Person:Samuel Knight (95)

BIOGRAPHY: Came west with the Abraham O. Smoot - George B. Wallace Company (1847)

History: Samuel Knight was born in a log cabin in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri on October 14, 1832. His father, Newel Knight, had been born in 1800 in Vermont, but had spent most of his life in upstate New York until his move to western Missouri in 1831. His mother, Sally Coburn Knight, born in 1804, was likewise a native New Englander.

Soon after his parents joined the "Mormon" church, they moved to Kirtland, Ohio, then to Independence, Missouri. In Missouri, Sally had their child, which she named "Samuel", because she had "asked him of the Lord." During the persecutions they camped on the banks of the Missouri River, in shanties. Most were soaked by the rain that poured down and Sally became sick. Samuel was 13 months old. His mother was expecting their second child. Both Newel and Sally came down with malaria. In the midst of these awful circumstances, on Sep. 15, 1834, Sally gave birth to a son who they named Eli. He did not survive the day. Tragically, Sally also died.

His father Newel had received a mission call, so his Aunt Esther (his mother's sister) cared for Samuel. Samuel did not see his father for another year. While Newel was in Kirtland on his mission, he met Lydia Goldthwaite, and they were married in November, 1835 by Joseph Smith. They arrived back in Missouri in May 1836. Lydia was the only mother Samuel ever knew, and many years later, he said that Lydia treated him "better than her own children."

After Joseph Smith was killed, 11 year old Samuel was in the conference when he "was surprised to hear the voice of Joseph Smith. He arose in astonishment and beheld the transfiguration of Brigham Young...."

The family departed Nauvoo, Illinois for the trek west. At the age of 13 Samuel would be considered a man and would be expected to perform a man's duties on the trail. They missed the spur trail to Garden Grove and traveled for two days off track before realizing their error and retracing their steps. The entered the camp at Mt. Pisgah on May 25th. Soon they caught up to Brigham Young's train and he recruited Newel and his family to be a part of the vanguard company.

This company detoured about one hundred miles northward to winter on the Ponca Indian lands, they arrived there August 23rd. Rations became short and Newel took ill. His condition grew progressively worse and on January 11, 1847 he died, probably of pneumonia. In March, Samuel drove his sick, pregnant mother and family back to Winter Quarters.

Because Lydia was worried that once Samuel's relatives found out that Newel had died, they would force him to return to them, she decided to send him to the valley as quickly as possible. Lydia stayed in Winter Quarters (Ponca Camp) for several years. Samuel entered the valley in September. There he was put in the charge of a man named Dickerson, a fisherman from Cape Cod, rough in his manner and unkind in his treatment of Samuel.

With limited rations, they almost starved waiting for the harvest months. His guardian married and left the church and joined the flood of gold seekers on their way to California, leaving him without anything for his support. He wandered around until nightfall and then went to sleep in a small stack of hay belonging to John Smith. He was taken in by Mr. Smith's son-in-law, Thomas Callister, who was kind to him.

Lydia and family arrived in the valley in October, 1850. He was very happy to be reunited with them. Later, in 1854, he was called to go as a missionary among the Indians in Southern Utah. In 1856, he went to Salt Lake to visit his family and there met a young Danish girl, Caroline Beck. Their courtship was brief and they were married in the Endowment House. She returned with him to the Indian Mission.

Caroline had to learn a new language and build a new life with no help except and Indian girl. Because of the extreme heat in the summer the families went to Mountain Meadows for the summer and it was here their first child was born. Caaroline Kirstina was born in a covered wagon with Jacob Hamblin's wife, Rachel acting as midwife. From the lack of proper care, Caroline took ill and was an invalid the rest of her life. They were here at the time of the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

They went to Provo, where his mother lived for the birth of the next child. Samuel built a home for his family at the edge of a hill near the west end of the town, some two or three blocks east of the old Hamblin home.

There is record of his assignment with Dudley Leavitt to protect a company enroute to California. They overtook the company on the Muddy in the heart of the Indian country. A large group of Indians were preparing to destroy the travelers. It was impossible to control the Indians, so the matter was compromised. The Indians agreed to take only the loose stock of the company and not meddle with the teams and wagons and not make any effort to take the lived of the emigrants. The loose stock amounted to four hundred and eighty head.

Samuel worked with the Indians all his life. He made trips to the Iyats on the Colorado river, the Moqui in the Kanab area, and many others. Many Indians sold their women and children to the Mexican's for slaves, so the settlers bought many Indian children and raised them as their own. Samuel and Caroline raised an Indian girl they called Jane. She died at maturity without marrying.

Samuel held many church positions during his lifetime, 1st counselor to Jacob Hamblin in the Indian Mission 1857-1859, second counselor in the bishopric 1872-1877, and first counselor in the bishopric 1877-1884. He also served for a long time on the Stake High Council.

His mother later married again and moved to Santa Clara, then St. George. His sisters, Sally and Lydia lived in Orderville, Newel, and later, Jesse, lived in Provo. James also lived in Provo. Artemisia lived in Payson, and Hyrum died in Payson unmarried. Joseph died in Arizona.