History of Daniel Mark Burbank
(From the Ancestors & Descendants of Lt. Daniel & Mary (Marks) Burbank)
Daniel Mark Burbank was born 3 December, 1814, somewhere in Western New York State; married (1) 31 December, 1835, Lydia VanBiaricom. (She was born 10 December, 1816, Switzerland County, Indiana; daughter of Peter and Mary L) VanBlaricom; died 18 September, 1838, Naples, Scott County, Illinois) married (2) 3 August, 1839 Abigail Blodgett, widow of Elijah H. King of Boston Mass. (She was born 26 March 1811, Tyngsborough, Middlesex, Mass; daughter of Thaddeus Blodgett and widow Hannah (J Marshall. She died 20 July 1852 of Cholera while crossing the plains to Utah Territory.) married (3) Sarah Zurviah Southworth, 10 September, 1852 on the plains near Green River. They were traveling with the Walker company. She died 27 May 1927 Deweyville, Box Elder, Utah and was buried in Brigham City. (She was the daughter of Chester and Mary (Byington) Southworth.)
"For the history of his early life, see his father's record. I will start his record at the age of 12; when on the 14th of July, 1826 his mother, Margaret (Pynchon) Burbank, died at Exeter, Illinois and was buried there. My sisters Aveline and Margaret then kept house for my father. Then my sister Margaret, married Adam Conrad and lived at Exeter. Then my father moved one mile South of town. At this place Aveline married Orlando Kellogg and soon after my father married a widow by the name of Adams. She had four girls and two boys and they came to live with us on the farm. Then my married sister Aveline Kellogg moved to another house on a farm. Her husband, Orlando Kellogg, was the Captain of a steamboat then running the Illinois River. My younger brother Augustus went to live with them.
"We lived on the farm until the year 1838 when we moved again to a place called Meredosia, Morgan County, Illinois on the Illinois River. Here my father bought land that lay along the river and built a home and made other improvements.
"In the year 1830, after the ordeal my father had with his second wife, we left father in the care of my sister Margaret Conrad. My sister Mary Ann and I went by water to Cincinnati, Ohio to where my brother Lester lived to learn the trade of carpenter. After father recovered his health he also came to Cincinnati to visit his eldest son.
"In the year 1833, late in fall, I left my trade and came down the river to Shawneetown, Illinois and then out to see my two sisters, Sophia and Louisa Maulding at McLeansboro. Mary Ann stayed with Lester at Cincinnati. I stayed here until the spring of 1834 when I left and went to my sister (Aveline Kellogg) living in the town of Naples, Scott, Illinois. Here also my youngest brother Augustus lived. I entered into services on the farm with him for some time, then went on a steamboat as barkeeper for my brother- in-law, Orlando Kellogg, at $10.00 per month. Later as steersman, until late in the summer I left his employ and went for myself at $50.00 per month as pilot and continued in this business for some time operating mostly on the Illinois River.
"On the 31 of December 1835 I was married to Lydia VanBlaricon, who lived one mile southeast of Naples at which town we lived after marriage. I continued to pilot on the Illinois River, seeing my wife twice a week. My wages now was from one hundred to one hundred fifty dollars per month, yet on some transient trips I got as high as $100.00 per week."Then we went along the Platte River where cholera broke out in camp. Our Captain Daniel Mark Burbank's wife Abigail was one of the first to die. She was buried without a coffin by the Platte River along with others that died with this disease. We had to go on in the morning never to see their graves again. The night that Abigail died the wolves were howling. A young lady and I were the only ones to wash and dress her with what we could find, her under clothes and night gown. We sewed her up in a sheet and quilt. That was all that could be done for her burial. All the women in the camp were afraid to prepare the bodies for burial for fear of catching the cholera.
"About two months after Abigail died, I married Daniel Mark Burbank on the plains. Captain Walker of the company camping by us married us one evening. The bugle called the camps together to witness our marriage. We had cedar torch lights instead of candles. It was by the Green River in September. There I mothered four children that were sick with scarlet-fever. My husband and I had a great trouble with sickness the rest of the way. We had a number of oxen die and had to stop for the camp to get cows instead of oxen.
"A hundred Indians took Captain Daniel Mark Burbank, my husband prisoner. We thought he would be killed but the Chief gave him up to us if we would give them flour, sugar and coffee. We rejoiced when we saw the Captain alive. He had gone to hunt a buffalo he had seen through his spyglasses. He had killed buffalo before when in a hunting place.
"The poor cows furnished us with milk or we would have suffered for a drink as the water was so bad for hundreds of miles. We had to grind parched corn in coffee mills to eat with our milk to save flour.
"Once the oxen stampeded and ran away with the wagons toward the river. One woman was killed. I jumped out of the wagon with the woman's baby and came nearly being killed. It rained so hard that we had to sit up and hold the covers on all night. That happened many times. When fording streams we could just see the oxen's back and horns and sure thought our wagons would go under, but we got out alive by the help of the Lord.
"I remember my husband telling me that when Emma, the Prophet's wife, was given up to die by the doctor he called Daniel M. Burbank to come and see her. Brother Burbank said; "I believe I can cure her. He went to the store and got medicine and stayed two nights and days and cured her. The Prophet told Brother Burbank to gather all his books together and to tend the ladies in confinement. The knowledge that Daniel M. Burbank has was received in a hospital in Saint Louis. The Prophet said that was his mission on earth, to attend the sick. His blessing said the same. My blessing also said I came to this earth to attend the sick. I have prayed for my parents when they were very sick and they have recovered. When I have been in confinement cases the Lord has blessed me in delivering women when they were in a very serious condition.
"Forty years ago, when President Merrill was President of the Logan Temple, he gave me a great blessing while I was there with my husband having our Second Endowments. He commanded me to go forth and take care of the sick. I was very poorly at the time. I did not think it would be possible to do it but in three weeks I was able to take care of my daughter-in-law in confinement. Brother Merrill gave me this blessing never having seen me before and did not know that I had been practicing delivering women for years. It is evident that this blessing was inspired and he also said that I would live long on the earth and be a Queen over Queens in the eternal worlds and said many more great things." Daniel Mark Burbank died 13 January, 1894 at the age of 79 years. Funeral services held in the Stake Tabernacle in Brigham City, Monday, January 15th, and he was buried in the Brigham City Cemetery. Remarks were made by Apostle Lorenzo Snow, Stake President Roger Clawson, Councilor Charles Kelly, Bishops A. A. Jensen and W. L. Watkins. About seven or eight hundred attended his funeral. He was loved by all that knew him. His wife Sarah Zurviah (Southworth) Burbank died 27 May, 1927 at Deweyville and was buried at Brigham City at the side of her husband. She outlived him 33 years and she preferred not to marry. She said she had gone through one good husband and she would not find another like him.
Child: By (1st wife) Lydia
VanBlaricom.
Augustus Ripley Burbank, born 12 January, 1838, Naples, Scott, Illinois;
died 28 September, 1838.
Children: By (2nd wife)
Abigail Blodgett.
Joseph Smith Burbank, born 13 July, 1842, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois;
died 6 July 1848 while crossing the plains to Utah Territory, near
Winter Quarters.
Mary Lydia Burbank, born 30 January, 1844, Alton, Madison, Illinois.
Daniel Mark Burbank, Jr. born 10 June, 1846, Farmington, Van Buren,
Iowa. Abigail Burbank, born 14 August, 1848, Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Laura Burbank, born 4 May, 1850, Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Children: By (3rd wife)
Sarah Zurviah Southworth
George Southworth Burbank, born 26 July, 1853, Grantsville, Tooele,
Utah.
Brigham Southworth Burbank, born 6 September, 1855, Grantsville,
Tooele, Utah. Olive Southworth Burbank, born 28 April, 1857, Grantsville,
Tooele, Utah.
Deseret Southworth Burbank, born 23 July, 1859, Grantsville, Tooele,
Utah.
John Southworth Burbank, born 10 May, 1861, Grantsville, Tooele,
Utah; died 8 July, 1864, Brigham City, Box Elder, Utah.
Charles Southworth Burbank, born 1 November, 1863, Brigham City,
Box Elder, Utah. Sarah Southworth Burbank, born 12 July, 1866, Brigham
City, Box Elder, Utah.
Louisa Southworth Burbank, born 10 January, 1869, Brigham City, Box
Elder, Utah; died 8 May 1874, Brigham City, Box Elder, Utah (twin)
Eliza Southworth Burbank, born 10 January, 1869, Brigham City, Box
Elder, Utah (twin of above).
Alonzo Southworth Burbank, born 17 May 1871, Brigham City, Box Elder,
Utah; died 4 June, 1871, Brigham City, Box Elder, Utah.
James Southworth Burbank, born 14 December, 1872, Brigham City, Box
Elder, Utah.
Rose Southworth Burbank, born 18 June 1875, Brigham City, Box Elder,
Utah; died 29 June 1876, Brigham City, Box Elder, Utah.
Chester Southworth Burbank, born 1 June, 1877, Brigham City, Utah."In
1836 my wife had the smallpox and lost her child and came very near
losing her own life. (On 24 July 1837 Orlando Kellogg and Elizabeth
Ann, his wife, sell to Daniel Mark Burbank for $500.00 Lot 2, Block
26 in the Davis Shelly and Kellogg's addition to Naples, Morgan,
Illinois. This was later taken from a deed I have on hand.) On the
12 January 1838 my son Augustus Ripley was born and eight months
later, 18 September, 1838, my wife Lydia died leaving me with a small
baby which my sister Margaret Conrad took to raise. The baby pined
away and died 28 September, 1838, dying 10 days after it's mother,
aged 8 months, 16 days."
He must have been extremely grieved at this time for he said in his recorded history; "I sold all out and continued piloting the river until 3 August, 1839, I met and married Abigail Blodgett, a widow of Elijah H. King. (They had some things in common - he had been married and lost a wife and child and she lost her husband, both had come west). We lived at Naples, Illinois."
I now enter a paragraph that was told to me by my grandfather, Brigham Southworth Burbank, who was a son of Daniel Mark Burbank.
"In the spring of 1841, my father, Daniel Mark Burbank, captain of a riverboat, was traveling North on the Mississippi River and had gone past Nauvoo, Illinois, when he was informed that the brick lining of the furnace had deteriorated to such an extent that the fire had to be put out. Father decided that they should drift back down the river to Nauvoo as they had a wharf there where the repairs could be made. After father had given the instructions for the repairs; he asked one of the men if he knew Joseph Smith and the man replied that he did; and as he was going in that direction, he could escort him there. When they arrived his escort knocked and Emma came to the door and asked them what they wanted. Father said they wanted to see Brother Smith. So he came to the door and while standing at the door, his escort informed the Prophet that Brother Burbank had asked to see him to find out for himself if the Mormons were the rascals some people were saying they were. My father said he looked him in the eye and they seemed to pierce his very soul. He slowly looked down to his feet and my father said it seemed that the fluid of his body seemed to flow out of his body. Brother Smith slowly raised his eyes and looking father in the eye made the following statement: "Brother Burbank, I can see that you are thirsty for the want of water. Meet me down on the banks of the Mississippi River and you will be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints " Brother Smith then asked father into the house and they talked for a great length of time. Brother Smith told him of his experience in the grove and father was converted that day. It has not been recorded, as far as I know, what the Prophet Joseph Smith told him. Father went forth from the Prophet with great joy in his heart and converted his wife and they returned to Nauvoo. On 11 April, 1841 they were baptized in the Mississippi River by William Smith, brother of Prophet Joseph Smith.
"Here, in the north part of the city of Nauvoo three blocks from the Temple, we lived until the fall of 1845 when I moved northeast three miles to a farm. While living in Nauvoo, times were very hard for the Saints to live while building the Temple; our labors were great for we had to labor days and guard the Temple at nights. There was many attempts made to burn the Temple, some times by false members seeking to kill the Prophet Joseph Smith - kidnap him and run him into Missouri and there hang, burn or otherwise destroy him. So many times we had to turn out and take the Prophet away and fetch him home again. At one time while at Poppaw Grove on Rock River on a visit the mob, Sheriff and posse took him and much maltreated him. Brother Hyrum Smith sent out Colonel Charles Kitch, Colonel Steven Markham and others, each with a party of horsemen -- one to head toward the Mississippi and the other east to head toward the Illinois River; while some thirty others went by water on board the Steamboat, "Maid of Iowa". This boat was owned by the Church and commanded by Dan Jones, while the posse was commanded by General John C. Dunham; John Taylor, Chaplain; John Venhisen, Surgeon; Daniel Mark Burbank, Pilot and 1st Sargent; Thomas Briley, Steersman.
"We started down the Mississippi, then turned up the Illinois' River. We soon found that there was a boat that had been manned out of St. Louis to receive Joseph, and the mob at Ottawa which is on the west side of the river at the mouth of Fox River; and run him into St. Louis, then back into the country and destroy him at their own pleasure. This boat had an armed force and two swivels on board. Her name was the "Chicago Bell", a very large and strong boat with some hundred men well armed. When we got this news we crowded all steam for the Bell was some forty miles ahead. At the town of Eire, we had to stop and buy some bricks to mound up the back wall of the furnace; and this was soon done and we again was under way -- crowding our little boat day and night -- until one morning about 3 o'clock we have in sight the town of Pekin, situated on the east bank of the river.
"When in about one and a half miles of Pekin, we saw a boat leaving the wharf running out across the river west for a small island shoal or chute, which was the main passage channel. In her rounding to the right into this channel she caught fast on a sand bar; there she was fast and could not back off -- and upon nearing her we found her to be the "Chicago Bell". We stop and hailed her with a speaking trumpet from the pilot stand -- if she would not let us pass. She wanted to know what boat we were. We told her. She then answered that she would not let us by. She then swung around with her stern in the willows and there made it fast. We then asked if she would not cast off her line and let us pass. They swore that they would not. At this time her deck was black with men."
According to my Grandfather Brigham Southworth Burbank, the son of Daniel Mark Burbank -- he told me this story: "When we came upon the Chicago Bell at Pekin, Illinois, the mob has expected our coming so the swung the stern of the Steamship into the river channel which completely blocked our passage up the river. The men had all blackened their faces and were waiving their hands and cursing and swore that they would see us in hell before they would let us pass . Then Daniel Mark Burbank, the Pilot, said he offered a silent prayer while standing at the wheel and asked the Lord to please let him know what to do. He then heard a voice behind him say in a clear voice; "Full speed ahead and go around by the island channel." This channel had never been used as a passageway as it was grown up with willows. When he heard this voice, he turned around quickly to see who was speaking but he could see no one in sight and he knew that the Lord had directed. He then yelled down the speaking tube to put on the steam and he piloted the boat thru this channel without any apparent damage to the Maid." See page 482 History of the Church, Vol 5, entitled, 'Daniel Mark Burbank's account of the Maid of Iowa Expedition for the Prophet's Relief'. The above account, as told to me by his son, explains why he did not honor Captain Dan Jones command to stop the Maid; "Stop the Maid or you will smash the boat to pieces." He knew that the Lord had directed his course and he pursued it.
"On we went after inspecting the boat and, at twilight in the morning, we arrived at the town of Perry. Here we got news from our brethren that went by land; so on we went to Peru, a town on the west bank at the mouth of the canal. Here we got word that our brethren by land had retaken Joseph and they were on their march for Nauvoo, and for us to return to Quincy, Illinois, and await further orders. So back we went passing the Bell once again at Diamond Island on a place known as the Buckhorn wood-yard, lying to a wooding.
"On to Quincy we went and from this place up on to Nauvoo. Joseph was then undergoing his trial. He called us to wait, he wanted to see us and in a little while he and brother Hyrum came into our midst and the blessed us in the Name of the Lord and we again went to our homes.
"Then for a while we lived in peace until about the time that Joseph gave himself up to go to Carthage, being charged with treason against the Government. This was only a sham for he was always true and loyal. They only wanted to destroy him and this was the desire of the whole and entire Government, and then after Governor Ford promised him protection by their own men and while in prison, they shot him and Brother Hyrum.
"Then not long after, they commenced burning our houses, killing our stock all through the country so that the people at Nauvoo had to turn out and help gather in the poor Saints. Many of them had only the clothes on their backs. All had been burned and destroyed and some lost their lives. I rode for some time under Colonel Steven Markham on Bear River, Green Plains and also at Carthage and Warsaw. In our scouring the country, we saw much destruction of houses, animals and grain. In this we got no redress from the Governor or the President of the United States. (I would like to enter here: that about a year after he was baptized at Nauvoo, Brigham Young ordained him an Elder, 8 April, 1842; and also a Seventy (Tenth Quorum) 8 October, 1844; he received his endowments 16 January, 1846 and after this he did Temple work for his deceased first wife, Lydia VanBlaricom and his second wife, Abigail Blodgett, and some of their relatives also in the Nauvoo Temple.)
"Early in 1846, we had to leave the States and find a home where best we could; so we started into the wilderness west, leaving our farms, houses, orchards and Temple and got nothing for all our labors. Many were very poor and destitute for the comforts of life, yet we must go or be killed, yes, utterly destroyed. So trusting in God we prayed along until we for into the Valley of the Great Salt Lake -- the Lord ruling and overruling for our good and safety in all things both in spiritual and temporal, as out circumstances stood in need of.
"After leaving Nauvoo, I came to Farmington, Iowa. Here I stopped and labored awhile for food and raiment for my family. At this place my son Daniel Mark, Jr. was born 10 June 1846; I now had two boys and one girl. My oldest son Joseph Smith Burbank was born 13 July 1842 at Nauvoo; Mary Lydia was born 30 January 1844 at Alton, Illinois. In the fall of 1846, I started on west again until I came to a place called Old Agency."
We wintered here (1847), then on to the Bluffs or a place called Hannerville. In Daniel Mark Burbank's Journal, page 32 is entered: "Joseph Smith Burbank, died 6 July 1848, while crossing the plains from Farmington to Council Bluffs, Iowa. He fell out of the wagon and was run over by the back wheel." Mary Lydia Burbank, sister of the deceased, writes in her history; "While moving from Nauvoo, Illinois to Winter Quarters, one morning her brother, Joseph Smith Burbank, just a little older than myself, fell out of the wagon and was ran over and killed. There is no record of his arrival at Council Bluffs, but if his son died in 1848, then his arrival was not in 1847 but some time after July 1848."Here I lived on Indian Creek, and was Bishop for some time; then moved north sixty miles, taking charge of the Church affairs until in the year of 1852, started west again for Salt Lake. (Somewhere, I have heard that Brigham Young told him to stay there and help the people and build up his resources to come later.)
When on the plains my wife Abigail died leaving me with four children, one boy and three girls. (Sarah Zurviah Southworth, who later became Daniel Mark Burbank's third wife says of this incident; "We went along the Platte River where Cholera broke out in the Company. Five died in our Camp. Our Captain Daniel M. Burbank's wife, Abigail, died with Cholera 10 July 1852, near Sweetwater, Nebraska on the Platte River at the age of forty-one and was buried without a coffin by the Platte River along with others that died with this disease. We had to go on in the morning, never to see their graves again. The night that Abigail Burbank was buried the wolves were howling. It was awful to hear the dirt being thrown on their bodies. Sage brush was put on the graves and burned to keep the wolves away. A young lady and I were the only ones to wash and dress her with what we could find, her underclothing and nightgown. We sewed her up in a sheet and quilt. That was all that could be done for her burial. (All the women in the camp were afraid to prepare the body for burial for fear they would catch the Cholera from her."
While on the plains near the South Pass, he married 10 September, 1852, Sarah Zurviah Southworth, as his third wife. His oldest child was about 8 years old, and the youngest 2 years. It was a hard thing for him to drive all day and take care of four children and also at the time he married, his children were all sick and she was the one to nurse them back to health. Sarah Zurviah Southworth was born 10 February, 1835, Bastard, Leeds, Ontario, Canada; daughter of Chester and Mary (Byington) Southworth. She was 17 years, 7 months old when she married Daniel Mark Burbank, and he was 37 years, 9 months, 7 days old; yet they lived together in prefect harmony, raising a family of 13 children and after her husband's death, she preferred to live single the remaining days of her life.
On October 1852 I landed with my family in the city of Great Salt Lake, and Brigham Young sent me south into Utah Valley at the place called Springville, Utah Territory, but my Father-in-law went to Grantsville, where he stayed for some time and then was sent to Brigham City because they needed a leather tanner and shoemaker there.
At Springville, I built a house and wintered there. Times were very hard and the Indians were restless because we were settling on their hunting ground, so in the spring of 1853, I moved my family to (Grant's Fort) Grantsville, Tooele, Utah Territory. I helped finish building the Fort, and built a log cabin inside for our protection from the Piutes.
There were intermittent raids by the Indians on the settler's cows and horses and as if this wasn't enough, they had another situation in the year 1857. Elders A. O. Smoot and Nicholas Groesbeck traveling east with the June mail from Utah, met many Army supply trains coming west. Upon arriving at Independence, they learned that the supplies were headed for Utah and that the Kimball mail contract had been cancelled. Elder Smoot immediately started westward, driving the stock maintained at the various Mormon mail stations with him. At Fort Laramie, Elders Smoot, Rockwell and Judson Stoddard decided to make a forced drive to Salt Lake City and went the five hundred thirteen remaining miles in five days, arriving 23 July 1857.
The story is well known how the Church recalled its members who abandoned their settlements to come home to the Salt Lake Valley to protect themselves. The call also was sent into the mission field for the return of all missionaries. It was determined that the Army would never enter the Salt Lake Valley.
Meanwhile, Captain Stewart Van Vliet, Assistant Quartermaster of the United States Army was ordered to Great Salt Lake City. He arrived 8 September, 1857 and he had an audience with President Brigham Young -- in which he told Van Vliet; "We do not want to fight the United States, but if they drive us to it, we will do the best we can -- and I will tell you, as the Lord lives, we shall come off as conquerors. God has set up His Kingdom on the earth and it will never fail. We shall do all we can to avert a collision, but if they drive us to it, God will overthrow them. For the Government to array the Army against us is too despicable and damnable a thing for any honorable nation to do. The United States are sending their Armies here to simply hold us until a mob can come and butcher us, as they have done before. We are the supporters of the laws of the United States, but it is by the corrupt administration of those laws that we are made to suffer. Most of the Government Officers who have been sent here have taken no interest in us; but on the contrary, have tried many times to destroy us."
Captain Van Vliet said; "If the Government pushes this matter to the extent of making war upon you, I will withdraw from the Army; for I will not have a hand in shedding of the blood of American citizens."
Daniel Mark Burbank joined Major Warren Snow's Command of Cavalry and was appointed a Chaplain and Commissarian of the command.
Friday, October 23, 1857: We organized in the cavalry on Saturday 24th. Started and traveled through Emigration Canyon as far as Little Mountain, the night being very wet and cold, storming all night.
Sunday, October 25th: Crossed the mountains (Little and Big Mountain) and met with General Daniel H. Wells at the first crossing of Canyon Creek, thence four miles and met with the Prove Foot Company, building places of defense on the various points along the road. Here we organized into two division of ten, then numbering 44 men and 7 pack mules; no tents nor wagons. From thence to Colonel Little's station and here camped.
Monday, October 26th: From this place to Colonel L. Robinson's Station in Echo Canyon and stopped for the night.
Tuesday, October 27th: From thence to Bear River, encamped, met here a small party returning home with some deserters and prisoners, numbering in all five men from the enemy's camp.
Wednesday, October 28th: Nooned at Big Muddy, then stopped awhile at Fort Bridger then south two and a half miles on Black's Fork and encamped. Today Colonel L Robinson and 28 men started from Fort Bridger for Henry's Fork, and one small camp under Colonel Lot Smith.
Thursday, October 29th: Left for Fort Supply on Smith's Fork, encamped.
Friday, October 30th: Started late for Fort Bridger, then east down Black's Fork 26 miles, encamped.Saturday, October 31st: Down Black's Fork, 21 miles, encamped, at 3 o'clock tonight were aroused by Captain Willis and command, with 20 head of horses and mules, all well and in fine spirits. Just above here we met Lot Smith and John Atchison with 75 head of cattle going to Fort Bridger, all well.
Sunday, November 1st: Started for the enemy's camp, found four of their officers out four miles at a picket post. They left their post and tried to cut off some of our men from returning to the command but failed in doing so. Whtle cursing Brigham Young, they fired several times from a high bench at one of our company, the balls passing over him whistling through the air but doing him no harm. In a gulch on the bench, the enemy had one camp of infantry secreted in ambush but we saw them and turned north along the foot of the bench. Their guard left their post and ran to the camp to reinforce and come back. Their infantry fired at us by platoon with many muskets, then brought out one swivel and fired some grape shot but all was to no purpose. We laughed and hooted at them, then turned west about two miles and halted; some unsaddled and built a fire when word came from Major Snow to move on west to our former camping place, it being about eight miles; here we encamped. At 10 o'clock started two horsemen for Fort Bridger.
Monday, November 2nd: Some small scouting parties were sent out today. Captain Isaac Allred brought in 45 head of cattle. Captain William Mikeswell came with in 65 head of cattle, he being out all night. This evening Ephriam K. Hanks joined our command with 35 men all mounted.
Thursday, November 5th: Snow and Hanks went out for a scout with 25 men. Each travelled all day and part of the night. Captain W. Hudson went out with 6 men to keep a picket post that we took from the enemy; four went to the enemy camp when Daniel M. Burbank and Thomas Whittle met the post moving. Very hard northwest wind, no fire and four miles out of camp.
Friday, November 6th: Hanks came in with 75 head of cattle, got 60 head more and sent some men with them and in the storm drove them around for some time. At about 3 o'clock PM., the picket guard came in reporting that the enemy were near by on the march for our camp. Orders were then given to saddle up and move on up Black's Fork. After traveling a short distance the snow began to fall very fast. We traveled some ten miles; halted, built a fire and ate a little in one of the worst kinds of snow storms. Started on again when one of our guards came up and said that the enemy was on our trail. This was a false alarm, yet off we went at full speed for about 8 miles, then halted. Sent forward the pack animals to Fort Bridger, then on to general camp on Black's Fork, distance four miles. In this excitement, those that kept the station at Fort Bridger burned the house and all the hay, some two tons and a quarter or so of beef.
Saturday, November 7th: Started west, crossed over the divide of Quaking Asp Canyon.
Sunday, November 8th: Move on two miles to a cedar grove near Big Muddy.
Monday, November 9th: In the night Burbank and Snow heard a gun fire on Big Muddy. Each of us took a pistol and went to see what was the matter. We found, rolled up in the snow, John Patten and Peacock almost freezing to death, got them to camp and saved their lives. Our command was divided; part to stay and watch the movements of the enemies and the rest to go on to Bear River. The snow being twelve inches deep on the ground, our animals almost perished; but, however, we reached the Bear River about 10 o'clock PM. Found the snow fourteen inches deep.
Tuesday, November 10th: It was still snowing. Extremely cold in camp. We stayed here until December 1st. During this time we nearly starved, having nothing to eat -- only some poor oxen left by the road that could not travel any further. We ate them without salt and we also ate part of a wolf. The cold was intense. No shelter of any kind; no coats on but one blanket to each man, yet none of us were much frozen.
Tuesday, December 1st: Started for Echo and through a most powerful storm got to General Wells Camp. The General gave us his log cabin for the night. This night we thought that we were in Paradise, cheered by our brethren with song and cheerful faces. Started in the morning for Echo Station and here we stayed again that night.
Wednesday, December 2nd: Left for Salt Lake City, travelled all night, came in at day break in the morning (December 3rd) 43 in number and only three of that number had any sign of a coat!
Sir: I wish to make a statement touching our fare and what we received while out on this campaign. We got five plugs of tobacco in all, some coffee, tea, sugar, flour, and a little beef. Then what did was it we did not get? No blankets, no overshirts, no socks, mittens, gloves, and none of the dried fruit that President Young sent to the command; none of the many overshirts made by the different wards. No salt to salt our dying beef with.
With this I will close, hoping that in the future we will see such times no more.
Your brother in Christ,
Daniel M. Burbank
Chaplain and Commissary; Major Snow's Command
A copy of this Journal was requested by Wilford Woodruff, and under date of 6 January, 1867 he either sent his original Journal or a copy. (Sent from Brigham City, Utah Territory)
Daniel Mark Burbank's Journal was copied from a genealogical book entitled, "Mormon Marbles Roots and Branches" 1979; by the united efforts of Silas Andrew Marble's children. Pages 42, 43 and 44.
On the Utah War: "Sentinel
in the East", a Biography of Thomas L. Kane by Albert Sobell,
Jr. M. S., I took parts of Chapters 14 and 26. Anyway the outcome
of this unfortunate campaign known as President Buchanan's Blunder
-- he said; "But being anxious to save the effusion of blood,
and to avoid the indiscriminate punishment of a whole people for
crimes of which it is not probable that all are equally guilty,
I NOW OFFER A FREE AND FULL PARDON TO ALL who submit themselves
to the authority of the Federal Government.
) 0 (
After this campaign he returned to his wife and family and in the
month of June in 1863, he moved to Brigham City, Box Elder County,
Utah Territory. He followed his trade of carpenter. (His father-in-law,
Chester Southworth, resided here and had a leather tannery and made
shoes.) He helped build the Brigham City Tabernacle, furniture, many
homes and other buildings in Box Elder County. He was very active
in Church affairs. He was baptized 11 April, 1841, in the Mississippi
River by William Smith, brother of the Prophet Joseph. Ordained an
Elder, 8 April, 1842, by Brigham Young. Ordained a Seventy, 8 October,
1844 by Brigham Young (Tenth Quorum of Seventy). He was ordained
a High Priest of Winter Quarters in 1847 (I don't have the date)
but he was made a Bishop on Indian Creek, and a Bishop has to hold
the office of a High Priest. He was ordained a Patriarch 29 April,
1883 by Apostle Wilford Woodruff. There was present at this conference
in the Brigham City Tabernacle President George Q. Cannon and Apostles
Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, and Franklin D. Richards. He received
his Endowments 16 January, 1846 and he did work for his deceased
(1st) wife, Lydia VanBlaricom and family, all at the Nauvoo Temple.
I will now give the history written by his third wife, Sarah Zurviah Southworth. I will begin with the exodus from the States.
"We were driven from Kirtland to Far West, Missouri and again to Caldwell and from there to Montrose, Illinois and later to Nauvoo, and later from Nauvoo. The only direction we could flee was WestI In this flight we had to cross the Mississippi River in the night on a flat-bottomed boat to save our lives. The people were camped by the river, some of which were without tents and many sick and dying. We did not know where we were going but got word from Brigham Young we were going a way out West. We then went to Mount Pisgah and stayed there all winter. Father made shoes to get flour, bacon and groceries so we could go on again to Council Bluffs, Iowa Territory where the Saints were settled for the 'winter. Later we moved into a town called Kanesville. As we were going there, my sister died and was buried by a lone tree by the roadside. We went on and never saw her grave again. She was eight years old.
"While in Council Bluffs, father built a cabin of logs. The chimney was of sods cut in squares of mud with the grass on one side, laid up like adobes. The ground was the floor. The door was made of slabs, the window of cloth. We lived there two years. While there we raised a little corn, a few potatoes, and a small garden. Father made shoes and boots from a little leather he had on hand and sold them to strangers for flour. We were working to go West. I worked for fifty cents a week. I bought me a gingham dress for five cents a yard. There was a little store there. Goods were cheap but we had to work for fifty cents a week. I was spinning rolls of wool on a big wheel to make yarn for clothes. I spun 20 pounds of rolls into yarn for a lady. I was not 15 years old then. Later I worked in a boarding house for one dollar a week and obtained clothes to start on the journey West.
"From that place, we crossed the Missouri River on a raft, one wagon at a time. The oxen were chained to the wheels. This was the manner in which they all crossed the river. In June we camped in a place called Winter Quarters where the companies were organized into companies of fifties with a Captain over each. Daniel Mark Burbank was our Captain. Then we went on our journey among the Indians. At night we had to guard the oxen so they would not steal them. The bugle sounded in the morning for all camps were called together for prayer. The cows were yoked with the oxen and we travelled many miles before getting wood and water. On the first part of the journey when we came to streams of water we found willows to make bridges so they could take the wagon over. We would wash our clothes and dry them on the grass for we might not get a place again for fifty or a hundred miles. We gathered dry buffalo dung to make fire to cook our fire to cook our food. We dug a hole in the ground, put a skillet in the hole with a tight lid on it, put buffalo chips on the lid and set it on fire. It baked bread fine. That was the way we did our cooking until we got where wood was good again.