Personal Reminiscence
[Narrative of Edward and Nancy Larkey]
Saints' Herald, 26:165-66.
Personal Reminiscence
Narrative of Bro. Edward Larkey, and Sr. Nancy, his wife, as given to Elder W.W. Blair, August 16th, 1878, at Iron Hill, Iowa. Edward Larkey was born June 17th, 1809, at Easton, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, and united with the Church under P.P. Pratt, in 1831; went to Missouri in the fall of 1832, and settled in the Big Blue Branch. He consecrated all his property to Bishop Partridge, and received his inheritance back, though he never received a deed; for the troubles soon came and the saints were expelled. Wheeler Baldwin was their Presiding Elder, and he was succeeded by Elder Thos. B. Marsh.
Troubles with the Missourians began in the summer of 1833. It arose from jealousies on the part of the Missourians, who accused Saints of being abolitionists; together with the likelihood of their overturning the country, after awhile.
Some of the Saints were whipped in the Whitmer Settlement, six miles away. Threats were made by Missourians. A council was called of the officers of the Church; and T.B. Marsh, [later] President of the Twelve presided. This council decided that it was proper to take up arms in defense. Some Saints opposed this, but finally most, if not all, acquiesced. In September, probably, (before the above council), a conference was held, (P.P. Pratt, I think presided), for three days and during this conference, the Spirit was poured out in a marvelous manner. It came like a rushing mighty wind, and all seemed actuated by it, and nearly all either spake in tongues, interpreted, or prophesied. This, we have since thought, was given in order to prepare and strengthen the Saints for their coming trials and afflictions. We were warned through the Spirit of the heavy trials approaching.
The mob, thirty or forty, came at night to Bro. David Bennett's, who lay sick; his wife, who was in critical condition, and children fled; they took Bennett's rifle and beat the sick man with his own gun till his life was despaired of. A company of Saints were on guard near by, at the rear of the house, under the lead of Solomon Hancock, and when the mob came, Hancock said, that we should have no firing on either side; and Jerome Burson [Benson] said, "what shall we do?" At this a young man of the mob attempted to climb up the corner of the house which was built of logs, in order to throw off the roof, and I said, "shoot," and Bro. Benson shot, the ball striking the young man in the thigh, and he fell to the ground cursing and swearing at his own company for shooting him.
Soon after this a proclamation came from the Governor, for both parties to give up their arms. Prior to this, women and children had fled to the woods, near a large ravine, where the remained three days, while the men were on guard, keeping off the mob. The Saints marched up to the Temple lot in Independence, (but the mob did not), and after having been faithfully promised by the Governor that they should have security, on the ground that they would leave the county after sufficient time was had, they gave up their arms. The very next day, the Saints having given up their arms, (but the mob did not), and returned to their homes, being promised protection, the mob with painted faces came to their settlements, firing off guns around their houses, cursing, swearing and threatening if the Saints did not leave they would kill them. In the midst of this our little daughter, Elizabeth, came to her mother crying, "Oh, ma; what shall we do; what shall we do!" to which the mother replied, "Do not fear, if they kill us we will go to God, where they cannot come," with this the child was perfectly pacified. All fear seemed to be removed from us.
I felt uneasy at the state of affairs, and went and prayed in secret, and when thus engaged, I seemed enveloped in light, and entranced in the Spirit, and all fear was taken from my mind, and I felt assured that I should receive no personal harm from the mob. The same day I was taken prisoner by the mob, a Bro. Abraham Tanner was taken with me. They charged us with being in the battle at Bennett's, and threatened us, and pointed their guns at us. The Captain, Moses Wilson, appointed two men to search us for arms, and finding none, they told us they would give us till the sun was half and hour high to leave, and after that they would kill us. The attempted to catch us afterward, but we ran and secreted ourselves in a thicket, and thus eluded them. On returning to our homes we found our families gone. Father David Dutton had taken our families, with his own, in his wagon, in a southerly direction to headwaters of Little Blue. [Sr. Larkey related,] Having but a few moments warning Sr. Larkey prepared only two corn cakes and some boiled eggs, and when the company, composed of near one hundred, reached the open prairie ten miles distant, south-east, when they stopped for the night, it was found that the food prepared by Sr. Larkey was all there was in the company. Then next morning the company, without breakfast, proceeded on eight or ten miles to a stream of water, and here on its banks, beneath the jutting rocks of the bluffs, we rested, and Bro. -- [John?] Brush killing and dressing an ox, food was prepared for refreshment. Here we remained three days, and on Sunday, beneath the bright blue arch of heaven, we offered our service of praise and thanksgiving to God, and felt greatly blessed and comforted in our desolate situation.
On Monday we took up the line of travel to Big Creek, where we camped; and here a Mr. Butterfield, who live near at hand, kindly offered us any assistance he could render, and told us to help ourselves freely to his corn, potatoes &c., and did all in his power to alleviate our sufferings.
During the three days we remained encamped here, without tents, or covered wagons, the weather damp, cold and windy, at near ten o'clock one night, the camp was awakened to behold one of the grandest displays of celestial scenery that was ever witnessed by mortals. The whole heavens were lit up with the glitter and sparkle of the falling stars. It seemed that all the stars were careering [careening] wildly through the midst of space, casting their fiery, fitful gleams in awful splendor upon every object around. Every heart rejoiced in the midst of this display of the power of God, and some hoped and conjectured that it was an omen of approaching deliverance. Bros. Joshua Hitchcock, and Ziba Peterson, came to us from the Singe, fifteen miles away, and invited us to their settlement, that they with others might aid us to necessary things in our time of want, and we gladly accepted the invitation and went with them. It snowed the night before we started, and we traveled through near three inched of snow, Sr. Larkey and child, and Sr. Dutton, her mother, with her child, riding on horseback, without roads, till none o'clock at night, when, weary and worn, they at length reached the hospitable abode of Bro. Hitchcock. Remaining here over night we proceeded on to Hous Helms, whose wife was a sister to the notorious mobber, Niel Gillum, where we were kindly entertained for about a week, after which we occupied a house offered us by a kind, noble hearted old gentleman, a Tennessean named David James. Here we were made very comfortable, the old gentleman freely offering us provisions and doing all in his power to make us contented and happy. We remained here during the winter. Bro. Larkey did not go with the company to Big Creek, but afterward called upon them while they were camped there.
Soon after Bros. Larkey and Tanner were released by the mob, Bro. Tanner denied the faith, cursed and swore, and declared that Joseph Smith had brought all our troubles upon us, though Joseph was in Kirtland, Ohio. After two days' search for his family, Bro. Larkey found that they, with others, had fled south, and proceeded to seek them. When passing through a lane, they were accosted again by the mob, who by this time had become more tolerant, as they saw the Saints had fled, leaving behind most of their property. Bro. Larkey inquired of them in regard to the whereabouts of his family, and was told as to the direction they had taken, and the evening of the same day they found them encamped at Big Creek. Bros. Larkey and Dutton then proceeded to their former settlement on Big Blue to look after their stock and household effects, and while here they witnessed, from near nine o'clock in the evening till their fitful glare was swallowed up in the gorgeous flood light of the glorious king of day, the before mentioned falling of the stars which continued.
While at old Mr. James', Bro. Larkey assisted him to a small degree in his work, and by pressing invitation had free access to flour, corn, meat, honey, etc, and by request of Mr. James had concluded to work his farm for the coming year. In the Spring, however, tidings came that all of the Saints on the south side of the Missouri river were to move over into Clay and Ray counties, those counties being in "the regions about" Zion. The mob learning that Bro. Larkey was stopping with Mr. James threatened that they would burn him out unless he drove Bro. Larkey off. At this the old gentleman declared indignantly, that their threats "Almost made his jackknife fly open in his pocket!" Bro. Larkey requested to be released from taking the farm, upon which the old gentleman was much grieved, assuring him that he would find ample protection if he remained. And when Bro. Larkey determined to go, and asked for a settlement for his kind accommodations during the winter, the old gentleman replied, that if Bro. Larkey would allow Mr. James' son to take his family to the river, twenty miles distant, and also receive a bag of flour and a hundred pounds of bacon, he would call it square. This generous offer was gratefully accepted, and in due time Bro. Larkey moved his family into Clay county near Fishing River. This was the spring of 1834. The following summer the camp came up from Kirtland, Ohio. Br. Thomas B. Marsh and Bro. Larkey lived within in a few rods of each other, on the farm of notorious Dick Weldon, who was afterwards knocked down by John L. Butler, whom he (Weldon) was pursuing with a drawn knife, a brother who was seeking to vote at the polls at Gallatin, Missouri.
When the camp arrived, many of its members, among them Joseph Smith, Martin Harris, Ezra Thayer, B. Young, David Whitmer, and others called upon Bro. Larkey, and himself and family for the first time made acquainted with them. Much interesting and valuable instruction was given by the Prophet. The Saints rejoiced at the coming of the camp, and yet they were made sorry that by the ravages of the cholera many had died. The cholera was not confined to the camp; many of the Missourians, old settlers, fell beneath its power. The Saints, generally, were satisfied to wait for the redemption of Zion as commanded by the revelations given at that time. They expected to have rest in Clay and Ray counties. But it was finally concluded that the Saints should locate in Caldwell county, as has been stated in the church history, in the Times and Seasons, and elsewhere.
The troubles brought upon the Saints in Clay and Ray counties, Bro. Larkey is sure, were incited by officious, turbulent spirits from among the mobbers of Jackson county, and likewise, that the troubles of the Saints in Caldwell county had their beginning, in a large degree, by the malicious interference of the leading mobbers of Jackson, Clay and Ray counties.
He is personally knowing to the organization by Sampson Avard, in 1838, of what was called the order of Gideon; and that it was intended to act in defense of the Saints against the incursions of the mobbers, and for no other purpose. He is confident that the order was afterwards changed, and at length, the order of the Danites sprung out of it, or took its place.
In 1839 Bro. Larkey and family went to Quincy, Illinois, having saved but a trifle of their property. He was residing with his family, at Macedonia, Illinois, at the time of the exodus from Nauvoo, 1846. And after living a short time near Canton, Illinois, and Southport, Wisconsin, he finally settled down where he now resides, Iron Hill, Jackson county, Iowa, in 1848.
He states from what he knew of Joseph the Seer, that he was always ready to serve and to suffer for the Saints; and that when there were dangers to face, and perils to endure, Joseph was the first to step forward and offer his labors, and if necessary, his life, in the interests of the Saints.
Bro. Larkey never united with any faction -- Brighamite, Strangite, Rigdonite, Baneemyite, or any other -- but waited, looking for "Young Joseph" to be called to fill his father's place as the Seer and president of the Church. In 1860, Bro. Otis Shumway and himself felt prompted to hold some meetings, which they held, and soon after this a number of the Herald was sent them by Elder E.C. Briggs, and they then came to the Reorganized Church and united with it. He testifies that he finds in the Reorganization the same Spirit -- the Spirit of God -- that he first received, under the ministration of Elder P.P. Pratt, in 1831, and that he afterwards enjoyed during the days of the first Joseph.
His wife, and most of their children are united with him in the same precious faith, and he is now the president of the Eastern Iowa District of the Church, which is making fair progress under his administration.
Bro. and Sr. Larkey bear decided testimony to the gifts and blessings of the Holy Spirit having been in both the first Church under the first Joseph, and their being in the Reorganized Church, under the presidency of the second Joseph.
They are now enjoying a hale, and happy time, as the golden beams of their declining sun cheer and enlighten their pathway onward to the borders of the beautiful land, and to the shining gates of that city of glory "whose builder and maker is God." W.W. Blair
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