The Life of William Rowe
Born February 20, 1826
West Burlington, Indiana
Rowe Family Histories
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The Rowe name spelled either Rowe or Row is of English origin and means "dweller at the rough or uncultivated land. One who lived at the hedgerow"
William Rowe, son of David and Hannah Manning Rowe, was born in West
Burlington, Delaware County, Indiana, February 20, 1826.
His family lived on a farm in close proximity to woodlands. He told of his
father and mother making maple syrup and of gathering hazel nuts hickory
nuts and walnuts in the autumn time. His scholastic advantages were limited.
He was acknowledged as being a splendid speller, but as a mathematician, he
knew and understood vary little about it.
William was not a healthy robust type of boy. Early in his manhood he suffered from what he thought a paralytic stroke. At the age of 17 years he was still in ill health. At this age he had a marvelous experience.
His physicians told his parents that he could not get well and had not long to live. One night he dreamed that two messengers came to him and said "If you will do as you are instructed to do we promise you that you will be well again." In the morning he told his parents of his dream and they were impressed by its promise. Within a few days two messengers called at the home. The parents recognized them as the ones described by their son.
These messengers were missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They explained the gospel to them. William felt it was of God and was baptized in his 18th year. He was the only member of his family to join the Church at that time.
Sometime after his conversion he went to Nauvoo, Illinois. He has told of
the beauty of Nauvoo, of the beauty of the temple and of his move to Winter
Quarters with the Saints.
At Winter Quarters the call from the U. S. Government came asking for volunteers to go to Mexico in defense of our country [i]. William did not plan at first to go but one night he dreamed he saw the battalion of men marching forward, and their loyalty and patriotism stirred him and in his dreams he wished he, too had enlisted and could go along. In the morning, he awakened with the determination to enlist. He hastened to the camp and after three days of enlistment he marched forward with 500 men. Five companies were formed with 100 men in each company.
The activities and privation of army life were difficult for him to withstand. He became ruptured, and from this rupture he suffered till his death. He has told that the pay he received from the government, he sent to the Saints to assist them in their great trek across the plains. Some of the members of the Mormon Battalion {See End Notes) were sent via California and William was one of them. It was there he received his discharge. The Captain marched between the lines and said "You are discharged." He and a company of men took a route which led them to Utah. They arrived just three days after the first Pioneers' arrival, July 29, 1847.
{Two other sources suggest that William Rowe was sent with the sick detachment to Pueblo, Colorado. One story has William Rowe being protected and watched over by his "brother Tat Rowe." Caratat Conderset Rowe was, in fact, his cousin. The other source is the Treasures of Pioneer History: Vol. 4 Stories of the Mormon Battalion. We now think it likely William having previously been in ill health and suffering from a hernia probably was in the sick detachment and did not go to California}
Home to Indiana and back to Utah
From Utah, he returned to his home in Indiana. His parents pleaded with him to remain. He told them he could not, but if they would come with him he would take care of them. Rather than have their family separated, the mother and father consented to immigrate west. His oldest sister, Margaret was converted during the journey west and was baptized in the North Platte River. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in October of 1848.
That autumn was a cold one and William was advised not to go to the timber lands for logs to build a house because of the ice. He nevertheless sent. His oxen had no shoes and to keep them from slipping and falling on the ice, William spread his bedding on the ice for the oxen to walk upon.
Sometime later William felt the urge to go to California in order to help
provide more for the family. He washed gold and saw the rough life that
existed there. He saw blood shed as a result of card playing, and often said
if one had seen as much evil resulting from card playing as he has seen, one
would never want to play.
William's mother became ill while he was in California. Before her death she said she knew he was on his way home, but would not arrive in time to see her alive. Her request was that they hold a service for her when he did come. This request was duly honored. She died early in the year 1852.
One day as William was walking down the street in Salt Lake City he met Brigham Young who asked him if he did not want his endowments. He said yes, and hurried home to make preparations for these temple ordinances, March 30, 1852.
William was married in March 1855 to Elizabeth Murdock. They moved to Parowan Iron County and lived within the Fort (Fort Cedar). William farmed and worked in the timber. Only thirty bushels of grain were raised that year at Parowan and William raised ten bushels of the thirty. Four children were born there to William and Elizabeth. William, Margaret Ann, David and Ruth Althea were their names. (Click here to see information about the “Iron Mission.”)
In 1864 William and family moved to West Weber through the persuasion of the
wife's father. While there the river washed his crops away and many
misfortunes followed. Two children, Joseph Manning and Elizabeth Matilda
were born in West Weber.
William stayed in West Weber for five years. Then he moved to Mendon, Utah
to be near, and to help his brother Manning, who had married Elizabeth
Richards and settled there.
At Mendon he bought a thirty acre tract on the hillside about a mile from the town. There was a spring on this land and through his efforts William managed to water the whole 30 acres from this spring. It was a steep climbed up the hill, but he carried many sacks of grain and potatoes up this hill on his back. He raised grain, potatoes, vegetable, planted fruit trees, raspberry bushes and about five acres of sugar cane. At one time the family had 40 gallons of sorghum on hand. This was in 1869.
The children attended school part of the time, but because they had to pay for this advantage and their moneys were limited, they were unable to attend regularly. Two children, Senora Electa and Ole Delbert were born while living in Mendon. In order to use his homestead right, and to give the boys the benefit of it, he went to Star Valley and filed on a quarter section of land. He worked there on the farm and raised a garden. There was a Primary organization named in his honor.
His wife died January 2, 1902. After that he lived on the farm with his son
David. He would not leave his own home. He helped put up the hay the last
year that he lived. He died July 2, 1906, and was buried July 27th, at
Thayne, Uinta County, Wyoming
Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol.2, MORMON BATTALION
Though it never fought a battle, the Mormon Battalion, a volunteer unit in
the 1846 U.S. campaign against Mexico, earned a place in the history of the
West. Its men cleared a wagon road from Santa Fe to San Diego and helped
secure California as United States territory. Members of the Battalion
helped preserve a tenuous peace in southern California before the Treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo ended hostilities. A wagon road they established between
the Gila and the Rio Grande influenced the U.S. government to make the
Gadsden Purchase. They also opened wagon roads via Carson and Cajon passes
that linked California with Salt Lake City. Some former members of the
Battalion eventually participated in the gold discovery and helped stimulate
economic development in the Great Basin (see California, Pioneer Settlements
in). These former LDS soldiers ultimately received favorable recognition
both from their military commanders and from other non‑Mormons for their
industriousness and loyalty.
"Original Circular to the Mormons"
(Presented by Brigham Young and Captain James Allen on July 1, 1846 at
Council Bluffs, Iowa)
"I have come among you, instructed by Col. S.F. Kearney of the U.S. Army,
now commanding the Army of the West, to visit the Mormon camp, and to accept
the service for twelve months of four or five companies of Mormon men who
may be willing to serve their country for that period in our present war
with Mexico; this force to unite with the Army of the West at Santa Fe, and
be marched thence to California, where they will be discharged.
"They will receive pay rations, and other allowances, such as other
volunteers or regular soldiers receive, from the day they shall be mustered
into the service, and will be entitled to all comforts and benefits of
regular soldiers of the army, and when discharged as contemplated, at
California, they will be given gratis their arms and accoutrements for which
they will be fully equipped at Fort Leavenworth. This is offered to the
Mormon people now. This is an opportunity of sending a portion of their
young and intelligent men to the ultimate destination of their whole people,
and entirely at the expense of the United States, and this advanced party
can thus pave the way and look out for the land for their brethren to come
after them.
"Those of the Mormons who are desirous of serving their country, on the
conditions here enumerated, are requested to meet me without delay at their
principal camp at Council Bluffs, whither I am going to consult with their
principal men, and to receive and organize the force contemplated to be
raised.
"I will receive all healthy, able-bodied men from eighteen to forty-five
years of age."
J. Allen, Captain 1st Dragoons
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