James Cantwell (1843 - 1922) Profile

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James Cantwell

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Cantwell, James Sherlock, Autobiography, reel 3, item 30, 1-3

Cantwell, James Sherlock, Autobiography, reel 3, item 30, 1-3.

Having my business disposed of and being also enjoined by a letter from Milo Andrus of Utah, I took my passage for Florence or old Winter Quarters, as it was called on the steamboat Arabia, on Friday the 27 of June, 1856. At about 3 P. M. we moved into the river and my wife and my son Francis R. and daughters. We arrived at Florence, July 7th.
I camped near the Church office and employed myself cutting wood for the steam ferry boat and assisted James Kinney and Andrew Cunningham to cut and haul timbers to make sleepers for the cloth making machine. I assisted to write in the Church office for the emigrants and occupied my time very profitably.
I purchased two yoke of oxen, and got ready for starting on our trip to Utah. Sunday, August 17, at about 1 P.M. we started on our Journey for Utah, I had two yoke of good oxen as ever stood in a yoke.
The company was organized a few days before we started by Elders George D. Grant, William H. Kimball, and James McGaw. James G. Willie was appointed captain and Millen Atwood, councilors. At the meeting a man named Levi Savage spoke against starting on so long a Journey at that late season of year. He said the company was not clothed or shod to face the mountain storms and they would freeze and suffer death, many of them. He said he knew what the country was in winter as he was well acquainted with the climate of the mountains.
At the conclusion of his discourse, James G. Willie denounced him as a recreant to the cause of truth and a disturber of the peace of the brethren and an opposer of those who were placed over him and called upon him to repent..
James G. Willie was filled with the spirit of enthusiasm and had a zeal for God but not according to knowledge. Levi Savage still maintained that he firmly believed all he had said, but said he was ready to go if the authority here said so; and if he lost his life in the journey it was all right.
It was resolved that we should commence our journey and we started on the 17th of August.
The company was organized with the afore mentioned officers and there were 10 wagons and 76 hand carts. The wagons were owned by W[illiam]. H. Kimball, John A. Jost, Andrew L. Silver, William Wilford and myself. Andrew L. Silver took charge of the last four wagons and J. G. Williams the other wagons and the hand carts.
On the 24th of August we encountered a severe prairie storm which tested the capacity of man and beast.
Friday the 29th of August we were 170 miles out from Florence. Some of our men killed a buffalo or two. We lost an old man who was unable to walk. When he was missed the Capt. sent men back to find him. They found him about two miles back from camp.
In the evening we came to a large camp of Omaha Indians. They were greatly overjoyed to have us camp with them and wanted us to stop with them always. We exchanged for buffalo meat. We stood double guard all night and stationed picket guard outside.
Those Indians were afraid of the Cheyenne’s and were at war with them. Sunday Aug. 31st Almon Babbit overtook us. A man named Sutherland was with him, also a woman named Nancy Stewart. The woman left them and came as a passanger [passenger] in my wagon.
Monday, Sept. 1 Almon Babbit and companion pursued their journey and in a few days after they were killed by indians while they camped at noon.
Thursday, Sept. 4, In the evening our cattle stampeded; a herd of buffalo having gotten among them. There were altogether 16 yoke. I lost one ox. We had to go without them. It weakened our travelling capacity very much.
Wednesday the 17th of September as we were descending Scott’s Bluff my daughter Ellen was bitten by a rattlesnake in the first two fingers of her right hand. It being noon we were camped. We had great difficulty in saving her. She suffered until the month of January. The virus settled in the back of her hand and ate out the flesh insomuch that the bones and sinues were discernable. The scar is still visible.
On the first of Oct. we came to Fort Laramie where we stayed. We were in all four wagons, and James G Willie left us with the handcarts and we stayed behind to wait for Capt. William B. Hodgets as they had plenty of cattle.
In crossing the Platt[e] river on the 19th of Oct. we encountered a very severe hailstorm which the experienced declared was the beginning of winter. Several men from the valley came out to assist us in. They councilled on immediate start which was complied with and we travelled on day by day in snow storms. Our cattle continued to drop down in the yoke one by one every day, and sometimes 5 or 6 would die at a day until the 4th of November when we arrived at Devil’s Gate. 
On the 5th Capt. John Hunt’s company came in.
To give any just description of the 6th, 7th, and 8th of November, the time we stayed at the above place would be impossible. It was a combination of wind, hail, and snow and cold in terrible reality. Many of the remaining cattle died and our travelling power fell so short that it was deemed advisable to leave one half the wagons behind and all the freight and take nothing except good [food] and clothing. A company of about 20 young men was left behind to guard the property with scant food, arms and ammunition. Those who advised the above course were George B. Grant, Robert F. Burton, and Synes W. Wheelock.
Nov. 8, 1856, I accordingly went into the wagon belonging to Andrus L. Silver, adding what team I had to his and started on my journey. After a cold and perilous trip we arrived at Fort Bridger on the first day of December. The weather had moderated during the time we were at Fort Bridger[.] several teams arrived from Salt Lake City for the express purpose of conveying the people to the place. They were sent out by Pres. Young.
December 4, 1856 in the evening while we were at supper a team drove up to us and stopped. They inquired for me. I responded and two men got out. One of them I recognized to be Wm. Dawson a man who I was acquainted with at Florence. The other was a man named Alonzo D. Rhodes, They came from Lehi to assist the people in.
I made arrangements to assist myself and family to Salt Lake. On the 6th of December we commenced our journey. My son’s James and William traveled in a wagon belonging to John Skeen of Lehi. After a quick tripp of 8 days we arrived in Salt Lake on Sunday the 14th of Dec. 1856. We were taken to the Tithing yard.
In our ascent and descent over the mountain we encountered a formidable amount of snow. At the summit it was 18 feet deep. It took about 66 of us to dig our way thru it occuping about two hours time to do it.
The cold was intense and when the passage was made the people were hurried over as fast as possible. By order of Bishop Edward Hunter we were lodged in the council house in company with many more and were visited by many of our friends who extended invitation to us to visit them at their homes.

Transcript for Cantwell, James Sherlock, Autobiography, reel 3, item 30, 1-3

Cantwell, James to S. S. Jones, Handcart Veterans Association, 28 Sep. 1906. Handcart Veterans Association, Scrapbook, 1906-1914f, fd 2

Cantwell, James to S. S. Jones, Handcart Veterans Association, 28 Sep. 1906. Handcart Veterans Association, Scrapbook, 1906-1914f, fd 2.

<center xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Smithfield Sep 28th 1906</center>



S.S. Jones



Dear Brother—



I have often wondered why it was that so little was ever mentioned about those who crossed the plains with the hand-carts in the year 1856. Of course I was more interested in that year, because with my Fathers family came in that fatal year. I was nearly fourteen years of age, and I never can forget what we passed through on that trip. I used to think I would like to forget that part of my history, but of later years I have taken quite an interest in clipping from the papers the testimony of those that have been placed in print. I also have my Father's record and it helps me in dates and names. I see by the Deseret News there will be a gathering of the hand-cart people and also those who came to the rescue. We have in our town men who took an active part in that work[.] there names are Peter Tidwell[,] Geo. G. Merrill &amp; E.R. Miles, we have also eleven who came in 1856. I will give you a short sketch of that history



The captain of our company was Ja[me]s G Willie and his assistants were Jesse Haven &amp; Millen Atwood.



We left Florence on the 17th of August. Our company was composed of 10 wagons and 76 hand-carts. 5 of the wagons belonged to the following men Andrew L Siler, John A. Jost William Wilford [Allen], Ja[me]s S. Cantwell &amp; W[illia]m H Kimball. The other five wagons were to haul the provisions, tents and extra baggage and when any were sick and could not walk, they were put in the wagons. We had traveled about 170 miles and had camped with the Pawnees, they being the only Indians on the plains that were friendly. They informed us that a few miles ahead the Cheyennes had killed 4 men &amp; a child and taken the Mother prisoner, the outfit belonged to Alma Babbitt. They were camped on a small stream waiting for us to come up so they could travel with us. The wolves were digging their bodies up so we throwed a mound of dirt on them.



Aug 31st Alma Babbitt overtook us. He swore he would kill the first Cheyennes he saw, he was carrying the mail, and had a man on guard by the name of Sutherland.



On Sep 2nd we came to where Mr Babbitt had been killed and the letters and papers scattered over the ground.



On the night of the 4th the buffalo got among our cattle and quite a number ran away with them. We did not find them and it left us in a weak condition for teams.



On the evening of the 5th Porter Rockwell came to our camp, having been with the Smoot camp five miles ahead. He tried to find our cattle but failed



Sep 17th my sister Ellen was bitten by a large rattle snake[.] it caught her by the two first fingers as she pointed at it, this was at a place called Scotts Bluff. They tied her arm about half way between the wrist and elbow, the flesh fell off the back of her hand and her life hung in the balance until long after we came to the valleys.



We arrived at Laramie on Oct 1st. Owing to the condition of my sister and our teams very poor, those owning 4 of the independent wagons stayed there to recruit. Captain Willie's company went on and my brother Frank [Francis] went with them.



We stayed until the 17th and left with Captain Hodge[tt]s wagon and Captain Edward Martins hand-cart co.



On the 19th it started to rain, hail, &amp; snow, we made all haste and camped at a place called Buttes. We camped there about 8 days, it storming so we could not travel. It was there they commenced to die from hunger &amp; cold. It was deemed advisable to travel on but the cold &amp; snow made our traveling slow and I do not think there was a day we did not have to bury some[,] the greatest number at once being 14. I have an old spade that was used in covering them.



On the 4th of November we arrived at Devil's Gate &amp;



on the 5th Captain John Hunts Co came in[.] To give a just description of what we passed through there, would be too much of an undertaking for me for the weather was very severe, and the people almost lost all heart. Many of our remain[in]g cattle died &amp; the only thing left was to leave every thing we could leave, take some of the lightest wagons &amp; travel on.



We left on the 8th and arrived at Bridger on December the first. All of our cattle were dead and many of the peoples cattle.



On the afternoon of the 4th some teams arrived from the valleys, there were 7 or 8 and two span on a wagon. The snow was about 20 inches deep. I remember four of the mens names or they were all from Lehi, Wm Dawson Alonzo D Rhodes, John Skeen &amp; Geo G Merrill. Wm Dawson was acquainted with my Father and we rode in his wagon to S.L. City



We left Bridger on the 6th



and arrived in Salt Lake on the 14th of December. The snow was 18 to 20 ft deep on the big mountain.



We camped between the two mountains on the night of the 13th the road being kept open by men with shovels and ox teams from the valleys. The wind was blowing &amp; drifting the snow every day so they had to break the road through every few hours. I will also give you the names of those living here who came in that year with the hand-carts—James Meikle, &amp; John McDonald came in Daniel McCarthys Co, Euphemia Mitchell, wife of R.A. Bain &amp; Elizabeth Read came in Jas G Willie's Co. Jas. B. Shorten and Ellen Parkinson wife of Hyrum Covey came in Edward Martins Co. Annie Brighton wife of Rob[er]t Thomley [Thornley] came in Israel Evans Co and Ja[me]s Sheen in Ellsworths Co. I thought this would not be amiss in getting together the names and where-abouts of some who often speak of those dark days. Hoping you will accept this in the spirit given I remain Yours Sincerely



 



<center xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">JA[ME]S CANTWELL</center>

Transcript for Cantwell, James to S. S. Jones, Handcart Veterans Association, 28 Sep. 1906. Handcart Veterans Association, Scrapbook, 1906-1914f, fd 2

Handcart Veterans Association. Handcart Veterans Association scrapbook, 1906-1914, folder 6

Handcart Veterans Association. Handcart Veterans Association scrapbook, 1906-1914, folder 6.

"Handcart Vets Hold Reunion," Deseret Evening News

"Handcart Vets Hold Reunion," Deseret Evening News, October 3, 1907.

"Handcart Vets Hold Reunion," Deseret Evening News.

Marilyn Austin Smith, Faithful Stewards--the Life of James Gray Willie and Elizabeth Ann Pettit, 95-120

Marilyn Austin Smith, Faithful Stewards--the Life of James Gray Willie and Elizabeth Ann Pettit, 95-120.

Transcript for Marilyn Austin Smith, Faithful Stewards--the Life of James Gray Willie and Elizabeth Ann Pettit, 95-120

James Cantwell

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