Louisa Mellor (1840 - 1915) Profile

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Louisa Mellor

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DUP Pioneer History Collection

Louisa Mellor Clark, reminiscences

"Louisa Mellor Clark, reminiscences", DUP Pioneer History Collection.

By the time we landed in Hasten my mother was getting better but not able to do anything, so I had nearly the entire care of the family. After landing we all took shat might cattle cars, which was thought good enough for Mormons, 'till we reached Iowa. There we stayed three weeks waiting 'till they got the handcarts all made which made it the last of July when we again started on the plains. It seems a pretty sight to see 500 saints out with handcarts singing, "Some may push and some pull as we go marching up the hill, A merrily on our way we go until we reach the valley and long before the valley reach we will meet with music sweet, and friends so dear which supply our hearts with cheer."


One thing happened that convinced me that we put our trust in Heavenly Father He will answer our prayers when we were in need in Iowa. We had to burn or sell our things because we could not haul them so as we were two miles from the city, mother and I went to town to sell a few things in the shape of clothes, so we walked from house to house before we could sell them. And as we were so long when we got back to camp they had had dinner and started again and the captain came back and met us. My poor mother was sick after that but the Lord protected us from wild beasts and gave us food to eat.


Mother was put in the wagon for a while. We traveled 20 miles a day. Then my father took sick. He got so weak he could not pull his handcart so I had to help him. We had two handcarts, my sister and I pulled one and father and my younger sister pulled the other one. But father got weaker so we had to lighten our load again, and as seventeen pounds was all that was allowed for each adult we had but little to spare, but a box of books and records which father valued very much. But what could we do but let them go? So as we were going through the town we stopped and I helped carry them in a house and we got the privilege to leave them 'till we sent for them but we never got them again.

Transcript for "Louisa Mellor Clark, reminiscences."

A Record Given at Spring Lake

Louisa Mellor Clark, "A Record Given at Spring Lake", DUP Pioneer History Collection, Page 1-2.

<center xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">March 26, 1881</center>


A Record given at Spring Lake.—I Louisa Mellor Clark, oldest daughter of James Mellor and Mary Ann Payne. I was born May 23, 1840 in the town of Leister England. When I was about 4 yrs. old my father and mother joined the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and in a few months after the prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyram [Hyrum] was mur[d]ered. I lived at home and went to Sunday school, but only about 6 months day school in my life. I went out to work at times to various kinds of work. Attended meetings regularly untill I was convinced of the true gospel. Then I was baptized at about 14 years of age by Elder Newton in Leister conference. Then in May 23, 1856 my father and mother emigrated to America, was 5 weeks on the sea then landed at Boston. Then traveled 2 weeks in Missouri there we were organized into the second hand-cart company. About 500 souls in all and away we started full of faith and singing hand-cart songs and feeling well untill the cold weather set in and storms came and we had traveled about 20 miles per day. We were about the Black Hills when the first hailstorm come and snowed untill it was 2 feet deep and we began to feel nervous. Then provisions got scarse and we were put on half rations ½ lb. flour per head man per day. This seemed to be to[o] trying and if any cattle died they were all eaten even to the hides and heads.


A little incident I well remember accured [occurred]. A cow died that was in calf and mother got the calf head and they had a great feast of it, that is to say father and mother. she roasted it in the camp fire and next day packed along and eat it. So we traveled until a great many died mostly old people. For we had to wade through streams sometimes up to our waists and when we reached camp and made a fire to thaw out. At last the snow got four feet deep after we had to shovel a road before we could move. Thus our traveling was very slow and our provisions gave nearly out so the captain called a meeting and told us there was only one more days provisions left in camp and asked if we would have it all or divide it into three days.


We all agree to devide it and then we sang the hymn, "If We Die Before Our Journeys Through Happy Day All Is Well." The camp then gave up to die and at this feeling it brought a lamentation struggles. At this time the Lord knew our situation and he sent us deliverance. A hurrah burst upon the camp and three messengers came riding into camp Bro. L. Weelback [Wheelock], Joseph A. Young and E. Hawkes. They told us to cheer up as there was 10 wagons loaded with provisions for the next day breakfast and by night we could get to the train camp. We done some shoveling and hard work and at night we got to their camp. They had a large fire and a good supper prepared and most over whelming feeling cannot be described. They had traveled 200 miles to meet this company sent by Pres. B. Young and the saints in Salt Lake. But it seemed a goodly number was almost to far ex[h]austed to recover as some died every day, some was badly frozen and some to death. Only about ½ got thru. My folks all got thru though. Most of us had frozen feet or hands. My brother James, the oldest, was the worst and I was the least frozen of all. We arrived in Great Salt Lake the latter part of November 1856. Being 6 months from England on the trip. We was received in the city by the saints some with joy to see us as we were for it was a pitiful sight to see.


President Young met us but was so melted down he had to go home sick but blessed us on this journey witnessing some heart rendering [rending] scenes. Sometimes as many as 13 I have seen burried [buried] in the morning before we started. But it seemed we had lost some of the feeling seeing so many die.

Transcript for Louisa Mellor Clark, "A Record Given at Spring Lake", DUP Pioneer History Collection, Page 1-2.

History of Louisa Mellor Clark

"History of Louisa Mellor Clark", DUP Pioneer History Collection, Page 3-4.

While crossing the plains trials of different kinds were our portion. Many fainted and fell by the wayside. Many a mound was dug and a fervent prayer uttered for those gone and those left, that God would spare them to reach Zion. We were so fatigued and hungry that we would stop and get raw hide and chew on, as our food was diminished. We tried to keep a little flour as long as we could, to make porridge for the children; at first it was biscuits; then pancakes; then porridge. Often we would cook a hide or piece of it to get a little strength; it being winter, we could not find weeds to help out. One time Mother and family saw a young man chew his finger ends before dying. A little incident I well remember occurred on the journey. A cow died with calf, and Mother got the calf head and roasted it in the camp fire. The next day we took it along with us and had a great feast of it.


The first snow storm left about two feet of snow on the ground and we began to feel very nervous. We had to wade through more streams, and sometimes up to our waists, and when we got through our clothes would freeze on us until we reached camp and made a fire to thaw out. And so we traveled on until a great many gave up and a great many died, mostly old people. At last the snow got to be four and five feet deep and often we had to shovel a road before we could move. Thus our traveling was very slow and our provisions nearly gave out.


We witnessed some heart-rending scenes on our journey to Utah. Sometimes I saw as many as thirteen bodies being buried in the morning before we started on our way.


The outlook was very discouraging. The Captain called a meeting and told us there was only enough food for one more day and asked us if we would rather have it all or divide it into three days. We all agreed to divide it. And despite our desperate situation we sang the handcart songs. One was, "If we should die before our journey's through, Happy day! All is well!" The camp gave up to die, if need be, and scarcely a dry eye was left to see the dying.


My mother, being still weak, finally gave up and said she could go no further. The company could not wait for her, so she bade my father goodbye and kissed each one of the children Godspeed. Then my mother sat down on a boulder and wept. I told my sister, Elizabeth, to take good care of the twins and the rest of the family, and that I would stay with Mother. I went a few yards away and prayed with faith that God would help us, that He would protect us from devouring wolves, and asked that He would let us reach camp. As I was going back to where my mother was sitting I found a pie in the road. I picked it up and gave it to my mother to eat, and after resting awhile we started on our journey, thanking God for the blessings. A few miles before we reached camp we met my father coming out to meet us. What a joyful meeting that was! We arrived in camp at 10:00 p.m. o'clock. Many times after that Mother felt like giving up and quitting; but then would remember how wonderful the Lord had been to spare her so many times, and offered a prayer of gratitude instead. So she went on her way rejoicing while walking the blood-stained path of snow.


The snow was getting deeper and it was growing colder and more bitter at nights. My father's feet were both frozen. One night I had been holding my sister Clara in my arms while I slept, and when I awoke I found my long braids frozen to the ground. They had to be cut off to release them.


At last the Company gave up and decided they could go no further. We all gathered around and held a meeting, praying God to help us, as we knew it was Him alone who could deliver us from death. We were happy and willing to die for a just cause. The Lord knew our desperate condition, and sent us deliverance. A hurrah! burst from the camp as three messengers came riding in—Brother Cyrus Whelback [Wheelock], Joseph A. Young, and E. Hawks. They told us to cheer up as there were ten wagons loaded with provisions only three miles away, but they were snowed in. They could not get to us, but for us to eat all the food we had left for the morning's breakfast and by the next night we could get to the camp. We had to do much hard work and shoveling of snow before we reached camp, but they had a large fire and a good supper prepared for us and we were very thankful—the overwhelming feeling we had cannot be described. These scouts had traveled over 200 miles to meet our company. They were sent by President Brigham Young and the saints in Salt Lake.


Some of our company were so nearly exhausted by this time that a goodly number died; some were frozen to death and others were with frozen hands and feet. Only about one-half of our company survived to reach Salt Lake Valley; however, all of my people got through. We arrived in Salt Lake on 30 November 1856, being six months from England.


Brother Wheelock and Brother Goddard were in the crowd to meet us when we arrived. They asked for James Mellor. When they saw him they were stunned! A man of 38 years of age with hair as white as the driven snow! Indeed, the trials and tribulations, the hardships and the deprivations they had suffered from England to Salt Lake Valley had taken its toll. They took him in their arms and wept! They also greeted my mother, to whom they had promised life and that she would live to see Zion. We were received by the saints, some with tears in their eyes and some with joy. We were a pitiful sight to see, and for weeks this company was not allowed to eat much nor to see themselves in a mirror. President Young met us, and when he saw us he was so melted down with grief at sight of our condition he had to go home sick, but he blessed us first.

Transcript for "History of Louisa Mellor Clark", DUP Pioneer History Collection, Page 3-4.

Daughters of Utah Pioneers. DUP Pioneer History Collection.

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

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

Historians Office Record of Members (Minnie Margetts file

Historians Office Record of Members (Minnie Margetts file.

Historical Department journal history of the Church

CR 100 137: Historical Department journal history of the Church, 1830-2008, November 30, 1856, Page 61.

Historical Department journal history of the Church.

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

Perpetual Emigrating Fund, Financial Accounts 1849-1886, Ledger B, Page 298.

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

"Pioneer Woman of '56 Is Laid To Rest," Salt Lake Telegram

"Pioneer Woman of '56 Is Laid To Rest," Salt Lake Telegram, December 27, 1915.

"Pioneer Woman of '56 Is Laid To Rest," Salt Lake Telegram.

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