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here the 10, with 10 waggons 30 men,-to purchase forage ect. Prest Buchanan getting a little unpopular. Letters from H. S. Eldridge say he is doing all he can in St. Louis. A writ has been issued against Mormon -&x&m- reserve (on improvements thereon) on beaver River- for $2200.00. Saints in U. S. drill Sunday 6 Attended meeting at the Tabernacle Preached in Morn- ing, Bro Thomas B Marsh was recieved back to the bosom of the church.75 desertions, but some of the best information to confirm this diary entry is found in Harold 1). Langley, ed., To Utah mith the Dragoons and Glimpses of Life in Arizona and California, 1858- 1859 (Salt Lake City: Universty of Utah Press, 1974). Langley was a private and gave more detail to the matter of deserters. (See pp. 22, 25, 26, 50, 105, 120, 129, 139.) William A. Cureton in his autobiography describes encounters with the army and deserters in his camp in 1858. Cureton, "Trekking to California," Bancroft Library, p. 53. `5The case of Thomas B. Marsh, his defection and return to the church, is an interesting one. Marsh, born in Acton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, was a Methodist who in 1830 became a Mormon. In 1831 he moved to Kirtland to be at the seat of the church, but in 1832 moved to Jackson County, Missouri. On April 26, 1835, Marsh was ordained one of the Twelve Apostles and served the church on several missions. In Andrew Jenson's words, "in August, 1838, Elder Marsh became disaffected and turned a traitor against his brethren . . . He was finall) excommunicated March 17, 1839." Jenson, Riographicnl Encyclopedia, 1: 74-76. According to Marsh's own account (Thomas B. Marsh Papers, 1838-1863, L. D. S. Archives), the incident that caused his defection was a quarrel between Mrs. Marsh and Mrs. George W. Harris over pooling milk and making cheese from the joint enterprise. Mrs. Marsh was accused of skimming off the cream before the milk was delivered for the cheese. The husbands, Thomas B. and George W., became involved in the dispute. The case went to the High Council where Joseph Smith decided against Marsh and his wife. Marsh claimed Joseph was wrong |
