Jesse Nathaniel Smith (1834 - 1906) Profile

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Jesse Nathaniel Smith

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Letter of appointment as Scandinavian Mission President, FamilySearch

Letter of appointment as Scandinavian Mission President, FamilySearch, May 6, 1864.

Letter of appointment as Scandinavian Mission President, FamilySearch.

Missionary Department missionary registers, 1860-1959

Missionary Department missionary registers, 1860-1959, Vol. 1, Page 2, Line 71.

Missionary Department missionary registers, 1860-1959, Vol. 1, Page 11, Line 440.

Missionary Department missionary registers, 1860-1959.

Missionary Department missionary registers, 1860-1959, Vol. 2, Page 12, Line 440.

Missionary Department missionary registers, 1860-1959, Vol. 2, Page 2, Line 71.

Scandinavian Mission manuscript history and historical reports, 1855-1920

Scandinavian Mission manuscript history and historical reports, 1855-1920, Vol. 2, Page 154.

Scandinavian Mission manuscript history and historical reports, 1855-1920.

Eureka Reporter

Utah State News

"Utah State News", Eureka Reporter, June 15, 1906, Page 2.

Eureka Reporter.

Historical Department journal history of the Church

Historical Department journal history of the Church, June 21, 1847, Page 50.

Historical Department journal history of the Church, October 5, 1864, Page 2.

Historical Department journal history of the Church.

Juvenile Instructor

Buried by the Wayside

"Buried by the Wayside", Juvenile Instructor, January 17, 1874, Page 14.

The summer of 1864 was unusually sickly upon the plains, the season being very dry and hot. Our route after leaving the little town of Wyoming, on the bank of the Missouri river, was across a rolling prairie country, with occasional streams of water; then nearly dry, until we reached the Platte river.	
While crossing this part of the country we were often under the necessity of using the water from holes and pools in the beds of the creeks. The season was well advanced, and not before the latter part of August did the slow ox train with passengers, and freight reach the bottom bordering upon the Platte. Here the water was much better, but the seeds of disease were already planted in some of the passengers, who were attached with diarrhea of the most malignant type. It was the last train of the season, and was said to be more heavily laden in proportion to the strength of the teams, than any of the others that preceded it. To add to the embarrassment, there came the rumor of Indian troubles ahead, and we met settlers almost daily who were leaving their homes upon the frontiers. Some of these claimed to be wounded in skirmishes with the Indians, and many declared they would not stop until they had placed the Missouri river between them and the dreaded enemy. We were just entering upon a district of burned and abandoned ranches, and were told of a large train of government supplies, not far ahead, that had been captured and burned and some of the teamster killed by the Indians. In our camp very little was said about any danger, but a close observer would have frequently noticed an anxious expression upon the features of the captain and the same with other leading men. And truly the company was poorly prepared to make successful resistance. The passengers were mostly women and children, and all were without arms of defense. Some of the teamsters had no other weapons than the customary belt revolver.	
One sultry noon, as soon as the halt was made the word went around that a young sister had died during the morning drive, and would be buried immediately. The preparations for the solemnity were of the simplest character. While the men dug the grave a short distance away upon a low bench or plateaus, the women wrapped the form of the deceased in many folds of blankets. There was no bier, and the body was somewhat rudely, though tenderly borne to the place of sepulcher by friendly hands. And what had been her history, we eagerly enquired. The short story of her life was soon told. She had been for years a member of the church in England, and for a considerable time betrothed to a young missionary who could not well be spared to emigrate. They had agreed that they would not get married until he should be released, and then they would make the journey together. They were married on board the ship, but a few short weeks had passed, and now her dream of married life and earthly happiness was over. The young husband was too ill to follow the burial party without assistance. His grief was very touching.	
Green boughs and young willows and a profusion of wild flowers formed the only substitute for a coffin. As we looked down into the grave, it seemed hard to leave her there alone, amid that sea of waving grass, in that unmarked spot—but our reflections were abruptly interrupted by the captain's horse voice calling to the guard to drive in the cattle.

Transcript for J.N.S. [Jesse N. Smith], "Buried by the Wayside,"Juvenile Instructor, 17 Jan. 1874, 14

Juvenile Instructor.

Scandinavian Jubilee Album

Scandinavian Jubilee Album.

Smith, Jesse Nathaniel, Journal of Jesse Nathaniel Smith, the Life Story of a Mormon Pioneer, 1834-1906 [1953], 11-12

Smith, Jesse Nathaniel, Journal of Jesse Nathaniel Smith, the Life Story of a Mormon Pioneer, 1834-1906 [1953], 11-12.

From that time on I herded stock until the 9th of June, 1847, when we started for the mountains, the Pioneer Company having started the previous April. The companies rende[z]voused at the Elk Horn, which stream was very high; the cattle swam over, the wagons being ferried on rafts. When we organized Perrigrene [Perrigrine] Sessions was our captain of fifty, though the company was known as Parley's Company. Parley P. Pratt and Jacob Weatherby started back to Winter Quarters on business with a pair of steers, a wagon and two women. They were unarmed, they were attacked by three Indians armed with rifles, in the struggle Weatherby was killed. His body was brought back and buried at the foot of the Liberty Pole, on the Elk Horn, which had been raised in camp.
The first day we reached the Platte. Here the bones of a man were found who had been killed by the Indians as supposed; he was thought to have been a mountaineer, as Indian traders and trappers were then called. I drove Uncle John's wagon—two yoke of oxen—occupied by himself and Aunt Clarissa. John L. Smith and wife, another wagon. Silas [Sanford Smith] drove Mother's [Mary Aikens Smith] wagon, and Thomas Callister with his wives, Caroline Smith and Helen M. Clark, made up our mess. Nothing of much note occurred until we reached the buffalo country when all was life and animation among the hunters. There was now no lack of buffa[l]o meat either dried or fresh. We kept on the trail of the Pioneers on the north bank of the Platte, some times leaving the river some miles, crossing streams and sand hills and passing long reaches without a single tree to relieve the sameness of the river valley. One day our train stopped over an hour to let a herd of buffalo cross the road. There was abundance of other game, one Isaac Brown of our fifty was an excellent hunter and kept the camp supplied with fresh antelope meat. I recollect one day that a large heavily loaded wagon ran over one of Bro. Pratt's little boys, about two years old; he took up the child and laid hands on him, and the child never complained, and soon was as well as before to all appearance.
We met the Pioneers on their return at a stream called "Little Sandy"; we had previously met some of the boys belonging to the Mormon Battalion on their way to Winter Quarters, or elsewhere, to join their families. Meeting was called and addressed by Pres. Young, and many others. Parley P. Pratt and John Taylor were censured about the organization of the traveling companies. Glowing descriptions were given of the valley of Great Salt Lake and surrounding country. Uncle John Smith was proposed to be president of the stake to be organized and the names of high councilors were suggested. George A. Smith seemed very healthy; he rode a little mule. He gave us some very attractive descriptions of the new land of promise. At the meeting Willard Richards announced that "they had found the place for the gathering of the saints," that they had laid off a city and named it "Great Salt Lake City, Great Basin, North America."
We stopped one day with the Pioneers and then resumed our journey, reaching Great Salt Lake Valley on the 25th of September, 1847.

Transcript for Smith, Jesse Nathaniel, Journal of Jesse Nathaniel Smith, the Life Story of a Mormon Pioneer, 1834-1906 [1953], 11-12

Smith, John, Journal

Smith, John, Journal, February 1846, Page 40-52.

Transcript for Smith, John, Journal, 1846 Feb-1854 May, fd. 4, in Papers 1833-1854, 40-52

Jesse Nathaniel Smith

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