September 1865


21 September 1865 • Thursday

Friday Thursday, Sept. 21/65. I went down from Bro. John D Lee’s at Harmony, where we stopped for the night, to Bro. Joseph L. Heywood’s to breakfast. Sarah Jane accompanied me. We started for Cedar City a little after 9 A.M. I was taken very sick on the road and came near fainting. Bro’s R. T. Burton and A. M. Musser administered to me. I went without eating the remainder of the day]1

Thursday, Sept. 21/65. I went down from John D. Lee’s at Harmony to Bro Joseph S Heywood’s to breakfast. My wife Sarah Jane accompanied me. Bro <Lorin> Farr and daughter and neice were there. Started for Cedar City a little after 8 A.M., passing the ruins of Old Harmony by the way. I was very sick on the way and came near fainting and was administered to by Bro’s R T Burton & A. M. Musser. I fasted the remainder of the day. After bathing in the Creek, in company with Bro Wm Streeper, at Cedar City, I felt somewhat better. Read papers for two or three hours to the President. The people had prepared a public dinner which I did not attend. A party in the evening I attended and danced twice.

22 September 1865 • Friday

Friday, Sept. 22/65 Felt somewhat better this morning. Wrote out a decision given yesterday by Bro. Brigham in the case of Saml Hamilton & Wm Hunter respecting a Farm sold by the former. Breakfasted at Bro. John M. Higbee’s. Attended meeting. Bro. Wilford Woodruff, Geo. A. Smith and Lorenzo Snow spoke. Had half an hour’s intermission when we again met. Bro’s. Benson, myself[,] Bro. F D Richards and the President Young spoke. We had an excellent meeting and I enjoyed considerable freedom in speaking. We bade Bro. Hy. Lunt and family, with whom the President and myself stopped, good bye, and started directly after the meeting to Parowan, which place we reached in 2½ hours. We took dinner or supper at Bishop Warren’s (he is off on a Mission to England.) In the evening we held a meeting with the people of Parowan. Bro’s. F. D Richards, E. T. Benson and myself spoke. I ha We had an a very good meeting; I enjoyed considerable liberty in my remarks. After meeting I accompanied Bro. F D Richards with Bro. Benson to la administer to a child named Dalley, a little girl, who has had a severe sickness which has left her entirely deaf and partly blind, through her deafness she has nearly lost the use of speech. Bro. Franklin was mouth in anointing and I in administering. We stopped at Bro. Dame’s.

23 September 1865 • Saturday

Saturday, Sept. 23/65. We started early this morning. Before starting I went and saw Sister Burnham, whom I had known on the Sandwich Islands when there on a Mission. She is a widow, her husband having died in 1859. They were very kind to the Elders while there. She is very poor and has three children – two girls and a boy. We stopped at Bishop Murdock’s at Beaver, which place we reached after a dusty drive of about 6 hours.

24 September 1865 • Sunday

Sunday, Sept 24/65. Went up to Bro Saml White’s to breakfast. Had two meetings here to-day. In the morning Bro’s. Woodruff, Benson and myself spoke. In the afternoon Bro’s. Lorenzo Snow, <Franklin D. Richards>[,[ Geo. A. Smith and Brother Brigham spoke. The meetings were excellent. I enjoyed (as well as the other brethren) an excellent flow of the Spirit. Busy between the meetings in company with Bro. Brigham who was conversing with Bro. A. M Harmon about putting him up the wood work of for the machinery and the building of the Cotton Factory. After the evening meeting went up with Pres. Young to look at a hill belonging to Bro’s. Barton & White, the former’s share he wished to buy out, but his offer, though a good one, Barton was unwilling to accept.

25 September 1865 • Monday

Monday, Sept. 25/65 Drove from Beaver to Fillmore, stopping two hours at Corn Creek, on the way. We ate at Bro. John Webb’s[,] an uncle of my wife Eliza L. Reached Fillmore after night. The dust to-day has been excessively disagreeable. Stopped at Bishop Callister’s.

26 September 1865 • Tuesday

Tuesday, Sept. 26/65. Breakfasted at Bro. Melville’s who gave us grapes and peaches[.] I forgot to mention that my brother David came up to us at Beaver on his way to Conference at the City. Meeting at 10 A.M. in the State House. Bro’s. Lorenzo Snow, F. D Richards, myself, C C Rich, and E T Benson and Bro. Brigham all spoke. From meeting we started for Round Valley, which place we reached about 5½ p.m. Very dusty travelling in consequence of the wind. I put up with Bro. Thos Yates who had been a Traveling Elder in England while I was there and who lived in a dugout; we stopped there as we went South.

27 September 1865 • Wednesday

Wednesday, Sept. 27/65 Started early this morning. Stopped at Chicken Creek and fed our teams. During the time we stopped here I read newspapers to Bro. Brigham which we obtained from the Mail wagon as it passed here. Drove to Nephi and reached there about 2 p.m. Held meeting at 5 p.m. Bro’s. F. D Richards, C C Rich myself and C C Rich spoke upon union and were blessed in so doing. The Spirit led us to speak upon this subject, and I think the people needed instruction as they had ran three men for the Legislature and had had a regular scrub race to the disgust of the right feeling and well-informed portion of the people and had achieved the unenviable notoriety of being the only county in the Territory that had had division in an election. Had a dance in the evening at the Music Hall, which passed off very well.

28 September 1865 • Thursday

Thursday, Sept. 28/65. We were aroused this morning very early by the brethren who had charge of the teams moving around the house. We stopped at Bishop Bryan’s. The House was a frame and unplastered and every noise was distinctly heard all over the building as much almost as though it were made in a drum. We reached Santa Quin about 9.35 A.M. I borrowed Bro. Musser’s buggy and Sarah Jane and I rode on to Payson, the rest of the company stopping to feed their animals at Santa Quin. Eliza My wife, Eliza, was at her Mother’s at Payson. She fixed up and accompanied me from there to the City. The Company reached Springville a little after 3 p.m. In the evening held meeting, Bro’s. L. Snow, E. T. Benson and W. Woodruff spoke. We slept at Sister Boyer’s.

29 September 1865 • Friday

Friday, Sept. 29th/65. Started directly after daylight for Provo. Breakfasted at Bishop Miller’s. Started about 9 A.M. for the City, stopping at Lehi on the way for dinner. We stopped at Bro. Naile’s but ate at a public dinner expressly prepared for us. When near the <Big> Cottonwood we met an escort from the City and we went into the City with considerable display, a band of music from the City accompanying us. The streets were lined with people and to see us, and several flags were displayed. [I met up with my wife and children; they were all doing well health wise, but my wife was upset with me for taking another wife to my house right now. I tried to speak kindly to her, and remind her but it was useless; she was not comforted whatsoever by me. I was extremely troubled by this matter, and so I prayed mightily unto the Lord to help me and to change my wife’s heart towards me. On the morning of the Sabbath day she cried a lot and my heart was pained for her. I expressed extensively to her that the thing causing her perplexity was that she was listening to the Evil spirit, and it was necessary for her to repent immediately regarding this matter. I spoke to her in this manner because I knew that she was weak and also that she was ashamed of her behavior. I was very happy after conversing with her because I knew she had repented of her acts and she wanted me to forgive her if I could. I told her that I could forgive her numerous times, every single day, if I knew she was repentant.]2

30 September 1865 • Saturday

Sunday Saturday, Sept 30/65 Busy at the Office all day, except the time spent in the Endowment House – about three hours – where I sealed a number of persons, and among the rest Bro. H a wife to Bro. Hy G. Boyle. Took dinner with Pres. Young and afterwards went out a riding with him.

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September 1865, The Journal of George Q. Cannon, accessed March 19, 2024 https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/george-q-cannon/1860s/1865/09-1865