Charles Adams (1843 - 1927) Profile

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Charles Adams

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Cache Valley historical material, circa 1955

Adams, Charles, Autobiography

Ricks, Joel Edward, "Adams, Charles, Autobiography", Cache Valley historical material, circa 1955.

<xhtml:p xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its" xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">In the spring of 1863 I drove 4 yoke of cattle to the Missoury [Missouri] river and back hauling emigrants, under John R. Murdock. When we went to load we loaded a 16 year old who was sick[.] we had to hold up the cover to get her in[,] in hot July weather. We had 18 grown people in our wagon. Some of them went to other wagons when they were emptied.</xhtml:p>

Transcript for Adams, Charles, Autobiography, Cache Valley Historical Material [ca. 1955], reel 3, item 20, 2

Cache Valley historical material, circa 1955.

Charles Adams autobiographical sketch

Charles Adams autobiographical sketch, April 1922.

In the spring of 1859 [1849] we started for Salt Lake.



Some people can remember away back but I cant remember until we started across the plains. One day going across the prairy, I was barefooted seeing the Sioux Indians. I remember seeing the herds of buffilos and hearing them bellow. At Fort Larima [Laramie] we passed a band of Sioux on the warpath all in their war paint. We arrived in S,L. in Oct. ’49.

Transcript for Charles Adams autobiographical sketch, 1922 April 6, 1

Charles Adams autobiographical sketch.

Johnson, Seth E., Autobiographical sketch [ca. 1922], [13]-16

Johnson, Seth E., Autobiographical sketch [ca. 1922], [13]-16.

Seth was called on a mission to go a cross the plains to help to gather the poor people to Zion[.] he started on the trip in April & the night before he started they sat up all night[.] neither of them closed their eyes but two happier souls would be hard to find[.] he expected to be gone about 7 months[.] he had a good trip down & started back about Aug 1st[.] he & his brother Sixtus bought & brought home a 3 roller Iron Molasses Mill[.] the first that had ever came to this Country Southern Utah
the trip back was made in about 9 weeks as the teams were heavily loaded &amp; traveled Slow[.] the Company was made up of many nationalities English[,] Scotch[,] Welch[,] Swiss &amp; others &amp; there was always a very large number of fine young mariagable Women aged from 20 to 30 years in the Companies who were coming to find them husbands as men in the Country where they came from were scarce &amp; as nearly all of the teamsters in the Companies were single men Scores of them found wives in the companies &amp; Seth had plenty of chances to get him a wife from the very best but he never caught on &amp; during his absence Lydias father would often jeer her &amp; say oh that fine fellow of yours wont come back to you[.] he will find plenty of nicer ones than you to wont anything of you when he gets back[.] during the trip back there were some happenings that he will mention[.] during the month of August while they were traveling they traveled much of the way under the Telegraph line[.] one day there came up a fierce thunder Shower &amp; the Lightning Struck the wire &amp; came down into the wagon of one of the Boys &amp; also Struck his team of 3 yoke of oxes &amp; killed 5 out of the 6 &amp; the driver who was Walking by the Side of his team was knocked down[.] Seth was also knocked down as he was only about 2 rods away from the other man but they were both on their feet again in a minute[.] the man whose team was killed was named Charles Adams[.] they both ran to the fallen team &amp; while examining the oxen they looked around at the wagon &amp; saw that it was on fire[.] it was loaded with Freight &amp; included 300 lbs of gunpowder[.] Adams ran &amp; tore off the cover &amp; Seth ran to his Wagon &amp; got a water Can partly full of water &amp; they found where the fire was coming from &amp; dashed the water into it &amp; happened to put it out at once[.] the fire had caught in the hay in which the powder kegs was packed &amp; if the powder would have exploded it would have made a terrible wreck of wagons[,] oxen &amp; everything around[.] it was a little Singular how the water happened to be in the Can[.] every wagon in the company was furnished with a 5 gallon water can for handling their water &amp; with &lt;morning&gt; every can was expected to be emptied &amp; put into the wagon empty but somehow Seth’s can that morning was put up into the wagon more than half full of water which was all that saved the explosion[.] on Seths arrival home he took the Molasses mill to Dixie &amp; worked on it for 5 weeks &amp; then came home &amp; on Nov 11th they were married

Transcript for Johnson, Seth E., Autobiographical sketch [ca. 1922], [13]-16

Perpetual Emigrating Fund Company church trains accounts, 1861-1868

Account book, 1866, 1868

"Account book, 1866, 1868", Perpetual Emigrating Fund Company church trains accounts, 1861-1868, May 1, 1866.

Captain Daniel Thompson, memoranda book (2), 1866

"Captain Daniel Thompson, memoranda book (2), 1866", Perpetual Emigrating Fund Company church trains accounts, 1861-1868, Page 3-9.

Captain Daniel Thompson, memoranda book (1), 1866

"Captain Daniel Thompson, memoranda book (1), 1866", Perpetual Emigrating Fund Company church trains accounts, 1861-1868, Page 3-17.

Perpetual Emigrating Fund Company church trains accounts, 1861-1868.

Perpetual Emigrating Fund, Financial Accounts 1849-1886, Ledger C

Perpetual Emigrating Fund, Financial Accounts 1849-1886, Ledger C, Page 36.

Perpetual Emigrating Fund, Financial Accounts 1849-1886, Ledger C.

Tooele County Daughters of Utah. History of Utah's Tooele County: from the edge of the Great Basin frontier. Tooele, Utah. Transcript Bulletin Publishing, Inc. 2012

Recollections of David D. Bulloch

"Recollections of David D. Bulloch", Daughters of Utah Pioneers collection, 1828-1963, Page 42.

In 1863 Samuel White was Captain of our Company. He was also our Captain in 1868. A circumstance happened when I was down to the plains. Brother Charles Adams from Parowan had his three yoke of oxen on his wagon and an electrical storm came up and the lightning split telegraph poles and struck the hind end of the wagon, made a hole in the cover large as a hat and set the wagon on fire. He was loaded with 3400 pounds of powder, stoves, etc. We all ran to his rescue, pulled off the cover and used the emigrant cans of water we had along to drink to douse the fire. The lightning ran right through the wagon, along the tongue and killed five out of his six oxen and knocked him down. Had it struck an immigrant wagon many would have been killed.


When we returned with the emigrants in 1863, those in my wagon all remained in Salt Lake.

Transcript for "Recollections of David D. Bulloch," 42.

Tooele County Daughters of Utah. History of Utah's Tooele County: from the edge of the Great Basin frontier. Tooele, Utah. Transcript Bulletin Publishing, Inc. 2012.

"Utah Pioneer of 1849 Parowan 1851 Settler Laid at Final Rest," Deseret News

"Utah Pioneer of 1849 Parowan 1851 Settler Laid at Final Rest," Deseret News, December 28, 1927.

"Utah Pioneer of 1849 Parowan 1851 Settler Laid at Final Rest," Deseret News.

William Adams autobiography, 1894 January

William Adams autobiography, 1894 January, Page 27-28.

In the spring I fitted out two ox teams, and my son James and I went down to the Missouri River in Bishop Warren's company. I acted as chaplain to the company. The year previous I sent a team with my son Charles in Samule White's company, and he was appointed assistant Captain in the company.



On the return home, traveling on the Platte River, a thunder storm came and lightening killed three oxen in that and ignited the straw in the wagon where there was five hundred pounds of powder. My son, who was sitting in the front of the wagon was stunned. By the assistance of the teamsters the fire was extinguished without any further damage. With the Captains assistance, my son was able to proceed with the company. News spread of the narrow escape and the amount of gunpowder they were freighting into Utah, and word was received that the United States Military officers were coming, Captain White devided it among the train and when the officers came and searched the train they did not find as much as they expected and let the company proceed. But for the wise course of the Captain the powder would have been confiscated, and this would have been a great loss to me in my trade with the Indians.



In the summer trouble began on the plains with the Sioux Indians. One company of six wagons was destroyed, all the men killed, and one woman taken prisoner. The teams were killed and the wagons burned. I was detained two weeks at Fort Kearney by order of the Military. While we were lying there a company of soldiers returned having to retreat with the loss of one man and one cannon, and were nearly surrounded and destroyed by the Sioux. There were five hundred wagons collected at Kearney City before we were permitted to pursue our journey. The weather was very cold and frosty.



We arrived in Salt Lake City the latter part of November. Traveling was very unpleasant and cold till I arrived at my home in Parowan.

Transcript for Adams, William, Autobiography of William Adams, 1822-1894, 27-28

William Adams autobiography, 1894 January.

William Henry Perkes journals in William E. Perkes collection, circa 1802-1900, folders 7 and 8

William Henry Perkes journals in William E. Perkes collection, circa 1802-1900, folders 7 and 8.

Transcript for William Henry Perkes journals in William E. Perkes collection, circa 1802-1900, folders 7 and 8

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