Thomas Edward Rogers

THOMAS EDWARD ROGERS AUTOBIOGRAPHY: I, Thomas Edward Rogers, was born on the 15th day of October, in the year 1827, in Falkirk, Stirling, Scotland. I was the second son of Archibald and Isabella Wilson Rogers, being one of five children that were born of this marriage. When I was less than a year old, I left Scotland with my parents and settled in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. White in Canada, three other children were added to the family. My father, Archibald Rogers, died and was buried in Canada. Soon after his death, my mother gave birth to my little sister, Ann, there on the family farm.

My mother met and married Andrew Locy Lamoreaux on the 12th of September, 1833. Of this union seven more children were added to the family. We received the gospel through the teachings of Elder Parley P. Pratt, and I was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by my stepfather, Andrew Locy Lamoreaux, in June 1840, when I was thirteen years old.

From Canada, I moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, sharing with my fellow religionists the persecution of the times, and finally in the expulsion from the State. Our family was very intimate with the Prophet Joseph Smith, and it afforded me a great deal of pleasure, in after years, to tell of the experience I had in sharing a bed with the Prophet himself, when I was a boy. I was in Nauvoo at the time of the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. I can remember looking through the window and seeing them lying in their coffins and filing past their caskets for the last time, and the sorrow we felt as we gazed at these two wonderful men.

Following the expulsion of the Saints from Nauvoo in 1846, I remained at Winter Quarters until the second season emigration, when I crossed the plains to Utah as a teamster for Andrew Calhoun, who was the captain of one of the ten in President Brigham Young's Company. It was on this journey that I became acquainted with Aurelia Read Spencer. She was the daughter of Orson and Catherine Curtis Spencer. Her mother was one of the Saints who lost her life after we left Nauvoo. Shortly after her mother death, her father was called on a mission ot England and the children were left at Winter Quarters and were being brought to Utah by President Brigham Young.

Three years later, I had the privilege of marrying this same Aurelia Read Spencer, on the 27th of March, 1851, in Salt Lake City, Utah. We lived for a short time in Salt Lake and then were called to settle in Farmington, Davis County, Utah. We were to live here the rest of our married life. I was one of the first pioneers to live in this area and had the honor of helping to build the old mud fort that was built as a protection from the Indians. We experienced the plague of grasshoppers and crickets and saw the miracle of the seagulls.

During the Buchanan War, I served as "Minuteman" in the celebrated detachment commanded by Lot Smith. It was the 24th of July, 1857, when President Young received word that Johnston's Army was on the road to Utah with the intention of killing the Mormon men and occupying their homes. I went with the others our on the frontier and was sent as a spy to the camp of the soldiers to learn of their intentions. We circled around and came in from the east, giving the impression that we were immigrants going west. It was just at supper time when we arrived at the camp; the food for the soldiers was very tempting. We were invited to partake of it, but declined the invitation, making the excuse that we must get back to our camp before dark.

They asked us if we had seen any Mormons, saying that the country was full of them. Just then a man was seen riding at a high rate of speed over the hill. They said, "There goes one of the devils now, but, we'll show them. We're going to Salt Lake to hang old Brigham Young and help ourselves to the women." From this report their supply trains were burned and their stock stampeded, and as a result the soldiers were compelled to winter at Fort Bridger. When they later came in, they didn't molest the Mormon people. I was to perform service in Indian campaigns of the new commonwealth. In 1856 I participated in the expedition that was sent to rescue the Salmon River colonists who were threatened by the Indians. Some of the settlers had been killed and the Mission broken up. I helped the stricken settlers to Utah.

On the 29th of July, 1869, I was called on a mission to Europe. I left in company with Lot Smith of Farmington, and Howard Spencer, my brother-in-law, from Salt Lake City. I was appointed to labor in the Leeds Conference under the direction of Elder Alonzo E. Hyde at Islington, Liverpool, England. I labored successfully for a year but, due to poor health was honorably discharged and sent home. [End of autobiography.]

Thomas Rogers died following a stroke. He was ill for one week and died 16 Sept. 1896, in Farmington, Davis County, Utah. He was buried in Salt Lake City, Utah. ----Venice H. Rogers. (Source: Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 10, p. 96)

Parents:

Isabell Wilson Rodgers Lamoreaux (1808 - 1872)

Spouse:

Aurelia Read Spencer Rogers (1834 - 1922)

Children:

Orson Thomas Rogers (1852 - 1930)

George Spencer Rogers (1860 - 1942)

Clarence Albert Rogers (1863 - 1864)

Lucy Isabella Rogers Avery (1866 - 1943)

Catherine Mary Rogers (1868 - 1868)

Joseph Rogers (1869 - 1869)

Leone Esther Rogers Stewart (1872 - 1947)

Curtis Wilson Rogers (1874 - 1956)

Sibling:

Thomas Edward Rogers (1827 - 1896)

Caroline Elizabeth Lamoreaux Martin (1840 - 1907)

Inscription: THOMAS EDWARD ROGERS, 1827-1897, PIONEER AND MINUTEMAN

Created by: Leena Rogers

Record added: Apr 16, 2009

Find A Grave Memorial# 35935074