Archibald MC Phail

GEDCOM Note

LDS Church Ordinance Data: Baptism date: July 19, 1840 Endowment Date: October 16, 1884 Temple: Logan, Cache, UT USA sealed to Parents Temple: Prove, Utah, UT LDS Temple Ordinance Data: Sealed to Spouse Number 1 Date: July 11, 1857 Sealed to Spouse Number 2 Date: December 28, 1856 Temple: Endowment House, Salt Lake City,UT

He died at Bear River Crossing as they neared the Salt Lake Valley with the Edward Martin Handcart Company. An unexpected early winter had overtaken them and the heavy snowstorms and terrifically cold weather with no protection to speak of, is said to have taken the lives of fully half of the company. President Brigham Young, hearing of their predicament, had sent relief teams once with provisions and aid. When Mrs. McPhail arrived in Salt Lake City she had with her, besides her son John and young Jane, the fifteen-year-old daughter of her deceased husband (by a former marriage) named Henrietta.

Paul Lyman commentary Archibald McPhail, like many unsung heroes, died simply doing his duty. He had been responsible for the 20 people assigned to his tent. On the evening of the 5th he noticed that one of two women who often lagged behind was missing. He went back along the trail and found her. She was on the opposite side of a creek. She refused to cross, saying she was going to die anyway and saw no need to cross only to die. He crossed over the creek on the frozen ice, picked her up, and started back across the ice. The additional weight of the woman caused the ice to break through and he was soaked up to his waist. He guided her into camp with his clothes frozen to his waist and legs. As the snowstorm raged, he went to bed on the snowy, cold ground wearing his frozen clothes. His wife used a handcart for a tent that night. Due to the wind, their handcart tent blew over three times. He died, with his wife holding him, never having gotten warm after rescuing his unnamed charge.