Dr. Priddy Meeks

THE HISTORY of DR. PRIDDY MEEKS:

Priddy Meeks was born August 29, 1795, in the Greenville District, South Carolina. He died at Orderville, Utah, October 17, 1886.

Priddy Meeks was the father of Mary Elizabeth Meeks who married Edward Dalton of

Wysox, Bradford Co. Pennsylvania. Edward’s father was our John Dalton Jr. a early settler of Southern Utah.

The Name of "Priddy" is short for Predashela

Mount Carmel was settled in 1864 by Dr. Priddy Meeks and family.

Mount Carmel as a settlement dates back to 1864 when Priddy Meeks settled in the lower end of Long Valley. He lived there several months alone, but early in 1865 other settlers arrived and considerable improvements were made, a townsite surveyed and houses built. On account of troubles with the Navajo Indians, the pioneer settlers of Winsor, later Mount Carmel, moved to Berryville, the oldest town in Long Valley, and spent the winter of 1865–1866 there, but they moved back to their own location in 1866. The place was originally called Winsor in honor of Anson P. Winsor, the Bishop of Grafton, whose jurisdiction originally extended over the saints in Long Valley, where Silas Hoyt was the first presiding Elder. He, however, was succeeded by Henry B. M. Jolley after the Winsor people moved back from Berryville. Notwithstanding the precaution and the strengthening of the settlements in Long Valley, the Indians continued hostile, and so both Winsor and Berryville were vacated in 1866. In March, 1871, a company of settlers from St. Joseph, on the Muddy, Nevada, arrived in Long Valley as an organized body, Daniel Stark being their Bishop, and he at once took charge of the settlement. In the resettling of Winsor, the town was named Mount Carmel, and in the beginning constituted a part of the Long Valley Ward. The name Mount Carmel was suggested by Joseph A. Young and adopted by the people at the time of the resettling. Daniel Stark was succeeded later by Israel Hoyt, who presided until March 5, 1877, when the Mount Carmel Branch was organized as the Mount Carmel Ward with Henry B. M. Jolley as Bishop. He was succeeded in 1892 by Haskell S. Jolley, who in 1900 was succeeded by Hans C. Sorensen, who in 1925 was succeeded by Osmer Lamb, who presided Dec. 31, 1930, on which date the Mount Carmel Ward had a membership of 110, including 26 children. The total population of the Mount Carmel Precinct was 133 in 1930.

Offical LDS record on Priddy Meeks:

Meeks, Priddy (Male)

Birth: Meeks, Priddy (Male) Date: August 29, 1795 Place: Greenville, Greenville, SC, USA Alternate Date: August 29, 1775

Parents: Meeks, Priddy (Male) Father: Meeks, Athe Mother: Snead, Margaret

Death: Meeks, Priddy (Male) Date: 1886

Marriage Information: Meeks, Priddy (Male) Spouse: Bartlett, Mary Date: March 1815

Children: Meeks, Priddy (Male)

Name: Birthdate: Place:

1. Meeks, Lovin March 7, 1816

2. Meeks, Eliza December 10, 1817

3. Meeks, Athe October 4, 1819

4. Meeks, Elizabeth July 2, 1823

Marriage Number 2 Meeks, Priddy (Male) Spouse: Mahurin, Sarah Date: December 24, 1826

Marriage 2 Children:

Name: Birthdate: Place:

1. Meeks, Susan Smith (adopted) May 30, 1819

2. Meeks, Mary Jane September 29, 1827

3. Meeks, Steven Mahurin March 30, 1830

4. Meeks, Huldah August 17, 1833

5. Meeks, Margaret Jane May 8, 1838

6. Meeks, Sarah Angeline November 9, 1845

Marriage Number 3 Meeks, Priddy (Male) Spouse: McCleve, Mary Jane Date: November 13, 1856 Place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, UT, USA

Marriage 3 Children:

Name: Birthdate: Place:

1. Meeks, Joseph December 13, 1857

2. Meeks, Nancy August 12, 1859

3. Meeks, Hyrum October 4, 1861

4. Meeks, John Priddy September 29, 1863

5. Meeks, Sarah Deseret December 9, 1864

6. Meeks, Mary Ellen January 31, 1867

7. Meeks, Heber Jesse May 9, 1869

8. Meeks, Charles Mason March 31, 1872

9. Meeks, Elizabeth Dalton March 31, 1874

10. Meeks, Alfred Randall May 13, 1877

Church Ordinance Data: Meeks, Priddy (Male) Patriarchal Blessing Date: December 17, 1843 Officiator: Hyrum Smith

    Baptism   Date: 1840

    Ordained High Priest

Temple Ordinance Data: Meeks, Priddy (Male) Baptism Temple: Provo, Utah, UT, USA

    Endowment Date: December 31, 1845  Temple: Nauvoo, Hancock, IL, USA

Places of Residence: Meeks, Priddy (Male) Iron County, UT, USA; 1850

    Parowan, Iron, UT, USA; 1860

Vocations: Meeks, Priddy (Male) Physician; 1850

    Farmer; 1860

Comments: Meeks, Priddy (Male)In 1850, Priddy had a household of 3 and a real wealth of $500..2. In 1860, he had a household of 6, a real wealth of $300, and a personal wealth of $1000.

Comments: #21. Priddy came to Utah on October 2, 1847 with the Jedediah M. Grant Company. ReferencePioneers and Prominent Men of Utah. Esshom, Frank. 1913 Page: 1030

Comments: #31. From the autobiography of Priddy Meeks: First wife, Mary Bartlett died at Spencer County, Indiana in 1818. He moved to Illinois in 1833. Joined the Mormon Church in 1840. He was in Nauvoo, Illinois from 1842 to 1846. He crossed the plains in 1847. He volunteered to go to Parowan, Utah in 1851. Priddy lived in Harrisburg, Washington, Utah from 1861 to 1876. Then he moved to Orderville, 1876. Another version, 1812-1886. Was so successful at "doctoring" in Illinois, that people insisted he become a doctor by profession. He studied Thomsonian medicine. Account of conversion to Mormonism. He bought shares in the Nauvoo House. Brigham Young told the Saints that the Mormon Battalion would be the salvation of the Church. Hunting trips in Utah. Pioneer medical practices. Visions. Recollections of health conditions in Nauvoo ("It was so desperately sickly."). Council of Health organized, 1848-49, president. Seerstones in Parowan. Evil spirits and witches. Wife insisted that he take another wife. Rascality of Harrisburg people. Blood atonement planned for author. Felt defrauded by neighbors, so moved to Orderville. Views on proper treatment of certain diseases. History of medical practice. Case histories. Lists of herbs. Recipes. Was always an "anti-poison man."

Comments: #41. Priddy was part of the Kinyon pioneer Company.

Experts from the Journal of Dr. Priddy Meeks:

This journal, in Priddy Meeks' own handwriting, complete in one ledger volume, was furnished for publication by Dr. Meeks' daughter, Mrs. Mary Ellen Hoyt, of Orderville, Utah , through his granddaughter, Mrs. Ida Meeks Balken, of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Harrisburg, Washington County, Utah Territory, October 22 1879.

Record of Priddy Meeks and his family, progenitors and posterity, up to this date made from items of record and memory of P. Meeks and wife Sarah M. Meeks and their children.

My first wife was Mary Bartlett, being married in 1815. We had four children; Lovin, Eliza, Athe and Elizabeth. My wife Mary, died in Spencer Co., Indiana. Some three years afterward, I married Sarah Mahurin Smith, widow of Anthony Smith, on the 24th of December 1826, by whom I had five children, Mary Jane, Stephen Mahurin, Huldah, Margaret Jane and Sarah Angeline. My wife Sarah had one child by her first husband, Anthony Smith, (Susann). Lucy Meeks, an Indian girl bought of the Indians by P. Meeks of Parowan in 1851, about 3 or 4 years old, and died May the 4, 1874 in Harrisburg. Lucy was 26 or 27, when she died.

I removed with my family from Indiana to Illinois in the fall of 1833 and received the gospel in 1840 as also did most of my family. I moved to Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, in April, 1842, and lived there till the spring of 1846, then moved with the Saints in their great exodus to the Rocky Mountains, which journey lasted till the first of October, 1847, on which day I entered the Salt Lake Valley with my family and remained there till the spring of 1851.

I then moved to Parowan, as a call was made for volunteers to strengthen that place. I volunteered and went with my family to Parowan, Iron County, and remained there till the fall of 1861, when by permission of President George A. Smith, our then President, I moved to Harrisburg, Washington County, Ut. and lived there till August, 1876. I then moved to Orderville, Kane County, with my family, at which place I am now living in the year 1879, being in my 85th year of age.

In 1856 I married Mary Jane McCleave, going on seventeen years old, by whom I have had ten children: Joseph, Nancy, Hiram, John P., Sarah Deseret, Mary Ellen, Heber Jesse, Charles Mason, Elizabeth D. and Alfred Randall.

I and my family have mostly lived a pioneer life, and for thirty-nine years have been connected with the Latter-day Saints, suffering the persecutions with them in all things and enjoying the blessings of the Gospel with them, also; and can testify knowingly of its truth and of its saving ordinances as revealed to Joseph Smith, having enjoyed them myself in the house of the Lord with my family to the fullest extent

My father, Athe Meeks, being inclined to new countries, left South Carolina and moved to Kentucky. He stopped in Shelby County one year, and then moved to what is now called Grayson County, Kentucky, on the Spring Fork of Shortcreek. I was then about two or three years old. He had a great range to hunt in, not knowing the distance to any inhabitants West. He lived there twelve years, then moved to Indiana, four years after the country was surveyed by the Government. He passed the inhabitants ten miles before he located, at the mouth of Lake Drain, where it emptied into Little Pigeon Creek, where he intended to build a grist mill. There in the month of April, 1812, the Indians killed him; shot him in his own door, and wounded my brother, Athe, through the arm and knee, but he got well.

In the year 1812, I, Priddy Meeks, was 16 years old. My father was then living on the frontiers of Indian Territory ten miles from the inhabitants, aiming to build a mill for the future benefit of emigration. Some months previous my oldest brother, William, had moved up to where father lived and settled about 20 rods of father's house.

I think about the 20th of April three Indians early in the morning crept up behind a fodder stack ten or twelve rods in front of the door, and when my brother Athe got out of bed and passed out of the house and turned the corner with his back towards them, they all fired at him. One ball passed through his knee cap, another ball passed through his arm, about half way from his elbow to his wrist. Another ball passed through the leg of his pants doing no injury. The ball tore out a bunch of leaders out of his arm as long as my finger. They cut it off with a case knife. Meanwhile father jumped out of bed, ran to the door to see what was up, and met an Indian right at the door who shot him right through the heart. He turned on his heels and tried to say something and fell dead under the edge of the bedstead.

   One Indian tried to kill Athe by flinging his tomahawk at him. It seemed like he was practicing by his not holding to the handle. He seemed to miss and the hatchet would go past and the Indian would run ahead to pick it up and brother would run out of the way, and the Indian would try it again, and they played that game for some time. Mother seeing what was going on outdoors and they shut up and Athe could not get in, and the Indian trying to tomahawk him, she broke out of the house to help Athe; an Indian drew an axe on her and as she hurried back, she picked up one of the loaded shot guns that was lying in the yard and told brother William, "Run up to the yard fence and knock the Indian down," which drew the attention of the one who was trying to tomahawk  Athe, while the one who was trying to burst open the door to get in where mother and the two girls were, who had snapped an empty gun at the Indian several times but it happened to be empty.

   The Indians then took the dead one under their arms and started off with him. William followed them for another shot but the Indians would drop the dead one and flank each way in order to get William between them, so he had to back out to save himself. Athe had hidden himself behind a high bank a few rods from the house where he stayed till the Indians went away. William immediately took his family and started for the settlement bare headed and in his shirt tail and all his family in a similar situation, not knowing the consequences of delaying time.

   That morning I had started from the settlements to go home and met William and his family about half way in. He took the horse I had and pushed for the settlement and I took his place with the family. All being still at the time; now Athe came to the house and father was found dead and mother crippled, probably with the axe the Indian drew on her in the yard, but she could not remember it. She and the two girls thought all were killed but they, until Athe came to the house. He told mother and the girls to take the trail and try to reach the settlement if they could. "I never can get there, I shall have to die here. I will hide if the Indians come. I will kill one before they kill me. I shall have to die anyway." Mother said, "if you die I'll die with you. I will not leave you." So they all started on the trail and went on a mile or so. Athe wanted to lay down and the rest go on. Mother said, "I will not leave you as long as you are alive" He thought they might save themselves by going and let him die, for he could not travel. She protested she would stay with him as long as he was alive. "Well," said he, "there is a nearer way through the forest and we'll take that way, and if the Indians do follow us they will keep the trail and not notice our trail where we turn off."

   They did so and went a mile or two and came on to two of our horses on the range that were always very hard to get hold of, on the range. He said, "I think I can catch those horses. Mother said, "go," and he hobbled along till he got his hands on them, and they never moved out of their tracks. They made bridles of hickory bark, and Athe rode one horse and the youngest girl the other, and carried a gun. The other two women walked and carried each of them a gun and reached the settlement in due time. But not without Athe's wanting to get off the horse to lay down and die. But mother would not let him get off the horse, believing he never would of got in if he had got off the horse. But he got in and got over his wounds and made a very active man without any show of impediment whatever. All three of the Indians were killed before they got out of the country by the people who were scouring the country in search of them.

   The family then moved down to French Island settlement on the Ohio River. At this time I think I was about seventeen years old, here in my twentieth year, 1815, I married Polly Bartlett; who lived to have four children, two boys and two girls, and then she died. I lived single three years, and married Sarah Smith, a widow woman with one child; her maiden name was Mahurin. She is yet living and has had five children by me, four girls and one boy. All died young except one girl, which is a-living. I married Sarah at her father's, Steven Mahurin, in Grayson County, Kentucky, some fifty miles from where I lived in Indiana. I took her home and brought home my children, and she made a splendid stepmother.

  I don't know the date when we left Indiana, not having kept any records; but we moved to Illinois, and settled on Embarrass River, fifty or sixty miles north of Vincennes, in the outsettlements of the country, being sixty miles to the nearest inhabitants west of us, a town called Vandalia. Here I had splendid hunting for honey and wild game. Here I built a horse-mill to grind corn. I owned two farms and was a-doing well. I had plenty of horses, cattle, hogs and sheep.

   Polly Peterson, a neighboring young woman, said to me one day, "Mr. Meeks, I wish you would give me that colt." (It was a choice colt, too.) I said, "If you will give me the next thing  I ask for, I will." In about two or three days after that, the colt laid down and died, and from that time forth my horses, cattle and hogs died so fast I scarcely had time to take the hides off as fast as they died, until I saw that I should be totally broke up, and I had better get away from there while I could; and just one month from that day I started; had the awfulest time I ever saw. I bought a pair of three-year-old bulls; one was spiteful. I had to get help to get them in a ten-foot pen, with a partition to keep them from fighting, with their heads chained in front, and their tails tied to the pen behind; then took out a space of the partition between their necks sufficient to get the yoke on their necks and fastened it so tight that I never took it off until we had traveled some two hundred miles.

    I stopped on the Illinois River five or six miles above Meridocia, a town on the river, a sicklier place I never want to see. Here I bought me a nice little farm, and established a wood yard. Here I lost Huldah with the whooping cough; or in other words she was killed by the doctors, whom I was opposed to having anything to do with her, only the folks over-persuaded me, and I am convinced that his medicine killed her.

   Here when the sickly season of the year came on I visited many of the sick and was very successful in relieving them with roots and herbs, so much so that the community insisted I should quit work and go to doctoring. Such an idea had never entered my mind. I said to them that I knew nothing about doctoring; they said "You beat all the doctors."

  That expression brought me to my studies and I saw that it was a fact, and I could not deny it. I studied much to know what was my duty to God and to mankind and myself and family. I saw my weakness and want of education, being raised in the backwoods, without learning but little only what I learned in the backwoods with my gun on my shoulder, having no correspondence with the bulk of the community and knew nothing of the ways of the world. Here was a trial you may be sure, for me to come in contact with learned doctors; I would not know what to say and would appear as a dunce

.

  About this time I had a letter from my brother-in-law, stating that he had important business and wanted to see me, and I must come immediately. He lived about a hundred miles off in Macon County, Illinois. I went and left my wife sick, who had been sick for two years. Her case was so complicated that I did not know what to do; neither did the doctors that had exhausted their skill without benefit, know what to do next.

  When I saw my brother-in-law, whose name was Priddy Mahurin, he said that he only wanted a visit of me, that was all; but the Lord was in the whole affair, for I met a man there by the name of James Miller, whom I previously knew in Kentucky. He had gotten to be a Thomsonian doctor. He told me I could cure my wife myself if I had Thomson's "New Guide to Health." I traveled thirty miles with him a-going home. I learned more from him that day than I ever knew before about doctoring. Arriving at home I told my wife of the interview I had with Miller, and was a-going to buy the books that he recommended. She replied, "You had better keep the money to raise the children with; for if the skill that has been exhausted by experienced doctors could not cure me, it is not reasonable to think that you could do any better." But I could not rest satisfied until I got the books; and just two weeks to the day from the day I got the books I put out into the woods to collect the medicine and by following the directions of the books I made a sound woman of her. This gave such an impetus to the anxiety of the people about my success that it seemed like going against wind and tide to withstand their influence, for me to go into doctoring. And from that time henceforth my labors began with the sick.

 I lived on the south side of the Illinois River. Shortly after this I bought land at the Bluffs on the north side, half a mile from the river and moved over to it. Three miles west of us a new town was laid off called "Versailles," right on the public road. I purchased a lot and built on it a good log house under the Bluffs. There was a good sugar orchard on the land. Then I gave $100 for a second lot and moved up there with the prospect of abundance of sickness

.

  Here we heard of the Mormons being lawless in Missouri and so full of witchcraft that they could get your money in spite of your lock and key. The tales were so big about what they could do we thought them supernatural beings, so we felt a little doubtful about it. About this time I went to Quincy to enter land. Being too late in the evening to do business in the land office that night, I stopped over night six miles short of Quincy where there were several families of Mormons had just come from the expulsion of the Mormons out of Missouri. I thought if they stayed there all night they would have my money before morning, just as sure as shooting, so I made up my mind to put my money in my bosom and lay awake all night and if they did undertake to get it I would fight like a wild cat, but no one came.

   On my way back I stopped over night with Captain James Brown, who had joined the Mormons. Here I left nothing unturned as regards to information about Mormonism. Both of us being baptized and old acquaintances he told me he would be there soon with a Mormon preacher. I went home, and the time being set for meeting I had everything ready when they came, it being a mile and a half from my place to where the meeting was held. Some trembled with fear while others were anxious to hear. Some were very shy and wouldn't come a-nigh, and as much caucusing was done as ought to be done at a Presidential election.

  Now the first Mormon meeting was going to be held in the vicinity of Versailles, Brown County, Ill., where I then lived. I went to the meeting on foot, that I might have no encumbrance, intended to stick to the turf as long as meeting lasted both night and day which would give me ample time to show their cloven foot, which I thought I was perfectly able to do. I felt like the milk maid bragging in my mind what a victory I was going to gain over those poor deluded Mormons; nor was I any less disappointed than the milk maid was when she let fall her pail of milk and with it all her imaginary happiness. For Jacob Houtz who was the Preacher had not got half through his sermon before I saw that I used the Scripture like yarn raveled out of an old stocking all rumpled up, but when the preacher took the same words he would straighten it out like yarn that had never been knit into a stocking at all. I need not try to describe the emotion of my mind while at that meeting. Finally when I went home my wife was very anxious to hear about the meeting. I paused, hardly knew what to say, but to cut matters short I replied, "Sally, if the Scriptures are right the Mormons are right; and if the Scriptures are right we are wrong." This of course threw us into an awkward position and she was very much opposed to Mormonism from reports.

   The Mormons held meetings very frequently in the vicinity afterwards and I was very much in favor of their doctrines and attended their meetings very much against my wife's feelings. She would try to reason me out of it and would shed tears over it which touched my tender spot, so I told her one day, "Cheer up and not cry," and we would fix up and go to Kentucky where her father lived and see all her folks and get away from Mormonism. It did not take long to get ready, the distance being about six hundred miles by water. We took our two youngest children and started on the steamboat, and arrived at her father's a few days before a two-day Baptist meeting. We were all Baptists by profession. Two of their biggest preachers were there who lived about thirty miles off.

   After meeting I tackled the largest preacher with a Scripture. I took the side of Mormonism and the preacher denied the Scripture before the whole congregation. I turned to the Scripture and read it. He was so badly beaten he took sick and had to quit, he having an appointment on Monday seven miles on his way home, he did not know that he would be able to fill it. I told him I would go with him to his appointment, and I had medicine with me and did all I could to help him out. I listened to him trying to preach but he appeared very different from a smart preacher. Having finished our visit to my wife's father we returned to Indiana where my people lived, where I had lived in that vicinity for twenty-four years before I moved to Illinois. Here I converted every one of my relatives to Mormonism.

   My older brother Athe Meeks was a preacher in the order of the United Brethren, and had the reputation of whipping out every sectarian preacher that would meet him on an argument.

   After hearing the principles of Mormonism explained as well as I knew how, my brother John said he would go ten miles to hear us argue, for he said he was convinced that I was right and would be the first man ever found that could beat him on Scripture, he being a United Brethren and John a Baptist; and when we met he would hear me first; and when I was through he would not argue but acknowledged. According to Scripture I had the truth and from that time forth, while I stayed, and for some time after I left, his whole influence was in favor of Mormonism. But, poor man; after a length of time he was overcome by the evil one and fought the work until he died which was not very long. And Brother John did the same way. My Mother and brother-in-law Thomas Carter, with a large family, obeyed the gospel. So did my brother Charles with a large family and all gathered to Nauvoo.

   After a trip to Kentucky to see her folks we returned to Versailles in Brown County, Illinois, where our home was. We found considerable sickness among the people. One a widow woman who had dyspepsia, was so bad she was given up to die by the doctor who had attended her for near a year and said she could not be cured. She sent for me to come to see her, which I did. She told me to try to cure her if possible; to do my best anyway, and if I killed her it would only be death anyhow for she knew she could not live long if she did not get help. So I went home to prepare for doctoring her and Dr. Vandeventer, who had given her out, hearing I was going to undertake her case came to see me. "Mr. Meeks," says he, "You had better not undertake that woman's case; that complaint cannot be cured and you will fail and you will lose practice by it; the remedy for that complaint is not known; search has been made for it as far as ships have sailed on the ocean, and human feet have trod the soil and the remedy is not found yet."

   I paid the woman five visits and made a sound woman of her; and what did I do, nothing more or less than gave her a thorough course of Thomsonian medicine each time. I knew no way to doctor at that time but to follow the letter of directions. I had nothing but cayenne pepper and ginger for my composition powder, and lobelia; and as I went along I gathered green sumac leaves off the bush, which answered well for canker medicine; and to make a tea to put the medicine in for her to drink. I mention this to show that we can get along without so many kinds of medicines as some would suppose. This circumstance being noised abroad brought me as much business with the sick as I could attend to.

  There were several young ladies in the vicinity that the doctor had given out, which were now ready for me, and with thorough Thomsonian courses of medicine they were cured. One case I will mention for the novelty of it: A Mrs. Perry had a daughter with the green sickness who the doctor had spent nine months on without benefit. Her mother being very anxious about her daughter's situation, having heard of Dr. Meeks living at Versailles who cured everything he tried, she thought he must be one of the greatest men in the world. He was so far ahead of Dr. Vandeventer, she did not know whether she would know how to talk to him or not but resolved to try.

  So she rode up one day to my gate and inquired if Dr. Meeks lived there. I said, "yes ma'am; light and come in." I had been at work in the garden but it being hot weather I was sitting between the two doors where I might be cool being in my shirtsleeves, bare headed and bare footed. She finally came in and took a chair. She says, "Is Dr. Meeks at home?"—"Yes, ma'am," I replied; she says, "Where is he, I would like to see him; he is not far off I presume." I replied "What would you have of Doctor Meeks?" She then gave the history of her daughter's case. By this time I thought I ought to let her know that I was the man that she was after. I said to her, "I am Dr. Meeks". It struck her dumb for awhile. She came very nearly jumping out of the chair into the fire; she turned red in the face and it was quite a time before she could speak. I was truly sorry for her but when she recovered so she could speak she said, "Well I do not care how a man looks so he can only cure the sick."

 And with five regular courses of Thomsonian Medicine she was made a sound woman much to the joy of all of her friends. This shows what courses of medicine can do without anything else

.

  From the time I became conspicuous among the sick something like half of the sickness fell to my charge and I was so successful to what Dr. Vandeventer was that if I had stopped there the next year I should have had probably more than I could attend to; but the time came for me to gather with the Saints to Nauvoo, so I left.

  But before I left, Lyman Wight, one of the committee for building the Nauvoo House called me, and I bought four shares in the Nauvoo House. I have the papers yet and I expect in the future days me or my children will possess it. In April 1842 I moved to Nauvoo, and lived there till 1846, and then moved across the plains in 1847 in the great exodus of the Saints to the Rocky Mountains. While living at Nauvoo I suffered many inconveniences and persecutions and deprivations of life.

  Once in 1845 I was returning home from a business trip; while passing through Carthage a mob took me and put me in jail where the blood of Joseph and Hyrum Smith was to be seen, and kept me there till the sheriff, who was my friend, said he knew they could not hurt me by the law but only wanted to persecute me because I was a Mormon; "but they may bother you so you cannot get off to go West this season." I had sent for Edmunds, a friendly lawyer who attended to the difficulties necessary to help us get off. The sheriff went to Nauvoo and filed a bond for my release, signed as security by Charles Price. John Vanbeck came with the sheriff from Nauvoo and bought me a horse to ride home on.

  When we started from the jail the jailor and the sheriff said, "Don't you look back until you reach the timber or they might suspicion you," It was a task for me to keep my head straight but I did accomplish it; then we did not spare horse flesh much until we got home. I then had to wheel and cut to the best advantage to get away from my persecutors across the river. I had been working with William McCleary, brother-in-law to the Prophet, making each of us a wagon to cross the plains in. Mine was probably half done but I had to drop everything to get away and give a one-horse wagon for a two-horse wagon that looked like falling to pieces having no iron about it but the tire. I wedged and wet it with water, then put a light load in it. It was thought I might go twenty miles to a blacksmith shop. Supposed that twenty dollars' worth would fix it so I could get to the Bluffs with it, having to leave part of my family in Nauvoo, with my house and lot and all my furniture and stock and books, in fact everything that I had, and never got anything for it.

   I gave my interest in the wagon shop for a barrel of flour at a certain price, the overplus coming to me. I left instructions to turn it over to the ferrymen to pay the ferry for some poor brother that had not the money to pay with. I crossed the river with my frail wagon and a pair of young bulls under the tongue. Their principal gift was in kicking which they could do without taking sight or a rest and could hit almost anything aimed at. If I had not an old pair of oxen in the lead that could not get away, or if they could they did not want to I could never have managed the bulls so well. I started for Sugar Creek. There was the first camping ground for the Saints.

   While crossing over a ridge seven miles from Nauvoo we looked back and took a last sight of the Temple we ever expected to see. We were sad and sorrowful. The emotions of our mind at that time I cannot describe. The thoughts of it almost disqualify me for writing, although so many years have passed away since that time. We got to Sugar Creek after night and found plenty of Saints there for they were scattered all along like sheep without a shepherd. This tried our faith, to start on a journey  with such a poor fit-out and part of my family left behind. Here now I must pay a tribute of praise to my better half. She never left anything unturned that would contribute to our comfort either in body or mind. She neither murmured nor scolded. She bore everything in patience like a Saint of God. She truly proved a help-meet to me.

   We left Sugar Creek next morning intending to go as far as we could before we should break down. It being a very wet Spring and a great quantity of mud, my wagon got better instead of worse. So we kept rolling till we came to the ferry on the Des Moines river. I was astonished to see the number of wagons and teams waiting in their turn to cross the river. Now it looked like my turn would not come for two or three days and it was dark and gloomy weather for camping out. I as by inspiration took up the river as far as I could that night and found reasonable camping ground. It was a desperate wet, rainy time but all the better for my wagon.

  Next day we kept up the river. We overtook several wagons traveling up the river with the same spirit that we had. So we enjoyed ourselves the best kind, not knowing what we were going to come to and not making any particular calculations, trusting in the Lord to guide us; and not knowing whether we would ever find a boat or crossing above, the river being full. By this time we had about a half a dozen in our company. It sometimes rained and sometimes the sun shone. In this kind of weather it seemed we took no thought for the morrow but felt to trust in the Lord for the result and was as joyful as spring birds. I had a fiddle along and we had a shindig as we called it, on the turf every once in awhile. The names of our company as far as I can remember were Jacob Hufines, Christian Houtz, Reading Allred, Thomas Hancock and myself and a lad that was with me. We had no traveling organization in particular among us. It seemed unnecessary as such a oneness existed among us. It seemed like we never enjoyed ourselves better although thus exposed.

  We traveled one day in the rain and camped at a little place called Utica where there was but one house. In the morning it was still raining and I thought I would rather travel in the rain than lay by in the rain. So we started without breakfast in the morning, expecting the rest to follow as soon as breakfast was over, having to turn to the left to get back on the Des Moines river. The waters were on the rise very fast so we had to push ahead all day to cross a certain creek before it got too high. We came just in time to cross, for it soon became too high to cross. We camped in front of a big elm log close by the creek, placing our wagon some seven feet from the log and tried to keep a fire against the log. But it was hard work. It was raining and every thing already wet. Now here was a trial of our faith; and did it falter? No not one particle. I never felt better in spirit in my life, and my wife was just as faithful as she could be; not a word of murmuring did I hear from her lips. In the morning how that stream did foam from bank to bank, and it was still raining. Everything did look discouraging.

  I concluded that we would have to stay there till times changed some way. While meditating on our condition I saw a man come walking down to the creek, then speaking to me made some inquiries. We had quite a chat. He says, "Come, harness up and go up to my house; it is but a little ways. I have just moved out of a comfortable house and you can go into it and welcome." Now surely the Lord was there and I did not know. It was not an hour until we were as comfortable as heart could wish. Now, says he, "I have plenty of everything; there is a crib of corn; feed your cattle all you wish and I will find you provisions as long as you stay." He said this after he had learned the cause of our troubles. He also said, "If you will stop with me and go no further" he would give me half of his farm. His name was Purger. God bless the man. We stopped with him till everything indicated to march forward. He urged us to take all the corn and bread-stuff and bacon that we could possibly take. The whole family believed the Gospel as I taught it and his son Peter wanted to go with us to the mountains.

 I will now go back to Utica where we left the company the morning it rained; so to cross a certain creek before it got too high, the company instead of following me took another road which was considered nearer, but the creek was too high to cross when they came to it. They had to lay by, I think something like a week. This was a providence of God in my favor again, for if the company had been with us I should not have been blessed at Purger's as I was. Finally the water assuaged, and the rain ceased, and they took up the line of march. They passed in sight where we could see the wagons, and we started out and all came together again.

  But before I met with the company I saw a man who told me if I would stop and doctor his daughter with a cancer he would give me fifty dollars in cash; but it was no temptation whatever. We finally got to the Des Moines river when it turned into raining again, so we had to lay by at the river three or four days, some of the time on each side of the river, where we found an old ferry boat then idle in the river, that was not then in use. Being no road crossing the river at or near that place, here was Providence again in our favor. We could hear of no crossing above or below this old boat, this being the out-skirts of a new settled country. But we did cross in that old boat after so long a time without any accident.

  Here we found ourselves without any road or trail. So when ready we struck out without square or compass into a country without any inhabitants except the spirit by which we were led. We took the divide between the Des Moines and Chariton. We traveled several days without any signs of humans or animals except some hogs. It was such a zig zag road we would scarcely be out of sight from where we camped before. Our members by this time had about doubled by others following our trail, after they had found it, who had put into the wilderness as we had done. Meeting with more company gave us fresh courage and more joy and we did rejoice greatly; it seemed we could not wish for a happier time, wood and water being plenty all along.

  Having no record I do not know how long we were in the wilderness. Finally we came to a considerable stream that ran right across the divide and an ugly stream to cross besides. Here we had to pull our wagons across by hand which took two or three days. While we were working to get across I made a pair of shoes for George Dykes' youngest wife. After everything was passed over without accident we struck the line of march. As usual nothing occurring past common except Dykes would give me groceries for shooting prairie chickens for him and his family.

  In a few days we struck Brigham Young's company on their way from Garden Grove to Pisgah and followed them into Pisgah. Here was a providence of God again to hit the time right to get with President Young again. At Pisgah I met Daniel Allen whose wife had died on the road and left him with some little children. He was shoemaking in his wagon bed to get sustenance for himself and family. I was truly sorry for him; I turned in and helped him shoe-make; I do not know how long, but charged him nothing.

  I said to him one day, "You ought to get you a step-mother for your children; you cannot live this way." He replied, "I do not know who would come into such a family as I have." Instantly an idea struck me, and I said: "I know who you can get; she will make a good step-mother too and she is right here in Pisgah." "Who is it?" says he. "It is Eliza Berry, John Berry's sister. "Oh!" said he, "she would not have me." I asked him if he would be willing for me to tell her if she would be willing for him to come and see her on the subject. "Yes," he said. So I went and she said she had no objections and so he did get her for a wife and step-mother too and I believe she made a genuine good stepmother too. At any rate he made a good living with her help and had quite a posterity by her too.

  It was then thought that we would have to winter at Pisgah. So I with Christian Houtz found a good place of rich land, and fenced and put in four or five acres of corn, beans and squash, and built each one of us a very snug little winter house and covered it nice and tight with elm bark. Pisgah was a very sickly place.

  President Young then made a powerful appeal to the Saints for help to furnish the pioneers with wagons and teams to go West to find a resting-place for the Saints to go to. He portrayed our situation in a very impressive manner showing the necessity of going immediately to find a place where the Saints could all gather to. Moses Daley, a man in the congregation who had three good strong wagons and teams, and no one seemed to respond to President Young's call, he looked at brother Daley and said, "Brother Daley, have you not got three wagons?" He hummed and hawed and at last drew out the word, "Yes, but they are heavy loaded and I have no place to empty them," and I believe he scratched his head and twisted and screwed in his seat in an evasive manner.

  I was so chagrined at this that I arose up in the congregation and said, "I have but one wagon and team and you shall have them; for it is better for me to stop back five years than to stop the Saints from going West as fast as possible." After meeting was dismissed Uncle John Smith, George A. Smith's father, came and laid his hand on my head and I received a blessing. Said he, "You shall get ready and cross the plains before Brother Daley." So when I presented my wagon and team to President Young, on examination he said the wagon was not stout enough to go on the trip, but he took the two yoke of cattle. Said he, "Now, how do you want to let me have them; do you want a receipt for them and give them back to you again, or for me to pay you for them when we get to our stopping place or how?" "No, " I said, "do as you think best with the oxen and make no account to me, hereafter; I let them go freely." "Now," said he, "Brother Meeks, you may take your family down to Missouri and make fit-out by next Spring;" although it was strictly forbidden for men to take their families down in Missouri. He also said, "Keep your eye skinned down there and if it gets too hot, bring your family back to the Bluffs."

Priddy Meeks and Third Wife, Mary Jane McCleave Meeks-about 1868.

  President Young said to the brethren if the five hundred men could not be had without, he and The Twelve Apostles would go themselves, for it was the salvation of the Church. Here was a splendid chance to show who was willing to make a sacrifice for the Kingdom of God; but the five hundred were raised without The Twelve having to go. There was a willingness manifested among the Saints that was truly ratifying. So the Battalion was soon dispatched, while the aged and sick and cripples and all that was left of the men, had to take charge of the women and children. It fell to my lot to have charge of Adams' effects with two children, his wife going with him in the Battalion.

  Now I was fixing to take my family with me on to Missouri to make a fit-out; President said I might because I let him have my wagon and team at Pisgah. Who did I see come walking up but Samuel Clark (who kept a tan yard in Provo several years after he came to the mountains). He said, "I am the man that you saved the life of himself and family." In the early settlement of Nauvoo he came a total stranger and got into a house near the river in Nauvoo where it was very sickly. His family all took sick; one died and another was near dying and the rest not able to take care of each other. My daughter went down to the river to wash, and heard of the conditions of the family of strangers that lived there. She found it no less miserable than it was represented. The girl was so near dead she brought her home with her. She said they were all sick and had little or nothing to eat. I went straight way to the place and took two baskets of provisions with me, a little of most everything. I took medicine also, and all that I could I did for them and soon had them out of danger. The little girl went home to her father.

  I charged them nothing for all that I had done. Soon as he got able he moved off. I never heard from him any more until I saw him come walking up to me at the Bluffs. Two of his boys went into the Battalion, Joseph and Riley. When he came to my wagon at the Bluffs he said to me, "If you have no objections I want to put my wagons by the side of yours." He had three good wagons and teams but no horses. So he came with his wagons and put them by my wagons. I told him I was going down to Missouri to winter with my family by permission from President Young. Says he, "If you go I will go too, for I intend to stay along with you." So we both went down in Missouri and wintered there.

  We stopped in the upper edge of Missouri at the Bluffs, six miles from the river, a most beautiful country, at a man's place called Wilkinson. It was a smooth prairie country; excellent water and a set of hewed house logs that we might put up to winter in. The Bluffs here were lined with any amount of Chickasaw plums which were just getting ripe, and a large amount of elder berries in right order for making wine; and we turned in and made eighty gallons of wine. We put a hundred and fifty pounds of sugar in it, which made it splendid, and it proved the means of making a fit-out in the spring. There was a Gentile named William Slusher who lived square in on the river from where we were. He came to see us and told us to move down to the river to his place. Every facility would be greatly in our favor if we would, so we fixed up and moved down.

  It was now getting late in the season. "Now gentlemen," said he, "my corn is not all gathered yet; there is some quite good roasting ears among it and there are cucumbers in it. You are welcome to all you want." So we honored the invitation by helping ourselves. Close by was a grove of slim cottonwood timber just suitable for house logs. We would haul a whole tree at a time and we soon had house logs enough to put up each of us a room within a few rods of his dwelling. There was an island in the river close by which was full of rushes and but a little ways to swim the cattle in; and they come out fat in the spring.

  I had the care of Orson Adams' family and all his stock. John Henderson, a lad which I had raised from a child, whose parents were dead, was a good boy, both truthful and honest. I do not know how I could have gotten along without him. He caught all the fish we could use. Here brother Clark and myself lived as one family keeping no accounts between us whatever. Here we lived all winter although mixed up with as rough a set of people as I ever lived among. Slusher's house was ever open for gambling, drinking, horse racing, card playing, frolicking and gossipping which opened a good sale for our wine, which brought the money; although they were just as kind to us as they could be. They would trust us for anything we would name. They seemed to venerate us, than otherwise, but we kept on our watch, knowing what we were about. We did not mix in with them in their wickedness but were friendly with them. Finally springtime came and I took my wife and went away down into Missouri and traded off our feather beds and such things as we could, and got corn and came by a gristmill and got it ground. It being a very sickly season I helped to get a fit-out by doctoring.

  My oldest son, Lovin Meeks, was living in Missouri at the time but we could not find exactly where he was at the first trip, he having no family. So after we returned home with our fit-out we went the second trip in search of him. When found he agreed to go with us up to the Bluffs to see the rest of the family. He having no idea of crossing the plains with us, left his business unsettled. He finally concluded to cross the plains with us, but the next spring returned to Missouri and died.

  Now my little old wooden wagon that I had come in from Nauvoo would not stand a trip across the plains. I started off to trade it off for a good wagon. I offered a large young horse for a little pony and a good wagon. I found a man named Richardson who offered me the very trade I wanted. But a monitory impulse struck me with such force I could not accept the offer; why I could not tell. When I got home my wife says, "Have you found any trade today that suits you?" I answered; "Yes, but I did not trade." "Why not?" said she. "Because something almost as plain as words instinctively said, "No." I found out afterwards the cause, as I was told Beason Lewis took the same bargain from him and went to The Horn with the property, and an officer followed him with a writ and took the property, and he had to wait until the next season.

  But I cut and wheeled around among the people until I found Jesse Harmon, a good Saint who I believe was counseled to wait until the next season. He let me have a wagon that was fitted up in Nauvoo on purpose for crossing the plains, with large projections on either side of the top of the bed, with very high wagon bows. I did not want a better wagon and he took my little wagon and forty gallons of wine to boot. Now I was just fixed to my notion, in wagons and teams except one ox. When Brother Clark learned that I lacked an ox he says to me, "Brother Meeks, I will give you an ox." He could not see how he could get off that Spring when there was nothing in the world in the way if he had just had the spirit of it. He had three good wagons and teams and was not enthralled anyway. Here was another providence of God in my favor in fulfillment of what Uncle John, as I called him, said to me in Pisgah when I gave up all the wagon and team that I owned to fit up the pioneers. Now I was ready to go to The Horn where we were organized to cross the plains.

  When I shook hands with brother Clark on starting he cried like a child and never would have pay for the ox he had let me have. With a glad heart and joyful spirit we moved off and reached The Horn in good time and when the time came we were organized into Jedediah Grant's hundred and Joseph Bates Noble's fifty and Josiah Miller's ten. They were all three as good men as were to be had anywhere; my family comprising eight persons, myself and wife and two daughters, Elizabeth grown, Margaret Jane not grown, John Henderson, a lad I had raised, and a boy and girl belonging to Orson B. Adams, John Adams and Betsy Parson. Now our hearts swelled with the glorious expectation of leaving our persecutors behind. We started not knowing where we were going or what was ahead of us, trusting in the living God, and started like Abraham, not knowing whither we went and we did have a good time! Notwithstanding the hardships and trials and troubles and sickness many had to endure.

  The Lord did pour out his blessings upon us abundantly. The plains furnished an abundance of meat and the prairie grass abundance of milk. Now the incidents that took place crossing the plains are so complicated I will only mention a few in this connection. One case of Sister Edwin: the first I heard of her, she was about dying with what they called the Black Kanker in her mouth and throat. She did die in a few hours and we halted to bury her, and her daughter Rachel Edwin was found to have the same complaint and quite deep seated. I told them I thought I could cure her. My daughter Elizabeth waited on her while I doctored her and she was not long in getting well. The palate of the old lady's mouth was eat up and the fauces of her mouth partly gone. All was in a mortified state. I am convinced that it was the diphtheria they both had.

  The next case was Gilbert Summer's wife (he being with the pioneers). She was in a company two miles distant from me but they sent for me and when I got there I found her very low with a fever, and with all the faith and courage I could raise I broke the fever and she soon got up again. Another case was as I was standing guard one night close by Brother Noble's wagon, I heard some person groan like if they were nearly dead. In the morning I inquired of Brother Noble who it was; he said it was Richard Norwood the man who drove his team. On examination I found it to be Black Kanker as we called it; but it was undoubtedly the diphtheria in its worst form, for his whole palate and fossils of his throat appeared to be one solid mass of putrefaction. I told Brother Noble if he would look among the crowd and get such medicine as I would name I would try to do something for him; for without help he could not live but a very few days. I well recollect one medicine I used; it was rough elm bark, taken off a tree which stood close by. It is one of the best antiseptics in the compass of medicine.

  In the first settling of Kentucky and Indiana we used to put our hog's lard and bear's oil in large troughs. We would sometimes have maybe fifty gallons at a time. It would sometimes turn green going into a state of putrefaction. We would take the red or rough elm bark in long strips and lay it lengthwise in the troughs and it would take all the smell and color and taste of putrefaction out of it and render it as sweet as any other oil. I will just say that he was cured in a much shorter time than I could expect. So we all moved on in order again.

  The Lord has His eye on the end from the beginning. To illustrate I will relate an incident which took place on the plains, the blessings resulting from which are visible to this day and will be in all time and in eternity. We had a stampede on the plains and lost sixty-two head of cattle which we never did find. We laid there eight days not having team enough to travel; but knowing we must move on or perish we mustered up all the available teams possible and that was one ox! President John Young was minus one ox, he and I being entire strangers. 'He heard that I had a cow that would work and when he found me he said, "Brother Meeks," "Yes sir," I answered. "Well we are now organized for traveling, if I had one more animal; Will you let me have that cow to fit me out?" I replied, "No." At this his countenance fell like a blaze just put out, but says I, "I will tell you what I will do, I will let you have a good ox and will work the cow myself. As she is heavy with calf, I would rather work her myself." At this he brightened up like a fire in a stubble field, so we all took the spirit of rejoicing; and while I am speaking on this line of Providence resulting from me letting President John Young have an ox, I will trace that line out far enough to show that a person will never lose his reward for doing good.

   So we left The Horn, I think in April, and took until the next Fall to get into the valley. I arrived in the valley on the first day of October, 1847. I have already mentioned some incidents that took place on the plains; I may mention some more hereafter. Now we felt good and happy with the idea of leaving our persecutors a thousand miles behind. Now the Salt Lake Valley had a beautiful rich soil and well supplied with good water. We went to work under the wise counsel of President Young and The Twelve Apostles, although they had returned to the States for their families, and I believe we did our best, generally speaking.

  Finally the crickets came so thick it made the earth black in places and it did look like they would take what little we had growing which looked nice and flourishing. Now this was another trial although my faith did not fail one particle, but felt very solemn on the occasion our provisions beginning to give out. My family went several months without a satisfying meal of victuals. I went sometimes a mile up Jordan to a patch of wild roses to get the berries to eat, which I would eat as rapidly as a hog stems and all. I shot hawks and crows and they ate well. I would go and search the mire holes and find cattle dead and fleece off what meat I could and eat it. We used wolf meat, which I thought was good. I made some wooden spades to dig seagoes6 with, but we could not supply our wants.

  We had to exert ourselves to get something to eat. I would take a grubbing-hoe and a sack and start by sunrise in the morning and go, I thought six miles before coming to where the thistle roots grew, and in time to get home I would have a bushel and sometimes more thistle roots. And we would eat them raw. I would dig until I grew weak and faint and sit down and eat a root, and then begin again. I continued this until the roots began to fail; I then turned my attention to making horn combs out of horns. I got two five-gallon kegs and a sack and threw it across the saddle and away I went peddling combs for buttermilk and clabber among those who were out with their stock for the milk. I continued this until I heard Capt. James Brown had bought out a mountaineer of a large herd of cattle some sixty miles north of the city. I went there and bought a horse-load of cheese which we ate without bread or meat.

  Now everything did look gloomy, our provisions giving out and the crickets eating up what little we had growing, and we a thousand miles away from supplies. When Sunday came we had meeting. Apostle Rich stood in an open wagon and preached out-of-doors. It was a beautiful day and a very solemn one too. While preaching he says, "Brethren, we do not want you to part with your wagons and teams for we might need them," (intimating that he did not know but we might have to leave).

  That increased my solemnity. At that instant I heard the voice of fowls flying over head that I was not acquainted with. I looked up and saw a flock of seven gulls. In a few minutes there was another larger flock passed over. They came faster and more of them until the heavens were darkened with them and lit down in the valley till the earth was black with them; and they would eat crickets and throw them up again and fill themselves again and right away throw them up again. A little before sundown they left for Salt Lake, for they roosted on a sandbar; a little after sunrise in the morning they came back again and continued that course until they had devoured the crickets and then left sine die and never returned. I guess this circumstance changed our feeling considerable for the better.

   Now the valley was full of everything that was needed by the poor Saints especially clothing, for I had proposed clothing our women in buckskin. I saw no way of doing any better at the time I proposed it; but when the emigrants had rested and recovered from their sickness and got right side up again they began to make ready for a new start. They had to buy pack animals and they had abundance of just what things we needed.

   I had an Indian pony mare with a colt; she was in splendid order, but the laziest animal I ever owned. I rode her two or three times but I could not get her out of a walk. I tried her with a switch and club and spurred her until the blood ran down her sides but all to no purpose. I tied up the colt and took her to the emigrants. The colt being absent made her act like a smart animal. They liked her looks well because she would hold her head high and show full of life. "What is your price?" says the man. I said, "I have no price but I want clothing for my family," which was five in number. I believe his heart was softened for be handed out goods, some ready-made, and some not, until we all had two suits each from top to toe, both shoes and stockings and everything that was needed. He said, "How much more?" I said, "Hand out and I will tell you when to stop." He handed out factory and calico until I was almost ashamed; even my conscience reminded me of stopping. I said, "Here is a great coat and a high pair of boots for winter," and he handed them out without a word.

   I had them priced as well as I could after he left. We thought that they amounted to about $80 or $100. I had then seen the fulfillment of Brother Kimball's prophesy. When I looked back I saw the providences of God as in this case in sustaining and providing for us in this way to keep us from suffering in so likely a manner as this, to keep us from suffering cold and hunger. The manner as this took place was all controlled by providence.

   Among the emigrants I made money enough to buy a stable horse and the best wagon I thought I ever saw, paying $60 for both, and I loaned out some of my money without interest and was honorably paid back again. Now I was a leading disciple in the practice of medicine and everything difficult was discovered. It seemed like they would not make a move without me.

   Brother Noble's wife, within about one month of her expected sickness, had the dropsy so bad he thought she could not live until that month was out, so that she could be doctored without injury to her offspring. The doctors in the valley had a consultation over her case, and President Young with them; they could devise no means to save the woman without destroying the infant and she could not live but a few days without help; but they would not make a move until they sent for me. When I came they told me they could not see how the woman could be saved without destroying the child. I told them there would be no difficulty in bringing about that object. They wanted to know if I thought that I could take the water out of that woman and save both alive. I said, "Yes, I certainly can, and lobelia is the thing that will do it." I just gave her Thomsonian courses of medicine and soon had the water all out, and in due time she had a fine boy to the joy of all who were watching to see what the result would be.

   I do not think the medicine is yet found and probably never will be that will act in accordance with the laws of life and the intention of nature like lobelia. No difference what the matter is or where the obstructions are, lobelia will find it and remove the obstructions and create a healthy action. Oh wonderful medicine that will act, so much like intelligence; but cayenne pepper and sweating ought always to accompany a course of medicine; and also an injection.

   Indian Whipped. - Now in the year 1851, I left Salt Lake to go to Parowan to live, to help strengthen the place against Indians; for they were very doubtful neighbors and committed some trespasses against us which was very hard to bear, such as killing our young calves on the range to eat and were otherwise very saucy and turbulent, especially among the women. One Indian struck John D. Lee's wife over the head and cut a gash some three or four inches long and we like to had war over it; and if it had not been for the old Piede Captain we do not know what trouble we might have had. He truly was a good Indian; he said he would whip the Indian until Brother Lee said it was enough, if that would do.

   So Brother Lee agreed to that. So the Captain had him tied to a liberty pole [Community flag pole], and took the end of a short lariat and he did his duty to him, too. He made him rise and twist every lick he gave him, but he took it like a soldier, although his back was mangled considerable. The old captain seemed to get tired and would stop to rest, and would say, "How much more?" They would say "More yet," until I thought the atonement was fully made. The last time he stopped he said, "Will that do?" Lee said, "Yes," and the white man and the red man was glad that the difficulty was settled.

   It was a great risk of trouble and bloodshed with the Indians that was now settled. While he was whipping the Indian we expected an outbreak with the Indians as we could see them passing to and fro. Some with their bows and arrows which was against the treaty we had previously made for all weapons to be left at home on that occasion, but some Indians seemed to approach with their weapons and we would go and meet them and have them leave their weapons. They left their weapons but appeared very lazy about it. If it had not been for our energy and watchful care we would have very likely had trouble, but it all worked right in the end. The Indians paid more respect to our rights after that.

   The more the Indians became acquainted with us the more they liked us. The Indians brought in Indian children that they had stolen to sell to us. I bought one girl, some three or four years old, and called her Lucy. I gave her about as good education as I gave my own children and she made a nice smart woman as anyone. She was the mother of Sylvia Meeks. She died at Har risburg, I think in her twenty-sixth or seventh year of her age. An Indian man (Dick) came to live with me and continued with me about fifteen years, and I was never acquainted with a more honest man in my life. I never knew him to lie or steal in all that time.

   He and I were digging potatoes one evening and it was not time to quit work yet, an impulse struck me to look towards Cedar City; we could see the road five or six miles distance, and when I looked I saw the dust rising in the road. The impulse struck me again with force as much as to say, "There is someone from Cedar City wanting you to go there to doctor someone, and now cover up your potatoes with vines to keep the frost off." "Come Dick," I said,"let us cover up our potatoes."

We had just finished and met the messenger at the field gate, some two or three hundred yards from the house, saying, there was a woman at Cedar City that would die before morning without assistance, so I went. The woman had a rising in her breast which was expected to break inside any minute which would prove fatal; but by making an incision with a lancet two inches deep it reached the corruption and she was instantly relieved, and was soon well.

  Exploring Expedition to Long Valley. - I think it was in June in 1852. John C. L. Smith was president at Parowan and a good man he was too, and was much respected. He, together with John Steele, his counselor, and Francis T. Whitney, Solomon Chamberlain, John Dart, John D. Lee and myself went on an exploring expedition up the Sevier and over on the headwaters of the Rio Virgin and down through Long Valley to what is called the "Elephant" where the creek is closed upon by impassable high rocks on each side. We passed on down in the bed of the creek we supposed six miles before a chance appeared for us to leave the creek which we gladly embraced. We then took a west course and went some seven or eight miles and came to an insurmountable crevice. [The present Orderville Gulch, Zion Park, Utah, above the Narrows.]

   To travel, the mountain presented a perpendicular jump-off clear away to the creek on the north and to the south it was no better. We could look down and see the beautiful clear water winding its way through the valley but could not get to it and we and our animals famishing for want of water and completely hemmed in and late in the day, too. The question was, what is best now. We unanimously agreed that it was best to call on our Heavenly Father who will answer the prayers of His children in trouble when they ask Him. So we all took it by turn in prayer till we had every one prayed individually, first the President and then his counselor and so on till we all prayed. After prayer was over the Spirit fell upon our President and he prophesied in the name of the Lord that we would find water within three miles of that place. Every man believed it would be so.

   You may be sure we were off in a hurry without observing much order, pushing our animals considerable. Thinking we would get to water we made a forced march till dusk before we stopped and found no water. We could go no farther south for the awful precipices that hindered and it was now night, too. We could do no better than turn our horses out and lay down till morning trusting to our Heavenly Father for the result. John Dart and myself, before we lay down, took our canteens and went in search of water we thought two miles, but I guess not so far. We came to such awful looking places that seemed to pitch right down out of sight, it scared us back and we were glad to get back [p.188] safe. We all lay down with heavy hearts till morning when we arose at daylight.

   Through the blessings of our Heavenly Father our horses were all right and we started on our back track for we could go no other way, but we did not rush as we did the night before, being fagged and famished, not knowing what to think of the prophesy that water could be found in three miles. We traveled slow in Indian file. I was in the lead and probably about nine o'clock we had reached within three miles from where we started out the night before. I cast my eyes under the glare of the sun on a large portion of solid rock but not steep but horses could go up by winding a little. I saw a bright streak, I thought looked like silver, it shone so bright. But soon discovered it was water issuing from the brow of the earth which sloped on the rock. The water had not yet reached the foot of the rock which was some twenty rods below and looked like it had started to run sometime that night. We had water sufficient for every purpose by digging holes in the ground by the edge of the rock and the horses would go up and down that rock with pleasure, having the water above and the grass below.

Here we stayed several days not knowing the course to get out, being completely hemmed in. We sent out John Steele and John D. Lee to hunt a way out. They went on foot but did not get back that night and lay out in the mountains, but the Lord was merciful unto them in bringing them at camp time to a basin in a rock, full of good water. Here they fared well and thanked the Lord for it. And right here as the sun was going down in the west and tinted the tips of the mountains in the east with golden colors, they stood on quite a mountain and with longing eyes and praying hearts wished to know how we could get out of that country. Inspiration seemed to burst forth as by vision.

Look east see the lay of the country, that is the course to get out; and it proved to be our only and best chance to get out and we had no trouble in getting out. And I have been at that watering place where we were hemmed in once or twice since that time and looked at the place where we got the water and there was no signs of standing water ever being there. And today when I think about it my heart swells with gratitude to my Heavenly Father for His kindness and mercy over us on that trip.

A New Wife.—Several years after I moved to Parowan I went back to the city; I took my daughter, Peggy Jane, a young woman, with me, and when I started from home my wife said, "Don't you come back without another wife." That put me to studying for she never talked that way before; so the more I studied about it the more I was determined to try and get another wife. So when I arrived at Brother John Dalton's who had charge of the Church Farm four miles south of the city, I left my team [p.189] there so as to have no encumbrance at the city. We went to Brother Free's in the city, an old acquaintance of ours. I told them there that I intended to get a hand-cart girl to go home with me. They appeared very anxious that I should get one. Sister Free told me she knew of one who had no relations there and it would suit her the best kind. There was a woman then present said she knew her in England and said she was twenty-four years old and as good a woman as ever was. Now I was very much elated at the prospect. I would not have sold my chance for a considerable amount. I never felt more sure of anything in my life that I did not have hold of.

  I found out where she stayed and away I went as full of imagination as the milk-maid we read of in the spelling book. I found the place and stopped outside the gate and spoke to a young woman on the porch and asked her, "Are you Hannah Virgil? "No, sir," she said; said I, "Does she stop here?" "Yes, sir, but she is not at home." I said, "Are you a hand-cart girl?" "Yes, sir," she said. "Well, I am looking for a hand-cart girl to go home with me; maybe it will suit you to go with me." She said, "I am engaged, or I would." That moment she said, "Yonder comes Hannah Virgil—now." And when she walked up and spoke to me and I saw her countenance, there was a monitory impulse struck me with such force it seemed as powerful on my feelings as the command of a superior officer when he would with a stern voice say "No."

  Here now the fat was all in the fire; my feelings I cannot well describe, if I were to try. I left quickly, badly whipped without saying a word to the girl on the subject. I went straightway to President John Young where I was in high repute for letting him have that ox on the plains, he having taken Sarah McCleave to wife, oldest sister of Mary Jane,10 two years previous to Mary Jane's arrivel in the hand carts. She says to me, "Brother Meeks go out to the Church Farm and get your team and harness it to Mr. Young's carriage, he himself not being at home, and Aunt Mary and I will go with you to see Mary Jane, it may be that, she will go with you."

   I had told them that I was going to start home in the morning for I did not think it worth while to try any longer. I was ashamed to tell them anything about Hannah Virgil, I felt so mean. However I went to the Church Farm and got my team and harnessed it to the carriage. "How far is it to where Mary Jane lives?" I asked. I knew that the Warm Springs was only a mile and a half from Brother Young's. I thought we could soon get back. When we reached the Warm Springs, I says, "Where does Mary Jane live now?" "Oh, it is down by the Hot Springs, six miles farther."

   If I had known that in time, I never should have started. It was now late in the evening and I intended starting home in the morning; but as I had started I must stick with them, but felt disappointed. When we arrived at Hot Springs the sun was just going down. "Now, where is the house?" said I. She pointed down under the fading sun two miles farther to a little log cabin where she said her sister lived. I felt vexed but could not turn back now. We drove up close to the house and found Mary Jane on her "all-fours" scouring the floor. When the dog barked she looked up and saw and knew Brother Young's carriage, Sister Young, her sister, Sarah, with a strange man dressed precisely, as she saw all this in a vision shown to her about three nights before when she knelt down in the dark when all were in bed and asked the Lord what she ought to do, because she was teased so much about marrying. In the vision she was told that was the man she must go home with. So when she saw me in the carriage she knew that was the man for her. We went into the house of Brother Levi Gifford, where she lived. I was well acquainted with the whole family and good family of people, too.

   Sarah did not sit down but took Mary Jane out of doors and told her I had come for her, and sent a runner to tell me to come out there. I started and met Aunt Mary Young coming post haste after me. She spoke very animatedly saying: "Mary Jane says she will go with you," and we had not spoken to each other yet, neither had we seen each other's faces. The trial I had when I met Hannah Virgil was nothing to what this was. They told her I had come for her and she said she would go.

   Now, if that monitory impulse strikes me with the same power saying "No," what will I do. Can I stand it, or will I have to wilt and wither under this, the hardest trial I had ever met with in my life? (O Lord help.) That instant it was manifest to me to just see her countenance and I would know what I ought to do. But that did not assure me that I would be inspired to take her, and to refuse, it would bring an everlasting stigma that would last through life and I thought very justly, too.

   I went out to where they were, the sun being down. The red clouds in the West were all that gave light. I thought if I could see her countenance by the light of the red clouds I would know what to do; and when I was introduced and shook hands with her I was right in the light. I stepped one side to let the light shine in her face. Peace sprung up in my troubled soul with a hearty relish for the words, "Yes, take her." It put me in mind of the poet when he said "No tongue can express the sweet comfort and peace of a soul in its earliest love.

   I then told Mary Jane it was just right and we all went back in the house. And when Brother Gifford learned that she was going home with me he was out of humor and talked very strongly against me by way of insinuations and said, "Mary Jane if you knew Brother Meeks as well as I do you would not be so willing to go with him; I know Meeks," he said. "Well," said Sister Gifford, "Old man, you don't know any harm of him, do you?" "No, I don't," he said. The fact was he wanted Mary Jane himself and both his boys wanted her. The three were so disappointed that they were as cross to her as a wet hen. One of them said "If you are going with that man I want that ring of mine you have." She pulled it off and gave it to him, saying, "I don't want your ring." So we put out into the carriage, dark as it was, and went up to President Young's and in the morning she was sealed to me, it being the 12th day of November, 1856; and the next day we started home. Mary Jane was nearly seventeen years-old and I was nearly sixty-two years old! People may say what they please about being mis-mated in age in marriage, but the Lord knows best about these matters. And if there was ever a match consummated by the providences of God this was one, and she has borne me ten children, and if anything they were above the average of smartness, all well formed and intelligent. I have often said if I had picked the Territory I could not have suited myself as well as in Mary Jane. So I give God the glory while I receive the blessings and an exaltation through the lineage of her posterity; so you can see how the Lord had his eye on Mary Jane from the beginning of this narrative; at any rate clear down until now. She has four grandchildren and a likelihood of having many more, and a nicer and smarter woman no man need to want.

   Harrisburg Troubles—In 1851 I moved from Salt Lake City to Parowan and remained there until 1862, then I moved to Harrisburg and while there I saw more trouble than I ever saw in all my life before. I went there well off and left there miserably broke up and through the rascality of the people. I had a good herd of cattle and was milking six or eight cows at a time, and some twelve or fifteen head of the best stock of horses I thought in the Territory. I raised some fine stallions and breed mares. I also had a good flock of sheep.

   I had a two-and-half acre lot and built stone buildings on it, and ten acres of farming land in the field. I let Samuel Hamilton have an acre and a quarter of my farming land.

   Now the people of Harrisburg began to think they wanted more land; there being a good place for farming where Leeds now is situated, they got the privilege of taking up land there, and the enthusiasm ran so high as soon to give that place a majority which monopolized the water for that place. Now nothing would do but to turn the whole creek that way and so it was done.

   Now a greater trouble commenced by Lucy, [Priddy's adopted Indian daughter], being found in the family-way, and she said it was John M., whom we all thought was to marry her as it was no secret in the two families that such was the intention. John heard that Lucy said it was his and he came over to my house to find out if Lucy said so. I told him she had, and he said, "It was a cursed lie," and appeared much agitated as though he could hardly control himself, and said, "Where is Lucy? I want to see her, tell her to come here." At that moment an animal was seen in my corn. I told him an animal was in the corn and I must go but that I would be back in a minute, and John started immediately after me, and I never spoke to him again, for he went on and got Mosiah's gun and shot himself in the head which was the beginning of trouble for me, for they charged me for being the cause of the murder and thought that my blood ought to atone for it, and the plan was concocted to bring it about; but Mary Jane stood up for the truth like a faithful witness, or I don't know how far they would have missed proving me guilty according to their testimony, although there was not a particle of truth in it. Mary Jane had heard every word that had passed between John and myself, so there was no chance for their falsehood to have credit in the case.

  They went to Brother Snow and told him they thought my blood ought to atone for John killing himself and that I had threatened him and scared him which caused him to kill himself. The matter lay still for a little while until judge Lewis told them that I was going to get the start of them and administer on John's property and agreed to see them through as a lawyer for $50. At least M. H. told me so, but Judge Lewis denied it; although there was not a particle of truth in the story about my interfering with the property.

  I will now go back to Nauvoo. At a certain time the mob was threatening to come upon us. We had to stand guard night and day. We were every man counseled to prepare for the worst. I made me a spear out of an old table fork and put a handle to it six or seven feet long, as I gave up my gun to those that would probably need it more than I would. I lived near half a mile from the Temple but every man when he heard the drum beat must be at the Temple quick as possible night or day with their weapons of defense. Sometimes the alarm would be given in the darkest hour of the night. We were broken of our rest a great deal, having to jump up out of our beds half asleep and run to the Temple with our eyes hardly open.

  I don't remember how many days we expected the mob to come every day. It was once reported that the mob was in sight and that their approach was expected every minute. I was upstairs with a company of brethren. We could look out of a window along the road but could not see them coming. Brother Coulson prayed in our behalf and the mob did not come, but I understand that they turned and went down to the river to camp and come on us in the morning, An accident happened in their midst, although it was a providential accident; a gun went off and killed one of their men, so that prevented them from coming and that storm blew over.

P. MEEKS.

This last entry in his journal was written just a month before Dr. Meeks' death, which occurred in his 92nd year, at Orderville, Utah. He died highly respected. His was a life of usefulness and helpfulness to his fellow men, and many are the warm memories of his services to the communities in which he lived. It was said of him that he was a "gentle soul," for he was unusually kind, patient, and considerate.

   Since his wife Sarah died in her 99th year and his wife Mary Jane in her 93rd, it would seem that Dr. Meeks' views on living and his theories and practice of medicine were not unfavorable to longevity.

Son of Athe Meeks and Margaret Sneed.

Married - Mary "Polly" Bartlett, 13 Mar 1815. She died 24 Jan 1824, Spencer County, Indiana.

Children - Athe Meeks, Lovin Meeks, Mary Elizabeth Meeks, Eliza Meeks.

Married - Sarah Mahurin, 24 Dec 1826, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.

Children - Stephen Mahurin Meeks, Margaret Jane Meeks, Hulda Meeks, Mary Jane Meeks, Sarah Angeline Meeks.

Married - Mary Jane McCleve, 14 Nov 1856, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.

Children - Mary Ellen Meeks, Hyrum Smith Meeks, Charles Mason Meeks, Elizabeth Dalton Meeks, Heber Jesse Meeks, Alfred Randall Meeks, Nancy Meeks, John Priddy Meeks, Sarah Deseret Meeks, Joseph Meeks.

The following is his obituary from 1886 in the Deseret News:

The subject of this obituary, Priddy Meeks, was born in Greenville district, South Carolina, Aug. 29th, A.D. 1795. In March 1815 he married Mary Bartlett by whom he had four children. She died in 1824 in Spencer Co., Va. He next married Sarah Mahruin Smith in Grayson Co., Ky. She bore him five children. On Nov. 13th, 1856, he married Mary Jane McCleeve in Salt Lake City, who has born him ten children, eight of whom are living. Brother Meeks received the Gospel in 1840 in Illinois, and in 1842 moved to Nauvoo. He left there with the saints and reached Salt Lake Valley Oct. 1st, 1847.

In 1851, volunteers were called for to strengthen the southern settlements of the Territory. Brother Meeks volunteered, and lived in Parowan, Iron County, for ten years, afterwards in Harrisburg. In 1876 he moved to Orderville, Kane County, and joined the United Order. Brother Meeks bore a faithful testimony to the truth of the latter-day work, and exhorted his children to the firm and steadfast in the cause of God. He was a strict observer of the Word of Wisdom, and practiced medicine somewhat after the "Thompsonian" school.

He was a faithful Latter-day Saint, and departed this life at his residence in Orderville, October 7th, 1886, at the ripe age of 91 years, leaving two wives and a numerous posterity to mourn his departure.

Priddy was also the personal physician to LDS Church Presidents Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Apr 22 2017, 2:27:22 UTC

Son of Athe Meeks and Margaret Sneed.

Married - Mary "Polly" Bartlett, 13 Mar 1815. She died 24 Jan 1824, Spencer County, Indiana.

Children - Athe Meeks, Lovin Meeks, Mary Elizabeth Meeks, Eliza Meeks.

Married - Sarah Mahurin, 24 Dec 1826, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.

Children - Stephen Mahurin Meeks, Margaret Jane Meeks, Hulda Meeks, Mary Jane Meeks, Sarah Angeline Meeks.

Married - Mary Jane McCleve, 14 Nov 1856, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.

Children - Mary Ellen Meeks, Hyrum Smith Meeks, Charles Mason Meeks, Elizabeth Dalton Meeks, Heber Jesse Meeks, Alfred Randall Meeks, Nancy Meeks, John Priddy Meeks, Sarah Deseret Meeks, Joseph Meeks.

The following is his obituary from 1886 in the Deseret News:

The subject of this obituary, Priddy Meeks, was born in Greenville district, South Carolina, Aug. 29th, A.D. 1795. In March 1815 he married Mary Bartlett by whom he had four children. She died in 1824 in Spencer Co., Va. He next married Sarah Mahruin Smith in Grayson Co., Ky. She bore him five children. On Nov. 13th, 1856, he married Mary Jane McCleeve in Salt Lake City, who has born him ten children, eight of whom are living. Brother Meeks received the Gospel in 1840 in Illinois, and in 1842 moved to Nauvoo. He left there with the saints and reached Salt Lake Valley Oct. 1st, 1847.

In 1851, volunteers were called for to strengthen the southern settlements of the Territory. Brother Meeks volunteered, and lived in Parowan, Iron County, for ten years, afterwards in Harrisburg. In 1876 he moved to Orderville, Kane County, and joined the United Order. Brother Meeks bore a faithful testimony to the truth of the latter-day work, and exhorted his children to the firm and steadfast in the cause of God. He was a strict observer of the Word of Wisdom, and practiced medicine somewhat after the "Thompsonian" school.

He was a faithful Latter-day Saint, and departed this life at his residence in Orderville, October 7th, 1886, at the ripe age of 91 years, leaving two wives and a numerous posterity to mourn his departure.

Priddy was also the personal physician to LDS Church Presidents Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jun 6 2018, 16:09:27 UTC