Mormantown

Mormon Town was built across the river and a half mile east of the Pueblo. It was occupied between August 1846 and late May 1847 by four groups of Mormons. The first to arrive were the Mississippi Saints, who had become stranded in late summer at Fort Laramie while on their way to Utah. They were soon joined by three detachments of sick, weary men and their dependants from the famed Mormon Battalion. By early February of 1846 the settlement supported a population of 300 Mormons, forty-seven of them women, with an unknown number of children. The site was largely abandoned in late May of 1847, when most of the Saints started up the old trail to Fort Laramie and –ultimately – to Salt Lake City.

Francis Parkman, 20-21 August 1846.

"While we were discussing these matters, the doorway was darkened by a tall, shambling fellow, who stood with his hands in his pockets taking a leisurely survey of the premises before he entered. He wore brown homespun pantaloons, much too short for his legs, and a pistol and bowie knife stuck in his belt. His head and one eye were enveloped in a huge bandage of white linen. Having completed his observations, he came slouching in and sat down on a chest. Eight or ten more of the same stamp followed, and very cooly arranging themselves about the room, began to stare at the company...They began to catechise us at once, inquiring whence we had come, what we meant to do next, and what were our future prospects in life.

“The man with the bandaged head had met with an untoward accident a few days before. He was going down to the river to bring water, and was pushing through the young willows which covered the low ground, when he came unawares upon a grizzly bear, which, having just eaten a buffalo bull, had lain down to sleep off the meal. The bear rose on his hind legs, and gave the intruder such a flow with his paw, that he laid his forehead entirely bare, clawed off the front of his scalp, and narrowly missed one of his eyes. Fortunately, he was not in a very pugnacious mood, being surfeited with his late meal. The man's companions, who were close behind, raised a shout and the bear walked away, crushing down the willows in his leisurely retreat.

“These men belonged to a party of Mormons, who, out of a well-grounded fear of the other emigrants, had postponed leaving the settlements until all the rest were gone. On account of this delay they did not reach Fort Laramie until it was too late to continue their journey to California. Hearing that there was good land at the head of the Arkansas, they crossed over under the guidance of Richard, and were now preparing to spend the winter at a spot about half a mile from the Pueblo.

“...We crossed the river to visit the Mormon settlement...After half an hour's riding we saw the white wagons of the Mormons drawn up among the trees. Axes were sounding, trees were falling, and log-huts going up along the edge of the woods and upon the adjoining meadow. As we came up the Mormons left their work and seated themselves on the timber around us, when they began earnestly to discuss points of theology, complain of the ill-usage they had received from the 'Gentiles,' and sound a lamentation over the loss of their great temple at Nauvoo. After remaining with them an hour we rode back to our camp, happy that the settlements had been delivered from the presence of such blind and desparate fanatics.”

Source: , by Francis Parkman. (New York: Airmont Publishing Co.).

John W. Hess, November 1846 – May 1847.

“In due time we reached Fort Bent and exchanged our dilapidated outfit for a new one, with a full supply of rations for the winter which seemed to put an end to all our troubles. We moved up the Arkansas River seventy-five miles to a place called Pueblo, where we put up houses for the winter. These houses were constructed of cottonwood logs split in halves and the pieces all joined together in the form of a stockade. Here we passed the winter in drilling and hunting and having a good time generally.”

Source: "With the Mormon Battalion," by John W, Hess. The Utah Historical Quarterly, Vol.4, no.2 (April, 1931).

John Steele, November 1846 -–May 1847.

“...after travelling 68 miles came to Pueblo, our intended winter quarters ....

“Arrived Tuesday, Nov. 17, 1846 and set about locating for the winter. Found plenty of cottonwoods, house logs. We soon put 18 or 20 houses up, also a blacksmith shop, and a large corral. The Indians came in, and we traded with them for horses, and soon our infantry became cavalry, and by the 24th we were all in horses. Nothing of any consequence took place until Monday, December 21st, when another detachment arrived under Lieut. Wesley Willis who had traveled some 200 miles down the Rio Grande River, and Col. Cooke considered them unfit to cross the great western desert, and sent them to join our detachment at Pueblo. Our time was taken up by building and making our houses comfortable, and in drilling which we attended to every day; also guard mounting at 8 A.M. and regular roll call morning and evening. We also got a meeting house up, and sometimes we got good preaching, and sometimes we were scolded by the Captain....

“The house that was intended for a meeting house was to be used for a guard house, and when the boys found that out, there was only 3 or 4 turned out and so it never was built.

“January 17th, 1847, there was 9 wagons came from Bents Fort with 60 days rations. Many of the boys were out hunting deer. Jan. 19th, John Perkins died and was buried on the 20th at the root of a large cottonwood. Friday, February 5th, took two Spanish prisoners, who got away after three days. All the families are getting into safe quarters where they can be guarded. This day another of our boys died, one of Lieut. Willis's command by the name of Scott. We followed him to his last resting place where Brother John Chase made some appropriate remarks, and then followed three volleys of musketry in honor of the departed.

“Captain Brown, Lieut's Luddington and Willis went to Bent's Fort and succeeded in getting four months rations.

“February 25th, another of our company died this evening. He had been sick almost from the start. We followed him to his last resting place, beside his comrades. Thomas Williams and James Shoup had each a child born to them, and Corporal John Chase married Captain Nelson Higgins' daughter.

“March 21st, this day 26 years ago, I was ushered into this world and since that time I have passed through many trials both by land and sea.

“March 28th. this day I am to record the death of another of our comrades, namely Arnold Stevens, a corporal. He was handling a wild mule when he was dragged over some logs and hurt internally. He lingered from the 21 to the 26 of March, when a blood vessel burst and suffocated him. He was dressed in his robes and neatly laid away in a coffin, made of what is called puncheons of cottonwood. These are slabs split off like staves. About this time Captain Higgins and Lieut. Luddington bought some barrels of whiskey for $2.50 a gallon, fixed it and sold it to the boys at $8.00 a gallon, then punished them for getting drunk. The two Captains wanted the boys to sign a paper of attorney for them to draw their pay in Santa Fe, charging 2.50 percent. There was $8000 coming, which they did.

“The Captain and company have returned from Santa Fe and bring word we must start on the 24th of May, with two months and a half rations. So all things is bustle, getting ready horses to shoe, the suttler to settle up with and every thing to do all at once. After bidding adieu to our long camp at Pueblo, we crossed the Arkansas River.”

Source: "Extracts from the Journal of John Steele," Utah Historical Quarterly, Vol.6, No.1 (January, 1933).