John Tanner and his family

Page 384

John Tanner and His 376 Family temple committee thirteen thousand dollars, besides donating liberally for the building of the house. A store was opened with the goods he brought the stock being added He sold his teams and bought a farm where we to from time to time. loaned the resided three years. Our substance was divided from time to time for church purposes and to assist the needy even my own personal clothing. I divided until we were left in very destitute circumstances and lived as times poor as it was possible to get along with our large family many lacking such nourishment as I felt the need of to sustain myself through I had two children born during our residence finished and dedicated. Our home was always open sickness and hard labor. there, the temple was for the accomodation of the people, as Mr. Tanner was much given to hospitality and never refused its demands as long as we had a crust to divide. spring of 1838 we started to Missouri, our outfit consisting broken down stage horse a turnpike cart twenty dollars in money and a keg of powder with which our family ten in number were transported a distance of one thousand miles arriving in Far West in the month of July in good health except the fatigues of the journey. During the remain­ der of the summer and fall we were trying to make a location where we could prepare a home, two of the boys going into Clay Co. to work and In the of one provide bread for the family. During the winter Mr. Tanner and our son Myron then twelve years old went to mill and took a grist of corn to be ground. On their return when near Dearfy house they were informed that a company of mob was scouring the country pillaging and harrassing the saints and taking them prisoners. They hastened to unharness their horses intending to turn off through the woods and make their escape but before they could accom­ plish it the mob was on them full blast, he told his little boy to run for his life and tell his mother that his father was a prisoner. He accordingly dodged into a pile of brush and hid until the mob passed on when he went to the Derfys house and staid all night returning home the next day. In the mean time the mob rushed up Myre Odel the captain snapping his gun twice at Mr. Tanner. That failing to go off enraged him so that with a fearful oath, calling him a g-d d-d Mormon he turned his gun and struck him on the head inflicting a severe wound near the temple from which the blood ran into his boots. They took him to their camp and kept him there all night. In the morning they released him on parole when he visited his family and returned to camp without allowing his wounds dressed or cared for. He returned in time to see Joseph Smith and other leading men brought into camp as prisoners. He heard the trial by a pretended court martial, and the order for shooting them, also General Doniphan's response which saved the lives of the prisoners.