here a year or two, during which time we had considerable sickness, myself having the whopping cough. We then moved near the Picatonic River about forty miles from Galena, here my father fenced a farm, bought a sawmill and by dint of perseverance and industry he accumulated a good deal of property. We lived here until about the year 1840, when Elder Elisha Groves came through that part of the country preaching the gospel. My father and mother believed and received the truth and was baptized by Elder Groves. Shortly after, he went to Nauvoo to see and visit the prophet Joseph. He soon returned bringing Elder Amasa (Lyman) with him who preached there for some length of time.

At this time my father was confined to his bed through being beaten by one Joseph McConnel on account of his religion. However he was remarkably healed through the lying on of hands, by Elder Lyman. After this he loaded a flat boat with materials for a frame house and putting on the house furniture went down the river to Nauvoo and soon returned and settled up his business. He then took his family in a two-horse wagon to Nauvoo. We lived here in peace until the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith on the 27^th day of June 1844, which circumstance I well remember as I attended their funeral. I was baptized in the baptismal font in the Temple on Nauvoo, in the year 1842. In the year 1845 the work of the Lord came to the Saints for them to prepare to move to the Rocky Mountains. My father being appointed captain of fifty erected a shop for the manufacture of wagons. During the winter I worked with a team of mules hauling corn and provisions from the country for the hands and hauling wood for their families to burn. I also hauled timber and etc., to the shop. All things being ready in February 1846 my father with his company crossed the Mississippi River on flat boats and camped on the west bank of the river, his company being the first that crossed the river for the Rocky Mountains. After a day or two we moved and encamped at a place called Sugar Creek where there was plenty of timber and browse for our animals. We stopped here some three or four weeks waiting for the Saints to gather together. After which President Young organized the different companies and we rolled out of camp sometime in March.

The pioneer camp arrived at Mount Pisgah May 16^th. We arrived at the Missouri River to late in the season to proceed across the Rocky Mountains. Therefore the headquarters of the Saints was established on the west bank of the Missouri River. My father and some dozen families proceeded about one hundred and ten miles to the Pawnee missionary station on the Loup Fork about four miles from the Pawnee village thinking we could procure corn from the Indians for our consumption through the winter. They thought that they could get it cheaper than from the whites in Missouri, which proved to be the case. At this place, Abel Guar and myself herded the stock belonging to the company. Most of the time we lived on Indian corn ground in a hand mill, each family taking their turn at the mill, and by keeping the mill constantly at work all managed to get enough to sustain life. Here my father was taken with chills and fever as also a good many others. Just before winter set in and very late one evening Jack Redding and Salomon Case rode into the fort having come from headquarters in great hurry bringing word from President Young for us to move back to Winter Quarters immediately as it was not safe for us to remain here. We therefore made everything ready and left sometime the next day. We had traveled about twelve miles when on the looking back we saw that the station and buildings we had just left were all on fire, this having been done by a war party of Souix Indians. The Souix and Pawnees Indians had been at war with each other for sometime and had they found us living in the Pawnee station they would have massacred our whole company. Thus were we warned by the Lord through his servants in time to save ourselves from the hostile savages.

We continued our journey in peace although many of the company were sick. My mother among the rest was hardly able to get out and into the wagon. By this time our family was all shaking with the Ague. Those who were sick suffered so much for the want of food, having nothing but corn meal and dried buffalo meat. After arriving at Winter Quarters we managed to get a log house put up to live in during the winter. Our sickness increased until there was not one of the family able to hand a drink of water to another. My mother gradually grew worse until the 14^th of November 1846 when she called her family around her and told them she was going to die. After some friendly admonitions to her family and tenderly embracing each one, her spirit took its departure for the spirit world. She died as she had lived, beloved and universally respected by all who knew her. She was buried along with five hundred of the Saints that died during the winter from diseases of different kinds and through want of necessary food when sick. The fact that five hundred of our most able bodied men were called by the U.S. Government to enlist in the war with Mexico, to prove our loyalty to the government, left many families to look out for themselves, many of which would have suffered much only for the kindness of those who were left. However their labors were increased to the extent that many passed away through over-exertion in taking care of those who were sick. The privations of the Saints through the winter will ever be remembered by the Latter–day Saints.

In the spring of 1847, my father with one hundred and forty-three others was selected to start in April the 14^th to pioneer the way to the Rocky Mountains. When father told me he was selected to go I burst into tears. My mother having just died it seemed more than I could endure to be left alone. This affected my father very much and he went and told President Young how I felt and that I wished to go with him. The President said, “Let him go. It will be all right.” This news gave me great joy. Brother John D. Lee furnished us a span of mules and a light wagon for the journey. Accordingly on the 14^th of April we took our leave of absence, my sister Mary and sister Harriet who was lying on her deathbed at the time with the canker. We went out a couple of days journey to a suitable camping place, here we waited a few days for President Young and others to accompany us. While here we received information that my sister Harriet had died. All things being ready we took up our line of march for the far off Rocky Mountains to seek a place where we could live in peace and be free from the persecutions of our enemies. As a people we had for many years been subject to rank persecution, our prophet and patriarch slain in Carthage Jail for the testimony of Jesus, and being driven from our homes many times and robbed and plundered of all our possessions, many having died by the way through exposure, our leaders having suffered much through being falsely imprisoned and had many vexatious. Also law suits at a vast expense of time and money, we hail the day of our deliverance with joy and felt to thank God for the privilege of seeking an asylum in the far west over a thousand miles from an mark of civilization and where the foot of white men had not trod for many hundred years.

Our wagons were loaded with provisions, some corn for our animals, farming implements, tools of different kinds and etc, Professor Orson Pratt with instruments for taking observations (latitude and longitude) one boat on a wagon to be used in crossing rivers, one cannon, and one roadometer that we might measure the distance traveled each day. This we did by marking the distance on buffalo bones and skulls and sticking them up by the side of our trail for the benefit of those following after us later in the season. We lengthened out our provisions on the way by adding plenty of buffalo meat along the Platte River and through the Black Hills there were buffalo in great numbers, so much so that we often were obliged to stop our wagons and wait for hours for them to get out of our way before we could proceed. We were forbid to kill any more than we could consume, as it was a sin to waste that which God had created for the good of man. When we started it was as much as my father and myself could both do to harness, drive and take care of one span of mules, owing to the sickness we had passed through. But our health improved so that in a short time we were quite strong and well. I had been sickly in my childhood, once when an infant I was nigh unto death the effects of which can be seen on my body to this day. I was also very sick in Nauvoo and my life was despaired of for many weeks, but now I began to feel better and stronger than ever. We proceeded on our journey with out being molested by Indians although we saw many tribes and bands they injured us no more than to steal two or three horses. We often traveled two or three wagons abreast in order to consolidate our strength in case of an attack by the Indians. We used the utmost precaution at night to avoid surprise attacks. Thus we continued our journey from day to day and from week to week through a country none of us had any knowledge of, being led by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and our way pointed out by the finger of the Lord.

After traveling over plains and mountains and through mountain gorges a distance of eleven hundred miles we at length came to the Valley of Salt Lake having had a difficult though prosperous journey. I was taken sick with mountain fever while encamped on the Big Sandy, but was healed through the prayer of faith and the laying on of hands by President Young. We pitched our tents for the first time in the Salt Lake Valley on the 24^th of July, 1847 on what is now known as City Creek and just below where Emigration street crossed the creek. After holding a meeting and rendering due thanks to the almighty God for his blessings bestowed upon us on our journey we unloaded our wagons and commenced work, stocking ploughs, making harrows etc. We immediately went to work ploughing, the ground and planting corn and a variety of vegetables, which owing to the lateness of the season did not amount to much. A fort was laid out which was commenced to be built of sun dried brick and logs. After staying here a few weeks President Young took a small company and started back to Winter Quarters. My father and myself went with them until we came to Rocky Ridge where we met the rest of our family in J. M. Grant’s Company. Here the Indians made a raid on our camp at night and succeeded in securing some few horses. Next morning we parted with President Young and company and started again for the valley, where we arrived in due time without any accident and went to work preparing a place to secure ourselves from the inclemency of the weather by erecting a log house, covering it with sticks, grass and dirt. Sometime during the winter a portion of the Mormon Battalion returned from California, as they brought no provisions with them we had to divide with them, which made provisions scarce. Still we got along very well by mixing in plenty of wolves, foxes and killing a few poor cattle which we consumed to even their hides.

During this winter I assisted my father in a shop, which he erected, being a carpenter, he earned a little money, which came very useful. The next spring we put in grain and vegetables, commenced building and laying out farms and making preparations to establish permanently in the land which God had led us to by the power of his hand. We toiled and labored hard, and accomplished after many years the desired object. We suffered much through the grasshoppers and crickets destroying our crops, thereby we were obliged to live on milk, roots, herbs or anything that would sustain life, but God did strengthen and bless us exceedingly. Although we were subject to many trials and privations, we acknowledged the hand of God in them and he brought us safe through. In the summer of 1849, a city having been laid out and we had moved on to a lot in the Twelfth Ward. My father took a company of nine men and went and established a ferry at Platte River and left me at home. I spent the summer in making adobes, herding cattle etc. Early in the fall, father returned, having done exceedingly well he brought home six yoke of oxen a wagon loaded down with the necessaries of life.

President Young deeming it wisdom to establish a colony in Sanpete Valley some one hundred and thirty-five miles southeast of Salt Lake Valley. My father was selected as one of the number to repair thither. We accordingly made our arrangements for going and left late in the fall in company with twenty-five or thirty families and arrived in that valley without accident, pitched our tents at what is now known as Manti City in the south end of the valley. It being late in the fall we did not provide anything for our stock during the winter. We had understood from the Indians that the snow did not fall very deep during the winter and that our stock would do well on the range. But contrary to our hopes and expectations, winter set in very early which prevented us from sending teams back to Salt Lake for provisions to last us during the winter, for we could not take enough at first and take other things which were needed to establish a colony. The snow fell to the depth of three feet and laid on the ground for three or four months. The consequence was that many lost nearly all the cattle they had through cold and starvation. Some few (my father among the number) saved most of theirs by going every day and shoveling snow off the grass so that the cattle could eat it. We worked hard in that way for weeks and there by saved many of our cattle, while many of the brethren left theirs in the hands of the Lord, saying if the Lord was a mind to send deep snows and cold weather to destroy their cattle, alright. But this was another instance to prove that faith and works go hand in hand together. During the winter we got a few houses built out of logs and rock. We hauled our wood on hand sleds for we could not work our cattle they had too little to eat.

During this winter the war broke out between the Utah Indians and Provo settlement, which operated seriously against us. As we were surrounded with Indians within sight, but the Lord sent the measles among them, which caused them to die off like rotten sheep and through our kindness in administering to them that were sick and burying their dead and feeding them, they remained peaceable most of the time. Towards spring we found that our provisions were getting very scarce and something would have to be done and that very soon we should suffer. Therefore a council was called of the whole of the saints, the results of which was that my father should take a few of the brethren and go to the city and make known their circumstances. He accordingly selected ten of the brethren, myself included to make the journey. We went to work and prepared snowshoes and some light hand sleds to haul our blankets and provisions on. All things being ready we started on bitter cold night about twelve o’clock and I think it was about the last of February, taking with us a friendly Indian as guide and interpreter. The first eighteen hours we traveled some thirty miles while the snow was frozen we could travel on the crust but about mid-day the snow becoming soft we had to put on our snow shoes. The first night we camped under some cedars clearing away the snow and making a huge fire, we passed a tolerable comfortable night, this place is near what is now known as Spring Town.

The next day we crossed over the divide into Salt Creek Canyon at the forks of which we found Daniel Henry, wife and two or three children, who were living in their wagon. They having been snowed in from early winter. There were some few men with them as guards they having been sent from Sanpete Valley for that purpose when the news reached us of their being snowed in while on their way to Sanpete Valley late in the fall. Here we stopped over night and proceeded next day down the canyon into Juab Valley. We found the snow mostly gone in the valley so we left our snowshoes hanging on a cedar tree and proceeded without and difficulty. We camped at what is now known as Santaquin in Utah Valley overnight and proceeded the next day but found it very muddy traveling. After crossing the Spanish Fork River on a fallen tree our Indian guide left us and went up the river to an Indian camp. We soon saw a train of them running after us. On their coming up we gave them a little Johnny Cake and tobacco and they returned leaving us to pursue our journey. We arrived at Spring Creek just at sun down, which we found much swollen on account of the melting of the snows and we stripped off our clothes and plunged in up to our chins, the water was very cold, but it freshened us up and make us feel like traveling for we were nearly exhausted and our Johnny Cake was all gone.

We trudged on till a little after dark when we arrived at Provo Fort near where Provo City now is. Here we were kindly entertained and the next morning my father and myself were provided with a couple of horses, which we mounted, and the next night found us in Salt Lake City. The next day being Sunday my father, by Brigham Young’s request represented the circumstances of the Sanpete colony at a public meeting. A large quantity of corn and some wheat was subscribed and teams to haul it and men sufficient to bring back the teams to the city. After shelling the corn and getting it ground we loaded up the wagons and started back and traveled without being molested until we were crossing the Spanish Fork. Just before sundown when all of a sudden we heard the Indians war whoop, we then discovered about fifty Indians on the opposite site and about one fourth of a mile from us, they charged up within a short distance of us firing their guns, the bullets flying over our heads. We crossed the stream as soon as possible, corralled our wagons and every man to his gun awaiting an attack with orders from father not to fire until he gave the order. The Indians soon came charging up on their horses with their guns cocked to within ten yards of us but seemed unwilling to commence an attack which exactly suited us for they outnumbered us three to one. After an hours parley and our giving them some provisions they left us and we proceeded next morning without further molestation. After a few more days we arrived at Sanpete just as the last pound of provisions had served out to the people. We put in grain this spring and in the fall reaped a very good harvest, the next winter my father built a sawmill the first ever to be built south of Provo City. The Indians stole and killed many of our cattle during the first two years but we always avoided a collision, but feeding them was a very heavy tax upon us, but we found it cheaper to feed than to fight them. In the year 1852 President Young requested my father to remove to Payson, Utah and build a sawmill for the benefit of that little settlement which he did. During this summer I worked on a farm at Payson making adobes, hauling rock and traveling to and from moving us from Sanpete. In the fall we built the first adobe house built in that place of any worth and lived in it during the winter. This winter I went to school while father was at work building a mill. I missed school while I was down sick with the mumps.

1853. We put in a crop as spring opened and commenced building a barn, when all of a sudden an Indian War broke out which put a stop to making improvements and also to farming operations. The first intimations we had of Indian hostilities was the Indians who were camped about two miles up Payson Canyon coming down to town (which was not an unusual thing) and on their way back to their camp killed one Robert Keel who was just outside of town just at dusk. It was on Sunday evening and I think on the 17th of July. The news spread like wild fire through the town and every man and boy was on hand with his gun, as it was known that there were a large number of Indians at their camp. We expected an attack before morning, orders were given for the people to leave their homes and assemble at the school house, the women and children were put inside and the men on the outside and sent in detachment to various parts of the town, thus we watched all night, but they did not come. The details of this war I shall not attempt to describe but suffice it to say that we had to pull down our houses and rebuild in form of a fort which had we built in the form of a fort in the first place as counciled to do by President Young, we would have been alright and would have had no difficulty with the Indians. Here let me say that from the first of our intercourse with the Indians in the year 1847 to the present time of writing which is the year 1869, all of our troubles and difficulties (which have been considerable) have been occasioned by neglect to obey the council and carry our the policy of President Young.

During this war, which lasted until winter set in, my time was spent in removing our house and preparing for the winter, standing guard, hunting Indians carrying express from one settlement to another. I was in one battle on Salt Creek. The expedition was conducted by Colonel Stephen Markham of Palmyra. I also went to Fillmore with Demie Huntington to get the bodies of those of Captain Gunnison’s party who were slain by the Indians. During this war, eleven of our brethren were slain and many wounded and thousands of dollars worth of property destroyed. In the spring of 1853 my father moved to South Cottonwood five miles south of Salt Lake City, he bought a farm and here I worked on our farm during the summer and run a threshing machine in the fall and winter and continued doing so summer and winter about the 20^th of November, 1856, when I was called to take a mission to England. After receiving my endowments in the house of the Lord, and being set apart by the servants of God I left home for Europe on the 13^th of September. Brothers Wm. Brown, Thomas Terru, Orrin Lewis and myself each furnishing a horse traveled together in the same wagon across the plains. Parley Pratt, president of the company (some twelve wagons) and E. T. Clark captain. We traveled without any accident till we arrived at Loup Fork, this river being swollen by heavy rains we were compelled to ferry our luggage over in a canoe and swim over on our horses, as well as our wagons. The last to cross the river was S. D. Faker, Charles Hubbard, Bernard Snow and myself; the canoe upset and split us all in the stream. We all came very near being drowned, but finally succeeded in getting to the shore. I lost my hat and went the rest of the journey to the Missouri River without one and some days without one until we had sold our ponies, wagons, etc. After remaining here a few days we took passage on board the steamer A. C. Gordon for Saint Louis and arrived there after a passage of eleven days. After staying here two or three days a few of us took cars for New York. Here we were kindly greeted by Elder John Taylor (one of the twelve). After a day or two I left for Massachusetts to visit the land, which gave me birth, and to see my relations for the first time for some eighteen years. I was kindly entertained by them and spent some two weeks visiting them but soon began to feel as though I ought to be off to England.

According to previous arrangements, Bernard Snow and myself were to sail from Boston together but on arriving at Boston he not having got through visiting his relatives and not feeling disposed to remain there on expenses, I paid, sixty dollars for a passage to Liverpool on board the steamship Arrabis. It was quite an undertaking for me to start across the mighty deep with no friend along to cheer or comfort me being young and inexperienced and never being away from home before. But I felt it was God that had called me to leave home and friends to bear his message to the nations and in him I felt to put my trust. Therefore on a cold December morning I committed myself to his care and for the first time in my life put my foot on board a ship. Could I then have realized the perils of traveling the mighty deep, I do almost believe I should have turned the other way instead of going ahead, but that was wisely withheld from me, for which I have ever felt thankful to the Lord. The noble ship cleared about noon on the____day of December, stopping at Halifax to take in coal and provisions. I was sick for about thirty-six hours. We had such a very stormy, rough voyage; in fact I could many times detect in the countenance of the officers a great degree of anxiety for our safety. Christmas Eve I think the worst and roughest time I ever saw on the Atlantic ocean and I have crossed it three times and hope to live to cross it once more. After a voyage of eleven days we arrived in Liverpool on the____of the same month. As I stepped on Terra Firma I felt thankful to God for the opportunity. It being etc. I put up at a railway hotel and went on Monday morning to the L.D.S. Millennial Star Office at 42 Bislington where I was kindly received by Frdanklin D. Richards and from him received an appointment to labor in the Cheltenham Conference under the direction of Elder George Taylor. I took train next day and arrived at Cheltenham in the evening, was met by Robert F. Neslin at the station who conducted me to the conference house in Croft Street, where I found Ezra T. Benson and brethren in council. I was appointed to travel in the Gloucester District and was shown around and introduced to the saints by Brother H. I. Doremus. I labored here till January 16^th when I was called to go home in connection with all the valley brethren in the mission on account of the U.S. Army being sent to Utah. I arrived in Liverpool on the evening of the 16^th and twenty-two of the valley boys at Mrs. Geetings at Cropshall Street. Great was our joy at meeting together again. We stayed in Liverpool till the 21^st when we went on board the packet ship Underwriter. Captain Robinson. There were twenty-four of us and one sister. We had the second cabin to ourselves and enjoyed ourselves well on the journey although we had a very rough passage and a very long one, being forty-eight days on the mighty deep.

Finally arrived at Castle Gardens all well and without any serious accidents of any kind, (for particulars of this mission see small memorandum books). On arriving at New York, James Wilkin, James Andrus and myself were selected to proceed without delay to Burlington, Iowa to assist a few of the brethren who had preceded us across the water and had been purchasing some horses, wagons, etc., for our outfit across the plains. We found the brethren a few miles up the river from Burlington, we went to work fitting up and soon left for the Missouri River (passing for emigrants bound for California). Many were the inquiries ask of us if we were not afraid of the Mormons capturing us, as the government was at war with them and had a large army near Salt Lake City. Our reply was that our numbers would be considerably augmented when we got to the frontiers and being well armed we thought it possible for us to get through all right. On arriving at Crescent City, I met my father who had been sent to Canada on a mission the next spring after my leaving in the fall. On arriving at Winter Quarters the rest of the brethren met us, they having come up the river from St. Louis and being joined by the returning missionaries from the states under the command of David Brinton. All things being in readiness we rolled out of camp on the 3^rd of May for Utah with John Berry as captain and B. Snow as sergeant of the guard. There were about sixty of us altogether and eight men to each wagon. I drove the only six-mule team there was in the train. When we got to Big Sandy we left the main road and took in the hills so as to avoid Johnston’s Army who were supposed to be camped near Fort Bridger. Bear River we found very high and our only way of crossing it was to take a couple of wagon boxes and cork them tight and use them for ferry boats and swim our horses. Here James Andrews came near being drowned but was fortunately rescued by some of the brethren. Having arrived near the main road a short distance below Cache Cave we halted for the night and sent men to reconnoiter, who returned and reported that all was right. We rolled out early next morning and after coming to the main road traveled but a short distance before we suddenly came upon a party of soldiers perfectly paralyzed and struck with amusement at our boldness and impudence in driving past them without saying a word doubtlessly thinking we were only the advance of a large army.

We arrived in Salt Lake City on the 21^st of June and found the city evacuated, only a few being left on guard. We camped in the city overnight and next day started south, on the 23^rd we arrived at Provo City where we met President Young. Our company was disorganized and everyone went on the hunt for his friends and family. My family were some at Shanghai, some at Provo and the rest at Payson. Thus I found myself at once more in the valley of my home after an absence of a little less than two years. I had gained much experience and had traveled many thousands of miles by sea and land and had bore testimony to hundreds of the truths of the Gospel. Johnston’s Army had passed through the city and from thence to Cedar Valley. The word came for the Saints to move back to their homes. I spent some time in assisting in getting the families and effects moved back to South Cottonwood and with my father bought a threshing machine and worked with it during the fall and winter. In March (the 7^th) 1859, I married Miss Amanda S. Graham, daughter of Thomas B. Graham and Sarah Ann Graham. In April we loaded up our affects and with my father and family started to locate in Cache Valley. Cache Valley heretofore had been settled only by a few families. We located at what is now known as the town of Mendon in company with some seven or eight families. On the 10^th day of May commenced ploughing and sowing grain and continued to do so until the 1^st day of June when the Indians began to show hostilities to the whites. For safety it was considered by Peter Maughan our presiding bishop for us to move to Maugham’s Fort (now Wellsville), which we did and built a couple of houses in which to pass the winter, or to live in until such times as the Indians should get peaceable again so that we could return.

In August I took my wife with me and went back to Cottonwood, my wife lived with my brother-in-law Chas. Westover and family whilst him and myself spent the best part of the fall and winter running a threshing machine. About mid-winter I bought some house furniture and went to house keeping, living under the same roof as my brother-in–law, David Proctor. In January I received information from Ezra T. Benson that himself and Orson Hyde (President of the Quorum of Twelve) had organized a Stake of Zion in Cache County and that I had been appointed Bishop of Mendon. I was requested to call on him to receive my ordination. I therefore settled up my business and loading my effects into a wagon I started for Cache Valley on the 19^th of February, [1860] I called on Ezra T. Benson the same day who took me to President Young’s office where I received my ordination under the hands of President Young and Ezra T. Benson.

I arrived in Cache Valley on the 22^nd and put up with Brother Charles Bird at Mendon for the night. Next day went to Wellsville where my father was living, I lived in the house with him the rest of the winter. Shortly after my arriving in Cache Valley, Peter Maughan (President of the Valley) introduced me to the Saints of Mendon and I entered on the official discharge of my duties. I went to work and organized a Quorum of Teachers, appointed W. Finley Funk, president also a choir with Isaac Sorensen as president. I also appointed a committee to superintend the erection of a house for Schools and Public Worship, also all other officers necessary for peace and good order. I built me a comfortable log house and in March moved my wife to Mendon. Soon after this she brought forth a daughter, which we named Julia. During this spring we had our numbers increased by the arrival of a few more families. I spent my time during the spring in giving out farms and attending to the duties of my office, putting in some grain and etc. All I can truly say is that I was greatly blessed in securing the confidence of the Saints, and we were united in all our efforts to lay a foundation for a prosperous and happy settlement.

(Note) The foregoing I have written while here at 26 Tenby Street, Birmingham England, on a mission, this is the 15^th day of November 1869 and I find I must discontinue writing more of my history for the present as I cannot remember dates. I shall endeavor to commence again when I shall have the privilege of returning to my home in the far distant west to again enjoy the society of family and friends which may God grant may be my happy lot, in the name of Jesus Amen.¹

 

1. Sketch of the Life and History of Andrew P. Shumway, Andrew P. Shumway, 15 November, 1869, This has since been published in a nice book by the Shumway family.

Logan Memories

Regarding the first Bishops who were selected to preside over the settlements of Cache Valley during the visits of Apostle Hyde Benson and Snow in November 1859, I should like to make a few comments. These bishops were listed in last installment as follows: William B. Preston, Logan. John D. Smith, Smithfield. Thomas Tidwell, Richmond. Robert Williams, Providence. William H. Maughan, Wellsville, and Andrew P. Shumway, Mendon. And now a word or two about Andrew P. Shumway, the first Bishop of Mendon. In looking into the history I find that he was born in the town of Hillbury, Massachusetts, on February 20th, 1833 the son of Charles and Julia Ann Shumway. In 1840 the parents joined the Church and moved to Nauvoo. There they took part in the activities of the Saints. Young Andrew was baptized shortly after his eighth birthday by the prophet Joseph Smith. In the exodus of the Saints from Nauvoo, Charles Shumway and his family were the first among the emigrants to cross the Mississippi River, which took place on the 4th day of February 1846.

When the family reached Winter Quarters the mother died. The following year Charles Shumway was requested by President Brigham Young to accompany the pioneer group to the west and seek out a new home for the Saints. He asked for the privilege of taking his fourteen-year-old boy, Andrew, with him, and thus the two were numbered with the original pioneers who arrived in Salt Lake Valley in July 1847. In 1858, when Andrew was twenty-five years old, he married Amanda Graham, and the couple went to Cache Valley to locate the following year. They settled at Mendon and it was there in November 1859 that Andrew Shumway was selected to be the first Bishop of the Mendon Ward. At that time there were only eight families in the town. He remained in Mendon until 1872 when he moved to Franklin, Idaho. He died there on June 12th, 1909, at the age of seventy-six.¹

 

1. Logan Memories, Preston Nibley, Newspaper Article, no paper or dates given.

Pioneer of 1847

The gate that opens from life to eternity has stood ajar in the family circle of which Andrew P. Shumway was head; he died as he lived, a loving husband and father, a splendid citizen, a brave man. In his death all honest men have lost a friend. Andrew P. Shumway a pioneer of 1847 is dead, but the great work of which he was a part still lives. How generous and kind a companion, what a loyal friend, how unselfish and devoted to everything, which made for the advancement and up building of the country which he pioneered and loved. Inseparably linked with all that was noble in the power and grand in the present day progress, will ever be the name of Andrew P. Shumway in this community. Franklin knows and Franklin mourns his loss.

Andrew P. Shumway, Pioneer of 1847, “Left Winter Quarters Council Bluffs April 14th, 1847 and arrived in Salt Lake Valley July 24th, 1847; 95 of whom returned to Winter Quarters by October 31st same year without an accident to anyone.” “143 pioneers, 3 women, 2 children, 70 wagons, 1 boat, 1 cannon, 93 horses, 52 mules, 66 oxen, 19 cows.”¹

 

1. Pioneer of 1847, Dr. G. W. States, Newspaper Article, no paper or dates given.